Ron Burgundy

We all saw what happened last year in the Super Bowl: the mighty fell. The New England Patriots, who had soared to offensive records and a 16-0 record in the regular season, could do nothing to stop a relentless New York Giants team from taking what could have been the fourth ring for the Patriots. Whether or not you believe the loss was a fluke or if the Patriots were just outplayed, there is no doubt that the hangover for Patriots fans was long and painful.

2007 was supposed to be a season of redemption. Stuffing every victory down the throat of all the haters and non-believers. Proving how great we were, spy scandal or not, and winning yet another Super Bowl Championship. Instead, we would always be shown on ESPN Classic as "that game" where David beat Goliath. Were we football's tragic hero? Had our hubris gotten to us? The mighty seemed to be falling in more than one game, but from their dynastic pedestal all together. The offseason proved no differently.

Rumors swirling over Patriots' general manager Scott Pioli's departure eventually came true. Shortly after the loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl, the salt was poured into the wound as he left to join the same organization that pierced the hearts of Patriots fans worldwide. The longtime friendship of Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli seemed to have been weakened by "SpyGate", and this did nothing to put down those assumptions. Who would take the place of one of the NFL's top ranked personnel wizards?

Enter me, Rich Bregnard, a former Suffolk Law Student from Boston, Massachusetts. I had played football for three years at Boston College before graduating with a degree in political science. I was not the kind of player that would ever have a career in football, so I instead intended to get into the business of football. I went to Suffolk Law School to get my law degree, but I also wanted to help with their upstart football program. In doing so, I got recognized by the same school I played for, Boston College, and begun scouting for them.

It was when the shift in the National Football League took place when I joined the Patriots' organization. When Scott Pioli and Bill Belichick entered the scene in Foxboro, I came as well, although to much less press coverage. None, in fact. I was still wet behind the ears, and I was eager to learn. Now, with almost eight years of scouting and contract negotiations under my belt, I have been handed the reigns to one of the best run organizations in sports history. Pressure? Just a little.

Luckily, I have more than a solid base to work with. I have the best coach in football and arguably the best quarterback in football in Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. We have stars like Randy Moss, Richard Seymour, Tedy Bruschi, and Rodney Harrison. We have tremendous role players like Kevin Faulk, Sammy Morris, Jarvis Green, and Wes Welker. Our offensive line, despite the showing in the Super Bowl, is one of the best in the league. However, we are not without our issues.

We are aging, which means I am going to have to put my fingerprints on this team a lot, and fast. This is my team now, not Scott Pioli's and I hope to incorporate my kind of player to each position. In some places we already have that kind of player, but in others we do not. Whether through trade, signing, or the draft, I will have to do what I can to keep this dynasty afloat after this shake-up. I will have to do what I can to get to the number: six. That's how many rings this team needs to be the best of all time.

Time to get to work.

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Ron Burgundy

Scott Pioli's New England Patriots
Before I get my hands on the controller.

(C) = captain
(R) = rookie
($) = contract year

QB
Tom Brady (C)
Matt Cassel ($)
Kevin O'Connell (R)

HB
Laurence Maroney
Kevin Faulk
Sammy Morris
LaMont Jordan ($)

FB
Heath Evans ($)

WR
Randy Moss
Wes Welker
Jabar Gaffney ($)
Chad Jackson
Kelley Washington
Sam Aiken

TE
Benjamin Watson ($)
Marcus Pollard ($)
David Thomas ($)

LT
Matt Light
Wesley Britt ($)

LG
Logan Mankins ($)
Russ Hochstein ($)

C
Dan Koppen
Dan Connelly ($)

RG
Stephen Neal
Billy Yates

RT
Nick Kaczur ($)
Ryan O'Callaghan ($)

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LE
Ty Warren (C)
Santonio Thomas ($)

RE
Richard Seymour
Jarvis Green

DT
Vince Wilfork
Mike Wright ($)
Le Kevin Smith ($)

LOLB
Mike Vrabel (C)
Pierre Woods ($)

MLB
Tedy Bruschi
Jerod Mayo (R)
Victor Hobson ($)
Eric Alexander ($)

ROLB
Adalius Thomas
Shawn Crable (R)

CB
Ellis Hobbs ($)
Fernando Bryant ($)
Jason Webster ($)
Terrence Wheatley (R)
Lewis Sanders ($)
Jonathan Wilhite (R)

FS
Brandon Meriweather
James Sanders

SS
Rodney Harrison ($)
Tank Williams ($)

K
Stephen Gostowski

P
Chris Hanson

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I am on the phone with a few agents and a few other general managers before the preseason starts to shape up the roster and perhaps make a few moves. Nothing official yet, but I have interest in the Eagles' cornerback/safety Sheldon Brown. Despite his age, 29, he is extremely fast and is a tremendous cover man in both man and zone. It will depend on what the Eagles want in return. We have our eyes on some free agents as well, but nobody is "about to be signed".

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Ron Burgundy

Pre-Preseason Moves?
Moves I made before the 2008 NFL preseason.

Signed
LT Mark Levoir (3 yrs.)
C Doug Datish (2 yrs.)
LE Kenechi Udeze (3 yrs.)
FB Lorenzo Neal (1 yr.)
RE Simeon Rice (1 yr.)

Released
LT Wesley Britt
C Dan Connelly
LE Santonio Thomas

Trades



NE receives: CB Chris Gamble
CAR receives: FS James Sanders, CB Jason Webster, NE Third Round Pick



NE receives: CB/FS Sheldon Brown
PHI receives: FB Heath Evans, NE Second Round Pick, NE Fifth Round Pick



NE receives: MLB D'Qwell Jackson, CLE Second Round Pick, CLE Fourth Round Pick
CLE receives: RE Richard Seymour

Extensions

LG Logan Mankins was signed through 2012 with a deal worth $29.5M. ($6.35M bonus.)
LG Russ Hochstein was signed through 2010 with a deal worth $5M. ($960k bonus.)

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Obviously, the big story is regarding the trades. The big one, at least as far as departures go, is the one involving Richard Seymour. Jarvis Green seems ready to start, and the signings of Simeon Rice and Kenechi Udeze will help as well. In return, we got a solid, young middle linebacker in Jackson to pair up with Mayo to, hopefully, create a great tandem in the middle. We also got two picks to help lessen the impact of losing the ones we did in acquiring Gamble and Brown. Sheldon will be starting at free safety for us, as he is slated to be one of the best in the league. Gamble will be our number one corner for sure, and he will help our depth tremendously with Bryant now on the third receiver. Our defense backfield may now be our strength on defense.

As far as the other transactions go, they were mainly bringing in players I liked. Lorenzo Neal is the big one there, as he will bring in a big time talent at fullback. Extending Logan Mankins and Russ Hochstein was a priority for me, so I am glad I got it done before the preseason.

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Ron Burgundy

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Ron Burgundy

Preseason Week One - Around the League

Transactions

The Bengals signed FS John Lynch. (3 yrs.)
The Broncos signed K. J. Carney. (3 yrs.)
The Cardinals signed P S. Player. (3 yrs.)
The Chiefs signed FB J. Kuhn. (2 yrs.)
The Chiefs signed K D. Rayner. (3 yrs.)
The Falcons signed CB T. Law. (3 yrs.)
The 49ers signed DT R. Coleman. (3 yrs.)
The Giants signed ROLB T. Spikes. (3 yrs.)
The Lions signed RG C. Naeole. (3 yrs.)
The Saints signed C J. Newberry. (3 yrs.)
The Seahawks signed TE E. Johnson. (4 yrs.)
The Steelers signed P T. Sauerbrun. (3 yrs.)
The Texans signed DT E. Kelley. (4 yrs.)

Scores

Cleveland Browns 17, New York Jets 9
Arizona Cardinals 16, New Orleans Saints 10
Chicago Bears 16, Kansas City Chiefs 10
Seattle Seahawks 26, Minnesota Vikings 23
Philadelphia Eagles 21, Pittsburgh Steelers 14
Indianapolis Colts 14, Detroit Lions 13
Tennessee Titans 20, St. Louis Rams 14
Oakland Raiders 22, San Francisco 49ers 15
Dallas Cowboys 29, San Diego Chargers 29
Washington Redskins 27, Buffalo Bills 24
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26, Miami Dolphins 20
Jacksonville Jaguars 24, Atlanta Falcons 18
Denver Broncos 20, Houston Texans 13
Cincinnati Bengals 21, Green Bay Packers 20
New York Giants 18, Carolina Panthers 6

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Ron Burgundy

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Ron Burgundy

Preseason Week Two - Around the League

Transactions

None

Scores

Buffalo Bills 22, Pittsburgh Steelers 7
Philadelphia Eagles 38, Carolina Panthers 31
New York Jets, Washington Redskins 13
Indianapolis Colts 24, Atlanta Falcons 14
Jacksonville Jaguars 30, Miami Dolphins 18
Baltimore Ravens 17, Minnesota Vikings 13
San Diego Chargers 26, St. Louis Rams 16
Green Bay Packers 24, San Francisco 49ers 21
Tennessee Titans 23, Oakland Raiders 3
Houston Texans 24, New Orleans Saints 17
Kansas City Chiefs 21, Arizona Cardinals 20
Denver Broncos 24, Dallas Cowboys 17
Seattle Seahawks 26, Chicago Bears 16
Cincinnati Bengals 21, Detroit Lions 14
New York Giants 10, Cleveland Browns 3

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Ron Burgundy

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Ron Burgundy

Preseason Week Three - Around the League

After the loss of Nick Kaczur we decided to cut HB LaMont Jordan, who had not gotten any carries in the preseason, and signed rookie tackle Tony Hills to a one-year deal. Hills is normally a left tackle, but he adds more depth in our line regardless.

Transactions

None

Scores

Chicago Bears 30, 49ers 23
Atlanta Falcons 20, Tennessee Titans 17
Dallas Cowboys 36, Houston Texans 31
Denver Broncos 38, Green Bay Packers 19
Cleveland Browns 41, Detroit Lions 13
New York Jets 18, New York Giants 7
Carolina Panthers 19, Washington Redskins 10
Kansas City Chiefs 28, Miami Dolphins 17
New Orleans Saints 38, Cincinnati Bengals 30
Minnesota Vikings 28, Pittsburgh Steelers 13
Baltimore Ravens 19, St. Louis Rams 16
Oakland Raiders 16, Arizona Cardinals 9
Jacksonville Jaguars 24, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21
Indianapolis Colts 20, Buffalo Bills 6
San Diego Chargers 24, Seattle Seahawks 17

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Ron Burgundy

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Ron Burgundy

We a few smaller moves after last week's disappointing loss.

NE receives: CHI Fifth Round Pick
CHI receives: WR Kelley Washington

With the extra cap space we went out and signed 17-year veteran Keith Traylor to a one-year contract to help with our defense. We have really struggled, especially on run defense, and I just hope we are getting warmed up.

Preseason Week Four - Around the League

Transactions

None

Scores

Buffalo Bills 18, Detroit Lions 11
New York Jets 26, Philadelphia Eagles 20
Washington Redskins 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 13
Indianapolis Colts 28, Cincinnati Bengals 16
Dallas Cowboys 30, Minnesota Vikings 14
Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Carolina Panthers 6
Baltimore Ravens 27, Atlanta Falcons 19
Cleveland Browns 34, Chicago Bears 17
New Orleans Saints 27, Miami Dolphins 17
Houston Texans 24, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10
Green Bay Packers 24, Tennessee Titans 17
San Francisco 49ers 34, San Diego Chargers 28
Arizona Cardinals 13, Denver Broncos 0
Oakland Raiders 17, Seattle Seahawks 14

Preseason Wrap-Up

AFC East Standings

New York Jets (3-1)
New England Patriots (3-1)
Buffalo Bills (2-2)
Miami Dolphins (0-4)

Team Stat Leaders

Passing: Tom Brady (84.5 rating, 52/71 for 545 yards, 4 TD, 5 INT)
Rushing: Sammy Morris (47 attempts for 155 yards)
Receiving: Chad Jackson (17 receptions for 201 yards, 2 TD)
Defense: Mike Vrabel (30 tackles, 7 for losses, 2 sacks, 1 INT)

Team Stats

Passing Offense: 868 yards (4th)
Rushing Offense: 317 yards (29th)
Points-Per-Game: 25.2 (4th)
Passing Defense: 755 yards (20th)
Rushing Defense: 471 yards (21st)
Turnover +/- : -2 (25th)

Biggest Surprise: Chad Jackson
Biggest Disappointment: Our defense, for sure.

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Our new depth chart and 2008 Patriots' Schedule.

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Ron Burgundy

Rich's New England Patriots
Well, more-so than last time.

(C) = captain
(R) = rookie
($) = contract year
(IR) = injured reserve

QB
Tom Brady (C)
Matt Cassel ($)
Kevin O'Connell (R)

HB
Laurence Maroney
Kevin Faulk
Sammy Morris

FB
Lorenzo Neal ($)

WR
Randy Moss
Wes Welker
Jabar Gaffney ($)
Chad Jackson
Sam Aiken

TE
Benjamin Watson ($)
Marcus Pollard ($)
David Thomas ($)

LT
Matt Light
Mark Levoir
Tony Hills (R) ($)

LG
Logan Mankins
Russ Hochstein

C
Dan Koppen
Doug Datish

RG
Stephen Neal
Billy Yates

RT
Nick Kaczur ($) (IR)
Ryan O'Callaghan ($)

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LE
Ty Warren (C)
Kenechi Udeze

RE
Jarvis Green
Simeon Rice ($)

DT
Vince Wilfork
Keith Traylor ($)
Mike Wright ($)
Le Kevin Smith ($)

LOLB
Mike Vrabel (C)
Pierre Woods ($)

MLB
Tedy Bruschi
D'Qwell Jackson
Jerod Mayo (R)
Victor Hobson ($)
Eric Alexander ($)

ROLB
Adalius Thomas
Shawn Crable (R)

CB
Chris Gamble ($)
Ellis Hobbs ($)
Fernando Bryant ($)
Terrence Wheatley (R)
Lewis Sanders ($)
Jonathan Wilhite (R)

FS
Sheldon Brown
Brandon Meriweather

SS
Rodney Harrison ($)
Tank Williams ($)

K
Stephen Gostowski

P
Chris Hanson

2008 New England Patriots Schedule

Sunday, September 7th, 2008 - 1:00pm - vs. Chiefs
Sunday, September 14th, 2008 - 4:15pm - @ Jets
Sunday, September 21st, 2008 - 1:00pm - vs. Dolphins
Week Four - Bye Week
Sunday, October 5th, 2008 - 4:15pm - @ 49ers
Sunday, October 12th, 2008 - 8:15pm - @ Chargers
Monday, October 20th, 2008 - 9:00pm - vs. Broncos
Sunday, October 26th, 2008 - 1:00pm - vs. Rams
Sunday, November 2nd, 2008 - 8:15pm - @ Colts
Sunday, November 9th, 2008 - 1:00pm - vs. Bills
Thursday, November 13th, 2008 - 8:15pm - vs. Jets
Sunday, November 23rd, 2008 - 1:00pm - @ Dolphins
Sunday, November 30th, 2008 - 1:00pm - vs. Steelers
Sunday, December 7th, 2008 - 8:15pm - @ Seahawks
Sunday, December 14th, 2008 - 4:15pm - @ Raiders
Sunday, December 21st, 2008 - 1:00pm - vs. Cardinals
Sunday, December 28th, 2008 - 1:00pm - @ Bills

Tentative 2009 Draft Needs: SS, CB, RT, OLB, DE

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Up next - the start of the regular season!

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Ron Burgundy

Regular Season - Week One

Sunday, September 7th, 2008 - 1:00pm
New England Patriots (0-0) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (0-0)

Out: RT Nick Kaczur (NE), HB Kolby Smith (KC)
Doubtful: QB Brodie Croyle (KC)

Scoring Summary

Second Quarter, 11:45 remaining - NE - 31-yard field goal, S. Gostkowski (3-0 NE)
Second Quarter, 7:57 remaining - KC - 29-yard field goal, D. Rayner (3-3)
Second Quarter, 1:28 remaining - KC - 4-yard touchdown run, J. Charles (10-3 KC)
Third Quarter, 12:23 remaining - NE - 3-yard touchdown pass, T. Brady to S. Aiken (10-10)
Third Quarter, 10:55 remaining - NE - 22-yard touchdown pass, T. Brady to W. Welker (17-10 NE)
Third Quarter, 6:51 remaining - NE - 4-yard touchdown pass, T. Brady to L. Maroney (24-10 NE)
Third Quarter, 5:55 remaining - KC - 1-yard touchdown pass, T. Thigpen to D. Bowe (24-17 NE)
Fourth Quarter, 14:45 remaining - KC - 3-yard touchdown pass, T. Thigpen to T. Gonzalez (24-24)
Fourth Quarter, 9:34 remaining - NE - 52-yard field goal, S. Gostkowski (27-24 NE)
Fourth Quarter, 2:40 remaining - NE - 35-yard field goal, S. Gostkowski (30-24 NE)

New England Patriots 30, Kansas City Chiefs 24

New England Stat Leaders

Passing: Tom Brady (126.8 rating, 29/38 for 318 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT)
Rushing: Laurence Maroney (18 carries for 96 yards)
Receiving: Randy Moss (7 receptions for 95 yards)
Defense: D'Qwell Jackson (9 tackles)

Other Notables

Wes Welker, WR (4 receptions for 94 yards, 1 TD)
Mike Vrabel, LB (7 tackles, 4 for losses)
Jarvis Green, DE (4 tackles, 2 for losses, 2 sacks)

Kansas City Stat Leaders

Passing: Tyler Thigpen (91.9 rating, 15/27 for 122 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT)
Rushing: Larry Johnson (16 attempts for 63 yards)
Receiving: Jeff Webb (1 reception for 42 yards)
Defense: Derrick Johnson (10 tackles, 3 for losses)

Other Notables

Donnie Edwards, LB (10 tackles, 2 for losses)
Alfonso Boone, DE (5 tackles, 2 for losses)

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The reason why this game was so close? It wasn't the 420 to 181 total offense in favor of the Pats. It wasn't the 677 to 391 total yards in favor of the Pats. It wasn't the 33:28 to 26:32 difference in time-of-possession in favor of the Pats. Hm, what could it be? Perhaps it was the fact that we committed eleven penalties for 107 yards. Or, maybe, it was the fact that was were four-for-twelve on third down conversions. The bright spots? Well, we did win, and we did perform well offensively. I love the fact that we gained 124 yards on the ground. Brady completed passes to nine different receivers, and it was nice to see Sam Aiken get involved with the touchdown. On the offensive line front, Ryan O'Callaghan did give up a sack, but overall he did a decent job. All I know is that we are going to have to play better than this to beat the Jets next week.

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Ron Burgundy

Regular Season Week One - Around the League

Transactions

None

Scores

New York Giants 22, Washington 15
TE Kevin Boss (4 receptions for 27 yards, 2 TD)

Cincinnati Bengals 27, Baltimore Ravens 20
QB Carson Palmer (22/31 for 245 yards, 3 TD)

Miami Dolphins 21, New York Jets 16
QB Chad Pennington (22/30 for 229 yards, 2 TD)

Houston Texans 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 30
WR Kevin Walter (7 reception for 78 yards, 2 TD)

Tennessee Titans 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 17
SS Chris Hope (4 tackles, 1 INT)

Detroit Lions 18, Atlanta Falcons 11
FS Daniel Bullocks (8 tackles, 1 INT)

Buffalo Bills 9, Seattle Seahawks 0
SS Donte Whitner (6 tackles, 1 INT)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26, New Orleans Saints 15
OLB Cato June (8 tackles, 1 INT)

Philadelphia Eagles 20, St. Louis 14
QB Donovan McNabb (26/41 for 303 yards, 1 TD)

Dallas Cowboys 29, Cleveland Browns 18
QB Tony Romo (26/31 for 283 yards, 2 TD)

Carolina Panthers 31, San Diego Chargers 27
HB DeAngelo Williams (16 attempts for 100 yards, 2 TD)

Arizona Cardinals 20, San Francisco 17 (OT)
HB Edgerrin James (27 attempts for 160 yards, 3 receptions for 10 yards, 1 TD)

Indianapolis Colts 24, Chicago Bears 17
QB Peyton Manning (22/28 for 237 yards, 2 TD)

Green Bay Packers 27, Minnesota Vikings 12
QB Aaron Rodgers (15/26 for 225 yards, 1 TD)

Denver Broncos 34, Oakland Raiders 24
QB Jay Cutler (33/42 for 403 yards, 3 TD)

Weekly Awards

Offensive P.O.W.: DEN QB Jay Cutler
Defensive P.O.W.: IND DT Ed Johnson

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Ron Burgundy

Regular Season - Week Two

Sunday, September 14th, 2008 - 4:15pm
New England Patriots (1-0) @ New York Jets (0-1)

Out: RT Nick Kaczur (NE)

Scoring Summary

First Quarter, 11:00 remaining - NYJ - 7-yard touchdown pass, B. Favre to J. Cotchery (7-0 NYJ)
First Quarter, 8:06 remaining - NE - 30-yard field goal, S. Gostkowski (7-3 NYJ)
First Quarter, 4:52 remaining - NYJ - 53-yard field goal, M. Nugent (10-3 NYJ)
First Quarter, 1:13 remaining - NE - 6-yard touchdown run, S. Morris (10-10)
Third Quarter, 5:06 remaining - NE - 31-yard field goal, S. Gostkowski (13-10 NE)
Fourth Quarter, 12:57 remaining - NYJ - 8-yard touchdown pass, B. Favre to D. Keller (17-13 NYJ)
Fourth Quarter, 4:38 remaining - NYJ - 38-yard field goal, M. Nugent (20-13 NYJ)
Fourth Quarter, 1:09 remaining - NE - 10-yard touchdown pass, T. Brady to W. Welker (20-20)
Overtime, 5:34 remaining - NE - 25-yard touchdown pass, T. Brady to R. Moss (26-20 NE)

New England Patriots 26, New York Jets 20 (OT)

New England Stat Leaders

Passing: Tom Brady (98.6 rating, 29/46 for 326 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT)
Rushing: Laurence Maroney (27 carries for 162 yards)
Receiving: Randy Moss (10 receptions for 164 yards, 1 TD)
Defense: Mike Vrabel (13 tackles, 2 for losses)

Other Notables

Sammy Morris, HB (5 attempts for 22 yards, 1 TD)
Laurence Maroney, HB (4 receptions for 44 yards)
Wes Welker, WR (4 receptions for 37 yards, 1 TD)
Tedy Bruschi, LB (9 tackles, 2 for losses)

New York Stat Leaders

Passing: Brett Favre (134.1 rating, 19/24 for 229 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT)
Rushing: Thomas Jones (21 attempts for 71 yards)
Receiving: Laveranues Coles (7 receptions for 115 yards)
Defense: Kerry Rhodes (8 tackles tackles, 1 for loss, 1 sack)

Other Notables

Dustin Keller, WR (6 receptions for 61 yards, 1 TD)
David Harris, LB (8 tackles, 2 for losses)
Vernon Gholston, LB (7 tackles, 2 for losses)

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This game was hard fought until the very end. It looked like the Jets might pull out the upset late in the fourth quarter, but Tom Brady worked his magic yet again, driving down the field and tying the game up with a pass to Wes Welker for a touchdown. Overtime proved to be a struggle as well, with nearly ten minutes drained off the clock before Brady hit Moss to end the game. The Jets came to play, but were simply out-played in the end by Brady, Moss, and Maroney. Laurence showed us a spark in this one with 208 all-purpose yards, which I love to see. Moss was Moss, putting together another mind-blowing performance. I look forward to meeting the Jets again, but it's on to the Dolphins.

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