ADALIUS OUT FOR SEASON

Just when things are looking really good...

It's been reported that Adalius Thomas broke his left forearm in Sunday's win over Buffalo. This injury would likely end his season.

Thomas was tied for the team lead in sacks with 5. And although he hasn't quite met the lofty expectations many had for him in New England, losing him is a major blow to the Patriots' defense. He'll likely be replaced by Pierre "I fucked up that fumble recovery in the Super Bowl" Woods. In a 4-3 scheme, Jerod Mayo can fill-in for Thomas.

It's unfortunate we won't get to see a play like this Thursday night:



Source:
Boston.com

BIGGEST WIN OF THE SEASON... SO FAR

After the disappointing loss to Indy last week, which featured numerous mistakes, miscues, and misplays; the Patriots played one of their most solid games of the season. They didn't put up tons of points, but they moved the ball, dominated time of possession, won the battle for field position, and didn't make mistakes. On the other side of the ball, the defense didn't allow big plays, stopped the Bills 6 out of 11 times on 3rd down, helped win the battle for field position, came up with two vital sacks, and picked Edwards off twice.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis had his first career 100 yard game, rushing for 105 on 26 carries and a score. As a team the Pats rushed for 144 yards, all without Morris and Jordan. This success on the ground was why the Pats held the ball for 37:40.



Cassel's strung together a streak of solid games. He was 23 of 34 for 234 yards. He also rushed for 22 yards and a touchdown. He's not a Pro Bowler, or a fantasy QB, but he seems to have developed into a consistently solid and winning player.



Wes Welker can help make a QB look like that. He had 10 catches for 107 yards. He's the first player in NFL history with 6+ catches in all of the first 9 games of a season. He's on pace for 117 receptions, which would break the franchise record of 112 he set in '07.



The defense made the big plays when necessary. As mentioned above, they were solid on 3rd downs. Seymour's sack on the first drive of the game prevented a 3rd and 3 conversion. Ellis Hobbs' interception set up a field goal. The Bills were driving up the field when Deltha O'Neal grabbed his pick. Ty Warren's sack ended a Buffalo drive in Patriot territory, and also shoved the Bills out of field goal range.



The only mishap was the 84 yard kickoff return with less than 2 minutes left. Apart from that, the Bills didn't have anything. The Patriots had twice as many yards, nearly twice as much possession, and should have won 20-3.

Short turn around for the Jets Thursday night. If the Pats win that, they're in the AFC East driver's seat.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
AP Photo/Elise Amendola

LOOK WHO'S IN FIRST PLACE

The Bruins' 3-1 victory Saturday night over Buffalo propelled them into 1st place in the Northeastern Division. Chuck Kobasew returned to action from a broken ankle with a goal and an assist. Apparent backup goalie Manny Fernandez stopped 32 of 33 shots despite not playing the past two weeks. Milan Lucic distributed 8 Hits.

The Bruins have won 3 straight by a combined score of 13-3. They've won 6 of the last 7 and are currently tied for the 4th best record in the NHL.

This year's Bruins have grown into a very entertaining team to watch. They've got more offensive firepower than they had last season with guys like Blake Wheeler and Patrice Bergeron making their presence known. Milan Lucic is one of the top hitters in the game. Tim Thomas has been playing out of his mind. It's a crime that he's not even on the All-Star ballot.

Bruins @ Chicago Wednesday night. I hate these 3 and 4 day stretches without a game.

Source:
ESPN.com