Ellis Hobbs on Fans

Professional athletes usually choose to hit the mute button in their minds to block out the boos of a fickle fandom. But cornerback Ellis Hobbs had the volume turned up Sunday, when the Patriots were booed - and abandoned - by the fed-up Foxborough Faithful during a shocking 38-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Yesterday, Hobbs took the opportunity to respond to the fans - and media - he felt overreacted to one poor performance by the Patriots, who sustained their worst loss at Gillette Stadium since it opened for business in 2002. The loquacious cornerback said the behavior was a testament to how spoiled fans have become by the team's success and how quick they are to panic.

"It doesn't hurt," said Hobbs. "It amazes me, amazes me, how people react. You would think that this organization hasn't won as much as they've won and hasn't been successful in the years that they have.

"Expectations are that high that we're not allowed a bad game or something like that. How many times has somebody had a bad day at the office? How many times has somebody missed a deadline and not gotten in the paper? Missing whatever, forgetting to fix their kids' lunch?"

Part of a defense that allowed 461 yards of total offense, Hobbs said he planned to use the booing as motivation.

"I don't block it out. I accept it. I remember. I use it," Hobbs said. "I use it as a thing of 'remember this when you are successful.' That's how you keep it all in perspective. As soon as they're stabbing you in the back and they're booing, they're ready to pat you [on the back] again.

"This is when you find out what type of player you are. This is when you find out what type of man you are, as far as this game goes, because when the adversity hits and things aren't going your way, who is really in your corner?

"Everybody has to do their job. You guys have to report, whatever, but I'm speaking from the perspective of now everybody wants to jump off the bandwagon: 'Can they really do it?' 'It's not going to happen.' 'They're missing key parts.' Whatever you want to say about it. But this is where you find out what kind of players you are."

Hobbs thinks one reason fans boo is that, unlike the players on the field, they're invisible, lost in a sea of 68,000 people.

"There are no rules or regulations to what you can say," said Hobbs. "You paid your money. You feel like you're owed that. I really think that if you looked at it, if the tables were turned, if people would really think about [it], that's almost like if their kid lost the game and all the sudden everybody is blaming their kid. They would get upset about that, but you can't really argue about it because, like I said, we get paid for this.

C's visit white house

President Bush on Friday welcomed the Boston Celtics to the White House to celeberate the team's 17th NBA championship, declaring "Celtic pride is back."

Bush saluted Celtics' captain Paul Pierce, who led the team to a title and was MVP of the finals despite suffering a knee injury early in the series.

"Playing hurt in a championship game is the ultimate sign of leadership," Bush said during an East Room ceremony.

The team's players, owners and coaches presented the president with a green Celtics jersey emblazoned with "43," a nod to Bush's standing as the 43rd president, and an autographed basketball. The team also said it would send a $100,000 check to the Red Cross to help victims of Hurricane Ike.

Celtics fans, a few wearing Red Sox caps and many, like Vermont Sen. Pat Leahy, snapping photos with their cameras, packed the East Room.

The Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in June to end a 22-year championship drought. The title capped a dramatic turnaround for the Celtics, who had the second-worst record in the NBA during the 2006-07 season.

"There was a little bit of a drought, but sure enough that drought ended with the NBA championship," said Bush.

Bush said that like other sports fans across the country, he was delighted that this year's bruising final series rekindled the old Celtics-Lakers rivalry.

"For baby boomers like me, that is the -- that was a reminder of a great basketball rivalry," Bush said. "So, like, Boston fans were screaming, 'Beat L.A.!' at the top of their lungs, and that's exactly what this team did in six hard-fought games."

It was the Celtics' first title without Red Auerbach, the famed team patriarch who died in October 2006 after being part of the other 16 championships, nine as coach.

The fortunes of the team turned around when it obtained guard Ray Allen from Seattle and forward Kevin Garnett from Minnesota in separate trades before last season.

Hosting Boston's successful pro sports teams at White House ceremonies is nothing new for Bush.

In February, the 2007 World Series champion Red Sox were honored at the White House for the second time in four years. The New England Patriots have three Super Bowl wins, beginning in 2002. The Patriots were last honored at the White House in 2005.

Bush joked that a friend had suggested he could host a "Boston Three Party" for the city's championship teams.

After the ceremony, Pierce said meeting the president was more nerve-wracking than the NBA finals.

"I got real nervous back there, my hands were sweaty," he said. "I was more nervous right here today."

Bush, who is winding down his presidency, wished the team well defending its title this season. But he added that a new president will be hosting next year's White House event for the NBA champs.

"Should you win it, you can find me in Texas," he said with a laugh.

Schilling on Manny

The media called Manny Ramirez's quirks "Manny being Manny." Curt Schilling sees it differently.

In an interview Wednesday on Boston radio station WEEI-AM, the injured Boston Red Sox starter took his former teammate to task, saying Manny's "level of disrespect to teammates and people was unfathomable."

Ramirez was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline after complaining the team had tried to turn the fans against him and that the Red Sox no longer deserved him. Ramirez was in the last year of his contract, with the team holding two one-year options for $20 million each.


In eight seasons in Boston, Ramirez's quirks were widely seen as harmless, or dismissed as a small price to pay for having such a gifted hitter in the lineup. But Schilling, speaking with "Big Show" host Glenn Ordway and former Red Sox players Brian Daubach and Lou Merloni, said Manny's antics disrespected his teammates.

"The guy got to dress in a locker away from the team for seven years," Schilling said. "And then [when] he's on this crusade to get out of here, all of a sudden he's in the locker room every day, voicing his displeasure without even having to play the game that night."

Manny's behavior was hardest on Red Sox manager Terry Francona, Schilling said.

"Nothing makes a guy that respects the game and respects human beings like Terry Francona feel worse than looking at a guy and saying, 'Go ahead, [mess] with me, [mess] with your teammates, I'll put you in the lineup,' and then turn around to a guy who's there every day early working his [butt] off who gets 110 at-bats a year and saying, 'You know what? Yeah, I can't put you in there tonight,' "Schilling said.

"There were times when you had players who were on like fire duty, 'Show up tomorrow, I'm not sure if you're playing or not, we've gotta find out what [Manny] wants to do.' That's not fair to anybody."

Ramirez, who hit .299 with a .529 slugging percentage and 68 RBIs in 100 games in Boston, has seen his production skyrocket since joining the Dodgers. In 44 games in L.A., he's hitting .400 (64 for 160) with a .738 slugging percentage and 44 RBIs entering Thursday's games. He's batting .330 for the season overall.

Schilling said his teammates are not angry that Ramirez's power numbers have spiked dramatically since he donned Dodgers blue.

"I wouldn't say [they're ticked], I'd probably say disappointed more than anything," Schilling said. "Because the one thing about Manny is that he was ... he was very kind, and well-mannered, but there were spurts and times when you didn't know who he was. You know, he was always kind and nice for the most part, but he'd show up the next day and say, 'I'm through with this team, I want out now.' "

Schilling acknowledged that it was awkward for him to speak out on Ramirez, given the fact that he has missed the entire season with an injury. "I'm the last person in the world who should be telling you who's right and who's wrong in this," he said.

"But I was a teammate, a member of this family, and I saw it ... And to me, it was always those guys, the guys who played a crucial role on teams that weren't the marquee players, are the ones that were disrespected the most."

Addressing Merloni, who was a role player in Boston, he said, "Lou, you're in Seattle, and if you refused to get on a team plane, you know what they'd do? They'd give you an Air France ticket home."

NYY lie over $ for new stadium

A congressional panel took tough swings at the New York Yankees and New York City government over a new stadium for the Yankees. But neither the team nor the city budged from their positions on the $1.3 billion structure.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich charged Thursday that he had found "waste and abuse of public dollars" in the financing of the new stadium under construction in the South Bronx.

Kucinich is an Ohio Democrat who heads the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He charged that city officials misrepresented to the IRS the value of the property, helping them to get special tax deals from the federal government and in effect dumping the cost of construction onto taxpayers. No one from the either the city or the Yankees spoke at the hearing.

Ladies and Gentleman patriots QB Matt Cassel sings Backstreet Boys

It was a charity that the Patriots took part in supporting soldiers and their families. Proceeds went to Massachusetts Soldiers Legacy Fund (MSLF), Pat Tillman Foundation, The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF), Operation Ensuring Christmas, Homes for Our Troops, and Fallen Patriot.

Howard disrespecting National Anthem

The battered reputation of Josh Howard took another hit this week when an online video surfaced showing the Dallas Mavericks forward disrespecting the national anthem.

In a video posted on YouTube, Howard is shown on a football field at a charity flag football game. As the national anthem plays in the background, Howard approaches a camera and says: "'The Star-Spangled Banner is going on right now. I don't even celebrate that (expletive). I'm black."

Howard's agent, Jeff Schwartz, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment. Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks' president of basketball operations, directed questions to team owner Mark Cuban, who in an e-mail declined to comment.

The incident is the latest off-court problem for Howard, a fifth-year pro from Wake Forest who averaged 19.9 points and seven rebounds last season. He was arrested in July when police said he was drag racing at 94 mph in a 55 zone. A court appearance was scheduled for next week.

Howard was criticized last season for saying in a radio interview during a first-round playoff series against New Orleans that he occasionally smokes marijuana. Later that same series, he angered coach Avery Johnson by throwing himself a birthday bash after a Game 4 loss to the Hornet

kicking it with Gostkowski

Kickers usually only end up in the headlines for the wrong reasons. But Stephen Gostkowski showed Sunday just how much of an impact a kicker can have by aiding both the offense and defense with his leg.

Gostkowski booted four field goals and boomed five touchbacks as part of the Patriots' 19-10 triumph over the New York Jets in the sweltering heat at the Meadowlands.

Drawing a crowd of media Wednesday, while speaking for the first time since Sunday's win, Gostkowski didn't bask in the glow of his performance. If anything, he was self-depreciating, calling a kicker's job "monotonous" while detailing his weekly preparation.

"We only kick 5-10 (field goals) with the team in practice," explained Gostkowski. "But when we go up on the field by ourselves, we probably do 30-40 kicks with operations every day, every practice. Sometimes, if my coach doesn't think I'm doing something right, sometimes you just call it quits then because, if you're doing something wrong, you don't want to develop bad habits."

An offseason award winner, given out for a number of factors including attendance and improvement over the prior year, Gostkowski has made all five field goals he has attempted this year. What's more, teams are averaging only a shade over 24 yards per kickoff return on the five that have been returnable this season.

Gostkowski only recorded 15 touchbacks in 16 games last season, a low number considering the number of kickoffs he participated in with the Patriots' offense setting NFL records for points scored.

"There's a fine line between not kicking enough and kicking too much," he said. "I think (special teams coach) Brad (Seeley) and coach (Bill) Belichick do a pretty good job of monitoring that and they realize that, when you get tired, you start doing different things, (including) trying to kick the ball too hard and that's when you start getting in trouble.

"It's a routine, like everybody else. We'll kick one way with the wind, and one way against the wind the same amount. We'll only practice short ones versus long ones or vice versa. It's so monotonous what I do. Kick 15 field goals this way, then go back so-and-so yards and do it again. It's the same thing everyday and that's what you have to do."

Gostkowski also fielded questions on whether he had ever had a similar performance dating back to high school, and if he envied kickers who always kick in warm weather or domes.

Brady and Cassel

After Sundays victory, quarterback Matt Cassel noted that Tom Brady helped him in his preparations for his first career NFL start, which included taking part in the team's Saturday quarterback meeting.

That leads to the question: Might Brady mentor Cassel throughout the season?

Bill Belichick was asked the question during his Tuesday conference call with reporters.

I think that will be true to some degree; we dont have a specific schedule on it or anything like that, Belichick said. Right now the priority for Tom is to rehab and do everything he can to get back to 100 percent, and thats a long process. That will be the priority for him. When thats taken care of, and depending how the schedule falls and so forth, Tom has always been great about helping other players and being part of the team, or whatever were doing.

Last week he came in a little bit at the end of the week, and was in our quarterback meeting on Saturday, and stuff like that. Going forward this week, that might be the same, it might be a little bit different, it will go depending on how his rehab schedule goes and what were doing at the times when hes available.

"So its not a real structured thing, but Im sure Tom will continue to be involved like he always has. To what degree, and what the timeframe is and the structure of it and all that, that is not in place. It will change during the course of the year, too. The things hes doing now, there will be different points in his rehab where there will be different areas hell be focused on, different timeframes and so forth. Well just kind of have to take it as it comes.

2-0!

Life without Tom Brady might not be so bad for New England after all.

Matt Cassel was efficient running the offense in his first NFL start, taking over for the injured quarterback and leading the Patriots over Brett Favre and the New York Jets 19-10 on Sunday.

"I thought Matt did a good job," coach Bill Belichick said. "It wasn't perfect. We had some rough spots. He did a good job of making good decisions. He didn't put us in any bad situations and made some good positive plays. I thought he managed the game well."

Cassel, who hadn't started at any level since his senior year of high school, was 16-of-23 for 165 yards, Sammy Morris ran for a touchdown and Stephen Gostkowski kicked four field goals.

"At the end of the day, you've got to have more points than the other team and that's what we did, so I'm satisfied," Cassel said. "I didn't have too many butterflies going out. I've been in the system for four years, so I'm confident I know I can run it."

The Jets, slight favorites going in, and Patriots receiver Randy Moss said New England was still the team to beat even without Brady, who was lost for the season last Sunday when he injured his left knee against Kansas City.

The Patriots (2-0) then showed why, ruining the Jets' home opener and Favre's first regular-season home start for New York.

"We knew we had to play our best football to win," Favre said, "and we weren't able to do that."

New England won its 21st straight regular-season game, and beat the Jets for the eighth straight time at the Meadowlands.

"To come in here, to this hostile environment, and win when everyone picked you to lose, is great," safety Rodney Harrison said. "With all the stuff we had to go through and endure last week with Tom, this is a great victory."

Favre went 18-of-26 for 181 yards and a TD for the Jets (1-1), but the Patriots took advantage of a big mistake by the veteran.

With the Jets facing a third-and-22 from their 11, Favre ran out of the pocket to his left and flung a pass to Chansi Stuckey for 28 yards. Three plays later, though, Favre made a poor decision, hanging a pass intended for Chris Baker that was easily picked off by Brandon Meriweather. It was Favre's first interception with the Jets.

"I just underthrew it," Favre said. "I saw the guy and maybe I got a little greedy. ... I made a bad throw. I'd like to tell you something different."

On third-and-9 from the 30, Cassel threw a screen to Kevin Faulk, who got a few blocks and got down to the 8. Three plays later, Morris leaped over the pile for a 1-yard touchdown to make it 13-3.

"A lot of it is comfort level," said Cassel, who backed up Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at Southern California. "I don't have as much experience as Tom, of course, but I think I was OK managing the game."

Gostkowski added a 28-yard field goal with 17 seconds left in the third quarter.

Favre led the Jets back into it, connecting with Stuckey for a 2-yard touchdown with 10:18 left, but Gostkowski kicked a 27-yard field goal to make it 19-10 as the Patriots ticked 5 minutes off the clock.

"We cut it to six and it was a chance for us to give them the ball back right away and give them a chance to go score, but we couldn't get it done," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "In those situations, you've got to make those kinds of plays."

The Jets went three-and-out on their next possession, and the Patriots ran out the clock to seal it.

"They kept it simple," Rhodes said. "They didn't want (Cassel) to lose the game, so they did a lot of screens and safe passes. They tried to keep it safe for him."



The Jets had their opening 11-play drive end with Jay Feely, filling in for the injured Mike Nugent, missing a 31-yard attempt. Cassel then led the Patriots on a 12-play drive, capped by Gostkowski's 21-yard field goal.

Gostkowski's 37-yarder gave the Patriots a 6-0 lead.

The Jets wasted an impressive drive that featured a vintage play by Favre. The veteran quarterback scrambled on third-and-9 from their 21, stepped up and threw across his body, finding Coles down the right sideline for 54 yards. A zigzagging 11-yard run by Leon Washington got the ball to the 3, but the Jets gave the ball to Jones three times for 1, 1 and minus-2 yards. They had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Feely.

"It's only one game," Coles said. "Our season doesn't hang on one game. We still have 14 more left to play."

Patriots’ defense focuses on shutting down opponents instead of dwelling on Tom Brady’s injury

Linebacker Tedy Bruschi, and New England’s defense have set their sights on grounding quarterback Brett Favre and the Jets at the Meadowlands tomorrow.



It seems as if everyone is concerned about the Patriots’ offense without Tom Brady running the show.


Everyone but the Patriots, that is.


New England defensive coordinator Dean Pees isn’t worried.


“There is only one group that can control the outcome of this game and that is the defense,” Pees said. “If they don’t score, then we either win or tie. We have the bottom line in this thing.
”

That, he said, is the message that he has been giving to his players since he first began coaching, 36 years ago.


“Our job on defense is to stop the other team from scoring,” Pees said.


Pees isn’t worried about the Patriots’ offense, because the Patriots’ defense, he said, has the ability to control the outcome of the game.


“It doesn’t matter if [our offense] puts up 50 or they put up six, it’s our job to keep [the opposing team] shut down and to keep the score down as low as we could possibly keep it. We try to keep them to zero if that’s humanly possible.
”

Many of the Patriots defensive players are echoing his statements.


“When you’re told something like that by your coach, whether it be your head coach, defensive coordinator, or positional coach, you’re going to take it to heart and really try to correlate that to when you play on the field on Sunday,” Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi said.


So what is the key to containing the Jets’ offense, led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre?

“It’s just a matter of us going out there and executing our game plan, making tackles, making plays on the ball, and not giving up big plays,” Patriots safety Rodney Harrison said.


“We definitely have to win on first-downs so that we can get in situations where they can’t get back on track, and [keep them] in third-and-long type of situations,” defensive lineman Richard Seymour said. “…I think first down is always a big down and then third down to get off of the field…I think if we take advantage and do all of the things as far as stopping the run, no big plays in the passing game, and create turnovers, any team can be successful [if they do] that.
”

Last Sunday against Kansas City, Pees said that he was pleased that the Patriots’ defense won the majority of first-down plays, meaning that they consistently had Kansas City on second-and-7 or longer.


The Pats hope to do that again tomorrow against the Jets.


The Patriots allowed the Chiefs to convert on 8-of-16 third-downs, which Pees was upset about. The Patriots had the fourth-best third-down defense last season, allowing teams to convert on third down only 34 percent of the time.


“Last year, we did a fairly decent job on third down and we want to continue that,” Pees said. “Last week there were a couple of situations where we were very competitive on the routes but the guy still made the catch, basically [Tony] Gonzalez. Regardless of that, we have to do a better job on third down. When we went back and studied it, I always do a win-loss column on how we do on first, second and third down.


“It was probably the best we have done on first down in a long time. Our win percentage was very, very high. That is what you want. You want to get them to third down and get them off the field. We just have to do a little better job of playing our techniques and doing some things to get off the field. We have to get that number (third-down success rate) lower.
”

Pees said that the Patriots’ secondary must be patient to have success against Favre because Favre holds on to the ball a little longer than some other quarterbacks, which gives his wide receivers more time to get open.


“It’s always a challenge when any team can throw the ball vertically down the field,” Pees said. “You have to defend it and you don’t want to give up the big play. Anytime you are doing that, then there is more of a chance they are throwing the ball underneath. [Favre] has always been a challenge and always will be a challenge just because of that. The other reason that makes him a challenge is that he can make plays when things break down.
”

His defensive backs are taking his words to heart.


“We have to be patient,” Harrison said. “We can’t get frustrated. They’re going to make their plays. They get paid to. But at the same time there are certain things that we can control and we can control the way we tackle, the way we can try to control to stop the run, as well as not giving up big plays.
”

With the talk about Favre, people are forgetting about the Jets’ running game, Seymour said. The Jets ran the ball for 112 yards last week against Miami.


“I still think they are going to come in and establish the run but Favre does have a huge arm and he can make plays out of broken plays,” Seymour said.


“He always ad libs and I think he is the master at taking a play that doesn’t look like much or scrambling around and finding a guy wide open down field so I think our defensive backs have to do a good job of covering their guys for a few extra seconds and defensively that may give us a chance to get down on the quarterback and make a few plays. We’ll see how it turns out.
”

hurricane suspendes NFL game

The Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans game was rescheduled to Nov. 9 after Reliant Stadium was severely damaged by Hurricane Ike.
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The Texans' home opener was originally scheduled for Sunday, then postponed to Monday night as Ike approached the Gulf Coast. The Category 2 storm slammed into Texas on Friday night and moved into Houston early Saturday morning.

Ike tore chunks off the stadium's retractable roof and the damage couldn't be fixed in time for the game, said Shea Guinn, the president and general manager of Reliant Park.

"There are parts of the roof that are completely gone," Guinn said.

The retractable roof on the $352 million venue rolls open in nine sections. Guinn said five of the sections were missing and large pieces of debris had fallen into the stadium.

"It's hard to tell what came from where," Guinn said.

The Texans said alternate sites for Monday night were considered, but logistics made them impossible.

The new date also affects the Cincinnati Bengals' schedule.

Houston was originally scheduled to play the Bengals on Nov. 9. Now, those teams will play on Oct. 26 and Cincinnati will take its bye week on Nov. 9, when the Texans now play the Ravens.

Baltimore had an open date on Nov. 9 on its original schedule.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh canceled Saturday's scheduled practice and will give players Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off. Baltimore plays Cleveland on Sept. 21.



"We will adjust. Our focus now turns to preparing for the Browns," Harbaugh said. "Without a bye, we believe we need to give the players the next few days off. We'll have a Cleveland game plan ready for them when they come in on Wednesday."

The Texans aren't scheduled to play at home again until Oct. 5, but Guinn said he wasn't sure when repairs could be completed. He said the stadium also sustained some water damage at street level.

Reliant Stadium sits next to the Astrodome. Guinn said Saturday afternoon that he had not yet inspected the dome for storm damage. The Texans' air-supported practice bubble across the street was deflated Thursday and was not damaged, Guinn said.

Three years ago, when the New Orleans Saints were displaced because of Hurricane Katrina, they played four of their scheduled home games at LSU's Tiger Stadium, three in San Antonio and one in East Rutherford, N.J., against the New York Giants.

Moss leading the way

Randy Moss, team captain. You read that right. That Randy Moss. The one who walked off the field before the end of the Vikings-Redskins game on "Monday Night Football." The Randy Moss who sprayed a referee with water, faked mooning the fans at Lambeau Field and admitted in Oakland to taking plays off.

Now that quarterback Tom Brady, the other offensive team captain, is sidelined for the year with a knee injury, Moss has been thrust into a position of leadership that he has embraced in New England. And on Wednesday, he tried to set the tone for the rest of the 2008 season. Rest assured, he said, the Patriots still were the favorites in the AFC East.

The play and leadership of Randy Moss will be key for Matt Cassel to be successful.

Moss held his first-ever conference call with the national media Wednesday as a way to exert his new position of table setter for the Brady-less Pats.

"I think the New England Patriots are still the team to beat," Moss said. "We did have a big loss in Tom Brady, but we still have 10 other guys out on that field to go out there and make it happen. Tom was a big, big, big component to executing, and making our offense move. So now with him gone, we just have to find other ways to make that offense move. We're still the team to beat in this division."

Moss was asked what it will be like to make the switch to quarterback Matt Cassel, who has thrown just 72 passes since he was the starting quarterback at Chatsworth High School in Northridge, Calif., eight years ago -- 33 as a backup at Southern Cal and 39 in relief of Brady in New England.

"I really don't know," Moss said. "I'm used to working with Tom."

Champ C's back at it

When in Waltham, do as the veterans do.

That's the lesson rookies J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker are learning this summer, as vets Ray Allen and Paul Pierce were in Waltham Thursday going through workouts with Strength and Conditioning Coach Bryan Doo, gearing themselves up for an October training camp that's just a few weeks away.

"This is the same commitment we had a year ago when everyone got in early," Pierce said. "Just because we won a championship -- that's what the Boston Celtics [are] all about. Winning championships. So we're here early to try to do it again."

P. Manning on Brady and Brady coaching Cassel

Tom Brady's knee injury shouldn't prevent him from contributing in a significant way to the Patriots this season, writes CNNSI's Don Banks. He spells out how new starting quarterback Matt Cassel could benefit greatly from Brady's knowledge and mentorship. One unnamed source told Banks:

"(Brady) could actually be the best coach Matt Cassel could have in regards to preparing for an opponent every week. He'll be a huge help to Cassel, in a number of ways. He's still going to help his team win this year. He'll do whatever he has to do to help his team win.''

Within this Indianpolis Star notebook, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning says he "sick" about the season-ending injury to his friendly rival:

"Brady texted me and said it must not have been in the cards for him to stay healthy this year, and he's going to fight hard in rehab and be back next year,'' Manning said.

The Matt Cassel Story

This is a lesson for your son or daughter who maybe is not good enough to start on his or her high school soccer team.

Riding the bench? Don't worry about it, kid. Don't let it define you. Keep working and someday maybe they'll let you play.

Matt Cassel will start at quarterback for the New England Patriots Sunday. Eight months ago, the Patriots were regarded as the greatest team in the history of football and now their quarterback is a young man who never started a game in college. Oh, and just for good measure, the quarterback of the other team will be Brett Favre, one of the top 10 quarterbacks who ever lived.

Matt Cassel. The last time he started a football game was Nov. 24, 1999, when he quarterbacked Chatsworth High to a 49-42 loss to Palisades Charter High School in the third round of the Los Angeles City Invitational playoffs.

He is no ordinary bench-warmer/clipboard-carrier. Cassel's dearth of experience is owed to the people playing ahead of him more than his ability. Imagine trying out for the college debate team and discovering that Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt are already on the squad. Or maybe you run the 100 and you've got to beat Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay to represent your school. That's Matt Cassel.

Competitive sports represent the ultimate meritocracy. The best players move up to the next level. Every kid on a college scholarship was dominant in high school. Just about every kid in the pros was dominant in college.

Not Cassel. At Southern Cal, he played behind Carson Palmer, a Heisman Trophy winner. When Palmer went off to the pros, Cassel was passed over in favor of Matt Leinart. Leinart also went on to win the Heisman.

"I came in behind Carson," Cassel said yesterday when a couple dozen reporters surrounded his locker. "Carson obviously did very well in college and was the Heisman Trophy winner. Matt came in the year after I did and the coaches just decided to go that way. It's one of those things where you can't really look back and do the 'what if?' thing, but I definitely anticipated being a starter there and it didn't happen. At the same time, I ended up here now, so it all worked out."

Despite never starting, Cassel got drafted by the Super Bowl champions in the seventh round in 2005. Based on potential.

"I was pretty surprised," he said. "I'm not going to lie. Without as much college film, a lot of people have written me off already, and when the Patriots called I was pretty happy. It was a good day."

Cassel came to New England with no expectations of starting. This time, instead of playing behind a Heisman winner, he was backing up a three-time Super Bowl champ.

For the next three seasons, while Brady was winning games and adding to the third-longest ironman streak for quarterbacks in the NFL (128 games), Cassel was learning the system, getting the attention of Bill Belichick and staff. His apprenticeship was not without discouragement. He threw only 39 passes in three seasons and was yanked off the field after throwing an interception in mop-up duty against the Dolphins last season.

In the summer of 2008, there was some doubt he was still Coach Bill's choice as Brady's backup, but he did well enough in four exhibitions to keep his job. And then he got the call in the first quarter of Game 1. Now he is the starter. Just like that.

"For me, it's just go and play ball and try to have fun and realize it's a game," said Cassel. "Not watch a lot of TV and not read the papers and just go out there and study the game plan and focus on what I need to do when it comes to football. There's going to be a lot of outside distractions. There's going to be a lot of people that want your time right now. I need to focus on what's important and that's to help this team win. We're going down to the Jets not just to play well, we're going down there to win."

What was it like being an understudy all those years after being The Man in high school?

"It really hasn't been that big of a struggle for me," he said. "It's just go in and get your work done and get ready when that opportunity comes, and it's here now. Did I think that it was going to take as long as it did? No, but I had a great education at USC. I had a great experience there and then I came here and I've learned behind the best for the last four years. All in all, it's not that bad.

"You fall into that role and continue to work hard and you learn a lot from these different quarterbacks. From Carson, from Leinart, and from Tom, especially over these last four years, and you start to take little bits and pieces from each of their games and use that in your game and try to get better."

The Patriots believe the system is bigger than any player and that is why Cassel is the QB rather than an experienced backup from the NFL scrap heap. Belichick would rather have a young man who knows the playbook. The coaches will do the rest. They will put him in position to succeed. He will be asked to manage the game. He will not be asked to be Tom Brady.

"He knows us, and he knows our philosophy and he knows our playbook just as good as Tom does," said running back Laurence Maroney.

"I don't really like to make comparisons between myself and Tom," said Cassel. "Tom is who he is and he's the MVP of the league last year. I am who I am. I'm just going to go out and play my game and whatever that might be, we'll see come Sunday . . . If the coaching staff didn't believe I could execute the offense, I wouldn't be here right now. You have to rally and close ranks and move on. We'd all love for Tom to be here right now. Unfortunately, he's not and we've got to move on as a team and get ready for this week."

Against the Jets. Against Brett Favre. In the Meadowlands. His first start of the 21st century.

Jets-Pats rivalry transcends games

Their history involves stealing players, reneging on contracts, tattling to the commissioner, suing their bosses and then playing some football. All of it happens in the sports crucible that is Boston-New York contempt.

Now that's a rivalry.

The New England Patriots and New York Jets have established their series as the NFL's most intense.

They'll meet Sunday at the Meadowlands in a game that could symbolize a shift in the AFC East. The Patriots don't have star quarterback Tom Brady anymore and are considered the underdogs. The Jets have another first-ballot Hall of Famer in Brett Favre.

"The New England Patriots are the standard bearers in the AFC East," said former Patriots and Jets running back Keith Byars. "But the Jets smell a little blood in the water."

Sunday's matchup is compelling, but it's merely another episode in a series that has been nothing short of fascinating for a generation.

Head coaches Bill Belichick and Eric Mangini, sharing professional lineage and mutual disdain, have worked for both teams and accused each other of various transgressions (see the Spygate chapter in your Rivalry Handbook). Several assistants and 51 players have jumped back and forth since Bill Parcells became Patriots coach in 1993 and Jets coach in 1997.

"When Joe Walton was coaching the Jets, we weren't taking Jets-Patriots calls," said legendary New York sports talker Chris "Mad Dog" Russo. "It wasn't Boston versus New York like Red Sox-Yankees, but when Parcells got in the mix, that's when the Jets-Patriots rivalry began in earnestness and spiraled out of control.

"It's all off-the-field stuff. It transcends the actual games."

While Byars contended the rivalry is fueled more by franchise or coaching animosity, Curtis Martin, who also ran for both teams, said "it was more like competing against your brother. When you're competing against people that you know, it just brings a little extra out of you."

Going into a Patriots-Jets game, the players are fully aware of the added importance. They're well-versed on the story lines. They look across the field and see so many familiar faces. They feel the added hostility swirling around the stadium like a nasty wind.

"It almost feels combustible," said Martin, who bolted the Patriots for the Jets to reunite with Parcells. "You almost expect fans to get into a fight in the stands. There's that type of tension.

"You know the history. You know where both coaches come from. You know what's going on. You don't necessarily feed into the media, but you understand and you're not oblivious to it."

The Patriots-Jets blood feud has been rehashed often enough, but here's the CliffsNotes version:

* After 30-plus years of coexisting in relative harmony as AFL brothers, the Patriots hire lightning rod and former New York Giants head coach Parcells in 1993.

* Parcells, upset over being overruled by Patriots owner Robert Kraft in the 1996 draft, defects to the Jets at the end of the season. Kraft demands draft compensation. The NFL orders the Jets to surrender four picks over the next three years.

* Parcells signs Martin to a six-year, $36 million offer sheet in 1998, knowing the Patriots can't match. The Jets give up first- and third-round picks as compensation.
* Parcells leaves the Jets sideline after 1999 and abdicates to Belichick. On his way to the podium for his introductory news conference, Belichick scrawls a resignation note on a napkin.

* The Jets forbid Belichick from pursuing other jobs. Belichick responds by filing an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL.

* Belichick becomes Patriots head coach in 2000 and goes on to win six AFC East titles, four AFC titles and three Super Bowls.

* In September 2001, Jets LB Mo Lewis delivers the sideline hit that changed the Patriots franchise. Drew Bledsoe suffers internal bleeding, and virtual unknown Brady takes over.

* Patriots defensive coordinator Mangini leaves to become Jets head coach in 2006. He tries to pick up his things the next day, but he's locked out of Gillette Stadium.

* Patriots file tampering charges against the Jets regarding WR Deion Branch.

* The Jets report Patriots videotaping violations to the NFL last year, and Spygate becomes an obsession well into the offseason.

The Patriots-Jets series, however, is more than good theater. These games have counted.

The Patriots have won six of the past seven AFC East titles. The Jets won the other one in 2002 in a three-way tiebreaker with the Patriots and Miami Dolphins.

They met in the playoffs two seasons ago. That year, they split in the regular season (the road teams won each time), and the Patriots beat the Jets 37-16 in the playoffs.

"It's always serious," Martin said. "One significance to this is that it seems the winner of these games usually wins the division. It's really taken serious. There's a lot at stake with these games."

Bengals QB Palmer on Cassel

Benglas QB Carson Palmer speaks out about Pats new QB Matt Cassel and the advice he gave him. As well as former patriots head coach and current USC head coach (cassel's college coach) Pete Carroll talks about Cassel.

Take the link below and copy to play it:

Carson Palmer Video:
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80ab1816

Pete Carroll Video:

Cassel says Brady's suppport is important

Moss misses practice? Brady visits!

The Patriots are holding their afternoon practice on the lower field behind Gillette Stadium. The practice is being held in full pads, and the following players have not been spotted during the media-access portion of the session: wide receiver Jabar Gaffney, wide receiver Randy Moss, tight end Benjamin Watson, wide receiver Sam Aiken.

Reserve center/guard Dan Connolly returned to practice for the first time in a few weeks.

Later today, the Patriots will release their participation report and at that time more information should be learned about the absence of Moss.

Both Watson and Aiken missed last week's game against the Kansas City Chiefs with knee injuries. Gaffney was present in the locker room prior to practice.



Patriots receiver Randy Moss revealed during a national conference call that injured quarterback Tom Brady was at Gillette Stadium this afternoon visiting with his teammates and was in "good spirits."

"He's still upbeat," Moss said. "You'd expect a guy to be down . . . he was more down on Sunday. We had a few conversations, a few texts. But he's the same old Tom Brady.

"It's uplifting, seeing him [today] with a positive attitude, and that goes a long way."

Moss did not say how long Brady stayed. During the time the players were available to the media, a chair draped with clothing was in front of Brady's locker.

Moss Moves

Randy Moss, the record-setting New England Patriots All-Pro receiver, has purchased a home and is living at 97 Wilbur Road.

Purchase price of the single-family home with a cabana, shed and in-ground pool that sits on 4.04 acres was $1.25 million, and the deal was closed on Aug. 1, according to town records.

He purchased the gated property from Joel P. and Denise Trojan, owners of the Century Drywall Company of Lincoln.

Word of Moss's arrival has spread quickly, particularly among younger football fans.

"Seems like the kids knew about this before everyone else," said Doug Allen, a town attorney and a manager in the Lincoln Little League who's team members began chatting about Moss moving in weeks ago. "We had heard that he was looking to move into town and that he was looking at available properties near the airport, which is where he ended up buying."

The property is a short distance from North Central State Airport on the Lincoln-Smithfield line.

While the Patriots provide transportation around the country for its players for National Football League games, Moss has several other interests which require extensive travel.

On April 29, of this year, Moss announced the formation of Randy Moss Motorsports, an auto racing team intended to begin participation in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and in July, he announced that he had bought a 50 percent share in Morgan-Dollar Motorsports. He also has initiated Rollin With Randy, a charitable foundation that assists underprivileged children in West Virginia.

There has been a slight increase in traffic along Wilbur Road since Moss moved in, according to Robert Fratus, who lives across the street from Moss.

"We've seen a few cars sort of slow down to try to get a look at the house, but they just drive by," said Fratus, who said the property was gated when it was owned by the Trojan family. "The house is set far off the road, so you really can't see much from the road anyway."

Fratus said his son has observed Moss driving out of the property, and an excited wave by the youngster was returned by the football star, but like most neighbors in the area near St. Thomas Council, K. of C., Fratus doesn't want to impinge on Moss.

"He obviously bought that house, which sits well off the road, because he wants privacy, and we respect that, like we would for anyone else," said Fratus. "We've only seen him once. I haven't had an opportunity to speak to him yet because we don't want to be too forward. If he wants to talk to his neighbors, he will when he's ready."

Fratus' son, Matthew, 12, is understandably anxious for a chance to meet the football star. Matthew is a football fan and is a member of the Lincoln Lions Pre-teen football program.

Town Clerk Karen Allen, Doug Allen's wife, said she learned that Moss was moving into town when her son Ben, 12, told her. A short while after, a title examiner went to Town Hall to file paperwork.

"It was sort of funny because the examiner wanted to keep it a big secret and asked everyone not to talk about it," said Karen Allen.

The Allens live nearby, on Cynthia Drive, and Doug said he has seen Moss driving from the newly acquired property.

"It was just a modest car, not what I would have expected from a sports superstar," said Allen.

Moss isn't the first New England Patriot to settle in Lincoln. Starting center Dan Koppen, who played at Boston College, is also a town resident, and has been active coaching youth basketball locally during the football off-season.

Another sports celebrity, Frank Carpano, sports anchor for WJAR-TV 10, is also a Lincoln resident. Carpano's daughter attended school with the Allen's son.

"There are a number of celebrities in Lincoln and once you see them away from their professions and out in the community, you find out that they're just like all the rest of us," said Doug Allen. "I remember when Linc Almond was governor and we'd see him at a Front Street coffee shop and think nothing of it. I imagine once Randy Moss is spotted buying apples at the local supermarket that everyone will say it's kind of cool because he's just like the rest of us."

Born Feb. 13, 1977, in Rand, Va., Moss played football at Marshall University and was drafted into the NFL with the 21st overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings. He was traded to the Oakland Raiders, where he played for two years before being traded to the New England Patriots on April 29, 2007 for a fourth-round draft pick.

In his first season with the Patriots, Moss set the NFL single season touchdown record with 23, teaming with quarterback Tom Brady on all of those receptions. Moss also holds the single season touchdown receptions for a rookie with 17, set with the Minnesota Vikings.

Pats season IS NOT OVER

I completely get the national venom for the Patriots. I'm not surprised by all the anecdotes we're hearing about fans in bars in New York and Indianapolis and in all the other football cities the Patriots have pillaged the past seven years erupting in gleeful cheers as Tom Brady writhed on the ground Sunday.

And how predictable that the ESPN clowns would climb all over each other to declare the wicked witch in the gray hoodie dead. They can barely repress their smirks as they wait for the Patriots to get their comeuppance, as if the Super Bowl shocker wasn't enough.

They hate the Patriots, for their success, for all they've denied them. They feel it. I know where they're coming from.

But a word of warning are drop-kicking the Patriots while they're supposedly down: In your bloodthirsty, envious desire to see the fatal blow delivered to the wobbling dynasty, you are severely underestimating the remaining 52 men on this team right now.

Now, let's get this straight right now: I'm am not in a state of grief as I write this. I am not a basement-dwelling fanboy in denial. I am not looking for hope anywhere I can find it. I simply believe this to be true:

The Patriots, even without the best player in the NFL, are still going to be a tremendous football team this season. They may not light up the scoreboard, and they may not dominate from the first minute to the 60th, but more often than not - much more often than not - they will win.

They will win because of Randy Moss and Wes Welker. They will win because of Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, and Ty Warren. They will win because of Adalius Thomas and Mike Vrabel . . . Dan Koppen and Logan Mankins . . . Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris . . . Rodney Harrison and Deltha O'Neal . . . Dave Thomas and Ben Watson . . . Jerod Mayo and Tedy Bruschi . . .

They will win because of Matt Cassel. And most of all, they will win because of Bill Belichick.

I came into this season believing that Belichick and the Patriots needed to win the Super Bowl to secure their legacy, or at least the perception of their legacy. It's difficult to admit if you're a fan, but the painful truth is that SpyGate is a stain that will be removed only with another championship.

Suddenly, Belichick has another way to restore his and his franchise's good name: he can succeed, and greatly exceed expectations, without his superstar quarterback. And I'm convinced Belichick is already invigorated by this challenge.

The coach has seemed weird the last couple of days (well, weird-er). You thought he'd be black-cloud gloomy during his weekly appearance on the Big Show; instead, he chuckled at all the sycophants' eighth-grade level jokes. He appeared to even crack a smile while stonewalling the media during Monday's press conference confirming Brady's status.

I'm certain he knows something we don't, probably concerning his new starting quarterback. Maybe Phil Simms is right, and Belichick thinks he has something special in Cassel, who looked more than competent Sunday after an uninspiring preseason. Maybe he likes his team's chances in a league in which a team led by the likes of Tavaris Jackson is considered a Super Bowl contender. Maybe recalls 2001, and the greatest coaching job most of us have ever witnessed, and thinks he just might be capable of a sequel.

I don't mean to downplay Brady's injury, or to suggest Belichick would prefer anything but having his franchise QB for all 16 games and all the way to Tampa. Of course losing Brady is devastating. Devastating. It's terrible when any great athlete loses a season of his prime, and so much worse when it's one of Your Guys. But there's no sympathy in the NFL. There are 15 games to play, hopefully more. The schedule waits for no one.

Brady on pats: "I like our chances"

The e-mail popped in at 5 p.m.

“It will all be OK. I’m excited to see what our team is made of … I still like our chances,” wrote Tom Brady.

For a region that’s made a mantra of saying: “In Belichick and Brady We Trust,” that ought to mean something, right?

But it may be too soon, still. There’s a wake-like atmosphere in New England. Tom Brady’s season is officially over.

You didn’t know whether to ask Brady’s teammates what happens next, or walk through the locker room shaking their hands and saying, “Sorry for your loss … Sorry for your loss … Sorry for your loss …”

Brady’s out for 2008. Roll that around for a second.

The best player on the NFL’s best team didn’t make it through the first of 64 regular-season quarters. Go further if you want. Think of it this way: the best quarterback ever (arguably) is going to miss a season in his prime playing for (arguably) the best dynasty of the Super Bowl era.

Diehard Patriots fans are stiff-upper-lipping it. They're pointing out that this team has recovered from the loss of key players before. Seasoned and pragmatic New Englanders are holding their breath.

They remember Bobby Orr’s career ending because of a knee. They remember the daily trepidation about Larry Bird’s back, feet and heels. They remember Cam Neely and Tony C. and the other Hub sports superstars being ripped from their grasp by injury.

And even if medicine and circumstances may be different in sports today, that’s not enough to reason away that Brady will be just as good as ever. His convalescence is going to be as big a story around here as anything that happens on the court, ice, diamond or field.

Boston’s been the luckiest sports town on the planet since 2001. That would be when the hit that launched a dynasty — Mo Lewis’ sideline shot that severed an artery in Drew Bledsoe’s chest — opened the door for Brady. Patriots fans with short memories are wondering if the same thing can happen now as Matt Cassel takes over for Brady.

They forget that Brady outplayed Bledsoe by a fat margin in the 2001 preseason and that even if Bledsoe hadn’t gotten hurt, his days as the Patriots starter were numbered. Belichick had seen just about enough.

Cassel was not about to ascend Brady’s throne.

Defensive tackle Ty Warren, one of the team's leaders explained the mood.

“This is the way the game is,” he said. “It’s move on, man. You mourn for a second then you have to move on. It’s life. I can understand from the outside looking in you have a guy like Tom get hurt, but it’s happened before where guys get hurt and teams move on.”

There is, Warren said, no other option: “This is my livelihood. This is how I feed my family. When the Jets take the offense next week, it’s my job to help stop them. That’s the way it is.

Brady done for season

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will undergo surgery on an injured left knee and miss the rest of the season, the team announced Monday.

"After extensive tests this morning, it was revealed that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's left knee, which was injured in the first quarter of yesterday's game, will require surgery," the team said in a statement. "He will be placed on injured reserve and will miss the remainder of the 2008 season."

Brady was scheduled for an MRI on Monday amid reports that he had torn his anterior cruciate ligament.

Matt Cassel said Monday he was ready to fill in for Brady next week against the New York Jets.

Cassel, who stepped in for Brady after the NFL's reigning MVP injured his left knee in the first quarter of Sunday's game against Kansas City, filled in for Brady on his scheduled radio appearance Monday.

"I'm not trying to be Tom Brady. I'm just trying to be Matt Cassel," he said the morning after leading the Patriots to a 17-10 win over the Chiefs. "I don't know where that's going to take us."

Cassel said on WEEI that he hadn't talked to Brady, though the two had exchanged text messages.

John Lynch not gone for long?

"John Lynch is gone, but probably not for long.

The Patriots cut the nine-time Pro Bowl safety yesterday, but comments from both Lynch and coach Bill Belichick make it sound as if the future Hall of Famer will return sooner rather than later.

“I have no regrets about my time thus far with the Patriots,” Lynch said in a statement the team released. “The immense respect that I’ve long held for the organization has been only heightened over the past couple of weeks. I am going to keep all options open and look forward with excitement to see what the future brings.”

At issue seems to be the one-year deal Lynch signed early in camp after the Broncos cut him. As a vested veteran, the entire contract becomes guaranteed if Lynch is on the roster in Week 1; that’s not the case thereafter.

Lynch is free to return to the Patriots, because his vested veteran status means another team can’t claim him. Yesterday’s move immediately made him a free agent.

Lynch appeared in three preseason games for the Pats. With safety Tank Williams lost to a season-ending knee injury, Lynch seemed like a good candidate to replace him as a hybrid linebacker/safety in the team’s sub packages."

Welcome to New England....TY LAW?

"There still is at least one name out there that would give Patriots fans a sense of security were he to open the season at cornerback: Ty Law.

Law remains a free agent after sitting out all of training camp following his release by the Chiefs early in the offseason. The Patriots have a need at corner, where Ellis Hobbs will be joined in the starting lineup either by rookie Terrence Wheatley or veteran Lewis Sanders.

Rodney Harrison doesn’t normally address what-ifs or players who aren’t wearing Patriots uniforms, but he made an exception for Law.

“Hey, Ty knows how I feel about him,” Harrison said. “The respect and the love as a friend that I have for Ty, the respect as a football player, he knows that. If he’s here, great. If he’s not, we’ll play with the guys we have and that’s the focus.

“You don’t want to comment too much on someone that’s not here, but at same time, I mean, Ty Law is Ty Law.”

Whether the 34-year-old still has anything in the tank remains to be seen. A first-round pick of the Pats in 1995 out of Michigan, Law is likely headed to the Hall of Fame for what he did in a Patriots uniform.

He hasn’t missed a game since 2004, his final with the Pats, but his numbers nonetheless have slipped. Last year with Kansas City, Law picked off just two passes, his career low for a 16-game season.

At the owners meetings in March, Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said he believed Law still could play and added he wouldn’t be surprised if Law finished his career where it started in New England.

It’s unclear what the Patriots’ interest is at this point. After cutting veteran Fernando Bryant, they’re left with just four corners on the roster: Hobbs and Sanders, as well as rookies Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite.

Complicating matters is money. Word out of Cleveland is that Law wanted starter-level cash to join the Browns and his demands presumably would be similar here.

The Patriots briefly had two roster openings yesterday after releasing Chad Jackson and John Lynch, but they didn’t fill either of them with Law."

Pats sign O'neal

The Patriots announced the signing of free-agent cornerback Deltha O'Neal this morning.

The team released tight end Stephen Spach to make room for O'Neal on the roster.

The Patriots also announced the signing of guard Jacob Bender and tight end Tyson DeVree to the practice squad, and confirmed that tight end Jason Pociask and offensive tackle Mark LeVoir were claimed on waivers. Pociask and LeVoir are now on the 53-man active roster.

Here is a bit more on O'Neal from the team's press release:

O'Neal, 31, is a two-time Pro Bowler in his ninth NFL season, having played in 116 games with 75 starts for the Denver Broncos (2000-03) and Cincinnati Bengals (2004-07). The 5-foot-11-inch, 194-pound cornerback has recorded 358 career tackles (289 solo), one sack, 31 interceptions for 403 yards and three touchdowns, 106 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. As a returner, he has totaled 57 kickoff returns for 1,274 yards (22.4 avg.) and a touchdown, and 136 punt returns for 1,368 yards (10.1 avg.) and two touchdowns. Last season with Cincinnati, O'Neal played in 16 games with eight starts and totaled 56 tackles (43 solo), one interception, 16 passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. O'Neal was originally drafted by the Broncos in the first round (15th overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft out of California-Berkeley. He earned his first career Pro Bowl berth in 2001 after finishing second in the AFC with nine interceptions, including an NFL record-tying four interceptions in a game against Kansas City on Oct. 7, 2001. O'Neal was traded to the Bengals on April 9, 2004 along with a first-round pick in the 2004 draft (24th overall) and a fourth-round pick in the 2004 draft (117th overall) in exchange for the 17th overall selection in the 2004 draft. In 2005, his second year with the Bengals, O'Neal returned to the Pro Bowl after setting a franchise record with a career-high 10 interceptions. O'Neal was released by the Bengals on Aug. 30, 2008