Cassel leaves team to be with family

New England QB Matt Cassel's status for this Sunday against Oakland is in doubt after the death of his father.

Cassel has left the team who are currently training in San Jose and will travel to Southern California to be with his grieving family.

Cassel has had a fantastic season so far throwing 14 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions in his first starting season in the NFL. His poise in the pocket has improved with every game and he is now looking every bit an NFL starting quarterback.

Losing Cassel against Oakland would be yet another blow to an already depleted Patriots team. Although Oakland are only 3-10 it is a must win game for New England who are tied at the top of the division with the Jets and the Dolphins.

If Cassel can't play on Sunday then rookie Kevin O'Connell out of San Diego State will step in as his replacement. The rookie has four career NFL passes, all of which came against Miami in the week 3 blowout loss.

Stallions Wednesday

Going into the Christmas break the Staffordshire Stallions stand in the same place they did last year; with a perfect record (3-0) and looking increasingly dominant in their division.

After their game against Leicester Longhorns was postponed the Stallions can enjoy the break and look forward to the next game against Nottingham Outlaws when they return.

The Stallions went into the season with everything to prove after their success last year. They won every game in the regular season, a feat no other Stallions team had done, and continued to march through the playoffs.

After a come from behind victory against the Newcastle Raiders the Stallions played the Southampton Stags in the University Championship Game. The Stags proved too strong on the day thanks to their running attack; the Stallions lost 54-20.

Coming into the new season the Stallions were full of confidence despite losing a lot of starters, even head coach Ant Charles was optimistic claiming the current team to be the second best Stallions he had coached. However, a preseason matchup against the Birmingham Lions showed the Stallions they had a long way to go if they hoped to emulate last year.

Two weeks later, on the 16th of November, the Stallions regular season was underway with their first game against the Huddersfield Hawks. The sceptics were no where to be seen as the Stallions notched up a half century and completely shut the Hawks offence out of the game.

Stallions’ record breaking running back Edem Goka scored three touchdowns and rushed for over 200 yards. Rookie running back Jonny Gibson showed his worth with two trips to the endzone. Quarterback Ben Rowan and all round utility player George Furlonge capped the game with a touchdown each. The Stallions moved to 1-0.

Cornerback Dean Czyz said: “Ed was unstoppable; he’s added another dimension to his game this year.”

On a rainy Sunday afternoon the Stallions played the Derby Braves in what was predicted to be a tough game for both teams.

It took until the third quarter for the Stallions to grab the game by the throat but two touchdowns from Goka and another by Furlonge put the game out of the reach of Derby going into the fourth quarter. Another shutout from the defence finished a great day for the Stallions. Staffs now stood at 2-0.

Loughborough. Every year the Aces are playoff contenders but three years without a win against the Stallions had Loughborough pumped up for this game; the unexpected departure from the team added another emotional element into the game, one the Stallions hoped wouldn’t prove too strong.

It was the Stallions who proved too strong on the day. Staffs aggressive offence line of Pete Buckley, Graham Fellows, Rob Pickerill, Phil Slater, Pete Crawley and Chris Ward stuffed the Aces running attack and Loughborough’s passing game stuttered with two interceptions from Czyz and Mike Osunsina.

Two more rushing touchdowns for Goka and two receiving scores from James Walker, who finished the game with two catches for 85 yards including a 75 yard touchdown, put the game beyond the Aces, the game finished 31-8 to the Stallions. The Stallions now sat atop the division with a 3-0 record.

With four more games after Christmas Czyz said: “I’m really excited about this year as I think we can go all the way with the mentality the team has.

With all the confidence and ability this year the sky is the limit for the Staffordshire Stallions.

AFC East Roundup Week 13

Three teams now occupy the top spot of the AFC East with with only four weeks left of the season.

The Jets, Patriots and the Jets all own a 8-5 record and all have the potential to be playing football in January.

The Patriots beat the Seahawks 24-21 at Qwest Field thanks to some fourth quarter come back heroics from the Matt Cassel led Patriots offence. For the full game report check out my blog post from the 8th December.

The Jets fell 24-14 to a struggling 49ers team. 49ers QB Shaun Hill continued his great form with two touchdown passes to Bryant Johnson and Frank Gore. The Jets recent poor run of form continued as Brett Favre didn't throw a touchdown and Thomas Jones only rushed for 56 yards.

In the other game the Bills played the Dolphins. One touchdown pass from Pennington was all the 'Phins needed to claim their eighth win of the season as they beat the Bills 16-3. 70 yards rushing from Ronnie Brown and 70 yards receiving from Davone Bess helped Miami towards the playoffs.

With three games left and a potential division winning game between Miami and New York in the final week of the season the Patriots need to beat Oakland to keep up in the division title race.

Beyond a joke!

The New England Patriots are facing the possibility of the rest of the season without Pro Bowl linebacker Tedy Bruschi after he suffered a knee injury against Seattle.

If this is the case the Patriots will have lost another starter to injury having already lost Tom Brady, Laurence Maroney and Adalius Thomas.

It seems resigning Junior Seau was a stroke of brilliance by Bill Bellichick or was he tempting fate.

For now though Bruschi has stayed in Boston instead of travelling with the team to Oakland, every Pats fan will be hoping he only needs a week of rest.

With the AFC East getting increasingly competitive he Pats can ill afford to lose a rock in the defence like Bruschi.

The Providence Journal looks at the banged up Patriots D: http://www.projo.com/patriots/content/sp_fbn_patriots_09_12-09-08_S2CIOBL_v13.3c76a33.html

Pats v Seahawks Full Time Report

Matt Cassel's fourth quarter heroics rescued the Patriots as they beat the Seahawks 24-21 at Qwest Field.

The Seahawks led going into the fourth 21-13 but a field goal from Stephen Gotakowski and a 1 yard run from Sammy Morris gave New England the win.

The Pats went into the game at 7-5 and needed a win to make a push for the playoffs in an increaslingly tough division. With the 'Hawks at 2-10 the win seemed assured against a weak opposition.

New England received the ball to start the game but five plays and 16 yards later they were forced to punt the ball all the way down to the 'Hawks 13 yard line.

Seattle didn't struggle on this drive as they went 87 yards in seven minutes to take the lead. The 'Hawks backup QB Seneca Wallace found ex-patriot Deion Branch in the endzone with a 14 yard pass.

On the Patriots next possession they improved on their first drive by coming away with a field goal. After a 9 play drive New England set up a 50 yard field goal which Gotakowski nailed to record his longest kick this season.

The Patriots defence stuttered once again as Seattle's defence flourished and they scored their second touchdown in as many drives. The 'Hawks started from their own 26 and Wallace finished the drive with a 10 yard pass to John Carlson.

The Patiots scored their first touchdown of the game in the second quarter when Cassel threw to Benjamin Watson in the back of the endzone.

The Patriots defence finally had an answer for the 'Hawks offence as they forced two punts on their next two possessions. Seattle led going into the half 14-10.

After both teams exchanged punts the Patriots scored first in the second half when Gotakowski kick a 42 yard field goal.

On the very next drive the 'Hawks went 62 yards in three plays which ended in Wallace throwing to Branch again for their third and second touchdowns respectively. This took the score to 21-13 going into the final quarter.

The Pats scored an early field goal to put some pressure on Seattle and put the score to 21-16 to the Seahaws with 12 minutes in the game remaining.

The 'Hawks offence again couldn't drive against a stout New England defence and were forced to punt.

New England's next drive lasted fourteen plays and took over six minutes off the clock. The drive also included three third down conversions. After getting the ball all the way down to the Seahawks' one yard line Sammy Morris jumped over the pile to score the vital touchdown which Cassel converted to make the score 24-21.

with 2:44 left on the clock and 'Hawks needing just a field goal to take the game to overtime, Richard Seymour recovered a fumble forced by Brandon Meriweather to seal the game.

With Oakland next week the Patriots will be optomistic about another win and moving ever closer to playing football in January.
Quick hits:

• Welker caught a season high 134 yards
• Randy Moss went over 13,000 career receiving yards with his 56 yards this Sunday

For all the stats follow the link: http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter?game_id=29734&season=2008&displayPage=tab_gamecenter

Pats Resign Two LBs

The Patriots have resigned ex-players Junior Seau and Roosevelt Colvin to the roster after putting Adalius Thomas on injured reserve ending his season.

To read about Colvin and Seau's return to the team follow the link: http://www.patriots.com/homepage/

Pats v Seahawks Preview

The Patriots week 14 match-up is against the Seattle Seahawks who have been struggling as of late and it gives New England a chance to get their playoff hunt back on track.

After losing to the Steelers last week and falling to 7-5 the Patriots need a win to close the gap on the Jets who have a game advantage over the Pats.

The Seahawks have been struggling as of late and currently stand at 2-10 and are on a run of a nine game losing streak. With their QB Matt Hasselbeck doubtful for the game because of a recurring back injury, New England have the best opportunity possible to win this game and move to 8-4.

Matt Cassel is coming off a poor game against the Steelers when he threw 2 interceptions so he will be looking to have another performance like the one against Miami when he threw three touchdowns to Randy Moss.

After losing several starters this season, the Patriots have resigned linebackers Junior Seau and Roosevelt Colvin to fill in the gaps left by Adalius Thomas and Pierre Thomas, who injured his jaw against the Steelers.

This game also marks the first that Deion Branch has had since he left New Engalnd after a four year career there that included a Super Bowl MVP award against the Panthers. In that game Branch caught 10 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown.

Whatever the outcome the game at Qwest Field, should be a good match in which the Patriots could win and get back into playoff contention.

Stallions Wednesday

As some of you may or may not know i'm a current member of the Staffordshire Stallions, who are the reigning BUAFL Northern Conference Champions. Therefore, every Wednesday I will dedicate this site to the Stallions.
Welcome to the Stallions Update....

The Staffordshire Stallions moved to 3-0 with a 31-8 victory over divisional rivals Loughborough Aces.

The win drops Loughborough to 2-1 and moves the Stallions a game clear of the rest of the division.

The Stallions started the game strong and after allowing a short drive from the Aces Staffs defence forced Loughborough to punt the ball away, setting the tone for the rest of the game.

The Stallions offence drove the ball down the field with the usual effectiveness and efficiency. Running Back Edem Goka then ran in to the endzone from ten yards to finish the drive; Jon Wood converted to put the Stallions up by 7-0.

Goka extended the Stallions lead in the second quarter when he rushed in from 22 yards. James Walker took the snap and ran in to score the two point conversion. The Stallions defence was as dominant as usual; a tipped pass from rookie linebacker Alasdair Jarvis was intercepted by Dean Czyz.

The Stallions again drove the ball deep in to the Aces territory with their dominant running game from Goka, George Furlonge and Jonny Gibson. Quarterback Ben Rowan then found Walker on a quick slant for an 8 yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked meaning the Stallions led the Aces 21-0.

The first half ended with the Stallions leading 21-0 and Loughborough unable to break down the Staffs defence. Dominant play from the defensive line of Rob Pickerill, Graham Fellows, Pete Buckley and Chris Ward led to the ball carrier down being consistently being stopped in the back field.

Rowan and Walker hooked up again in the 3rd quarter. Walker received the ball and used his speed to leave the corner and the safety stranded as he ran in from 75 yards to score his second touchdown of the game. Wood converted the extra point to put the Stallions up 28-0. The score remained the same for the rest of the 3rd quarter after both defences stalled the opposing offences.

The Aces started a comeback in the 4th quarter as their running back Abayomi Okuboyejo scored a touchdown from 9 yards out. The Aces went for the two point conversion and were successful. The score stood at 28-8 with over ten minutes left.

The Stallions had to put the ball back to the Aces who were just three scores behind. Another interception, this time from rookie linebacker Mike Osunsina gave the ball back to the Stallions offence.

Any comeback attempt was stuffed by the Stallions offence who held the ball for the majority of the 4th quarter as Goka, Furlonge and Ward converted vital third down attempts so Staffs kept the ball and the clock running. Wood sealed the game with a 22 yard field goal to extend the Stallions advantage to 31-8.

The Stallions now hold top spot in the division and will be looking to stay perfect before the Christmas break. The only thing that stands in their way is a visit from the Leicester Longhorns in week 6.

MVPs – Special teams- Jon Wood, Rookie- Alasdair Jarvis, Defence- Pete Buckley, Offence- Edem Goka, Game- Offensive line (Rob Pickerill, Graham Fellows, Pete Buckley, Max Bonaker, Pete Crawley, Jon Henshall)

Pats v Steelers Full Time Report

New England's push for a playoff berth was dealt a crushing blow this weekend with a 33-10 loss to the Pitsburgh Steelers.

The Pats currently stand at 7-5, one game behind the Jets who fortunately lost to the Broncos this weekend.

The game started well for the Pats; Mike Vrabel intercepted Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger deep in their territory on thefirst possession of the game. Three plays and 14 yards later the Pats where 7-0 up thanks to running back Sammy Morris.

The Steelers responded with a field goal in the same quarter after the Pats where forced to punt the ball away on their next drive.

In the second quarter New England extended their advantage with another field goal to move to 10-3 ahead. From that moment on the Steelers dominated the game and the Pats would no score again.

The Steelers scored before half time when Roethlisberger found wide receiver Santonio Homles for a 19 yard touchdown.

New England had the opportunity to take the lead before the half but were unable to convert the field goal so the score stayed at 10-10 at half time.

The Pats received the ball to start the second half but were forced to go three and out. The Steelers offence converted this to 3 points from a Jeff Reed field goal.

New England's next to possessions ended in fumbles and Pittsburgh capitalised by scoring a touchdown and a field goal off these turnovers. The touchdown came from an 11 yard pass to Hines Ward.

In the fourth quarter the Steelers scored another touchdown and a field goal to round off their 30 unanswered point rout. The game ended 33-10 to the Steelers.

The Pats now face the struggling Seahawks in week 14 and will hope to get their playoff hunt back on track with a win.

For all the stats follow the link: http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter?game_id=29716&season=2008&displayPage=tab_gamecenter

Former Patriot to sell Super Bowl ring for charity

Ex-Pats safety Je'Rod Cherry is to raffle off his Super bowl XXXVI ring from when New England beat St Louis.

To read the entire story visit http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80cacbf0&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true

Stallions Wednesday

As some of you may or may not know i'm a current member of the Staffordshire Stallions, who are the reigning BUAFL Northern Conference Champions. Therefore, every Wednesday I will dedicate this site to the Stallions.
Welcome to the Stallions Update....

It took the Stallions until the third quarter to take control of the game before they defeated the Derby Braves 35-0 at the Stables.

Two touchdowns from Edam Goka and another one added by George Furlonge in the third was enough to take the game beyond Derby and hand the Stallions their second win of the season.

Tough conditions dictated a running game for both teams and the score remained dead-locked until the second quarter when Ben Rowan sneaked the ball into the endzone to give the Stallions a 7-0 advantage, after Jonathon Wood converted the extra point.

The score remained the same until the third quarter when the Stallions offensive line of Pete Buckley, Graham Fellows, Rob Pickerill, Phil Slater, Pete Crawley and Chris Ward, at tight end, began to dominate in the trenches and open lanes for the Stallions running backs.

Furlonge extended the Stallions advantage to 14-0 when he powered into the endzone for his second touchdown of the season. The third quarter scoring continued as Goka chalked up another two touchdowns to put the game beyond Derby.

Goka added another touchdown in the fourth to round off the Stallions’ scoring at 35 without reply, Goka finished the day with 317 yards off 26 attempts.

The Stallions’ defence held strong for the second consecutive game and recorded their second shutout in as many games. Furlonge added two interceptions to his touchdown to round off a fantastic day for him. The Stallions also forced and recovered fumbles so the Braves offence could not get into any rhythm.

The Stallions now stand at 2-0 and now look towards the Loughborough Aces, who also stand at 2-0, next week. Aces should provide the toughest task for Staffs so far this season.

MVP’s: Rookie- Alasdair Jarvis, Special Teams- Jonathon Wood, Defensive- Chris Ward, offensive- Edam Goka, Game- George Furlonge

AFC East Roundup Week 12

The Jets still control the division after beating the previously undefeated Tennesse Titans 34-13 at LP Field.

The Titans went into the game as the only team in the NFL with a perfect record at 10-0. The Jets needed a victory to remain atop of the AFC East. Brett Favre threw for two touchdowns and Leon Washington ran in for two more as the Titans faultered for the first time this season.

Ten rushes from Tennesse rookie Chris Johnson and one rush for Lendale White contributed to their loss as the run attack nicknamed 'smash and dash' were not a factor in this game.

The Jets held the ball for over 40 minutes as they easily dispatched the Titans showing everybody that they are a playoff threat this year.

The Patriots beat the Dolphins at Dolphin Stadium to stay within one game of the Jets and condemn the Fins to bottom of the division. Check out my game report for more on this game: 'Pats Crush Fins'

Bills QB Trent Edwards single-handedly destroyed the Chiefs with four touchdowns, two in the air and another two on the ground. The Bills forced five turnovers while not losing one to move their record to 6-5.

To see the division standings visit http://www.nfl.com/standings

Pats Crush Fins

Randy Moss caught three touchdowns to help the Patriots beat divisional rivals the Miami Dolphins 48-28 at Dolphin Stadium.

One touchdown in the first and two more in the second half was enough for New England to put the game beyond the Dolphins and move within one game of the Jets at 7-4.

The Patriots fell behind in the first quarter after conceding a touchdown before Matt Cassel rushed into the endzone from eight yards.

The Dolphins replied when Chad Pennington ran in for the score; Randy Moss scored his first touchdown to round off the scoring in the first half. The Patriots led 17-14 going in at half time.

Miami received the ball in the second half and four minutes and 82 yards later took the lead when Casey Cramer caught a pass from Pennington. The Patriots then took control of the third quarter by scoring 14 unanswered points.

The first was Moss's second touchdown catch was from eight yards out. The second touchdown was a 21 yard rush from veteran running back Kevin Faulk.

The fourth quarter began with the Pats leading 31-21. Another quick drive from the Dolphins ended in a Ricky Williams' touchdown catch as they closed in on the Pats at 31-28. The last 13 minutes of the game was dominated by the Patriots.

Randy Moss caught his third and final touchdown with nine minutes to go. New England added a field goal before BenJarvus Green Ellis rushed in to finish off the scoring.

Quick Hits:

• Matt Cassel threw for 415 yards, his second consecutive 400+ yard game. He becomes the fifth QB in history to achieve such a feat.
• Randy Moss now has 132 career touchdown moving him to 3rd on the all time touchdown list.
• Wes Welker caught another 6 passes to continue is record breaking season

To see all the stats from this week game check out: http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter?game_id=29696&season=2008&displayPage=tab_gamecenter

Pats Wary of the Wildcat

New England intend to go into their rematch with the Dolphins better prepared this time round.

In the first game the Dolphins wildcat formation tore the Patriots defense apart as running back Ronnie Brown scored five touchdowns, including one passing touchdown.

Coach Bill Bellichick knows that the wildcat isn't the only problem the Pats will have to prepare for. Joey Porter the current NFL sack leader will have to be contained, especially considering the way Porter has spoke in the media.

Will Allen, the Dolphins defensive captain is also a force to be reckoned as he has recored 2 interceptions and 36 tackles.

The Dolphins' first pick from last year, WR Ted Ginn Jr, got booed when his name was annouced instead of Brady Quinn. Is anyone laughing now? Ginn has been catching everything thrown his way and is now a major part of the offence.

It isn't all doom and gloom though. Lets not forget Matt Cassel's 400 yards passing and 3 touchdowns last week in New England's losing attempt against the Jets.

Wes Welker is also having a fantastic season and has established himself as Cassel's favourite receiver. With Randy Moss on the field as well the offence can be as potent as Cassel can make it.

A major factor in this game will be Bellichick. As one of the best coaches in the league Bellichick should be able to overcome whatever the Dolphins throw at him.

Stallions Wednesday

As some of you may or may not know i'm a current member of the Staffordshire Stallions, who are the reigning BUAFL Northern Conference Champions. Therefore, every Wednesday I will dedicate this site to the Stallions.
Welcome to the Stallions Update....

On Sunday 16th the Stallions played their first game of the season beating Huddersfield Hawks 50-0 at the Stables.

Thanks to some strong running from Edam Goka, Jonny Gibson and George Furlonge behind a solid offensive line of Pete Buckley, Graham Fellows, Rob Pickerill, Phil Slater, Jon Henshall. The Stallions scored seven rushing touchdowns against a weaker Hawks defensive line.

On Staffs first offensive drive QB Ben Rowan sneaked up the middle to score after RB Omar Augustin ran 26 yards, but was stopped short on the 1 yard line, injuring his shoulder.

Both offenses stuttered on their next drives as turnovers from both teams kept the score at 6-0 to the Stallions. Early in the second quarter Furlonge powered his way into the endzone to extend the Stallions advantage. Goka and Gibson then took the game well beyond the Hawks by combining for 5 touchdowns and 284 yards as the score increased to 50-0.

'Defense wins championships' rang true in the game and the Hawks were restricted to two first downs. The Stallions defense dominated as the linebackers and line consistently got to the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage.

The Stallions now look to Derby who they comfortably beat last year but will be expecting a tough game against a much improved team.

AFC East Roundup Week 11

The Jets now hold the top spot in the division after beating the Patriots 34-31 in overtime while the Bills replaced the Dolphins at the bottom after defeat to the Cleveland Browns.

In the Monday night game the Buffalo Bills faced off against the Browns. The Bills started terribly when QB Trent Edwards threw three interceptions with his first six passes. Fortunately for the Bills the Browns couldn't capitalise completely and jumped out to a 13-0 lead. The Bills fought back in the second quarter and, with a more composed Edwards under centre, brought the score back to 13-10.

The second half was an even affair as the Bills scored 17 points compared to the Browns 16. After both teams scored field goals in the third the fouth started with a Jerome Harrison 72 yard run. Leodis McKelvin returned the next kick for the Bills to shorten their advantage. After the teams traded touchdowns; Browns kicker Phil Dawson made a 56 yard field goal. The Bills marched down the field but Robert Lindell missed a decisive kick to hand the victory to the Browns and comdemn the Bills to 5-5.

The Dolphins picked up the win against a struggling Raiders team to move level with New England in the division. Touchdowns from Ted Ginn Jr and Patrick Cobbs was enough to see off the Raiders. Ginn scored the first rushing touchdown of his career on a 40 yard end around, he then proceeded to compile 166 total yards.

The Jets beat the Patriots at Gillette stadium to steal a 7-3 record and knock New England back to 6-4. Despite Matt Cassel throwing 400 yards and three touchdowns the Jets proved too strong on the day; after the game was taken to overtime the Jets drove down the field, finishing the drive with the winning field goal.

Pats v Jets Video Highlights

Pats v Jets Full Time Report

New England lost their dominance on the AFC east with an overtime loss to the Jets 34-31 at Gillette Stadium.

Despite a 400 yard game as well as three touchdown passes from Matt Cassel the Pats were unable to beat a Brett Favre led Jets team.

The Jets jumped out to a 10-3 first quarter lead when Leon Washington ran caught a Favre pass in the endzone from 7 yards out. A field goal from either team finished scoring in the first quarter.

New England started the second quarter with a field goal to close the gap. The Jets then returned the kickoff 92 yards to take regain their superiority on the game. A four and out from the Pats led to a 15 yard touchdown pass from Brett Favre to Jericho Cotchery.

With the score at 24-6 the Pats quickly responded before half time when Cassel found Jabar Gaffney with the last throw of the quarter. The Pats went into the half with the score at 24-13 to the Jets.

The second half was a different affair as the Pats scored two touchdowns. The first came in the third quarter when Cassel found TE Benjamin Watson with a 10 yard pass. New England then went for a two point conversion and succeeded wwhen Gaffney caught the ball in the endzone.

The Patriots then scored a field goal to tie the game before Thomas Jones restored the Jets' lead with a 1 yard run. Again the Patriots were on the wrong end of the score with little time left. After going four and out the Pats stopped the Jets to get the ball back with just over a minute left.

Cassel drove the Pats 46 yards into the Jets redzone. With eight seconds left on the clock Cassel threw a perfect ball to Randy Moss in the corner of the endzone to equal the game at 31-31.

The Jets received the ball at the start of overtime and took their first drive into the Patriots territory allowing Jay Feeley to score the game winning field goal.

The Jets now hold the top spot in the division by moving to 7-3 while the Pats fall to 6-4. With New England's next game against the Dolphins the Patriots need to win if they want to keep up with the Jets.

Quick Hits:

• Wes Welker caught another 7 catches to extend his record of the most games with six or more catches

Pats v Jets Preview

The Pats meet the Jets tonight with the top spot of the division up for grabs.

With the AFC East being such a tight competition, both teams can ill afford to lose and have their playoff hopes hindered.

The Pats and Jets rivalry is ongoing with both teams having swapped players and coaches over the past decade. This even extends to the head coaches, Bill Bellichick began his career at the Jets whereas Eric Mangini worked for Bellichick before moving to the Jets. Last year's meeting was a controversal one; the spygate scandal lost the Pats their first round pick.

Tonight is the second meeting this season, the first game ended with the Pats winning 19-10 after the Jets struggled offensively. Since then they have been firing on all cylinders, Brett Farve has found a rapore with his receivers and Thomas Jones is coming off the back of a three touchdown game.

New England beat a lack lustre Bills teamand will hope the Jets don't pose too much of a problem, especially since they lost veteran linebacker Adalius Thomas to a season ending injury this week.

If the Pats hope to succeed again tonight Wes Welker will have to continue the form that has put him into NFL history. If he can catch six passes tonight he will be the first player to catch six balls in the first 10 games of the season.

If the Jets can win tonight they can win their fourth consecutive game whereas the Pats hope to make it back to back wins after losing to the Colts two weeks ago

Whoever wins will have one hand on the crown of the AFC East division and the hope of the playoffs within their grasp.

Pats v Bills Video Highlights

Stallions Wednesday

As some of you may or may not know i'm a current member of the Staffordshire Stallions, who are the reigning BUAFL Northern Conference Champions. Therefore, every Wednesday I will dedicate this site to the Stallions.
Welcome to the Stallions Update....

The Stallions kick off the season when the Huddersfield Hawks make the journey to the Stables on the 16th of November.

Staffordshire hope to start the season off with a win against the Hawks who are a new team in BUAFL this year. Stallions know very little about Huddersfield so will need to find their form if they hope to repeat their successes of last year.

After a warm up against Birmingham Lions, Stallions know where they need to improve if they want to make the playoffs and attempt to go one better than last year.

With Lincoln already having posted a win against Liverpool and the rest of the division, minus Loughborough, starting their seasons’ this week the Stallion will have to win so they don’t fall behind the other teams early.

Huddersfield will be well prepared when they visit the Stallions after Staffordshire won the Northern Conference last year with a win over Newcastle.

Therefore a win is essential for the Stallions if they want to send a message to the league that they are still a force to be reckoned with.

AFC East Roundup Week 10

The Bills faultered in their playoff hunt as the rest of the division win to keep the AFC East the tightest division.

The Jets demolished the Rams 47-3 as Thomas Jones rushed for three touchdowns and the defence added another to complete rout. The Jets were winning 40-0 at the half and defensively remained solid in the third and fourth quarters. The win moves the Jets record to 6-3.

The Dolphins beat the Seahawks by two as Ricky Williams and Rinnie Brown run riot in Miami to move to 5-4. Touchdowns from both running backs including a 51 yarder from Williams was enough for Miami to hold off a struggling Seattle team.

The Pats beat the Bills 20-10 in their first of three consecutive division games to sit atop the AFC East. New England dominanted and a lack lustre effort from the Bills was enough for the Pats to take the win and move to 6-3. The Bills fall to 5-4 after the defeat.

The Jets meet the Pats on Thursday with the winner of the game taking top spot in the division. Both teams have found some form recently so this weeks matchup should be interesting.

Pats v Bills Full Time Report

BenJarvus Green-Ellis scored his fourth rushing touchdown in as many games as the Patriots beat the Bills 20-10 at Gillette Stadium.

Green-Ellis rushed for a career high 105 yards off 26 carries, another career high for the rookie running back out of Mississippi. New England signed Green-Ellis as an undrafted free agent, he was promoted from the practice squad after injuries shorten the Pats options at running back.

New England started strongly when QB Matt Cassel finished off a 71 yard drive when he rushed in to the endzone from 13 yards out.

New England added three points to their score after Bills QB Trent Edwards was intercepted by Ellis Hobbs before they conceded a field goal to take the score to 10-3 going into the half.

An uneventful third quarter saw Trent Edwards throw his second interception of the day to Deltha O'Neal after the Pats added another three points on their opening drive of the second half.

The fourth quarter saw both teams score touchdowns. The first was scored by the Patriots, who wrapped up a 91 yard drive which took eleven minutes off the clock, which a Green-Ellis touchdown.

With time ticking away and facing a deficite of 17 points the Bills responded quickly. Leodis McKelvin returned the kick off to the Patriots red zone and on the very next play Edwards found James Hardy in the endzone to half New England's advantage.

Bills failed to recover the onside kick allowing Matt Cassel to kneel the ball letting the clock tick to zero and leaving with the win. The win moves the Pats to 6-3, level with the Jets, who share the lead in the AFC East.

Thursday's game against the Jets means the top spot of the division is a stake which the Pats can ill afford to concede with the strength of the AFC.

Quick Hits:

• Wes Welker became the first man in NFL history to catch 6 or more passes in each game of the season so far.


• Welker also recorded season highs in yards (107) and receptions (10).


• Randy Moss moved into 17th place on the all-time receptions list with 815 catches.

Pats v Bills Preview

The Pats face off against the Buffalo Bills this weekend in the Patriots first of three consecutive divisional games.

With the Jets on Thursday and Miami next Sunday this is the Patriots opportunity to stamp their authority on the AFC east.

Both teams will be missing keys players on both sides of the ball. Starting guard Brad Butler, safety Donte Whitner, receiver Josh Reed and veteran pass rushing defensive end Aaron Schobel. New England will be without safety Rodney Harrison and running backs Lamont Jordon and Sammy Morris are listed as questionable and doubtful respectfully. That leaves BenJarvus Green-Ellis to carry the load.

New England have beaten the Bills in the last nine meetings and will have to stop Marshawn Lynch if they hope to win this game. Lynch has failed to post a 100 yard game this season and will struggle against the Pats defence who give up an average of 83.6 rushing yards a game.

Last year the Pats routed the Bills 56-10. Tom Brady threw five touchdowns, four of which he threw to Randy Moss. Expect this game to be closer as the Pats have already lost Brady, Laurence Maroney and Rodney Harrison to season ending injuries.

If the Pats beat the Bills they can move to 6-3 and hopefully move to the top of the division if the Jets lose to St Louis and Miami lose to Seattle.

Stallions Wednesday

As some of you may or may not know i'm a current member of the Staffordshire Stallions, who are the reigning BUAFL Northern Conference Champions. Therefore, every Wednesday I will dedicate this site to the Stallions.

Welcome to the first Stallions Update....

The Stallions travelled to Birmingham for their first preseason game before the season kicks off on the !6th of November. The Stallions arrived expected a joint training session but instead found a very motivated Birmingham side who were ready for a game.

The scrimmage didn't go the way the Stallions had hoped as Birmingham consistently had long drives which ended in scores. The Stallions' offence was less potent and failed to punch the ball into the endzone at all.

However, despite the lack of scoring there were many positive points that the Stallions' could take away from the game. The day also awoke the Stallions to the physicallity of one of the stronger teams in the country. Therefore, letting them know what to expect in their tougher games against Loughborough and Leeds.

First of all, the Stallions face off against Huddersfield in hope of getting their season started by beating the second year team. Huddersfield struggled last in their first BUAFL year but a year can make a big difference with the new intake of students.

The Stallions return most of their players and hope to replicate last season when they went 8-0 in the regular season, progressed all the way through the playoffs, but were unable to cap of the season with a win in the championship game. With a strong line in front of RB Edem Goka, he can hope to have another record breaking season.

In some ways the Stallions may thank the Lions when the season arrives for better preparing them for the games ahead.

Check back next Wednesday for the next Stallions day when I will post up the game preview of the Huddersfield game and more.

Pats v Colts Video Highlights

AFC East Roundup

The Patriots loss to the Colts could prove more costly than just a loss to their record with the AFC east becomming more and more competitive.

Two of the teams won including a New York Jets victory over divisional rivals the Buffalo Bills. With the Miami Dolphins also picking up a valuable and unexpected win against the Denver Broncos, New England's loss puts the playoffs in doubt.

Miami cornerback Will Allen set the tone in the game when he returned an interception 32 yards in the first quarter for a touchdown. The Broncos returned fire with two TD passes during the game which were cancelled out by a 2 yard Ronnie Brown run. Four field goals from Dan Carpenter was too much for the Broncos.

Jets QB Brett Farve picked up his first win in Buffalo and the Jets. An interception return for the Jets in the first quarter put them into the lead. Farve didn't have the best game of his elustriuos career a valuable win will more than make up for that. A 7 yard Thomas Jones run in the third quarter put the game beyond the Bills despite a fourth quarter score.

Pats v Colts Full Time Report

A solid run defence was not enough for the Patriots to overcome the Colts in a game where both teams were looking to assert their dominance on their respective divisions.

Despite allowing only 47 yards in rushing it was Peyton Manning and his passing efficiency that put the game out of the Pats reach.

Two touchdown passes from Manning to Gonzalez, in indentical situaitons, was enough to put the game beyond New England.

The Colts started strong with a 91 yard drive which ended in the first of Gonzalez' touchdown receptions.

New England could only respond with two field goals in the first half to go in at the break losing 7-6.

New England started the second half strong when BenJarvus Green-Ellis took a draw play into the endzone for the Pats first touchdown of the game. The decision to go for a two point conversion proved costly as Kevin Faulk was stopped inches short.

The following Colts' possession began with good field postion after a kick return to midfield. With only half the field to attack Peyton Manning found a rhythm in the passing game with completions to Reggie Wayne. Once again Manning found Anthony Gonlalez in what seemed a dejavu from the first half. The Colts' went for a two point conversion and the attempt was successful.

The third quarter ended with the Colts' leading 15-12. The Pats had a chance to take the lead before the end of the quarter but the ball slipped through Jabar Gaffney's hands and fell incomplete. The drive continued into the next quarter and finished with a field goal.

The Colts' next possession ended with a 52 yard field goal from Adam Vinateri. The kick was the first kick Vinateri has made of over 50 yards in 91 games.

The next Patriot drive ended in disaster, after a unnecessary roughness penalty took them out of field goal range, followed by Cassel throwing an interception straight to Bob Sanders.

The Colts took advantage of New England's lack of time outs and ran down the clock. When the Pats did get the ball they only had 29 seconds. Matt Cassel was unable to move the ball down field and the Colts won the game.

Pats v Colts Half Time Report

Bob Sanders' return couldn't have been more timely after New England were limited offensively in the first half.

Tonight's game is Sanders' return to the team after being inactive due to injury for the beginning of the season.

Colts drew first blood when Peyton Manning found wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez wide open in the corner of the endzone. After a 91 yard drive Manning showed why he led his team to a win in the 2007 Super Bowl with a precise pass 12 yard pass to the second year wideout.

The first quarter finished with the Colts leading 7-0 after they controlled the clock and restricted the Pats to two drives which both ended in punts.

New England's next drive stalled after Pats QB Matt Cassel was unable to complete the pass to TE Benjamin Watson, who was being covered by Tim Jennings, and had to settle for a 29 yard field goal bringing the score to 7-3.

The Pats forced the Colts to punt and with a strong running game from BenJarvus Green Ellis and Kevin Faulk advanced the ball into the Colts territory. The Patriots tried to imitate the Dolphins wildcat offence but Faulk's pass to Wes Welker was stopped behind the line. The drive finished with a field goal attempt from Steven Gostkowski who converted to double New England's score.

On the following drive the Colts utilised their no huddle offence in an attempt to score in the final two minutes before half time. With 30 second left Manning found Marvin Harrison, he was unable to get out of bounds allowing the clock to tick away to half time.

Going into half time the Colts lead 7-6.

Mayo The New Willis?

Draft picks are always something that every franchise spends all preseason and up to the very last seconds of their allotted time to decide.

In the 2007 draft the San Francisco 49ers spent the 11th pick of the first round on linebacker Patrick Willis out of Mississippi. His speed and agility as well as a crushing reputation made him a hot prospect.

Since then #52 has patrolled the field for the 49ers and has tackled, intercepted and sacked his way to NFL rookie of the year as well as a trip to hawaii for the pro bowl.

Fast forward to the 2008 draft.

An aging linebacker group at New England meant a linebacker was a definite draft need for them, especially after Tedy Bruschi's stroke meant his return was in doubt.

With the 10th overall pick of the 2008 draft the Pats chose Jerod Mayo from Tennessee. Just like Willis, Mayo came with an impressive reputation as well as a repertoire of game changing plays from his college days.

The comparisons with Willis haven't stopped at the pro level either. Mayo instantly showed his worth in the first preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. Ravens' rookie RB Ray Rice ran straight between the tackles to an awaiting Mayo. Mayo hit Rice saving the first down and dislodging Rice's helmet at the same time.

In Mayo's first eight games he has recorded 48 tackles, compare that to Willis' rookie season when he recorded 66 tackles. The numbers seem very different but take into consideration the Pats 3-4 defence and the amount of packages the defence employ then they seem somewhat similar.

With a difficult schedule ahead of them the Pats will need Mayo to continue his form, especially since the once weak AFC east is now a division to be reckoned with. Combine that with the offence not being as effective this year due to Tom Brady's season ending injury, Mayo and the defence will need keep opposing offences off the field for as long as possible.

If Mayo can continue or even exceed his current form then the comparisons will be further heightened with a possible defensive rookie of the year accolade.

Pats v Colts Preview

The Pats face off against the Colts in week 9 with both teams hoping to re-establish their dominance on the league.

Last years meeting couldn't be any more different. Both teams had perfect records going into the game which was hailed as potentially better than the Super Bowl. The Pats edged the Colts 24-20 and marched on to a 16-0 regular season. Tom Brady threw an NFL record 50 touchdowns and Colts safety Bob Sanders picked up NFL defensive player of the year.

What a difference a year makes.

NFL MVP Brady received a season ending hit in the first game allowing fourth year QB Matt Cassel to take the reigns of the best offence in league history. Despite some early woes, Cassel has taken the Pats to a 5-2 record who sit atop the AFC East with Buffalo.

The Colts have been somewhat subdued this season. After missing the entire preseason with a knee injury Peyton Manning's usual precision and timing hasn't been there. Alongside injuries to Sanders and RB Joseph Addai the Colts have posted a 3-4 record. With the Titans running away with the division a win seems vital for the Colts.

The return of the linchpin of the Colts defence, Sanders, as well as Addai will give the Colts optimism ahead of the game.

Last week New England posted a win against the Rams in which Cassel recorded his first fourth quarter come back when he found Keven Faulk for a 15-yard touchdown pass to take the score to 23-16.

The Colts couldn't stop the Titans unbeaten run last week. After a strong first half the Colts season struggles arose again as the Titans scored 24 unanswered points to put the game out of reach. A late score for the Colts made a more respectable 31-21.

This week could be a turning point for both teams. The Pats need to keep up with a surprising Bills team whereas the Colts are trying to get their season back on track.