Testaverde to ease Brady's burden
Field of dreams: It's rare to see a team convert its home field from grass to turf in the middle of the season. But the Patriots had no choice. Their grass field was horrible. Re-sodding didn't help. Regardless of the cost, the Patriots ripped up the grass and have started the installation of FieldTurf this week. The new field will be ready for the Week 12 game against the Bears. The fact owner Bob Kraft did this with only three games remaining shows how bad the field was. With a rookie kicker and new wide receiver, the Patriots need to have the right type of field if they plan to be a playoff team.
Row, row, row your boat: How bad are things for the Bucs? Even inspiration works against them. Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin brought an oar to a defensive meeting and had every player sign it. With only two wins this season, Kiffin was trying to emphasize to the players they had to work together to stop the sinking ship. In the Monday night game against the Panthers, the defense played well. They hustled to the ball on running plays and did reasonably well in coverage. Cornerback Ronde Barber made a key interception and gave the motion as if he were rowing a boat. Three defensive teammates joined in, knowing Barber was referring to the oar. Officials penalized the Bucs for excessive, organized celebration. It's been that kind of year for the 2-7 Bucs.
The future's so bright? The Bucs got a look at the future of their defense by playing without defensive linemen Ellis Wyms and Simeon Rice and linebacker Shelton Quarles. All three players were injured and didn't make the trip. Because they are older members of an aging defense, there is a chance they could be cap casualties next season. The Bucs hustled with a younger lineup and limited the Panthers to 318 yards of offense.
Bodies, rest and motion: In case you are wondering, the Colts plan to rest their starters in the final game or two if they clinch home-field advantage. Because the Colts have been fighting injuries all season, getting into the playoffs with a healthy starting lineup is more important than getting an undefeated season or a 15-1 record. The Colts' thought is that it's better to have an unbeaten season in the playoffs than during the regular season. The Colts feel they need to get to at least 13 wins to clinch their division and be in good shape for playoff seeding. They are currently 9-0.
Gathering no Moss: Art Shell is upset with Randy Moss' comments that he's dropping passes because he's disinterested and he's not happy with the way things are going in Oakland. It's pretty clear Shell is going to have to trade him after the season. Moss doesn't run his routes hard. The dropped passes are almost comical. Heading into last Sunday's game against the Broncos, Moss had 32 catches and seven drops.
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