All right … well … 5-3, and in a three-way tie for the AFC East lead. Not exactly how most of you probably expected to find the Patriots this Monday morning, especially after the New York Jets did their part to help out by beating the previously 5-2 Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park.
Ah, yes … the Jets. What a coincidence. They also happen to be New England's opponent this week. And with the Bills traveling to Dallas to face the Cowboys, the winner of the Patriots-Jets tilt could find themselves alone atop the East.
There's always an added intensity to any Jets Week, but even more so in the Rex Ryan era, it seems. This week, I've no doubt, will be entertaining. Remember, last time these two teams met, only a month ago, it was the Jets who were coming off two consecutive losses, but the tables have been turned, with New England having suffered its first back-to-back losses since November of '09, and New York having reeled off three straight wins.
Something tells me that famous Jets braggadocio – something we didn't hear much of in the previous Jets Week – will reemerge in the next few days. Especially after witnessing Ryan attempting a belly bump with one of his players on the sideline yesterday. Yikes.
Whatever transpires this week, we've got you covered here at PFW. We'll take one last, painful look at the last-second loss to the Giants this afternoon when head coach Bill Belichick briefs the media around 2 p.m. Eastern. Players will be available in the locker room shortly thereafter for media interviews. As always, whatever news comes of those events I'll post here on the blog. If you can't wait till then, maybe this analysis of the game will hold you over.
The rest of the week looks pretty standard. Tomorrow, players are off, but not Team PFW, of course. I'll post the latest installment of "Ask PFW" on patriots.com sometime in the morning, while Fred, Paul, and Andy shoot this week's PFW TV (tune in Thursday night at 7:30 on Comcast SportsNet New England) and "PFW in Progress" on patriots.com radio starting at noon.
Same conference calls are scheduled with BB, offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, and personnel man Nick Caserio. Andy and Paul will handle anything newsworthy that comes from those Q&A sessions. Bill is back on Wednesday and Friday for live pressers. Player interviews and practice updates will be posted here Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and our radio programming continues Wednesday and Thursday afternoon.
On Saturday, Fred and I will jump on the charter with the team and head to the Big Apple, which means a brand new PFW Postcard is coming your way. Now, normally, I don't plan what goes into those, but this week's a little different. We already have our dinner plans set for Saturday night (at a place Fred has been raving about for years!), and on Sunday, I'm getting the privilege of visiting the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero. It's shaping up to be one of the more memorable Postcards we've ever shared with you.
Come Sunday night, of course, before kickoff, join Andy and Paul as they host the Pre-Game Social on the Patriots Facebook page (6-8 p.m. Eastern this week). The Patriots have played eight, and have at least eight more ahead. The second half of the 2011 season gets underway this Sunday night at the Meadowlands.
Can't wait.
