Box Score
	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	F
New England Patriots	14	7	7	7	35
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	0	7	0	0	7

In this edition of Patriots All Access... Steve Burton goes one-on-one with QB Tom Brady, the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October. Dan Roche re-caps a successful trip to London. Coach Belichick discusses the first half of the season with Scott Zolak and much more.

PATRIOTS HEAD COACH BILL BELICHICK

Q: Can you talk about the London trip? Would you deem it a success in all - with the win there?

BB: Well, sure. That's the biggest part of it. That's why we went over there - to be 5-2. It's good to come back and get that one under our belt and move forward. We've got three division games in the next five coming up. We've got a couple undefeated teams sandwiched in there, so we've got a big challenge ahead of us, but right now we start to turn our sights toward Miami.

Q: I heard you say you got to spend some time going to see some of the war bunkers while you were in London. I know you're a big historian, so can you talk about what you saw?

BB: It was pretty interesting. Underneath parliament they built a little bunker during the bombing of London and all of that in 1940, and that's where Churchill kind of ran the war from with his staff. It's pretty interesting and pretty sparse quarters. And when the war was over, they just got up and left, so everything is just the way it was on the last day - on the VE Day.

Q: You preach to your team about starting fast and setting the tone early in games. You guys have been able to do that, especially against Tennessee and Tampa Bay. Is that a good feeling with your team?

BB: Yeah, absolutely. It's great to be able to play from ahead and we've been able to balance off our offensive game - the running game, play action and those things. And defensively we were in a lot of sub defense; we rushed the passer, ran some blitzes, got some pressure on the quarterback and kind of took them out of their running game. And they have very good backs, but when you're down by 28-7, 35-7, it's hard to run the ball in those situations, so that probably negated one of the best parts of their game.

Q: We're sitting here at the bye week. Is this the perfect time for your team to have a bye - right in the midseason? I remember you guys had it the third week one year and the 16th or 17th week one year. Talk about those weeks, and is this perfect time for a bye, getting guys healthy, too?

BB: Well, I think any time you have it, it's a good time. Everybody can use the extra time to prepare, to heal up, to get some treatment, to get caught up on where we've been and where we're going. So we're at the midpoint of the season here almost, and it gives us a good chance to reflect on the first seven games, a good chance to prepare for the next nine and give some guys a couple extra days to rest up and heal up.

Q: Is that basically what you do - self scout and throw out what's not working and get some guys up to speed, especially some of your young guys and guys coming of P.U.P.?

BB: That's right. We have some young players that have gotten a little bit of playing time, but we will continue to give them more reps in the bye week. And [it] also gives us a little more time to prepare for Miami. They've played seven games, so we'll get a pretty look at them and that will take some work there for what they do and the problems they present. It always comes at a good time, but I think it's a good feeling to come back from London. I'm glad we weren't facing a regular week this week after the trip back across the ocean.

Q: So will you concentrate a lot on the Wildcat?

BB: No question. Yes, we'll have to work on that. That's one of the unique things that they do and we'll be able to get a little bit of a head start on that.

Q: A lot of the fans and the media realize how much the players work, but a lot of people don't realize that you and your staff have been working day in and day out since July. Is it good to get away from the game a little bit [during the bye week]? Do you tell your guys, ‘Hey, when you're away, be smart and take care of yourself, but enjoy the time off because it's not coming again after this'?

BB: Exactly. We're into pretty much the back stretch now and we'll be sprinting here the last nine games to try to finish up our season on a strong note, so this is our last chance to do it. It will be good to get away from football for a couple days and I do encourage the players and the staff to forget about it for a couple days and kind of clear their minds, take care of personal stuff, and then be ready to come back. There won't be many breaks after this.

Q: Defensively is it hard to coach these guys now since most of the rules cater to the offensive side of the football?

BB: Well there's no question that it's a scoring league and I think the league is built for teams to score points. They don't want to see a lot of 6-3 games. There have been some rules that have helped the defense lately. The most recent one this year is the being able to push the receiver out of bounds - if he doesn't come down with two feet, then it's an incomplete pass. That has actually helped the defense in the red zone and on the sideline plays where you don't have that force out rule anymore. They actually changed that last year. But as the head coach of the team, whatever is good for our offense is good for their offense, and whatever is good for our defense is good for their defense, so it all evens out.

PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK TOM BRADY

Q: How was London for you?

TB: It was a great experience, I think for all of us. We got over there early Friday morning. I think it took us about a day or two to adjust, but a lot of the guys got out and saw some of the beautiful things London has to offer. Saturday we really got back into the game mode, got out there and played pretty well on Sunday, and then had a great flight home. It was a great trip for us. I'm glad, obviously, that we got the win and we made some improvements as a team also.

Q: Were you able to see the sights and sounds or take some of your teammates out at all?

BB: We did. We had dinner Friday night. We had dinner Sunday night after the game. We spent a lot of time together, which I think was a great part of the experience.

Q: Bonding?

TB: It was. You know, in the football season you show up to work early in the morning and you go through the day and then you go home. And that's really the only environment you're in with the guys, most of the time. To have a chance like this where you're in a very different place...We all had a chance to sit down and get to know different guys on the flight or the bus rides or going out to dinner, so it was pretty cool

Q: Was it easier for you over there? Did people recognize you? Were you able to walk the streets and not get recognized?

TB: Yeah. It's a foreign country, so there's a lot of peace and quiet over there. I think that's probably why I enjoyed it the most. I was able to walk around and enjoy, like I said, some of the things in the city. Going out to dinner was a lot of fun. I said after the game, there probably won't be another experience like that for us, so it was great to take it all in and move forward.

Q: At 5-2, Coach Belichick said you guys were at a pretty good position. Can you assess the first half of the season for you?

TB: 5-2 - it sounds really good and in a lot of ways we're excited about it. I think a lot of us reflect on the two losses more than on the five wins and understand that we need to do certain things better - going forward, we have a pretty tough stretch here coming up - in order to start beating some of these really strong opponents like Denver was and the Jets were. We've got Miami coming up and then the Colts. Nothing's more important than Miami for us - a division game and the team that won the division last year. I think that just shows us all where we're at and the things we're going to need to do better, so we've got a couple days of practice and then get out of here for a little break.

Q: How are you feeling physically, and is football harder for you now as you get older?

TB: I'm feeling great. I'm feeling great. Ironically, I think it's a little bit easier. Physically, I feel like I've gotten into a pretty good routine of being able to take care of myself, whether it's nutrition or rest or massage therapy, which is kind of my saving grace. I've really gotten it honed in. I feel great. I feel like it's the first week of the season for me. There're no aches and pains for me, nothing lingering. So my arm feels great - probably the best it's ever felt - and that's the way I like it.

Q: People here have taken shots at you lately saying marriage has made you softer and you'll never be the same quarterback. Do you ever read all that and hear all that, and does that motivate you?

TB: I'm a pretty consistent person, I think. And I approach things and I really do the best I can do all the time, whether it's in my career or in my marriage, or whether it's being a father or a family member. I learned a lesson a few years ago not to take anything personally, and when people criticize you, they criticize you for whatever reasons they may have, but they're their reasons. I don't necessarily believe a lot of those things, whether it's good or bad. I really have lot of, I'd say, self confidence and I'm able to make my own decisions with a lot of comfort in who I am.

Q: "Bill Bashing" - I've got to talk about that. Junior Seau said you're not a part of the team until you'd been "Bill-Bashed". He said it even happens to Tom Brady, but he said to ask you about it. Have you been "Bill-Bashed" before?

TB: Yeah. Randy calls it "You Tubed." We have practice on a Wednesday or a Thursday, and there you are the next morning on the big screen. He calls it "You Tubed." You get in there pretty excited on a Wednesday morning or a Thursday morning, and then there're 30 plays of myself and Randy [Moss] and Wes [Welker] going ‘What do you guys thing you're doing here? This is you know what...' and using a lot of words I can't use here. He's tough on us, and I think it's for a reason. He always has a purpose in what he does and he's a very smart man and he's a great coach. He's just trying to motivate us to be the best we can be.

Q: What's your relationship with Randy Moss like? You're always together on the sidelines. What's Randy like?

TB: We have a great relationship. Really, there's a lot of trust between the two of us and I really enjoy working with him, obviously, and I think our friendship has grown through the years, too. From the outside, you probably wouldn't see a lot of the similarities between us - where we grew up or...but we're really pretty similar guys in some ways. I think he has a great desire to be a great player and be the best that ever played. I really appreciate that in him and I want to do everything I can to be the best quarterback I can be for him

Q: Looking back on the first seven weeks, what's the one thing you need to go back and tinker with and fix?

TB: Well, I would say throwing an accurate ball. There are guys that have been open in the first seven weeks of the season and I have missed them. I think that's the most frustrating thing for me because if guys aren't open, they aren't open; If they're open, that's all you can really ask for as a quarterback. There were some plays in the Jets game, some plays in the Denver game, that had I hit those, I think we would have had a better opportunity to win the game. Those are the things I'm most focused on.

Q: It seems like this is the first year you haven't had a definitive third receiver. Has that lack of a veteran, consistent guy there hurt the offense to this point?

TB: Every year is different and every year you have different strengths and weaknesses. The last time I played a full season was '07. We had a great receiving group that was very deep. All those guys were very versatile. They were all [able to] play different positions and we moved those guys around a lot. I think this year we tried to do some of those things early, but realized that's not the kind of team we were going to be. We're a balanced team. We're trying to run the ball. We've got to do that efficiently, and then set up some of our play action stuff. I think as a group, we have more clearly defined roles I think at this point than we did seven weeks ago, which I think we all feel very positive about.

Q: I said to Coach Belichick in week one, ‘It must be so great to have Tom Brady back. You don't have to worry about anything. You've got the coach out there on the field.' He said, ‘Oh, the contrary. He's the most challenging player I've ever had to coach because I have to out prepare him.' What are your thoughts on that?

TB: Well, I've been around for a long time now in my tenth year and I've seen a lot of things. I don't like to sit down in the meeting rooms and have my time wasted. I think whenever he does come into a meeting, he knows he's got things for me that I'm kind of going to eat up and ask questions about and vice versa. Coach Belichick is as detailed a coach as you've ever seen in the NFL, so I know that my preparation has to match his and I think I really enjoy that part of that relationship. I'm always trying to find new ways to prepare and prepare better, but I've learned a lot of great lessons from him over the years.

Q: Every time I watch you line up, there's always that safety on the half field over top of Randy Moss. How hard is it to get him the ball? And I know he wants the ball, especially when he's doubled.

TB: I think that's the challenging part for him and when you stand on the outside part of the field, they find ways to double you if they can put a safety over the top of you, which of course means other guys are open. And then it's hard when right after the game they go to Randy and say ‘You didn't have any catches, you weren't productive today.' In fact, he was a big part of the reason why the other guys were so successful. When Randy is singled, he gets his opportunities and he knows that. He's a smart player and that's my job to get him the ball when he does have those opportunities because they don't come often.

Q: I've seen you fiery at times this year. Is that due to a lot of the veteran leadership you've lost this year? Not only on the field, but in the locker room - calling the team up, getting on guys on the sideline, pregame stuff - why are you doing that this year?

TB: Well, I think you're right; we've lost a lot of real core guys from over the years, a lot of years of experience, a lot of years of winning games, a lot of years of trust and friendships. And you have other guys who are forging their own paths. A guy like Brandon Meriweather is really stepping up this year, and Jerod Mayo, who have really excelled in their roles. Gary Guyton has really done a great job. We've had some other guys like Leigh Bodden come in and Shawn Springs who have played roles. Everybody has to kind of fill the void and I think in ways I think we've done that. It's about halfway through the year and we've done some things poorly, but I think obviously we seem to be making improvements, which we're all hoping we continue to make those.

As the Patriots take a week off from NFL action, we bring you Bill Belichick's breakdown of what went right against Tampa Bay last Sunday in London, plus Brian Lowe's fantasy picks for week 8. Enjoy this edition of Patriots Now! - and enjoy the bye week.

The Pats have a two-day work week before the bye, and we heard from several players after Wednesday's practice. Find out what Leigh Bodden, Brandon Tate, Benjamin Watson and others had to say.

Watch this edition of PFW TV as we discuss the Patriots trip to London, where they defeated the Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium, 35-7. Plus, we'll discuss where the team stands heading into the bye week.

Hear some reaction from the team after the big win at Wembley Stadium and how the trip as a whole was a successful one for the Patriots.

New England Patriots players comment on their 35-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday, October 25, 2009.

Patriots safty Brandon Meriweather had two interceptions for 70 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown return. Wes Welker finished with 10 receptions and has now caught six or more passes in 19 of the last 21 regular-season games. The following are game notes from the Patriots 35-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccanners at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, October 25, 2009.

A sloppy second quarter was just a blip for New England en route to a decisive 35-7 victory over Tampa Bay at Wembley Stadium.

A trans-Atlantic trip couldn't slow down Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Brady threw three touchdown passes and had more than 300 yards as the Patriots (5-2) beat the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-7 at Wembley Stadium on Sunday in the NFL's third regular-season game at the iconic London venue.

Watch highlights from the New England Patriots game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday, October 25 , 2009.

In this edition of Patriots All Access... Steve Burton reports from historic Wembley Stadium before the Patriots game against the Buccaneers. All Access provides a full report on the Patriots trip across the pond, which began when the team left Gillette Stadium on Thursday afternoon. We recap a festive weekend with the numerous Patriots fan clubs in London. Plus, an interview with Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The Patriots move to 5-2 with a 35-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at historic Wembley Stadium. Check out our latest updates to the photo gallery.

Follow the writers of Patriots Football Weekly as they offer blog updates throught the Patriots trip to London.

The New England Patriots (4-2) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6) announce the following player injuries and practice participation.

Representatives of the Patriots organization tour the historic city of London and receive loads of attention.

The Patriots hit The Brit Oval for their practice session on Friday. Some of the players spoke with the media about their schedule, time in the U.K. so far, and the incredible facilities that London has to offer.

Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft addresses the media at the Brit Oval Cricket Grounds in Kennington, London.

There were a few bloodshot eyes on the practice field but the Pats were ready for business when they began their preparations on Friday in London for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady addresses the media at the Brit Oval Cricket Grounds in Kennington, London.

Q: Have you been here before?

TB: Yeah. I was here about four years ago as a tourist and had a great time, so it's nice to be back.

Q: When you came four years ago, were you recognized?

TB: The Americans, they recognized me. But the English people, they're not too familiar with [American] football. So hopefully over the last few years ,with the NFL being here, have created some interest and some excitement. I know all the players are really looking forward to the game. It's a pretty unique experience for all of us and it'd be great to go out there and make it a memorable trip by playing our best game on Sunday.

Q: Are you going to do some sightseeing?

TB: Probably not, not a lot on this trip. This is for one reason and I think the guys really understand that, too. We got in late last night and got a little rest this morning. There's a little bit of free time for us, so we're kind of in a cool part of town with the shopping area, so maybe we'll find our way out a little bit.

Q: Football practice is on a cricket field.

TB: Yeah, it looks a lot longer, doesn't it? I said, "Maybe they measured it in meters or something." It's pretty cool though. From what I understand, this is a very historic stadium and I think England won the Ashes [cricket series] this year against Australia. I heard that in the way over. So, that's pretty cool.

Q: Before we get into Sunday's game, can you talk about the showdown with the Colts a couple weeks after the bye?

TB: Yeah, [the Colts game] is always the same time of year, too. We play a lot of big games and that's always a big one. [But this week's game] is a big one for us. This is kind of the reason why I think we've always been successful as a team is that we've always focused on the opponent we're facing this week. Tampa does some things very well. It's a competitive team, a very competitive group and this will be a competitive game.

Q: Wes [Welker] had a funny line out there, referring to your attire on the flight. Everyone else is in warm up gear and you're wearing a suit. He said, "What is this, the London Stock Exchange?"

TB: Wes said that? I don't take fashion advice from Wes.

[laughter]

So if you see Wes, believe me, he should have no concerns about what I'm wearing. But, I figured I should approach it as a usual trip.

Q: Is wearing a suit on road trips a superstition?

TB: Yeah, I think I've always done it. I think it looks great for the team to look nice and professional. Hopefully I try to set the tone for the other guys, but none of them took my cue.

Q: Have you gained your confidence back since the knee injury?

TB: Yeah, it's been a progression over a year now. There has been a lot of rehab and time in the training room. I've been able to get back out on the field and participate with my teammates. I've been really fortunate this year to not have any real setbacks with my knee or any other part of my body. It feels great, especially for this point in the season-going on our seventh game. Hopefully it stays that way.

Q: Do you think the team can build on its performance from last week?

TB: I hope so. I would see no reason why we can't perform better every week. We have more practice; we have more preparation. The new players have been in our system longer. We had a tough training camp. We've had some tough regular season games over the course of the first six weeks. I like where our team is at. We keep practicing hard, we keep making improvements and I think that's where you gain your confidence.

Q: After scoring 59 points last week, how do you guard against a letdown?

TB: Every week is different for us. Whatever we did last week, you take the good from it. You understand the things we did well and the reasons why you went out there and executed better than we certainly had in the previous games. You get a different game plan. It's a different opponent, obviously a different venue for us. So hopefully we go out there and play really well. We had a good week of practice thus far. We started on Tuesday, which is a little rare for us. We'll have our fourth practice today and hopefully make it a good one.

Q: Now that you're over here, does this feel like a different game?

TB: Yeah. Yeah, it sure does. The sightseeing bus on the way over here, we had Mark Briggs, who is our head of security, he's from England and he was pointing out everything on our way over and everyone was very interested. It's a great experience for all of us, there's no doubt. To play in Wembley [Stadium] will be a lot of fun for us. You hear wonderful things about the stadium. It'll be a nice couple days. Hopefully we get our rest and get adjusted to the time and then go out there and play our best.

Q: Is there a balance between trying to maintain normalcy and trying to take in the experience?

TB: Yeah, which we've done. This week was a relatively normal week up until we got on the plane. Now it's about getting back focus. You make the trip, now you have to get focus back on the game, on the opponent, what we're trying to do, how we're trying execute. I think that's the important thing, not to lose focus of everything we've done because there are plenty of distractions. If you get distracted, you get behind.

Q: Can you be as focused and driven as you were since before the injury? You're now a married man and accomplished everything in the sport. What is it that drives you?

TB: Well... what drives me? I don't think we have enough time at this press conference to get into all that.

[laughter]

I really love playing the game. I love competing at this level. Believe me when you're a kid in America and you grew up in the era I grew up in, watching the great football of the San Francisco 49ers of the 80s. I always loved playing the game. I started in college and really enjoyed that experience. I got drafted by the Patriots almost ten years ago and to me, it's the best organization in the NFL. Believe me, every time I take the field, it's an honor for me. It's a privilege to play for this team. Hopefully I always do it with the same type of competitiveness and the same type of leadership. It's not something I take very lightly at all. There's only a couple really important things in my life and this is right at the top of the list. Football is not something you can go at 70 or 80 percent. You're either in it all the way or you're not going to last very long. I learned that lesson early and I'd love to keep playing quarterback for the Patriots for as long as I can.

Q: What is it like to think of yourself as a global icon?

TB: I don't think of it like that too often. I'm very much who I've always been. There are certain circumstances in your life... opportunities that happen in your life that you take advantage of, and obviously with the success of our team, the quarterback gets a lot of the attention, a lot of the focus. That's just part of it. You don't have success as a quarterback without a great team, great coaches and great leadership from our owner, Mr. Kraft. Believe me, there's a lot of people that I'm very proud to be associated with and this team, we're all privileged to play for this team.

Q: Have you found yourself following Matt Cassel's progress this year?

TB: Yeah, all the time, all the time. Matt's my buddy. Matt and I are like brothers, so we still text each other quite. He's really a great guy and I'm always wishing for the best for him.

Q: Do you see yourself playing for London or Paris one day?

TB: That'd be some hell of some road trips. That would be challenging-hey, whatever the league needs to do, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Barely six hours after landing in London, the Patriots just held media availability prior to Friday afternoon’s practice at the Brit Oval, home of the Surrey County Cricket Club.

There is little doubt that the Patriots have a bit more to deal with this week leading up to Sunday's game at Wembley Stadium against Tampa Bay. Beyond the long trip across the pond and adjusting their body clocks to the new time zone, players got a taste of the new culture while settling into their new surroundings Friday morning.

The Patriots took a redeye flight to the U.K. and arrived in London early Friday morning. As the buses arrived and the players unloaded their bags, Patriots Today's Brian Lowe talked one-on-one with Pats' Special Teams Ace Matthew Slater about the journey overseas and the weekend the team has ahead of them.

Throught the Patriots trip to London, Patriots.com will offer wall-to-wall coverage from video updates, blogs, photo galleries to the latest news on this historic game, you'll want to check back frequently for the latest updates.

Their bags are packed and they're ready to board the plane. Hear the players final thoughts before they hit the skies on representing the NFL overseas, playing on the pitch at Wembley and how much shopping and site-seeing will actually get done in London...not much!

New England's European host city and stadium are deeply rooted in NFL history.

A wide variety of topics in the Patriots' locker room Wednesday, and it's all covered here in locker room uncut. Thoughts on the trip to London, Adalius Thomas on being inactive and a few lesser-known wide receivers discuss their opportunities in New England.

Tom Brady spoke at his locker on Wednesday about the upcoming trip to London, last week's win over Tennessee and much more. Catch his media session in its entirety right now.

Q: Speaking of routine, how different will this week be in terms of time and in preparation?

TB: Well, we're leaving tomorrow, after practice. We came in yesterday and spent quite a bit of time on [the Buccaneers]. It's certainly not a normal week for us, but I think it's important for us players to realize that this is a trip for us that we're trying to go over there and win a game, nothing more than that. It's like any other road trip that we take, it's not for going out and seeing the sights, or anything like that; it's for one reason and we need a really focused group. And we certainly need to bring our energy and excitement, and try to go out there and play a great game.

Q: How much confidence do you have in Terrence Nunn, if he's active, and your other receivers?

TB: I have confidence in all of our receivers. If you're on the roster and you have an opportunity to play, I have confidence. All of those guys have worked very hard, certainly with Wes [Welker] and Randy [Moss]; I don't have to worry about much with them. But Brandon [Tate] is going to be out there, hopefully, and Terrence [Nunn] is going to be out there, hopefully, this week, to see how they can go out there and perform. And hopefully they can go and do a good job.

Q: Coach Belichick said that he had a meeting with the team yesterday to go over some of the non-football preparations for the trip. Was there anything that you took away from that that made you say, 'I better make sure that I'm aware of that'?

TB: Well, he gave us all the places to stay away from. I don't know if that makes us want to go there more, or should we stay away? I think he just reiterated what he needs from us and what he wants out of us. It's a pretty unique experience for all us - there's no doubt about that - and playing in a great stadium like that [Wembley Stadium]. But I think the trip will be memorable if we win, if we lose, I guess it will be memorable for a different reason from what we'd want it to be memorable for.

Q: How important was it for you in your last game to show people that you were back from injury?

TB: Well, I don't know if I'd approach it like that, or look at it like that. I think it's a long season and we've played in some games where we've executed well, we've played some games that we haven't executed so well. I'm happy that I was able to hit the guys that were open, I know that. That gives me a lot of confidence going into this week. I think that's what I have to continue to do, and that's what my role is. There've been some other games where I haven't been able to do that and it's really been frustrating for me. Each week, it seems like the preparation is a little bit better and the execution seems to be a little bit better, too.

Q: You're playing a winless team for the second week in-a-row. What do you think about the Buccaneers?

TB: I mean, obviously, every team has its strengths and weaknesses, and every team is dangerous in its own way. This team has a lot of youth, but it has some playmakers on defense, especially in the secondary. We went through a lot of the stuff this morning and they can make a lot of plays. Similar to us, it's just the consistency of it. We're expecting them to play their best game - there's no reason why they wouldn't - so we're going to have to go out and do the same.

Q: You said last week that Coach Belichick was on you constantly about not making passes of 40-or-more yards. How good did it feel to come in this week and be able to say to the coaches that you'd done that?

TB: It felt good. We mentioned it to him in about the third quarter of last game. We got a couple for him. And those were big plays in the game; the one to Wes [Welker] down the left sideline was a big play. When you can hit those plays and change field position like that, as well as being able to run it and have that ball-control offense - that makes it tough. You have to able to expand the field vertically, and that's something that we didn't do very well in the first five weeks of the season. We did a lot better job of it this last weekend.

Q: Forget about the doubters, you hold yourself to a high standard. Did you say to yourself during last week's game that you finally hit those high expectations and hit the level of play that you expect to play at every week?

TB: Well, as a quarterback, you want to play well every week. If you don't, when you don't hit the passes that are there, or your team loses games, or your team doesn't get into the end zone, it's very frustrating. You've got to find ways to do a better job of that. It started last week in practice, we had a much better week and it really carried over to the game. Coach put the pressure on us last week, he's kept the pressure on us this week. Hopefully, we go out and respond well.

Q: You had a conference call with the London media yesterday morning. Does that take care of your responsibilities or do you expect a little bit of hounding over there?

TB: That pretty much does it, I think. I don't think there's much to do when we get over, except for the TV meeting, the production meeting. So I don't think there's any more of those.

Q: There's one day when four players go in. I assume you're not one of those four players?

TB: I don't think so. They haven't told me. Do you want to lobby for me? I have enough to do.

Q: I saw that you were over there in London after Super Bowl XL from "Family Guy"?

TB: Oh, yeah. I was saying, 'I don't think I remember that trip.' No, I love that show. Anyone that hasn't seen it, it's one that you have to buy the DVD set for. It's great.

Q: Is your wife going over there?

TB: No, it's a business trip.

Q: Does she go over there enough that ...

TB: No, not really, not so often.

Q: Have you met any members of the Royal Family before?

TB: [Laughs] No, not on this trip. I've paid my admission to go see the Crown Jewels, I know that.

Q: You've met the Pope, but not the Queen?

TB: Yeah, not the Queen.

Q: Coach Belichick said yesterday that this is a big trip, but that it's not like a Super Bowl, or a special trip like that. What are your feelings and is there analogous to it?

TB: I didn't part last year in the West Coast trips, but I know that when we were out there for the week, we put together a weeklong itinerary. And it's just a very different environment for us, kind of like a Bowl trip in college, where you're there for an extended period of time and you kind of have to get in the same routine in a different location. That's what your body is really used to. That's what we're really kind of trying to do, Friday is going to be like a Friday, Saturday is going to be like a Saturday, game day is going to be like game day. Really, it's just going over there and getting acclimated to the time change, which I'm sure it's all mental, you just have to get over it, and move on and go out there and play well.

Q: What are your thoughts on the redeye trip?

TB: It's just kind of the way it turns out. You could go over there all week, I know some teams have gone out there and stayed all week. I don't think any of us really wanted to do that, we kind of wanted to be here, and get our work done, and get the game plan in, and then go out there - and like I said - get adjusted to it. We have a couple of days to get adjusted. It's a late game on Sunday, so we'll have our time to get our rest.

Q: Do you sleep well on planes?

TB: Yeah, most the guys will sleep. You kind of need to get as much as you can. I think everybody will get a little bit of rest when we get over there in the morning, then we have to go out to practice.

Q: What do you think about having the Bye Week after the game?

TB: I really haven't thought it much. You know, I really haven't. I think we've just been focused on this game, that's what it's all about, right here.

Q: On playing on the field at Wembley Stadium, does it take a while for you as a quarterback to get a feel for the footing?

TB: It should be OK. Every field that we play on is different. You have to adjust from our practice field, to our game field, to the road stadium. It's not too much of a problem.

Q: Do you have confidence leading into game day with who your receivers are going to be, following Welker and Moss? Or will that be something that will be established on game day?

TB: That's what you have to do, by the time game day comes, you have to confident in every play that's out there, with every player that's out there. With Wes and Randy, we've played so many games together and made so many throws, like I said, there's not much to worry about with them; with the other guys, too, they're in a position where they know what they're doing, they know how to do it, and hopefully they can go out and do it well.

Q: How about Josh McDaniels and the Broncos going 6-0? Did you watch any of the game on Monday?

TB: I was in bed. I didn't see any of it. Good for them, but I wish they were 5-1.

LB Adalius Thomas opens up about his deactivation from last week's game and what lies ahead for him and the Patriots. Pus, news and notes from the New England locker room and Wednesday's practice.

Watch this edition of PFW TV as we discuss the Patriots 59-0 win over the Titans. Plus, we'll preview this sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium in London.

The Pats made some transactions as they commenced preparations for this week's trip to London. Pus, news and notes from the New England locker room and Tuesday's practice.

The NFL's International Series of regular-season games returns to the United Kingdom this Sunday when Tampa Bay hosts New England. The teams will meet this week for the first time since the 2005 season when New England shutout the Buccaneers 28-0 in a home victory.

Watch this edition of Patriots All Access as we preview Sunday's matchup against the Dolphins. Steve Burton sits down with Patriots top special teams player Pierre Woods, who talks about preparing to play former High School teammate Ted Ginn, Jr. Bill Belichick talks to Scott Zolak about the difficulties the Wildcat offense presents, and much more.


11/6/09
Patriots Today - Getting set for Pats-Dolphins

The New England Patriots (5-2) and the Miami Dolphins (3-4) announce the following player injuries and practice participation.

The New England Patriots released G Kendall Simmons today.

Laurence Maroney, Junior Seau and Tully Banta-Cain spent some time chatting in the locker room on Friday as the Pats wind down their week leading up to Sunday's game against Miami. It's a must-see edition of locker room uncut - thanks mostly to Maroney, of course.

Junior Seau and Tully Banta-Cain discuss Joey Porter's latest trash talk session, as well as Miami's Wildcat offense. Plus, news and notes from the New England locker room and Friday's practice.

The Patriots are still talkin' "Wildcat" when it comes to the Miami Dolphins. Hear from Wes Welker, Adalius Thomas and several others on that subject and much more from a Thursday in the Pats' locker room.

Jerod Mayo discusses the Miami offense, while Wes Welker prepares for a mostly rookie Dolphins secondary. Plus, news and notes from the New England locker room and Thursday's practice.

Vince Wilfork and Leigh Bodden were among the players we heard from in the Patriots' locker room Wednesday. Hear from them and several others as the Pats push forward toward Sunday's game against Miami.

Hear what Tom Brady had to say at his locker on Wednesday as he and the Pats return from the bye week and get set for a critical divisional matchup Sunday against the Dolphins. Check it out right now.

Q: You said earlier this week that you are feeling better than any other time. Why do you feel like that is?

TB: Why do I think I'm feeling better? I think, like I said, I don't think I've been hit a whole lot this year. It's just been one of those seasons where there haven't been many sacks. I understand how to take care of my body and get the treatment I need. It's been a good year thus far.

Q: Does that take into account the number of throws you've made and how you monitor that?

TB: Yeah, I think that's part of it. If you're going to throw the ball a lot, like we do, you have to throw a lot in the offseason. I think I probably threw more this offseason than I have in past years. I think that's been important, too.

Q: What can you take from the last two games? Obviously there were a ton of yards and a ton of points, but they were depleted in the secondary. What did you learn about the team from those games?

TB: Well, I think what we've done all year is that when we execute well, we produce points, we move the ball, we get first downs. When we don't execute well and we don't move the ball, we don't convert on third down, we don't get the ball in the red area. If you're a quarterback, and you drop back, and you have guys open and overthrow them by about five yards, you know you're not going to score points. That's understanding plays that we had where we haven't done what we're coached to do. That's just not the way you can play football. In times that we go out and execute well, like what we did against Tennessee, what we did against Tampa, we scored points. I think it's just a much more concerted effort in practice and the concentration to get those things done.

Q: [On hearing early criticism about the offense]

TB: I don't think I've heard a whole lot of criticism. I think I've been very lucky over the years to play on a great team and we've won a lot of games. If that's criticism, then I welcome that. It's been pretty good for me over the years.

Q: Can you talk about this upcoming second part of the season and what do you expect out of this team offensively, going into this "crunch time," if you can call it that?

TB: We had a good week off. I think we did a lot of stuff to self-scout and evaluate where we're at to really improve and get better. For the most part, guys are in the spots where they need to be. We have a pretty good understanding how we're going to attack people. I think everyone's excited for what's ahead. We have some great opponents, a lot of division games - this one's a huge game for us. We haven't played Miami yet. They beat us here, last year, in the worst defeat that we've ever had here at Gillette Stadium. It's going to be important for us to come out and play our best game.

Q: Do you think that the Patriots and Dolphins defenses are pretty similar?

TB: Based on that it's a 3-4 and they play a little 4-3? That?

Q: Yes.

TB: It's a very different defensive coordinator. [Paul] Pasqualoni's been there for a couple of years. It's a very - as coach alluded to this morning - Bill Parcells-type of team that he's built as general manager. They're all big, they're all physical, they're all tough. They're very stout in short-yardage situations. They're good in the red area. We weren't very good in the red area against them last year; we were 4-of-8. They have their strengths and I think we have to understand ways that we need to try to attack them, and ways that we need to try go out and execute well so that we can hopefully produce points.

Q: They've always been a tough opponent for you. Is it just a matter of personnel, guys like Jason Taylor and Joey Porter?

TB: They've had a great defensive front seven for as long as I can remember and it's still the same, whether it was [Jason] Taylor, [Joey] Porter, Trace Armstrong, [Tim] Bowens, [Daryl] Gardner, over the years, Vonnie Holliday. Now, they've got a younger group that's just as active and puts a lot of pressure on the quarterback and, obviously, Jason Taylor, he still is one of the forces in the league. He leads their team in sacks this year, so he's playing really well. We've got to account for him certainly because he had a fumble return for a touchdown last week. He's an explosive player and he really gets them going. You don't want too many situations where he's celebrating in the end zone, or anything like that; that's not going to be good for our team.

Q: You talked about the evolution of the offense last week and how you tried different personnel this year - and looking back to 2007 - you just didn't have the personnel to do what you did then. Has that been one of the best things about this team over the years, that you've been able to adapt and not be so stubborn to change things?

TB: Yeah, I think we've always tried to do that. It does no good to beat yourself up over and over and say, ‘We're just not good at this. We're just not good at that.' You're obviously trying to make improvements on the things that you're not good at, but at the same time if you're asking certain players to do certain things they're not the best at [then] that kind of defeats what you're trying to do as an offense. You're trying to get your players in the best position possible so that they can go make plays. Over the years, we have done that. I think that's why I have always enjoyed the later part of the season because your team is what it is at that point. You've really seen what the other defenses can do. In the first couple of games of the season, you're trying some new things out, they're trying new things out. At this point, what we've seen on Miami's defense, that's what it is. That's the way they play. Like I said, they do some things very well. You have to understand the things that they do well and try to keep them from doing those things.

Q: Does it help at all the fact that you've all ready played the Jets this season and seeing what they did against the Jets last week? Does that help in the preparation, seeing it against teams that you've all ready played?

TB: Not really, every week is very different. We beat Tennessee pretty bad a couple of week ago and then they beat Jacksonville pretty bad last week. Each week is different. Each week has its own set of plays in the game that change it. [Miami] played two tough games against the Jets and they came out victorious in both. It came down to the red area - the Jets didn't score last week in the red area and Miami scored in the red area. That's what it comes down to, it's just a handful of plays and who makes the play. That decides the winner a lot of the times.

Q: I know you didn't play last year, but just to emphasize the importance of division games, have anybody brought up not winning the tie-breaker last year?

TB: To win a division, you have to play good in the division. You're not going to win the division and be 3-3 every year. We're 1-1 in the division right now and - like I said - we have four key division games coming up and this one is right at the top of the list. You've got to play well in these games and it's teams that usually know you the best that ... They have a lot of confidence they can beat us at home. They beat us last year, the worst defeat we've ever had [at Gillette Stadium]. It's going to come down to who makes those plays, where the execution is at, whether we complete the ball or we don't complete the ball and whether they can rush the passer or can't rush the passer. Hopefully, that's what it comes down to.

Q: It seems like you have a healthy relationship with Jason Taylor having played against him so often. Is there one story that stands out in your mind or can you talk about some of the back and forth against him?

TB: He's been kind of what that team ... They've been a defensive-oriented team over the years. They're always played well on defense - with Zack Thomas and Jason Taylor for a long time. When [Taylor] left the division last year, I thought that would be the end of it, but then he came right back this year. That's not very comforting to have him back there. We've had our friendship over the years. When you play somebody as many times as we've played him ... He's a force. He's like any team's best player, you can't go in there and think that he's not going to make the plays, he always rises to those occasions. He's a great player. I'm sure we're expecting his best game this week.

Q: Can you think of any time when you've said something in the huddle and it led to a positive situation late in the game? Is there any message you delivered or story that you can tell from a situation late in the game that you can kind of look back and remember?

TB: Well, naturally, everybody shuts up when I get in the huddle. That's just the way it is. It's natural for the quarterback, when you walk in and have something to say, it's usually very important. I'm always the one talking out there. Other guys, obviously have input, but when I say something, that's what I mean and that's what we're going to do. They probably tune me out most of the time, knowing most of those guys. I try to encourage everybody and get everybody on the same page. When it's not going well, you try to find ways to encourage guys. When it's going good, you try to keep them focused. There are probably no specific examples, but ...

Q: Some guys brought up the Buffalo game earlier this year.

TB: Yeah, we were down by 11, so there's only so much you can say about it other than ‘This is what we have to do.' It ended up coming true, that's what happened. And I think reality is that we went out there and executed. I can say whatever I want to say, if we go out there and stink for the last half of that game, then that's the way it's going to be. But we went out and played better. I don't think it was anything that I said, I think it was just us going out there and doing it.

Q: When you guys go to an empty backfield and you guys do that quite a bit, as a quarterback, what do you like about that and what do feel has allowed you to be successful doing that?

TB: Anytime you empty a backfield, they pretty much know what protection you going to be in. You have five blockers, so if they bring a sixth guy, you have to throw it quick. If they bring five guys, you have to sort the five that are coming, so it's always a protection issue when you're in an empty formation. If you can pick it up, you can really sort out the coverage pretty easily because they all have to spread out and cover up their guy. It's nice for a quarterback to be able to see the defense, to see them separate, then you're able to pick your best matchup. If you can find your matchup before the ball is snapped, then you can protect it and it's usually a pretty good play.

Q: In the middle of critiquing your own play, do you ever get the change to step back yourself and see that you're overachieving, yourself?

TB: Like I've always said, I have pretty high expectations for myself. If there are guys that are open and I don't hit them, it's usually not a very good week for me. That's kind of how you judge your performance. Did I do my job? Did I do what the coach asked me to do? Did we win the game? You're always happy when you win the game, but as a quarterback you want to be a great contributor, you don't want to throw three interceptions. When you win, you're feeling good. That's not how I ever feel. I want to go out there - and when the play is called - go out there and execute it as well as I can.

Q: But you've never completed 100 percent of your passes.

TB: And that's true. I'm not saying that you have to complete every pass to have a great game either. You take a sack and sometimes that's a good play, or you throw the ball away and that's a good play. You can play really smart situational football. You're going to miss passes as a quarterback, but it's about how you respond to those, how you play in those third-down situations, how you played in the red area, how you played in two-minute situations. Ultimately, you're the only person who knows the decision you were making at the time, so it's pretty easy for me to evaluate how I played, and what I was thinking, and why I did something that obviously nobody else would really know. That's how I judge the performance.

CB Leigh Bodden and NT Vince Wilfork share their thoughts about this week’s opponent. Plus, news and notes from the New England locker room and Wednesday's practice.

Watch this edition of PFW TV as we discuss Sunday's divisional matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

Jarvis Green's surgery could mean more playing time for Mike Wright. Pus, news and notes from the New England locker room and Tuesday's practice.

The New England Patriots return from the Bye Week to face AFC East Rival Miami at Gillette Stadium. New England owns a 40-12 record in regular season AFC East games since the beginning of the 2001 season, compiling the best intra-division record of any team in the NFL over the last eight seasons.

Coming off their bye week, New England has some extra time to prepare for Miami and their trend-setting offense.