truebluefan

Seymour travels, still questionable

MINNEAPOLIS - Patriots All-Pro defensive end Richard Seymour made the trip to Minnesota last night and has a chance of playing against the Vikings tonight.
The Patriots released their list of players downgraded to out and Seymour wasn’t one of them. He has been nursing a left elbow injury.
The Patriots will be without a trio of starters, however. Safety Eugene Wilson (hamstring), guard Stephen Neal (shoulder), and tight end Daniel Graham (ankle) didn’t make the trip. The surprise on the list is Neal. With top backup Russ Hochstein also out, the Patriots find themselves thin on the offensive line.


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truebluefan

A common adage in the NFL is that it’s all about depth. At some point in the season, injuries take hold -- it’s unavoidable -- and the teams that make it through to late January are the ones best able to play and coach their way around those losses.
The Patriots proved that point beyond a reasonable doubt in 2003 and 2004, using 42 and 40 starters, respectively, en route to back-to-back Super Bowl championships. Last year, their depth didn’t hold up, the coaching went through some growing pains and the result was an unsatisfying second-round ouster from the playoffs.

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truebluefan

For a guy who doesn't enjoy talking to the media, Patriots coach Bill Belichick can sure beat the publicity drums when he wants to hype an opponent. This week he might even be right when he talks about tonight's opponent, the Vikings, who are fresh off a 31-13 victory over the defending NFC champion Seahawks.

"I'm glad we have the extra day [to prepare]," Belichick said last week. "These guys [do] a lot of things to get ready for. They're pretty good at everything. If we weren't playing them, they'd be fun to watch."

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truebluefan

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
The Patriots are considered the more legitimate Super Bowl contenders, and yet a compelling case can be made that Minnesota’s off to a more impressive start.
While the Patriots’ best victory came against a Cincinnati team that has since been exposed for a lack of toughness, the Vikings have beaten last year’s Super Bowl runner-up (Seattle), a 2005 playoff team (Washington) and everyone’s chic Super Bowl pick (Carolina).
The Vikings also controlled the unbeaten Bears for 3 1/2 quarters before falling, 19-16. They’d be considered in better standing if they hadn’t suffered an inexplicable 17-12 loss at Buffalo on Oct. 1.

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