What to watch vs. Eagles

Posted by Reiss' Pieces Today at 12:25 pm (42 minutes ago)

The Globe's Chris Gasper previews Friday's Patriots-Eagles exhibition matchup by detailing three key areas to watch.

Gasper says to keep an eye on: The backup quarterbacks, the running game, and players like Rodney Harrison and James Sanders, who could potentially see more playing time as they work their way back from injuries.

Click the link below to watch Gasper's video analysis. Tomorrow, we'll have three more areas to watch from the Globe's Mike Reiss.

Pats sign OL Mike Flynn

Posted by Reiss' Pieces Today at 11:48 am (1 hour ago)

Mike Flynn watches the action during a 2006 preseason game. (Greg Fiume / Getty Images)

Looking to add depth on the interior of their offensive line, the Patriots have signed veteran center/guard Mike Flynn to a one-year deal today, according to a league source.

The 34-year-old Flynn is entering his 11th NFL season. He played the first 10 with the Baltimore Ravens. Flynn has started 115 of 134 career games. Last season, Flynn started all 15 games he played in for Baltimore.

Flynn's signing represents a homecoming of sorts for the offensive lineman, who has New England roots. He played his high school football at Springfield's Cathedral High School and went on to play at the University of Maine.

Flynn, who came into the league as an undrafted free agent in 1997 and spent time on the practice squads of the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before re-signing with Baltimore, augments an injury-laden interior of the offensive line for the Pats.

Starting right guard Stephen Neal remains on the physically unable to perform list. Backup guard/center Russ Hochstein was hurt in the Patriots' pre-season opener against the Ravens on Aug. 7, and reserve guard Billy Yates suffered a pinched nerve in his neck/shoulder playing on special teams in the Patriots' 27-10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday.

Focusing on 1-on-1 victories

Posted by Reiss' Pieces Today at 11:15 am (1 hour ago)

ANALYSIS

Linebacker Mike Vrabel usually gets right to the point, and his interview with media members on Wednesday was true to form.

Assessing the team's preseason performance to this point, he essentially said it's time for the players to step up.

"You can have all the scheme you want and you can have all the packages you want, but I think this is a time where you have to go out there and individually you have to win against the guy you’re playing against," he said.

Winning those 1-on-1 challenges has been a theme among players this week following Sunday's disappointing 27-10 preseason loss to the Buccaneers. Vrabel specifically pointed out third-down defense (Buccaneers converted 7 of 14 times) as an area that must be tightened up.

One aspect to keep in mind is that the Patriots aren't doing much scheming in the preseason (they have hardly blitzed, if at all), and they're going into games with only about 30 offensive plays, so there are few, if any, audibles.

In many ways, it's Football 101. Hence the focus on 1-on-1 battles.

Pats work out Mike Flynn

Posted by Reiss' Pieces Yesterday at 7:15 pm

In what could be a New England-type homecoming story, free-agent center/guard Mike Flynn visited and worked out for the Patriots today at Gillette Stadium.

The 34-year-old Flynn, who played in college at Maine and attended Springfield (Mass.) Cathedral High School, has played his entire NFL career for the Baltimore Ravens.

Growing up in Massachusetts and watching the Celtics of the Larry Bird era, Flynn told the Boston Globe in June (third item of NFL notes column) that -- like Bird -- he took pride in playing for one team in his career.

Yet the chance to finish his career where it started, in Massachusetts, might entice Flynn to consider joining the Patriots.

Also under consideration, it would seem, is the Patriots' need on the interior of the offensive line.

Starting right guard Stephen Neal remains on the physically unable to perform list and Neal's top backups -- Russ Hochstein and Billy Yates -- have been held out of practice of late due to injuries.

Furthermore, Flynn could fill in at center in a pinch behind Dan Koppen. Third-year player Dan Connolly was the backup Sunday night in Tampa and fired a shotgun snap over the head of quarterback Matt Cassel.

Rodney talks Asante

Posted by Reiss' Pieces Yesterday at 5:34 pm

FOXBOROUGH -- Rodney Harrison was caught slightly off guard today in the Patriots' locker room when asked if he was looking forward to seeing former teammate Asante Samuel.

"I forgot about that," he said, piecing together that Friday's opponent, the Eagles, is Samuel's new team.

Harrison was then asked how Samuel was doing in Philadelphia.

“He’s doing great,” Harrison said, before turning the tables on the questioner. “Wouldn’t you -- $60 million richer? He’s doing wonderful.”

It was then pointed out to Harrison that Samuel had been limited due to a hamstring injury, and Harrison was asked if Samuel might be following in the line of former Patriots players who signed elsewhere only to experience health problems and not produce as projected (such as Damien Woody, Deion Branch and David Givens).

Harrison bristled at the question.

“He’s a tremendous player and he’s going to be a tremendous player no matter what uniform he puts on,” he said. “It’s a story for [the media] to sit back and hate on him and wish that he does terrible because he didn’t sign here. But all in all, he’s a friend of ours, and we wish him the best. Business is business. Sometimes you can sign a guy and sometimes you can't. You don't worry about things you can't control.”

Practice follow-up

Posted by Reiss' Pieces Yesterday at 2:40 pm

FOXBOROUGH -- Quarterback Tom Brady's presence was the most notable item to come out of today's media-access portion of full-pads practice.

Brady (David Kamerman / Globe Staff)

The media-access portion included stretching, some light throwing for quarterbacks, and Brady handing off to running backs. Brady did not appear to be limited in his movements.

Players not spotted at the media-access portion of practice (doesn't include those on PUP):

• CB Jason Webster
• DB Brandon Meriweather
• CB Mike Richardson
• RB Kyle Eckel
• OT Ryan O’Callaghan
• C/G Russ Hochstein
• OT Matt Light
• G/C Billy Yates
• TE Stephen Spach
• WR Sam Aiken
• DE Le Kevin Smith

With guard Stephen Neal remaining on the physically unable to perform list -- and top backups Russ Hochstein and Billy Yates out with injuries -- the Patriots are particularly thin at right guard. This will be an area to watch against the pressure-based Eagles on Friday night, as third-year player Dan Connolly and 10-year veteran John Welbourn are the likely candidates to step in.

Tom Brady at practice

Posted by Reiss' Pieces Yesterday at 1:28 pm

FOXBOROUGH -- Quarterback Tom Brady has joined the team for its afternoon practice today at Gillette Stadium. The workout is in full pads, and Brady, who is nursing a sore right foot, is present for the media access portion of the workout, which at this time includes stretching.

Rodney Harrison & John Lynch

Posted by Reiss' Pieces Yesterday at 1:10 pm

John Lynch (47) leads his teammates in a lap (AP Photo)

FOXBOROUGH – The pairing of hard-hitting veteran safeties Rodney Harrison and John Lynch was a topic of discussion today at Gillette Stadium.

Harrison, who returned to practice Tuesday, mentioned that Lynch took the time to call him at one of the lowest points in his career, in 2005 when he suffered a serious knee injury.

“I thought that was pretty classy,” Harrison said.

Lynch was asked to explain what led him to make that call.

Rodney Harrison (Barry Chin / Globe Staff)

“I’ve always had tremendous respect [for him]; our careers have kind of paralleled each other in that we’ve played the position of safety – he’s going into his 15th, I’m going into my 16th [year],” he responded.

“I’m from San Diego, so I [saw] a lot of what went on when Rodney was there, and I always loved the way he played. When someone plays like that, who you respect so much, when something like that happens you do those kind of things. It’s great to be playing with him now.”

Both talked about how they have often measured their performance against the other over the years.

Harrison added that he’s been speaking regularly with Lynch over the last 4-5 days, helping him absorb parts of the playbook.

Impact of Tom Brady not practicing

Posted by Reiss' Pieces Yesterday at 11:45 am

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who didn't travel to Tampa Bay for Sunday's second exhibition game against the Buccaneers due to a sore right foot, was also not present for the portion of practice open to the media Tuesday.

With Brady's status uncertain for Friday's preseason matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Globe's Mike Reiss analyzes what Brady's absence from practice means for the Patriots.

To watch the video (and for a written summary), follow the link below.

Why QB is so important

Posted by Reiss' Pieces Yesterday at 9:26 am

Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News writes his weekly newsletter and puts the spotlight on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and coach Jon Gruden's mindset that "quarterbacks are the lifeblood of this league."

Gosselin later breaks down statistics that reflect the importance of the position:

"The NFL's 32 primary starters at quarterback last season won a combined 54.9 percent of their starts. But when teams were forced to go to their second, third and in some cases even fourth options at the quarterback position, they didn't fare as well.

"Thirty-two backup quarterbacks in 2007 started a combined 141 games. They won only 55 times – a winning percentage of 39.0."

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