Thanks to the Patriots’ PR staff, here is the full transcript of Bill Belichick’s Q&A with the media from this morning at Gillette Stadium:
Read the rest of this entry »

While the Patriots have refused to respond to New York safety Kerry Rhodes and his trash-talking, one former New England player isn’t holding back in the war of words. Ex-Patriots safety Rodney Harrison has made his feelings known about the Jets’ approach, and Rhodes in particular.

In response to Rhodes’ statements saying the Jets wanted to “embarrass” the Patriots on Sunday, Harrison Tweeted Thursday: “The Patriots won’t go into a war of words with any team, they hear everything and then use it to play better on Sunday.” Harrison took it to a new level on Friday with the following message: “Kerry Rhodes is not really a tough guy, i saw him pass on plenty of tackles… i want to see what kind of game he brings Sunday.”

In between the online back-and-forth, Harrison took to the airwaves to lambaste Rhodes.

While his former teammates have been reticent to engage in the war of words, Rodney Harrison wasn't holding back. (AP)

“I respect Kerry Rhodes as a playmaker, but he’s not a tough guy,” Harrison told ESPN 1050 radio Friday. “I’ve seen him turn down tackles many a time…. Guys are not happy with Kerry Rhodes talking and Rex Ryan talking. It’s just blatant disrespect. You don’t talk like that. Some nerve of this guy to come out and really say that. He’s going to have to back it up.”

For his part, Rhodes isn’t backing down. He Tweeted Friday afternoon: “I’m detecting a lil jealousy from @rodneyh37 he must wish he was playing 2morrow. My talent outweighs his ask belichick.”

UPDATE: The back and forth has continued through the early evening. Harrison has returned fire with his latest Tweet: “Kerry, you talk big for someone yet to even win in the playoffs.Think you will ever accomplish what i did?”

Meanwhile, Rhodes responded with a flurry that included the following message: “r u playing sunday? i respect ur game but u crossed line. and i never talk smack u started it. i kno u respect my game! Tweet it!” He added: “u being someone who played the game knows the media runs it i said we are gonna try to embarrass them! lol u should respect that.”

And Harrison answered with a two-part response, one provoked in part by a statement Rhodes made earlier in the week about possibly shaking Tom Brady: “I’m sure if somebody is around [Brady's] leg, or he feels pressure below, he’s not going to step into his throw,” Rhodes said, according to the New York Daily News.

“The talk about Brady’s knees and promising to hit him more than 6 times is what hit a nerve did you ever come back from … a surgery like that?” Harrison asked. “no wonder you have no idea what kind of effect your words have for certain players who went through rehab.”

Jets Injury Report

Limited Participation
:

DL Kris Jenkins (back) questionable
DL Sione Pouha (ankle) questionable
WR Wallace Wright (hamstring) questionable

Full Participation:

QB Kellen Clemens (elbow)
 probable
RB Shonn Greene (rib) probable
DL Mike DeVito (hamstring) probable
LB Bryan Thomas (ankle) probable
LB Jamaal Westerman (quadricep) probable

FOXBOROUGH – The following is the Patriots Injury Report for Friday:

Did Not Practice

LB Jerod Mayo (knee)  OUT

Limited Participation

C Dan Connolly (back)     questionable
WR Julian Edelman (ankle) questionable
G Stephen Neal (back) questionable
LB Rob Ninkovich (calf) questionable
DL Myron Pryor (calf)  questionable
WR Matthew Slater (elbow)  questionable
WR Wes Welker (knee) questionable
CB Terrence Wheatley (knee)   questionable

Full Participation

QB Tom Brady (right shoulder) Probable
LB Adalius Thomas (foot) Probable

FOXBOROUGH – Even in the heart of New Jersey, there are few people who actually wax nostalgic about the swamps of East Rutherford. But count Bill Belichick among them.

He was in a nostalgic mood on Friday when reminded this Sunday could be his final game ever at the original Giants Stadium, which like Yankee Stadium, is being replaced in 2010 with a newer, shinier model.

But the HC of the NEP has more than his fair share of reasons to be teary-eyed when thinking of the facility that opened in 1976.

“It would be, yeah. It’ll be a little bit sentimental there,” Belichick said on Friday at Gillette Stadium. “I was with the Giants for 12 years and we won a lot of football games there, we won a lot of big games. We won some championships there. It was a great feeling with the Giants fans, what we accomplished from when I went there in ’79.”

When Belichick arrived with the Giants in 1979 the franchise was the laughing stock of the NFL for one play in that stadium. One play that will live in infamy, long after they tear it down. It was, of course, when Joe Pisarcik fumbled at the end of the game and Herman Edwards of the Eagles returned it for a game-clinching touchdown in 1978.

“It was year after “The Fumble” and it couldn’t probably be a lower point in the franchise’s history than the ’78 season was for the Giants,” Belichick recalled. “In ’79 and ’80 we were trying to be competitive and then ’81 we went to the playoffs and ’82 was a strike year and then ’83, ’84 and ’85, back in the playoffs and then won the championship in ’86.

“That term ‘long-suffering Giants fan’ that we heard in ’79 when we went there, not too many people saying that when I left in 1990. Read the rest of this entry »

FOXBOROUGH – Injured Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo was the only player missing from the media portion of practice Friday on the lower field at Gillette Stadium.

Players were in shorts and helmets during the outdoor practice, which was sunny and breezy. The Patriots worked on kick-off coverages and returns. The Patriots are preparing for the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon at the Meadowlands.

The Patriots will play their second division game of the season on Sunday against the Jets at the Meadowlands. The Jets have been very outspoken this week as they prepare to take on the Patriots — despite the fact that New England has been dominant in the AFC East and look to continue their success this Sunday. (The Pats are 40-11 since the beginning of the 2001 season in the division.) The Jets will be looking to snap the Patriots eight-game winning streak in the Meadowlands when they take the field Sunday.

•Mark Sanchez, Rex Ryan, Kerry Rhodes, Jerricho Cotchery, and Darrelle Revis all spoke to New York reporters this week about the Patriots. Turn up the volume and click on the audio below to listen to the Jets.

Mark Sanchez talks about the dominance of the Patriots and Coach Belichick.

Sanchez says the Patriots are very talented.

Rex Ryan says he knows he can compete with Bill Belichick.

Ryan says the Jets aren’t underdogs going into this game on Sunday.

Kerry Rhodes says the Patriots are dangerous in all aspects of the game.

Jerricho Cotchery comments on the Patriots win streak at the Meadowlands against the Jets.

Darrelle Revis says he knows the Patriots hate them.