Bruschi status, role unclear

[Guest Moose Knuckle Ball Four]

How much Tedy Bruschi will play Sunday night against the Bills -- if at all -- will likely depend on how much he's able to practice, and how much contact he's able to deliver and absorb in the next three days.

 

If he plays, conventional wisdom suggests that the Patriots will ease him in. The tough part, said one teammate, ''might be keeping Tedy from getting too excited. This is a big day for him and the team. In the long run, we need Tedy to be Tedy, so forget about all he went through. He didn't have any training camp. All of a sudden he's got to get right into the flow and the speed of the game. That's not easy without a buildup. If anyone can do it, Tedy can, but I think they're pretty cautious around here."

 

Bruschi is in a 21-day window as the team evaluates him. If the Patriots intend to play him Sunday, they must take him off the physically unable to perform list before 4 p.m. Saturday. They could keep the Bills wondering up until then.

 

The other interesting question would be whether Bruschi plays the middle in the 4-3 or an inside position in the 3-4. The Patriots have been switching back and forth. On paper, a front four of Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork, and Jarvis Green, with Willie McGinest, Bruschi, and Mike Vrabel at linebacker looks pretty potent.

 

That would limit Rosevelt Colvin, Monty Beisel, and Chad Brown to situational roles.

 

The Patriots could use a 3-4 and team Bruschi and Beisel in the middle with McGinest and Vrabel on the outside. Or Vrabel, who spent most of the Denver game inside, could team with Bruschi inside with McGinest and Colvin on the outside.

 

One suspects the Patriots will try all of the above, shaping their alignment with Bills running back Willis McGahee in mind.

 

 

A Poole vent

Tyrone Poole was angry at being depicted in a Herald story last week as someone who doesn't care about football, and he expressed his opinions on the ''Diehards" program on 1510 The Zone Monday, when he also revealed that his ankle sprain has been ''complicated with another injury in the ankle."

 

Poole did not elaborate on the other ankle ailment, but he did say that he felt fine after practicing with the team Monday.

 

''I'm just doing what the trainers tell me to do," Poole said. ''We had practice and I felt good. It's always how the coaches view my practices. I can want to get out there, but if they feel I can't do that, that's their call."

 

Poole also said he's still dealing with the death of his father.

 

''My dad passed and I'm still . . . emotional about that," said Poole. ''I'm not only dealing with injuries but I'm dealing with back-home issues also."

 

Asked about the impression that he doesn't care about what's going on in the secondary, he said, ''It's baloney. It's not even close to the reality."

 

Poole emphasized that he is a Christian and the priorities in his life are ''God, my family, and whatever else I'm involved in."

 

If he didn't care, Poole said, he wouldn't have gone home in the offseason and gotten himself in shape and won his starting job back.

 

''I busted my butt to get myself healthy," he said.

 

He also spoke about why he missed the 2001 season after signing with the Broncos. He said he didn't want to uproot his wife from their home in Atlanta or leave her behind while she was pregnant with their first child. So he decided to sit out the year and take care of his wife.

 

''I don't feel my priorities are misplaced," he said.

 

 

Starks still starting?

As practice unfolds this week, it'll be interesting to see whether Duane Starks keeps his starting cornerback job or is replaced by Randall Gay. The secondary is the biggest concern for Bill Belichick heading into Sunday night, and while he and buddy Nick Saban often mock reporters who press them about who's starting, in this case it would be revealing. Recall what Starks said at his introductory conference call last April: ''If I don't start, it means I didn't work hard enough." Starks is considered a much better player than what he's shown. Whether Belichick gives him another week -- with proper coverage help -- to show he can handle fleet and strong receivers in Eric Moulds and Lee Evans remains to be seen.

 

 

In dreamland

A recent story on NFL.com said an NFL team had inquired about the details of Charlie Weis's contract and a $1.5 million buyout. Would Weis leave Notre Dame after this year and go back to the NFL as a head coach? No, says Weis's agent, Bob LaMonte, who said such buyout clauses are standard language in many major college football contracts. ''Charlie has his dream job," said LaMonte. ''He's on top of the world right now." It's funny how things work out. When Weis was the Patriots offensive coordinator, he interviewed for head jobs and nobody would hire him. In Buffalo, Tom Donahoe went with Mike Mularkey over Weis because he was more familiar with Mularkey's coaching style from their Pittsburgh days.

 

 

Worth a try

One of the more interesting names on the tryout list was Rohan Davey working out with the Bills yesterday. Davey was cut by Arizona after hooking on there following Kurt Warner's injury. Are the Bills serious about Davey or just gathering information? Also, former first-rounder Marc Colombo of Bridgewater, who was let go by the Bears, had a tryout with the Vikings yesterday. The Patriots did not list anyone on the personnel wire.

 

 

No turning back

Ted Johnson has yet to turn in his retirement papers. Asked whether he was considering a comeback like his former linebacker pal Bruschi, Johnson bristled. ''No way," he said. ''I can't." Johnson left the game when doctors told him that his multiple concussions could be dangerous to his health. Johnson took heed. Never forgot what he said a couple of days prior to Super Bowl XXXIX, recalling concussions he had in the 2002 preseason that led to a dropoff in his play. ''I had a serious problem," he said. ''I had trouble remembering the plays. As a signal-caller, I couldn't have an offday on the field. I lost confidence in my ability. My perception was way off. I was playing as hard as I could, but something wasn't right."

 

 

Chat them up

You've got to give Mularkey and Donahoe a lot of credit. They do a weekly chat with Bills fans on the team website after every game, and they faced the music after last Sunday's 38-17 loss to the Raiders.

 

Here's an example:

 

Q: How do you propose the Bills find consistent and long-term success given that the subpar/undertalented/overwhelmed offensive line has not been addressed at all in many years?

 

Donahoe: ''Each year over the last four, we have made adjustments and improvements to our offensive line. We have done it through draft choices, as Mike Williams is an example of a No. 1 pick, and we have also addressed the line through free agency. Our line has proven to be very good run blockers and we have had thousand-yard rushers in three of the last four years and are on pace to have another one this year. Our pass protection has been inconsistent. To this point, in seven games, we have given up 18 sacks, which is higher than where we want to be. We will continue to make adjustments to try and improve our performance on the offensive line."