Noah's injury good for the rest of the NBA

Our intern Cheyenne is at it again, touting his beloved Chicago Bulls:

The Chicago Bulls have lost forward Joakim Noah for 8 to 10 weeks because of an injury to his thumb that needed surgery.

If the Bulls had Noah in the lineup throughout the regular season, they could’ve had the best record in the NBA. But without him, point guard Derrick Rose and forward Carlos Boozer won’t be able to build chemistry, and Noah won’t be in top form when he comes back.

Chicago’s Big 3 should be familiar with each other come playoff time, but the Bulls won’t have the first or second seed in the Eastern Conference. The rest of the NBA is lucky, because the Bulls would beat any team on any night had the Big 3 gotten the chance to mesh. Just wait till next year if you don’t believe me.

I know the Bulls will prove me right, but maybe not this year. We don’t need LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire. To Carmelo Anthony: if you now what’s good for you, go to Chicago and get a ring.

If the Bulls got ’Melo, the NBA would be done — the Bulls would dominate every team. That being said, the Chicago Bulls still will be a very talented team come April, and probably will make it past the first round of the playoffs.

Why root for Rex?

It's safe to say the New England Patriots, who are on an eight-game winning streak entering the playoffs and own the league's best record, are the favorites to win the Super Bowl. But the Pats would benefit from certain matchups after the bye week, and, as tough as it may be, fans should be rooting for the enemy this weekend.

Should the New York Jets, the No. 6 seed in the AFC, beat the Colts, that would help the Patriots greatly. Peyton Manning is too dangerous this time of the year, and the 45-3 whipping Tom Brady and company put on Rex Ryan's team proves that New England holds a distinct advantage in that pairing.

Furthermore, if Baltimore takes down Kansas City (and I believe it will), and the Colts protect their home-field advantage against the Jets, the Pats will get a date with Baltimore at Gillette Stadium. And the last thing any Pats fan wants is another home playoff loss to the Ravens.

So as tough as this is to type ... J-E-T-S, Jets! Jets! Jets!

Historic throw for Hoyer

Brian Hoyer, Brady's backup, throws his first touchdown pass in the NFL, connecting with Tate for a 42-yard score.
It's 38-0.

Brady catches Krieg

Brady's 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Alge Crumpler to start the second half helps push the lead to 31-0.
What to Brady and Dave Krieg have in common? Both have thrown 261 touchdown passes in their NFL career, tied for 10th all time.
Krieg took 19 seasons, with numerous teams, but mostly with Seattle. Brady's done in 11 - and any more hopefully with New England.

Edelman ...could...go...all...the..way..... and does !

Edelman goes 94 yards into the New England records books - the longest punt return in Patriots' history in the final seconds of the first half for a 24-0 score.
I was thinking about talking with Miami special teams coach Darren Rizzi, the former URI tight end and Rams coach, after the game about McCourty, who was at Rutgers when Rizzi was there.
Then again I don't think Darren's going to be in a friendly frame of mind discussing Devin.

Tate's route true?

Patriots settle for a 28-yard field goal by Shayne Graham for a 17-0 lead with less than two minutes remaining in the half.
But it could have been 21-0. On second and 10 from the Miami 14, wide receiver Brandon Tate ran a route on the left side where he looked inside and stepped back. Brady's pass zipped past the goal-line pylon. Was that where Tate was supposed to be instead of a yard away, inside?
I'm sure if he was a bit off, Brady and Bill Belichick will let him know at halftime.

Brady out and in

New England gets a first down and Brady goes to the sideline 9:45 before halftime, his playing time in all probability finished on this field for a few weeks.
Strike that! Brady's back at 8:18, relishing a third and 10 from his 38.
But his short pass under pressure for Sammy Morris is incomplete.

Patriots' secondary sparkles

New England's young secondary sparkles on the latest Miami three-and-out. Safety Patrick Chung blankets Moore on a long incomplete and on third down corner Darius Butler on the same left side knocks down a pass.

New England mantains two-touchdown lead

Maimi can't hold the Mayo (Maybe it should. Inside linebacker Jerod Mayo gets a 7-yard sack to force another Miami punt.
New England starts from its 12, doesn't pick up a first down and punts.
Green-Ellis gained 23 yards in the first half. At that rate he'll get the yards he'll need to enter the playoffs as a 1,000-yard rusher.

Pats up 14-0

Brady's getting Julian Edelman into the mix with two big pass completions on the left side down to the Miami 1, where BenJarvus Green-Ellis goes in to put the Pats up two touchdowns.

McCourty continues to sparkle

McCourty comes up big again after a rare Danny Woodhead fumble in New England territory. On third and 11 McCourty matches strides with wide receiver Marlon Moore and bats the ball away for an incomplete in the right corner of the end zone - and the Dolphins are wide left on a 40-yard field goal try.

Good start for New England against Miami

Greetings from Gillette. The weather is more like Miami's than New England's. It's warm here and just got hotter as Devin McCourty kills Miami's first series with a pick, his seventh of the season. Speaking of picks, not a bad one, getting him in the 2010 draft and seeing him making the soon-to-be pro bowl.
Speaking of rookies, Rob Gronkowski puts NE on top with a 13-yard touchdown reception from Tom Brady.
The Pats made it look easy.