The New England Patriots released cornerback Shawn Springs on Tuesday but haven’t ruled out re-signing him, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

For now, though, the team and 35-year-old player are going their separate ways, the source said.

“I’ll have teams calling me, and they won’t be [bad] teams,” Springs told The Boston Globe. “I’m cool. I would come back to New England. I wish them the best. I’m going to miss those guys.”

Springs told the Globe that he had arthroscopic knee surgery in January, though he stressed that the injury was not the reason why he was released.

“It’s not a knee issue,” he told the newspaper.

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

Quarterback Tom Brady reiterated Wednesday that he thought last year’s New England Patriots team was not mentally tough and, looking back, indicated there was a “lack of trust, lack of confidence” within the team.

The Patriots’ struggles in the second half of games in 2009 were well chronicled. Of their six losses, they were leading at the half in four of them and tied in another. The Patriots were outscored 94-38 in the second half of their six losses. In addition to their second-half struggles, the Patriots were just 2-6 on the road.

“When it comes down to it, games that we lose in the fourth quarter, games that we lose in the second half, or losing on the road like we did, that can be lack of trust, lack of confidence,” Brady said in an interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI on Wednesday morning. “There are a lot of issues you have when that repeats itself time and time again over the course of the season.”

The Patriots’ up-and-down 2009 season was punctuated by a 33-14 blowout loss to the Ravens in the divisional playoffs. Brady threw four interceptions in the game and the Patriots fell behind 24-0 in the first quarter.

Click here to read the full article – By Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com

Perhaps the greatest quarterback debate of this generation is whether or not Tom Brady is better than Peyton Manning. Although Tom Brady has the rings and the dynasty, Peyton Manning isn’t a huge pussy.

Exhibit A:

Tom Brady Commercial

Not only is saving the earth the least cool thing for a bloodthirsty football player to take part in, look at him. I’m not sure if that’s Tom Brady or Bon Jovi. Not only does he look like a lost European, but his acting skills are on par with Carrot Top. Brady’s only saving grace with this commercial is the giant slab of meat resting on the counter. The only way Brady gets points for this commercial is if that’s fresh WWF panda meat resting on the counter top.

Exhibit B:

Peyton Manning Commercial

Not only is Peyton an exceptional actor, he chooses to do commercials that make him look like the man. While Tom tries to save the earth, Peyton is pillaging it for all of its spoils. Would you rather be saving the Earth from a kitchen remodeled in the 80s, or traveling the world, blowing cash on your MasterCard, driving your Ford and relaxing seaside in a robe?

The jury is out and the evidence is overwhelming. I don’t know who the better quarterback is, but Peyton is definitely the man.

-Zach Superior

Indianapolis Colts Sports Memorabilia
and other Indianapolis Colts Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Peyton Manning.

New England Patriots Sports Memorabilia
and other New England Patriots Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Tom Brady.

New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker scheduled surgery for next week to repair the knee he blew out in the final regular-season game against the Houston Texans.

A league source told The Boston Globe that Welker will undergo the procedure next Tuesday at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Welker tore both the medial collateral ligament and anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee making a cut after catching a pass. The MCL did not need surgery, so he let that heal before having a procedure on the ACL.

“We’re just taking our time right now,” Welker told Jim Traber during a radio interview in Oklahoma City, Welker’s hometown, last week. “That’s one thing — we’ve got a little bit of time right now to wait on that to heal and just kind of get ready and make sure that we exhaust all the options and find out the best one for myself to give me the best chance to get back out there on the field.”

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

The following playoff games are taking place this upcoming weekend, who do you guys like? (my predictions below)

AFC
Jets @ Chargers 1/17 4:40pm
Ravens @ Colts 1/16 8:15pm

NFC
Cowboys @ Vikings 1/17 1pm
Cardinals @ Saints 1/16 4:30pm

My Predictions:
AFC
Jets 21 Chargers 17
Colts 28 Ravens 20

NFC
Cowboys 28 Vikings 17
Saints 27 Cardinals 10

Randy Moss stared at the scoreboard after his third touchdown catch and saw a fan wearing a Randy Moss mask on the screen.

The real Randy — the one who played hard Sunday — stood on the sideline with a huge grin as he made his parting-of-the-defense motion, sweeping his arms from his chest to his sides.

“That was very entertaining,” Moss said after the New England Patriots clinched the AFC East title with a 35-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. “I had a lot of my teammates wanting me to mess with the guy. So he put a little humor into it and I enjoyed it.”

After his last home game, a 20-10 win over Carolina, several Panthers questioned his effort. So did Patriots fans the following week. But on Sunday they chanted his name, “Randy, Randy, Randy.”

And Moss, who has sold the mask on his Web site , appreciated it.


Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said Monday that the team used Joey Porter’s trash talk as a spark leading up to Sunday’s 27-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

“It’s really motivating for our team throughout the course of the week and into the game when you hear that kind of stuff,” Brady said on his weekly appearance on the “Dennis & Callahan” show on Boston radio station WEEI. “I think the guys take it to heart and the coaches take it to heart.”

Last week, Porter said there was “no question” that Brady is getting favorable calls from officials this season. Brady missed most of the 2008 season with a knee injury suffered when he was hit by a player on the ground. In March, the NFL clarified a rule, making it a personal foul for a player on the ground to lunge and hit a quarterback below the knee unless he’s blocked or fouled. Some have referred to it as the “Brady Rule.”

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

New England Patriots Sports Memorabilia
and other New England Patriots Gifts and Collectibles