'Belichick Factor' Confounds Bookies

Patriots top Bills, Saints crush Panthers, 49ers thump Rams

(NEWSER) - The New England Patriots overcame a 21-point deficit today with 49 unanswered points to rock the Buffalo Bills 49-21, the AP reports. The win earned the Pats home-field advantage and the AFC's top seed. Tom Brady threw for 338 yards and finished with the second-most passing yards in NFL history, 5,235—behind only Drew Brees, who threw for 5,486 this year with the New Orleans Saints. More»

Rex Ryan wants his team to forget about the blowout

(NEWSER) - Jets coach Rex Ryan sure likes to make a statement, sometimes even figurative ones: This morning, he gathered his team on sidelines of its practice field and buried a game ball used in Monday's 45-3 loss to New England, reports the New York Post . He told the players he wants them to forget about the game. More»

Colts capitalize on fourth-down screw-up

(NEWSER) - Bill Belichick’s vaunted genius got the better of him last night, when a gutsy fourth-down gamble cost the Patriots a win in Indianapolis. Up by six with 2:08 left on the clock, New England decided to go for it on fourth-and-two from its own 28. Kevin Faulk made the catch, but fell short of the first-down marker. Peyton Manning capitalized on the short field, tossing the game-winning touchdown for the Colts a few plays later. More»

But hold your bets: Rankings show winning isn't everything

(NEWSER) - Great NFL organizations don’t always win Super Bowls, so Adam Schein separates the well oiled from the well Lombardi’d for Fox Sports, ranking franchises on everything from their coaching staffs to public-relations people. The top three:

• New England Patriots: “The model franchise in all of professional sports.”
• Pittsburgh Steelers: A penchant for toughness and even tougher fan base.

Tennessee loses for the first time this season

(NEWSER) - In NFL action, it was an exciting day for the AFC East’s No. 1 and 2, the New York Jets and the New England Patriots, the AP reports:

• Brett Favre threw two TDs and the Jets took down the Tennessee Titans 34-13, breaking their 13-game winning streak. The Jets have won five straight for the first time in more than 4 years.
• The New York Giants held off the late-surging Arizona Cardinals for a 37-29 victory, improving to 10-1. Eli Manning made 26 of 33 passes for 240 yards and no INTs, USA Today reports.