"Is it me or did anyone else think of the original "The Longest Yard" with Burt Reynolds when Doug Flutie "pooch" kicked the extra point?"

As I left the stadium early Sunday evening I realized the feeling was very upbeat among the fans. In my eyes I had just watched a game that had to have been the second most promising loss in the New England Patriots history and what a way for them to start out 2006.

Getting to the playoffs this season wasn't easy for the Pats, but it was an accomplishment after the team lost offensive guru Charlie Weis to Notre Dame, defensive minded Romeo Crennel to the Browns, safety Rodney Harrison and OL Matt Light to the IR.

During the season the team also lost several key players to injuries week after week. It was a BIG hill to climb, and this team accomplished that only to arrive at a new hill, and yesterday's game may prove this team will have some depth headed into the playoffs.

This past Sunday, this team came out of loss in a game where the second and third stringers held their own against a tough Miami Dolphins (what were the ‘Fin fans thinking?) who kept their first string in for the entire game.

Head coach Bill Belichick opted to pull the entire offensive and defensive first stringers after the first quarter, and decided to give his coaching staff a good long look at guys who may just be the keys to make a difference heading into these playoffs.

Since training camp I had been singing praise of QB Matt Cassell (11/20, 168 yards, 2 TDs), and when he finally got his chance on Sunday I really wanted to see how he would perform in true game atmosphere. As most rookie QB's do, he stumbled early on and even took a wicked end zone hit fumbling the ball out of the back, which cost the Pats a safety. But, he bounced back and even had people wondering if the pass he threw out of bounds to end the game was the Pats way of showing the Dolphins...

"We could have beat you... Remember that."

Wide receiver Bam Childress was here earlier in the year and never go his chance among a roster of already talented receivers. Sunday he showed he's been paying attention to his job as he racked up three receptions for 32 yards and also made some plays on defense, ala WR Troy Brown.

Wide receiver Andre Davis also showed some speed finishing the game with two receptions over 47 yards. With one of those receptions being a 36 yarder.

Punt returner/wide receiver Tim Dwight finished the game 2 for 26 and a 9 yard TD reception from QB Matt Cassell proving he is not just a threat on punt returns.

Linebacker Matt Chatam has been staple of the special teams unit, but the play of Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel have kept him on the sidelines Sunday he led the team with eight tackles.

Linebacker Tully Banta Cain another special teamer made his presence felt with five tackles and one sack, while free safety Mike Stone made four tackles; one which was a key one-yard loss on a running back Ricky Williams attempt.

If guys like these can step up and show they can make plays then you now have guys who can provide crucial rest time for those when they need it heading into the post season.

Let's take Bruschi for instance... He's obviously heading into the playoffs with a strained right calf, and there is a good chance he will play, but it may not be 100%. If that's the case, now BB can look at a guy like Matt Chatam to fill in since Monty Beisel and Chad Brown have yet to show promise. If Chatam can play like he did Sunday it will pay in dividends.

Saturday night, the Jacksonville Jaguars will come to town and from this writer's perspective I think people need to realize that sports Karma can come into play here... In the 1996 season, the Jaguars upset the Broncos in Denver to make the trip here for Foxboro's first historical AFC Championship "Lights Out" game. A game that pitted Bill Parcells against former BC coach Tom Coughlin, and the win advanced the Pats to New Orleans for the right to take on the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl 31.

It was also a game that I truly believe that when the lights went out in the stadium before that Adam Vinatieri field goal on national television was Robert Kraft's first salvo in proving the team needed a new stadium. The moment was a major embarrassment, and started the talks for the team to get a new stadium. But, I remember seeing Edison trucks on the scene before the game began. Since that night and every game before that night I had never seen a Mass Electric or Edison trucks on standby for any home game.

Some writers are looking past the Jags, but people seem to be forgetting that this Jags team beat Seattle, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati and should not be overlooked. The key for the Pats to overtake the Jags this weekend will be an aggressive defensive with their QB situation.

The word is that QB Byron Leftwich is going to get the start, but he's coming back from a broken left ankle, which he sustained in late November. If for some reason he doesn't go, then David Garrard will be at the helm, and the last tough defense he faced (Indy) sent him away with a loss.

The Pats will have to blitz, and blitz often forcing mistakes since they are ranked second in the NFL for takeaways this season, despite give up a lot of passing yardage earlier this year. With the Jags ranked second in the league for sacks, and fourth in the league for interceptions, the Pats offensive attack should rely on the running attack, which is operating on a positive healthy note with RB's Corey Dillon, Kevin Faulk and FB's Patrick Pass and Heath Evans. The passing game should be kept to mostly shotgun formations, quick routes, and utilize the double TE's once again to keep the blitzing LB's on their toes.

In other games this weekend, we'll see the Washington Redskins against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers against the NY Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers against the Cincinnati Bengals. For my picks I like the Redskins passing attack, the Giants successful multi-tasking and the Bengals in a game that I predict will be won on a ground attack despite the success of QB Carson Palmer.