Pats' Time Of Year

Pats' Time Of Year

By Tim Sullivan
WagerWeb.com contributing writer


Over the next six days, you're going to see and hear more about Eric Mangini and Bill Belichick than you probably care to see and hear.

After all, the pupil and teacher are no longer on speaking terms -- surely you knew that by now -- and as fate would have it, they'll meet each other in the AFC wild-card round on Sunday in Foxboro. Belichick's Patriots are 8.5-point favorites on WagerWeb.com over Mangini's Jets.

So rather than dive into a feud that's already been over-reported, let's take a different route and focus on, I don't know, the players.

Particularly, the Patriots. You know, the team that simply doesn't lose home playoff games. The team that cruised to another division title. The team that may just find itself in another Super Bowl next month.

"It doesn’t matter who we are playing," New England safety Artrell Hawkins said. "If you have gotten to this point and you are playing, then you have the capability of winning and winning with some regularity."

And surely it doesn't hurt that the Cinderella Jets will be in town. Look, Mangini's rookie season of success is a great story. But surely, the Patriots think they have what it takes to end it.

"We are 12-4 and moving into the postseason," New England defensive lineman Richard Seymour said. "It is obviously good to have momentum going into the playoffs. This is when the season really starts. It is an important time of year. The next game is our most important game."

At least until they make the divisional round.

But first things first. The Jets' balanced defense could present some problems for Tom Brady and Co. And then there's the Mangini factor, being that he was New England's defensive coordinator just a year ago. Surely, he'll know what to expect.

"We just have to keep it moving," New England cornerback Asante Samuel said. "The postseason is a different season. We have to play better in the playoffs."

Bad news, perhaps, for the Jets.

NO MORA: The Falcons had to do what they did, right? If it wasn't the late-season collapse, it was the radio show in which he all but begged to be a candidate for a University of Washington job that wasn't even open.

Either way, it was time for Jim Mora -- released from his duties on Monday -- to find a new place to coach. And who knows, perhaps it'll be at the University of Alabama if Nick Saban turns it down. But surely most Falcons fans are just glad it's going to be anywhere other than Atlanta.

"We came up short in our goal to bring a world championship to this city and to the franchise," Mora said. "If anything, I think this experience has made me a better coach. I don't think circumstances always allow that to be seen. This is a tough business. It demands tough people. If you can't take it then you need to get out of it. I don't plan on getting out of it. I have been a coach in the NFL for 23 years, and I hope to be a coach for another 20 years. That is my goal. I don't know what the future holds, but I am sure it will be positive."

Especially considering he won't work alongside quarterback Michael Vick anymore. Despite what Mora says, the two just didn't seem to coexist, and it showed on Sundays.

"My relationship with Mike is excellent. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him," a politically correct Mora said. "I see great things in the future for him."

EXTRA POINTS: Seattle WR Darrell Jackson could be a no-go against Dallas on Saturday as he is still battling turf toe. The Seahawks are -3 on WagerWeb.com. ... Eagles RB Correll Buckhalter (calf) should practice this week and play against the Giants on Sunday. Philadelphia is -6.5 on WagerWeb.com.

http://www.nfl-sports-betting.net