After nine seasons in the NFL and three Super Bowl titles, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is about to embark on a new experience.

“It’s not too often that we fly east to play a game,” Brady said Tuesday in a conference call before Sunday’s regular-season NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in London. “And to play in Wembley Stadium, it’s as historic a stadium (as there is) in the entire world. I think our team is all very excited for that.”

The NFL is playing at Wembley for the third straight year, and both teams will arrive in the British capital on Friday – only two days before the game.

“It’s a long flight but we’ll be prepared for it,” said Brady, who threw six touchdown passes for the Patriots (4-2) in the 59-0 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. “We’ll have our energy and we’ll be ready to go by the time the ball kicks off.”

The setting for this weekend’s game surely will be different for both the Patriots and the Buccaneers, with thousands of British fans wearing a variety of NFL shirts at the stadium. But it will just be another game for Brady.

“For us, the job’s the same: When the balls kicked off, the rules are the same for us, the field’s the same size,” Brady said. “We’re playing an opponent we study all week.”

Two years ago, the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins also arrived only days before. But last year, the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers spent a week in London getting used to the differences.

“We’ll have a couple days to get acclimated to the time change,” Brady said. “The weather is pretty similar in London as it is here in Boston, so we’re pretty familiar with that. Try to get our rest before the game on both Friday night and all day Saturday, and really come out and play with a lot of excitement and energy on Sunday.”

The Bucs remained winless at 0-6 after losing to the Carolina Panthers 28-21 on Sunday. The Bucs will be the “home” team in London, so the Patriots could win their first road game of the season at the iconic stadium.

“I’ve heard great things about this stadium. It’s an incredible stadium,” Brady said. “I’ve watched a lot of European soccer also, so I’m very familiar with the grounds they play on.”

Brady said he has also watched previous NFL games at Wembley on TV, so he is familiar with the field.

“It’s a soccer field, so I guess it’s pretty flat,” Brady said. “The grass (is) a little bit longer, which hopefully slows down the pass rush of Tampa Bay. That’s what I’m hoping. I always like it when they’re as far away from me as possible.”

The British fans, who generally prefer their game of football to the American version, are expected to fill the stadium for the third straight year.

“This is a game that we’ll be remembering for the next 40 or 50 years of our lives,” Brady said. “So we all want to go out and play as well as we can.”
Sourced via The Miami Herald

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DANA POINT, Calif. – The Patriots will open their season Sept. 14 at home against Terrell Owens and the Buffalo Bills in a “Monday Night Football” matchup.

The NFL announced the prime-time schedule for kickoff weekend yesterday at the owners’ meetings, and the Patriots are a featured part of it with a 7 p.m. game that will mark the return of Tom Brady and the Buffalo debut of Owens.

The Patriots-Bills game is the first half of a Monday night doubleheader on ESPN that will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the American Football League.

After the Patriots face the Bills, the Oakland Raiders will host the San Diego Chargers at 10:15. All four franchises were inaugural members of the AFL, which began play in 1960.

“It’s pretty special for us to start our 50th season knowing that it’s ABC/ESPN’s 40th season with football, and then of course Tom Brady coming back,” said Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who is chairman of the league’s Broadcast Committee. “Our whole team is excited. I’ve seen the initial workouts, and there is a whole spirit and camaraderie that is special.

“Being on the national stage, we’re going to have some fun things planned that day to kick off the season. We’re glad it could be a showcase game.”

One of those fun things could be the Patriots wearing throwback jerseys. As part of the AFL celebration, they will wear replicas of their 1963 jerseys at least two times this year. The team could not confirm it would wear them for the opener, but Bills coach Dick Jauron was in favor of the retro duds.

“I’m assuming that,” Jauron said. “It’s going to be a great start to the 50th season of the AFL and I’m just really excited about it.”

For the sixth straight time, the season will commence on a Thursday night with the defending Super Bowl champions hosting the game. The Pittsburgh Steelers will play host to the Tennessee Titans Sept. 10.

On Sept. 13, the Sunday night matchup is the Green Bay Packers hosting the Chicago Bears.

Patriots get picks
The NFL announced the compensatory draft picks and the Patriots received three: a third-rounder (No. 97 overall), a fifth-rounder (No. 170 overall), and a sixth-rounder (No. 207) overall.

The Patriots were awarded the choices based on the loss of free agents Asante Samuel, Randall Gay, and Donte’ Stallworth following the 2007 season. The Patriots’ third-round pick was the highest of the 32 compensatory picks awarded.

New England now has six selections in the top 100: its own first-round pick (No. 23 overall), three second-round selections (34, acquired from the Chiefs for Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel; 47, acquired in a trade with the Chargers for a 2008 third-rounder; and its own at 58), plus a pair of third-rounders (its own at 89 and the compensatory pick).

Lockout ahead?
Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the owners, and one of the key issues under discussion was the priorities for the next collective bargaining agreement. The current agreement will end following the 2010 season, which, barring a new agreement, will be an uncapped year.

The sense at the meetings is that owners, who are looking to lower player costs, are gearing up for a lockout in 2011. That is reflected in the new deal the league announced with DirectTV, which runs through 2014. A source who has seen the contract said there is a clause that calls for $900 million to be distributed to owners in the event of a lockout.

Goodell pointed out during his news conference that owners spent $4.5 billion on player costs last year. He was asked how realistic a lockout is looking.

“Right now, our entire focus is how do we ensure that we understand our priorities in the collective bargaining process and work to get an agreement,” said Goodell. “We want to have an agreement. We want to continue to play football. Our owners feel that way. Our players feel that way.”

Duckett signs
The Patriots signed offensive lineman Damane Duckett, a converted defensive lineman who has played for the Panthers, Giants, and 49ers. San Francisco switched him to the offensive line in 2007 and he was on the active roster for the final two games of that season but did not play. He spent last year on injured reserve with a knee injury.

SOurced via boston.com

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After 14 NFL seasons, three teams, and numerous quarterbacks, Joey Galloway was looking for a Super Bowl contender with a stable situation under center. That the wide receiver chose to sign with the Patriots speaks volumes about the health of Tom Brady.

Bottom line, Galloway wouldn’t be a Patriot if he thought Brady, who tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee in New England’s 2008 season opener, wasn’t going to be healthy enough to lead the Patriots back to NFL elite status.

Galloway was practically giddy yesterday when talking about playing with Brady.

“I’ve been a fan of his for a long time,” said Galloway, who also visited the Steelers and Bills after the Buccaneers cut him Feb. 25, ending a five-year stint with Tampa Bay. “I’ve been a fan of the team, of the organization, Mr. [Robert] Kraft, from top to bottom. I’ve always looked forward to an opportunity to get into a situation with stability at quarterback, which has always been something I’ve hoped for and going into this opportunity I looked for in my decision-making.

“Once the opportunity came to have a chance to play with Tom Brady, I don’t think you can do any better than that.”

The 37-year-old Galloway, owner of six 1,000-yard receiving seasons, has played with so many different quarterbacks he’s lost count. He pegged the number of passers at 23. It’s 18, according to Stats Inc., ranging from Warren Moon to Ryan Leaf.

“I think it has been something that I’ve sort of joked with a lot of people about,” said Galloway. “I haven’t had real quarterback stability in many places that I’ve been. So, with Tom Brady being the guy here, absolutely I am looking forward to that.”

If you ask Patriots center Dan Koppen, no one is looking forward to seeing Brady back on the field more than Brady.

“Just knowing him and how competitive he is, how much it killed him to be on the sidelines last year, I think he’s really excited,” said Koppen.

Galloway, who signed a one-year deal, is not without his own injury issues.

Last season, he missed all of training camp with a groin strain, then was hampered during the season by a broken foot that limited him to nine games.

After three straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons for the Buccaneers from 2005-07, Galloway caught just 13 passes for 138 yards and no touchdowns in 2008.

“Last year was one of those years where the injury just made me miss some games, and it just turned into a long season, I guess,” said Galloway. “The season ended sourly because we didn’t make the playoffs.”

The 5-foot-11-inch, 197-pound Galloway, who has always had a game built on breakaway speed in stops in Seattle, Dallas, and Tampa, said his foot is fine.

Galloway has played in 185 career games with 169 starts and has 682 receptions for 10,710 yards and 77 touchdowns. His 15.7-yards-per-catch career average is the highest of any active player with 300 or more receptions (Randy Moss is second at 15.66).

Galloway knows he won’t be Brady’s top target. He’ll be a complementary piece to Moss and Wes Welker, and in competition with Greg Lewis for the No. 3 receiver spot.

“My goal going into every season – with this being my 15th season, and it has not changed – is to be prepared to do whatever the team might ask me or need me to do to win football games,” Galloway said.

“I never go into a situation looking at it like where am I slotted as far as the receivers on a particular team. In this case, this is a very talented offense. There are a lot of playmakers on this offense. My focus is to . . . be prepared and to be ready to the best of my ability to do whatever they ask me to do. If that is being third, fourth, fifth [receiver], it does not matter to me.”

Galloway will be ready, and judging by his decision to sign with New England, it appears Brady will be, too.

“There have been a lot of ACL injuries in the past. A lot of guys have come back from them, and we know how hard Tom works in the offseason and works at it,” said Koppen. “I think he’s just going to flow right back into it. We’ll go out and do our thing, and he’ll do his thing.”

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