Before the start of the game, the Patriots added fullback Kyle Eckel to the active roster, releasing linebacker Corey Mays. This move was obviously made to add running back depth with Laurence Maroney unable to play tonight due to a sore groin. Eckel, many may remember, was impressive in training camp out of Navy two years ago but was cut at the end of the 2005 camp. He ended up property of the Dolphins but was on the reserve/military exempt list, and wound up on New England's practice squad last month. Mays has been through the roster cuts and re-signs with New England and will likely be back again at  some point; he played in one game this season, recording a special teams tackle.

What a difference a year makes in tonight's New England Patriots game at Cincinnati. It is exactly a year ago to the day when the Patriots, a 2-1 team in 2006 that had a lot of question marks, went into Paul Brown Stadium to face a 3-0 Bengals team that was the talk of the NFL and left with a resounding 38-13 win. 

(Read More...)