It was back to work for regular preparations for Sunday night's game with the Buffalo Bills for the Patriots on Wednesday, and they appear to be relatively healthy. Only three players did not practice, three who haven't been out there in recent weeks: Safety Eugene Wilson (ankle), linebacker Eric Alexander (knee) and safety Mel Mitchell (groin).

Limited in practice were, as usual, QB Tom Brady (the obligatory shoulder injury), cornerback Eddie Jackson, who recently came off the PUP list (knee), offensive lineman Stephen Neal (shoulder) and linebacker Mike Vrabel and receiver Wes Welker (team decisions). Both Vrabel and Welker were in the locker room giving interviews earlier in the day.

As for the Bills, the big news is the somewhat questionable status of standout rookie running back Marshawn Lynch. Lynch did not practice on Wednesday, nursing a bad ankle, while neither did tighe end Robert Royal (head) or defensive end Aaron Schobel (illness). Shobel has made Brady sick plenty of times over the last couple of years with his pass rush, for certain.

 Of interesting note, yesterday in a statement released by NBC, commentator John Madden said he didn't think the Patriots would go 16-0.

:"I think someone is going to beat the Patriots,” he said. “The decision is going to come at the end of the season when they clinched the playoffs and they clinched home field and everyone tends to rest their players.  That's going to be a dilemma for them.  Do you go for the all-time record or do you go for the championship?  In my mind, you always go for the championship.”

--- TOM KING