New England Patriots defeat Atlanta Falcons, 31-28

Many pieces of what should make the Patriots one of the best teams in the NFL were invisible a week ago.

In fact, throughout this season, the Patriots have disappeared and been bad as often as they have appeared to be good, hence a 2-2 record entering yesterday's contest at Atlanta.

But lest anyone forget that certain Patriots magic, we offer yesterday's 31-28 victory over the Falcons before 71,079 at the Georgia Dome.

You could almost see Tom Brady mouth the word...

It's all about survival now. The number of healthy impact players on the Patriots continues to dwindle and the team's best defensive player, Richard Seymour (knee), was the latest to be relegated to street clothes, for yesterday's game against Atlanta.

One wonders how the Patriots can continue to win without all the marquee names, and with the gaping holes they've left in their schemes.

And then you remember: Tom Brady is still healthy. As long as the quarterback is ...

The Patriots held Atlanta to just 116 yards rushing yesterday, nearly 100 yards under the Falcons' season average.

''Last week we were sort of embarrassed at what [San Diego] was able to accomplish, and I think guys stepped up and tried to play more physical, more aggressive," linebacker Rosevelt Colvin said. ''Collectively, everybody did a better job at their roles."

But Falcons reserve quarterback Matt Schaub burned New England for 298 passing yards and three touch...

Bill Belichick reminded his team at its final meeting of the week Saturday night what it would be up against yesterday when he showed it a tape of the greatest eight minutes in boxing history -- the savage three rounds shared by Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns in 1985.

That was a night of constant attacking, constant punching, constant coming back until only one man was left standing. That man was Hagler. Yesterday, after another in a seemingly endless parade ...