NFL: New England hosts New York Sunday

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THE CANADIAN PRESS

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There's never really a good time for the New York Jets to face the Patriots. Since Bill Belichick became New England's coach in 2000, the Jets are 7-13 against their rivals from Foxborough.

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AP

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick talks to his players during the second half against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Many of the games have been contentious - remember Spygate and the Eric Mangini-Belichick non-handshakes - and Belichick and current Jets coach Rex Ryan aren't exactly buddies. It won't help Bill B's mood, either, that New York won 16-9 in Week 2.

Not that Belichick's dour demeanour has been anything close to cheery since last Sunday's late-game gamble backfired in Indianapolis, and the Patriots fell 35-34 to Peyton Manning and the Colts.

So laying it on the Jets (4-5) even harder than usual might be on the mind of Belichick and the Patriots (6-3), if not to just about salt away the AFC East then to ease the memories from Indy.

"I'm worried about the Jets," Tom Brady said. "I think I'd talked a lot about the Colts game and I think we've all got to move forward and understand that we're playing a great opponent, one that really gave our offence a lot of problems the last time we played them and that has a lot of good players."

The Jets also have problems on both sides of the line. Their running game is strong, but rookie Mark Sanchez is going through the expected struggles of a first-year quarterback. Their aggressive defence was rolled over by Jacksonville for a winning drive last weekend.

And now they have some ticked off Patriots to contend with.

Also Sunday, it's San Diego at Denver, Indianapolis at Baltimore, New Orleans at Tampa Bay, Cincinnati at Oakland, Seattle at Minnesota, Pittsburgh at Kansas City, Washington at Dallas, Arizona at St. Louis, Atlanta at N.Y. Giants, Philadelphia at Chicago, San Francisco at Green Bay, Buffalo at Jacksonville, and Cleveland at Detroit.

Tennessee is at Houston on Monday night.

The weekend began with Miami winning 24-17 at Carolina on Thursday night.

In Balitmore, Ravens defensive end Dwan Edwards plans to appeal the US$5,000 fine he received for a hit delivered to Cleveland Browns wide receiver Joshua Cribbs on Monday night.

Edwards struck Cribbs with a forearm to the facemask on the final play of Baltimore's 16-0 win.

In New Orleans, Saints running back Reggie Bush has been held out of practice for the third straight day, and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game in Tampa Bay.

Bush came out of the St. Louis game with swelling and soreness in his left knee, which was surgically repaired twice in a three-month span a year ago.

Saints coach Sean Payton says Bush's knee is bruised and swollen.

In Seattle, Seahawks Josh Wilson is unlikely to play Sunday at Minnesota because of a concussion, which could force the Seahawks to use a backup cornerback against Brett Favre and the high-flying Vikings.

Seattle coach Jim Mora said after Wilson missed his third consecutive practice Friday that there is only a slight chance he will play. Last weekend he banged his head into the leg of Arizona Cardinals running back Beanie Wells and then the turf.

In Pittsburgh, Steelers safety Troy Polamalu did not practice all week because of a left knee injury and will not play Sunday in Kansas City. He may miss the Nov. 29 game at Baltimore as well.

Polamalu sat out the Steelers' second through fifth games with a ligament tear, only to injure the same knee during an 18-12 loss to Cincinnati on Sunday.

Polamalu's latest injury is to a different ligament. He wore a heavy brace as he watched practice this week.

Defensive end Travis Kirschke will sit out his third consecutive game with a torn left calf muscle.

He had been filling in for Aaron Smith, who is out for the season with a torn right rotator cuff.

Nick Eason will start again at left defensive end.

Tyrone Carter will start at safety.