Belichick Decoder Ring

Bill Belichick press conferences are not, as a rule, loquacious affairs. This Monday was no exception. Some sample answers (each reprinted in its entirety):

"No, I didn't say that."

"I haven't thought about it."

"I'm not a lawyer."

There was, however, one moment in which Belichick perhaps granted us a tiny peek into his thinking. Asked whether the team was "held back" by having only three wide receivers active against the Bills, Belichick seized the opportunity to talk about the run game. "Troy Brown, I thought ... he blocked as well as we've had a receiver block in quite a while here. He had a lot to do with some of the yards we gained in the running game."

It's just reading tea leaves (and that's the best you'll get from Coach Tightlip), but I sense this season we'll see an unprecedented focus on running the ball. Two good feature backs in Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney. A somewhat depleted wideout corps, missing Deion Branch and David Givens. All signs point to some smashmouth, up-the-gut offense in Foxboro this year.

If so, I say: Bring it on! Last year, Tom Brady threw for more yards than he ever had before ... and the Pats didn't reach the big game for the first time in three seasons. Brady attempted more passes last year than in any season since 2002 ... which was, perhaps not coincidentally, another down year for the Pats.

The Pats always seem to zig when other teams zag (drafting players no one else has high on their boards; running a 3-4 defense when everyone else runs a 4-3). It could be that, as much of the league adopts the popular spread formation/quick pass look, the Pats are getting ready to kick it old school.