The way the Patriots handle the injury report has been a source of criticism from frustrated media types and opponents such as Bill Polian. For this reason, Gary Kubiak's comments on the Patriots use of the list are worth noting here:
Kubiak said Friday that the Patriots’ methods make them one of the tougher teams to prepare for in the National Football League.
“I’ll tell you one thing about them. You’re not going to know a lot heading into the game,” Kubiak said. “They don’t tell you much. It makes them difficult to prepare for. They have some guys banged up, but you don’t when they’re coming back.
“You don’t know when Rodney is coming back, or the nose (tackle Vince Wilfork), or the running back (Laurence Maroney). None of them could be back or all of them could be back. There have been a few times I’ve played them when you didn’t what they were going to do. I think that’s one reason why they’ve been so successful.”
Some have called the Patriots’ ways tricky, others go as far as cheating, but few in the NFL have a problem with how Belichick and Co. handles their business.
“No, I think they do it exactly the way it should be done,” Kubiak said when asked if the Patriots stretch the rules with their injury report. “They do it fine, very smart on their part. It makes it difficult on your part, but that’s the way the game is.”
