ESPN NFL

I once heard Tom Donahoe, the former Buffalo Bills president and general manager, call quarterback Drew Bledsoe a future Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Then again, Donahoe used to say a lot of things.

I was reminded of this when taking a glance at players who will make their first appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot for 2012.

Buffalo News reporter Mark Gaughan, who's on the Hall of Fame selection committee and last weekend was elected president of the Pro Football Writers Association, blogged the top newcomers to consider the next few years.

The lists are helpful in speculating when fan favorites such as Andre Reed and Curtis Martin will get their Canton calls. They both were finalists this year -- Reed for the fifth time, Martin for the first -- but weren't added to the 2011 induction class Saturday.

Perhaps that development was fitting for Martin because his coach with the New England Patriots and New York Jets will be on the ballot again. They could get in together in 2012.

Bill Parcells has been a finalist twice, but not since 2002 because rules for coaches changed. They now must wait five years from their last game to be eligible for induction, and Parcells returned to the sidelines with the Dallas Cowboys in 2003.

Is Parcells a Hall of Famer? I know Miami Dolphins fans aren't too thrilled with him these days, but he did add to an already remarkable legacy -- two championships, different teams to the Super Bowl, a few organizational turnarounds -- by guiding the Dolphins from 1-15 to the AFC East title as their football operations boss.

Also on the ballot next year will be Bledsoe, running backs Corey Dillon and Tiki Barber, fullback Mike Alstott, guard Will Shields and coaches Bill Cowher and Marty Schottenheimer.

Bledsoe had a fine career with the Patriots, Bills and Cowboys and ranks eighth all-time in passing yards. But he was a Pro Bowler only four times and never was first-team All-Pro. Bledsoe was helpful in getting the Patriots their first championship, so he does have a ring. But that was Tom Brady's team.

Dillon also was a four-time Pro Bowler and won a Super Bowl with the Patriots. He ranks 17th in rushing yards and never led the league in a major rushing category.

Schottenheimer played for the Bills and Patriots before winning 61 percent of his regular-season games as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers. His 200 victories rank sixth all-time, but his 5-23 playoff record will hurt.

That group of first-time candidates -- plus the newcomers for 2013 -- bodes well for Reed. There won't be any new receivers for him to box out. He already has jockeyed ahead of contemporaries Cris Carter and Tim Brown by making the cut from 15 to 10 in the selection process the past two years. Carter and Brown haven't.

Gaughan highlighted first-year players for next few classes.

2013: Quarterback Vinny Testaverde, offensive linemen Larry Allen and Jonathan Ogden, defensive tackle Warren Sapp, defensive end Michael Strahan.

2014: Running back Shaun Alexander, receiver Marvin Harrison, linebacker Derrick Brooks, safety Rodney Harrison and coaches Tony Dungy, Jon Gruden and Mike Holmgren -- if they don't return to sideline work.

2015: Quarterback Kurt Warner, receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt, tackles Orlando Pace and Walter Jones and linebacker Junior Seau.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Some halftime thoughts from Gillette Stadium, where the New England Patriots lead the New York Jets 24-3:

• My prevailing thought is the Jets are getting embarrassed on national television. My secondary thought is the Patriots' defense is playing way above its track record in almost every way.
• BenJarvus Green-Ellis scored from 1 yard out to give the Patriots a 10-0 lead. It was his 10th touchdown, the first Patriots running back with that many since Corey Dillon in 2006.
• Tom Brady's stat line: 10-of-16 for 152 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. But the Jets have sacked him three times.
• Mark Sanchez's stat line: 8-of-18 for 77 yards and zero touchdowns with no interceptions.
• ESPN Stats & Information credited the Patriots with 84 receiving yards after the catch.
• The Patriots led 17-0 with 61 seconds still left in the first quarter. It was a total team effort to get into that hole: shoddy coaching (wasted challenge on the Jets' first possession, 53-yard field-goal attempt), shoddy offense (Sanchez's passes were scattershot), shoddy defense (poor tackling) and shoddy special teams (Nick Folk's miss and a 12-yard Steve Weatherford punt).
• You have to wonder if Rex Ryan was a little too geared up at the start of the game. He was overly aggressive when unsuccessfully challenging a spot and then trying to kick the 53-yard field goal in cold and windy conditions. The Jets weren't effectively able to flip the field the rest of the half.
• The Jets worked out Kris Brown last week, but opted to stick with Folk. Can't help but recall how reliable Jay Feely was in bad weather last year.
• The Jets have gone eight straight first quarters without a touchdown.
• The Jets surrendered 10 points and 163 yards to the Cincinnati Bengals in their previous game. In the first quarter against the Patriots, the Jets gave up 17 points and 105 yards.

Notable players: QB Tom Brady, RB Corey Dillon, WR Deion Branch, WR/DB Troy Brown, TE Daniel Graham, T Matt Light, DE Richard Seymour, OLB Willie McGinest, OLB Mike Vrabel, ILB Tedy Bruschi, CB Ty Law, CB Asante Samuel, S Rodney Harrison, K Adam Vinatieri, ST Larry Izzo.

Analysis: The New England Patriots are the only AFC East club with three championship seasons to consider, and one could argue with conviction their best team didn't win the Super Bowl.

But 2004 stands apart. The Patriots claimed their third Vince Lombardi Trophy in four seasons to establish themselves as one of the all-time great teams. Brady and head coach Bill Belichick ensured their place in Canton.

The Patriots picked up where they left off after winning Super Bowl XXXVIII the year before. They increased their win streak to an NFL record 21 games. They ranked fourth in scoring and second in points allowed. They lost two games all season, Week 8 at the Pittsburgh Steelers and Week 15 at the Miami Dolphins.

After beating the Indianapolis Colts for the second time and holding Peyton Manning's offense to three points in the divisional round of the playoffs, the Patriots scored 41 points to avenge their defeat in Pittsburgh.

In Super Bowl XXXIX, the Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles more comfortably than the 24-21 score indicates. Adam Vinatieri didn't need to drill a field goal in the closing seconds for a change.

Most impressive win: The Patriots never were more dominant than they were in Week 10 against the Buffalo Bills, a borderline playoff team that won three out of four heading into Gillette Stadium and six straight afterward. The Patriots rolled up a season-high 428 offensive yards and limited the Bills to 125 yards to win 29-6.

What can Brown do for you? Pretty much whatever you could ask of him. Brown caught only 15 passes in the regular season, but in Week 9 against the St. Louis Rams, he entered the game as an emergency defensive back when Samuel went down with an injury. Brown finished the season with three interceptions (one shy of the team lead) and broke the Super Bowl record for punt returns.

Honorable mention

2007: It's the greatest NFL team not to win the championship. Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker rewrote a good chunk of the offensive record book, but the Patriots fell short of finishing the season undefeated, losing in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.

2001: New England won its first championship with an offense that ranked sixth in scoring and a defense that ranked sixth in points allowed. Belichick's controversial decision to stick with Brady when Drew Bledsoe returned to health created a superstar.

2003: New England went 14-2 to win its second title in three years. The offense was pretty mediocre, but the defense posted three shutouts, gave up six points or fewer five times and averaged 11.9 points against over the final 10 weeks of the regular season.

1976: Patriots fans thought a storybook season was unfolding in the bicentennial. Steve Grogan and Sam Cunningham led the Pats to an 11-3 record, but a controversial late-hit call helped them lose to the Oakland Raiders in the playoffs.

The "NFL Live" gang takes a look at how the New York Jets will cope with all of the iffy characters they've added to their roster in the past six months.

The latest is receiver Santonio Holmes, already suspended the first four games because of substance-abuse problems.

The Jets also have taken chances on receiver Braylon Edwards and cornerback Antonio Cromartie, players who also were dumped by previous employers weary of recurring troubles.

ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi suggested similarities with what his New England Patriots navigated.

"The players will welcome them in because these are quality football players, and they will help them win football games," Bruschi said. "But I think a message has to be sent.

"We had players in New England also come in these situations -- Corey Dillon, Randy Moss -- and we just made sure 'Hey, we don't care what you did in the past. You'll be judged by what you do from this point on,' and if the New York Jets can get all of these characters on the same page, they're going to be making a serious one-year run for a championship."

Bruschi explained his usage of the phrase "one-year run." He was referring to the fact so many notable players, including Edwards, Holmes and Cromartie, have one year left on their contracts.

The Jets don't have to worry about a salary cap in 2010, but they almost certainly must bid farewell to some big names to be in compliance under the next collective bargaining agreement.

"This may be a do-or-die year for the New York Jets," Bruschi said. "They're loading up pretty good."

The New England Patriots have revealed their all-decade team. The players were chosen Monday by the Patriots' Hall of Fame Nomination Committee.

Offense

Quarterback: Tom Brady

Running back: Corey Dillon

Receivers: Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Troy Brown

Tight end: Daniel Graham

Center: Dan Koppen

Guards: Logan Mankins, Joe Andruzzi

Tackles: Matt Light, Nick Kaczur

Defense

Nose tackle: Vince Wilfork

Defensive ends: Richard Seymour, Ty Warren

Outside linebackers: Willie McGinest, Mike Vrabel

Inside linebackers: Tedy Bruschi, Roman Phifer

Cornerbacks: Ty Law, Asante Samuel

Safeties: Rodney Harrison, Lawyer Milloy

Special teams

Kicker: Adam Vinatieri

Punter: Josh Miller

Kick returner: Kevin Faulk

Coverage: Larry Izzo

	Kirby Lee/Image of Sport/US Presswire; Christopher Hanewinckel/US Presswire
	Who would you rather have running your team: Bill Polian or Bill Belichick?

The running debate every time the New England Patriots play the Indianapolis Colts centers on the two great quarterbacks of this generation and which one you'd rather have to run your offense.

But what about the bigger picture?

Sunday's game in Lucas Oil Stadium also will be a rematch of organizational masterminds bound for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick and Colts president Bill Polian are among the all-time best franchise managers.

If given a choice between the two, which would you rather have running your club?

Here are some notes to help you decide:

Bill Belichick

• 15 seasons as head coach (Cleveland Browns, Patriots)
• Regular-season record: 159-92 (.633)
• Regular-season record minus start-up seasons: 148-71 (.676)
• Playoff record: 27-12 (.692)
• Four Super Bowls (not counting three as New York Giants and Patriots defensive coordinator)
• Three championships (not counting two as Giants defensive coordinator)
• Five division titles
• Key moves: Opted to stick with Tom Brady over Drew Bledsoe. ... Traded for Corey Dillon, Randy Moss and Wes Welker. ... First-round draft picks include defensive lineman Richard Seymour, defensive end Ty Warren, nose tackle Vince Wilfork, guard Logan Mankins, running back Laurence Maroney, safety Brandon Meriweather and linebacker Jerod Mayo. ... Has replaced numerous coordinators in New England.

Bill Polian

• 22 seasons as general manager or president (Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Colts)
• Regular-season record: 222-137 (.618)
• Regular-season record minus start-up seasons: 207-89 (.699)
• Playoff record: 16-14 (.533)
• Four Super Bowls
• One championship
• 11 division titles
• Key moves: Hired head coaches Marv Levy in Buffalo and Tony Dungy in Indianapolis. ... Drafted Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas in the second round. ... Traded for Cornelius Bennett. ... Drafted quarterback Peyton Manning first overall, wide receiver Reggie Wayne, defensive end Dwight Freeney and safety Bob Sanders.

CANTON, Ohio -- The Buffalo Bills of the 1990s, those woebegone losers of four straight Super Bowls, are forming a squadron of Pro Football Hall of Famers.

	Ron Vesely/Getty Images
	Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas are two of five Bills from the 1990s who are Hall of Famers.

Defensive end Bruce Smith will be inducted Saturday night, giving those Super Bowl teams five representatives so far. Previously minted were quarterback Jim Kelly, running back Thurman Thomas, receiver James Lofton and head coach Marv Levy.

Wide receiver Andre Reed likely will join them (after a long wait). With enough support, special-teams stalwart Steve Tasker eventually could get in, too.

"It really shows you that people understand what we did, what we accomplished," Kelly said Friday at the McKinley Hotel. "What we accomplished is amazing."

Compare that haul with other clubs that won multiple Super Bowls. The Pittsburgh Steelers won four in the 1970s and have sent 10, and some critics say that's too many.

In January, I noted how relatively few players from the New England Patriots' three championship squads will get in. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are locks. Who's a shoo-in after that?

Rodney Harrison's candidacy will be debated. He was a great player, but only six-full time safeties ever have made it into Canton. Maybe Corey Dillon, Richard Seymour or Ty Law has an outside shot. Adam Vinatieri's heroics might not be enough. Only one kicker, Jan Stenerud, has been inducted.

No matter how much Patriot Nation loves Tedy Bruschi, he's not getting in.

Randy Moss and Junior Seau will get inducted, but they didn't play on any of New England's title teams.

"There's so much emphasis on winning Super Bowls, but it's what it takes to get there, too," Kelly said. "Sure, it's easy for me to say that because I didn't win one, but we didn't take the easy road. We took the long road many times, including the Comeback Game when Frank [Reich] was quarterback.

"There's no doubt more people are admiring what we accomplished during those days. They start really saying 'Wow' that we were able to get back there, especially since we lost. It would have been easy for us to not quite work as hard next time, to say 'Maybe it wasn't meant to be' after the second year and then the third year and then being able to do it four years in a row. Sometimes it amazes myself that we were able to keep together and pull together.

"For us, just getting over that one hump ... People talk about the dynasty of the Patriots," Kelly said. "Remember, they won two Super Bowls by a last-second kick. If we had one go through, who knows what would have happened?"

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

This notion might strike you as ridiculous, but it's legit.

The Buffalo Bills, who went to four straight Super Bowls but didn't win any, probably will send four times as many players to the Pro Football Hall of Fame than the three-time champion New England Patriots will.

	Tom Hauck/Getty Images
	Tom Brady may be the only Hall of Famer from the Patriots' Super Bowl champion teams.

Since we're in Hall of Fame speculation season, and two players from those Buffalo teams are finalists on this year's ballot, I began to wonder: What is a reasonable number of honorees from a team that didn't win a league championship?

Already in are quarterback Jim Kelly and running back Thurman Thomas. Defensive end Bruce Smith and receiver Andre Reed are among this year's finalists. Smith should get in on his first try. Reed likely will have to wait a few more years.

That makes at least four players from a team that didn't win a Super Bowl -- five if you count James Lofton, who played on three of Buffalo's four Super Bowl teams, but established his career with the Green Bay Packers.

And that led to another thought.

Fair or not, the three-time champion Patriots might send only one player to Canton.

Tom Brady is the only guaranteed Hall of Famer to play on all three title teams.

Perhaps cases can be made for Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour or cornerback Ty Law, but each would be a stretch. Only one kicker is in the Hall of Fame, so don't count on Adam Vinatieri making the cut.

"The Bills may have more Hall of Famers than the three-time champion Patriots," ESPN's John Clayton said. "It is what it is."

Clayton, who in 2007 was inducted into the Hall of Fame's media wing, sits on the Hall's prestigious Board of Selectors.

Clayton said running back Corey Dillon might have the stats to get in (top 17 in rushing yards and touchdowns), but Dillon played in only one of New England's Super Bowls. Clayton dismissed the idea Rodney Harrison would gain favor because only six full-time safeties have been enshrined.

Wide receiver Randy Moss and linebacker Junior Seau will make it, but they didn't play on any of New England's title squads and built the bulk of their credentials with other clubs.

"People make the argument that a player was the best at his position," Clayton said. "There are 13 positions and only five players get selected every year [not counting the two senior committee selections]. So what?

"There's so much competition for so few spaces."