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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was on ESPN's "Mike and Mike" radio show Friday morning. Probably the most interesting comment from Belichick was about his quarterback -- Tom Brady -- and the comparison with the Indianapolis Colts, who are this week's opponent.

Belichick said there is no quarterback he'd rather have besides Brady. But Belichick also added he's proud "that without Tom Brady we still won 11 games in 2008. We have a program here."

Is Belichick suggesting the Colts do not have a program without quarterback Peyton Manning?

If so, I would agree with Belichick's subtle swipe at Indianapolis. It's clearly evident, as the Colts (0-11) haven't won a game without Manning under center. Indianapolis is a mess and was exposed without having a dominant quarterback.

Some think the Patriots would be in the same boat this season without Brady. There's no way of knowing that for sure unless Brady were injured. But the one time that's happened for a long period was in 2008, which Belichick referenced, and New England went 11-5 with former backup quarterback Matt Cassel.

I doubt New England would go 11-5 this season without Brady, but the Patriots wouldn't be 0-11, either.

It's interesting that Belichick tooted his own horn for something that happened three years ago. I'm sure New England's head coach is hopeful he doesn't have to put that "program" theory to the test again any time soon.

Don't be greedy, Miami Dolphins.

Let one of the playoff contenders with injured quarterbacks claim Kyle Orton and the $2.5 million remaining on his contract.

The Dolphins may have been interested in Orton at one time before the season. But they certainly don't need Orton now. Orton can't get Miami to the playoffs and Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore is doing just fine in the starting role.

Moore has won three straight games for the Dolphins and posted the highest Total Quarterback Rating in the NFL last week. You can't bench a player who is performing that well.

Therefore, if Orton can't start for the 3-7 Dolphins, there's no point in claiming him. Teams like the Chicago Bears (7-3) and Houston Texans (7-3) would love to have Orton down the stretch. Quarterbacks Matt Schaub (foot) and Jay Cutler (thumb) are out indefinitely for Houston and Chicago, respectively. Even the Kansas City Chiefs (4-6), without starting quarterback Matt Cassel (hand), could use Orton with still an outside chance of making a run at the AFC West division.

Because of record, Miami has waiver priority over all these teams. But the Dolphins making such a move would be out of greed, not need. That wouldn't be wise.

The AFC East is virtually in the bag for the New England Patriots. New England improved to 7-3 with an easy, 34-3, victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on "Monday Night Football."

New England now owns a two-game lead over the Buffalo Bills (5-5) and essentially a three-game lead over the New York Jets (5-5) after sweeping "Gang Green" this season. There's nothing to suggest the Bills or Jets, who are both struggling, can make up that deficit this late in the season.

The only question remaining for the Patriots is can they secure home-field advantage? New England is tied with the Baltimore Ravens (7-3), Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3) and Houston Texans (7-3) for the best record in the AFC. New England also has the easiest remaining schedule. The Patriots' final six opponents do not have winning records.

Texans starting quarterback Matt Schaub (foot) is lost for the season. Houston will likely be out of the running for the No. 1 seed.

New England's biggest competition is Pittsburgh and Baltimore. But the Ravens play the 9-1 San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving, in addition to a road game against the Cincinnati Bengals (6-4). The Steelers also play the Bengals and 49ers.

Pittsburgh holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over New England and would get the top seed if the Steelers win the AFC North and have a similar record. But, barring injury, the Patriots appears to be a lock for at least the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the AFC.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Here are five nuggets of knowledge about Week 11:

Prime-time Patriots: The New England Patriots will play their second prime-time game in a row and third this season. That's good news, because New England has stepped up this season when the spotlight is at its brightest. The Patriots are 2-0 in prime-time games and both were won in impressive fashion. New England outscored the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins in night games by a combined score of 75-40. The Patriots also will be heavy favorites at home against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.

Pressuring Palko: Look for New England to do some heavy blitzing this week. Kansas City will start little-known backup quarterback Tyler Palko because of a hand injury to Matt Cassel. Palko has thrown just 13 career passes. The Patriots are ranked last in the NFL in total defense, but played a great game last week against the Jets. New England registered a season-high five sacks against New York. Starting defensive end Andre Carter had 4.5 of those sacks. The Chiefs were 27th in passing when Cassel was healthy. Don't expect it to get much better with Palko.

Gut check for Buffalo: The Buffalo Bills are falling out of the playoff race and running out of time. Buffalo is fortunate for its fast start. The Bills remain in the AFC East and wild-card race despite being 2-4 in their past six games. But Buffalo cannot afford to continue its slide and has a huge gut-check game Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. If the Bills (5-4) can't beat the 2-7 Dolphins, they're clearly not a playoff team this season.

Dolphins getting defensive: Last year's sixth-ranked defense finally showed up to play in the 2011 season. Miami’s defense has been lights out the past two weeks, allowing just six points per game in that span. Miami hasn't allowed a touchdown since Oct. 30. The Dolphins’ defense has gradually climbed up the rankings and is now at No. 20 in yards allowed. Miami also gets to face a Buffalo offense that has struggled as of late.

Wild-card watch: The Bills and Jets will be watching several teams of interest this weekend. The biggest game involves the AFC North battle between the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) and Cincinnati Bengals (6-3). If the season ended today, those teams would be the two wild cards in the AFC. Baltimore owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over New York. The Bengals own the head-to-head advantage over the Bills. Also in the mix are the Tennessee Titans (5-4), who play on the road against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday.

Here are the most interesting stories Tuesday morning in the AFC East:

• The New England Patriots won't face Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel, who is out indefinitely with a hand injury.

Morning take: New England's easy schedule gets even easier with the struggling Chiefs missing their starting quarterback. Enter Tyler Palko at Gillette Stadium on "Monday Night Football." Oh boy.

• Karlos Dansby of the Miami Dolphins says he's the best linebacker in the NFL.

Morning take: Those are big words from Dansby. I disagree that he’s the NFL’s No. 1 linebacker but I think it’s good that he feels that way. More importantly, Dansby needs to continue to play that way and help Miami win games.

• Buffalo Bills center Eric Wood will be lost for the year with a torn ACL.

Morning take: This is a big blow to the Bills, who already have injuries on the offensive line. Wood was the quarterback in the trenches who worked well with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

• New York Jets safety Brodney Pool (knee) is not sure if he will be available to play on Thursday.

Morning take: Pool definitely could have helped New York’s pass defense last weekend against New England. He’s the team’s most athletic safety.

Coming into the season, the Buffalo Bills were not sure of their starting quarterback beyond the 2011 season.

But on Friday, Buffalo officially made its decision. The Bills signed quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to a six-year extension worth $59 million, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports. The contract guarantees Fitzpatrick $24 million.

Fitzpatrick is off to a good start for the surprising Bills (4-2). He has thrown for 1,477 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. That was enough to convince Buffalo's front office to make Fitzpatrick, 28, its long-term solution. The Bills had to make a decision before the end of the season. Fitzpatrick was due to become a free agent next year.

Fitzpatrick is worth more to the Bills than any other team. He fits Buffalo's spread offense well and has become a leader in the locker room. I like this signing for all those reasons.

But Buffalo also made a huge financial investment in Fitzpatrick, who remains somewhat unproven. He has never thrown for more than 3,000 yards.

The contract now puts Fitzpatrick in the second tier of quarterbacks, under eilte players like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Fitzpatrick will average nearly $10 million per season. There is pressure that comes with that.

Other quarterbacks, such as Kevin Kolb of the Arizona Cardinals and Matt Cassel of the Kansas City Chiefs, recently received similar deals. I would take Fitzpatrick over both of those players.

So far, Kolb and Cassel are proving they're not worth their approximate $10 million-per-year salaries. It will be up to Fitzpatrick to prove to the Bills he won't follow in those footsteps.

ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi discussed the importance of informal lockout practices for getting rookie quarterbacks ready to play in 2011.

Bruschi said New England Patriots rookie Ryan Mallett is in the best situation because he won't need to be ready to play on opening day and has time to learn the system from Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick.

"Mallett is going to have the best chance to succeed because he is going to get to sit, he's going to get to watch and he is going to get to learn," Bruschi said. "He's not going to have a lot of pressure on him. So he will just develop slowly, which I believe is what every quarterback should have."

"SportsCenter" host Linda Cohn compared Mallett's situation to that of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel, a seventh-round draft choice who watched for three years in New England before starting one season and striking it rich.

"You can’t underestimate the value of these young quarterbacks, to be able to sit there and look at a professional like a Peyton Manning or a Tom Brady, to see how they approach their craft," Bruschi said. "They learn. They process it all up here. And when their chance comes, that's when they can cash it all in."

Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett surely has a strong arm and can make all the throws. Still, the biggest criticism of his football skills is that draft analysts believe he will be a statue in the pocket.

The New England Patriots drafted Mallett in the third round, and you know who liked the pick?

A rifle-armed former Patriots quarterback who was a statue in the pocket.

"He's a big, strong-armed guy," Drew Bledsoe said Monday. "I've never met him, don't know much about him, but it sounds like he throws it pretty good. I've watched him play a little bit. We'll see how that plays out for them. But he seems to check the boxes, at least physically."

Bledsoe held a conference call to talk about his selection for the Patriots' Hall of Fame. He beat out former head coach Bill Parcells and AFL star defensive lineman Houston Antwine in an online fan vote. Bledsoe and AFL center Jon Morris, a senior committee selection, will comprise this year's induction class.

On the conference call, Bledsoe was asked for his thoughts on Mallett, who likely slid in the draft because of questions about his mobility and character. But few dispute Mallett's arm and preparedness for the NFL game.

Mallett will compete with Brian Hoyer to be Brady's top understudy. Brady became a star after a valuable developmental period under Bledsoe. When Brady went down with a knee injury in the 2008 season opener, the Patriots won 11 games with backup Matt Cassel.

"I think everybody recognizes that having a good backup quarterback is essential in this day and age," Bledsoe said. "Guys are still getting bigger, faster and stronger, and to rely on one guy to fill that very important position is a risky proposition.

"I think that was probably a wise move on their part. They saw value there in a talented guy who can come in and learn behind Tommy for years to come. ... That backup quarterback position is never important until it becomes the most important thing. That was probably a wise selection on their part to have a quality talent behind Tommy if he ever does get injured."

While working on a feature about Tom Modrak's draft record as Buffalo Bills vice president of college scouting, ESPN researcher John Fisher dug up some interesting data.

The Bills actually were the AFC East's most efficient club when it came to drafting starters since Modrak came aboard in 2002.

Several factors certainly play into that from team to team. Importance of the position, holes that allow for immediate contributions and reliance on free agents to fill out a roster all make a difference. So do the number of players drafted.

But, in general, I thought it was an interesting snapshot to share. Because the research was done to put Modrak's tenure in perspective, numbers are from 2002 through the present.

Buffalo Bills

First through third rounds: 28 players; 804 starts (15th)

Fourth through seventh rounds: 45 players; 417 starts (eighth)

Analysis: Among AFC East teams, only the New England Patriots generated more starts within the first three rounds. No other division opponent found more starts from the fourth round and beyond. The Bills have whiffed badly on some early picks, as noted in Thursday's story about Modrak. But they have done well in locating solid help in the later rounds, namely 1,000-yard receiver Steve Johnson (seventh round), Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kyle Williams (fifth round) and top cornerback and Pro Bowl kick returner Terrence McGee (fourth round).

Miami Dolphins

First through third rounds: 25 players; 599 starts (31st)

Fourth through seventh rounds: 43 players; 333 starts (16th)

Analysis: The Dolphins have done well with their recent first-round picks. Although receiver Ted Ginn with the ninth pick in 2007 was controversial, they found keepers with tackles Jake Long and Vernon Carey and running back Ronnie Brown. But the second and third rounds have been a wasteland: quarterbacks John Beck and Pat White, running back Lorenzo Booker, receivers Patrick Turner and Derek Hagan, linebacker Eddie Moore. Miami's best later-round pickups since 2002 have been franchise-tagged nose tackle Paul Soliai (fourth round), Pro Bowl safety Yeremiah Bell (sixth round) and tight end Randy McMichael (fourth round).

New England Patriots

First through third rounds: 31 players; 823 starts (12th)

Fourth through seventh rounds: 50 players; 379 starts (11th)

Analysis: The Patriots have found their share of gems in the later rounds, including four eventual Pro Bowlers. They picked up cornerback Asante Samuel and kicker Stephen Gostkowski in the fourth round, center Dan Koppen in the fifth and quarterback Matt Cassel in the seventh. They've also done incredibly well with their first-round selections. Five of their past six first-rounders have gone to the Pro Bowl. Where the Patriots have been shaky is in the second and third rounds. They've gotten receiver Deion Branch, tight end Rob Gronkowski, tackle Sebastian Vollmer and safety Patrick Chung there, for instance, but they've also misfired with quarterback Kevin O'Connell, receivers Chad Jackson and Bethel Johnson and cornerback Terrence Wheatley.

New York Jets

First through third rounds: 24 players; 766 starts (19th)

Fourth through seventh rounds: 32 players; 314 starts (18th)

Analysis: The Jets' start totals look worse because they haven't drafted as many players as the other AFC East teams. Their early round players average 32 starts, about 5 1/2 more than the Patriots. But the team that accumulated the most starts here -- the Jacksonville Jaguars with 1,172 -- averaged an extraordinary 43 per player. The Jets obviously failed with 2008 sixth overall pick Vernon Gholston and 2003 fourth overall pick Dewayne Robertson, but they've generally identified quality players inside the first three rounds, including All-Pros Nick Mangold and Darrelle Revis and franchise quarterback Mark Sanchez.

The New England Patriots have the reigning league MVP and unanimous All-Pro selection at quarterback.

Do they need to find his replacement?

Boston Herald reporter Ian R. Rapoport has been exploring that question the past couple days and trying to determine what Bill Belichick has in mind for a Tom Brady exit plan.

The Patriots' recent visits with Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett and Washington quarterback Jake Locker have stimulated speculation. Brady will be 34 years old before the next season begins.

The Patriots have the flexibility to draft a quarterback because they own two picks in each of the first three rounds.

"You have a constant vigil to try to maintain continuity at that position because it is the premier position," Bill Parcells said. "It's vital. [Peyton Manning and Brady] seem to be very durable players.

"But anytime you get into your mid-30s, you have to start thinking about it because you go out there one Sunday and it can be over pretty quickly."

Belichick told Rapoport that interviewing quarterbacks is part of pre-draft research.

"You need to know the whole board," Belichick said. "That's part of what has helped us in making trades and maneuvering on draft day, understanding what we think is the value on the board as it relates to us and our perception of what it is in the league. It's just doing your homework."

Some might say it's still too soon to draft Brady's eventual replacement. He's at the top of his game, just signed a monster contract extension and can play another five years.

"The time is right if there’s the right talent," former 49ers president Carmen Policy said. "Now's the time to start watching and looking for it. I don't care how good a player he is. The older you get, the more subject you are to injury. So it's time."

The Patriots could use a premium draft asset on a quarterback, invest years in his development and never have the chance to use him before he becomes a free agent. Of course, the Patriots could use him as insurance for a few years and then trade him like they did with Matt Cassel.

ESPN "First Take" resident disputant Skip Bayless and Chris Broussard discuss whether New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick deserved to win the Associated Press 2010 Coach of the Year Award -- and who might've been snubbed.

Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then ...

One of the all-time great lyrics was a Bob Seger throwaway line to fill some space in "Against the Wind." But the plaintive sentiment applies to all areas of life and even can relate to the NFL draft.

With knowledge of how the 2005 draft class has turned out, ESPN draft monger Mel Kiper looked back to see how the order should have gone.

The piece is exclusive to ESPN Insider members, but I'll share the AFC East entries. The Buffalo Bills and New York Jets didn't have first-round picks that year.

These are the picks Kiper claims should have been made, with the slot the player actually was taken in parentheses.

By the looks of things, the New England Patriots got tremendous value that year.

• No. 2 Miami Dolphins: DeMarcus Ware, outside linebacker (11th to the Dallas Cowboys).
• No. 7 Minnesota Vikings: Matt Cassel, quarterback (230th to the Patriots).
• No. 10 Detroit Lions: Ronnie Brown, running back (second to the Dolphins).
• No. 19 St. Louis Rams: Logan Mankins (32nd to the Patriots).
• No. 20 Dallas Cowboys: Cameron Wake, outside linebacker (undrafted).
• No. 32 New England Patriots: Ron Bartell, cornerback (50th to the Rams).

Among the 13 players Kiper listed as "close calls" for the first round were Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (250th to the Rams) and Jets safety Jim Leonhard (undrafted).

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady clearly was the NFL's most valuable player.

Brady was the best player on the team with the most wins. He threw an NFL-high 36 touchdown passes, an NFL-low four interceptions and posted a 111.0 passer rating with a collection of players few knew entering the season. He broke records for turnover efficiency.

There really should be no debate.

Right?

In an ESPN Insider column, game analyst KC Joyner makes an interesting case . He considers Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger worthy of discussion.

Joyner points out Brady and Roethlisberger compare well in yardage statistics. On passes that traveled 10 yards in the air or shorter, Roethlisberger was a half-yard better on average. On throws that traveled 11 yards or longer, Roethlisberger was only two-tenths of a yard behind Brady.

Brady was better in Joyner's "bad decision percentage," which looks at turnovers or near turnovers such as dropped interceptions. Over the course of the season, Joyner explains, Roethlisberger averaged one more mistake than Brady every four or five games. Not a huge deal.

What has Joyner most impressed is the type of offense each quarterback runs. He notes 70.7 percent of Brady's throws were 10 yards or shorter, an even higher rate than Matt Cassel had (65.3 percent) in his replacement season of 2008.

Roethlisberger threw just 55.9 percent of his passes in the 10 yards or shorter category.

That shows the Steelers operate an offense that takes more chances and should lead to a lower completion percentage and more mistakes than the dink-and-dunk Patriots.

Over a decade of dominance, we can look back on several pivotal New England Patriots moments and wonder "What if?"

What if Bill Belichick hadn't walked away from the New York Jets? What if the Patriots hadn't taken a late-round flier on Tom Brady? What if Eli Manning hadn't spun his way out of traffic before throwing to David Tyree?

Then there's the Tuck Rule.

What if Brady's incomplete pass had been ruled a fumble?

The Patriots almost certainly would have lost to the Oakland Raiders in the playoffs and would not have won their first Super Bowl. And without that first championship, maybe the course of history is changed throughout the 2000s.

It's something to think about. Mike Pereira is one man has continued to mull the Tuck Rule in the years since. The NFL's former director of officiating has come out against the rule that states when a quarterback in the act of passing and loses the ball while making any forward hand motion -- even while bringing the ball to his body -- it's considered a pass attempt.

Pereira, an officiating analyst for Fox Sports, was compelled to write about the Tuck Rule in his weekly column (via Toni Monkovic of "The Fifth Down Blog" at NYTimes.com).

Pereira watched Brady's former backup, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel, benefit from the Tuck Rule against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. A video review overturned an apparent Ravens fumble recovery.

Pereira wrote:

This was clearly a correct reversal, but is it time to look at this rule because Cassel was not attempting to pass the ball when it came loose. By instinct, referee Mike Carey ruled this a fumble because that's what it appeared to be.

I think it's time to change this rule. A pass should only be ruled incomplete if the ball comes loose in the actual act of passing the ball. If it comes loose in the tucking motion, then it should be a fumble.

I would support a rule change, although it took me a long time to get to this point. I'm sure it's no consolation to the many Raiders fans around the country.

And I'm sure if the rule ever does get changed the Patriots would hand back their first Lombardi Trophy.

What do you think would have happened with the Patriots had they not caught that break in January 2002?

I realize there's one game remaining on the schedule.

After four months of football, Week 17 shouldn't determine the year's best.

Many of the top teams will bench their players for significant portions -- if not all -- of the regular-season finales. There's a reason smart fantasy leagues held their Super Bowls last week.

So with that in mind and 2010 about to expire, here's my ballot for the Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers Association annual awards:

Overall NFL MVP: Tom Brady, Patriots quarterback. He's one of the greatest of all-time, and he's putting together one of the finest seasons of his career. You can argue he never has been better.

Offensive MVP: Tom Brady, Patriots quarterback. Some outlets will break up this award, listing different players for overall MVP and offensive or defensive MVP. In those instances, you'll probably see Brady for one and Michael Vick for the other. We don't do that here.

Defensive MVP: Julius Peppers, Bears defensive end. His sack numbers aren't inspiring, but his presence in Chicago's defense has forced other teams to game plan specifically to stop him, creating opportunities for teammates. He finished with eight sacks, three forced fumbles and 11 passes defensed. Nobody else among the top 85 sackers had more than eight passes defensed.

Coach of the Year: Bill Belichick, Patriots. The Patriots revamped their offense, traded Randy Moss and used several rookies on defense. And they own the NFL's best record.

Comeback Player of the Year: E.J. Henderson, Vikings linebacker. Vick will be a popular choice here, but I have two problems with choosing him over Henderson: 1) Vick's off-field actions are what removed him from the game to begin with; 2) Vick played last year. Henderson wasn't supposed to return at all from a broken femur in December 2009. He amassed over 100 tackles and three interceptions with a titanium rod in his leg.

Overall NFL Rookie of the Year: Sam Bradford, Rams quarterback. You can't dispute his impact on the Rams. Even if they don't go to the playoffs, Bradford has played like a seasoned veteran and posted respectable stats despite a raggedy receiver corps.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Sam Bradford, Rams quarterback. Same policy as noted above for offensive MVP.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Ndamukong Suh, Lions defensive tackle. Some think he should be considered overall defensive player of the year. He has been that dominant.

Most Improved Player of the Year: Cameron Wake, Dolphins outside linebacker. Two months after being publicly ridiculed by then-teammate Joey Porter for not being good enough to take reps away from the veteran pass-rusher, Wake leads the NFL with 14 sacks. Porter has five for the Cardinals.

Executive of the Year: Scott Pioli, Chiefs general manager. He assembled a collection of coaches and players that quickly turned the Chiefs into a formidable franchise.

Assistant Coach of the Year: Charlie Weis, Chiefs offensive coordinator. His offense ranks ninth overall and first in rushing. He has put quarterback Matt Cassel in situations that make him look like a star.