ESPN

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- On the same day that Patriots center Dan Koppen emerged from the trainer's room to chat with the media about his season-ending leg injury, quarterback Tom Brady spent a lot of time Wednesday chatting about the importance of the quarterback-center exchange.

Brady offered high praise for backup center Dan Connolly, who has stepped in for Koppen and handled those duties without incident since Koppen went down late in the first half of a Week 1 win in Miami.

"The center, for the quarterback, obviously there's nobody that we rely on more than those guys," said Brady. "Not only for the execution of the snap, but also the calls and the communication between the quarterback and the offensive line, and the offensive line and the quarterback. A lot of what we do depends on us all being on the same page. How quickly we can get the calls, relay them to one another, then, in the same amount of time, be able to snap the ball. That’s hugely important to the execution of the offense.

"Coach always says that Foxborough High School can execute the snap, and you see us in training camp running laps around the field because we’ll fumble a snap on occasion. Fortunately, [Connolly’s] been here and he’s worked at center. He really stepped into his role, kinda called to duty when [Koppen] went down. It's really been a good spot for him. We all have a lot of confidence in him and he's just gotten better.”

Brady said a fumbled snap, even one the quarterback is able to simply fall on, might not seem like the end of the world, but he noted that every play is precious in this league.

“It’s frustrating," said Brady. "You lose one or two plays in a game, they’re critical plays. Every play is critical. You only get 60-70 plays per game, so to give away one, without the defense really having to do anything, it’s tough. I think that [Connolly has] worked hard at it over the years, he’s always put himself in position to take advantage of the opportunity."

Patriots coach Bill Belichick and personnel director Nick Caserio suggested during conference calls with the media Tuesday that their process of evaluating potential additions to the offensive line won't change this week even as the team deals with the likelihood that center Dan Koppen will be sidelined for an extended stretch.

Koppen suffered a fracture in his left ankle during Monday night's 38-24 win over the Dolphins at Miami, according to a league source. He was expected to undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the full extent of the damage before a timetable for his return can be established.

But it's safe to say the Patriots likely will need to add an interior lineman moving forward.

Whether that comes from within the organization or with the acquisition of a veteran, a la Brian Waters, remains to be seen. As for filling Koppen's starting role, Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien heaped praise on the job Dan Connolly did in shuffling into that center role during Monday's Week 1 win over the Dolphins.

"Well, [Koppen is] a guy that's played a lot of football for us at a very important position," O'Brien said. "That’s not something that’s an easy thing to adjust to, but I do think that Dan Connolly went in there last night and performed pretty darn well for the situation he was put into. I'm confident in what he’s been able to do for us."

Connolly, who stepped in last season at right guard when Stephen Neal was injured, had been rotating at that spot on Monday night with Waters (an 11-year veteran signed last week to add depth on the interior line). Now Connolly likely will find himself back in the starting lineup in place of Koppen, especially after O'Brien noted the team made no offensive adjustments when Connolly took Koppen's place.

"With [Connolly], we didn’t adjust the game plan at all, we did the same things we did during the whole game," O'Brien said. "Like I said before, I thought he came in and did a good job ... the whole line played a very solid football game for us, and he was part of it."

Belichick noted that Caserio and the personnel staff are constantly evaluating the roster against what's available, especially early in the season when there are more bodies on the free-agent heap. The Patriots promoted Thomas Welch from the practice squad Monday for emergency depth (he was released on Tuesday, according to a source) with right tackle Sebastian Vollmer sidelined with a back injury (rookie Nate Solder started in his place).

"It's a continuous evaluation of personnel options," Belichick said. "If you feel there’s a way to improve your team, I think you consider it."

Added Caserio: "I would say that today is no different than any other day. We do research throughout the year, whether it's in the spring through training camp or the regular season. Our approach today is no different than any other week. We're going through business as normal."

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Patriots guard Dan Connolly spoke to reporters today for the first time since his 71-yard kickoff return on Dec. 19 against the Packers, after having missed nearly the last month with a concussion he suffered in the game.

Connolly said he did not suffer the concussion on the return, but declined to speak further on his injury, saying "I'm healthy now. I'm back to practice. I'm moving on."

Even though the return seemed spontaneous to most fans, Connolly said it's something the team has practiced before.

"It's something that I've been faced with, I'd say, three times this year, and once last year," Connolly explained. "We don't work on it that regularly, but we have worked on it before."

Still, Connolly said the return, the longest by an offensive lineman in NFL history, wasn't the result he expected.

"I just saw the ball, grabbed it -- I was planning on just getting what I could, but it ended up being a lot more than that," he said. "Nobody hit me.

"I think it gave the team the energy, and the spark we needed to get the game back in our favor," he continued.

Connolly was asked jokingly by a reporter if it was the best moment of his life.

"No, I'm not going to say that," Connolly said with a smile. "I'd say the birth of my first daughter was probably my best moment."

Even so, the improbable return became one of the most recognizable highlights of the Patriots' regular season, leading to increased notoriety for the sixth-year veteran.

"From friends and family, I've gotten a lot of emails, lot of text messages," he said. "I guess my name is noticed more. I get a little more fan mail now than ever before."

One key matchup to watch this week is on the offensive line. With Dan Connolly battling a concussion, Ryan Wendell or Quinn Ojinnaka could be making their first start. How will this impact the game?

Offensive lineman Dan Connolly's improbable 71-yard kickoff return (check out the highlight above) that set up a touchdown at the end of the first half was a hot topic at the Patriots’ postgame press conferences Sunday night. Here are a few of the comments:

* Coach Bill Belichick: “It was a good run. ... It kinda looked like he was looking to go down but then they just couldn’t find anybody to tackle him. ... It was an alert play by Dan but also by the blocking in front of him to at least get him started.”

* Running back Danny Woodhead: “He’s someone you wouldn’t expect to have the long return. We saw some shiftiness at the end of the run. It was a big play, it set us up to score at the end of the first half.”

* Quarterback Tom Brady: “That was the longest kickoff return ever and the longest [kickoff return]. I’ve never seen anything happen so slow in my life. It was an unbelievable play. I can never imagine anything like that is going to happen. That really was a big play in the game. ... heads up play [by Connolly], smart. They won’t be kicking to him anymore, I’ll tell you that.”

* Nose tackle Vince Wilfork: “He gets a game ball. I’m telling you that right now. To do what he did, he got us pumped. Just to see a big guy running down the field like that. Me, I would have had to take a time out and get subbed in or something.”

* Left tackle Matt Light: "I'll tell you what, Dan Connolly right now probably has the greatest return average in the National Football League. That was incredible, a heck of an effort. I couldn't believe it when I was watching it, to be honest."

* Outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain: "He was like Gale Sayers out there. A much bigger version."

And here's the reaction from Packers coach Mike McCarthy:

"When you kick the ball, you'd like to kick it to an offensive lineman. That should be a positive. We did a very poor job there tackling."

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots offensive lineman Dan Connolly was the only player not spotted at the start of Thursday's practice session at Gillette Stadium.

After not participating in Wednesday's session, Connolly was not present at the portion viewed by media Thursday, which featured stretching on the game field.

If Connolly is unable play, he leaves a void as a backup interior lineman, a short-yardage fullback, and as part of the kickoff return. One option the Patriots might explore for his fullback duties is using second-year lineman Ryan Wendell, who was signed to the active roster on Dec. 31.

(Update: The afternoon participation report confirms Connolly did not participate in the session. All other players participated fully in the session).

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker and offensive lineman Dan Connolly were absent from the portion of the Wednesday's practice viewed by the media, which included stretching and agility drills.

The Patriots did boast a pair of new faces amongst the receiving corps in rookie Nick Moore (wearing No. 17) and Robert Ortiz (wearing No. 14). This is Ortiz's third stint with the Patriots, his last visit ending with him being a late preseason cut earlier this year. Ortiz entered the league with as an undrafted free agent in 2006.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick indicated formal roster moves would be announced later today, but it's possible the moves will include Welker and practice squad wide receiver Darnell Jenkins, who was not spotted participating in drills Wednesday.

Connolly hurt his ankle in the first half of Sunday's loss to the Texans. If he's unable to play, it could thrust rookie Rich Ohrnberger into the role as top interior backup.

In recapping the Patriots' 22-21 loss to the Dolphins, a few special teams changes were notable because of the ever-evolving makeup of the team's roster:

1. Starting inside linebacker Jerod Mayo, who was part of every defensive package and thus played every snap, was taken off the punt coverage team. Rob Ninkovich took his spot.

2. The alignment of the kickoff return unit was tweaked by adding running back Sammy Morris to the front line and leaving two players in the wedge (Chris Baker, Dan Connolly) instead of three. The changes once again didn't produce the desired result, as the unit averaged only 19.8 yards per return.

3. With core special-teamer Bret Lockett inactive with a groin injury, first-year cornerback Kyle Arrington filled his role as gunner on the punt coverage team.

4. Rich Ohrnberger stepped in for the injured Stephen Neal (ankle) on the field-goal protection unit.

A look at snaps played by Patriots offensive skill-position players in the team’s 31-14 win over the Jets:

WR Randy Moss – 76 of 83 snaps
WR Wes Welker – 64 of 83
TE Chris Baker – 57 of 83
TE Benjamin Watson – 56 of 83
RB Kevin Faulk – 39 of 83
RB Laurence Maroney – 37 of 83
WR Julian Edelman – 28 of 83
WR Isaiah Stanback – 23 of 83
RB/FB BenJarvus Green-Ellis – 20 of 83
FB Dan Connolly – 5 of 83
WR Matthew Slater – 5 of 83
TE Mark LeVoir – 3 of 83

(snaps include an offensive holding penalty, defensive holding penalty, offensive pass interference penalty and two delay of game penalties)

ANALYSIS: The 83 snaps tied a season-high for a game (vs. Falcons) and reflected the decisive time of possession advantage the Patriots had (39:54-20:06). … Maroney’s 37 snaps were a season-high. His 23 carries were the third highest total of his career (including playoffs) as his hard running – and the fact he seemed to be get stronger later in the game -- was a big part of the win. … Edelman’s playtime spiked from last week (5 snaps vs. Colts) as he was part of three- and four-receiver sets. … One of the interesting parts of the game was how Connolly started at right guard then moved to fullback on the start of the second series of the game before returning to guard. … Green-Ellis lined up as a lead-blocking fullback, running back, and in the shotgun in a two-back set. … Slater was the lone receiver in a power set with two tight ends and lead-blocking fullback.

FOXBOROUGH -- The Patriots are holding their Friday practice inside Gillette Stadium, and offensive guard Stephen Neal was not present for the media-access portion of the session.

Neal was knocked out of last Sunday's loss to the Colts with a head injury. He has not taken part in any practices since.

If Neal can not play Sunday against the Jets, his starting right guard spot would most likely be filled by four-year veteran Dan Connolly. It also would likely result in rookie Rich Ohrnberger -- a center/guard -- being active for the first time this season as the top interior backup.

The Jets blitz more than any team in the NFL, so pass protection and overall rhythm in the passing game will be key for the Patriots. Neal's status ties into that, and will be something to monitor leading up to kickoff.

Linebacker Rob Ninkovich (sprained knee) and running back Fred Taylor (right ankle) were the other players not spotted at the media-access portion of Friday's practice. With defensive lineman Jarvis Green at practice for the first time since undergoing knee surgery during the team's bye week, it is a sign that he is close to a return. Outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain (rib, groin) was also on the field for the first time since being knocked out of Sunday's loss to the Colts.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Since joining the Patriots as a member of their practice squad Sept. 12, 2007, offensive lineman Dan Connolly hasn't experienced a media rush like he did Thursday at Gillette Stadium.

With starting center Dan Koppen sidelined with a knee injury, 27-year-old Connolly is in line to make his first career NFL start Sunday night against the 8-0 Colts.

Connolly was asked his thoughts on emerging after working two-plus years behind the scenes, and how challenging it was for him to remain positive in that time.

"At this position, I think it takes a lot of development, it takes a few years to learn the system and to be groomed," he said. "It's a little difficult, but it's just the way it goes for our position. You just keeping working hard to finally one day get there."

For those unfamiliar with soft-spoken Connolly, some quick hits on his career and background:

1) Played in college at Southeast Missouri State, where he was an offensive tackle.

2) Hometown is St. Louis, and he attended Marquette High in Chesterfield, Mo.

3) Originally signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a rookie free agent in 2005. Appeared in five games as a rookie, playing on special teams, before missing the 2006 season with a finger injury. Was released by the Jaguars after the 2007 preseason.

4) Was on the Patriots' practice squad for all of 2007, split time between the practice squad and active roster in 2008, and made the team coming out of 2009 training camp.

5) Off the field, he enjoys cooking in his free time. His brother Patrick was the chef de cuisine at Radius, a French restaurant in Boston.

A look at the Patriots' game-ball winners from last Sunday's 27-17 victory over the Dolphins:

Tully Banta-Cain -- Outside linebacker is credited by in-game statisticians with three quarterback hits and nine tackles (one for a loss), as he is on the field for every defensive play.

Dan Connolly -- Top reserve center/guard fills in after starting center Dan Koppen leaves the game with a knee injury in the second quarter, and the offense doesn't miss a beat.

Stephen Gostkowski -- Kicker is 4 for 4 on field goal attempts, with two crucial touchbacks on kickoffs, one of which comes from the 30-yard line after a penalty.

Laurence Maroney -- Running back generates positive momentum with 82 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.

Jerod Mayo -- Inside linebacker is part of every personnel package and totals a team-high 12 tackles (one for a loss) and one quarterback hit.

Randy Moss -- Receiver finishes with six catches for 147 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 powerful stiff-arm.

Vince Wilfork -- Nose tackle shows his unselfishness and versatility by moving to right defensive end to match up against left tackle Jake Long, the first player chosen in the 2008 draft.