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FOXBOROUGH -- Welcome to Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots host the Rams today (Ch. 25, 1 p.m.).
Overnight rain has cleared and it is currently 55 degrees. It is a bit gray here, with clouds hovering over the stadium, but it doesn't appear as if elements will be much of a factor today. It is expected to be in the 60s and sunny by kickoff, with light to moderate winds.
Scott Green, No. 19 in your officiating program, is today's referee.
This is the Rams' first visit to Gillette Stadium since 2001.
The Patriots are 28-5 against NFC teams since 2001.
Katherine Doherty, of Dover, Mass., will sing today's national anthem.
The plan will be to file updates throughout the day.


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Video: Pre-game report

FOXBOROUGH -- The Globe's Mike Reiss previews the Patriots vs. Rams with a focus on the weather, injuries at running back, and the success St. Louis enjoyed last week with an unbalanced line.
Click on the player above to watch the video, or check out the written summary below.
Written summary:
Elements shouldn't be much of a factor today.
Ninety minutes before every game, there is a meeting with the officiating crew. At that time, both teams inform the officiating crew of their inactive players. This is topical today as both teams have injury questions at running back -- the Rams with Steven Jackson and the Patriots with Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan -- so that information should become available around noon.
From a tactical standpoint, the Rams had success last week with an unbalanced offensive line, scoring on a 56-yard run. The Patriots were beaten badly by an unbalanced line -- which takes place when an offensive tackle switches sides and lines up next to the other offensive tackle -- in their 38-13 loss to the Dolphins. An unbalanced line can be a challenge for a defense because it alters the gaps a defense must fill in the running game. Watch for left tackle Orlando Pace (76) and right tackle Alex Barron (70) today to see if the Rams go unbalanced to try to shake up the Patriots' front-seven on defense.



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AD on the D

FOXBOROUGH -- Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas talks about the defense following the Patriots' 23-16 win over the St. Louis Rams Sunday at Gillette Stadium.



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Belichick reaction

FOXBOROUGH -- Patriots coach Bill Belichick opened his post-game press conference with the following remarks:
"Like I told the team after the game, this is a good example of having to play 60 minutes, like we always have to do in this league. Those guys really stepped up and made some big plays there in the fourth quarter. I'm really proud of them. We had contributions from everybody. There's no way ... you can go down the line and name them all. A lot of guys stepped up. A lot of guys made big plays. At times, we were moving along OK. At other times we weren't. But in the end, they hung in there and just fought all the way and made the plays in the fourth quarter that we had to make to win. I'm proud of them for that. Now it's on to Indianapolis. We know what kind of test that will be. We'll enjoy this one for a while. I think St. Louis, Jim [Haslett] has done an awesome job with that football team in the last three weeks. They're tough and they play hard, and they're good in all three phases of the game. We had our hands full, just like we expected to today. It's just good to come out on top. It really is. It's good to come out on top."


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Final score: Patriots 23, Rams 16

The Patriots prevail over the Rams, 23-16.
Back with more throughout the evening.



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ONeal INT

Patriots cornerback Deltha O'Neal intercepted a Marc Bulger offering with 1:08 remaining in the game.
Facing 3rd and 15 from the New England 38, Bulger threw downfield towards Keenan Burton, but O'Neal made the pick and returned it 47 yards to the St. Louis 37.



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Hobbs update

Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs has a shoulder injury.
His return is questionable.



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ONeal returns

Patriots cornerback Deltha O'Neal returned to the field late in the fourth quarter.



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Patriots 23, Rams 16

Kevin Faulk reeled in a 15-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Matt Cassel with 3:13 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Patriots lead the Rams, 23-16.
The scoring drive covered 53 yards on seven plays over 3:44.
With the pass, Matt Cassel now has a career-best 267 passing yards.
Faulk, split wide, had linebacker coverage from Pisa Tinoisamoa and made a nice grab on a ball lobbed to the end zone after a pump-and-go.



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Moss over 100

Randy Moss now has seven catches for 102 yards in this game.
For Moss, this is the 58th 100-yard game of his career, the third most in NFL history. The Colts' Marvin Harrison is second with 59.



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Hobbs shaken up

Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs was shaken up going for an interception on a Marc Bulger offering with 7:45 remaining in the game.
The pass fell incomplete, but Hobbs remained on the ground. After being attended to by the Patriots' medical staff, he walked off the field under his own power, but then headed to the locker room a short time later.



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Patriots 16, Rams 16

Stephen Gostkowski booted a 41-yard field goal with 8:22 remaining in the game as the Patriots pulled even with the Rams by tying the game at 16.
The scoring drive covered 28 yards on six plays over 2:13.
The Patriots could have come away with more, but Randy Moss dropped a potential touchdown pass in the end zone on a nice ball from Matt Cassel. The Patriots took advantage of quality field position after taking over at their own 48 following a short punt by the Rams.



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Drops stops

The Patriots missed a quality chance to put points on the board during their latest possession.
Ellis Hobbs broke free on a 49-yard kickoff return, but couldn't outrun kicker Josh Brown, who made a potential touchdown-saving tackle at midfield.
Wes Welker dropped a first-down pass in which he had gotten behind his defender and had space to run. On the very next play, Kevin Faulk dropped a pass over the middle.
Rams defensive end Chris Long then sacked Matt Cassel for a 7-yard loss forcing the Patriots to punt and Chris Hanson's ball hit hard before the goal line, where Kelley Washington couldn't keep it from bouncing into the end zone for a touchback.



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ONeal remains out

CB Deltha O'Neal (head) has not returned to the game. Mike Richardson continues to take his spot at left corner.


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Rams 16, Patriots 13

Josh Brown booted a 25-yard field goal with 12:25 remaining in the game as the Rams opened a 16-13 lead over the Patriots.
The scoring drive spanned 57 yards on eight plays over 3:55.
Brown has three field goals on the day.



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End of the 3rd quarter

It's a 15-minute game as the Patriots and Rams head to the fourth quarter knotted at 13.
The Rams are inside the red zone facing 2nd and 6 from the Patriots 16 to begin the frame. After forcing a turnover on downs with a fourth-down stop, Marc Bulger hit rookie Donnie Avery for a 44-yard completion to begin this march.



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Turnover on downs

The Rams stopped Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis for no gain on 4th-and-1 from the St. Louis 36 to force a turnover on downs.
Defensive tackle Clifton Ryan surged through guard Billy Yates and managed to take out Green-Ellis's leg behind the line of scrimmage to force the turnover on downs.



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Patriots cornerback Deltha O'Neal intercepted a Marc Bulger offering with 1:08 remaining in the game.
Facing 3rd and 15 from the New England 38, Bulger threw downfield towards Keenan Burton, but O'Neal made the pick and returned it 47 yards to the St. Louis 37.



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Deltha "Toast" O'Neil makes an interception in a situation that ripe for one. Good for him, but I still have zero faith in him.

Blind Squirrell....meet your nut
 
Belichick QA

Comments from Bill Belichick following the Patriots' 23-16 win over the Rams, as transcribed by the Patriots' media relations staff:
Q: Did you feel fortunate, given the turnovers and onside kick, to keep them to two field goals?
BB: Sure. We were scrambling in the third quarter. We had about four turnovers offensively as a team, the onside kick, getting stopped on fourth and one and the interceptions. We were hanging on. At times defensively I thought we played pretty consistently and then we had some big plays that marred that a little bit. But that was good in the third quarter and it was great the way the offense came back in the second quarter and got back on top going into the half. It was a good two-minute drive and good clock management there by Matt [Cassel] and the offense to get three [points], we almost had seven. So that was good. We just weren’t able to sustain it there in the third quarter with the onside kick. But it was a big field position play.
Q: Can you talk about Matt Cassel’s poise down the stretch?
BB: Matt is a good quarterback. He has played good for us all year. I thought he played good today. There’s always things to work on. There’s always things to improve on. It’s not perfect. But he’s played good for us all year and I expect him to continue to do that. He works hard, gets better, understands the mistakes and things that he hasn’t seen before and goes on and usually those aren’t a problem going forward. Him and a lot of other people offensively that stepped up and made some big plays and we really had to have them today.



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Cassel chatter

Comments from Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel following the Patriots' 23-16 win over the Rams, as transcribed by the team's media relations staff:
Q: How big a part of your game is confidence, and were you able to build on that today?
MC: I think for any QB, if you play with confidence you play well because you’re confident in what you’re doing; you’re confident in where you’re going with the ball. It’s a big part of my game and I played with a lot of confidence today. I felt good about the game plan and it showed out there.
Q: Can you talk about the touchdown pass to Kevin Faulk in the fourth quarter?
MC: It was a great catch by him. He made a great move on the linebacker. He was in one-on-one coverage and I just tried to put it out there and give him an opportunity to make the catch. He did a great job. He did what Kevin Faulk does best.
Q: How good of a job did the offensive line do today?
MC: They did an impeccable job. I had great protection all day. I was able to step up, go through my reads -- go through one, two, even get to three at times. They did a great job.



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