New England at Jacksonville


Playoff roster


Depth chart


Statistics


Playoff history

It has been a tumultuous season for the Patriots (9-7), who overcame a midseason slump with a dramatic turnaround to reach the playoffs for the second consecutive season under Pete Carroll.

	Rookie running back Robert Edwards has carried the Pats' ground game.

Offense
Entering the postseason, the Patriots are a bit of a mystery because of their uncertain quarterback situation. Drew Bledsoe, who missed the final two regular-season games with a broken finger on his throwing (right) hand, is expecting to return for the wild-card game at Jacksonville.

Until further notice, however, backup Scott Zolak is the quarterback, and his presence has caused the Patriots to try moving the ball on the ground more often. In fact, it might have forced them to be even more patient and committed to the running game.

Before being held to 47 yards in the season finale against the Jets, rookie running back Robert Edwards had rushed for 196 and 101 yards in consecutive games. He finished the season with 1,115 rushing yards and nine touchdowns -- accounting for all New England rushing scores.

The Patriots, in the latter part of the season, have played more of a spread offense, forcing opponents to respect the likes of tight end Ben Coates (67 catches, six touchdowns) and wideouts Shawn Jefferson (34 catches, 23.2-yard average, two touchdowns) and Troy Brown (23 catches, one touchdown). New England, though, is without its best wideout, Terry Glenn, who's out for the season with a broken ankle.

If Bledsoe is back, the Patriots will be a dangerous team against any opponent. Bledsoe developed an uncanny chemistry on the team by virtue of engineering wild comeback victories over Miami and Buffalo late in the season. It was that spark -- Bledsoe playing hurt -- that carried Nwe England to the postseason.

Who's hot? Edwards and his strong performances on the ground down the stretch.

Who's not? Zolak was just OK against the 49ers in a Patriots' win, but he did throw two picks. Bottom line is he simply doesn't have the experience and can be exposed, which the Jets were able to do in their 31-10 victory in the finale.

Defense
Cornerback Ty Law has been hot all season, leading the NFL with nine interceptions. Despite Law and strong safety Lawyer Milloy, both Pro Bowlers, the Patriots pass defense is ranked 27th in the league. That, however, is a little misleading. Because New England is ranked No. 6 against the run, teams are forced to throw.

There are serious injury problems on defense, with middle linebacker Ted Johnson out for the season, and defensive end Willie McGinest having been hobbled nearly all season and seemingly never 100-percent.

Who's hot? Law and his nine picks, and Milloy, the team's leading tackler who also has five interceptions.

Who's not? McGinest has been on and off the field all season with various injuries, including a groin ailment.

Special teams
The Patriots' kicking game is an advantage against almost every opponent. Punter Tom Tupa averages 44.7 yards gross and a 35.4-yard net. ... Kicker Adam Vinatieri, who won the 49er game in the waning seconds, scored 127 points and was 31-for-39 on field goals. ... The Patriots also have a couple of terrific cover guys on special teams, including Larry Whigham and Tebucky Jones.

Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post writes a weekly AFC notebook for ESPN.com that appears each Wednesday during the regular season.