Corey Dillon again is playing Patriots Football, and helping his Patriots team beat the Chiefs 27-19 in Arrowhead.

The Kansas City Chiefs entered the Monday Nighter a team able to score a lot of points, but were without their major scorer, Priest Holmes. Holmes, out again, was missed.

And in a way, the Chiefs defense missed Corey Dillon. Dillon rushed for 98 yards on 26 carries and two touchdowns, helping the Patriots just control this one in an unbelievable difficult environment to control, Arrowhead Stadium. And the Patriots were at the lead at the half, and for the rest of the game.

"That run threat is a good threat to have," said Dillon. "We're a good passing team, so I mean, if a team tries to take away one, we can always rely on the other."

Another big player was the return of wide receiver Deion Branch. Quarterback Tom Brady (17-26, 315 yards, 1 TD, 119.9 rating) hooked up with Branch six times for 105 yards and a touchdown, looking like Branch has been playing the whole time instead of being out for seven weeks.

"Deion’s a good receiver," Said head coach Bill Belichick after the game. "He can get open, and Tom can hit him. It’s not surprising to me. He can make those plays, but everything wasn’t designed to go to him."

And of course, defensively, the Patriots came up big, particularly being light in the secondary. But no one comes up bigger than Rodney "Mister" Harrison. Mister Harrison snagged an nice interception away from tight end Tony Gonzalez in the endzone.

"I was reading the quarterback and was able to get a break on the ball," Mister Harrison said. "I knew they were going for (tight end Tony Gonzalez ). I made a break on the ball and was able to go for it."

Quarterback Trent Green must have suffered a drastic head injury during the game, because he sounded delusional afterwards.

"Their defense, I don't think they do anything real complex," Green said. "They didn't do anything that confusing. They just play solid and very disciplined."

Confusing or not, its a big win for the Champs. And the short week was not cruel to them.

Reign Game: Patriots Smash the Ravens

The game was a slugfest at 3-3 until the rain came down.

Then the Patriots seemed to heat up in the bad weather, and creamed the Ravens 24-3. The Defense held Kyle Boller and the Raven offense to 29 yards in the second half, while a big play led by Tedy Bruschi caused a sack-fumble, and finally a Jarvis Green touchdown in the fourth quarter.

"I saw it slip out of his hands," Green said. "Then I went and attacked it and it wasn't going to slip out of my hands."

And if that wasn't big enough, Adam Vinatieri was prepared to win this with his foot, getting a 40-yard field goal and a heavy rain 48-yard field goal in the third quarter.

"That was as bad of a field as I've ever played on," said Vinatieri, a kicker with big field goals in the snow. "This is a whole different set of tough situations. It's even more difficult for the guys handling the ball."

But once again, Corey Dillon came up big. Dillon rushed 30 times for 123 yard and a touchdown and a two point conversion in the sloppiest game of the season so far, helping the Patriots control this game.

"It was one of those old-fashioned games today," said head coach Bill Belichick. "The one the kids love to play out there in the mud."

"We had no rhythm," Ravens coach Brian Billick said, "just couldn't get anything going. Once they got control of the game, that's an awful hard team to beat."

The second year quarterback echoed his coach. "They're a great team," said Boller, (15-for-35 for 93 yards and four sacks). "They force you to try and make throws downfield. It wasn't raining so hard that I couldn't throw it." One of his sacks was a twelve yard loss by Rosevelt Colvin.

Matt Light left the game with an undisclosed leg injury.

Bill Belichick returns to his head coaching start in Cleveland to take on the hapless Browns in Week 13, but the Patriots Battle for O-HI-O, Part I. They face Cincinnati in Week 14.

Weekend Break Down

Colts (8-3) 41, LIONS (4-7) 9 - FINAL: Manning No. 2 tosses six touchdowns, 41 on the season girls and boys. And for those who are keeping count, Dan Marino set the record in 1984 at 48 touchdowns.

COWBOYS (4-7) 21, Bears (4-7) 7 - FINAL: It took a while to get some points on the board, but Dallas did at the end when it counted to get a decent win on a short week.

Eagles (10-1) 27, GIANTS (5-6) 6 - FINAL: No luck for Manning No. 3 this week. Still winless. Philly is going to take the NFC East again, and i doubt they have any sympathy for Eli and Coughlin as it is their first season. And with no surprise, the Eagles take the division in Week 12.

TEXANS (5-6) 31, Titans (4-7) 21  - FINAL: Big southern win for Houston. The Texas have a good chance to see play in January. Big win over the Titans.

Chargers (8-3) 34, CHIEFS (3-8) 31 - FINAL: Kansas City needed this win to get themselves, um, well, they weren't going anywhere this year, but a division win sure would have felt pretty good. Instead its a loss to a team people had dead in July. Drew Brees continues to take away chances for a Phillip Rivers debut this season.

VIKINGS (7-4) 27, Jaguars (6-5) 16 - FINAL: Byron Leftwich returns and comes up empty. Randy Moss returns and comes up big with a touchdown in the third to put the Vikes ahead for good.

PANTHERS (4-7) 21, Buccaneers (4-7) 14 - FINAL: Big division win for the Panthers that means very little. A win for the Bucs wouldn't have meant much either, but both of the past two NFC Champs, and both look terrible.

BENGALS (5-6) 58, Browns (3-8) 48 - FINAL: Battle for O-HI-O turns out to be an offensive slugfest with missing defenses. One of the highest scoring games in history, and no one went to overtime.

STEELERS (10-1) 16, Redskins (3-8) 7 - FINAL: No luck for Joe Gibbs. And no winning season, but had the Redskins stepped up just a little, they might have had a chance in this one.

FALCONS (9-2) 24, Saints (4-7) 21 - FINAL: Falcons snag the division. The Saints snag another loss.

Dolphins (2-9) 24, 49ERS (1-10) 17 - FINAL: Replay of Super Bowl XVIII is more like who can get their second win. Dolphins get Jim Bates his first win.

PATRIOTS (10-1) 24, Ravens (7-4) 3 - FINAL: Huge win for New England, and they keep up with the Jones for a double-digit record. With all the injuries, the Patriots are getting better and better, and the Ravens had all they could do to keep the bleeding, er, raining from taking them completely out of this game.

Bills (5-6) 38, SEAHAWKS (6-5) 9 - FINAL: What happened to the Bills? What happened to Seattle?? With New England in the rearview mirror, the Bills are all out with the wins. Where did this team come from? Willis McGahee scores four touchdowns, and rushes for 116 yards on 28 carries. Drew Bledsoe plays his first pro game in his home state of Washington, but manages to toss 3 INTs in the mist of going 26-37 for 275 yards passing.

Jets (8-3) 13, CARDINALS (4-7) 3 - FINAL: I hoped for a Cardinal win, but I was hoping too much. Quincy Carter is filling in nicely for Chad Pennington.

Raiders (3-7) 25, BRONCOS (7-3) 24 - FINAL: Mike Shanahan looked dejected at the end of this one, and I would be too if I lost a heartbreaker to Oakland. Denver had this one, and blew it by letting the Raiders catch up after leading 24-13 into the fourth quarter. Kerry Collins throws four TDs, three of them to Jerry Porter to win this one.

St. Louis (5-5) at Green Bay (6-4) Tonight 9PM ABC

Playoff Outlook

Here it is, folks! Time to start countin' 'em O-U-T

Teams Shown the Door First

Miami (2-9): They've been out since July.
Oakland (4-7): Another loser to put more strain on the Crypt Keeper's ticker.
Kansas City (3-8): They can score points, they just can't stop them.
Cleveland (3-8): The Browns should have a coaching vacancy this season.
Tennessee (4-7): Next year, Offensive restructure, starting with the quarterback and running back.
Dallas (4-7): Poor Tuna. This is just no fun.
Washington (3-8): I wonder how much of that itch is still there for Joe Gibbs.
Arizona (4-7): Rough debut for Denny Green, but again, why did he take this job with the Cardinals?
Detroit (4-7): I thought they might improve this year. Not meant to be.
Chicago (4-7): It's the first year blues for Lovie Smith.
Carolina (4-7): Bet they wish they could go back to that stunning Super Bowl II victory.
Tampa Bay (4-7): I don't know if Jon Gruden's job is on the line this year, but a repeat performance in 2005 will put him on unemployment.
New Orleans (4-7): It's easy in the Big Easy to see that the Saints have no interest in winning. Never have.

Teams Who Could Be Contenders

New Jersey Jets (8-3): The Wild Card may be their ticket.
Buffalo (5-6): They keep digging themselves out of this hole, and they could be a wild card playoff team.
Baltimore (7-4): Big loss this week needs to be forgotten.
Cincinnati (5-6): Carson Palmer can put up points, but the defense is weak, maybe too weak for the playoffs.
Jacksonville (6-5): They've lost two in a row that has hurt them badly.
Houston (5-6): This team is full of a bunch of fighters. If they miss the playoffs this year, I think they'll waltz in next year.
New Jersey Giants (5-6): Manning No. 3 needs to get a win first. Then we can dream.
Seattle (6-5): Lead in the division now. Could be a losing season in no time.
St. Louis (5-5): Trailing the Seahawks by a half game, and could pass right by them.
Minnesota (7-4): Hanging tough at the top now, but the Pack closes in. And the Vikes usually start to suck around Thanksgiving.
Green Bay (6-4): Keep winning. That's the key, and the early season losses at Lambeau hurt.

Teams with Records for the Envious

New England (10-1): The reigning champs are starting to play really hot at a very good time in the season.
San Diego (8-3): I am still stunned, but they will not have a losing season in '04.
Denver (7-4): Huge loss to Oakland, and they face San Diego next week.
Pittsburgh (10-1): Steeler fans can't even remember who the starting quarterback was this season.
Indianapolis (8-3): There's no reason why they should not get the division, but the Colts need more than just Peyton in January - and they don't have it.

Teams with Trophies

Philly (10-1): NFC East for the fourth year in a row.
Atlanta (9-2): Hard not to get the NFC South this year.

Oddities of Week 13's Matchups

Atlanta (9-2) at Tampa Bay (4-7), 1 PM. NFC Southern with the division champ Flacons over the division joke Bucs.

Buffalo (5-6) at Miami (2-9), 1 PM. AFC East Matchup. This should be for the bottom of the barrel, but the Bills are hunting for a playoff spot.

Carolina (4-7) at New Orleans (4-7), 1 PM. NFC Southern for the bottom of the barrel.

Cincinnati (5-6) at Baltimore (7-4), 1 PM. AFC North Matchup. Both are fighting for a wild card spot, Balti has a couple of games head start, but after the smashing from New England, the Ravens are struggling, and the Bengals showed they can put up points this week, of course it wasn't a Raven defense.

Minnesota (7-4) at Chicago (4-7), 1 PM. NFC North Matchup. The Vikings need this win to stay ahead in the division.

New England (10-1) at Cleveland (3-8), 1 PM. Tour of O-HI-O, Part I, and the Belichick Homecoming. Ironically enough, Butch Davis, the soon-to-be-fired head coach for the Browns was the runner-up for the Patriots job before Belichick became the obvious (though we didn't know it at the time) choice.

San Francisco (1-10) at St. Louis (5-5), 1 PM. NFC Westerner. The Rams need to keep ahead in the division, and they are 4-0 going into this game, but they still need the wins in the standings. The 49ers are terrible.

Tennessee (4-7) at Indianapolis (8-3), 1 PM. AFC Southerner. Indy is the team to beat, and a guarantee for the playoffs. Poor Jeff Fisher is just having a bad year.

Denver (7-4) at San Diego (8-3), 4:05 PM. AFC West game, Part I. Winner takes the lead in the division.

Kansas City (3-8) at Oakland (4-7), 4:05 PM. AFC West game, Part II. Winners get free rides at Six Flags in late January.

Green Bay (6-4) at Philadelphia (10-1), 4:15 PM. Classic NFC Matchup, and possible preview of the NFC Championship game. I doubt it with the way the Packers are playing, but Philly will probably be there for the fourth straight year.

N.Y. Giants (5-6) at Washington (3-8), 4:15 PM. NFC East Matchup, that should have been a great game, but this year, any NFC Easterner is a dud.

Patriots News

Tom Ashworth is out for the season.

Notes & Quotes

Those were tough conditions with the 46, 47-yarder, whatever it was, that was a tough kick. He nailed that one. There is no kicker I'd rather have. Let's put it that way. He did a nice job kicking off too, again, in challenging conditions.

- Bill Belichick on Adam Vinatieri

I didn't come here to win stats. I came here to win football games.

- Corey Dillon after the win over the Ravens.

Tom Brady's 16-game touchdown passing streak ended in the game versus Baltimore.

The Cleveland-Cincinnati game recorded a second historical best 106 points with 12 touchdowns (5 from Kelly Holmcomb, four from Carson Palmer, 1 rushing from William Green, 2 rushing from Rudi Johnson). The highest scorer was jut over 38 years ago, 113 on November 27, 1966: Washington 72, New York Giants 41.

Top Ten List of the Week

1. Corey Dillon. 56 carries for 221 yards and 3 touchdowns in six days.  Six 100 yarders, two in the 90's. 1,121 yards in 10 games played. That used to be half a season for a Patriots rusher.

2. Bravo to Deion Branch. Big comeback on Monday night.

3. 106 points from the Ohios! Yikes! And both will probably miss the playoffs!

4. A lot of idiot pundits complain about the guys in Sunday Night - Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire, and sideline reporter Suzy Kolber - and how they make everyone sound like a hall of famer. I give praise to those folks. Sunday is a long football day, and the ESPN broadcast is made fun, lots of fun, because of their enthusiasm. And I've heard these guys slam plenty of people. Sunday Nighters can be mega boring, but if making some shlub sound like the greatest ever to entertain, so big it. I'd tell you if I disagree, but I love the enthusiasm.

5. Ricky Williams want to play again, and claims Dave Wannstedt was the problem as a control freak. Well, it didn't do any of them any good, did it? Let Williams play in Canada for a season or NFL Europe before being let back on a roster.

6. I love snow and rain games. The Ravens-Patriots and Raiders-Broncos games were a lot of fun to watch Sunday.

7. Peyton Manning tosses 6 TDs in a clobbering of the Lions on Thanksgiving day, and he was taken out of the game early. He has 41 TDs on the season, and is chasing Dan Marino's 48 TD record.

8. What is wrong with the NFC? They have entire divisions with losing records.

9. That was a huge loss by Denver Sunday night. A great snow bowl game with some heavy passing in the heavy snow. Shame Denver's defense couldn't hold off the Raiders.

10. Finally, and never least, the Boston Red Sox are the Sport Illustrated Sportsmen of the Year. Congrats, champs!