NFL

Morning Sports Update: Bill Belichick backs Colts over disclosure of Andrew Luck’s injury

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick speaks to the media after a game against the Miami Dolphins. Michael Dwyer/AP

By Henry McKenna @McKennAnalysis

November 3, 2015

2 minutes to read

The New England Patriots seem like they’ll be looking to deal at the NFL trade deadline, Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz could be a trade chip, and Bill Belichick backs the Colts over RibGate.

Bill Belichick says the Patriots’ phone lines are open leading up to trade deadline: “We’re always open to discussions,’’ he told WEEI’s Dale and Holley show on Monday. “I think everybody in the league probably knows that. Our phone lines are open. Who knows? It’s hard to tell. It takes two to make a deal and it has to be the right situation and all that.’’ (CSNNE.com)

Clay Buchholz to be a Red Sox trade chip? “Buchholz’s name is already rolling off the lips of some mid-to-small-market teams who believe they could trade for him if the Red Sox have bigger fish to fry in pursuit of a true ace who can stay healthy.’’ (The Boston Globe)

Bill Belichick backs Colts amid investigation for potentially failing to report Andrew Luck’s injury: “Whatever is on there is in a lot of cases a guess anyway. At this time of year everybody has something. You could probably list 40 guys on the team as probable with something or other they are getting treatment for.’’ (NESN.com)

Time to compare Marcus Smart to Rajon Rondo? “Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart and the man he essentially replaced, Rajon Rondo, often appear polar opposites on the basketball court. But for one sequence during the Celtics’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, Smart brought back some of Boston’s fondest memories of the departed point guard.’’ (ESPNBoston.com)

Despite tumultuous season, one Bruin has been almost perfect: “In this peaks-and-valleys season, 24 players wearing Black and Gold have experienced concurrent highs and lows. One player, however, has been perfect at his job. Jonas Gustavsson has started three games for the Bruins. He’s won all of them, the latest being a 21-save effort against Tampa Bay Saturday in a 3-1 victory.’’ (The Boston Globe)

Jimmy Fallon mocks Jets for locker room bugging controversy at Gillette Stadium:

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ESPN’s quarterback evaluation ranks Tom Brady behind Aaron Rodgers for Week 8: “There’s an obvious issue when someone tries to convert an orchestra of events into a single algorithm.’’ (PatsPulpit.com)