Notebook: Patriots express grief, shock regarding death of Terry Glenn

In the wake of the death of former Patriots wide receiver Terry Glenn, several members of the franchise expressed their grief, either in stories or via social media.


“We were shocked and deeply saddened by today’s news that Terry Glenn died in an auto accident,” Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said in a statement. “Terry was one of the most gifted receivers we have ever had. For so many Patriots fans, his rookie season will be remembered as one of the most impactful in franchise history. After a disappointing 6-10 finish in 1995, we drafted Terry seventh overall, and in his first year, he helped propel the Patriots to an AFC Championship and Super Bowl appearance.

“One of my favorite memories came when we hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional playoff game. It was my first home playoff game as an owner and just the second home playoff game in our history. It will always be remembered for the fog that filled Foxboro Stadium that day. Yet, on the first play from scrimmage, Drew Bledsoe threw a deep pass that disappeared in the fog and reappeared 53 yards downfield in Terry Glenn’s hands. We scored on the next play and ended up winning 28-3. Our thoughts and prayers are with Terry’s family, his former teammates and friends who mourn his loss.”

“I was pretty close with Terry,” coach Bill Belichick said on a conference call Monday morning. “His rookie season was my first year here in '96, so I had a lot of interaction with him and other people that were involved in his life and his upbringing separate from the Patriots. Terry was a very smart individual, had a lot of, obviously, a lot of physical skill and talent, could do a lot of things on the football field very naturally. I think he was deep down inside a good person with good intentions and a good heart. Obviously, it's a very unfortunate passing. I mean, it’s just sad. It's a sad day. It's sad news.”

“Terry Glenn was the best receiver I ever threw to. Period,” former Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe wrote in a piece for SI.com. “I would apologize to the likes of Moulds, Keyshawn, Troy Brown, Peerless, T.O., etc., but there’s no need. They know it too. If confirmation is needed, just ask the guys who tried to cover Terry. They’ll tell you. Aaron Glenn was one of the best cover corners of his era. We played the Jets in 1999, and Bill Belichick, who ran New York’s defensive (unit) at the time, assigned Aaron to cover Terry for the day. He put a safety over the top to help on nearly every play. My man still caught seven for 113 yards. He was simply not coverable when he was healthy and on the field.”

On his Facebook page, Tom Brady posted a tribute to Glenn.



Pats’ upcoming opponents dealing with injury

The final six games of the season may be easier than the Patriots initially anticipated.

News came down Monday that Pittsburgh right tackle Marcus Gilbert will be suspended the next four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. That four-game stretch will include the Dec. 17 game against the Patriots at Heinz Field, a contest that will likely have serious implications when it comes to determining home-field advantage in the AFC.

In addition, the Dolphins announced Monday that quarterback Jay Cutler has been placed in concussion protocol following their 30-20 loss to the Bucs. Cutler was removed from the game at halftime after he was hit by Tampa defensive end Ryan Russell at the end of the second quarter. He was replaced by Matt Moore. It’s unclear how long he’ll be in concussion protocol, but it’s certainly feasible to think that he won’t be able to go Sunday when the Dolphins travel to New England for a date with the Patriots.

"Obviously him being in concussion protocol, I don't know how long this will be," Miami head coach Adam Game told reporters. "Jay's really done everything I've asked him to do. So there's no reason for me to say he's not [the starter]."

One ironman left standing

Going into Sunday’s game, the Patriots were down to two players left who had played every possible snap over the first nine games of the season: guards Shaq Mason and Joe Thuney. Now, there’s one. Thuney tapped out Sunday. Playing in 57 of the 60 snaps, while Mason ended up going wire-to-wire, playing all 60 snaps. (He was one of two offensive players who played all 60 — center Ted Karras was the other.) On the year, Mason has played all 723 offensive snaps. Thuney is No. 2 with 720. … According to at least one sports book, the Patriots have opened as one of the largest favorites in NFL history for their game this week against the Dolphins at 17 points. That’s tied for the 33rd largest spread in NFL history, according to PatsPulpit.com. The last time New England was this heavy a favorite? Last year’s Christmas Eve game against the Jets, when the Pats were also favored by 17, and ended up winning, 41-3. … According to our pal Football Zebras, Ron Torbert will work as the referee for Sunday’s Patriots-Dolphins game. Torbert has worked as an NFL referee since 2014. Sunday will mark his first New England game since Week Two of the 2015 season. (That one was against the Bills in Buffalo, and was notable because there were 25 accepted penalties, including a whopping 14 on Buffalo.) Torbert, an attorney, is just the fifth African-American referee in NFL history. ... Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts will call Sunday's game for CBS.