then had the tables turned on them Tuesday.CHARLOTT

Take away draft picks. Suspend their star quarterback. Nothing seems to faze the New England Patriots, who just keep on winning no matter what obstacles are thrown their way.OK, its time to get serious.Lets come up with something, anything to bring these guys down.All suggestions accepted.Clearly, these are desperate times for the rest of the NFL. The Patriots are off to a 3-0 start even though Tom Brady is stuck at home with his perfect family, serving out a four-game suspension for an unhealthy obsession with football air pressure and hastily downgrading his cellphone before the contract was up.New England didnt even have its backup quarterback for Thursday nights game against the formerly unbeaten Houston Texans. Jimmy Garoppolo was sidelined with a shoulder injury, so Bill Belichick -- surely thumbing his nose at the rest of the league -- sent out somebody named Jacoby Brissett to run the offense.While the rest of us were surfing the web, trying to make sure this supposed third-stringer wasnt just Brady in disguise, Belichick installed something resembling the wishbone with only three days to prepare. Brissett, naturally, guided the Patriots to a 27-0 shellacking of a team with one of the NFLs top-ranked defenses.Look, we just try to go out there every week and win, Belichick said during a conference call Friday, his voice droning somewhere between contempt and superiority. Try to go out there and put the best game plan together with the players we have against the opponent were playing against and win.Not long after Belichick hung up the phone came a report that Brissett injured the thumb on his throwing hand and may need surgery. If so, we can only assume that Steve Grogan will be suiting up for the Patriots next game. Heck, hes only 63 and cant be much worse than Matt Cassel, who somehow led the Patriots to an 11-5 mark the year Brady went out with a knee injury.Since Brady will be back in one more game anyway, time is running short.Heres a few ideas to get the conversation started:SPIES, LIES & VIDEOTAPEIn the first of his Gate scandals, Belichick was caught videotaping an opponents defensive signals in violation of NFL rules back in 2007. Spygate led to a half-million-dollar fine against the coach and the Patriots being stripped of their first-round pick. Turns out, that was about as effective as Brangelinas marriage counseling.Maybe we should allow opposing teams to sit in on Belichicks film sessions, so they at least have a sneak preview while hes formulating his latest Coppola-like game plan.LETTING THE AIR OUTDeflategate revealed that Brady is very particular about how much air is in the footballs he throws, and his actions before an AFC playoff game after the 2014 regular season showed that hes not above skirting the rules to get a better grip.Wonder how hed do with a ball that is inflated to 0.0 pounds per square inch? He should give that a try when he returns from his suspension, no doubt with the Patriots sitting at 4-0.OLD SCHOOLThe Patriots roster could be capped at 11 players, forcing everyone to play both offense and defense, just like the good ol days. Better yet, in footballs formative years, touchdowns counted for only five points instead of six. Sounds like a good way to even things up. Oh, wait, the Patriots still wouldve won their last two games and gone to overtime in the season opener at Arizona. Next.MISTAKE BY THE LAKEBelichick wasnt always the evil genius of the NFL. Remember when he coached the perpetually hapless Cleveland Browns? Remember when he got fired? For five seasons in the early 1990s, Belichick and his hoodie compiled a record of 36-44 with only a single trip to the playoffs. It didnt even help to have soul mate Nick Saban as his defensive coordinator. The Browns wound up moving to Baltimore and changing their name to the Ravens, while then-owner Art Modell gloriously decreed that to get to the next level, a change at head coach is necessary.Maybe its time to banish Belichick back to Cleveland. It worked before.GOING TO THE MAILBAGActually, since we dont have time for everyone to mail in their letters, lets hit up social media for a few suggestions.Defensive linemen must count one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi before rushing. Belichick has to coach in a suit, tie and houndstooth hat, instead of the latest fashions from the Hobo Collection. The training table gets catered by Dunkin Donuts or, better yet, Krispy Kreme.Field goals can only be attempted after a pile of snow is dumped on the spot, in honor of another New England classic (why wasnt that called Plowgate?). No Patriots player is allowed to use his hands, like that sport known as football to the rest of the world.Or maybe we could ... ahh, who are we kidding?It doesnt matter what you do to the Patriots.Belichick & Co. will find a way to keep on winning.Sigh.---(Corrects that Belichick was not coaching Patriots during snow plow game)---Paul Newberry is a sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at pnewberry(at)ap.org or at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFLTim Horton Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Ron Francis Jersey . Artturi Lehkonen, Joni Nikko and Ville Leskinen had the other goals for Finland (1-0) while Juuse Saros stopped 28 shots. Tim Robin Johnsgard had the lone goal for Norway (0-2). https://www.cheappenguinsjersey.com/781q-johan-hedberg-jersey-penguins.html . Their 38th instalment is arguably their biggest fight card to date, including three-title fights and a main event which was selected by the fans. The promotion boasts 14-straight years of business and is operated by MFC president Mark Pavelich, who is often overlooked in this country for the foundation hes established for MMA in Canada. Mark Johnson Jersey . The nimble-footed quarterback got his wish, dashing through the snow and a weary defence all the way into the NCAA record book. Pittsburgh Penguins Gear . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Alex McGough accounted for three touchdowns, including a 9-yard scoring pass to Jonnu Smith with 1:05 to play, and Florida International beat Charlotte 27-26 on Saturday night for its third win in a row.McGough completed 26 of 42 passes for 315 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and added a 19-yard scoring run in the first quarter.Stephen Muscarello kicked a 32-yard field goal with 7:12 left to give Charlotte (2-5, 1-2 Conference USA) a 26-13 lead. But FIU responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive -- capped by McGoughs 15-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Branisel fewer than 3 minutes later.The Goldden Panthers (3-4, 3-0) forced a punt, and a personal foul on the return gave them the ball at the Charlotte 45.dddddddddddd After McGough hit Thomas Owens for 21 yards on first down, the 49ers were called for pass interference, setting up Smiths go-ahead TD grab.Charlotte drove to the FIU 32, but Blake Brewers 49-yard field goal attempt fell short with five seconds remaining.After Robert Washingtons 3-yard touchdown run gave the 49ers a 23-13 lead early in the fourth quarter, FIU blocked the PAT. ' ' '