FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- For the New England Patriots, much about this year has felt like a trip down the rabbit hole.It started at the end of last season when they were overpowered in Januarys AFC Championship game loss to the Denver Broncos.That was followed by quarterback Tom Bradys decision this spring to end his long Deflategate fight and accept a four-game suspension that will begin at the start of this season.It set the stage for one of the oddest preseasons of Bradys career. One that saw the 39-year-old take a backseat to backup Jimmy Garoppolo while Brady prepared to miss his first regular-season start since 2008.A torn left ACL in the season opener that year rendered him unable to play. This time hes a healthy, forced spectator.I think thats a good word -- `uncharted, Brady said of his situation for the first month of the season. So well just do the best we can do.It has put the keys of one of the AFCs top franchises in the hands of Garoppolo, a first-time starter. But there are even more unknowns about a team that enters the season dealing with more issues than it has been accustomed to during the Bill Belichick era.Its out of our control, Belichick said of the prospect of being without Brady. Were not worried about it, were moving forward. Control what we can control and do what we can do.Garoppolo will become just the third opening day starter at quarterback that the Patriots have had since 1996.Ive prepared like this for the last two years, so I think thats a big stepping stone for me and definitely helped out, he said.It wont be that easy.In addition to Bradys absence, the Patriots will be without captain and defensive end Rob Ninkovich after he received a four-game ban for violating the NFLs policy on performance enhancing substances. Thats on top of the reported triceps issue that sidelined him early during camp.There are also unknowns on the offensive side of the ball that could affect New Englands early production.Tight end Rob Gronkowski, the offensive centerpiece, has been limited with an undisclosed issue, and he never saw preseason action. Receiver Danny Amendola also didnt appear in any preseason games as he continues to work his way back from knee and ankle surgeries.Then theres running back Dion Lewis, who looked to be on his way back from tearing his left ACL in November, but will start the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list.It has left little margin for error for a team that opens the season against defending NFC West division winner Arizona, and also includes division matchups with Miami in Week 2 and Buffalo in the final game before Brady can return.Safety Devin McCourty said it would be incumbent on the veterans to carry the leadership duties with Brady out.I think its going to be a true team effort to try to replace what hes built here and what hes been able to do, week in and week out, McCourty said.Here are some other things to watch for from the Patriots this season:VETERAN SECONDARY: One unit that enters the season intact is the secondary, led by McCourty, Malcolm Butler, Patrick Chung and Logan Ryan. Butler started all 16 regular-season games last season at left cornerback, McCourty and Chung each started 14 at safety, and Ryan had 14 starts at right cornerback. They will be counted on to lead a defense that allowed just 19.7 points per game and had 21 turnovers.O-LINE FOCUS: Offensive line improvement was a priority after New England allowed Brady to be sacked 38 times in 2015. There will be a new look. The Patriots released center Bryan Stork and have elevated second-year lineman David Andrews. Rookie Joe Thuney, a third-rounder, will likely get the nod at left guard. Nate Solder should start at left tackle and Marcus Cannon at right tackle with Sebastian Vollmer beginning the year on the PUP list. Right guard should fall to Jonathan Cooper, who arrived from Arizona as part of the Chandler Jones trade.ROOKIE WATCH: Cyrus Jones, the Patriots top pick in the draft, lived up to billing this preseason. In addition to establishing himself as a viable third cornerback with an interception and fumble recovery, he had several long punt returns to give New England more options on special teams.CHASING HISTORY: The Patriots have a chance to pass the Oakland Raiders as the only team to advance to six straight conference championship games. The Raiders run from 1974-78 included a Super Bowl title in 1977. New England has an opportunity to add its second Super Bowl crown since its run of five straight AFC title game appearances began in 2012.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower Wholesale Puma Shoes Uk . Westbrook has missed 27 games since having a procedure on Dec. 27 to deal with swelling in his injured right knee — the third operation on the knee in nine months. Puma Shoes Online Clearance Sale . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. http://www.wholesalepumauk.com/ . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. Cheap Puma Shoes Uk .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. Puma Shoes Uk Online . According the Toronto Star, a knee injury will keep Sundin out of the lineup, which includes former teammates Gary Roberts, Darcy Tucker, Tie Domi and Curtis Joseph. NEW YORK -- Mark Teixeira and the New York Yankees hardly needed another firsthand look to know how nasty Andrew Miller is on opposing hitters.Thats exactly what they got, though.Corey Kluber put Clevelands rotation back on track, Miller earned a save against the team that traded him last weekend and the Indians beat the Yankees 5-2 on Saturday.Hes got great stuff, theres no doubt about that. I wish him nothing but the best, Teixeira said. We were facing two of the best pitchers in baseball.Mike Napoli, Jason Kipnis and Rajai Davis homered to help the AL Central leaders recover from an early two-run deficit.Kluber (11-8) fired eight innings of five-hit ball, beating CC Sabathia (6-9) in a matchup of pitchers who won the AL Cy Young Award with Cleveland.Miller closed with a one-hit ninth for his first save with the Indians. And lo and behold, it came at the expense of his old pals in pinstripes.Tough seeing him in another uniform. Hes one of my all-time favorite teammates, Brett Gardner said. The fastball looks like about 105 (mph) and the slider that you think is going to hit you ends up being a strike. Hes as tough as they get.The lanky left-hander, acquired Sunday in a blockbuster deal, entered to a warm ovation at Yankee Stadium and promptly gave up Gardners leadoff single. Jacoby Ellsbury and Teixeira struck out on checked swings before Brian McCann grounded out to end it.It kind of took me back to my Boston days of facing that section of the lineup and pitching a lot here, Miller said. Im glad I got the job done.Miller said opposing the Yankees was no fun at all and just a huge distraction, honestly.Its a lot easier just to focus on executing pitches when theres no relationship or anything like that, he said, sounding relieved. This last weeks been pretty hectic and, like I said, happy I survived and found a way.Millers previous nine saves this year came with New York.Its strange to see him in a different uniform, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. He was just here.New York rookie Gary Sanchez lined an RBI double off Kluber with two outs in the second and scored on a wild pitch.Kluber settled in from there and struck out the 3-4-5-6 hitters in the third and fourth. The Yankees also ran themselves out of two chances in the middle innings -- including an embarrassing blunder by Gardner, who went tearing around second base on Ellsburys fly to medium right field and was easily doubled off first.I just thought it was going to ffall, Gardner said.dddddddddddd Obviously, it was a bad read by me. One of those things where I got a little bit greedy and paid the price for it.Clevelands talented rotation, so effective all season, came in 0-4 with a 15.58 ERA this month. The team was outscored 50-32 overall in losing four of its previous five games.Kluber struck out eight, walked one and threw 100 pitches in improving to 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA in his last five starts.He really knows how to pitch, Girardi said.Kipnis connected leading off the fourth for Clevelands first hit and is batting .478 (11 for 23) with four homers against the Yankees this year. Napoli broke a 2-all tie with an opposite-field solo shot in the sixth.Sabathia was charged with three runs in 5 2/3 innings, dropping to 1-5 with a 6.62 ERA in his last nine starts.His command was a little off today, but he still gave us a pretty good shot to win, Girardi said.EARLY RETURNSJustus Sheffield struck out 11 of the 21 hitters he faced Friday night for Class A Tampa in his first outing since joining the Yankees organization. The left-hander pitched six innings of two-hit ball and retired his final 12 batters in a 7-1 win over Daytona. Sheffield was one of the touted prospects New York received in the trade that sent Miller to Cleveland.CATCHING ONSanchez, impressive since he was called up from the minors Wednesday, made his second straight start behind the plate and showed off his strong arm again when he pounced on a pitch in the dirt and threw out Brandon Guyer at second trying to advance. As Ive said, hes here to play, Girardi said before the game. Were treating him just like any other catcher.Girardi said he told McCann he should take grounders at first base to stay prepared and give the Yankees options. Hes done it before and hes pretty comfortable over there, the manager said, adding that McCann will probably be the DH all weekend and then catch some next week in Boston.BULLPEN SHUFFLENew York called up LHP Chasen Shreve from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and sent down RHP Johnny Barbato. Shreve struck out two in 1 1/3 scoreless innings.UP NEXTIndians RHP Carlos Carrasco (7-5, 3.12 ERA) starts the series finale Sunday against RHP Masahiro Tanaka (7-4, 3.46), who was hit hard Tuesday by the Mets. Tanaka is 0-2 with a 5.71 ERA in three career starts against Cleveland. ' ' '