"Back at practice after missing the loss to the Bills, Patriots safety Patrick Chung grudgingly acknowledged that he had never played with a cast on his hand. He happily acknowledged that he didn't care.

"I can play," Chung said yesterday in his first comments since breaking his thumb and sitting out last week. "I feel good. Great day. I'm all right. I'll be ready to play. If coach wants me out there, then I'm out there."

Chung suffered the injury in the win over the Chargers, re-entering the game in the second half after doctors put a brace on his hand. But the thumb had to be set, forcing him to undergo surgery and miss the Buffalo game."