Patriots defense must contend with Owens and Bills after losing 5 veteran starters

Rebuilt Patriots’ D faces savvy, flashy T.O.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots’ defense wants to prove it’s just as strong without five veteran starters. Terrell Owens sees nothing to prove in his debut with the Buffalo Bills.

“Not at all,” he said. “Anybody that has anything to question, as far as my abilities go, their opinions, you know, they don’t count.”

Bragging won’t help when he and the Bills go into Monday night’s season opener against a team picked by many as a top Super Bowl contender. Experience and savvy might.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick no longer has defensive end Richard Seymour, linebackers Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel or defensive backs Rodney Harrison and Ellis Hobbs — all either retired or traded. Much younger players now fill most of those spots.

One of the most impressive among them is cornerback Jonathan Wilhite, a fourth-round draft choice last year. But guarding Owens presents a major challenge.

“He’s one of the guys that I watched when I was younger,” Wilhite said. “I always looked up to him, liked his game, a physical guy that can play the game. I think just not me but our whole secondary has to be ready to play this game.”

Cornerback Shawn Springs, entering his 13th season, should be prepared after missing most of the preseason with a knee injury. He was listed as probable for the game. Owens isn’t on the Bills’ injury report after missing the last four of Buffalo’s five exhibitions with a sprained toe.

Springs brings a deep knowledge of Owens after they spent seven seasons in the same division, and has shared that with his young teammates.

“He’s a very hard worker and he’s competitive,” Springs said. “The good thing about going against a guy like T.O., you at least know where you stand because he’s going to work hard and he’s always trying to dominate and be the best. So when you go up against him, you have to have that same mentality.”

Both played in the NFC West from 2002-03, Springs with Seattle and Owens with San Francisco. For the last five years, they squared off in the NFC East, where Springs spent all that time with Washington, while Owens played two years for Philadelphia and three for Dallas.

“Shawn is one of those big, physical corners, one of the best in the league,” Owens said. “Obviously, he’s following me across the league. I think Belichick knew with me coming to the Bills that he had to find somebody to check me and he went out and acquired him.”

Belichick feels Springs, even at 34 and having missed seven games with a calf injury last season, can do much more than that.

“We signed Shawn because we felt he’d help our football team defensively with his leadership, his versatility and his playing ability,” Belichick said. “So whatever team we play against, and whatever situation it is, I think that we’ll want to be able to utilize him in some way.”

Quarterback Trent Edwards has talented receivers Lee Evans and Josh Reed in addition to Owens. But he’s running a new no-huddle offense behind a young and inexperienced offensive line.

Without Seymour, traded to Oakland on Sept. 6, longtime backup Jarvis Green will be counted on to apply pressure.

“It’s not like we don’t know Jarvis Green. He’s a very talented player,” Bills coach Dick Jauron said. “They were good enough, deep enough to make this deal.”

Gary Guyton and Pierre Woods are the new starters at linebacker. Leigh Bodden, a free agent from the Lions, and Springs are the first-string cornerbacks. James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather, both 25, are the safeties.

Then there’s Jerod Mayo, last year’s NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He took over the signal calling late last season and has drawn rave reviews from current and former teammates.

A hard tackler with great speed, Mayo doesn’t need Owens to get him excited for the opener.

“They have a great group of wide receivers,” he said. “Lee Evans has been doing it for a long time as well, so we have to try to shut all those guys down.”

New England’s defense struggled last year on third down and on plays inside its 20-yard line. With Owens’ big-play ability, the Bills could be dangerous on earlier downs and from longer distances.

“I don’t know what it is, I just feel like I’m drinking from the fountain of youth every day,” he said. “If you were to see me practice then you would never think that I’m 35.”