In the wake of surgery on his right ankle, Patriots running back Fred Taylor spoke with the Florida Times-Union and sounded optimistic that the injury will not sideline him for the rest of the season.

“I’ll know more once I meet again with the doctor,” Taylor told the Times-Union. “I will bounce back stronger. I know it. I’ve prayed on it.”

Taylor, who has rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns in his first four games with the Patriots, suffered the ankle injury on his final carry Sunday in New England's 27-21 victory over Baltimore. He reportedly suffered torn ligaments in the ankle, which necessitated surgery,

“I’m blessed, man,” said Taylor, who had rushed for 105 yards on 21 attempts the previous week against Atlanta. “I’ve already been through so much that this is just a minimal setback. ... I had just gotten to where I felt they trusted me. I needed to...

Former Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar, now offering postseason analysis on the MLB Network, checked in with the Dennis & Callahan show Friday morning. Millar defended Sox slugger Kevin Youkilis, who has faced some criticism for his intensity.

"I think Youkilis brings it every day. He's a ballplayer. You've got to love that," Millar said. "There's a lot of haters in this world. Guys want to bring you down. Kevin Youkilis gives everything he has on every pitch. You have to respect that, especially in Boston. That's a perfect scenario. This is what you want, this is Boston Red Sox stuff."

While admitting "Youk's got to pick his spots" regarding his displays of anger, Millar said the infielder shouldn't do much to change his ways.

"This guy brings it every day, and you have to respect that. This is a ballplayer," Millar said. "I wouldn't listen to...