FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots needed help on defence so they added three experienced players at midseason.Turns out theyre also solid students.Linebackers Akeem Ayers and Jonathan Casillas and defensive tackle Alan Branch dove into coach Bill Belichicks complex playbook then produced on the field.Were putting guys into play, right into the mix, Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis said Thursday. Im sure that can be a hassle coming from another team and then a whole new playbook is in front of you, but youve got to give credit to those guys.Now they can help the Patriots (10-3) clinch the AFC East title with a win or tie against the Miami Dolphins (7-6) on Sunday.A season-ending right knee injury to defensive captain Jerod Mayo in the sixth game left the Patriots thin at linebacker. So they made two trades.Before the eighth game, they obtained Ayers and a seventh-round pick in 2015 from Tennessee for a sixth-rounder that year. Before the ninth game, they got Casillas and a sixth-round pick in 2015 from Tampa Bay for their fifth-rounder that year.Then on Oct. 29, one day after the Casillas deal, the Patriots signed Branch. He had been cut by Buffalo on Aug. 24, the day after he was arrested on a drunken-driving charge, but the main factor was performance in the decision to release him, Bills coach Doug Marrone said.All three played less than a week after joining the Patriots.Ayers, a second-round draft pick by Tennessee in 2011, started 43 of the 48 games he played in his first three seasons. But he was inactive for five of seven games with the Titans this year when they switched to a 3-4 scheme.In his first game with the Patriots, just four days after the trade, he had a sack against Jay Cutler of Chicago. In the next game, he sacked Denvers Peyton Manning. And last Sunday night, his fourth start with New England, he intercepted a pass by Philip Rivers in a 23-14 win at San Diego.Just being able to move around sometimes and just being able to do different things on defence, I really enjoy it, Ayers said.Hes getting more comfortable with the system but still has a lot to learn.I just try to narrow it down as much as I can, he said. Im pretty much learning on the go and I understand Im going to make mistakes out there and there are going to be a few things that arent perfect, but (I) just know that I can fix those mistakes and try not to make them twice.Both he and Casillas also have produced on special teams.Casillas signed with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and started just eight games in three seasons with the Saints. He was a backup in Tampa Bay last season before starting three of his five games with the Buccaneers this season.His approach to a different playbook is simple.Its really no secret, Casillas said. If you care what youre doing, you just have to put the extra time in. Ive been putting in a little extra time with (linebackers coach) Pat Graham and even with Akeem.Branch was a second-round pick by Arizona in 2007 and started 13 games for Buffalo last year. But he didnt attend any of the Bills voluntary spring practices this year then failed his conditioning in training camp.They definitely helped me out with the cardio program they have here (to) just make sure Im able to compete with the other guys for longer than a couple of plays at a time, he said. Im definitely appreciative of the chance theyve given me.And he, Ayers and Casillas have given back.All three of those players have definitely helped us, both with their playing time, their performance and Id say the rapid pace at which theyve picked things up, Belichick said.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Mark Bavaro Giants Jersey . 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Authorities in Medina, Minn., released the details one day after Cunningham was jailed for another alleged incident with the woman he had been living with for the previous eight months. Cunningham had already been charged with felony domestic assault for allegedly choking the woman last week. Phil Simms Youth Jersey . -- Chad Labelle scored the winner 17:36 into the third period to give Medicine Hat a 2-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos on Sunday and lift the Tigers into the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs.SUNRISE, Fla. -- Alex Ovechkin rebounded from his Olympic disappointment. In the first game back since the break, Ovechkin scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and had two assists, and Troy Brouwer had two power-play goals, lifting the Washington Capitals to a 5-4 victory over the Florida Panthers on Thursday night. Nicklas Backstrom and Brooks Laich also tallied for the Capitals and Braden Holtby made 30 saves. Backstrom and Laich each had two assists. Russia was eliminated by Finland in the quarterfinals at the Sochi Games, where Ovechkin had only one goal and one assist. Brad Boyes scored twice for Florida, and Drew Shore and Tomas Fleischmann also had goals. Tim Thomas stopped 27 shots. Ovechkin broke a 4-all tie in the third period when he took a pass from Laich on the right side and sent a one-timer past Thomas at 15:43 for his 41st goal. "I think we had a pretty good game, but a couple of mistakes, a couple of turnovers almost cost us points," Ovechkin said. "But its good we bounced back and finished." Ovechkins goal came just 16 seconds after a great save by Thomas with 4:43 left in the game. Mike Green came in on a breakaway on Thomas, who slipped backward into the crease and stretched out his glove into the net as he fell. Greens shot went right into Thomass glove as he was flat on his back. "I just caught a rut on the ice or something but it turned into a really nice highlight reel save," Thomas said. "I had to make the save because I look like an idiot." Thomas save might have turned the momentum toward Florida but Ovechkin spoiled the effort. "We tied it up, we were fortunate enough for me to make that save, but (after) that type of save, the last thing you want to give up is a two-on-one," Thomas said. The Capitals beat the Panthers for the ninth time in 10 meetings. Florida lost for the sixth time in seven games. For Ovechkin, looking forward might be the best way to handle the disappointment, and this game was a good start. "Its always important when you score goals because youre going to feel great the next day and the next game," Ovechkin said. The Panthers rallied twice from two-goal deficits but it wasnt enough to stop the Capitals. "The guys showed huge character after being down.dddddddddddd I didnt like the goals they (Washington) scored, but they fought back and got a goal at the end of the first, we fought back and tied the game up, and we give them two goals again," Panthers coach Peter Horachek said. "We fight back and tie it up, then you give them the winner. Its frustrating." Down 4-2, the Panthers tied it in the first half of the third period with two goals 82 seconds apart. Shore scored a power-play goal at 8:01 with a slap shot. Boyes tied it 4-all when he grabbed his own rebound and put it into the net at 9:23. "We lost our composure a little bit and they were able to capitalize on it," Laich said. Brouwers second power-play goal gave the Capitals a 4-2 lead. Thomas made a pad save on a shot by Ovechkin but lost his stick. Brouwer knocked in the loose puck with 47 seconds left in the second. "Were trying to make a good playoff push and we need everyone to contribute to try and find ways to get points like we did tonight," Brouwer said. The Panthers tied the score 2-2 just 40 seconds into the second. Boyes found a rebound at the right side of the net and poked in the puck. The Capitals regained the lead about three minutes later. Backstrom took a rebound that went off a Panthers defenceman and put it into the net at 3:44. The Capitals scored twice in the first period. During a power play, John Carlson took a shot from the point that was blocked by Thomas. Brouwer grabbed the rebound after it deflected off Laich and backhanded it past Thomas at 5:48 to make it 1-0. Laich then took a cross-ice pass from Ovechkin and scored on a one-timer from the right circle that went over Thomass shoulder at 8:10. The Panthers closed to 2-1 on Fleischmanns goal. Fleischmann took a pass from Jesse Winchester below the left circle and beat Holtby on the stick side at 15:27 of the first for his first goal in 23 games. NOTES: Capitals C Marcus Johansson sat out the game due to fatigue after a 20-hour plane trip from Sweden via London to return to the U.S. ... D Mike Green and C Mikhail Grabovski, who missed five and eight games respectively due to injury before the Olympic break, were back in the lineup for Thursdays game. ... Panthers C Scott Gomez and D Dylan Olsen were healthy scratches. ' ' '