Quick-hit thoughts/notes around the NFL and New England Patriots:

1. Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald first reported about the NFL “investigating” three Patriots employees on the sidelines during last Sunday's win over the Jets, which was sparked by a request from the Jets (this is different from the Jets' locker room being swept for bugs). I have since learned more about the details of that situation (which were added to this news story), and here is the quick-hits version: Jets security director Robert Mastroddi was suspicious of three Patriots employees who were wearing headsets and standing along the sidelines. He asked NFL security to look into it. NFL security interviewed the three employees in the third quarter and determined that there was no wrongdoing. In relaying their initial findings to Mastroddi, the Jets' security director was skeptical about one specific thing -- that one of the employees could be responsible for the interoperability of the referee's microphone with the in-stadium public address system. So NFL security checked with the league's officiating department, and was told that the league does not hire an individual to do that; it is indeed done by someone hired by the home team. Overall, it sounds to me like the league handled the situation well. Meanwhile, the Jets' Mastroddi thought he was doing the right thing for his team, but had he known in advance who is in responsible for the referee's microphone, this probably passes by without becoming a big deal.

2. As for the story about the Jets' locker room at Gillette Stadium being checked for bugs before Sunday's game, my understanding is that was part of the NFL's standard procedure with all teams each season (which was hinted at by league spokesman Brian McCarthy). Every year, the league conducts a few annual inspections during games with each team -- from security to electronics etc. When those inspections occur, league officials are granted complete authority to go wherever they desire. I think that context is important, and makes me feel that it was standard operating procedure more than anything warranting a major headline or conspiracy-theory type sports-radio banter.

3. Over his 16-year tenure as Patriots coach, Bill Belichick has required offensive linemen to wear knee braces in games (not every team does this), and that might have saved rookie right guard Tre' Jackson's season. Jackson injured his left knee in the fourth quarter of Thursday's win over the Jets, but initial tests showed that he didn't tear his ACL or MCL and no surgery is required. If Jackson wasn't wearing a brace, it might have been a different story.

4. In reviewing the Patriots' 36-7 win over the Dolphins on Thursday night, one thing stood out to me from a Miami perspective: I thought Earl Mitchell was the more disruptive defensive tackle over Ndamukong Suh. Part of that was Mitchell having more one-on-one opportunities and he gave center David Andrews some issues. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound Mitchell is a six-year veteran who doesn't receive the same type of buzz as Suh, but he's an under-the-radar type player who is appreciated more the closer you look.

5a. It might be a longshot, but if I'm Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and director of player personnel Nick Caserio, I'm calling the Titans before Tuesday's trade deadline to see if there's anything that might entice them to trade cornerback Jason McCourty, the twin brother of Patriots safety Devin McCourty. Cornerback is the position where the Patriots are noticeably thin, and Jason McCourty is scheduled to earn base salaries of $7 million in both 2016 and 2017. Would the Titans, who played competitive pass defense without McCourty in three games to start the season and then last Sunday when McCourty left with a hamstring injury, see value in clearing salary while adding either a 2016 third-round pick or 2017 second-round pick? I'm just spit-balling here, which is the only type of fantasy football I play.

5b. If not McCourty, Chiefs cornerback Marcus Cooper remains a target I think could interest New England if Kansas City would consider trading him for a late-round pick. Cooper is hardly playing for the Chiefs this season. The Patriots tried to claim him on waivers back in 2013 when he was waived by the 49ers, but the Chiefs had priority and trumped them.

6. Did you Know: As a member of the Patriots from 2004-2014, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork was never part of a team that lost more than six regular-season games (the Patriots totaled 6 losses in a season twice during his time with them). Wilfork is now with the Texans and if Houston loses today at home against Tennessee, it will drop to 2-6 and match the most losses Wilfork has ever experienced in a regular season.

7. I thought Wilfork's departure in the offseason would hurt the Patriots more than it has. Instead, through some good fortune in the draft (few saw Malcom Brown slipping to pick No. 32) and an in-season trade with the Saints for Akiem Hicks, the Patriots have solid quality and depth at the hard-to-fill position with Brown, Hicks, Alan Branch, Dominique Easley, Sealver Siliga and Chris Jones. And it works for them financially. The team's total cash spending on those six defensive tackles this year is $9.1 million, while Wilfork's cash total for 2015 is $5 million.

8. The Patriots still list tight end Michael Williams, who was acquired in a trade from the Lions on Aug. 26, at 304 pounds on their roster. That's what Williams weighed when he arrived, in part because he was playing offensive tackle in Detroit. Now that he's back at tight end and running routes consistently, he's dropped below the 300-pound mark. Williams, in a surprise, has played more overall snaps (176) than Scott Chandler (166) as the Patriots' No. 2 tight end.

9. Judging a player's intent can be difficult, and along those lines, I was curious if the NFL would fine Jets defensive back Darrin Walls for a low block on Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater last Sunday. It was a curious play on the surface, as it appeared that Walls -- a fifth-year player from Notre Dame -- was going after Slater's knee by lunging directly at it while attempting to cover a second-quarter kickoff. That type of play seems out of character for Walls, according to those who have watched him closely in recent years, but the league didn't like how it looked and fined him $8,681 for unnecessary roughness.

10. Like others, I wondered how much of Patriots safety Patrick Chung's effectiveness in 2014 was a result of having two solid press-man cover cornerbacks in Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, and if perhaps some of his vulnerabilities might show up in 2015. It hasn't turned out that way. Chung is playing excellent football and Belichick shared detail last week on why he thinks he's been more successful in 2014-2015 than his first stint with the team (2009-2012). During his weekly interview on sports radio WEEI, Belichick essentially said the Patriots didn't use him right. Specifically, the Patriots played more split-safety coverage with Chung in the deep part of the field early in his career, and now are playing more single-high safety, which allows Chung to align closer to the line of scrimmage. Each week, Chung makes plays that stand out. One of the most recent examples was how he recognized a screen against Miami, blowing up the play (5:37, first quarter) and helping to produce a Chandler Jones sack. This is a good example of how a player's success is tied, in part, to the coaching staff putting him in the best position to accentuate his strengths and mask some weaknesses.