FOXBORO — Brandon Meriweather is starting to get noticed, though that’s not hard to do when you pull in two interceptions in one game, including one for a touchdown.

The third-year safety was recognized as the AFC defensive player of the week for his efforts against Tampa Bay in New England’s 35-7 rout, another first for the former University of Miami standout.

Meriweather had two other pass breakups in the game, and leads the Patriots with 47 tackles (26 solo) thus far this season.

Just don’t mention those tackle numbers to him.

“I’ve missed way too many tackles already; that’s something I have to work on,” he said on Wednesday. “I think everything is a work in progress. Everything can get better.”

Before last season, the knock on Meriweather was that he had terrible hands — dropping at least four potential interceptions as a rookie will get a player that reputation — but he spent the offseason catching passes from anyone who would throw them, and last year he led New England with four interceptions.

So if history is any indication, Meriweather’s acknowledgement that he’s not tackling well enough will lead to a turnaround sometime in the near future.

The Pats’ first-round pick in 2007 (24th overall), Meriweather had the good fortune to learn from Rodney Harrison. Now, with Harrison retired and an NBC commentator, Meriweather’s mentor has also become one of his biggest — and most visible – fans.

During Sunday Night’s Football in America, Harrison lauded his protégé as one of the best in the game right now.

“He’s a playmaker. Not only is he a defensive leader, but right now he’s the MVP of that team. … I think he and (the Broncos’) Brian Dawkins are probably playing the best of any safety in the AFC right now,” Harrison said.

Meriweather, who has aspirations of being named to the Pro Bowl like so many of his Hurricanes brethren before him (current teammate Vince Wilfork included), will certainly receive a boost from both the AFC honor and Harrison’s words.

A true believer in Bill Belichick, however, Meriweather isn’t buying into whatever hype he may be receiving: Harrison’s words “mean a lot, but you always have to take things with a grain of salt. … I’m just trying to stay humble.”

Great to be back

Rookie Brandon Tate was all smiles at his locker on Tuesday, still basking in the glow of his first NFL game and the first football game he’s played in over a year.

The third-round draft pick, who tore his ACL playing against Notre Dame with North Carolina last October, was on the reserve/non-football injury list for the first six weeks of the season and began practicing last week. He was activated to the 53-man roster last Saturday and was in uniform against Tampa Bay in Wembley Stadium.

On the first play of the Pats’ second possession, Tate got the ball on an end-around and picked up a first down, taking it 11 yards.

“That felt real good,” Tate said. “I hadn’t been on the field in so long and the trip to London was big, so I just soaked it all in and tried to enjoy it.”

He also had two kickoff returns for an average of 22 yards.

Rest for the weary

The Patriots held practice on Tuesday inside Gillette Stadium in the rain and cold, and with this being the bye week, attendance was a little light. A total of 11 players weren’t spotted during the media-access portion: Julian Edelman, Fred Taylor, Shawn Springs, Sammy Morris, Jerod Mayo, Junior Seau, Matt Light, Vince Wilfork, Randy Moss, Ty Warren and Jarvis Green.

Edelman (broken arm), Taylor (ankle surgery), Morris (knee) and Light (knee) did not make the trip to London.

For the others, it was likely a veteran’s day off to rest the bumps and bruises: Warren hurt his right ankle against the Buccaneers, and Moss was drilled twice in the left shoulder. Springs has been dealing with a lingering knee issue all season and has torn ligaments in two of the fingers on his right hand as well. Green and Wilfork have both been on the injury report in recent weeks with leg injuries, and Mayo may have been resting his right knee after missing three weeks with a sprained MCL.

As for Seau, well, he’s 40. That’s reason enough to get a day or two off.

Quick kicks

Fan voting for the Pro Bowl has begun; cast your ballot at www.nfl.com/probowl. ... Moss is 14 receptions shy of becoming just the 10th player in NFL history with 900 career receptions and 234 yards shy of becoming the seventh player in league history with 14,000 receiving yards. … With another 300-yard passing game against the Bucs, Tom Brady is now 1,180 yards away from surpassing Drew Bledsoe (29,657) as New England’s all-time leader in passing yardage. At his current pace of 290.1 yards per game, Brady would overtake Bledsoe early in the Pats’ Monday Night Football game against New Orleans on Nov. 30.

smanza@projo.com