Shots Heard 'Round The Web - Patriots Links 12/29/08

TEAM SHOTS

• Patriots at Bills Game Notes.  Great stats here, really worth a look.
• Patriots Post-game quotes.
• Patriots get gust-win, 13-0 over Bills.
• Post Game Pressers:  Bill Belichick, Matt Cassel.
  

LOCAL SHOTS

• Chris Gasper notes the Patriots made history again this season, for being shut out of the playoffs with an 11-5 record since format changed in 1990.
• Bob Ryan feels the Patriots did all you can ask for, saying "They're the Best Team Ever To Miss The Playoffs."  Great piece on the character of this team.
• Shalise Manza Young writes Patriots sing a sad song after beating the Bills but falling short of playoffs.
• Karen Guregian gives her take on the Patriots win, but still miss the playoffs.
• Jim Donaldson feels Patriots deserve praise, not criticism, after this season.
• Michael Felger says Brett Favre ended the Patriots season and you shouldn't be surprised.  Says the look on Mangini's face...priceless.
• Mike Reiss notes Belichick's key play of the day was Chris Hanson's 46-yard against-the-wind punt at the start of the third quarter.
• Rich Garven assesses that on a day when the wind quieted the passing game, Matt Cassel did a bit of everything, including booting a 57-yard punt in the third quarter.
• Jim Donaldson notes Cassel does it all in the final game of his remarkable season.
• Joe Sullivan points to Jarvis Green's sack of Trent Edwards in the third quarter as the play of the game, punching the ball loose with Mike Vrabel recovering the fumble.
• Jay Skurski lauds the play of Jarvis Green, who humbly declined to be interviewed.
• Mike Petraglia offers his ffive things the Patriots did to make Dick Jauron wish he were flying a kite instead of coaching Buffalo to a 13-0 loss to New England.
• Globe Patriots Notebook: Running game finished strong; safety James Sanders was back in the lineup finishing with 8 tackles; the referee explains Buffalo's time mismanagement; Gostkowski sets Patriots record; Pats set fewest NFL penalties record with 57; injury updates.
• Mike Reiss lists the Patriots 2009 opponents, the team reaction from Foxboro, and presents a Live blog recap: The final 7 hours of the Patriots season.
• Shira Springer rebuts yesterday's NBC Sports report, saying Brady's rehab is progressing as expected, but then goes on to state that what was in the NBC article was expected.  So...
• Shalise Manza Young suggests the report on Brady's knee could mean Cassel sticks around.
  

LONG SHOTS

• NFL Game Center Post-game analysis and highlight video.  Pats - Bills recap video with Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) San Diego is why Fins got in, Pats didn't, Futures of Mangini and Favre in black and white.
• Peter King (SI) details the best 16 minutes of the season, lists the Pats 7th in his Fine Fifteen, gives Chris Hanson special teams player of the week, and takes Gostkowski over Vinatieri.
• ProFootball Weekly offers a Clarification of the Pats -Bills end-of-half play when the time was allowed to run out.