TEAM TALK

• Patriots-Rams Thursday Injury Report.
• Erik Scalavino tells us what happened Thursday at Gillette. Phrase of the day: Business trip.
• Brady's OT rally over Jets nominated for GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week.
• Robert Kraft named first recipient of NFL Players Association Georgetown Lombardi Award.
• Press Conference: Bill Belichick (14.35 min. video).
• Patriots Today - Previewing Patriots-Rams. (3.17 min. video)
• Patriots Today - Are the Rams ready for Wilfork? (3.15 min. video)
• Patriots Today - Last practice before London. (2.57 min. video)
• Patriots Today - McCourty's highs and lows. (3.13 min. video)
• Locker Room Uncut - Patriots talk Rams. (3.04 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Matt Chatham does a bit of mythbusting about which group is to blame for the performance of the Patriots defense, and why it's not an easy fix. Good read.
• Jeff Howe reports the infusion of first-round draft picks Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower into the Patriots defense has paid off immediately.
• Michael Whitmer tells us the Patriots offense has been historically consistent.
• Mark Daniels says Rob Ninkovich is hoping to keep his turnover streak alive.
• Mark Daniels notes Steven Jackson and the Rams runners will present a hard challenge Sunday - a challenge Vince Wilfork relishes.
• John Parolin (ESPN) Three-point stance: St. Louis Rams.
• Tedy Bruschi breaks down Pats-Rams and expects NE to escape London with a win.
• Mike Reiss explains Vince Wilfork's unique sightseeing plan.
• Field Yates describes what the locker room scene was like at Gillette Thursday morning.
• Field Yates notes Wes Welker sees some similarities between himself and Cortland Finnegan.
• Field Yates notes Belichick is a longtime fan of Rams RB Steven Jackson.
• Field Yates sees the Patriots' 2012 draft class on the fast track.
• Mike Reiss posts the transcript of his weekly online chat, this time from London.
• Jeff Howe Patriots Notebook: Wes Welker and Cortland Finnegan are ready to rumble; Julian Edelman's favorite baseball team, the San Francisco Giants, has reached the World Series for the second time in three years; Zoltan Mesko, Sebastian Vollmer and Dan Connolly all have European family connections.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Albert Breer (NFL.com) New England Patriots' three biggest problems; Week 8 X-factors.
• James Walker (ESPN) Patriots lead NFL in drops. We're number 1! We're number 1!
• Andrew Perloff (SI) Week 8 predictions. "Sam Bradford throws for over 275 yards against the Patriots. Going out on a limb there, eh?
• Elliot Harrison (NFL.com) Week 8 predictions. Pats win 33-21.
• Peter King (SI) Weekend Pickoff: Week 8. Patriots 30, Rams 20.

VIEW FROM ST. LOUIS

• Jim Thomas (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) Rams need more touchdowns.
• Nick Wagoner (StLouisRams.com) Patriots provide another challenge for Rams defense.
• Bernie Bytes (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) Five thoughts on the Rams.
• Dan O'Neill (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) Tom Brady stays firmly in the present.
• Jim Thomas (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) Rams Notebook: Steven Jackson is a world traveler; WR Danny Amendola most likely won't play Sunday and is eyeing a return the following their bye; Injury update.