TEAM TALK

• Erik Scalavino notes the Patriots are prepping for Round 2 with the Texans.
• Conference Call Transcripts: Bill Belichick - Josh McDaniels - Matt Patricia.
• Patriots Today - Bring on the Texans. (2.52 min. video)
• Patriots Today - Patriots organization remembers Don Brocher. (2.42 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Jeff Howe reports the Patriots plan to just keep punching until the Texans show they can stop them.
• Field Yates fills us in on what's on tap for the players today as they get back to work.
• Matt Chatham explains why we'll see a different Texans team Sunday than the "frightened turtles" we watched in Foxborough in December.
• Tom E. Curran says the Patriots can still have trouble against Arian Foster and the Texans' "stretch" running attack.
• Bill Burt suggests new CB Aqib Talib may have saved a great Patriots team from an early dismissal.
• Shalise Manza Young points out the Patriots have a positive history against Wade Phillips defenses.
• Mary Paoletti finds the Texans' secondary a big part of their dangerous defense.
• Luke Hughes tells us the Texans are more dangerous than they were during the last visit to Foxboro, which could spell trouble for the Patriots.
• ESPN Stats & Information posts a few statistical nuggets looking ahead to Sunday's divisional playoff game between the Patriots and Texans.
• Dan Shaughnessy calls the Patriots 'amazingly lucky' on his way to deliberately baiting the Texans with freshly-inked bulletin board material.
• Gerry Callahan says he doesn't want to give Arian Foster more avatar material but then piles on about how badly the Texans have been playing since they lost to the Pats.
• Christopher Price tells us why this postseason is so important for Wes Welker.
• Mike Reiss notes Deion Branch wasn't on the roster for the Dec. 10th matchup with the Texans, but he said the score of that game doesn't matter.
• Mike Reiss notes Logan Mankins is expecting the Texans to blitz because Wade Phillips is "an aggressive coach."
• Chad Finn says that if the Texans are going to give a good accounting in their latest Biggest Game In Franchise History, their superstars must lead them.
• Shalise Manza Young believes in-game adjustments will be critical for the Patriots Sunday.
• Mark Farinella reports Houston is likely to alter its approach according to what works and doesn't work from its scripted plays, and Belichick is prepared to adjust.
• Tim Britton looks at whether there are any lessons to be learned from the Patriots' Dec. 10th win over the Texans.
• Tedy Bruschi posts the transcript of his weekly Patriots chat.
• Glen Farley lists the areas that are in need of improvement if the Patriots want to win Super Bowl XLVII.
• Christopher Price offers a Patriots positional playoff preview: Defensive Backs.
• Bill Speros reports Patrick Chung, with his wife Cecilia will officially launch the Chung Changing Lives foundation on Monday night.
• Jeff Howe Patriots Notebook: Texans believe the return of OLB Brooks Reed will give them a better chance of beating the Patriots; Tom Brady commented on Seahawks' CB Richard Sherman getting in Redskins' OT Trent William's face after the game Sunday; Gary Kubiak believes the most important thing the Texans can do is win the turnover battle against NE; Brady conceded Drew Bledsoe could beat him in a race, but insists he could outrun Peyton Manning.
• Mark Farinella reports the Patriots will be honoring equipment manager Don Brocher with a sticker on their helmets for the remainder of the season.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Nate Davis (USA Today) Texans-Patriots: Five story lines to watch.
• Matt Bowen (Nat'l Football Post) Are the Texans ready for Patriots' play action? All-22 look at two plays that gave Houston issues in their Week 14 loss to New England.
• Adam Dobrowolski (Cold Hard Football Facts) Super Bowl super study says Patriots, Broncos built like champs.
• Gregg Rosenthal (NFL.com) Are the Houston Texans 'tomato cans' and 'frauds'?
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Arian Foster notices when Boston columnist rips "terrible Texans".
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Bill Belichick: Patriots' previous win over Texans means nothing now.
• Kerry J. Byrne (Cold Hard Football Facts) NFL Divisional playoffs: Final 8 proves power of Passer Rating Differential.
• Alex Marvez (Fox Sports) Storylines aplenty in divisional round.
• Chris Burke (SI) Early look at the divisional round matchups.
• Bucky Brooks (NFL.com) Eight possible paths to Championship Sunday.
• Clark Judge (CBS Sports) Judgements: Late-season momentum disappears on Bengals, Colts.
• Don Banks (SI) Redskins play with fire with RGIII's knee and get burned; More.
• Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) Playoff Power Rankings: No love for the Ravens.
• Staff Report (Cold Hard Football Facts) Super Bowl picks.
• Eric Edholm (Pro Football Weekly) Expanding the playoffs a bad idea.
• Ron Jaworski (ESPN) Final 2012 QB rankings.
• NFL GameDay Morning (NFL.com) 2012 plays of the year. (2.40 min. video) Bah!
  

VIEW FROM HOUSTON

• Nick Scurfield (HoustonTexans.com) Texans must improve in red zone against potent Patriots.
• Dale Robertson (Houston Chronicle) Photos: Texans’ recipe for a payback against the Patriots.
• Jimmy Golen, AP (Houston Chronicle) Belichick not impressed by blowout win over Texans on Dec. 10.
• Kristie Rieken, AP (Houston Gazette) Texans look to limit mistakes against Patriots.
• Reid Laymance (Houston Chronicle) Key matchups: Andre Johnson vs. Aqib Talib.
• Justin Boyd (Houston Chronicle) Arian Foster reacts to Boston Globe column.
• John Brannen (Houston Chronicle) Texans report: Patriots heavily favored.
• Michael Lombardi (NFL.com) Texans-Pats. (1.24 min. video)