Patriots Links for Friday, 2/1

Marima already linked to this, but I think it deserves to be on the main page:  ESPN.com's Wright Thompson has a very good piece on Ernie Adams, director of football research for the New England Patriots.  Adams is one of Bill Belichick's closest friends and is considered a brilliant football tactician by those who know him.

John Clayton has 10 reasons why the Patriots will win Super Bowl XLII.

NFL.com's Pat Kirwan writes that the Patriots offense has proven they can run as well as pass.  On a related note, Ira Miller agrees that the Patriots offense is "chameleonic" in the sense that they can move the ball in a lot of ways.

Megan King believes Kevin Faulk will be an X-factor in the game, and could even win the MVP.

Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins gives an account of Tom Brady's humble football origins and traces how he came to be the superstar he is.

Dr. Z has a positional breakdown for both teams.   Unfortunately, he breaks down matchups by comparing the offense to the offense and the defense to the defense, rather than the matchups that will actually play out on the field (offense versus defense).  The Herald's John Tomase also has positional breakdowns, though he has them grouped by position rather than individual.

With the Globe, Mike Reiss has some practice reports updated to his blog.

Jim McCabe speculates on the prospects of a perfect season.
At the same time, Dan Shaughnessy wonders if this Patriots season should be considered the best of any Boston team in history.

Meanwhile, Jackie MacMullan looks even further down the road and surmises this could be Asante Samuel's final game as a Patriot.

Rob Bradford of the Herald notes that Brady's ankle injury has become a non-issue.  Credit the Patriots for continuing to list him as having a shoulder injury on their official reports.

Tomase credits Bill Belichick's high standards for helping to create the recent run of success the Patriots have enjoyed.

Karen Guregian writes that versatility may be the Patriots' best quality.  In a similar vein, she looks back at the many ways the Patriots were able to win games this year.

Finally, Tony Massarotti says there's nothing left to do but play the game.  Amen.