New England Patriots Links 1/20/11 - Tom Brady Passes On Pro Bowl, Needs Surgery On Fractured Foot

Christopher Price hears Deion Branch speaking with KJR Radio in Seattle about the season-ending loss to the Jets.

What happened in the game against the Jets: "It just goes to show you that if you don’t come to play week-in and week-out what can happen. We had a great season, finished the year 14-2, by far the best team in the NFL during the regular season but once the postseason starts it is a different season. The Jets came out. They had a great game plan. They executed their game plan. Now going into the game we had a great one as well but we didn’t execute our game plan and that is the difference. You can’t just rely on what happened during the regular season even though we didn’t do that, we didn’t execute our plays."

Anything but winning the Super Bowl is a failure in New England: "That is the mindset. It was here when I came here in ’02 and when I left they had the same mindset, when I returned it was the same exact thing. The goals around here are a whole lot bigger than just winning the division, winning the conference, just getting to the playoffs, it is bigger than that and I think that we didn’t do a good job executing the things we set out to do, and the goals we set as a team. Like I said, it was a great season. I think we don’t have to hang our heads down low. Guys went out and played good this season but we didn’t finish off what we set out to do this year."

How much trash talking there was going on between the wide receivers and defensive backs: "There was none. There really was none. You know me and Darrelle had some words but it was nothing about smack talk. It was, ‘Hey you got me on that one. I got you on that play.’ Great competitive, great competition out there on the football field amongst me and him. I only went against Cromartie that one time, which was on that fourth down play. Well twice. Actually I went against him three times, I am sorry. Three times. The rest of the time it was just me and Darrelle. There really wasn’t a lot of trash talking going on. Other than that, I can’t say. I don’t know what was going on in the interior line but the outside there wasn’t a whole lot of trash talking going on."

TEAM TALK

• Erik Scalavino tells us what PFW will be focusing on in the offseason.
• Erik Scalavino reports Tom Brady will undergo surgery, as early as today but no later than Monday, on his fractured right foot.
• The New England Patriots signed practice squadders OL Thomas Austin and T Steve Maneri to future contracts.
• The Hall at Patriot Place has been host to around 24,000 students from more than 200 different schools since it opened its doors to school field trips in September of 2008.
• New England Patriots Kick Cancer Campaign continues.
• Patriots Today - Did Pats meet expectations? (4.17 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Mike Reiss offers his thoughts on Tom Brady and his unexpected foot surgery.
• Ian Rapoport reports Tom Brady is set to have surgery at Mass General on his right foot.
• Christopher Price focuses on Tom Brady's decision to have surgery and forgo the Pro Bowl.
• Karen Guregian notes that while the young defense grew and improved over the season, there were still too many issues to overcome, significantly the lack of a pass rush.
• Jerry Spar highlights Matt Chatham's appearance on WEEI yesterday, noting the loss was because the players didn't execute the plays that were called.
• Mike Reiss revisits the Tracy White trade deal and White's hope that he would be returning to Foxboro in 2011.
• Chris Gasper offers his opinions on the three biggest need areas for the Patriots in the offseason.
• D.J. Bean takes an early look at some outside linebackers in the draft to keep an eye on.
• Rich Thompson writes about the philosophy adopted by Kyle Arrington that transformed him from a practice squad wannabe to a full-time NFL starter.
• Tony Massarotti says Wes Welker deserved better than the benching he received and that Belichick could have handled it differently.
• Bob Ryan empties out the desk drawer of the sports mind. "Was Aaron Hernandez kidnapped last Sunday and no one told us?"
• Ian Rapoport Patriots Notebook: Taylor Price has bigger things in mind for 2011 and is anxious to get better and use the offseason to "work on my craft."; Kyle Love hopes he's in the team's plans as Belichick told him not to get out of shape in the offseason; Julian Edelman has an uncertain future after finishing with just seven catches for 86 yards in Year 2 after his breakout Rookie year. He's prepared to work harder in his third year.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Tim Graham (ESPN) Mock, mock 'til you drop. Mel Kiper and Todd McShay select DE J.J. Watt (Wisconsin) and DE Ryan Kerrigan (Purdue) for the Pats 17th pick.
• Michael Lombardi (NFL.com) Patriots, Ravens need to take hard look at shortcomings.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Tom Jackson's curious explanation of his Jets-Pats pick.
• David Whitley (NFL Fanhouse) Tom Brady, Peyton Manning aren't passing into history -- yet.
• Nate Dunlevy (Cold Hard Football Facts) Bloom is off the Brady rose.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) Help select the 2010 All-Pro AFC East team.
• Dan Pompei (Nat'l Football Post) One man's all-pro vote.
• Don Banks (SI) Steelers, Jets, Packers, Bears set for Sunday's title games.
• Paul Daugherty (SI) The art of being a Bandwagon Fan. "Life's too short to support bad football."
• Alex Marvez (Fox Sports) Owners' meetings yet to yield any hope.
• Ken Belson (NY Times) As lockout looms, NFL players go to Washington.