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TEAM TALK
- Erik Scalavino shares his practice and locker room notes from a frigid Thursday at Gillette. All 60 Patriots were in attendance.
- Patriots AFC Divisional Playoff game tickets go on sale to general public on Monday, January 7.
- Press Conference: Tom Brady (7.38 min. video)
- Patriots Today - Spotlight on Woodhead. (3.08 min. video)
- Patriots Today - Previewing potential matchups. (3.23 min. video)
- NFL Highlights - 2012: Best of RB Stevan Ridley (1.23 min. video)
LOCAL LINKS
- Michael Whitmer reports Danny Woodhead is playing dependable, productive football, with only four negative-yardage plays this season.
- Jeff Howe reports Tom Brady is hyper-aware that he and the Patriots have to stay in the moment to succeed - it's a play-by-play existence right now.
- Mark Farinella finds it humorous that Tom Brady won't address the fact that he's closer to the end of his career than the beginning.
- Mark Daniels hears from the Patriots rookies, who know they must elevate their play to the next level as the intensity will rise from each opponent.
- Matt Chatham focuses on how the playoff bye is still very much a work week in New England and an opportunity for players to get their strength back. Good read.
- Brian MacPherson reports even Belichick admits playoff games really are more important than the others.
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Field Yates tells us four things we learned this week from the team. Pats will be watching Wild Card weekend like the rest of us.
- Mike Reiss shares some football thoughts on Andy Reid, Chandler Jones, Josh McDaniels and more.
- Field Yates notes the Patriots' offense was the best in the NFL this year, and looks at how it stacks up against 2007.
- Chad Finn considers the Best & Worst of this season's first 16 games for the Patriots.
- Ricky Doyle revisits Robert Kraft's agreement to move the team to Hartford, Connecticut.
- Ricky Doyle tracks the draft picks used in the deal that secured Bill Belichick as the head coach of the New England Patriots.
- Mike Reiss posts the transcript of his weekly online chat.
- Christopher Price addresses his Patriots postseason mailbag: Breaking down possible playoff opponents.
- Jeff Howe Patriots Notebook: Gronkowski and Hernandez are getting back into a working flow with each other again; NE was still able to have the league's best offense with only one of them on the field at a time; Brady (rest), Ninkovich (hip) and Hightower (shoulder, hamstring) returned to practice; Pressure was on Ridley at practice yesterday with players on each side of him going all out to free the ball; Ryan Wendell played more snaps than any player in the NFL and felt fortunate to be healthy.
- Michael Vega Patriots Notebook: Tom Brady reflects on the retirement of Ray Lewis, the induction of Stephen Neal into his alma mater's Hall of Fame and the recent death of long-time equipment manager Don Brocher; The next playoff victory for New England will have historical importance for Belichick and Brady; Pats practiced in the frigid cold Thursday.
- Jim Lazar notes there's a lot of worrying about who the Pats will play, but for sure it won't be anyone from New York. Wild Card Weekend picks: Texans, Packers, Ravens, Redskins.
NATIONAL NEWS
- Gil Brandt (NFL.com) Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Joe Flacco among top playoff QBs.
- Doug Williams (ESPN) Ten best NFL playoff games since 2000. No. 6 (2002) Patriots 16, Raiders 13 and No. 5 (2007) Colts 38, Patriots 34.
- Jim Reineking (NFL.com) Wild Card Weekend memories.
- David Barron (Houston Chronicle) Struggling Texans bashed by national analysts, dubbed ‘elephants on parade’.
- Jack Bechta (Nat'l Football Post) 5 traits of an NFL dynasty.
- Matt Bowen (Nat'l Football Post) NFL playoffs: Are you ready to see some speed?
- Adam Schein (NFL.com) My championship Sunday: Patriots-Broncos, Seahawks-Packers.
- NFL analysts (CBS Sports) 2012 NFL All-Pro Team. Tom Brady and Vince Wilfork make this team.
- Russell S. Baxter (Cold Hard Football facts) Matter of facts: Seahawks have No. 1 scoring defense.
- Jason La Canfora (CBS Sports) Wild Card game rankings: Vikings-Packers main course of weekend.
- Peter Schrager (Fox Sports) Wild-card storylines: Who has the edge?
- Elliot Harrison (NFL.com) Wild-card predictions: Cincinnati Bengals upset Houston Texans.
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) PFT's Wild Card picks.
- Experts (CBS Sports) Wild Card Weekend Picks.