New England Patriots Links 12/22/14 - Patriots Get Bye With a Little Help From Their 'D'

TEAM TALK

• Post Game Notes - Patriots vs. Jets: Records set, milestones reached, trends continued. Patriots earn fifth straight first-round bye.
• Paul Perillo notes that despite a lackluster effort from the offense, the Pats clinched a first-round bye behind defense and special teams.
• Andy Hart reports New England played its second straight tight game with New York, but once again came out on top.
• Erik Scalavino shares his observations from the press box at MetLife Stadium: "No one, it seemed, was excited about the game. Even those playing it."
• Post Game Pressers: Bill Belichick (6.40 min. video) - Tom Brady (7.47 min. video) - Vince Wilfork (7.18 min. video)
• Post Game Quotes - Patriots and Jets.
• Patriots Today - Analyzing the Patriots win over the Jets. (1.58 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Karen Guregian says we’ve been waiting a decade for this defense - the kind that will keep you in games, and make big plays that ultimately push you over the top.
• Mike Reiss posts his initial reaction to Patriots 17, Jets 16: Patriots had to grind this one out.
• Mike Reiss presents two different ways to view the narrow win and notes that if the Patriots didn't have Danny Amendola, they probably would have lost.
• Mike Petraglia looks at what a very ugly win over the Jets teaches us about the Patriots and the playoffs.
• Jeff Howe notes the Patriots expected a hard-nosed battle with their division rivals, and that's what they got.
• Tom E. Curran thinks the Patriots complicated their game plan vs. the Jets.
• Ron Borges writes that once again, Rex Ryan won the chess match but Tom Brady won the football match.
• Christopher Price tells us what we learned Sunday: Defense played well when it counted.
• Lee Schechter picks Vince Wilfork's tipped FG attempt as the play of the game.
• Doug Kyed notes Devin McCourty dubs Wilfork 'Air Vince' after his blocked kick.
• Phil Perry notes Nick Mangold appreciates WIlfork's respectful gesture after he was carted off.
• Christopher Price focuses on how special teams is the difference-maker again in the win over the Jets.
• Mike Reiss explains how the Jets kept Tom Brady off balance.
• Jeremy Gottlieb gives us five takeaways from the Pats' 17-16 win: 1. The O-line is in critical condition.
• Doug Kyed shares a few takeaways from Sunday: Patriots pass rush comes through when it matters.
• Mike Reiss posts some post-game soundbites from the winning locker room.
• Ryan Hannable points out how Danny Amendola stepped up in Julian Edelman's absence.
• Michael Hurley details how the Patriots needed exactly what they got from Danny Amendola, and give us another reason they're unbeatable.
• Dan Ventura spotlights Danny Amendola, who was targeted 11 times and caught a game-high eight passes for 63 yards.
• Mike Petraglia and Chris Price explain how the short-handed Patriots escaped with a win. (8.09 min. video)
• Bill Speros files a complaint to the FCC after Rex Ryan was shown mouthing two naughty words Sunday.
• Mike Reis picks his Ups and Downs from Sunday's win.
• Karen Guregian posts her Best & Worst from Pats-Jets.
• Erik Frenz issues his post-game stock report from Sunday.
• Jimmy Toscano picks his Best and Worst from Sunday.
• Jeff Howe Patriots Notebook: Darrelle Revis put former loyalties aside yesterday and made the Jets QB as uncomfortable as any other opposing QB; Josh Kline started at LG in place of Dan Connolly but was benched after Tom Brady was sacked four times on 19 drop-backs in the first half; Players showed respect and sympathy for Nick Mangold, who was carted off the field with an ankle injury.

NATIONAL NEWS

• NFL Game Center - Patriots at Jets. Recap, stats, analysis and highlights.
• Dan Hanzus (NFL.com) Patriots lock down first-round bye with win over Jets.
• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Patriots hold off Jets, clinch first-round bye.
• Don Banks (SI) Snap judgments, Week 16: Patriots are happy they don’t have to see the Jets until 2015 and probably never again with head coach Rex Ryan on the sideline.
• Jason La Canfora (CBS Sports) Week 16 NFL observations: Will Brady rest?
• NFL Nation (ESPN) Week 16 game balls: Danny Amendola gets one.
• Peter King (The MMQB) MMQB: A repeat possibility.
• John Clayton (ESPN) Last Call, Week 16: Playoff picture takes shape.
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) NFL morning after: Playing hard, with nothing to play for.
• Mike Tanier (Bleacher Report) Monday Morning Hangover: Attack of the zombie quarterbacks.
• Around the NFL (NFL.com) Season of signal-callers: 37 things you need to know. "Patriots become the first team in NFL history to secure a first-round playoff bye in five consecutive seasons."
• Chris Burke & Doug Farrar (SI) NFL Week 16 Superlatives.
• John Breech (CBS Sports) NFL Week 16 Grades. Patriots earn a C.
• Kristian Dyer (Yahoo! Sports) Rex Ryan on if he regrets Bill Belichick comments: 'Oh hell no'.
• Around the NFL (NFL.com) What we learned in the first half of Week 16

VIEW FROM NEW YORK

• Seth Walder (NY Daily News) Patriots hang on to beat Jets in what’s likely Rex Ryan’s last home game as Gang Green’s coach.
• Steve Politi (NJ.com) Jets loss to Patriots was Rex Ryan's entire career wrapped up in one game.
• Brian Costello (NY Post) A fitting end? In Rex’s likely home finale, Jets can’t get past Patriots.
• Flip Bondy (NY Daily News) Blame John Idzik all you want for the Jets’ woes, but this loss to Tom Brady and Patriots is on Rex Ryan.
• Dom Cosentino (NJ.com) Rex Ryan sounds defeated after loss to New England Patriots drops Jets to 3-12.
• Bart Hubbuch (NY Post) The one stat that explains Jets’ futility.
• Mike Vaccaro (NY Post) The cruelest fact for the Jets: Brady, Belichick won’t go away.
• Daryl Slater (NJ.com) New England Patriots 17, Jets 16: The good, the bad and the ugly from another close loss for Rex Ryan.
• Brian Costello (NY Post) Rex Ryan rants about refs, Patriots’ ‘gift touchdown’.
• Manish Mehta (NY Daily News) NY Jets owner Woody Johnson needs to clean house, hand reins to Patriots duo of Nick Caserio and Josh McDaniels.
• Gary Myers (NY Daily News) Rex Ryan delivered jokes, not Super Bowl rings as NY Jets coach.
• Bart Hubbuch (NY Post) Took long enough: Rex Ryan finally comes down hard on Geno.
• Daryl Slater (NJ.com) Darrelle Revis speaks to Rex Ryan after New England Patriots beat Jets. What did Revis say?