TEAM TALK
- Patriots - Broncos Wednesday Injury Report.
- Erik Scalavino shares some practice notes and the buzz from the locker room: Patriots' 'Drive for Five' goes through Denver.
- Andy Hart recaps Bill Belichick's Wednesday presser: 'Never ever, ever underestimate Manning under any circumstances.'
- Paul Perillo highlights Tom Brady's Wednesday presser: 'Playing someone 17 times is pretty cool.'
- AFC Championship Week Presser Transcripts: Bill Belichick - Tom Brady - Devin McCourty - Rob Ninkovich - Matthew Slater - Danny Amendola - Malcolm Butler - Darius Fleming - Brandon LaFell.
- Briana Palma reports Darius Fleming earns praise for 'remarkable' off-the-field heroics.
- Briana Palma reports on the Battle of the beards: Ninkovich vs. Edelman.
LOCAL LINKS
- Jeff Howe explains why the Patriots defense must respect the Broncos running game.
- Tom E. Curran gives us an injury update: Chandler Jones (knee) avoided serious injury, Dont'a Hightower (knee) is doing well, Jamie Collins (back) is less certain. All were present for the walkthrough Wednesday.
- Phil Perry reports the Patriots had near-perfect attendance at their walkthrough inside the Field House on Wednesday.
- Tom E. Curran talks about how the Patriots lost more than a linebacker in Jerod Mayo, they lost a leader in the locker room, something fans weren't able to see.
- Adam Kurkjian notes Jonathan Freeny is in position to help out on Sunday. He finished the regular season meeting with 12 tackles and a sack.
- Ryan Hannable looks at the Patriots postseason road record and wonders if the Patriots can overcome issues away from home, playing in Denver.
- Karen Guregian says Peyton Manning doesn't live up to the Patriots' praise.
- Eric Wilbur details the ups and downs of a Brady-Manning rivalry that never really was.
- Chris Villani believes Tom Brady has a big edge in his 17th matchup with Peyton Manning.
- Ron Borges has no use for statistics that point to the Patriots beating the Broncos on Sunday. "Good players decide the game, not stat geeks."
- Michael Hurley talks about the night the Brady-Manning rivalry really began.
- Matt Burke shares his theory on why the Patriots should let Manning do well early in the game Sunday.
- Mike Petraglia and Chris Price discuss why the Patriots and Tom Brady have the advantage on Peyton Manning and the Broncos. (8.53 min. video)
- Pat Bradley notes Von Miller praises Tom Brady, calling him one of the NFL's best.
- Mike Reiss points out that the Broncos have succeeded with low hits on Rob Gronkowski.
- Jeff Howe hears form Malcolm Butler, who says the Patriots won't engage in trash talk because 'That doesn't win football games.'
- Christopher Price talks with former Patriots backup QB Damon Huard, who mastered the art of imitating Peyton Manning.
- Christopher Price notes Damon Huard says he knew Tom Brady had surpassed him on the depth chart in the Summer of 2001.
- Josh Brown (Boston's TitleTown Talk) How Jamie Collins injury could cost the Pats another Super Bowl.
- Ryan Hannable reports that according to David Wade of WBZ-TV, Mass State Police needed to drive the kicking balls and gauges for the Patriots-Chiefs game to Gillette Stadium because the referees left them at a Boston hotel.
- Christopher Price reports that Clete Blakeman, who had a role in the deflategate drama, will work as referee for Super Bowl 50.
- Adam Kurkjian, Chris Villani and Bob McGovern report Darius Fleming scolds the trolls, as cops and witnesses confirm rescue.
- Ben Volin issues an apology to Darius Fleming, and an explanation of what happened.
- Jeff Howe Patriots Notebook: Bill Belichick is all work, no talk in advance of Sunday's game; Players echoed the tone he set, reiterating that talk doesn't win games; Brandon LaFell added, 'Brady's not a whiner, he's a winner'; It's Jimmy Garoppolo's turn to become Peyton Manning, including emulating his mannerisms and a whole lot of 'Omahas'; Injury updates.
- Bill Reynolds gives the history behind Danny Amendola's carport, erected in December with the permission of the city and blown up into a big deal due to social media.
NATIONAL NEWS
- Kevin Van Valkenburg (ESPN Magazine) Tom Brady's big reveal.
- Kevin Clark (Wall St. Journal) The only coach who can stop Gronk. His own.
- Aaron Wilson (Houston Chronicle) Trade from Texans to Patriots proved prosperous for Keshawn Martin.
- Chase Stuart (Washington Post) NFL Playoffs 2016: In AFC Championship, the pressure may get to Tom Brady.
- Andy Benoit (The MMQB) NFL’s final four Sunday.
- Jeff Legwold and Mike Reiss (ESPN) Peyton Manning-Tom Brady XVII highlights AFC Championship Game.
- Daniel Hersh (SI) Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning: The definitive all-time box score.
- Bucky Brooks (NFL.com) Patriots' healthy offense will shred Broncos' acclaimed defense.
- NFL Nation (ESPN) Thursday NFL preview: How healthy are Julian Edelman and Chris Harris Jr.?
- Oliver Thomas (247 Sports) Report: Matthew Slater injured shin colliding with photographer.
- Judy Battista (NFL.com) NFL Championship Sunday offers AFC style and NFC substance.
- Will Leitch (Sports on Earth) Conference Title Rootability Index.
- Jason Gay (Wall St. Journal) Four NFL teams, four NFL questions.
- Brian Billick (NFL.com) Patriots, Broncos, Cardinals, Panthers reveal lessons about NFL.
- Gary Myers (NY Daily News) Top 10 storylines leading up to AFC and NFC Championship.
- Jason Cole (Bleacher Report) Insider Buzz: Broncos planning to work the refs during AFC Championship game. (1.06 min. video)
- Cy Brown (Sports on Earth) Broncos-Pats: War of words.
- Conor Orr (NFL.com) AFC Championship Game Preview: Can Peyton do it?
- Marc Sessler (NFL.com) Belichick: I will never underestimate Peyton Manning.
- Kevin Patra (NFL.com) Belichick on Broncos trash talk: 'Just a bunch of hot air'.
- Darin Gantt (ProFootballTalk) Broncos "amped up" by Rob Gronkowski’s "low blows" crack.
- Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Von Miller: Tom Brady throws in 2 seconds, I only need 1 second.
- Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Police report calls Darius Fleming a "good Samaritan" for assisting after car accident.
- Claire McNear (SB Nation) How New England's Darius Fleming went from hero to liar and back to hero.
- Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports) The 10 men who helped shape the legacies of Brady and Manning.
- Greg Rajan (Houston Chronicle) A closer look at where QBs in NFL conference championship games come from.
- Mike Freeman (Bleacher Report) 10-Point stance: Greatness isn't always about who won the game.
- Debate (NFL.com) Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning XVII: Who'll win a trip to Super Bowl 50?
- Pat Kirwan (Real Football Network) Breaking down Peyton: Scouting report on Peyton Manning from Divisional Round. (4.42 min. video) /Interesting.
- Jason La Canfora (CBS Sports) Why Peyton Manning may not be the Broncos' best shot to beat the Patriots.
- Jim Miller (Real Football Network) X’s & O’s: Patriots Check with Me. (4.22 min. video)
- Sound FX (NFL.com) Chiefs vs. Patriots. (5.01 min. video)
- Dave Dameshek (NFL.com) The Shek Report: Divisional playoffs. (4.21 min. video)
- Gil Brandt (NFL.com) 2015 All-Rookie Team. No Patriots.
- Andrew Brandt (The MMQB) Pay for playoffs? Not much.
- Curtis Crabtree (ProFootballTalk) NFL officials forgot air gauges, footballs in hotel before Chiefs-Patriots.
- Brian T. Smith (Houston Chronicle) On-field drama makes NFL impervious to harshest blows.
- Steve Fainaru, Mark Fainaru (Real GM) NFL tried to influence brain study.
- Chuck Schilken (LA Times) NFL is 'on track' to have permanent team in London by 2022, league spokesman says.
VIEW FROM DENVER
- Mark Kiszla (Denver Post) Peyton Manning's career comes full circle.
- Troy E. Renck (Denver Post) Peyton Manning no longer the focus of Broncos offense.
- Cameron Wolfe (Denver Post) Game Plan: Who has the edge in Broncos vs. Patriots?
- Ben Swanson (DenverBroncos) Getting to Tom Brady more than just a fight against time.
- AP Report (Denver Post) Steven Jackson chasing unlikely Super Bowl appearance with Patriots.
- Andrew Mason (DenverBroncos) Patriots to Watch: TE Rob Gronkowski.
- Nicki Jhabvala (Denver Post) Broncos vs. Patriots: By the numbers.
- Jeff Legwold (ESPN) Broncos believe they'll have their best players back, too.
- Andrew Mason (DenverBroncos) Broncos Injury Update: All present as practice begins.
- Nicki Jhabvala (Denver Post) Brady vs. Manning like Magic vs. Bird?
- Allie Raymond (DenverBroncos) What they're saying: Patriots HC Bill Belichick, QB Tom Brady.