TEAM TALK
- Patriots - Steelers Thursday Injury Report.
- Erik Scalavino shares some news, notes and locker room buzz from Thursday at GIllette: Third down has not been a charm.
- Press Conferences: Dont'a Hightower (6.59 min. video) and Rob Gronkowski (4 min. video)
- What They're Saying: Pittsburgh Steelers.
- Patriots Today - 3 Points with Paul Perillo: 1. It all starts with LeVeon Bell. (2.34 min. video)
LOCAL LINKS
- Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Patriots-Steelers keys to the game; Who has the razor's edge?
- Michael Colangelo (PatriotsWire) 6 things Patriots fans should know about the Pittsburgh Steelers. 2. The Steelers rushing attack will put pressure on the front seven.
- Mark Daniels relays some comments from the Steelers' coaching staff that show disrespect to the Patriots.
- DJ Bean takes a look at the Patriots first meetings with quarterbacks, which suggests the Steelers backup Landry Jones might not enjoy himself Sunday.
- Ron Borges says that if we're honest about it, we'll admit Sunday will be a disappointment without a "Tom Terrific vs. Big Ben matchup".
- James Conway (PatsPropaganda) Patriots terrible take: Tomato cans? -- Week 6.
- Phil Perry suggests it may not be long before Tom Brady tells Steelers coordinator Keith Butler to "study the rule book and figure it out."
- Jeff Howe classifies Julian Edelman’s diminished production over the last two weeks as a first-world NFL problem. Nothing to worry about.
- Adam Kurkjian notes Rob Gronkowski's return usually cracks up the press room, but opponents aren't laughing who have to face him at full-strength.
- Kevin Duffy reports Rob Gronkowski talked about his recovery from a hamstring injury as a "smooth process."
- Phil Perry notes Dont'a Hightower is coming off of one of the best games of his career, and he hopes his on-the-field partner Jamie Collins will play this week.
- Miguel Benzan (PatsFans) Crafting an extension with Dont'a Hightower.
- Rich Garven says that despite good numbers, the Patriots defense knows it must be better.
- Jeff Howe Patriots Notebook: Shaq Mason vows to protect and serve Tom Brady.
- Mark Farinella Patriots Notebook: Brady feels he's getting better, but not there just yet.
- Jeff Howe Friday 6-Pack: Stephen Gostkowski not on hot seat; No debate over Dont'a Hightower, Jamie Collins; Contract extension scenarios; and More.
- Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Jimmy Garoppolo fully participates in practice, no longer listed on injury report.
- Mark Daniels notes Jimmy Garoppolo proved he deserves a chance to lead an NFL team, but now has to watch and wait to prove himself again.
- Mike Reiss polls some players and finds that not all of them are as done with the Tablets as Belichick is.
- Mike Reiss highlights ESPN Magazine's annual ranking of 122 pro sports teams, that shows the Patriots rank second in sports in title track, coaching and players.
- Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Tom Brady has apparently found candy he can obsess over.
- Jim Lazar observes Belichick's Microsoft Tablet was doomed as soon as it didn't measure up to the Patriot Way, and makes his Week 7 picks. Pats win 34-20.
- Nick O'Malley posts the MassLive Week 7 picks. Five of five pick Pats to win.
- Sean Glennon (This Football Blog) Week seven picks. Patriots by thirteen points.
NATIONAL NEWS
- AP Report (NY Times) Patriots are wary of the depleted Steelers.
- Greg A. Bedard (SI) Blanket Coverage: NFL head coaching on a sharp downward trajectory.
- Elliot Harrison (NFL.com) Tom Brady, Joe Montana head top 10 quarterbacks in NFL history.
- Ian Casselberry (Awful Announcing) Al Michaels is no fan of Thursday Night Football, especially NFL’s "caca" Color Rush.
- Peter Schrager (Fox Sports) NFL Week 7 Cheat Sheet. Patriots 30-13.
VIEW FROM PITTSBURGH
- Paul Zeise (Pittsburh Post-Gazette) Steelers' recipe for victory? A steady diet of runs — and catches — for Le'Veon Bell.
- Joe Rutter (TribLive) Haley: QB Jones understands 'big picture' of running offense.
- Chris Adamski (TribLive) Steelers' jumbled secondary learns to adapt.
- Gerry Dulac (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Scouting report: Steelers vs. Patriots.
- Ed Bouchette (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Offensive coordinator reaches deep into bag again.
- Bryan DeArdo (247 Sports) Patriots QB Tom Brady says he 'really enjoys' Pittsburgh.
- Joe Starkey (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Belichick's visit a reminder of Noll's greatness.
- Joe Rutter (TribLive) Steelers Notebook: WR Coates still dealing with effects of broken finger.
- Gerry Dulac (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Week 7 picks: Patriots win 27-20.
- Staff (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Steelers Tailgate Q&A: Who's the cheating champ, Brady or Belichick? /Stay classy Pittsburgh.
DUMPSTER DIVE
- Diana Moskovitz (Deadspin) The NFL always had access to the Josh Brown documents.
- Michael Hurley states that the NFL, for all of its empty promises and bankrupt claims of holding itself to a higher standard, does not care about domestic violence.
- Shalise Manza Young (Yahoo! Sports) Column: Don't be fooled – the NFL doesn't care about domestic violence. /Molly Brown wasn't fooled.
- Albert Breer (The MMQB) Josh Brown: Another NFL failure on domestic violence.
- Michael McCann (SI) Will NFL impose new punishment on Josh Brown following new details? (2.06 min. video)
- Steve Smith Sr. (Sqor) From the heart and why I will continue to speak up. "We have valued the amount of air in a football but yet devalued when a person or persons have been harmed..."
- Al Morganti (Philly Voice) Is sanctimonious Goodell’s NFL no longer too big to fail?
- Sally Jenkins (Washington Post) NFL's celebration penalties aren't about sportsmanship. They're about control.
- Matt Dolloff thinks Roger Goodell's hyper-focus on taunting penalties and players as role-models, is a strange hill for him to die on.
- Darin Gantt (ProFootballTalk) Roger Goodell on celebrations: "Players are role models".