New England Patriots links 12/15/16 - Patriots at Broncos: This is not the 2015 O-Line

TEAM TALK

• Patriots - Broncos Wednesday Injury Report.
• Erik Scalavino shares the news, notes and locker room buzz from Wednesday at Gillette: Short turnaround for Denver preps.
• Press Conference Transcripts: Bill Belichick - Tom Brady - Devin McCourty.

LOCAL LINKS

• Jeff Howe says the Patriots offensive line will be unrecognizable to the Broncos’ collection of pass rushers, and it is set for the ultimate litmus test on Sunday.
• Mike Petraglia looks at whether David Andrews could be the key to keeping Tom Brady safe from Von Miller.
• Kevin Duffy lays out how the Patriots are better equipped to take on the Broncos than they were in 2015.
• Ben Volin goes to the film to tell us everything we need to know about Patriots-Broncos.
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) 5 First impressions of Denver: Broncos defense has had to carry the team.
• Karen Guregian wonders if Tom Brady can change the script that's made Denver his personal house of horrors.
• Christopher Price believes Tom Brady can end the MVP discussion if he has a big game against the Broncos.
• Doug Kyed notes Tom Brady reveals his biggest motivation, which goes beyond winning or longevity.
• Ryan Hannable states the obvious, that Tom Brady doesn't have any intention of retiring any time soon, but wonders if the Patriots will give him another contract.
• Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Tom Brady watched game tape on 2015 AFC Championship Game 'a bunch this offseason'. /Ouch!
  
• Mike Reiss has a nice read on how LeGarrette Blount attributes his 2016 success to his health, and to having earned the trust of Bill Belichick, who leans on his RB in many situations.
• Adam Kurkjian points out that even with Dion Lewis back, James White contributes mightily to the Patriots offense.
• Mike Reiss mentions how the Patriots defensive captains are respectfully declining the accolades being heaped upon their unit after its solid performance Monday.
• Rich Garven focuses on the poise of first-year QB Trevor Siemian and how he has earned the Broncos' trust.
• Tom E. Curran and Mike Giardi discuss QB Trevor Siemian and what to expect from him and the Broncos this Sunday.. (2.57 min. video)
• Nik DeCosta-Klipa finds that Bill Belichick isn't too consumed by the Patriots' short week.
• Mark Daniels updates us on Wednesday's practice, with Danny Amendola being the only player missing and Malcolm Butler participating in the walkthrough, but limited.
• Michael Colangelo (PatriotsWire) AFC playoff picture: Patriots can't get comfortable yet.
• Ian Logue (PatsFans) McDaniels getting interest from Rams and Jaguars?
• Adam London reports Jimmy Garoppolo cracks the top 10 most-Googled NFL players list.
• Jeff Howe Patriots Notebook: Tom Brady compares Von Miller to Lawrence Taylor; Patriots practiced with a walkthrough in the bubble yesterday; More.
• Tom E. Curran hears from Tom Brady on the bond he has with terminally ill 10-year-old fan Logan Schoenhardt.
• Hayden Bird notes Foxborough High School football coach Jack Martinelli felt 'honored' to be referenced in Belichick's "burns", and takes it as a compliment.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Zac Robinson (Pro Football Focus) Tom Brady is playing his best football of PFF era.
• Brett Smiley (Fox Sports) Ranking the playoff readiness of every contending team’s QB. 1. Tom Brady.
• Dan Hanzus (NFL.com) Aqib Talib is excited to 'grind on' against Patriots.
• Jon Gold (All 22) Don't doubt the magic of Tom Brady.
• Adam Kilgore (Washington Post) Some NFL coaches want to outlaw one of the most exciting plays in football. /Winning coaches try to improve. Losing coaches try to change the rules.
• Brian Billick (NFL.com) Teams heating up at right time. /New England, Dallas not included because of continued excellence.
• Cameron DaSilva (Fox Sports) Ranking the importance of every remaining NFL game, from 48 to 1.
• Conor Orr (NFL.com) The five best games remaining in regular season.
• Cameron DaSilva (Fox Sports) This one stat makes the NFL MVP award a two-man race.
• Danny Kelly (The Ringer) How Cinderellas win the Super Bowl.
• Andrew Brandt (The MMQB) Football's accounting tricks: How players are hurt by the current salary cap arrangement.
• One Nacion (ESPN) Mexico excited at the prospects of a Patriots visit in 2017.
• Nunzio Ingrassia (Fox Sports) NFL rookie power rankings — Week 15.
• NFL Total Access (NFL.com) Kurt Warner picks his top 5 QBs of Week 14. (3.28 min. video) No. 2 Tom Brady.
• Gregg Rosenthal (NFL.coom) QB Index: The 2017 trade market/free agency guide.

VIEW FROM DENVER

• Mario Sanelli (Denver Post) You play to win the game. Denver set to take on New England Patriots at Mile High.
• Cameron Wolfe (Denver Post) Even without Peyton Manning, Broncos-Patriots still a fiery, significant rivalry because of Tom Brady.
• Nicki Jhabvala (Denver Post) Broncos’ offensive woes raise questions for final stretch,
• Mark Kiszla and Nicki Jhabvala (Denver Post) Can Aqib Talib, Broncos’ secondary outduel Tom Brady?
• Nick Groke (Denver Post) Eye on the New England Patriots: Brady, Belichick and McDaniels return to Denver on a roll,
• Andrew Mason (DenverBroncos) Five Broncos things you should know: Chris Harris Jr. vs. Tom Brady, Trevor Siemian talks balance.
• Cameron Wolfe (Denver Post) Injuries to Brandon Marshall, Todd Davis are Broncos’ biggest concerns headed into Patriots week.
• Nick Groke (Denver Post) Broncos have the toughest remaining schedule in the NFL. Playoffs? "Now or never," Emmanuel Sanders says.
• Mike Klis (9News) How the Orange Crush helped form coach Belichick.

DEFLATEGATE, DUMPSTER DIVE

• Jonathan Lehman (NY Post) Patriots thank Giants for proving NFL dumb on Deflategate.
• Michael Hurley emphasizes the same Roger Goodell quote that I can't get past either: 'The rules apply to everyone. There are zero exceptions.' /Until he allows exceptions.
• Tom E. Curran finds that the NFL’s league office is so hard to take seriously, their reputation is so damaged that it’s easier to laugh than be outraged when they get caught slithering.
• Editorial (Worcester Telegram) Where's the outrage? - NFL's claim that nothing was wrong with deflated balls in Pittsburg-Giants game exposes its mishandling of Deflategate.
• Tom Pelissero (USA Today) Roger Goodell's dismissal of Giants-Steelers Deflategate won't play well in New England.
• Dave Brown looks at Deflategate's bogus journey: How a formality spared the Steelers from the NFL's pursuit of properly inflated justice. /Snark alert.
• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Goodell on Deflategate II: We’re comfortable protocols were followed.
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Mara, Rooney try to quell Deflategate II.
• Tim Rohan (The MMQB) Why is the Ezekiel Elliott investigation taking so long?