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TEAM TALK
- Patriots - Dolphins Thursday Injury Report.
- What to watch for: A breakdown of milestones and stats to look for against the Dolphins and during the playoffs.
- Paul Perillo scouts the matchups: The Patriots need to contain Miami’s Jay Ajayi and the Dolphins ground game.
- What They're Saying: Miami Dolphins.
- Erik Scalavino shares the news, notes and locker-room buzz from Thursday at Gillette: Dont'a Hightower comes to the defense of the D.
- Angelique Fiske talks about how Chris Long welcomed 100 active duty service members, veterans and their families for a holiday dinner in Boston.
- Angelique Fiske reports that Liam "Fist Bump Kid" Fitzgerald and his family attended their first Patriots game on Saturday, where he was handing out good-luck fist-bumps.
LOCAL LINKS
- Matt Dolloff points out that a win in Miami would make the Patriots the seventh team to go 8-0 on the road.
- Ian Logue (PatsFans) Keeping Suh away from Brady should be a priority this weekend.
- Hayden Bird reviews the mixed results of Patriots-Dolphins regular season finales in the Belichick era.
- Doug Kyed mentions how Jacoby Brissett is helping Michael Floyd get caught up in the offense.
- Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Michael Floyd may be in for trial by fire against Miami Dolphins.
- Mike Reiss suggests that Malcolm Mitchell's absence from practice could thrust Michael Floyd up the depth chart.
- Kevin Duffy says Danny Amendola sheds his walking boot and appears to be trending in the right direction.
- Christopher Price lays out why Joe Thuney is the Patriots 2016 Rookie of the Year.
- Mike Reiss tells us not to expect any letup from Devin McCourty and the Patriots this Sunday.
- Doug Kyed talks with Dont'a Hightower on how freelancing can get you traded from the Patriots, but taking chances can turn around a defense.
- Ryan Hannable hears from Dont'a Hightower, who wasn't too pleased at what the critics were saying about his unit.
- Brian MacPherson reports Rookie Cyrus Jones hopes for another chance to prove himself as returner.
- Jeff Howe looks at Malcolm Butler's solid season, allowing two or fewer completions in eight of his 15 games, including the last three; plus he leads the team with four picks and 14 pass breakups.
- Mike Reiss says Malcom Brown is moving forward after his demotion: "Just working right now.'
- Tom E. Curran discusses the improvements the Patriots have made on defense. (4.37 min. video)
- Zack Cox Patriots Notes: Danny Amendola making progress in recovery from ankle injury.
- Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Patriots propaganda likely to bear fruit with Garoppolo.
- Jeff Howe Friday 6-Pack: Here's what the Pats should demand for Jimmy G.
- Hayden Bird revisits Bill Belichick's first Patriots press conference in 2000, in which he 'began with a joke, thanked reporters, and appeared to genuinely laugh multiple times.'
- Ryan Hannable thumbnails the top 10 Patriots storylines of 2016.
- CBS Boston lists the top Boston sports stories of 2016.
- Nick O'Malley makes his Week 17 NFL Picks: Say good-bye to 2016 with the last full NFL Sunday of the year. Pats win.
- Jim Lazar warns against asking Bill Belichick about sitting out the starters, but if you ask the practice-squaders, they're raring to go. Week 17 Picks: Pats 30-16.
NATIONAL NEWS
- Jeff Dooley (Washington Post) Why the Steelers are the chief threat to the Patriots in the AFC.
- Staff (AP Pro32) Patriots defense stingiest in NFL heading to playoffs.
- Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Tom Brady, Dion Lewis back at practice for Patriots.
- Nunzio Ingrassia (Fox Sports) Watch Patriots’ Martellus Bennett try to explain his unusual fascination with bacon.
- Barry Werner (Fox Sports) 20 NFL players who can hit statistical milestones in Week 17. Julian Edelman needs 45 yards to reach 1,000.
- Albert Breer (The MMQB) A Redskins' return to respectability; Notes on how the Bills fell apart; More.
- Cameron DaSilva (Fox Sports) The one player every NFL team must re-sign this offseason. Patriots: Dont'a Hightower.
- Staff (The MMQB) The greatness we witnessed in 2016. Andy Benoit writes about Rob Gronkowski.
- Greg A. Bedard (SI) Examining ideal coaching fits for NFL teams ahead of Black Monday.
- Zac Jackson (ProFootballTalk) What the rookie quarterbacks have (and haven’t) done this season.
- Will Leitch (Sports on Earth) the dumbest sports stories of 2016. No. 1 Deflategate.
- Jonathan Jones (SI) Nine fearless NFL predictions for 2017. Patriots win the AFC East... again.
- Elliot Harrison (NFL.com) NFL Week 17 game picks. Pats 20-16.
- Zack Pierce (Fox Sports) NFL Week 17 picks. All five pick Pats to win.