New England Patriots links 9/16/16 - Patriots offensive backfield performs better than expected

TEAM TALK

• Patriots - Dolphins Thursday Injury Report.
• Paul Perillo scouts the matchups: Patriots vs. Dolphins.
• What They're Saying: Miami Dolphins.
• Lauren Spencer reports eight former Patriots earn Hall of Fame nominations.
• Angelique Fiske tells us Danny Amendola helped local students shop for school supplies on Wednesday night with his Catches for Kids Foundation.
• Angelique Fiske reports Martellus Bennett wore a NASA hat on Wednesday and NASA Tweeted out an invitation for him to join them.
• Belichick Breakdown: Top plays from Week 1. (6.56 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Adam Kurkjian warns the Patriots O-line will have to be ready to face another stiff test against the Dolphins.
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Patriots WRs will have interesting matchups with Miami's corners.
• Matt Dolloff offers five players who present the biggest matchup problems for their opponents in Patriots-Dolphins.
• Rich Garven is feeling less concerned about the offensive backfield after a good showing in Arizona.
• Kevin Duffy says LeGarrette Blount figures to continue carrying the load in the backfield until Dion Lewis' return.
• Mark Daniels talks up the performances of DEs Chris Long and Jabaal Sheard.
• Phil Perry points out how important Dont'a Hightower is on the field, and wonders how it will affect the team if he can't play Sunday.
• Jeff Howe finds that Chris Hogan is using Wes Welker as a model for his game.
• Mike Petraglia highlights Julian Edelman's post-practice Q&A with the media, where he talks Miami - not Jimmy G, Brady or Week 1 - just Miami.
• Steve Buckley says the speed, smarts and brute strength that make Rob Gronkowsk the best TE in the NFL, might also lead to his early retirement.
• Ryan Hannable sees the latest Gronkowski injury as a reminder to appreciate what he does now, as he can't last forever.
• Jeff Howe Patriots Notebook: DT Anthony Johnson excited to face former team; Gronk still limited; More.
• Gary Dzen posts a clip of the hit the NFL is fining Julian Edelman $26,000 for.
• Michael Felger admits outright that Belichick was right and he was wrong about Darrelle Revis.
• Jim Lazar mentions the tough, Brady-less opening weekend for the rest of the AFC East and makes his Week 2 picks. Patriots win 26-16.
• Nick O'Malley figures that the AFC East stinks, so the Patriots are probably beating the Dolphins. Week 2 picks.
• CBS Boston staff make their Patriots-Dolphins Week 2 predictions. Unanimous for a Pats win.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Andy Benoit (The MMQB) Rob Gronkowski, football mastermind.
• Josh Alper (Pro Football Talk) Report: Julian Edelman to appeal fine for hitting defenseless player.
• Luke O'Neil (Esquire) Hanging out with my best friend, Tom Brady.
• Robert Mays (The Ringer) The NFL's dink-and-dunk reality: QBs threw short passes at an astonishing rate in Week 1. Is that an aberration? Or the start of a season-long trend?
• Greg A. Bedard (SI) Blanket Coverage: NFL grabbing the opportunity to remake Roger Goodell's image; More.
• Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) 10 things for NFL Week 2: 6. Can Carson Wentz and Jimmy Garoppolo do it two games in a row?
• Andrew Perloff (SI) Amid the calls to better protect QBs, beware the unintended consequences.
• Mike Florio (Pro Football Talk) Tyrod Taylor concussion protocol decision was made by Ed Hochuli, not the ATC spotter.
• Kenneth Arthur (Sports on Earth) NFL rookie watch: First impressions.
• Mike Florio (Pro Football Talk) Congressional committee seeks formal review of NIH handling of NFL funding issue.
• Experts (USA Today) Week 2 picks. All 5 pick Pats to win.

VIEW FROM MIAMI

• James Walker (ESPN) Ndamukong Suh's plan for Patriots QB Jimmy Garoppolo: 'Get him rattled'.
• Omar Kelly (Sun-Sentinel) Is Adam Gase ready to outsmart the NFL's evil genius?
• Staff (Sun-Sentinel) Who has the edge? Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots .
• Staff (Sun-Sentinel) Five keys for the Miami Dolphins to defeat the New England Patriots.