TEAM TALK
- Erik Scalavino tackles this week's Ask PFW Mailbag: Sights set on Super Bowl.
- Super Bowl LI: Patriots - Falcons connections.
- Press Release: The New England Patriots Drive for 5 Bus rolls out this Wednesday.
- Conference Call Transcripts: Bill Belichick - Josh McDaniels - Matt Patricia.
- The Rich Eisen Show - Todd Gurley explains why he's rooting for the Patriots in the Super Bowl. (1.08 min. video)
LOCAL LINKS
- Mike Reiss writes an interesting column on how the Patriots unleashed a calculated sneak attack on the Steelers; a four-receiver package with a turbo-like tempo they had run just 12 times all year.
- Christopher Price thinks Tom Brady could direct a fast attack against the Falcons like he did with the Steelers.
- Ryan Hannable suggests the Falcons could be like the Steelers, and have the Patriots expose their weaknesses in a big way.
- Mark Daniels finds that teamwork is the key to Patriots success.
- Zack Cox notes Josh McDaniels applauds the Patriots 'unique' unselfishness ahead of Super Bowl LI.
- Ian Logue (PatsFans) Belichick: Guys like Alan Branch, "They're hard to find."
- Mike Dussault (PatsPropaganda) Don’t bet on a Super Bowl 51 shootout.
- Evan Lazar discusses how elite offenses typically aren't as successful against stingy defenses in the Super Bowl.
- Karen Guregian lays out what the biggest concerns will be for the Patriots against the Falcons.
- Matt Dolloff notes that when asked to compare Julio Jones to any other player he's prepared for, Matt Patricia could not do it.
- Ryan Hannable notes CBS NFL analyst Bart Scott gives the Falcons the edge over the Patriots at quarterback.
- Ryan Hannable mentions that Tom Brady won three of Pro Football Focus' 2016 season awards: Best Player, Offensive Player of the Year and Best Passer.
- Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Patriots will wear white jerseys for Super Bowl LI, which means luck is on their side.
- Kevin Dillon looks at which records and milestones are up for grabs for the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 51?
- Matt Burke believes the Patriots 16-year run is something we will never see again.
- Mike Reiss reports that there are not many similarities for the Patriots in their return trip to Houston for the Super Bowl (after 13 years).
- CBS Boston revisits New England's first eight Super Bowl appearances.
- Miguel Benzan (PatsFans) What impact will the Jamie Collins signing have on the Patriots extending Dont’a Hightower?
- Adam Kurkjian Patriots Notebook: Team speed is a big Falcons asset.
- CBS Boston passes along a report that Falcons center Alex Mack is dealing with a sprained ankle.
- Russell Easterbrooks (FootballNation) What is the trade value of Jimmy Garoppolo?
- Mike Reiss points out how Tom Brady took to social media to show his love for his fellow Patriots QBs (with a little help from the movie "The Hangover").
- Christopher Price wonders if Brandon Marshall is campaigning to join the Patriots.
NATIONAL NEWS
- Nancy Armour (USA Today) Tom Brady has made Super Bowl his stage, and he commands it like no other.
- Lorenzo Reyes (USA Today) Falcons' rapid-fire offense impresses Bill Belichick, Patriots.
- Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Bill Belichick: Falcons look faster than almost every team they play.
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Matt Patricia praises Julio Jones.
- Sam Monson (Pro Football Focus) 2016 NFL season award winners. Brady wins three of them.
- Report (AP) Patriots' defense ignored critics on the way to Super Bowl.
- Charles P. Pierce (SI) Patriots DT Vincent Valentine stepped up when the defense needed him most.
- Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Stephen Gostkowski breaks Adam Vinatieri’s playoff extra point record.
- Cameron DaSilva (ProFootballTalk) Bill Belichick’s 7 best reclamation projects on the Patriots’ Super Bowl roster, ranked.
- Michael Rothstein (ESPN) Why didn't things work out for Patriots LB Kyle Van Noy in Detroit?
- Kevin Clark (The Ringer) Up until this point, the NFL postseason has been a borefest: Why have the games been so awful? And can the Patriots and Falcons put on a classic?
- Mike Coppinger (USA Today) 10 story lines to watch for Patriots, Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
- Kevin Seifert (ESPN) Matt Ryan vs. Tom Brady in Super Bowl LI: How NFL's top two QBs stack up.
- Jeremy Bergman (NFL.com) Dimitroff, Pioli channel Belichick in building Falcons' D.
- Jay Busbee (Yahoo! Sports) Why Atlanta deserves this Super Bowl shot, and why Boston fans better be nervous.
- Bucky Brooks* (NFL.com) Super Bowl LI: Five-part plan for Atlanta Falcons to win it all.
- Staff (AFC.com) Falcons will be the home team at Super Bowl.
- Bart Hubbuch (NY Post) Bill Belichick is more familiar with Atlanta than he first let on.
- Dom Cosentino (Deadspin) Tom Brady owns the Steelers.
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Did Steelers conceal Le’Veon Bell injury? /Yes.
- Peter King (The MMQB) Big Ben’s real message; MMQB Mailbag.
- NFL Total Access (NFL.com) Top 10 breakout performances in Super Bowl history. (2.23 min.video) Malcolm Butler No. 4 (???), David Tyree No. 1. /Wrong.
- NFL Total Access (NFL.com) What makes Bill Belichick different from other elite coaches? (2.13 min. video)
- Peter King (The MMQB) Does another Tom Brady Super Bowl win make him the best quarterback of all-time? (1.40 min. video)
- Andrew Brandt (The MMQB) Mind your NFL business: 10 thoughts on what's going on behind the scenes.
- Dave Dameshek (NFL.com) The Shame Report: Championship Weekend. (3.38 min. video)
- Jacob Feldman (SI) The Belichick Way: Like father, like daughter: Amanda Belichick's thirst for coaching is in her DNA.
- Matt Bonesteel (Washington Post) The NFL RedZone channel eliminates 35 hours of commercials each season.
DUMPSTER DIVE
- Michael Hurley describes how Dan Le Begard wages war on Patriots fans by repeating the false filmed walkthrough story on his show. /Good defense by Hurley.
- Nick Schwartz (Fox Sorts) ‘Undisputed’ tackles whether Tom Brady’s legacy is tainted by Deflategate.
- Nate Scott (Fox Sports) Ranking every state in the union by how much they hate the Patriots.
- John Fricke (CBS Atlanta) A rise-up response to Dan Shaughnessy & The Boston Globe. /Dear Lord, Atlanta, this is not a good look.
- Steve Serby (NY Post) Why the best moment of this Super Bowl may come afterward.
- Shayna Posses (Law 360) Colts say suit over convo-recording app belongs in Ind. /Interesting.