New England Patriots links 11/28/17 - Pass rush rolling into late-season form

TEAM TALK

• Infographic: Breaking down the win over the Dolphins by the numbers.
• Erik Scalavino breaks down the Pats-Fins film, quarter-by-quarter: First big play of the game came on special teams, just four plays from scrimmage into this contest.
• Paul Perillo tells us who won the matchups from Sunday: Defense continues to roll.
• John Rooke's View from Above: Two ways the season will end...big-time ref misses...and we're all guilty of looking ahead...
• Press Release: Patriots victory once again tops Boston television ratings; NFL's Week 12 coverage dominates market.
• Roster Moves: Patriots Place Martellus Bennett and Nate Ebner on Injured Reserve.
• Conference Call Transcript: Bill Belichick.
• Patriots locker room celebration following win over the Dolphins. (1 min. video)
• WEEI Patriots Monday: Tom Brady - James White - Patrick Chung - Bill Belichick.

LOCAL LINKS

• Jeff Howe recounts how wave after wave, the Patriots drowned QB Matt Moore with a storm of pass rushers, but wonders if that attack can continue.
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) The defense never rests in New England, but they’re improving every week.
• Kevin Duffy examines how the defense destroyed the Dolphins and keeps progressing late in the season.
• Nick O'Malley believes the 2017 Patriots may have Bill Belichick's ultimate bend-don't-break defense.
• Zack Cox explains why Bill Belichick was impressed by Jonathan Jones on his first career sack.
• Mike Giardi observes Stephon Gilmore has corrected his course, looking very much like a player worth the resources the team invested in him.
• Mike Reiss says that by adding a second year to DE Eric Lee's contract, the Patriots made a good-faith gesture and showed they have some long-range vision in mind.
• Adam Kurkjian addresses three big questions from Sunday's win. 1. Pass rush finally here?
• Michael Hurley thinks Tom Brady was fortunate to escape healthy, and serves up more leftover Patriots thoughts.
• Mike Dussault (PatsPropaganda) Pats Posits: Injury attrition and wins continue.
• Scott Zolak & Marc Bertrand focused on Adam Gase's "special" clock management that ruined a Dolphins drive.
• Zack Cox points out Rob Gronkowski caught five passes for 82 yards and two TDs Sunday, and leads all NFL players in TDs since entering the NFL in 2010 (74) despite missing 25 games in that span.
• Mike Reiss thinks Martellus Bennett seemed to bring out the best in Dwayne Allen, who has played his best football in the past three games, and the team will be relying on more of that coming down the homestretch.
• Jeff Howe, Adam Kurkjian Patriots Notebook: Reunion with Martellus Bennett ends with placement on injured reserve.
• Doug Kyed gives us an injury update: Kyle Van Noy (calf) and LaAdrian Waddle (ankle) ailments seem minor.
• Ron Borges issues his Week 12 Report Card on what wasn't so much a test as it was a pop quiz: “The pop coming when the traditionally cheap-shotting Dolphins began to get chippy. Belichick’s boys declined to participate, instead opting to hit them in the mouth where it counts the most.”
• Adam Kurkjian runs down the Patriots playoff scenarios: Can't clinch division until Week 14.
• 98.5 Sports Hub guest Matthew Slater tells his best "trash talk" stories.
• Tom E. Curran says Mike Tomlin's biggest transgression is believing his Steelers are even with the Patriots.
• Ryan Hannable highlights Bill Belichick on WEEI, detailing his one-game-at-a-time coaching philosophy, which is the opposite of Mike Tomlin's.
• Zack Cox notes Bill Belichick has no use for records: "So I don’t think living in the past is going to help us, and I don’t think living in the future is going to help us, either.”

NATIONAL NEWS

• Adam Kilgore (Washington Post) The Patriots are playing just as well as everybody thought they would.
• Mike Jones (USA Today) Patriots show off late-season form with dismantling of Dolphins.
• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Bill Belichick has “a lot of pride” in 17 straight winning seasons.
• Jeremy Fowler (ESPN) Steelers acknowledge Patriots 'roadblock' but won't look ahead to Week 15. /Too late.
• Robert Mays (The RInger) NFL Week 12 Recap: It’s time for the Wild-Card weekend threat index.
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) AFC playoff picture: Ravens hold on to the sixth playoff spot.
• Kevin Seifert (ESPN) NFL teams most impacted by injuries through Week 12.
• Hank Gargiulo and Seth Walder (ESPN) NFL's best and worst quarterbacks of Week 12.
• Pete Blackburn (CBS Sports) NFL Week 12 Celebration Grades: Giddyup Gronk gets a B-. /Outrage.
• Ron Clements (Sporting News) He Said What?! The best NFL quotes of Week 12
• Neil Best (Newsday) It’s time to press pause on instant replay review across all sports.
• Ross Tucker (Sports on Earth) Eli Manning's Hall case gets complicated.

EXTRACURRICULAR

• Bruce Allen (BostonSportsMediaWatch) Deflategate karma has struck hard for enemies of the New England Patriots.
• Jenny Vrentas (SI) Aqib Talib and Michael Crabtree suspended two games for fighting.