TEAM TALK
- Post Game Notes: Belichick, Brady win 12 for 12th time.
- Gamebook: Full Bills-Patriots stats.
- Erik Scalavino offers his analysis and observations from the press box at Gillette Stadium: Maintaining control.
- Paul Perillo shares his observations from New England's 37-16 victory over Buffalo: Dion Lewis led the way to the Patriots 12th win of the season.
- Andy Hart's Stock Watch: Gronk, Lewis unwrap a victory.
- Pool Report: Referee Craig Wrolstad on overturned Kelvin Benjamin touchdown.
- Post Game Transcripts: Patriots and Bills.
- Post Game Pressers: Bill Belichick - Tom Brady - Rob Gronkowski.
LOCAL LINKS
- Phil Perry offers five quick thoughts from Sunday's win: How replay was one of the keys for the Pats, defensive success in the red zone, and an another insanely acrobatic catch by Gronk.
- Doug Kyed recaps New England's 37-16 Week 16 victory over the Buffalo Bills that was just about the most Patriots win you could possibly see.
- Mike D'Abate (FullPressCoverage) Patriots Recap: There’s no place like home for the holidays.
- Dave Brown writes how the Pats catch a break when officials do their jobs correctly.
- Tom E. Curran agrees the Bills have reason to complain, but not about pro-Patriots conspiracy.
- Mark Farinella reminds everyone that it wasn't just the rules that doomed the Bills' quest to upset the Patriots.
- Zack Cox thumbnails the 11 plays that defined Sunday's 37-16 win over the Bills at Gillette Stadium.
- Adam Kurkjian focuses on three lingering issues from Pats-Bills that we’ll likely be talking about all week: 1. O-line should get some credit for keeping Tom Brady relatively clean.
- Mike Reiss talks about how Dion Lewis continues to inspire his teammates with his play.
- Mark Farinella highlights the play of Dion Lewis, who has gone from unknown quantity, to hard-luck story, to indispensable man in the space of three short years.
- Tom E. Curran notices that Rob Gronkowski has never looked more fluid and athletic, and shares a few other thoughts as the Patriots moved closer to securing home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
- Dan Ventura says the marriage between Rob Gronkowski and the Patriots has been one made in heaven.
- Adam Kurkjian points out how Trey and Marquis Flowers teamed up to keep Tyrod Taylor from escaping the pocket and keeping LeSean McCoy from getting loose on the outside.
- Phil Perry talks up the play of Marquis Flowers, who got his first official sack on Sunday (along with 1.5 more).
- Jeff Howe reports the Patriots clinched a first-round bye and can lock up the number one seed with a win against the Jets this week.
- Mike Reiss offers this week's snap-count analysis from Sunday, noting Marquis Flowers fit the Patriots' need for speed on defense.
- Karen Guregian reminds the team there's one more game to go and they can't rest against the Jets.
- Jeff Howe Patriots Notebook: Dion Lewis proves doubly dangerous.
- Steve Buckley notes there was more of a post-game media hoard in front of Dion Lewis' locker than at Tom Brady's presser.
- Ron Borges keenly remembers the Patriots getting the officiating shaft years ago, and sums up the underlying replay officiating philosophy: Winners get the calls.
- Joshua Schrock reports the Bills' Jerry Hughes accuses the Patriots of paying officials.
- The Herald staff posts the Patriots' seeding history since 2001.
- NBC Sports Boston notes Jimmy Garoppolo helped the Patriots clinch a first-round bye after manhandling Jacksonville, which extinguished any chance the Jags had of finishing ahead of New England.
- Mike Reiss revisits the factors surrounding the Jimmy Garoppolo trade.
- NBC Sports Boston posts the clip of a new Nike Kyrie Irving commercial that features Gronk and Jayson Tatum.
- Phil Perry offers his Patriots 2017 year in review: Does it get any better than 2017?
NATIONAL NEWS
- NFL Game Center (NFL.com) Buffalo vs. New England. Recap, stats, highlights.
- Jacob Feldman (SI) Morning Huddle: NFL scraps regular-season SNF finale, teeing up wild afternoon of football.
- Peter King (SI) Monday Morning QB: Merry Christmas, NFC: The No. 1 seed Eagles suddenly look very beatable.
- Don Banks (Patriots.com) Snap Judgments: The NFL’s senior V.P. of officiating Alberto Riveron strikes again with his replay reviews that see clarity where others do not; More from Week 16.
- Around the NFL (NFL.com) NFL Week 16: Thirty-six takeaways from Sunday.
- John Breech (CBS Sports) Week 16 Grades: Patriots B+, Bills D.
- Nick Shook (NFL.com) Rob Gronkowski hasn't forgotten Bills passed on him.
- Cameron Wolfe (ESPN) Who was that?! Unheralded ballers who mattered in Week 16. LB Marquis Flowers makes this list.
- Ron Clements (Sporting News) He said what? The best NFL quotes of Week 16.
- Around the NFL (NFL.com) NFL players celebrate Christmas on social media.
- Report (AP) One week left, questions to answer _ and some certainty, too.
- Around the NFL (NFL.com) NFL playoff-clinching scenarios for Week 17.
- Bill Barnwell (ESPN) Todd Gurley's surging case for MVP, and why the GOAT still has an edge.
- Jason La Canfora (CBS Sports) Patriots, Eagles, Vikings expected to have coaching staffs plundered this offseason.
- Will Brinson (CBS Sports) Patriots get another favorable ruling on TD catch and everyone is very angry. /umm... I'm not angry.
- Kevin Seifert (ESPN) Kelvin Benjamin TD reversal distorts NFL's replay-review system -- again.
VIEW FROM BUFFALO
- Matthew Fairburn (NewYorkUpstate) Bills vs. Patriots: Missed opportunities cost Buffalo in loss (11 observations).
- Nick Wojton (Batavia Daily News) 5 takeaways from the Bills loss to the Patriots.
- Sal Maiorana (Democrat & Chronicle) Bills gave it quite a fight for a while, but as usual the Patriots prevail.
- Nick Wojton (Batavia Daily News) Patriots: “We obviously put a big emphasis when we play Tyrod on trying to keep him in the pocket”.
- Sal Maiorana (Democrat & Chronicle) The Patriots never need help from the officials to beat the Bills, but they got some.
- Mike Rodak (ESPN) Controversial replay overturns apparent Kelvin Benjamin touchdown.
- Jadon Ceravolo (BuffaloBills) Benjamin's beautiful TD overturned by controversial call.
- Matthew Fairburn (NewYorkUpstate) LeSean McCoy, other Bills sound off on officiating after loss to Patriots.
- Matthew Fairburn (NewYorkUpstate) What Bills' Sean McDermott said about Kelvin Benjamin's overturned touchdown.
- Ryan Talbot (NewYorkUpstate) National media reacts to officials overturning Kelvin Benjamin's TD vs. Patriots.
- Sal Maiorana (Democrat & Chronicle) Bills playoff chances have diminished, and they have themselves to blame.
- Chuck Pollock (Olean Times Herald) Bills still alive but now some help’s needed.
- Matthew Fairburn (NewYorkUpstate) Sean McDermott explains why he settled for a field goal late in Bills' loss to Patriots.
- Ryan Talbot (NewYorkUpstate) Patriots pull away from Buffalo Bills: 4 reasons to be encouraged, 9 reasons to worry.
- Matthew Fairburn (NewYorkUpstate) Patriots' Rob Gronkowski still remembers the Buffalo Bills passing on him twice