New England Patriots links 1/18/18 - Young leader Trey Flowers keeps pedal to the metal

TEAM TALK

• Patriots - Jaguars Wednesday Injury Report.
• Erik Scalavino shares the news, notes and locker-room buzz from Wednesday at Gillette: Brady injures throwing hand; Execution over experience; Injury update.
• Press Conference Transcript: Bill Belichick.
• Media Availability Transcript: Devin McCourty, Rob Gronkowski, Matthew Slater, Adam Butler, Brandin Cooks, Marquis Flowers, Stephon Gilmore, Chris Hogan, Eric Rowe, Nate Solder.
• Transactions: Patriots re-sign WR Bernard Reedy; Place DB Jonathan Jones on Injured Reserve.
• Angelique Fiske talks with a few lucky Patriots fans from around the world who were on hand for Saturday’s game and had the trip of a lifetime.

LOCAL LINKS

• Jeff Howe reports the improved run defense has hit the brakes on opponents of late, and now needs to turn in its best performance of the year against ‘runaway train’ Leonard Fournette.
• Mark Schofield (LockedOnPatriots) Stopping the run: Three critical questions. 1. Will Bortles audible?
• Jeff Howe spotlights key matchups heading into Sunday: Patriots front 7 vs. Leonard Fournette.
• Mike Dussault (PatsPropaganda) Jags defense will attack Pats offense with speed at all levels.
• Sam Hollister (PatsPropaganda) An in-depth look at Blake Bortles and the Jaguars offense.
• Ian Logue (PatsFans) Six reasons to be worried about the Jaguars: 2. Opportunistic defense.
• Doug Kyed notes the Jaguars seem to believe the Patriots an predict plays on offense and defense.
• Matthew Geagan tells us which Jaguars will give the Pats the most problems on Sunday.
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Get to know Jacksonville Jaguars by revisiting joint practices.
• Karen Guregian is worried about Tom Brady ‘having a bad right throwing hand four days before Sunday’s game against Tom Coughlin’s Jaguars’.
• Ian Logue (PatsFans) Brady’s no stranger to overcoming an injury to his throwing hand.
• Mike D’Abate (FullPressCoverage) Brady limited in Wednesday’s practice with hand injury.
• Mike Reiss hears from the players on why no one has done playoff football better in the history of the NFL than Bill Belichick.
• Mike Reiss says Brandin Cooks is among seven Patriots who have played in games for more than 90 percent of the snaps. The value of availability.
• Stephen Hewitt tells us Rob Gronkowski is well aware it won’t come easy against the Jaguars.
• Mike Reiss notes Matthew Slater lets his ‘New England vs. Everybody’ T-shirt help do the talking.
• Doug Kyed catches up with Julian Edelman and his reflections on watching the Patriots playoff run from afar.
• Jeff Howe Patriots Notebook: Malcolm Mitchell won’t return to action this season.
• Adam Kurkjian Jaguars Notebook: Tom Coughlin earns coach’s praise for helping to turn team around.
• Karen Guregian reports Roger Goodell will skip Pats-Jags for the NFC title game.
• Mike Dussault (PatsPropaganda) Belichick Hoodie AFC Championship prediction.
• Matt Chatham (BlogTalkRadio) Real Thing Patriots Podcast - AFC Championship Preview: Taming the Jaguars. (1 hour, 33 min.)
• Steve Balestrieri & Thomas Murphy (SoundCloud) One Patriot Place Podcast: AFC Championship edition. Special guest: Kevin Duffy. (63 min.)

NATIONAL NEWS

• Arthur Weinstein (Sporting News) Tom Brady named NFL MVP, Todd Gurley, Calais Campbell win player of year honors from NFL writers.
• Conor Orr (SI) Logan Ryan’s unique viewpoint of Tom Brady.
• Jenny Vrentas (SI) Belichick and Saban: The stories behind football’s most powerful friendship.
• Rich Cimini (ESPN) Pats say they won’t underestimate ‘winner’ Blake Bortles.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Bill Belichick heaps praise on the Jaguars, #asexpected.
• Rich Cimini (ESPN) Pats DT Adam Butler calls Jags CB Jalen Ramsey’s guarantee ‘a bold statement’.
• Steven Ruiz (ForTheWin) Please, Jaguars, for the sake of football, let Jalen Ramsey cover Rob Gronkowski.
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Doug Marrone: When you’re playing the Patriots, of course you’re underdogs.
• Steven Ruiz (ForTheWin) The Patriots are trying to kill the Jaguars with kindness and it isn’t working.
• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Patriots place Jonathan Jones on IR, sign Bernard Reedy.
• Dave Birkett (Detroit Free Press) The story behind Matt Patricia’s beard: ‘The people of America are used to it’.
• Around the NFL (NFL.com) Injuries: Tom Brady (right hand) limited at practice.
• Charles Curtis (ForTheWin) Rob Gronkowski drops his latest Gronk-ism: ‘Going bazooka’.
• Albert Breer (SI) Game Plan: How conference championship teams were built.
• Jason La Canfora (CBS Sports) NFL playoffs final foursome features a decidedly throwback vibe, plus more notes.
• Neil Paine (FiveThirtyEight) The Patriots’ Super Bowl path is the easiest in modern NFL history.
• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Gene Steratore will referee the Super Bowl.
• Andy Benoit (SI) Playoff play calls gone wrong: If coaches could do it differently.
• Steven Ruiz (ForTheWin) The Steelers need to replace Mike Tomlin if they’re ever going to topple the Patriots.
• Matt Yoder (Awful Announcing) The NFL will face its biggest ratings test this weekend.
• Ken Fang (Awful Announcing) Ratings be damned, the NFL will still command high media rights fees.

VIEW FROM JACKSONVILLE

• Ryan O’Halloran (Florida Times-Union) Covering Gronk: Jaguars have many options for Patriots star tight end.
• John Oehser and Brian Sexton (Jaguars.com) Keys: AFC Championship Game. 1. Pressure with four.
• Ryan O’Halloran (Florida Times-Union) Jaguars-Patriots key match-up: CB Aaron Colvin vs. WR Danny Amendola.
• Ryan O’Halloran (Florida Times-Union) Jaguars-Patriots key match-up: LT Cam Robinson vs. DE Deatrich Wise.
• Ryan O’Bleness (BigCatCountry) 5 Things the Jaguars must do to beat the Patriots. 1. Win the turnover battle.
• John Oehser (Jaguars.com) Notes and observations: Calais Campbell calls the idea “silly” that the Jaguars are playing with ‘house money’.
• John Reid (Florida Times-Union) Jaguars’ next-man-up have been delivering in playoffs.
• Ryan O’Halloran (Florida Times-Union) A look at the New England Patriots.
• Phillip Heilman (Florida Times-Union) Jaguars Notebook: Doug Marrone compares Patriots to … Yankees?
• Phillip Heilman (Florida Times-Union) Final Four: How the Jaguars rank among the remaining NFL playoff teams.