New England Patriots links 1/31/18 - Super Bowl LII: Pace of play important factor

TEAM TALK

• Not Done Network: Wednesday schedule.
• Paul Perillo focuses on some of the more intriguing matchups in the Super Bowl: Fletcher Cox vs. Pats interior OL.
• Andy Hart talks about how New England’s defense has to prepare for everything that Philadelphia does on offense.
• Erik Scalavino passes along some news and notes from the Eagles’ nest in Minneapolis: Underdogs? ‘It’s our time.’
• Angelique Fiske relays some of the random, funny and crazy quotes from Opening Night.
• Tuesday Pressers: Bill Belichick (14.19 min. video) - Tom Brady (33.50 min. video) - Danny Amendola (32.33 min. video).
• Media Availability: Best from Tuesday. (2.19 min. video)
• Angelique Fiske posts the video of Tom Vs. Time 3: Julian, Danny and teammate relationships.

LOCAL LINKS

• Evan Lazar brings up pace of play and how the Patriots have an incentive to speed up the offense against the Eagles.
• Jeff Howe analyzes key Super Bowl LII matchups: Patriots receivers vs. Eagles cornerbacks.
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Super Bowl sneak peek: Eagles and Patriots are evenly matched.
• Ryan Hannable notes Tom Brady’s high praise for Brandin Cooks: ‘What he’s done for our team in one year is really incredible.’
• Ron Borges calls Brandin Cooks a master at drawing penalties that help the Patriots.
• Jeff Howe notes Chris Hogan is more than ready for his number to be called this Sunday, after a relatively quiet pair of playoff performances.
• DJ Bean reports Rob Gronkowski expects to play Sunday and added that he hopes to be out of the concussion protocol by Wednesday.
• Ryan Hannable goes inside how Week 5 was the turning point for the defense this season.
• Jeff Howe Patriots Notebook: Rob Gronkowski thinks he’ll be cleared to play in Super Bowl.
• Mike D’Abate (FullPressCoverage) A Super tribute: From a son to his father. /Good read.
• Steve Buckley notices how Tom Brady shows a different, easygoing side at the Super Bowl.
• Mike Reiss highlights Tom Brady’s hope former teammate Chris Long “respects his elders a bit” and doesn’t hit him too hard.
• Ryan Hannable finds Dion Lewis is hopeful he can stay with the Patriots.
• Phil Perry highlights what the Patriots are saying and how they deal with the ‘hype and ridiculous [expletive]’.
• Staff (BostonSportsExtra) New England’s changing talent.
• Mike Reiss points out Bill Belichick is tied with Lombardi, and if the Pats win on Sunday Belichick would join Halas and Lambeau as the only coaches to win six NFL championships.
• Mike Reiss believes Robert Kraft’s hard work and effort in keeping Belichick and Brady together is worthy of acknowledgement. /Agreed.
• Karen Guregian is already looking ahead to how Robert Kraft and the Patriots will handle the next transition phase for the team.
• Logan Mullen hears from Al Michaels on what led to his famous Malcolm Butler Super Bowl interception call.
• Dave Brown is outraged that WEEI reporter John Tomase identified specific members of the Patriots as PED users in a radio broadcast last Thursday, without any direct knowledge or evidence.
• Michael Hurley discusses the whopper written by Bob Brookover (Philadelphia Inquirer), who blames the Patriots and Belichick for Aaron Hernandez’s criminal life. /Not too sorry Philly.com is blocked by a pay-wall.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Sean Wagner-McGough (CBS Sports) 52 things to know about Eagles vs. Patriots in Minnesota.
• Ian O’Connor (ESPN) Brian Flores is the New England Patriots’ next coaching star to emerge from Bill Belichick’s tree. /Fantastic read.
• Mark Daniels (Washington Post) Can Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia make their farewell to the Patriots a fond one?
• Danny Kelly (The Ringer) How Josh McDaniels and the Patriots create mismatches to burn defenses.
• Pete Thamel (Yahoo! Sports) The one number that proves Bill Belichick is smarter than everyone else. His Super Bowl roster includes 18 undrafted free agents.
• Michael Rosenberg (SI) Eagles have the ingredients needed to upset the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
• Danny Kelly (The Ringer) The Super Bowl rematch that isn’t.
• Don Banks (Patriots.com) When Eagles-Patriots last met in late 2015, Philadelphia was an even bigger underdog and still found a way to win.
• Rodger Sherman (The Ringer) The Patriots can’t play a boring Super Bowl: What have been the common threads —and what can we expect on Sunday?
• Tim McManus (ESPN) Bill Belichick vs. Doug Pederson: Mighty mismatch? Maybe not ...
• Bill Bender (Sporting News) Patriots’ path to Super Bowl 52 among easiest of their dynasty.
• Staff (Yahoo! Sports) Brady vs. Brady: Which of Tom Brady’s eight Super Bowl teams is the best?
• Judy Battista (NFL.com) Danny Amendola’s rise from undrafted receiver to Patriots hero.
• Cody Benjamin (CBS Sports) Former Eagles RB Dion Lewis could be the Patriots’ X-factor.
• Kevin Patra (NFL.com) Dion Lewis proving to be ‘weapon’ in Patriots backfield.
• Bob Glauber (Newsday) Super Bowl LII: Kyle Van Noy calls trade from Lions to Patriots ‘a blessing.’
• Chris Wesseling (NFL.com) Bill Belichick: ‘I can’t say enough’ about Jim Schwartz.
• Luke Knox and Anthony Gulizia (ESPN) The Bill & Bill connections: Connecting all 2018 NFL head coaches to Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick.
• NFL Reporters (NFL.com) Notebook: Imitating Tom Brady, Carson Wentz’s pain, slowing Nick Foles.
• Peter King (SI) Washington swaps out Kirk Cousins for Alex Smith, but did the team improve? MMQB Mailbag. /Includes question about the cheatin’ legacy of Brady & Belichick. Thanks, Pete.
• Danny Kelly (The Ringer) Making sense of Washington’s baffling trade for Alex Smith.
• Tadd Haislop (Sporting News) Super Bowl 2018 predictions: Expert picks for Eagles vs. Patriots.
• John Breech (CBS Sports) Super Bowl 2018 pick, odds: Patriots take down Eagles in Minnesota thriller.
• Richard Deitsch (SI) Media Circus: Inside the making of ESPN’s upcoming 30 for 30 on Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells.
• Nick Friedell (ESPN) What Tom Thibodeau has learned from Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
• Nancy Armour (USA Today) Roman numerals make for XL-sized headache at Super Bowl.
• Golic and Wingo (ESPN) Marino: There are few QBs like Brady left. (1 min. video)
• Kevin Seifert (ESPN) NFL to have four independent concussion specialists at Super Bowl.
• Jarrett Bell (USA Today) Roger Goodell and the NFL have a credibility problem.