New England Patriots links 12/23/19 - Belichick to team: It’s all-in this week vs. Dolphins

TEAM TALK

• Mike Dussault shares the locker-room buzz from Sunday at Gillette: Belichick checks in; Patriots continue aggressive punt block tactics.
• Press Conference transcript: Bill Belichick.
• Patriots 2020 foes finalized.
• Locker Room Celebration following the win over the Bills. (2.13 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Michael Hurley serves up some still-warm leftover Patriots thoughts: Josh Allen was pretty great and pretty terrible in potential AFC title game preview; More.
• Evan Lazar tells us ten things we learned from the Patriots 24-17 win over the Bills. 1. Tom Brady reintroduces himself after recent struggles.
• Chad Finn shares 24 thoughts on a total team effort by the Patriots. 1. The last time we came away from a Patriots game feeling so encouraged about so much, the trees in your yard were still adorned with leaves.
• Dave D’Onofrio offers 5 takeaways from Saturday’s win over Buffalo: They’re playoff-ready now.
• Conor Roche looks at the numbers to put the Patriots’ 11th straight AFC East title into perspective.
• Chad Finn says just when the Patriots’ problems seemed to be irreparable, they solved them in remarkable fashion.
• Matt Vautour talks about how Tom Brady and the offense eased concerns in a strong showing against a good Bills defense.
• Chris Mason points out Julian Edelman remains the go-to guy in Tom Brady’s offense, no matter how many injuries he’s gutting through.
• Michael Hurley reminds everyone that Tom Brady is still Tom Brady, and a Patriots Super Bowl is back on the table. “And make no mistake: Brady was brilliant in this game.”
• CBS Boston passes along a report from Mike Giardi that although Tom Brady isn’t on the injury report this week, the ailment he is dealing with is “essentially a tennis elbow.”
• Ryan Hannable highlights Tom Brady on WEEI this morning, on banning his father from the media, being on NFL 100 show, his elbow injury, and more.
• Christopher Mason notes Bill Belichick was pleased with Rex Burkhead’s response to his early fumble: ‘I know he felt bad’.
• Mike Reiss reports Bill Belichick made it clear to the team that everyone needs to be all-in for the team’s Week 17 finale vs. the Dolphins.
• Lauren Campbell notes Julian Edelman doesn’t sound like he will sit for New England’s regular-season finale against the Dolphins.
• Zack Cox believes the Patriots have finally found a kicker they can trust with Nick Folk.
• Ryan Hannable mentions how Bills CB Tre’Davious White didn’t like Tom Brady’s Instagram post. He’s going to need a thicker skin, lol.
• Nick O’Malley issues his Patriots-Bills report cards: The offense is better, but how much better?
• Zack Cox tells us how the Patriots can clinch a first-round playoff bye in Week 17. 1. Beat or tie Miami next week.
• Ryan Hannable looks at how Sunday’s games impacted the Patriots’ playoff seeding.
• Nick O’Malley relays what Bill Belichick had to say (and laugh about) after the Pats win their 11th straight AFC East title (Belichick-isms).
• Nicole Yang writes how for Patriots rookies, loneliness is part of the game. /Good read.
• Michael Hurley presents his top 10 Patriots moments of the decade.
• Zack Cox counts down the top five Patriots games of the 2010s.
• Dakota Randall notes NY Daily News Jets writer Manish Mehta takes a break from hating on the Patriots to praise Bill Belichick.
• Patriots Press Pass: Evan Lazar and Alex Barth break down the Patriots play in the trenches vs. Bills. Pats O-line impressive, can they continue without Marcus Cannon? (2.10 min. video)
• Locked On Patriots Podcast: Mike D’Abate is joined by Thomas Murphy to talk Pats-Bills and Festivus Grievances. (35 min.)

NATIONAL NEWS

• Jeremy Bergman (NFL.com) Patriots QB Tom Brady named to NFL All-Time Team.
• Albert Breer (SI) Monday Morning QB: Big trouble in Big D as the Cowboys’ playoff hopes take a massive hit with a loss in Philly; More. “The Patriots’ performance on Saturday afternoon finally like one giant uh-oh moment for the rest of the conference.”
• Peter King (ProFootballTalk) FMIA Week 16: Don’t look now, but Philly’s a factor (with a healthy QB); More.
• Gary Gramling (SI) Week 16 Takeaways: Wentz’s masterpiece and a Dallas dud.
• Dan Graziano (ESPN) Week 16 NFL overreactions: Should every division winner really host a playoff game? /Yes.
• Rodger Sherman (The Ringer) The winners and losers of NFL Week 16.
• John Breech (CBS Sports) Week 16 grades.
• NFL Nation (ESPN) Picking one player from every NFL team with something to prove in Week 17. Patriots: Mohamed Sanu.
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Final AFC playoff spot a three-team race: Titans, Steelers, Raiders all in it.
• Jason La Canfora (CBS Sports) NFL insider notes: Handing out season awards both real and fake, including MVP, Best Game and more
• Bill Barnwell (ESPN) Lessons from six disappointing NFL teams: What went wrong and what’s next.
• Kevin Seifert (ESPN) The secret to the NFL’s best rushing teams: Why zone blocking is here to stay.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Week 17 has seven late-afternoon games.

DUMPSTER DIVE

• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) NFL investigators probe for connection to Patriots football operations in Spygate 2. “As one source explained it, there’s a sense that investigators want to make that connection, and a perception that they are showing frustration when unable to tie the video crew to the football employees. ... For now, there’s no proof of any such tie — and no reason to currently believe there will be one.”
• Zack Cox relays new details on the NFL’s investigation into the Patriots videotaping.
• Jerry Thornton thinks it’s sad, seeing the Ravens using Bluetooth earpieces on the sidelines. #cheaters.