TEAM TALK
- Paul Perillo and Mike Dussault debate what would be the best Super Bowl XLIV matchup.
- Patriots Unfiltered 1/16: Reloading or Rebuilding in 2020?, AFC/NFC Championship picks. (2 hours)
- 2018 AFC Championship Game: Patriots-Chiefs. Highlights (16.48 min. video) Full Game (2 hours, 24 min.)
LOCAL LINKS
- Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Building the 2020 Patriots roster, where are the biggest needs? /I’ll take ‘tight ends’ for $500, Alex.
- Christopher Mason offers a rundown of the former Patriots playing in this weekend’s championship games.
- Mike Masala (PatriotWire) 5 options to be the next Patriots’ wide receiver coach.
- Katie McInerney passes along an ESPN report that the Browns are looking to interview Patriots’ director of college scouting Monti Ossenfort for general manager job.
- Doug Kyed addresses his Friday Patriots Mailbag: Why A.J. Green might not be New England’s ideal target.
- WEEI empties out its Off Day Mailbag: Is Nick Caserio situation strange?
- Steven Viner (BostonSportsJournal) The Quest for 7, 1/17/20 Links: Patriots graded, T.B thinks T.B. stays, More staff leaving?
- Zack Cox explores a Tom Brady-to-Lions scenario: Why it makes sense and why it doesn’t.
- Maurice Moton (Bleacher Report) The best potential landing spots for Marcus Mariota next season. Patriots included. /That breeze is from me, violently shaking my head ‘NO!’
- Sean T. McGuire notes Tedy Bruschi thinks Tom Brady will return to the Patriots for the 2020 season.
- Justin Leger passes along a Gary Tanguay report from a source who told him Tom Brady and his family are preparing to leave New England. /Insert eye-roll emoji here.
- Hayden Bird notes Jimmy Garoppolo shared a lesson he learned from Tom Brady from watching him go through his preparation.
- Zack Cox reports Dont’a Hightower will not play in the Pro Bowl; his spot will be taken by Bills’ Tremaine Edmunds.
- Abigail Adams notes Gronk currently holds the record for the most receiving yards (2,986) in his first three seasons in the league, including playoff games. George Kittle is only 26 yards behind.
- Patriots Talk Podcast: Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry discuss what the Patriots could be up to with extra time on their hands for a change. (53.04 min.)
- Locked On Patriots podcast: Patriots Throwback Thursday: Mike D’Abate takes a revisionist look at the Pats’ 43-0 victory over the Dolphins on 9/15/19. (27 min.)
NATIONAL NEWS
- Ben Linsey (Pro Football Focus) Offseason needs for all 32 NFL teams in 2020. Patriots: Offensive weapons who can separate [sobs], QB, Pass rushers.
- Ben Linsey (Pro Football Focus) One Breakout Player of the Year candidate at each position for the 2020 NFL season. Patriots: T Isaiah Wynn.
- Arnie Stapleton (AP) Tom Brady is the most dominant player in AFC championship history.
- Justin Terranova (NY Post) Tom Brady will make Patriots suffer for free-agency decision.
- Sam Monson and Steve Palazzolo (Pro Football Focus) The 50 best available NFL free agents in 2020.
- Gil Brandt (NFL.com) Titans must attempt to lock up Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry.
- Blake Schuster (Bleacher Report) Von Miller, Jarvis Landry headline 2020 Pro Bowl skills showdown rosters.
- Danny Heifetz (The Ringer) The keys to the NFL conference championship games.
- John Breech (CBS Sports) Bold predictions for Titans-Chiefs AFC Championship and Packers-49ers NFC title game.
- Ty Schalter (FiveThirtyEight) Sure, the NFL playoffs seem chaotic … but they’re actually pretty predictable.
- MMQB Staff (SI) Conference Championship game picks.
- Gregg Rosenthal (NFL.com) NFL Championship Sunday picks: Chiefs, 49ers on to Super Bowl.
- Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (USA Today) NFL mock draft 2020. Pats pick Notre Dame TE Cole Kmet at 23.
EXTRACURRICULAR
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) NFL tells teams “a number of important issues remain to be resolved” in CBA talks.
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) NFLPA informs players of areas of tentative agreement, “major issues” that remain.
- Michael McCann (SI) Potential legal fallout of Odell Beckham Jr. slapping a security guard.