TEAM TALK
- Game Preview: Patriots at Dolphins. Series history, scouting the matchups, tale of the tape.
- Transactions: Patriots sign OL Earl Watford to the practice squad; Release DB Dayan Lake from the practice squad.
- Erik Scalavino profiles up-and-coming Patriots linebacker Terez Hall. /Good read.
- Mike Dussault’s Unfiltered Notebook 12/15: Divisional rematch slate begins with Dolphins.
- Press Conferences: Bill Belichick - Josh McDaniels - Mike Pellegrino - Cameron Achord.
- Paul Perillo’s Week 15 NFL Notes: Impressive rookie crop developing.
- Angelique Fiske talks with Berj Najarian, who is proudly Armenian-American and has used social media and My Cause, My Cleats to fight for human rights.
- Julia Pagliarulo reports how players ring in the holiday season at Gillette Stadium’s Magic of Lights drive-through experience.
- Angeliqe Fiske lauds the Bill Belichick Foundation for giving away $440,000 in grants and scholarships.
LOCAL LINKS
- Ryan Queen (LastWordOnSports) Evaluating the Patriots defensive line play.
- Doug Kyed notes Bill Belichick praised his young WR corps but blames the team’s passing woes on ‘everything’ involved.
- Michael Hurley notes Bill Belichick admits the passing game ‘not as efficient as we need it to be.’
- Danny Jaillet (PatriotsWire) Josh McDaniels thinks the Patriots have the talent they need at WR.
- Evan Lazar talks about how the development of the rookie TEs could greatly alter the Pats’ 2021 offseason plans.
- Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Now’s the time for the Patriots TEs to show their promise.
- CBS Boston notes Bill Belichick puts Julian Edelman in the ‘day-to-day’ category.
- Aidan Curran presents two reasons why Bill Belichick should reconsider and start Jarrett Stidham to finish out the season. 1. Stidham deserves the chance to show what he can do as a starter, with at least a full week of preparation under his belt.
- Zack Cox wonders if the Patriots’ streak of rookie QB domination will continue vs. Tua Tagovailoa: The Patriots have not lost to a rookie QB since 2013.
- Sean T. McGuire gives us his Week 15 hot seat rankings: Could playoff-eliminating loss end Cam Newton as the starter? /Why?
- Zack Cox suggests Ryan Fitzpatrick as a Patriots QB option for 2021, /Stahhp.
- Christopher Price looks at where the Patriots fit into a crowded AFC playoff picture: The Patriots are a longshot entering Week 15, but they could still make some noise and disrupt things for others.
- Danny Jaillet (PatriotsWire) The Patriots could still make playoffs in this crazy scenario.
- Logan Mullen notes Rams RB Cam Akers was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 171 yards against the Pats last week.
- Doug Kyed looks at the Patriots assistants who could follow in Brian Flores’ footsteps as head coaches.
- Levan Reid introduces us to the man who makes Cam Newton a new hat every week.
- Trevor Hass writes COVID hasn’t just changed the way we watch football, it’s changed the game itself. “In some ways, it brings the game back to why you started playing, just to love playing the game,” center David Andrews said earlier this season. “There’s no fans, it is just a bunch of grown men playing a kids game.”
- Locked On Patriots podcast: Mike D’Abate and Steve Balestrieri finally put Thursday’s Pats-Rams loss to rest, discuss New England’s potential future stars, and preview Sunday’s matchup with the Miami Dolphins. (38 min.)
NATIONAL NEWS
- Report (AP) Calais Campbell, Matthew Slater again finalists for Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Why is the NFL being coy about 17-game season?
- Dan Parr (NFL.com) 2021 NFL Draft order.
- Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) NFL will allow teams to replace late COVID-19 scratches on game day.
- Terez Paylor (Yahoo! Sports) As NFL waits its turn for COVID vaccine, chances of players getting it before Super Sunday are ‘pretty low.’
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) NFL reiterates that voluntary postseason bubbles are permitted.
- Teresa M. Walker (AP) NFL not allowing mandated local bubbles during postseason.