New England Patriots links 1/25/21 - Brady heads to Super Bowl while Pats fans wait on replacement

TEAM TALK

• Patriots Mock Draft Tracker: Here’s what the ‘experts’ are predicting the Patriots will do in the first round.
• Mike Dussault passes along a report that Matt Patricia returns to Patriots coaching staff
• Megan O’Brien offers 10 Takeaways from Dante Scarnecchia on Pats from the Past podcast.
• Interview: Jim Nagy on challenges of 2021 Senior Bowl. (2.38 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Zack Cox mentions how Tom Brady can cap an all-time great Super Bowl run with a win over Patrick Mahomes, but he and the Bucs have their work cut out for them.
• Michael Hurley recaps Bucs-Packers with Tom Brady great in the first half, terrible in the second, but still winning.
• Michael Hurley points out how incredibly stupid it is that Tom freaking Brady is heading to his 10th Super Bowl.
• Tom. E Curran writes how Tom Brady’s win is a rough look in Foxboro.
• Doug Kyed explains why Tony Romo believes the Patriots will be back in the playoffs next season.
• Zack Cox notes Robert Kraft reportedly congratulated Tom Brady after Bucs reached Super Bowl. /Of course.
• Dakota Randall finds Twitter obviously expects Aaron Rodgers to join the Pats. /Stahhp, lol.
• Mike Reiss shares some quick-hit weekend thoughts: Josh McDaniels’ return helps Bill Belichick with plans for Patriots’ staff; More.
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Sunday Patriots news, AFC East notes: Matt Patricia is expected to fill a “variety of roles” for the Patriots and should help solidify a coaching staff that has seen a lot of turnover in the past few seasons; More.
• Mark Morse (PatsFans) Mark’s Morsels: It’s Senior Bowl week, the most important week for college seniors trying to make a name for themselves; More.
• Evan Lazar’s Patriots Mailbag: Chiefs, Bills give Patriots most likely blueprint for a successful rebuild; More.
• Evan Lazar says it’s good news for the Patriots that Josh McDaniels will be here for their massive offensive rebuild.
• Dakota Randall passes along a report that listed the Patriots as finalists for an offseason Stefon Diggs trade before the star wideout was sent to the Bills.
• CBS Boston speculates on Aaron Rodgers to the Patriots. /Need that eye-roll emoji.
• Phil Perry notes there will be plenty of competition for Matthew Stafford, and even if he might be a great fit in Foxboro, it won’t be easy or cheap to acquire him.
• Doug Kyed calls Matthew Stafford a perfectly above average starting QB.
• Zack Cox explains how Matthew Stafford’s trade request could mean a Jimmy Garoppolo-Patriots reunion.
• Dakota Randall points out comments Matthew Stafford made last year that make it hard to see the current Patriots as a viable option for the star QB.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Ian Rapoport (NFL.como) Patriots considered trading for Stefon Diggs prior to blockbuster Vikings-Bills deal.
• Albert Breer (SI) Monday Morning QB: How Tom Brady lifted the Bucs and the Chiefs returned to meet them in Super Bowl LV; Plus, Brandon Staley, Robert Saleh and Dan Campbell discuss their new jobs (and that press conference), Philip Rivers’s legacy and much more from Championship Sunday.
• Gary Gramling (SI) Conference Title Games Takeaways: Brady’s Bucs going home to Super Bowl, Packers’ day of 1,000 bad decisions, Chiefs utterly unstoppable; More.
• Peter King (ProFootballTalk) FMIA: Ten for Tom—Brady heading back to another Super Bowl, bringing Buccaneers to meet Chiefs in Tampa; More.
• Nick Shook & Kevin Patra (NFL.com) Championship Sunday: What we learned from conference title games. 1) New team, new conference, new city, same result. Tom Brady is going back to the Super Bowl.
• Jenny Vrentas (SI) Tom Brady’s Bucs season has somehow added to a legacy that barely had any room to top.
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Tom Brady will continue to re-write the Super Bowl record book.
• Dan Wetzel (Yahoo! Sports) Tom Brady is headed to his 10th Super Bowl, and he’s bringing a Bucs team he taught to believe with him.
• Nick Selbe (SI) Tom Brady to play in record 10th career Super Bowl.
• Ben Pickman (SI) Report: Tom Brady to make $1 Million in incentives if Bucs win Super Bowl.
• Kaelen Jones (The Ringer) The Buccaneers defense bailed out Tom Brady just in time.
• Conor Orr (SI) Matt LaFleur opted for a late field goal and Aaron Rodgers never touched the ball again. The MVP quarterback has a right to be upset.
• Conor Orr (SI) The Bills learned a lesson we already knew: You have to be aggressive to beat the Chiefs.
• Riley McAtee (The Ringer) The Bills just kicked away their chance at a Super Bowl berth.
• Rodger Sherman (The Ringer) The winners and losers of the NFL Conference Championship games.
• Kevin Seifert (ESPN) NFL playoff officiating decisions: Did the officials review a non-reviewable play in Bills-Chiefs?
• Greg Bishop (SI) Patrick Mahomes looks ready to rip the passer’s torch from Tom Brady.
• Judy Battista (NFL.com) Author of old dynasty Tom Brady set to collide with creator of new one Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LV. /Takes three to make a dynasty.
• Riley McAtee (The Ringer) The Packers’ Championship-game curse continues. Will it cost them Aaron Rodgers?
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Don’t dismiss the possibility that Aaron Rodgers will play elsewhere in 2021.

VIEW FROM BOTH BAYS

• John Romano (Tampa Bay Times) After all these years, Bucs finally feel at home in the Super Bowl.
• Rick Stroud (Tampa Bay Times) Bucs win nail-biter at Green Bay, headed to Super Bowl.
• Bailey Adams (BucsNation) Buccaneers at Packers recap: Super Bowl bound after thrilling 31-26 victory in NFC Championship Game.
• Gil Arcia (BucsNation) Notes and stats from the Buccaneers 31-26 NFC Championship win over the Packers.
• Ryan Wood (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Packers come up short in Super Bowl bid with 31-26 loss to Buccaneers in NFC title game.
• Peter_Bukowski (AcmePackingCompany) Packers come up short in NFC title game yet again, falling 31-26 to the Buccaneers.
• Ryan Wood (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Packers believe crucial penalty on cornerback Kevin King was a ‘bad call.’

EXTRACURRICULAR

• Dan Wetzel (Yahoo! Sports) Documentary takes air out of NFL’s Deflategate case against Tom Brady, who continues to prove it wasn’t about the balls.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Six years after Deflategate, Tom Brady keeps winning. “If the Bucs inflated the balls at the minimum of 12.5 psi before taking them outside into the elements, the Ideal Gas Law means that the reduction in temperature will reduce the air pressure. Given the external temperature, the balls by intermission could be well below 12.5 psi. ...(The NFL did not respond to an email asking whether the spot-checks of halftime PSI continue, or whether it would happen today.)”
• Michael McCann (Sportico) Patriots blast Razorback Foundation as Bielema case heats up.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Patriots find themselves caught in litigation between Bret Bielema, Razorback Foundation.