New England Patriots links 11/30/21 - Pats punch-out, stiff-arm and plow their way up the AFC

TEAM TALK

• Paul Perillo says the Patriots keep moving up in the AFC.
• Mike Dussault breaks down Kendrick Bourne’s emergence for the Pats offense.
• Press Conference transcript: Bill Belichick.
• Press Conferences: Adrian Phillips - Ted Karras - Rhamondre Stevenson - Bill Belichick.
• Inside the Patriots locker room after win over Titans. (1.37 min. video)
• Next Gen Stats: Mac Jones’ 3 most improbable completions Week 12. (1 min. video)
• WEEI Patriots Monday: Bill Belichick and Mac Jones.

LOCAL LINKS

• Evan Lazar’s Advanced Stats Report: Grading process vs. results with QB Mac Jones’s big day.
• Andrew Callahan’s Film Review: The Patriots handily defeated the Titans last Sunday, but their leaky run defense might be cause for concern in the postseason.
• Mike D’Abate (PatriotMaven) Patriots 2021 Week Twelve snap counts: Interpretations and implications.
• Michael Hurley serves up some still-warm leftover Patriot thoughts: Patriots proving the what-ifs to be true; More.
• Jerry Thornton shares his knee-jerk reactions to Pats-Titans: Things to consider while offering further proof that the truly great ones can always find a way to turn things around:—Enjoy this. It’s OK to feel OK about it.
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Turnovers, Bourne, Folk lead Patriots to 36-13 win over the Titans.
• Ian Logue (PatsFans) 5 Thoughts on the win over the Titans. 1) Not his best game, but Jones was solid.
• Karen Guregian reports the Patriots have flipped the script in the war with turnovers and now have the league’s second best turnover differential at plus-10.
• John Rooke (FullPressCoverage) Nitpicks & Nitwits: To strip, or be stripped?
• Phil Perry issues his Patriots Report Card: DBs, special teams step up vs. Titans.
• Conor Roche looks at how the Patriots’ major free-agent signings have played so far this season.
• Evan Lazar suggests taking a break from the latest fad coach taking the league by storm and recognize Bill Belichick, a coaching giant still at the top of his game.
• Jerry Thornton sees Belichick’s biggest critics bending the knee, and finds it indescribably beautiful to witness.
• Chris Mason relays a rival executive pointing out how Bill Belichick’s team is a ‘master-level class of coaching.’
• Hayden Bird highlights Bill Belichick on his coaching philosophy, Kendrick Bourne’s energy, and the ‘Bills Mafia.’
• Michael Hurley brings up the absurdity of Peter King dismissing Bill Belichick’s assessment of Rodney Harrison as a Hall of Famer.
• Matt Dolloff looks at the playoff picture: Patriots are in the driver’s seat for one key tiebreaker.
• Khari Thompson finds that Mac Jones has quietly been among the NFL’s best quarterbacks during the Patriots’ six-game win streak even as he keeps the game simple.
• Tom E. Curran reflects on the success of a Patriots team that continues to excel where other contenders have faltered.
• Matt Vautour talks about how the once overlooked Patriots receivers are starting to thrive, raising the potential for New England’s offense.
• Andy Hart explains how the running backs and tight ends are sharing the workload.
• Zack Cox mentions how Kendrick Bourne’s stiff-arm sparked a great reaction from Bill Belichick.
• Marcus Kwesi O’Mard notes J.C. Jackson needs one more interception to tie the post-merger NFL record for most interceptions in his first four seasons.
• Eric Wilbur notes that in what was supposed to be Buffalo’s year, the Patriots are still a nuisance that won’t go away.
• Ryan Hannable wonders if Mac Jones will be ready to face the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football in the biggest game of his career.
• Karen Guregian notes Mac Jones is pumped up about his first Monday Night Football game in Buffalo.
• Nick Stevens writes, “Dear NFL, thank you for Mac Jones.”
• Dakota Randall shares what Drew Bledsoe told Mac Jones in the locker room after the game; Bledsoe was among multiple former Patriots at Sunday’s game.
• Amin Touri highlights Mac Jones on his relationship with late high school coach Corky Rogers.
• Mike D’Abate (PatriotMaven) Notebook: J.J. Taylor placed on COVID-Reserve; Patriots work out CB Keys. Taylor has played only 52 offensive snaps over his five active games this year.
• Mike D’Abate (PatriotMaven) Next of Quinn? What Nordin’s designation to return from IR might mean for the Patriots. /Heh heh.
• Nick O’Malley notes Matthew Judon says he signed with Patriots without even meeting with Bill Belichick: ‘I just signed’.
• Robert Alvarez (PatsFans) Best of Social Media: Week 12 Titans vs Patriots.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Corey Seeley (TheDraftScout) Tuesday Morning Football: When the league let Mac Jones land in New England, everything changed for the Patriots; Plus: contenders, pretenders, more from Week 12.
• Albert Breer (SI) Monday Afternoon QB: Joe Burrow’s toughness helps him as a leader; Taysom Hill contract incentives; Plus, Taysom’s full list of possible payouts in 2021, injuries to Christian McCaffrey and Jack Conklin, coach salaries and more notes from around the league.
• Gary Gramling (SI) Week 12 Takeaways: Packers take control, Rams limp out of Lambeau; Plus, the Titans give it away in Foxboro, Gronk runs wild, another drop-plagued Eagles receiver, Bengals outclass Steelers, Cam melts down and more!
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Mac Jones becomes the clear favorite for offensive rookie of the year.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Kendrick Bourne beat the odds with his touchdown run, and an unflagged taunt.
• Jeffri Chadiha (NFL.com) The First Read, Week 13: Mac Jones ready to push Patriots? Dolphins pointing up.
• Adam Schein (NFL.com) NFL true or false: 1) The Patriots will nab the AFC’s No. 1 seed. It’s true.
• Steven Ruiz (The Ringer) Resetting the NFL playoff race in one of the most unpredictable seasons yet.
• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Week 13 AFC playoff picture: Ravens move to No. 1 after Sunday night win.