New England Patriots links 12/10/21 - Bye week tune-up: Grease the skids on red zone offense

TEAM TALK

• Mike Dussault talks about how the Patriots defense has been dominant over the last seven weeks, riding takeaways and clutch play to lead the team atop the AFC.
• Mike Dussault mentions how the fans are keeping the Patriots Pro Bowl votes coming in.
• Paul Perillo’s Bye week primer: Who to root for?
• One-on-One with David Andrews. (5.51 min. video)
• Patriots 2001 Lookback: Game highlights from Week 13 Patriots vs Browns. (7.28 min. video)
• Patriots Playbook 12/9: Bye week chatter and state of the Patriots roundtable. (2 hours)
• Patriots Unfiltered 12/9: NFL Week 14 picks, throwback jerseys/favorite NFL uniforms, Bills leftovers. (2 hours)

LOCAL LINKS

• Evan Lazar says the Patriots need to use the Bye week to improve red zone offense: The Pats currently rank 26th in red zone touchdown efficiency. /Ouch!
• Dakota Randall explains why the late bye week arrives at a perfect time for the red-hot Patriots.
• Matt Vautour notes the Patriots’ bye week includes Christmas pictures, crawfish, rest and extra film study.
• Nick Stevens gives us his Patriots fan’s rooting guide for Week 14.
• Kevin Tame Jr. (PatriotMaven) In Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots have not only a ‘cold-weather New England back’ but also a ‘mentally tough’ minded player. /Agreed. Love the guy.
• Mike D’Abate (Patriot Maven) Notebook: Patriots work out WR Cole; Remain prominent in Pro-Bowl voting; More.
• Mike D’Abate (PatriotMaven) Matthew Slater sees promise in Patriots’ 2021 outlook; Team coming together at just the right time.
• Zack Cox looks at the Patriots’ 2021 free agent class to see who’s made the greatest impact.
• Khari Thompson looks at where this Patriots win streak ranks among their all-time best.
• Kevin Stone (NEFootballJournal) Are the Pats legitimate Super Bowl contenders? Here’s three reasons why the answer is yes and three reasons why the answer is no
• Andrew Callahan thumbnails the five Patriots most deserving of a Pro Bowl nod: David Andrews, Shaq Mason, Matt Judon, J.C. Jackson, Nick Folk.
• Zack Cox highlights Kyle Van Noy on when Mac Jones won the Patriots over as a rookie QB.
• Mike D’Abate (PatriotMaven) Patriots’ HC Bill Belichick remains a cut above his peers by keeping his own counsel.
• Andy Hart asserts Bill Belichick’s Patriots’ rebuild is more impressive than Tom Brady’s Tampa title.
• Khari Thompson highlights Albert Breer suggesting Josh McDaniels could draw interest for Bears’ coaching job.
• Jenna Ciccotelli reports Hunter Henry and his wife Parker announce birth of a son, their first child, amid the Bye week. Perfect timing.
• Zack Cox notes Aaron Rodgers believes New England could have dialed up a few more pass plays during their win over the Buffalo Bills.
• CBS Boston notes Patriots players react to the stunning news of Demaryius Thomas’ passing.
• Zack Cox reports Gillette Stadium will undergo a major renovation for the 2023 season, remaking the lighthouse at the end of the stadium.
• Locked On Patriots podcast: Mike D’Abate and Clare Cooper continue to savor the Pats Monday night victory and talk all things Patriots tight ends. (59 min.)
• Patriots Fourth and Two podcast: Russ Goldman, Steve Balestrieri and Derek Havens’ Pats vs. Bills recap. (61 min.)

NATIONAL NEWS

• Albert Breer (SI) GamePlan: How and why the run game is making a comeback in the NFL; Previewing Week 14.
• Nick Shook (NFL.com) Top 10 NFL offseason signings of 2021: Patriots trio, Bengals defenders stand out.
• Barry Werner (TouchdownWire) Report cards for all 32 teams after three-quarters of the 2021 NFL season. Patriots: Bill Belichick is a genius. Who was anyone to doubt that? Grade: A.
• Sam Monson (PFF) 2021 Third-quarter All-Pro team. Not a single, solitary Patriots player included.
• Doug Kyed (PFF) Week 14 Mailbag: Ja’Marr Chase’s recent decline, Indianapolis Colts’ Super Bowl chances and Denver Broncos QB conundrum
• Dana Scott (Arizona Republic) Kliff Kingsbury: Bill Belichick should be NFL Coach of the Year every season until he retires.
• Cody Benjamin (CBS Sports) An early look at 2022 NFL trade candidates: Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson among 10 big names who could be dealt. No Pats.
• Nora Princiotti (The Ringer) Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, and the right path to a franchise QB.
• Steven Ruiz (The Ringer) Breaking down the future of five NFL coaches on the hot seat.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk0 For NFL officiating, precedent has “gone out the window” in recent years. “The Harry play became problematic given the absence of clear and obvious evidence that the ball actually struck the facemask of N’Keal Harry. The ball moved, but without seeing it strike the facemask, there’s no clear and obvious evidence that it did so.”
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Micah Hyde on attitude after loss to Patriots: “Damn right I’m a sore loser.”
• Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Tom Brady: Rob Gronkowski is obviously the greatest tight end ever to play in the NFL.
• John Breech (CBS Sports) Tom Brady might break the one NFL record Peyton Manning once said was unbreakable.
• Diante Lee (PFF) A brief dialogue about RPOs in the NFL.
• Gregg Rosenthal (NFL.com) Week 14 NFL game picks: Cardinals sweep Rams; Buccaneers stay hot over Bills.
• Will Brinson (CBS Sports) NFL Week 14 picks, odds: Rams best Cardinals in primetime, 49ers outlast Bengals in high-scoring affair.
• You Pod to Win the Game (Yahoo! Sports) Charles Robinson and Al Toby talk about the Patriots odd MNF win, why there’s still some cause for Mac Jones hesitancy and if the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens have records inflated by shoddy wins. (66 min.)