New England Patriots links 1/14/22 - Patriots at Bills: Game plans, previews, keys to victory

TEAM TALK

• Patriots-Bills Thursday Injury Report.
• What they’re saying: Buffalo Bills.
• Patriots to host Playoff Fan Rally on Friday, January 14 from 5 PM - 7 PM. Info here!
• Mike Dussault’s Notebook: Harris eyes first playoff action vs. Bills.
• Expert predictions: Wild Card picks for Patriots at Bills.
• Press Conference transcript: Bill Belichick.
• Press Conferences: Kendrick Bourne - Nick Folk - J.C. Jackson - Adrian Phillips - Bill Belichick.
• How we got here: Patriots path to the playoffs. (4.49 min. video)
• One-on-One with David Andrews. (2.53 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Evan Lazar’s Patriots Game Plan: How the Pats correct mistakes and attack Buffalo’s Week 16 blueprint
• Murph (E2GSports) Monster keys to Patriots Wildcard victory: One and done or win and advance, these are the only options. Coach better- Play better - Execute better. Today. Or there is no tomorrow.
• Karen Guregian identifies what has to happen for the Patriots to take down the Bills, who are favored by four in Round Three. 1. The good Patriots show up.
• Andrew Doherty and Luke Ervin (PatsBuzz) Patriots vs. Bills Preview: Statistical breakdowns, odds, quarterback comparison, and More.
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Patriots-Bills Wild Card matchups: Who has the razor’s edge? 1. Patriots RBs vs Bills front seven – Razor’s edge New England.
• Alex Barth’s Patriots vs. Bills key matchups. 1. Nelson Agholor vs. Micah Hyde/Jordan Poyer. ‘With Agholor back in the lineup, the middle of the field shouldn’t be as congested for the Patriots. As long as Agholor continues to test Buffalo’s defense vertically, it should stay that way throughout the game.’
• Matt Cassel points out how the Pats can take advantage of facing the Bills for a third time.
• Steve Hewitt spotlights some Pats-Bills Wild Card battlegrounds: Can Hunter Henry find success vs. Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer?
• Andrew Callahan explores what are Bill Belichick’s last cards to play against the Bills and Josh Allen.
• Robert Marcello (FullPressCoverage) Patriots enemy profile: Buffalo Bills Wild Card round.
• Ian Logue (PatsFans) 7 Thoughts heading into Saturday’s Bills vs Patriots playoff showdown. 1. The performance of rookie QB Mac Jones, who will be looking to get his first NFL playoff win in what will likely be a pretty intense environment out in Buffalo.
• CBS Boston notes the Pats secondary is eager for another shot at containing Buffalo’s dangerous Allen-Diggs duo.
• Khari Thompson thumbnails the 8 most important players in the Patriots-Bills wild-card game.
• Zack Cox Patriots Mailbag: How would Pats fill key O-Line void in playoff game?
• Matt Dolloff says history isn’t exactly on the Patriots’ side when it comes to playoff rematches.
• Mike D’Abate (PatriotMaven) Isaiah Wynn, Kyle Dugger among those drawing concern from latest Injury Report.
• Alex Barth reports the Patriots are not ruling any players out for Saturday’s playoff game.
• Dakota Randall notes the Patriots recap their resurgent season with the first playoff hype video in two years, to help fans get ready for Saturdays’ big game.
• Mike D’Abate (PatriotMaven) Polar Pats: Patriots prep for potentially frigid conditions on Saturday versus Bills.
• Steve Hewitt finds Nick Folk unfazed by Buffalo’s weather conditions ahead of Wild Card matchup.
• Chad Finn apologizes to the Bills for thinking they were done after losing to the Patriots in Week 13.
• Andy Hart explains why win or lose in Buffalo, the Patriots are good.
• Michael Hurley says upsets should be hard to find in ‘Super’ Wild Card weekend, and makes his WCW picks. Buffalo over New England: The Patriots kind of showed us who they are over the final four games of the year. They are decidedly not playing their best football, and they failed three tests against two middling AFC teams and this very Bills team.
• CBS Boston give us their Pats-Bills Wild Card predictions. Two out of five pick Pats to win, all list their reasons.
• Ricky Doyle presents NESN’s Patriots vs. Bills predictions: 3 out of 11 pick the Pats to win.
• Eric Wilbur gives us a roundup of what the experts are predicting for Saturday’s Pats-Bills game.
• Michael Hurley talks about. how tickets for Pats-Bills are insanely cheap.
• Ryan Hannable passes along a report that Josh McDaniels has ‘signifiant interest’ around the league.
• Clark Judge (FullPressCoverage) Hall finalist Willie Anderson: Why I think Corey Dillon is “one of the all-time greatest backs.”
• Michael Hurley mentions Tom Brady is doing something that he never would’ve done with the Patriots: Promote the launch of his new clothing brand the week before the playoffs.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Nora Princiotti (The Ringer) Beware the bespoke Bill Belichick game plan: Buffalo has a better team and a better quarterback and will be playing at home. But Belichick always has a plan.
• Bucky Brooks (NFL.com) Scouts Notebook: X-factor for each of the 14 playoff teams. Patriots: Damien Harris and rookie Rhamondre Stevenson are interchangeable options as power runners with size, physicality and toughness.
• Ben Solak (The Ringer) The six biggest questions heading into the NFL’s Wild-Card weekend.
• Russell S. Baxter (FullPressCoverage) Five key statistics for Wild Card weekend.
• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Isaiah Wynn, Dont’a Hightower among 13 questionable Patriots.
• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) No injury designations for Bills this weekend.
• Staff (ESPN) NFL playoff predictions: Forecasting the postseason, including Super Bowl contenders, upset picks and impact players.
• Staff (The Ringer) 2021-22 NFL playoff and Super Bowl predictions.
• Staff (ESPN) Wild-card round playoff picks, schedule guide, bold predictions, odds, injuries, matchup keys; More.
• Gregg Rosenthal (NFL.com) Super Wild Card Weekend game picks: Patriots upset Bills in rubber match, 20-19.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) NFL wild card 2022 picks. MDS: Bills 28-17, Florio: Patriots 20-19.
• Cody Benjamin (CBS Sports) Ranking possible 2022 Super Bowl matchups: Chiefs vs. Packers, Buccaneers vs. Patriots among 13 best scenarios.
• MMQB Staff (SI) NFL Awards 2021: Picks for MVP, Rookies of the Year, Coach of the Year and More.
• Bill Bender (Sporting News) NFL playoff QB power rankings: The best and worst starters in 2022, from Tom Brady to Mac Jones.
• Joe Rivera (Sporting News) NFL rookie QB grades 2021: Mac Jones sets standard; Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson struggle in first seasons.
• Cody Benjamin (CBS Sports) Brian Flores, Joe Judge dismissed: Ranking all the NFL head coaches from Bill Belichick’s coaching tree.
• Tyler Sullivan (CBS Sports) Texans coaching search: Brian Flores among top candidates for Houston to replace David Culley
• Judy Battista (NFL.com) Ranking NFL head coach openings: Which jobs are most enticing?

VIEW FROM BUFFALO

• John Wawrow (AP) Bills no longer Pats patsy after wins in 3 of past 4 games.
• Nick Wojton (BillsWire) Bills vs. Patriots: 3 key matchups in wild-card round.
• Nick Wojton (BillsWire) Bills vs. Patriots: 6 things to watch for during wild-card round.
• John Boccacino (Buffalo Rumblings) Buffalo Bills finish as top-ranked defense for 2021 regular season.
• Chuck Pollock (Olean Times Herald) For Bills-Pats, cold weather will be factor.
• Ryan Talbot (NewYorkUpstate) Brrr-smafia: Bills vs. Patriots set to be among coldest games played in Orchard Park.
• Ryan Talbot (NewYorkUpstate) ‘Take the blue pill:’ Bart Scott suggests Bills’ Josh Allen use Viagra to stay warm vs. Patriots. /Will Allen be up for the game?
• Nick Wojton (BillsWire) Bills’ Harrison Phillips has most-Buffalo answer about the cold: ‘Who gives a s---’
• Nick Wojton (BillsWire) What Bills punter Matt Haack said about struggles heading into wild-card round.