New England Patriots links 1/18/22 - Energy shortage to blame for post-bye collapse

TEAM TALK

• Key dates on the 2022 NFL / Patriots calendar.
• Patriots sign six players to future contracts.
• Mike Dussault’s Notebook: Pats players close the book on 2021.
• Tamara Brown reports the Slater Family Foundation hosts event to empower people of color in honor of MLK Day.
• Press Conferences: Adrian Phillips - Jakobi Meyers - Ted Karras - Deatrich Wise - Hunter Henry.
• WEEI Patriots Monday: Bill Belichick.
• Do Your Job: Patriots team plane. (9.57 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Evan Lazar says there are plenty of reasons to believe Mac Jones will continue to improve.
• Karen Guregian talks with Dante Scarnecchia, who suggests Mac Jones needs a chain mover. A first-down maker. A receiver he can trust in those crucial got-to-have-it moments in games. /Amen!
• Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Mac Jones and Bill Belichick should give the Patriots optimism, but the 2022 offseason will be tricky.
• Mike D’Abate (PatriotMaven) Foxboro Futures: Patriots sign six to futures contracts for 2022.
• Andrew Callahan hears from the Patriots explaining the team’s post-bye week collapse and Wild Card loss.
• Eric Wilbur focuses on what happened during the bye week to cause the Patriots to fall apart.
• Chad Finn offers a few postmortem thoughts on a Patriots season that ended decisively in Buffalo. ‘So what’s the offseason wish list? I’d prioritize their needs in this order: speed at linebacker, a high-quality, immediately playable receiver, and depth in the defensive backfield.’
• David Mansfield (LastWordOnSports) Patriots promising 2021 season collapsed but there is hope.
• Nick O’Malley issues his Patriots season report cards with grades for every player from the 2021 season.
• Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Jakobi Meyers explains why he thinks Patriots struggled late in season.
• Tom E. Curran says late-season meltdowns are becoming the norm for these Patriots.
• CBS Boston talks about how Hunter Henry is looking to build off his successful — and healthy — first season with the Patriots.
• Zack Cox picks his Patriots Superlatives: Recognizing top studs and duds from 2021.
• Ryan Hannable relays Adrian Phillips on how he doesn’t believe the gap between them and the Bills is big.
• Adam London highlights Boomer Esiason pinpointing what should be the Patriots’ main priority this offseason: ‘I need speed on defense’.
• Ryan Hannable offers some quick thoughts on all the Patriots’ pending free agents for this offseason.
• Danny Jaillet (PatriotsWire) ESPN Insider thinks Patriots should target Chris Godwin in free agency.
• Ryan Hannable reports the Raiders request two members of the Patriots organization for interviews.
• Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Wild Card Week report card:. The Bills kept pouring it on, trying to erase two decades of frustration and heartbreak. As they should have.
• CBS Boston notes NFL Films catches emotional moment between Damien Harris and Ivan Fears during the Patriots’ playoff loss.
• Michael Hurley breaks down how Walt Anderson and the NFL cooked up a whopper of a lie for football fans on Wild Card Weekend. /So infuriating, still!
• Sean T. McGuire reports ESPN drops trailer for “30 For 30” documentary titled “The Tuck Rule.” /insert eye-roll here
• One Patriot Place podcast: Clare, Murph and Steve get into the what’s, why’s and wherefores’ of the Pats early exit from the playoffs, and what’s next. (57 min.)

NATIONAL NEWS

• Albert Breer (SI) Monday Afternoon QB: Analyzing Kellen Moore and Mike McCarthy’s controversial quarterback draw; Plus, Bill Belichick on coaching into his 70s, how the Niners saw Deebo Samuel in 2019 and more.
• Gary Gramling (SI) NFL Wild-Card takeaways: Overwhelming Rams, Cardinals collapse now complete; Plus, unprepared Cowboys, Chiefs-Steelers is utterly predictable, Bucs D ready to run it back, Josh Allen steals the Patriots’ souls (again), and more!
• Corey Seeley (TheDraftScout) Tuesday Morning Football: Cowboys season ends on botched final play, bad coaching; Plus: Patriots 3-Round 2022 NFL mock draft.
• Steven Ruiz (The Ringer) The six biggest lessons from NFL Wild-Card weekend. 3. The Patriots have a long way to go to catch up to Buffalo.
• Jeffri Chadiha (NFL.com) The First Read, Divisional Round: Biggest immediate question for advancing and eliminated playoff teams.
• NFL Nation (ESPN) Offseason needs and priorities for all 32 NFL teams: Free-agency and 2022 draft targets, plus coach questions.
• Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports) After Raiders made playoffs, they let GM Mike Mayock go.
• Jason Owens (Yahoo! Sports) Kyle Shanahan: Jimmy Garoppolo sprained shoulder vs. Cowboys, at fault for critical false start.
• Michael Rosenberg (SI) Jimmy Garoppolo just may be the best quarterback available this offseason.