Tom Brady has been here before. Literally many, many times.
The future Hall of Fame quarterback leads a Patriots team that's enjoying the bye week while preparing for a playoff game against a still-to-be-determined opponent.
After an at times up and down season, Brady knows that New England has a valuable opportunity on the horizon and that how the 2018 Patriots will be remembered will be based on the action of the next few weeks.
The Boston Globe has Brady saying that the Patriots have been resilient this season. The Globe looks at the Patriots iron man, guard Joe Thuney who didn't miss a single snap this season. A Globe columnist compares Brady’s spot in New England to Eli Manning’s uncertain future with the Giants. The Globe notes New England’s impressive TV ratings from the regular season.
The Globe also passes along word that former Patriots legends Ty Law and Richard Seymour have made the cut to 15 finalists for this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
The Boston Herald looks at what should be a very competitive, entertaining weekend of wild card NFL action. The Boston Herald notes that Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore continues to earn praise, including from Brady. The Herald observes that Devin McCourty missed his second straight day of bye week practice while dealing with a head injury suffered in the season finale.
The Providence Journal says the Patriots hope to write a very positive ending to the 2018 season. The ProJo notes that first-time New Englander Jason McCourty is enjoying every step of the playoff process. The ProJo looks at Nate Ebner, New England’s Ed Block Courage Award winner for this year.
WEEI.com writes that New England’s offensive line is extremely close off the field, which helps the group succeed on the field. A WEEI.com media column wonders if all the focus on the Patriots this time of year is overkill. WEEI.com passes along a national radio host saying that Colts QB Andrew Luck is a better player right now than Brady. WEEI.com has Brady understanding that the next few weeks could be the “last hurrah” for some Patriots. WEEI.com says it's easy to understand why Ebner was the Patriots Ed Block recipient. WEEI.com writes that Brady’s passion for the playoffs is clearly real.
NBC Sports Boston also notes that Brady was fired up to talk about the playoffs on Thursday. NBC Sports Boston passes along a report that New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is interested in the Cleveland Browns head coaching vacancy and that the interest could be mutual. NBC Sports Boston also notes that this could be the last go-round for this group of Patriots. NBC Sports Boston has Brady heaping praise on Gilmore.
NFL.com also highlights the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists. NFL.com has its final QB rankings from the 2018 regular season, with Brady sneaking into the top 10. NFL.com notes that Brady was the leader in jersey sales for 2018.
Four Patriots earned recognition on the Pro Football Focus 2018 All-Pro team based on the site's grading system.
USA Today notes that the Patriots are the most hated team in 13 different states according to one poll.
The Miami Herald looks at Patriots de facto defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ candidacy for the Dolphins head coaching job.
Yahoo! Sports says that Patriots president Jonathan Kraft gave a definitive answer regarding Brady’s future in New England during a radio interview on Thursday.
Forbes looks at how New England's play in the postseason could shape the team’s offseason plans.
The New York Post offers up the biggest reason the Patriots will go on a postseason run.
