Of course, much of today's news surrounds Charlie Weis accepting the head coaching position at Notre Dame. Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe reports on Weis' South Bend press conference, which began late morning yesterday and seemed to end around dinnertime. In the press conference, Weis discussed his coaching influences, and his plans for the Notre dame football program.
Ron Borges of the Globe examines the potential distractions Weis' move may cultivate around Patriots camp. Borges cites other examples of NFL coaches accepting college jobs and doing double-duty during playoff runs. Historically, it does not appear the road before Weis is an easy one.
Also in the Globe, Michael Vega reports on how the rest of the coaching staff will pitch in to pick up any slack created by Weis' added commitments.
Mark Blaudschun of the Globe attempts to forecast how Weis will do in one of the nation's most difficult and scrutinized coaching positions. According to Blaudschun, the move to the college ranks should be a favorable one for the accomplished Weis.
In The Boston Herald, George Kimball reports on Weis' press conference, while Rich Thompson captures **Bill Belichick's** feelings on the move. In his own press conference yesterday, Belichick was quick to congratulate Weis, with whom he has traveled a great deal, and expressed his assurance that Weis will be able to uphold his duties with New England as he begins his Irish post.
Also in the Herald, Kevin Mannix provides his weekly report card for the individual units. Mannix gives high praise to Tom Brady's performance, and is most critical of the linebackers and the special teams unit.
Skip Wood of USA Today looks at the three 12-1 teams, New England, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia, and identifies a common thread of team-first mentalities.
In his notebook, Tom Curran of The Providence Journal looks ahead to Monday night's game in Miami. The Dolphins have been very unimpressive this season, going 2-11, but when they came to Foxboro in early October they held Tom Brady to a career low 76 passing yards. Curran also discusses the professional attitude exuded in the Pats locker room.
Curran takes up the Weis story as well, identifying two possible ways the team could be affected by the move.
Mike Reiss of The MetroWest Daily News gives us a break from the Weis-steria, and looks at the team's high standards. Reiss points out the Patriots are anything but pleased following their 35-28 win over the Bengals on Sunday. Reiss says this speaks to the team's passion for improvement and perfection, as they firmly believe that allowing 28 points and over 300 passing yards represents failure.
Michael Parente of The Woonsocket Call gives out his grades for Sunday's performance. Parente gives high marks to the coaches, quarterback, receivers, and offensive lineman, while the special teams and all defensive units left room for improvement.
In his notebook, Parente maps out the race for home-field advantage in the playoffs, as the Pats need a Steelers loss in order to host a potential AFC Championship game showdown.
If you enjoy News Blitz, you might want to check out www.bostonsportsmedia.com where Bruce Allen also offers links to what the media is saying about the Patriots as well as the other Boston sports teams. Allen also includes commentary on the media and does a good job holding everyone accountable.
