Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your day:
No one wanted to leave.
That was the biggest takeaway from the postgame scene at Gillette Sunday. The game was over, the trophy was awarded, and the stands were empty. But everyone wanted to linger a little longer and enjoy the moment. Tom Brady, Willie McGinest and Alex Guerrero were chatting at Brady's locker while Brian Hoyer's son posed with the AFC championship hardware. Brandon Bolden -- who is usually the first guy out the door after a game, win or lose -- was sticking around and talking with teammates while his son sat patiently on his chair next to him. Stephon Gilmore, Matt Slater, Marquis Flowers and Duron Harmon were talking with anyone and everyone in the media about what had just happened, and the challenge still to come. And Matt Patricia was doing confetti angels with his family at the 50-yard line.
There were celebrations to get to and game plans to start working on and logistics to be planned. But Sunday evening, sticking around the locker room, there was a palpable sense of a group wanting to hang on to the moment, to enjoy the milestone and drink in the accomplishment. The Patriots were headed to their eighth Super Bowl of the Brady/Bill Belichick Era. They were immediately installed as 5.5-point favorites against the Eagles. But in the final game of the year at Gillette Stadium, with both coordinators likely headed for new teams and plenty of free-agent turnover looming this offseason, there was one last moment to enjoy things on a local level.
There will be new memories to be made over the next two weeks. But Sunday night, the team paused to take one final breath before the Super Bowl hype train leaves the station.
Now, on to the links...
1. The oft-imitated, never-duplicated BSJ Game Report has everything you need to know about what happened.
2. Greg takes a deep dive and looks at the defensive difference for the Patriots between the first and second half. An excellent read.
3. Tom Brady had one overriding thought all week: “My season can’t end on a handoff in practice.”
4. Hey Dion Lewis, how would you describe Danny Amendola’s performance Sunday? “Amendola is a (expletive) animal.”
5. The notebook takes a first look at Super Bowl LII, a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX
6. Sean covered the Jags locker room, and has the story on them coming up short but playing very well in defeat. (He’s also got the Jacksonville notebook here.)
7. As usual, our guy Adam Richins delivered the best shots of the afternoon. Here’s his photo gallery.
8. Our buddy Ryan O’Halloran has the Jacksonville perspective.
9. The Vikings went from miracle to misery on Sunday.
10. The Eagles have ridden a dominant defense to the third Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
Extra Point(s)
Pats' Rickey Jean-Francios comforting an emotional Leonard Fournette pic.twitter.com/1LKE8nku2r
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) January 21, 2018
The only L taken in Philly tonight pic.twitter.com/bIWvidxh9l
— TᖇIᒪᒪ GᗩTEᔕ (@djhomicide) January 22, 2018
— Christopher Price (@cpriceNFL) January 22, 2018