Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your Wednesday. Grab your coffee and let’s get to it.
A few quick notes before we kick things off today.
--First practice report of the week will likely drop Wednesday around 4 p.m., and that should give us some sort of idea when it comes to Rob Gronkowski's status for the weekend. He was on the field moving around without an issue in the brief practice peek we got on Tuesday, but his status should come into slightly clearer focus on Wednesday.
--Should be good weather for this weekend's game -- per weather.com, they're expecting clear skies with temps in the 40s in East Rutherford on Sunday.
--Shawn Hochuli has been assigned to work Sunday's game as the referee. The son of the famous former ref, this is his second Patriots' game of his career as the lead official -- he worked as the referee for New England-Indy last month. Check out more of his career at his Pro Football Reference page.
Wednesday’s Schedule
12:35 p.m.: Media availability at practice
4 p.m.: Approximate time for player availability (locker room) and Devin McCourty (media workroom)
4 p.m.: Todd Bowles Conference Call (media workroom)
Now, on with the links...
1. Despite the Rams' epic Monday night win, the latest edition of the BSJ NFL Power Rankings has the Saints remaining at No. 1 because of their blowout against the Eagles. We decided to shake things up this week, and added a few different graphic elements. Hope you guys like it.
2. The AFC Playoff Picture is a little kinder to the Patriots now than it was before Kansas City's loss. Fundamentally, New England is now a game behind the Chiefs in the race for the top seed. It's hard to be too optimistic, however, when you get a look at Kansas City's schedule the rest of the way, which includes a pair of games against the Raiders.
3. The notebook took a look at a cold and wet practice scene Tuesday afternoon. Rex Burkhead and Dwayne Allen were the only ones not present, but after a quick check-in with Burkhead in the locker room, he merely missed the start of practice because of a personal matter.
4. Video - Stephon Gilmore talked about the challenge of facing the Jets and (potentially) the opportunity to take his first crack at rookie quarterback Sam Darnold.
5. Video - James White stopped by the media workroom after practice to talk with us about the mindset after the bye week, as well as the road ahead for the Patriots.
6. Greg spent some quality time with Felger & Mazz Tuesday afternoon.
7. Tom E. Curran watched the Rams-Chiefs game, and says that's not the new NFL reality. It's merely an aberration. And he adds that New England would have a smarter approach to things. "What you saw (Monday) night was not real life," writes Curran. "The Patriots wouldn’t play into that track meet like the Rams were willing to."
8. Brian Costello of the New York Post says that when it comes to Patriots-Jets, the Border War has become a bore. "Remember when Jets-Patriots week had some juice? Rex Ryan vowing not to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings. Wes Welker making foot jokes. Bill Parcells. Curtis Martin. The idea that the Jets could actually compete with the Patriots inside the AFC East. Those days feel long ago."
9. Our buddy Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News caused a bit of a stir around these parts Tuesday when he wrote Gronkowski was done. "He is a decrepit version of his former indestructible self," Mehta said, "a beaten and battered prized fighter who looks sad and lost." Oh, and the Daily News put in overtime with this one.
Extra Point: Two ex-Patriots make the cut in Richard Seymour and Ty Law. The next step comes on Thursday, Jan. 3 when the semifinalists are trimmed to 15 Modern-Era Finalists.
?BREAKING NEWS: Modern-Era Semifinalists for the Class of 2019 revealed #PFHOF19 pic.twitter.com/S4nrIJ88f5
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) November 21, 2018