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.
Wednesday is when the look-ahead to the next opponent really gets underway. That means the Vikings will be the primary topic of conversation down in Foxborough today. Expect lots of discussion about their defense, as well as Kirk Cousins, Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Plus, we'll get our first look at practice this week, as well as (fingers crossed) an opportunity to talk with Rex Burkhead, who was just activated to the 53-man roster earlier this week.
--Craig Wrolstad will serve as the referee for Sunday's Patriots-Vikings game. This will be the first New England game of the season for Wrolstad, who last refereed a Patriots' game back on Dec. 24, 2017. For more on his track record, check out his page at Pro Football Reference.
--Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will be on the mic this weekend for Fox. The Patriots are 2-1 in Buck-Aikman games dating back to the start of the 2016 season, with the one loss coming early last season when New England dropped a dramatic decision against Carolina.
--The Patriots will be taking part in the "My Cause, My Cleats" initiative this weekend. Check out who each member of the team will be honoring here.
Wednesday’s Schedule
10:40 a.m.: Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer conference call (media workroom)
11:45 a.m.: Bill Belichick press availability (media workroom)
12:35 p.m.: Media availability at practice
4-4:45 p.m.: Approximate time for player availability (locker room) and James White (media workroom)
Now, on with the links...
1. It's the Week 13 BSJ NFL Power Rankings, and we have the answers to all your questions. Which traditional member of the AFC elite is in danger of not making the playoffs? Why is everyone laughing at the Jaguars now? How foolish are football fights? And could Josh McDaniels get the call about the Cleveland job?
2. Speaking of McDaniels, he's just as spooked about the recent run of red-zone woes as you are. Probably more, if you want to know the truth. “That area of the field is always about execution and toughness, and we’ve had a few opportunities and just came up a little short on those, and certainly we stress that each week,” he said Tuesday. “When we’re down there, at this time of the year, you have to make the most of every opportunity you have to score touchdowns.”
3. I'm telling you, there's a very clear path that ends with the Steelers missing the playoffs and the Colts and Ravens getting in. A lot has to happen first, but it's certainly possible.
4. Greg spent some quality time Tuesday with the guys from "Felger & Mazz."
5. Our buddy Mike Reiss notes Happy Gronk is back, and it has an impact on the rest of the roster. “He’s ‘The Gronk.’ He looked like he was having fun, and that’s awesome,” noted receiver Julian Edelman after Sunday's game. “That’s what we want.”
6. There are a lot of reasons we like Tom E. Curran. He's a smart and sane voice of reason. In this case, we also like him because he shares our view when it comes to Burkhead. "If everything goes to the Patriots plan, the snow will be piled deep and the year will be a couple of weeks old and we’ll be writing about Burkhead’s invaluable contributions down the stretch," writes Curran. "He’s got to buck some recent history to make that happen."
7. The Vikings' third-down defense is on the verge of making history. With five games to go, its on pace to become the first (since the NFL officially tracked third downs in 1991) to lead the league in third-down defense during back-to-back seasons.
8. Sheldon Richardson is proving to be a perfect fit in the middle of the Minnesota defense.
9. The Vikings are betting the spark from Sunday's win over Green Bay can provide a boost going into back-to-back road games in New England and Seattle.
10. Kevin Faulk explained his side of what happened when it came to the wild scene following Saturday's LSU-Texas A&M game. "It's unfortunate this situation happened," Faulk said Sunday in a phone interview. "It got out of hand. But I was just behaving as my mom and dad raised me. This guy hit Coach Kragthorpe in the chest. I just stepped in. It just happened." (For what it's worth, this is a phenomenal tongue-in-cheek look at the fight. Make sure you read the piece about Faulk at the end, because it's truly hilarious.)
Extra Point: The best part of this is Brady congratulating linemen Trent Brown and Joe Thuney with their nicknames.
Keep improving.
Keep working.
BB's postgame speech, Slater breaks down the huddle & more as #Patriots celebrate a road win inside the locker room. pic.twitter.com/0gcIrfjk1x
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 27, 2018