Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your Thursday. Grab your coffee and let’s get to it.
Asked a few players Wednesday if the possibility of clinching the division this weekend in Miami will give them some added incentive, and they all said their focus isn't so much on that, but figuring out a way to reverse their recent road woes in South Florida.
"Just treat it like another game," said James White. "Just try to go and get a win versus a divisional opponent on the road. The last few times we’ve played them down there, we haven’t played very well, so I think that’s enough motivation in itself."
--Should be a good Thursday -- there will be the usual player availability schedule, but we'll also have stories coming from me, Coach Cory Bailey, and Miguel. Keep an eye out throughout the day.
Thursday’s schedule
12:30 p.m.: Media availability at practice
4-4:45 p.m.: Approximate time for player availability (locker room) and Devin McCourty media availability (media workroom)
Now, on with the links...
1. Greg has his usual thorough breakdown of Sunday's game against the Vikings, complete with charts, video and everything else you'll need to fully digest this one. Said it before and I'll say it again -- when it comes to a BSJ subscription, these breakdowns alone are worth the $34.99 a year.
2. Five random statistics — and what they might mean when it comes to this weekend’s game against the Dolphins — including why Miami's Cameron Wake might set a new record against New England on Sunday.
3. Good news for the Patriots -- they had perfect attendance at practice on Wednesday. But the injury report listed New England with four limited players.
4. Video - Trey Flowers talked with us after practice about the challenge of the Dolphins and what lies ahead for the Patriots the rest of the way. Loved this quote from him about where they are as a team right now: “We’re in a pretty good position to put ourselves in a pretty good position.”
5. It looks like the Patriots defense is starting to round into form at just the right time.
6. Our pals at Bovada dropped a ton of Patriots-related odds Wednesday, including Super Bowl, AFC championship, and Offensive Rookie of the Year.
7. Former Patriots' wide receiver Danny Amendola is a question mark for Miami going into the weekend, but it sounds like he's really pushing to play against his old team. "This is the first time that I would say that he’s not being very compliant with me," Miami coach Adam Gase told us on a conference call Wednesday. "He wants to play in this game as bad as anybody. I’m trying to give him a little bit of the ability to show that he can go, but at the same time just try to make sure that we get through the week the right way. We don’t (want to) lose him for any longer than we already have.”
8. Miami's excellent cornerback Xavien Howard is in the same boat heading into Sunday -- if he's out, it really changes the complexion of the game.
9. Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com has a look at eight remaining games that will go a long way toward shaping the playoff field. Included on the list? The Patriots-Steelers showdown later this month.
10. Here are the playoff scenarios across the league for Sunday. For the Patriots, it's simple: win, and they've clinched another AFC East title.
Extra Point:
I think you'll enjoy it, Christian. Now you can flip between them, just like you did last week on your prediction of the Vikings-Patriots game. https://t.co/UMBjoq7rPv
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 5, 2018