Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your Friday. Grab your coffee and let’s get to it.
There were two overriding themes in the New England locker room on Thursday.
One, sympathy. The Patriots had lost a teammate they had come to know and like, one that ended up succumbing to his demons even though he had worked hard and been diligent in his approach to the game for roughly three months. They all spoke of hoping he could get the help he needed.
"I think we have a tendency to be so infatuated with what is going on on the football field as players, as media members, we lose sight of what is going on with the man sometimes and our No. 1 concern is with him as a man," Matthew Slater said of Josh Gordon. "I am thankful for the approach he took here and how he was as a teammate. I enjoyed getting to know him and that process and will continue to support him any way I can and be praying for him. I think that’s the No. 1 concern is you want to see him be fine, be OK and that is what we’ll be praying for.”
And two, practicality. They lost one of their leading receivers on the cusp of the postseason, but no one is going to feel sorry for them. In the NFL, players will come and go, but the show will go on. You have to figure out a way to make it work. Not to overlook or make light of the real-world gravity of the situation, but from a pure football perspective, this is the latest test for the 2018 team. We'll see if they can rise to the challenge the rest of the way.
Friday’s Schedule
11 a.m.: Bill Belichick press availability (media workroom)
11:40 a.m.: Media availability at practice
1:20-2:05 p.m.: Approximate time for player availability (locker room) and Tom Brady (media workroom)
Now, on with the links...
1. With Gordon now out of the picture, Greg sets the scene for what needs to happen if the Patriots' offense is going to be successful down the stretch and into the postseason.
2. I went one-on-one with three of the Patriots' captains to get a sense of how important their leadership is in times like these. David Andrews told me that you want to be true to yourself, but also try and keep everyone up. “You have to stay positive. You have to stay on the course. You can’t mail it in or anything like that, or get down. That doesn’t mean you’re happy with the performance. I think it’s important to keep guys fresh and keep them up,” he said.
3. Here's the story that kicked off the day, with a look at the announcement from Gordon, as well as my take on where the New England passing game goes from here. Short answer? More Phillip Dorsett, Chris Hogan and Cordarrelle Patterson.
4. Miguel has a look at what the move means for the team from a financial perspective.
5. The notebook looks at Gordon's now former teammates talking about the receiver, and hoping he gets the help he needs. There are also practice updates and the latest injury report.
6. I spent some quality time talking Patriots with a bunch of different outlets, including Portland, Cleveland and NBC Sports Radio.
7. Our buddy Mike Reiss has his take on how the Patriots will fill the void created by the loss of Gordon.
8. Josh Allen said Thursday it will be a surreal experience to face Brady this weekend. "The way he attacks the game, how smart he is football wise - situational football - is one of his key strengths," Allen said of Brady. "He’s just arguably one of the greatest to ever play." (BTW, Allen was five when Brady and the Patriots won their first Super Bowl in February 2002. Five.)
9. The Patriots are aiming for a 10th straight division title, but Buffalo is aiming to play the role of spoiler on Sunday. "Obviously, they've been the standard of our division for the last 15 years, and they're in the division chase," said veteran linebacker Lorenzo Alexander of New England. "So for us to go up there and be able to beat them would be huge obviously for this city, for our team and organization. Because they're a team that's really had our number since I've been here."
10. Mark Maske of the Washington Post wonders if the Patriots have one more Super Bowl run left in them. "Yes, the vulnerabilities of the Patriots are on full display right now," writes Maske. "But they’re conceding nothing at this point. And they shouldn’t."
Extra Point:
Tom Brady sidestepping a staffer and breaking the staffer's ankles #Patriots pic.twitter.com/aOntx3FKB5
— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) December 20, 2018