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.
Couple of early thoughts as we get things started on Friday morning:
--Interesting to hear a handful of players say this week's contest against the Jets is like a playoff game. It's obviously not a win-or-go-home scenario for New England, but instead, likely an approach favored by Bill Belichick to try and ratchet up the intensity with the postseason looming.
--With that in mind, I remain fascinated as to how the rest of the week and Sunday's game will play out for some key players. With Cordarrelle Patterson's suddenly increased importance, does he get shut down for the regular-season finale? And would Belichick give Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski a quick hook?
--Ben Watson announced Thursday he was going to retire at the end of the season after 15 years in the league. A first-round pick of the Patriots in 2004 out of Georgia, he's occasionally forgotten around these parts because he's a New England tight end from this century who isn't named Gronkowski, but he ended up with a fairly impressive career -- with one regular-season game left, he has 528 catches for 5,856 receiving yards and 44 touchdowns. Plus, he made one of the most amazing plays I've ever seen -- more on that in our extra point.
Friday’s Schedule
11 a.m.: Bill Belichick press availability (media workroom)
11:40 a.m.: Media availability at practice
1:15-2 p.m.: Approximate time for player availability (locker room) and Tom Brady media availability (media workroom)
Now, on with the links...
1. Rob Gronkowski was really insightful and introspective at the podium on Thursday, talking about committing to the rest of the 2018 season. It was great to hear, but he also left open the question of what's going to happen in 2019 and beyond. Regardless, I love this walk-off quote from the big tight end: "I’m back on the roller coaster, baby. I’m going. I’m here for the ride." Buckle up.
2. I asked his fellow offensive linemen if there was anything that could make Joe Thuney -- who has played every snap of every game dating back to last December -- come out of a game. Love Shaq Mason's thoughts on the topic.
3. Greg's Friday Q&A is going to be epic -- get your questions in now.
4. Video - Devin McCourty stopped by the media workroom on Thursday to talk about a bunch of stuff, including Sam Darnold.
5. Here are the transcripts from Gronkowski and McCourty's podium sessions on Thursday. My favorite segment? When McCourty said the biggest change in Gronkowski over the years was the fact he's no longer an extreme meathead. Oh, and I asked McCourty if he had any thoughts about Brady saying he's going to play in 2019. "I would say I plan to play in 2019, too," he replied.
6. Tight end Jacob Hollister (hamstring) was the only guy on the roster who didn't participate in Thursday's practice.
7. Patriots' fans, take note. I'm linking to an oral history of the 2010 playoff game between New York and New England. It's a fun read and nice walk down memory lane ... and I'm not just saying that because Greg and I were quoted in the piece. It's a throwback to a time where the two teams really didn't like each other. I firmly believe the league is better when the Patriots-Jets rivalry is good, and this story is a part of that era.
8. Jets OC Jeremy Bates has been a big part of Sam Darnold's improvement this year.
9. More on Jets rookie tight end Chris Herndon, who continues to impress in his first year in the league. "You look at key moments, got-to-have it plays, they go to him and he gets open and he catches the ball a lot," McCourty said of the young tight end. "He’s definitely one of their guys that we’ve talked about this week of having to go out there and play well against."
10. New England is still holding steady as a 13.5-point favorite this weekend.
Extra Point: Still one of the most remarkable plays I've ever witnessed.
It's been real @BenjaminSWatson! Enjoy retirement. Thanks for this incredible play #ItWasATouchback ? pic.twitter.com/A4uWiqZ9Nm
— #NobodyDied (@ftbeard_17) December 27, 2018