THE 49ERS TAMPERED WITH CHICAGO'S LANCE BRIGGS WHILE HE WAS STILL UNDER CONTRACT!  THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!  IS THIS HOW THEY SIGNED NATE CLEMENTS AND TULLY BANTA CAIN?  JOHN KERRY SHOULD LAUNCH AN INVESTIGATION!  FIRE MIKE NOLAN!  THE 49ERS SHOULD BE BANNED FROM THE PLAYOFFS FOR 2 YEARS AND JOE MONTANA SHOULD GIVE UP HIS SUPER BOWL RINGS!  I CAN'T FIND MY CAPS LOCK BUTTON!

It now appears that the Patriots will re-sign Randy Mossto a 3-year deal worth about $27 million.  If they can bring Jabar Gaffney back, that would give them a group of Moss, Wes Welker, Gaffney, and Chad Jackson at wide receiver--not a bad group for Brady to throw to.

ESPN's Bill Simmons does a pretty good job of capturing the feelings of a Patriots fan right now.  The Globe's Jackie MacMullan laments that the season is now for naught, and the Herald's Karen Guregian offers similar sentiments.  Christopher L. Gasper recaps the game.

Seth Wickersham writes that the Giants did a great job of pressuring Tom Brady.  NFL.com's Pat Kirwan says this pressure was largely the result of Steve Spagnuolo's good schemes.

Michael Vega writes about the defense's failure to stop the Giants on their game-winning drive.  Bob Hohler notes that this left too little time on the clock for Brady to respond and win the game.

Mike Reiss has several game notes posted on his blog.

Tony Massarotti writes that the Giants simply outplayed the Patriots, while Michael Felger concurs, saying that the losing result should not be a surprise.

Guregian writes that though free agency looms for Randy Moss and Asante Samuel, both have said they would like to stay in New England.

Finally, as if losing the Super Bowl and letting the chance for an undefeated season slip away wasn't bad enough, John Tomase reports that Roger Goodell is considering re-opening the investigation into the Patriots' videotaping practices.

The big news is a report that the Patriots may have videotaped the Rams' final walkthrough before Super Bowl XXXVI seven years ago.

The Patriots are denying it, but in light of this report, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has agreed to meet with Sen. Arlen Specter about the "Spygate" scandal.

The NFL has officially denied the allegations, as well.

As for this year's Super Bowl, many of ESPN's experts expect the Patriots to prevail and finish 19-0.  I think after all these new allegations surfaced yesterday, we're going to see a fired-up Patriots team, and I expect a result similar to Week 2 against San Diego.

Mike Reiss has a Super Bowl preview posted on his blog.

John Tomase offers five things to look for in tonight's game.  He also breaks down many of the matchups.  Finally, Tomase expects the Patriots to deliver a victory and end the season as the only 19-0 team ever.

Dan Shaughnessy writes about the historical significance of tonight's game and anticipates how the Patriots will be remembered if they win.

Tony Massarotti writes on Tom Brady's amazing leadership and clutchness, noting this is what really makes him such a great quarterback.

Kevin Paul Dupont has a feature on Bill Belichick and tries to get a look at the man behind the dull press conferences.

Jackie MacMullan writes about Laurence Maroney's perseverance throughout the season.  While Brady and the passing game were thriving early, and Maroney wasn't getting many goal line carries, he didn't sulk, and his work has paid off over the few games.

Finally, Steve Buckley and Rob Bradford both have articles on Andre Tippett's election to the Hall of Fame.  Bradford looks at why he was selected, while Buckley has a piece on Tippett's reaction.

Marima already linked to this, but I think it deserves to be on the main page:  ESPN.com's Wright Thompson has a very good piece on Ernie Adams, director of football research for the New England Patriots.  Adams is one of Bill Belichick's closest friends and is considered a brilliant football tactician by those who know him.

John Clayton has 10 reasons why the Patriots will win Super Bowl XLII.

NFL.com's Pat Kirwan writes that the Patriots offense has proven they can run as well as pass.  On a related note, Ira Miller agrees that the Patriots offense is "chameleonic" in the sense that they can move the ball in a lot of ways.

Megan King believes Kevin Faulk will be an X-factor in the game, and could even win the MVP.

Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins gives an account of Tom Brady's humble football origins and traces how he came to be the superstar he is.

Dr. Z has a positional breakdown for both teams.   Unfortunately, he breaks down matchups by comparing the offense to the offense and the defense to the defense, rather than the matchups that will actually play out on the field (offense versus defense).  The Herald's John Tomase also has positional breakdowns, though he has them grouped by position rather than individual.

With the Globe, Mike Reiss has some practice reports updated to his blog.

Jim McCabe speculates on the prospects of a perfect season.
At the same time, Dan Shaughnessy wonders if this Patriots season should be considered the best of any Boston team in history.

Meanwhile, Jackie MacMullan looks even further down the road and surmises this could be Asante Samuel's final game as a Patriot.

Rob Bradford of the Herald notes that Brady's ankle injury has become a non-issue.  Credit the Patriots for continuing to list him as having a shoulder injury on their official reports.

Tomase credits Bill Belichick's high standards for helping to create the recent run of success the Patriots have enjoyed.

Karen Guregian writes that versatility may be the Patriots' best quality.  In a similar vein, she looks back at the many ways the Patriots were able to win games this year.

Finally, Tony Massarotti says there's nothing left to do but play the game.  Amen.

After yesterday's media day, there is a plethora of links out there.  I won't be linking to the ones I consider facetious, because I take my unpaid, titleless job very seriously.

ESPN.com's Greg Garber reports on Junior Seau's motivation, which has kept him playing hungry for a Super Bowl victory.

Len Pasquarelli has a similar areticle on Tedy Bruschi's return to playing at a high level after he suffered a stroke nearly three years ago.

Sports Illustrated's Don Banks writes that he enjoys listening to Randy Moss, and collected several quotes from Moss during Media Day.  With the Globe, Kevin Paul Dupont also reports on Moss's Media Day appearance.

Peter King has five random thoughts on the Super Bowl.

Michael Vega reports on the questions asked of Tom Brady yesterday, many of which were focused on his ankle.

Don Banks talked to an AFC scout about the matchups in the Super Bowl.  NFL.com's Pat Kirwan also has a thorough analysis of the Patriots and Giants, while Vic Carucci says the Giants defense will have their hands full trying to stop the Patriots.

On the other hand, the Giants have a pretty good receiver of their own in Plaxico Burress.  Ellis Hobbs is confident the Pats secondary will be able to keep him in check.  Speaking of Burress, you may have heard that he made a guarantee that the Giants would win, 23-17.  He was asked about his guarantee at Media Day, and he stood by it.    When will they learn?

Mike Reiss writes that despite saying he would like to remain with the Patriots, many think he might interview for the Redskins head coaching job after the Super Bowl.

With the Herald, Tony Massarotti speculates that the Super Bowl might be the last game free agent-to-be Asante Samuel plays with the Patriots.  The Patriots have agreed not to use their franchise tag on him during this offseason, and it is likely another team will offer him more money than the Patriots.

Steve Buckley reports that Jarvis Green will be playing for Marquise Hill in Super Bowl XLII.

Finally, Tim Layden reports that former Patriots offensive lineman Joe Andruzzi is fighting colon cancer, a rare and aggressive form.  He was diagnosed eight months ago.  Best wishes to him and his family.

ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports that Tom Brady is ready to play in Super Bowl XLII.

He also writes on how the team has been remembering Marquise Hill this season.

Elizabeth Merrill has a feature on Wes Welker, writing about how he's been initially unwanted at every level of the game, but has gone on to become a fine player every time.

With the Globe, Christopher L. Gasper reports that the Patriots have arrived in Arizona, and Tom Brady will play.  Bob Ryan adds that no one should be surprised about all the speculation that occurred about Brady's foot.

Mike Reiss and Gasper write about how loose Bill Belichick appeared as the team traveled in a notes column.

Reiss also answers many reader questions about the Super Bowl in a mailbag column.

With the Herald, Rob Bradford writes that the Pats veterans still enjoy reaching the Super Bowl even though they've gotten here several times in the past few years.

The Patriots do have their share of players new to the Super Bowl, though.  For example, the players acquired during an aggressive, successful offseason.

Tony Massarotti writes that through all this success, Bill Belichick has been the common element.

Dan Ventura focuses on the Pats offensive line in his notes column.

Karen Guregian examines how the Patriots have changed from the underdog darlings of 2001 to the overwhelming, sometimes begrudged, favorites in 2007.  At the same time, Steve Buckley wonders whether so many people really do hate the Patriots.

Getting lost in the frenzy about Brady's foot, Randy Moss has a court date in Florida today.  Moss will not be appearing in court, choosing instead to remain with the Patriots and prepare for the Super Bowl.

Finally, Jackie MacMullan looks at Benjamin Watson's newly-founded charity.

With ESPN.com, Seth Wickersham has a list of advice for the Giants if they are to beat the Pats in Super Bowl XLII.

The Patriots are traveling to Arizona today, and Mike Reiss has a loose schedule posted on his blog.

Michael Vega looks at what Tedy Bruschi means to the Pats defense, while Jack MacMullan writes on Jabar Gaffney's rise from obscurity to being a fixture among one of the best receiving corps ever assembled.

With the Herald, Rob Bradford examines Mike Vrabel's outgoing personality, and how that's translated onto the football field.

Speaking of linebackers, Bradford also has a piece that notes how valuable experience is for this linebacking group.

Tony Massarotti notes that both the Giants and Patriots led their conferences in sacks recorded this season.

Massarotti also has a feature on Wes Welker and his great change of fortune, leaving a hapless Dolphins team for one of the best squads in NFL history.

Speaking of greatness, Jim McCabe says it is difficult to rank the Patriots among history's other elite teams, and argues that it might be best not to try judging them to those other teams at all.

Chuck Klosterman has a fascinating article on the Patriots up at ESPN.com.  He argues that the Patriots might be better remembered if they were to lose in the Super Bowl, as heartbreaking losses resonate more with people than victories.

However, Sports Illustrated's Don Banks has five reasons the Patriots will not lose the Super Bowl.

On the other hand, write the Globe's Michael Vega and Mike Reiss, Belichick will be the first to tell you that the Giants will be formidable opponents.

As for Tom Brady, Howard Ulman reports he was absent from media activities today.  Dan Shaughnessy believes everyone's imaginations are running wild speculating on Brady's apparent injury.  With the Herald, Karen Guregian agrees that no real conclusions can be drawn about the situation.

The Giants also are suffering from ailments, reports Reiss on his blog.

John Tomase reports on some of the recent accusations that some Patriots players are dirty, and he spoke with Richard Seymour about how to get past criticisms like those.

Karen Guregian focuses on Randy Moss and his first trip to the Super Bowl in her notes column.

Jeff Horrigan examines the matchup between Ellis Hobbs and Plaxico Burress.

Finally, Michael Felger looks at how the salary cap and free agency have both helped and hindered the Patriots' ability to win consistently.

Mark Maske with the Washington Post has an interesting article on how the rules changes made in response to the physical 2004 Patriots defense have helped make the 2007 Patriots what they are today.

The Patriots went back to work today, but Bill Belichick would not discuss Tom Brady's injury.  Brady was not in the locker room or on the practice field during the brief times the media had access to those places, either.  With the Herald, John Tomase talked to Joe Theismann about Brady's injury.  Theismann thinks it will not be an issue.

In other injury news, backup safety Mel Mitchell was placed on the IR today, Mike Reiss reports on his blog.

Reiss also spoke with Doug Flutie, who is impressed with the tactical changes the Patriots often make mid-game.

Those tactics, of course, are at the direction of Bill Belichick, who has something in common with Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin:  both served as assistant coaches to Bill Parcells.  Dan Shaughnessy examines the time they spent working together.  Tomase has a similar article.

Tomase also has a story on Jabar Gaffney, the only WR who played for the Patriots last year and this season.

Karen Guregian spoke with John Hannah, who has high praise for the Patriots offensive line.

But the Giants' Osi Umenyiora recently insinuated that a member of that offensive line, Matt Light, is a dirty player.  When will these opponents learn?  I now agree with Eric Wilbur, who says the Giants have no chance to win Super Bowl XLII.

Finally, on a more important note, Ben Watson recently founded his 'One More' charity.

Watson founded the foundation with his wife Kirsten under the premise that if everyone can simply help just "one more" person, a legacy of caring, generosity and community will be established. The foundation will not be attached to a specific cause or charity but will help various charities and foundations assisting the needy with such issues as food, clothing, education and medical attention.

I didn't get any links up yesterday.  My schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays is a bit full, so on those days the links won't be up until the evening if I get to them at all.

Sports Illustrated's Dr. Z predicts the Giants are just tough and resilient enough to beat the Pats in the Super Bowl.

On the other hand, the simulation software Accuscore gives a significant edge to the Pats, with them winning 75% of simulations.

More news is coming out on Tom Brady's injury, which is minor, according to the Globe's Mike Reiss.  Karen Guregian reports that it is a high ankle sprain, and Jessica Fargen says this is good news because athletes generally can play through this injury with some taping and bracing.  John Tomase is convinced that Brady will be fine.

Nick Cafardo and several former Patriots players think this year's Giants are a lot like the '85 Patriots.

Mike Reiss writes that the Patriots should have the edge in experience as they prepare for the Super Bowl.

Reiss also has some game-related updates to his blog.

Reiss also talked to several coaches about the Super Bowl, and many expect the Pats to prevail.

Tony Massarotti looks at the Pats ground game.  He has collected some encouraging numbers and also has some analysis on the running game's prominence and success in recent weeks.

NFL.com has 42 facts about Super Bowl XLII, a comparison of Plaxico Burress to Wes Welker, and Pat Kirwan expects both the Giants and Patriots to blitz a lot in the Super Bowl.

Tom Brady was seen in NYC earlier today walking in a foot cast.  According to the Herald, despite the apparent injury, Brady expects to play in the Super Bowl.  A video of Brady walking in NYC with the foot cast can be viewed here.

The big news today are the comments from San Diego's Nick Hardwick.  He claimed that Richard Seymour was "cheap and dirty...the whole time."  Hardwick then used some rough language to describe Seymour and accused him of head slapping, stomping the pile, and punching Chargers players in the back.

With the Herald, Tony Massarotti has the best and worst from yesterday's game in various categories.

Dan Ventura says Junior Seau was among the best yesterday.  Karen Guregian notes that Kevin Faulk was the leading receiver for the Pats yesterday.  And Jeff Horrigan says that Laurence Maroney's dominating second half puts him among yesterday's best, as well.

Horrigan also writes on Donte' Stallworth reaching the Super Bowl for his first time.

Michael Felger writes that the Patriots defense did a great job in yesterday's game.

John Tomase says the Patriots collectively picked up Randy Moss during a tough time in his personal life.

With the Globe, Mike Reiss writes that the red zone play of both teams decided the AFC Championship.

Reiss also has a brief article on the great special teams play by Kelley Washington, who tipped a punt headed for a touchback inside the San Diego 5 yard line.

Reiss also has several updates to his blog, including an early preview of Super Bowl XLII.

Christopher L. Gasper has a notes column that focuses on the Pats receivers standing up for Moss.

Bill Doyle writes on the outstanding play of Laurence Maroney.

Finally, Mark Blaudschun talked with Tedy Bruschi about how special this AFC championship is.

Congratulations to the New England Patriots for advancing to the Super Bowl and being the first NFL team ever to be 18-0.

Len Pasquarelli has a very good AFC championship game analysis up at ESPN.com

Gene Wojciechowski believes the Patriots will win the Super Bowl.

Sports Illustrated's Don Banks says this Patriots victory was reminiscent of past playoff victories of former Patriots Championship teams.  The defense held tough and limited the points scored by the opponent.

With the Globe, Bob Ryan writes that the Patriots played a more physical style of football than they have for much of this season.

Jackie MacMullan says that the Patriots won today in spite of Tom Brady.

Christopher L. Gasper recaps the game and looks forward to the Super Bowl matchup with the New York Giants.

Mike Reiss has several game-related updates to his blog.

Dan Shaughnessy believes the Patriots are one win away from being universally recognized as the best team ever in football.

With the Herald, Tony Massarotti writes that the Patriots made some key adjustments that allowed them to win the AFC Championship.

Dave Goldberg says that the Patriots "supporting cast" of underrated players came up big today.

Karen Guregian looks ahead to the significance of  winning the Super Bowl.

Sorry I didn't get the links up yesterday.  I had internet connection issues.

Karen Guregian with the Boston Herald has the latest injury news.  Though listed as 'doubtful,' Philip Rivers did walk through practice yesterday.  LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates will play.

In tomorrow's AFC Championship game, the Patriots hope to play better defense against the Chargers.  On that subject, Jeff Horrigan says that Mike Vrabel's return to the OLB position this season has been a great help to the defense.

Guregian discusses Tom Brady's outstanding ability to manage the game.

She also recalls the death of Marquise Hill this past offseason, and says that was the first of several trials the Patriots have had to face this year.

With the Globe, Amalie Benjamin has a notes column that focuses on the long drives that Patriots opponents have been able to put together recently.

Michael Vega has a piece about Laurence Maroney's improved play over the last few weeks.

Bob Ryan writes on the great wealth of experience this Patriots team possesses.

Mike Reiss also has several game-related updates to his blog.

The big news today, which has already been posted in a diary by Marima, is that Randy Moss has been served a restraining order by a female friend.

Sports Illustrated's Don Banks says that this news could not come at a worse time, though SI's Tim Layden believes the accusations will give the Patriots a rallying cry similar to when the news broke about "Spygate."  The Pats' opponent both weeks:  the Chargers.  With the Herald, John Tomase also feels these allegations against Moss will not become a distraction.

With the Globe, Jackie MacMullan laments that up until now, there had been no negative news about Moss since he joined the Patriots.

Tony Massarotti writes that we should have seen this coming.

Michael Vega reports that Tom Brady seems to be keeping his focus locked on San Diego.

Returning to the game, Mike Reiss put together a gallery detailing ten storylines in the Pats-Chargers game.

Vega also has a notes column, with the lead piece detailing how frustrated Sammy Morris is with having to be on the sidelines.

Karen Guregian also has a notes column that focuses on the Chargers' substitutes.

Tony Massarotti has a piece on how Ben Watson has become more of a role player this year.  Missing a few games due to injury probably contributed to that.

With the weather forecast looking chilly, Tom Brady insists that the cold will not slow down the Pats' record-breaking offense.

Many of you recall the great catch Donte' Stallworth made against the Jaguars last weekend--the one where he was caught from behind because he looked up at the Jumbotron.  Well Stallworth has a bizarre explanation for what happened, citing an alter ego of his that was involved in the play.

There's also a great story about Dick Rehbein, the late Patriots Quarterbacks Coach who was instrumental in persuading the Patriots brain trust to draft Tom Brady after predicting Brady's greatness earlier than anyone else.

ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli writes on the astounding talent and depth of the Patriots WR group.

Speaking of that depth, Christopher L. Gasper with the Globe writes on Donte' Stallworth's transition to a supporting role.

Gasper also has a notes column up today, pointing out that the Chargers defense led the league in turnovers forced this season, and already have five in the playoffs.  The Patriots offense on the other hand, takes care of the ball very well, and they will have to if they are to win.  The Herald's Karen Guregian has a similar article, and also breaks down turnover statistics by team and player.

Mike Reiss has a mailbag column up focusing on this weekend's game against the Chargers.  He also has several game-related updates to his blog.

With the Herald, John Tomase writes that Rodney Harrison faces a tough task in covering Antonio Gates.  However, Tomase also points out that during this season, Harrison has done a good job of blanketing tight ends.

Tomase also suggests four candidates to replace Chad Jackson as kick returner, in the hope that they would be able to give the Pats better field position than him.

Guregian also has a notes column looking at Tom Brady's leadership, the difference playing a Chargers team with Chris Chambers makes, and the bad blood that is starting to build between the Chargers and Pats.

Guregian also reports that though much of the public believe the Patriots are going to waltz into the Super Bowl, Belichick and Patriots believe they were the best team in the AFC during the second half of the season, and that the game will be no cakewalk.

ESPN.com has a page devoted to the AFC Championship game.  Here, you can see that the "Accuscore" software ESPN employs has the Patriots winning over 88% of the time against the Chargers.  Stephen Oh, an analyst for Accuscore, offers a detailed explanation of these simulations, along with how other variables (like the absence of Rivers and Tomlinson) affect the outcomes. NFL.com has a similar page with features on the game.

With the Globe, Mike Reiss has the latest injury news on Philip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson.  It looks like Tomlinson will probably play, but Rivers's status is still uncertain.  If Rivers and/or Tomlinson can't play, the Herald's Dan Duggan has a look at the subs who will play in their stead.

Reiss also has the thoughts of Bill Belichick on the Chargers team posted on his blog.  Additionally, Reiss has gathered the thoughts and opinions of three coaches around the league on this Pats-Chargers matchup.  The coaches are Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike  Smith, Chiefs special teams coach Mike Priefer, and former head coach Dennis Green, who now works as an analyst for Westwood One radio.  John Tomase took a similar tack by talking with Chiefs QB Damon Huard about the Chargers' turnaround since their 1-3 start to the season.

Finally, Reiss has an article recalling the last game played between the Patriots and Chargers, in which the Patriots got off to a fast start.

Tomase breaks down the Chargers' defense, which, Karen Guregian writes, the odds are against.

Gerry Callahan believes the disparity between the Pats and Chargers is so great that the Chargers should not even bother to show up.

The AP also has an article on the fine recent play of Laurence Maroney.

The Patriots will be hosting the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship game this Sunday.  The Chargers have a lot of injury issues heading into the game, most notably to their offensive skill position players Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Antonio Gates.  Gates was the only one of the three to play yesterday's game in its entirety against the Colts, but was limited to just 2 catches for 28 yards--he was not his usual play-making self.  Perhaps he will be more healthy with another week to heal, but perhaps he won't be much better.  Today, head coach Norv Turner described the statuses of Rivers and Tomlinson as "questionable" for the Patriots game.

The Chargers' victory, along with this string of injuries, has prompted Sports Illustrated's Don Banks to call the Patriots "lucky".

ESPN's Len Pasquarelli poses and answers "Five questions" about the Pats-Bolts game.

With the Globe, Christopher L. Gasper writes that it is a bit of a disappointment that the Colts did not make it back to the AFC Championship game, because this Pats team was really built to beat them on that stage.  The Herald's Tony Massarotti also calls this matchup a "letdown".  John Tomase compares the situation to the 1985-86 season, when the Bears were expecting to play the Dolphins in the Super Bowl, looking to get revenge on the Dolphins for spoiling their chance at a perfect season.  Instead, the Patriots defeated the Dolphins and took the AFC berth in the Super Bowl.  Still, the Pats themselves would never say they'd rather play the Colts, and they are focused on preparing for the Chargers.

On the other hand, writes Eric Wilbur, playing the Chargers might be more fun.  Karen Guregian also says there is no shortage of storylines to be hyped with a Chargers-Pats title game, given their recent, hotly-contested playoff matchup, not to mention the comments of some of their players after the filming incident in Week 1.

Tomase put together a profile on the Chargers, with some notable statistics and trends regarding the team.

Mike Reiss has several game-related updates to his blog.

To wrap up some leftover points from Saturday night's game against the Jags, Guregian writes a bit on Donte Stallworth and Tom Brady in today's notes column.  Gasper focuses on the defense and the excellent play of Laurence Maroney of late in his own notes column.

Bob Ryan writes on the differences between the first half of the Patriots' season, when they put up such gaudy numbers, and the second half, when they came back to Earth a little bit as teams began playing against them like it was the Super Bowl.

What a great game!  And I thought the Jaguars had the power running game.  Here are some post-game links.  I'm going back to Rochester tomorrow for my last semester of undergraduate study, so I probably won't have a chance to post the full set of links that a victory like this deserves.

The Globe has a game recap of the Patriots divisional round playoff victory that saw Brady pick up a couple more records.

Mike Reiss has many game notes on his blog.

With the Herald, Karen Guregian writes on Brady's record-breaking performance.

Tony Massarotti also has a piece on Randy Moss's second place finish in the Comeback Player of the Year award voting.  Greg Ellis of the Cowboys took home the title after recovering from an Achilles injury.

Buried in all the post-game glamour is a report that Patriots Director of College Scouting Thomas Dimitroff has been hired to be the new GM of the Falcons.  He's a name we don't see discussed in the media as being a major part of the Pats' success, but I'm sure he was an important part of the team's drafting these last few years, and their picks have generally turned out to be pretty good.  Best of luck to him with the Falcons.

The latest news is that Ellis Hobbs has a groin injury and might not play tonight against the Jaguars.

Mike Reiss also has more injury news on his blog.

Jim McBride has a scouting report on tonight's game.  He breaks down the run and pass offense/defense for each team.

In a similar vein, Jim McCabe examines the Jaguars' secondary, which many feel is the weak link in the Jaguars defense.  McCabe isn't so sure, because they have performed well in important situations.

Jackie MacMullan writes on the similarities between this year's underrated underdog Jags team and the Pats of 2001.  In contrast, Steve Buckley with the Herald says there really is no basis for the comparison of the '07 Jags with the '01 Pats.

Now that the Patriots always seem to be the favorite, Christopher L. Gasper says the pressure is on.

John Tomase has some ideas about what will happen in tonight's game.  He has "Five Things to Watch for" during the game, and he also believes the Pats offense will feature some unexpected wrinkles.

Karen Guregian also has a notes column where she looks at the Jags' secondary, injury updates, Jabar Gaffney's improved play in the second half of the season, and how good each team is on fourth down.

The Jaguars also quietly removed their list of power rankings which included an asterisk next to the Pats' #1 spot.  As I understand it, John Tomase was among the first to report the presence of an asterisk in Monday's Herald, and sometime in midweek ESPN's "Sportscenter" visited the page during its program.  As the public became aware of the asterisk, the rankings' author, Vic Ketchman, found his email inbox flooded with angry messages, and that's when the team decided to take down the asterisk.  Ketchman said he put the asterisk in his power rankings as "an attempt at subtle humor."  Yeah, because an asterisk is real subtle.

The New Hampshire primaries were held earlier this week, and comedian Jimmy Dunn went to the polls to support his first-choice candidate - Tom Brady.  The link is a video, and at times the sound is hard to hear, but the man gets in a few pretty good one-liners. Example: on immigration, Brady would send his offensive line to the border, and no one would get through.

Sports Illustrated's Tim Layden says the Jags are too flawed to beat the Pats.

Don Banks writes on Junior Seau's return to the playoffs after 12 years (he missed last year's postseason with the Pats due to injury).

With the Globe, Mike Reiss has some updates to his blog.  Reiss also breaks down all the positional matchups for the Pats-Jags game.

Dan Shaughnessy writes about the homefield advantage that the Patriots will enjoy in this week's game and hopefully next week's AFC championship.

Chris Forsberg simulated the Pats-Jags game with EA's Madden '08 video game.  The Patriots won the simulation, 34-31.

Eric Wilbur also has gathered many of the various "experts'" predictions for the game.  Despite all the people talking themselves into believing the Jags can pull off the upset, most of these media members are still taking the Pats.

John Powers writes on the polarizing effect the Pats' perfect season has had on their public perception.  They are simultaneously admired and disparaged.

With the Herald, John Tomase also has a matchups column for the Pats and Jags.

Karen Guregian focuses on the Patriots defense, which many critics have called old and slow.

On the other side of the ball, Michael Felger writes on the confidence of the Pats offense heading into the playoffs, despite the fact that history is stacked against high-scoring offenses.

Tony Massarotti has a brief article on the significant advantage of having a bye week in the postseason.

Massarotti also has a piece on the play of Matt Light this season.

Finally, Guregian has a notes column focusing on Asante Samuel's preparation, injury updates, and a look at Jacksonville's safeties.

Pat Kirwan with NFL.com has a thorough scouting report of the Pats-Jags game.  There's also a video by NFL Films previewing the game on this page.

Gil Brandt also has a key matchup in the game:  Paul Spicer versus Tom Brady.

There's also a lot of stats, news, and material on the game at NFL.com's Game Center for the Pats-Jags game.

With the Globe, Michael Vega talks to former Jaguar Kyle Brady about Jacksonville's team.  Brady says their defensive line is definitely as good as advertised.

Vega also has a notes column, where he has information on the Patriots' All-Pro selections, Belichick's recent praise of Chris Hanson, and injury updates.

Christopher L. Gasper reports on the preparation of Wes Welker and Nate Washington for the first postseason game of their careers.

Mike Reiss has some updates to his blog, including a report on Josh McDaniels's press conference, and how the team remembers Marquise Hill.

With the Herald, Jeff Horrigan talked with Rodney Harrison about his frustrations in missing the playoffs last year due to injury.  On a related note, Karen Guregian's notes column reports that Harrison sat out of yesterday's practice after trainers worked on his leg during warm-ups.

Guregian also has two related pieces on Randy Moss.  She talks with cornerbacks Jabari Greer (Bills), Will Allen (Miami), and Lito Sheppard (Philadelphia) about how to defend Randy Moss.    She also has a breakdown of Moss's game-by-game receiving stats, as well as the numbers for the top receiver against the Jaguars game-by-game.

Horrigan also has an article on Ty Warren and his statistical drop this season as compared to last year.

Finally, Tony Massarotti feels that a Patriots loss in the playoffs would tarnish the entire season.

Scouts, Inc. writer Jeremy Green believes that a Patriots loss is indeed coming this weekend against the Jaguars.

Patriots WR Randy Moss was a unanimous selection to the AP All-Pro Team today.  Tom Brady also received a selection from every voter, but his election to the team was not exactly unanimous because one voter split his choice between Brady and Brett Favre.  Probably the same lone voter who voted Favre for MVP.  Other Patriots named to the team include OT Matt Light, LB Mike Vrabel, and CB Asante Samuel.  Congratulations to all of these players.

The big news today is that Jaguars LB Mike Peterson will not play against the Patriots this Saturday.

On the Patriots' end, Mike Reiss with the Globe reports that Nick Kaczur, Stephen Neal, and Kyle Brady are all making strides toward returning to the field, as each of them participated in practice in some capacity yesterday.

Reiss also has some updates to his blog, including some notes on Chris Hanson's relatively small body of work this season as the Pats' punter.

Reiss also talked to Jeff Fisher, Lane Kiffin, and Joe Marciano about what they expect to see from the Jaguars.

Eric Wilbur declares that the Jaguars don't stand a chance against the Patriots.

With the Herald John Tomase writes that the Pats' defense must play tough if they are to win against Jacksonville.

In two related stories, Karen Guregian writes on Richard Seymour's hope that he will find his stride in the playoffs after missing much of the regular season while recovering from knee surgery.  Along with this Steve Buckley reports on Tedy Bruschi's drive to remain successful.

On the offensive side, Guregian writes on the matchups in the trenches between New England's talented O-line and Jacksonville's outstanding D-line.

Patriots QB Tom Brady is the AP's Offensive Player of the Year.  Randy Moss finished second in the voting.  Along with the story, ESPN notes that many recent NFL MVPs and Offensive Players of the Year have not gone on to win the Super Bowl.  Of course, over the last six years, many of those winners were beaten in the playoffs by Brady and the Patriots.

Update [2008-1-8 18:53:23 by tommasse]:
Here's the full story from NFL.com. Note that Brady received 35½ votes, Moss received 12½ and Wes Welker received 1 vote. Three Patriots, 49 of 50 voites. Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre also received a vote. Probably the same guy who voted Favre MVP.

ESPN.com has a page devoted to the Patriots VS Jaguars divisional playoff game.  There, you can see that the "Accuscore" projection software ESPN employs gives the Patriots an 81% chance of winning the game, with the average score being 30-18.

This page also links to an opinion piece by Jeffri Chadiha, who has "3 Questions" that he answers about each of the AFC Divisional Playoff games.

With the Globe, Mike Reiss has a mailbag column focusing on the Jags game.  He also has several game-related updates to his blog.

Another article claims that the Jaguars will likely try to pick on Ellis Hobbs. Karen Guregian with the Herald has a similar article, while the Herald also has some simple statistics that suggest Hobbs is not a weak link.

Steve Buckley writes on Wes Welker's preparation for his first appearance in the playoffs.

Speaking of preparation, Jeff Horrigan reports that the Patriots are publicly saying that the comments made by Paul Spicer last September will not be used as a motivational tool for this game.

John Tomase writes on the tough, physical nature of this Jaguars team the Patriots face.

Buckley also writes that Adalius Thomas was quick to point out how well the Jags have played on the road this season, including a playoff victory already away from Jacksonville.

Jaguars LB Mike Peterson, who has missed the last 7 games with the Jags because of a broken hand, expects to play against the Patriots, though head coach Jack Del Rio is not as optimistic.

The other big news today is that the lone MVP voter who cast his ballot for Brett Favre publicly explained his reasoning for it, and I think he makes a pretty good case.

The Globe also takes an early look at next year's salary cap situation for New England.

The Patriots will face the Jacksonville Jaguars this Saturday night in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.

The Boston Globe has "five things you need to know" about the Jaguars going into the game.

Mike Reiss reports that the Jaguars are a confident team heading into the game.  Reiss also has some updates to his blog, including what Belichick had to say about the Jags in a conference call last night.

Christopher L. Gasper also has an early preview of the game.

With the Herald, John Tomase also has a look at the Jags,  and he believes the Patriots will try to force David Garrard to win the game for Jacksonville through the air.

Tomase also reports that the official Jacksonville Jaguars website contains a list of power rankings with the Patriots ranked #1 with an asterisk, saying they "cheated in one game."  Tomase does not provide a link to this page, and I looked and couldn't find it, so maybe has already been taken down or was never really up.

Karen Guregian believes the Patriots must play their best football if they are to beat the Jaguars.

ESPN.com reports that Paul Spicer of the Jaguars is standing by his earlier comments in September, when he said the Patriots should not be allowed in the playoffs.  Spicer does seem to temper his comments a little, saying he stands by what he said because that's what he "felt at the time."  This "bulletin board" material actually seems fairly tame.

My brother and I realized something while watching the Giants' abysmal 1st quarter performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:  the Giants had already played their Super Bowl the week before against New England, and they seemed emotionally and physically drained.  Eli Manning and the offense had three possessions in that first quarter, all of which took just three plays before the punting unit took the field.  The defense played a little better, but they were giving up yards and surrendered an early TD to the Bucs.  Granted, the Giants recovered their intensity, picked up their quality of play, took a 14-7 halftime lead and eventually won the game.  The Giants seemed hungover from playing tough against the Patriots the week before, and I wonder if the desperate atmosphere of a playoff game was the key factor in waking them from their malaise.

Indeed, other teams that have played the Patriots well this season (particularly in the second half of the schedule, when the growing hype and increasing importance of each game in going undefeated mounted), have gone on to play quite poorly in their following regular season game.  Of the Patriots opponents in the second half of the schedule (Colts, Bills, Eagles, Ravens, Steelers, Jets, Dolphins, Giants), all lost to the Patriots and then lost their next regular season game (except the Giants, who did not have a regular season game after their contest against the Pats).  Many of these teams played the Patriots to a closer game than the public expected, and followed their good performances against the Patriots with poor showings in their next games.  This trend demonstrates that opposing teams have been getting pumped up to play the Patriots each week as they have pursued perfection.  With much mental and emotional energy expended in the preparation for and play in these games, along with the disappointment with the subsequent defeat, these teams failed to give similar displays in their following games.

Out of this group of teams, the Ravens were the most egregious offenders.  They gave New England their toughest game of the season, and then completely failed to show up in their following game against the Colts.  The Ravens defense that was prideful and inspired against the Patriots allowed 23 points in the first quarter to the Colts.  QB Kyle Boller, who looked proficient and skilled against the Pats defense, threw 3 interceptions, as the Ravens lost 44-20, with most of their points being scored late in the game when the Colts had gone into cruise control.  Their play on both sides of the ball was vastly inferior to that which was displayed against the Pats the week before.

The Eagles arguably gave the Patriots their next biggest scare on the road to 16-0.  In spite of two costly interceptions, A.J. Feeley played a great game and marched the Eagles offense up and down the field on the road for most of the game.  The following week, at home against the Seahawks, Feeley threw four interceptions and the Eagles struggled on offense.  Though the final score was just 28-24 in favor of the Seahawks, Feeley's enormous disparity in performance suggests he was burned out from playing one of the best games of his career against the Patriots.

The Colts gave the Patriots their closest game after those two, and in their following game, Peyton Manning threw a career-high 6 interceptions in what will undoubtedly be recalled as one of the worst games of his professional career.  The Colts offense struggled and were in a big 24-7 hole at halftime.  Was Manning's poor performance here linked to overexertion in his preparation the week before?  I'm sure he'd never admit it, but there seems to be a real correlation in good QB play followed by poor play in the next game with these three opponents.

Another QB who fits this pattern is Chad Pennington of the Jets.  Though Kellen Clemens started the game, Pennington played the QB position in all but the first series (though he was absent for some snaps as the Jets ran some plays with Brad Smith at QB).  While Pennington threw for only 184 yards and no scores, he also did not turn the ball over, playing efficient (65.7% completions), mistake-free football to keep the game close and give the Jets a chance to win.  In the following game against the Titans, with Pennington expecting to play, the Jets offense gave up as many sacks as they scored points (six).  Pennington threw two killer interceptions in Titans territory that contributed to this lackluster offense performance.

And it wasn't just QBs who had good or even great games against the Patriots only to give a miserable encore in the next game.  Consider the play of the Miami Dolphins defense in Week 16.  Though they were bad in the first half, they shut out New England and forced three Brady turnovers in the second half against a Patriots team that was still playing hard well into the fourth quarter.  The Miami defense followed this impressive second half performance with a very poor showing against the Cincinnati Bengals, allowing 21 points before halftime.  Unfortunately, it is impossible to compare the performance of Miami QBs in these two games, because Cleo Lemon started and played the entire game against the Patriots, while John Beck started and played into the fourth quarter against the Bengals.

Though the Steelers did not end up giving the Patriots a complete game, they were competitive in the first half.  After collapsing in the second half against the Patriots, the Steelers continued this poor play at home against the Jaguars the following week.  The Steelers defense gave up a ton of yards to Fred Taylor on the ground and the offense mustered just 7 points through the first three quarters.  On paper, Roethlisberger appeared to have a good day, throwing for 3 touchdowns by the end of the game with zero turnovers.  However, he also was sacked five times, many of which stalled promising drives early in the game.  This loss to Jacksonville was the only regular season loss at home for Pittsburgh this season.

What does all this say about this year's Patriots?  A couple of things.  First, the fact that all of these teams approached their games against the Patriots with a high level of focus suggests that they all recognize how good this Patriots team is.  Second, when one considers how New England faced the best every team had to offer, week in and week out, while continuing to consistently play well enough to win themselves, it says a lot about the character and determination of this team.  While these other teams all folded the following week after giving their best effort, the Patriots continued to play well every single week, despite the increasing hype in the media and desperation from opposing teams.  That's why this Patriots team is truly remarkable.