Shortly after the Patriots put the finishing touches on their dominant 41-16 victory over the hapless Denver Broncos, the team boarded buses for a 90-minute drive to Colorado Springs, which will serve as the Patriots home base for the next week.
Bill Belichick chatted with reporters on a conference call on Monday and explained how working out at the Air Force Academy during the week before heading to Mexico City to take on the Oakland Raiders will be a tremendous opportunity.
ESPN.com has Belichick making a familiar plea to the league for additional cameras near the goal line in the aftermath of a near-catch by Rob Gronkowski.
The Boston Globe lauds the versatility of Rex Burkhead, who contributed on offense and special teams. The Patriots are enjoying a lot of success on the road.
The Boston Herald doles out plenty of praise for all three phases of the team in its Patriots report card. The good outweighed the bad in terms or cornerback play against the Broncos.
The Providence Journal says the first catch was a special one for tight end Dwayne Allen. NBCSports.com wonders if the catch could be the start of some positive play for Allen. NBCSports.com also says Stephon Gilmore was pleased in his return to action. NESN.com has some praise for fullback James Develin, who was dominant in Denver.
MassLive.com says the Patriots and Steelers are vying for the No. 1 seed in the AFC but Pittsburgh has the easier schedule. Boston Sports Journal provides a breakdown of other AFC contenders as well.
ESPN.com has predictions for all 32 teams during the second half of the season. Tom Brady is in pursuit of a unique record owned by Vinny Testaverde. Ex-NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck believes Brady is playing the best football of his career.
Out in Oakland where the Raiders are preparing for their battle with the Patriots, the enthusiasm for the trip to Mexico is lacking. The Oakland Tribune calls the Raiders trip “a kick in the teeth,” citing that it will be the third time in four years the team is losing a home game. They also provide five areas where the Raiders need to improve in order to make a playoff run. The Raiders also lost their rookie first-round pick, cornerback Gareon Conley to injury.
