Wednesday's New England Patriots Links 1/15/14 - Patriots Are Running With It

Here are this morning's top stories:

BOSTON GLOBE:

Sorry, the Patriots are going to lose - Dan Shaughnessy - Shaughnessy has his weekly antagonistic column and this week's version has him saying that's the way he sees this week going and requests that fans not kill his whole family.

Josh McDaniels says he'll be with Patriots next year - Michael Whitmer - Whitmer files his notebook this morning, which leads off with comments from McDaniels who said he'll "definitely be here" next season.

Patriots-Broncos rematch has a lot to live up to - Michael Whitmer - Whitmer writes that in their first meeting neither team had yet to win much of anything. This time around, the winner advances to Super Bowl XLVIII.

Broncos bring in ex-Patriot Marquice Cole - Julian Benbow - Benbow has notes from the Broncos, who brought in Cole after losing Chris Harris for the season with a torn ACL.

Joe Namath backs Patriots QB Tom Brady - Mark Shanahan and Meredith Goldstein - The two have an article on Brady with comments from Namath as to why opposing fans dislike him so much.

BOSTON HERALD:

Buckley: Gronk's absence worth mentioning - Steve Buckley - Buckley laments the loss of Gronkowski, who had a big day against the Broncos during their previous regular season meeting.

Patriots Notebook: Ryan 'Manning' Mallett wears black - Karen Guregian - Guregian has an article this morning on Mallett, who this week gets to play the part of Peyton Manning in practice.

Heslam: Sam Berns lived life on his terms - Jessica Heslam - Heslam has a good column on Sam Berns this morning, and writes that Berns would want people to know that the rare rapid-aging disease was not who he was.

Insertion of Jamie Collins into mix will only help 'D' vs. Denver - Karen Guregian - Guregian has an article on Collins, who was a major pain in Luck's side Saturday night.

ESPN BOSTON:

What we learned from coaches' calls - Mike Reiss - Reiss has a plethora of notes from yesterday's media session with the coaches, including comments from Matt Patricia who talked about the line of scrimmage penalties Manning drew on Sunday and how New England will deal with it.

Stat check: Patriots at Broncos - Mike Reiss - Reiss breaks down some numbers comparatively between the two teams in this entry.

Source: Patriots hopeful on Allen - Mike Reiss - Riess has notes on Ryan Allen, who noted New England has yet to bring in a punter for a workout and that's a positive sign that Allen may be able to play this weekend.

MMQB:

Who Needs To Pass? The Pats Are Running With It - Greg Bedard - Bedard writes that despite having Tom Brady, he wonders if Bill Belichick has decided to go old school to win a title.

Marquice Cole's value to Denver - Staff Report - Tom Curran joins Michael Felger and Steve DeOssie and talks about what Cole brings to Denver's defense.

MASSLIVE:

New England Patriots enter the AFC title game with a cast of 'other guys' in key roles - Nick Underhill - Underhill writes that the Patriots roster used to be familar, but injuries this season has certainly changed that.

ENTERPRISE NEWS:

Things figure to be different when Patriots and Broncos meet again - Glen Farley - Farley has comments from Steve Gregory, who expects this meeting to be different from their earlier battle.

ATTLEBORO SUN CHRONICLE:

FARINELLA: Patriots a model of consistency - Mark Farinella - Farinella has his thoughts on Charles Barkley's comments over the weekend about New Englanders not appreciating their football team.

WORCESTER TELEGRAM:

Patriots in running for Super Bowl berth - Rich Garven - Garven writes that in the last three games the plan has been to run the ball a lot, and whether or not they'll chart that course in Denver remains to be seen.

WALL STREET JOURNAL:

Why You Shouldn't Underestimate Tom Brady and the Patriots - Michael Salfino - Salfino has his thoughts on the fact the Patriots are underdogs heading into Sunday's showdown in Denver, which is some added motivation for New England.