New England Patriots

New England Patriots, Mike Reiss shares some quick hit thoughts from the Patriots and around the NFL.

1. When it comes to Patriots offensive tackle Matt Light and a potential retirement, I think that he is seriously considering it but has yet to come to a final decision. Light is under contract for $3.4 million next season, which is a bargain for the Patriots if he decides to return. I’m not sure Light is the type of player who would be enticed to return by a contract sweetener, but the Patriots could go that route in an attempt to persuade him if they feel he’s a key cog to have in 2012.

2. One theory floated at the NFL combine is that the Patriots’ AFC East rivals will be aggressive in targeting the safety spot aggressively this offseason. The reason: Rob Gronkowski. The league hasn’t seen that type of tight end matchup issue in some time, which puts more of a premium on finding a unique safety with the ability to hang with him.

4. With the Patriots having their top two centers (Dan Koppen & Dan Connolly) scheduled for unrestricted free agency, my sense is that they would like to lock up at least one of them before free agency begins. If they don’t, they leave themselves in a bit of a vulnerable spot.

6. Patriots defensive end Mark Anderson’s free-agent status reminds me of Tully Banta-Cain’s in the 2010 offseason. Banta-Cain had come to New England on a one-year, prove-it deal and produced 10 sacks, which helped him land a solid three-year extension in ’10. That is almost the same way it unfolded with Anderson. With teams playing more sub packages these days, Anderson is in line for a nice raise, similar to Banta-Cain.

7. If I had to sum up what coaches and scouts from around the NFL believe the Patriots need most, based on casual discussions at the combine, the answers are an outside receiver and more athletes on defense. Some feel too much pressure is placed on quarterback Tom Brady because of those deficiencies. I’d add a kickoff returner to the list.

8. Similar to trading for Deion Branch last year, which was a situation in which Branch had more value to the Patriots than the league’s other teams, free-agent receiver Brandon Lloyd is in the same category this offseason. Projecting how a receiver will transition into the Patriots’ system is a challenge, but since Lloyd has already done it under McDaniels in Denver and St. Louis, that should increase the team’s comfort level in pursuing him. Lloyd would add a lot to the offense and he seems to want to play in New England — if the price is right. He’s leaped over Reggie Wayne as my top free-agent option for the team.

10. Barring a late change, look for running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis to make it to the open market on March 13, with the possibility of his return to New England remaining open. It appears the Patriots have set a value on Green-Ellis, and it’s not at a level that has Green-Ellis ready to sign before seeing what interest he might generate on the open market.

New England Patriots Stadium

New England Patriots Stadium, TS-EX- New England Patriots and New York Giants booked a rematch of their dramatic 2008 Super Bowl showdown with tense playoff triumphs to reach next month’s NFL championship spectacle.

Lawrence Tynes kicked a 31-yard field goal after 7:54 of over-time to give the Giants a 20-17 triumph over the San Francisco 49ers in the National Conference final and a berth in Super Bowl 46 on February 5 at Indianapolis.

“It’s amazing,” Tynes said. “I had dreams about this last night. I was so nervous before this game. I knew I was going to have to make a big kick.”

In New England, the Patriots overcame three turnovers and a sub-par performance from quarterback Tom Brady to edge the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 in the American Conference final and advance to their seventh Super Bowl.

“We’re going to try to go out and kick some butt in a couple of weeks,” said Brady.

Brady scored the winning points on a one-yard run with 11:29 remaining but the outcome was not settled until Baltimore kicker Billy Cundiff missed wide left on a 32-yard field goal attempt with 11 seconds remaining.

In the 2008 title game, the Giants edged the Patriots 17-14 to deny New England an unbeaten run to the crown.

“They are a great team,” Giants quarterback Eli Manning said. “We just have to go to Indy and play our best football.”

The Giants are 3-1 all-time in Super Bowls, having won in 1987 and 1991 as well as 2008 while losing to Baltimore in 2001.

New England have won the Super Bowl three times, all under Brady’s direction, in 2002, 2004 and 2005. The Patriots lost the championship spectacle in 1986 and 1997 as well as to the Giants four years ago.

The Giants, who lost 27-20 to the 49ers in a regular-season game last November, had the benefit of two botched punt returns by San Francisco’s Kyle Williams in taking the triumph.

New England Patriots

New England Patriots, New England Patriots’ fans are uneasy about the possibility of confrontations with the Steelers and the Ravens.

For starters, it’s probably going to work out that way. So let’s just expect it.

Second of all, this is a good Super Bowl path to take. Yes, the odds of us getting to the Super Bowl would be dramatically decreased. We know this. But until the day they invent that memory-wiping thing from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I’ll continue being haunted by Super Bowl XLII. And so will the Patriots.

There’s no point of getting back to the Super Bowl if they’re not bringing the Lombardi trophy on a parade through Boston.

And there’s no point in getting to the big game if we’re not going to believe in our team.

Right now, we don’t believe in them. Not completely.

Nearly every win this season was difficult to get. The Redskins, the Colts, the Cowboys, the Dolphins, and the Bills gave us all we could handle, and those teams didn’t even make the playoffs.

Never once did Patriots’ fans recline in their chairs, prop their feet up, crack open a beer in satisfaction, and enjoy the game. Every week was a potential migraine-inducing blunder. Every game was an uphill battle.

Only in Week 10, right after our second victory over the Jets, did Patriots’ fans entertain the notion that the Patriots could be destined for something terrific.

Beating the Steelers and the Ravens would change everything about the perception of this team. More importantly, it’ll change the mindset of the Patriots. They’ll feel ready to run through a brick wall for that trophy. That’s the team we want.