Sunday’s game between the Cowboys-Patriots during NFL national window averaged a 19.5 overnight rating on FOX, tying the highest regular season NFL overnight since Patriots-Colts on CBS in 2007 (22.5). It matched a 2015 Seahawks-Cowboys game on Fox.

The 19.5 is also tied as the highest for a regular season NFL telecast on FOX since 1996, again matching the 2015 Seahawks-Cowboys game.

The game was the highest rated program since the Academy Awards in February (20.6) and the highest rated sporting event since the Super Bowl. 

The NFL's All-Time team has begun to be announced with running backs, which contained only one player (Emmitt Smith) who played in the current century.

“This could easily have been 500,” voter Bill Belichick said.

Belichick was the most talkative voter among the 25. Belichick talked more about players from the first 30 years of pro football than the last 30.

The committee of 25 had two long conference calls in April 2018 to handle the nominating process. The final votes were due June 15, 2018.

While Antonio Brown could return to the NFL, he is unlikely to return to the New England Patriots.

The Patriots are in need of an upgrade at wide receiver, but the issues they had with Brown's off-the-field problems appear to make it a non-starter.

“It has more to do with the fact that, when he signed initially with the Patriots, they went through the exercise of, ‘OK, is anything gonna bubble up here? We gonna have an issue with anything?'” Tom Curran said. “And they were told ‘no,’ mainly because Drew Rosenhaus was under the feeling, I think, that they had it under control. The Britney Taylor situation was not going to explode on them, yet it did.”

Taylor filed a lawsuit on September 10th.

Brown’s answer and counterclaim suggests that he was aware of potential legal entanglements with Taylor as early as March.

“The Patriots view that as not necessarily disqualifying for Drew Rosenhaus going foward,” Curran said. “He was trying to do what was best, and he thought he had it under control, but he didn’t. And that’s what’s going to possibly happen with Antonio Brown. The Patriots don’t want that grenade to go off in their hand twice.”

The New England Patriots were tied to Lamar Jackson during the 2018 draft a few months after they had traded Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers. New England no longer had an heir apparent for whenever Tom Brady would decide to retire. 

The Patriots had a pair of late first round picks, but they instead selected Isaiah Wynn and Sony Michel, which left the Baltimore Ravens trading back into the first round at No. 32 to select Jackson. 

"Now, you've got to know this: the Patriots spent a lot of time on Lamar Jackson," said Lombardi on the GM Shuffle Podcast. "They spent a ton of time. When Baltimore traded from 22 to 25 with New England sitting at 23, they had to have known New England was all over Lamar. They had sent Josh McDaniels there. They spent time with him. There was a lot of talk... I was talking about it that I thought they would draft him. I really did.

"At the end of the day, I think they felt like they had to change completely and the transition from Tom to Lamar probably would have been too dramatic in one year, and so I think they passed. I think they had genuine, genuine interest in the kid.

"I know this because my son coached at Louisville."

Former New England Patriots tight end Christian Fauria, who now works for WEEI, says the team has “kicked the tires” on Antonio Brown with internal discussions.

Brown apologized to the Patriots and Robert Kraft this week on social media.

“I didn’t put too much thought into it, but yeah, it’s his choice and good for him,” Tom Brady said Wednesday when asked about Brown’s apology.

Brady is believed to have disagreed with New England's decision to release Brown.

The Patriots are thin at wide receiver.

Antonio Brown has apologized to the New England Patriots and Robert Kraft.

“All I wanted to be was an asset to the organization; sorry for the bad media and the drama!” wrote Brown on Instagram.

Brown met with NFL officials last week to discuss sexual assault allegations against him.

The Patriots cut Brown shortly before Week 3.

Rob Gronkowski said on Tuesday that he still has no plans to return to the NFL this season.

“I wouldn’t say ‘never coming back,'” Gronkowski said. “I’m 30 years old. I’m young. I still stay fit, still watch the game whenever I can, still enjoy it. I’m feeling good, but you know, one year off could possibly be the case. Or maybe two years off, man.

“It’s always an option in the back of my head. It’s not like I’m not staying in shape and not doing anything. I’m never stressed over it.”

If Gronkowski changes his mind, he must do so no later than the last business day before Week 13, which is approximately 10 days away.

It has been previously reported that a personal plea from Tom Brady could potentially sway Gronkowski back to football. Brady is on the record as being frustrated by the current state of New England's offense.

Tom Brady admitted the strength of the New England Patriots' this season is their defense and special teams, not their offense. Brady was reportedly upset with New England's decisions to release Antonio Brown and Josh Gordon. The Patriots also lost Rob Gronkowski to retirement.

Brady was asked about his frustration after beating the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11.

“I think I’m always generally frustrated during football season,” said Brady. “I don’t think it’s very unique.”

“I was very happy we won,” Brady added, “but just wish we would play better offensively. You have to go do it. Like I said, I don’t think it’s about talking about it, it’s about doing it and trying to get the best we can out of our offense to see if we can be more productive and score more points.”

Brady said winning is the only thing that matters.

“I just think to win the game ultimately you just have to score more points than the other team,” Brady said. “That goes without saying. I don’t know what it is going to be on a particular week. We won the Super Bowl 13-3. You know, that was pretty good. We lost the Super Bowl 41-33. That wasn’t good. I don’t know how many points it is going to be. The reality is it is a team sport. It’s complementary football.

“The strength of our team is our defense and special teams,” Brady continued. “So on offense, we just have to take advantage when we get opportunities, understand where our strength lie and try to play to them. Not giving short fields, not turning the ball over, try to take advantage when we get into the red area and score touchdowns. And that’s kind of where our offense is, and that’s kind of where our team is.”

Tom Brady now believes he can play until he's 46 or 47 years old after previously having 45 years old as his goal.

Brady's longtime trainer, Alex Guerrero, relayed the sentiment on WEEI.

“It all comes to commitment, really,” Guerrero said. “No one thought you could play at the elite level in your late 30s, early 40s. That is something we always felt we could do. I have really wanted to be there to help him accomplish that goal. I certainly do believe that 45 is a very realistic goal. We talk about it all the time. Every year he just adds another year. He goes in and he’s like, ‘Guys, I feel so good still. I think I am going to go till 45.’ I am like, ‘OK.’ Now he’s like, ‘Alex, I think I can go like 46 or 47.’”

Guerrero said it’s too soon to say whether Brady will be in the Patriots’ training camp next year, or whether he’ll leave in free agency.

“I don’t know,” Guerrero said. “It’s not July 2020. I am focused on today. I am just trying to get Tom ready for practice today. It’s Thursday.”

The New England Patriots will send a scout to Colin Kaepernick's workout in Atlanta on Saturday.

The Patriots have Cody Kessler and Jarret Stidham on their depth chart at quarterback behind Tom Brady.

Earlier in the day, Bill Belichick said he wasn't sure if someone would attend.

“It’s something we can check with (Patriots director of player personnel) Nick (Caserio) on,” Belichick said. “I’m not sure.”