The Patriots’ First Shot

Good morning! The First Shot provides you with a healthy helping of links to the top Patriots-related stories around the internet to get your day started. Enjoy your breakfast, your coffee, kick up your feet, and start the weekend off right with an early morning football fix. The links begin after the jump…

• Patriots OC Bill O’Brien is considered a candidate for some vacant (or soon-to-be) head coaching positions.
• Should Tom Brady play in tomorrow’s season finale? Sounds like a dumb question to me, but it’s debated HERE. He is listed as “probable” on the team’s latest injury report.
• The Pats, Saints and Packers all have flawed defenses. Which will be the biggest liability in the playoffs?
• Check out a round-up of Patriots-Bills predictions from ESPN.
• Wes Welker was fined $10k by the NFL for wearing an “unauthorized hat.”
• What does Tom Brady do at practice? “Play quarterback,” according to Bill Belichick.
• Stevan Ridley is ready to emerge as a force in the Patriots’ backfield.