FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. The Patriots enter the playoffs with the healthiest roster in Bill Belichick's 17 years as coach, and it isn't even close. Consider that they have placed just three players on injured reserve all year (Rob Gronkowski, Jonathan Freeny, Greg Scruggs), which smashes the low mark of seven over the last decade. And one of those players, Scruggs, was with the team for just a week when he injured his knee in practice. For a point of comparison, the Patriots placed 15 players on IR last year.