Not surprisingly, the first question Tom Brady heard at today's Media Day was about his sprained right ankle, which he practiced on yesterday.
"My ankle feels good. My ankle feels great," he said. "I practiced a full day yesterday. I think we had one incompletion in practice. It feels great."
The NFL MVP said the bye week definitely helped.
"I'm glad we had the week off and I had the chance to rest a little bit. I really feel that by the game it's going to feel great, and there will be no issues. Not that I can run anyway, but hopefully I'll be able to skirt around some of those guys who are trying to tear my head off."
Randy Moss said he isn't worried about having his quarterback out there come Sunday afternoon.
"Me, personally, no," Moss said. "Tom is a warrior. I don't think that a high ankle sprain can keep him out of the game. Hopefully he's ready and I look forward to seeing him out there on Sunday."
Patriots Pro Bowl wide receiver Randy Moss only had a combined two catches for 32 yards in the Patriots two playoff games, but that doesn’t mean quarterback Tom Brady hasn’t been looking for him.
“He is always a part of the plan and a lot of our offense is based around what the defense is giving us,” Brady said. “If they dictate that they are going to try to take one person out of the game, they’ll do that. I thought San Diego played extremely well. I think Jacksonville did a good job. I am sure he was a big point of emphasis. I am sure the Giants will be a big point of emphasis, Randy will be a big point of emphasis for the Giants as well.
“I never lose track of him. I know that he works extremely hard to get open and I know that he is in the right place and he wants the ball. We have to find ways to get him the ball because he is an important part of this offense. If they choose to, as teams have done throughout the season, to put double coverage on him, then you have to find other places to throw and you have to hand the ball off.
“If they come out of the game and they feel like they stopped one player but the team won, I hope that, if that happens, great. But the goal is to win the game and they’re doing what they think is best to win and so are we. It is just a fine line. You don’t want to just throw it to somebody if he is covered with two or three guys. You have to find other guys to throw the ball to and we certainly have that luxury.”
Multimedia: Patriots Super Stories Part 1, Brady's Super Bowl legacy
This is the first edition in a six-part series by sports columnist Jim Donaldson. Jim, who has covered each of the Patriots' five Super Bowl appearances to date for The Journal (he'll make it six next weekend) looks back in these audio slideshows at each of the games, and his thoughts are accompanied by pictures from Bob Breidenbach, who has photographed each of the games. We'll get to the Super Bowl games themselves on Monday, but to start, here's Jim's presentation on Tom Brady, the Patriots' greatest Super Bowl hero. Click the play button below to see and hear the show.
INFDaily.com
Tom Brady wears a cast on his foot as he walks to girlfriend Gisele Bundchen's apartment in New York.
As expected, the paparazzi were waiting for Tom Brady when he returned to New York City with girlfriend Gisele Bundchen, and they may have revealed a little secret: a Brady injury.
This photo shows Brady with a walking boot on his right foot. The quarterback did finish Sunday's game against the Chargers.
During his weekly appearance on WEEI, Brady said, "I'll be ready for the Super Bowl."
Brady, 4 other Patriots voted to AP NFL All-Pro team
LaDainian Tomlinson and Randy Moss were unanimous selections to The Associated Press 2007 NFL All-Pro team on Wednesday. So was Tom Brady - sort of.
The league's Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year was chosen on each of the ballots from 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. One voter, however, split the vote at quarterback between Brady and Green Bay's Brett Favre.
Still, Brady was a runaway choice at the position, and was joined by four other unbeaten Patriots on the squad: Moss, tackle Matt Light, cornerback Asante Samuel and outside linebacker Mike Vrabel.
All but Moss made the All-Pro team for the first time; Moss was chosen as a Minnesota Viking in 1998, 2000 and 2003.
"Every week, we come in here on Monday and you win and everybody's excited, the plane flights home are great," Brady said, referring to what has been a historic season so far for the 16-0 Patriots. "It's been a lot of fun. To see what we've accomplished thus far is great. At the same time we realize that, as coach put it, there's another mountain to climb."
Easily scaling the All-Pro mountain were Tomlinson for the third time, and Moss. Joining Tomlinson, the league's leading rusher, were fellow Chargers Lorenzo Neal, who clears many of L.T.'s paths from his fullback spot, and cornerback Antonio Cromartie.
Cromartie's breakthrough season saw him lead the NFL with 10 interceptions.
"I should have had 13," he said. "This year, I think I proved a lot of people wrong, with everybody saying how my knee injury was going to affect me. I mean, I'm two years off of it. My biggest thing was proving everybody wrong."
Also with three players on the team were Dallas and Seattle. The Cowboys had linebacker DeMarcus Ware, tight end Jason Witten and wide receiver Terrell Owens; Ware and Witten were first-timers, Owens also was selected in 2000, '01 and '02 with San Francisco, and 2004 with Philadelphia.
"Any time you can be the best in the entire league, that's always a special moment," said Witten, who had 96 receptions and seven touchdowns this season. "There's a lot of great tight ends out there, so to be on the top of that list is nice."
The Seahawks had tackle Walter Jones, defensive end Patrick Kerney and linebacker Lofa Tatupu. Jones previously made All-Pro in 2001, '04 and '05; the others Seahawks were first-timers.
Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren called Tatupu's three-interception day in a win at Philadelphia on Dec. 2 "one of the great games I've ever seen a linebacker have."
"Everybody has been instrumental in everything that I've been able to do," Tatupu said. "The D-line has been enabling me to get sacks, DBs staying on their guys so we can get back there and get sacks, or getting interceptions."
Joining Brady, Tomlinson and Neal in the backfield was Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook, who led the league in total yards from scrimmage with 2,104.
The rest of the offense had Minnesota guard Steve Hutchinson, Pittsburgh guard Alan Faneca, and Indianapolis center Jeff Saturday.
The other All-Pros on defense were Kansas City end Jared Allen, the league sacks leader with 15 1/2; Minnesota tackle Kevin Williams and Tennessee tackle Albert Haynesworth; San Francisco inside linebacker Patrick Willis, the only rookie on the squad; Indianapolis safety Bob Sanders, the Defensive Player of the Year; and Baltimore safety Ed Reed, making it for the third time.
The special teams players were Titans kicker Rob Bironas and 49ers punter Andy Lee, both newcomers to the squad, and record-setting kick returner Devin Hester of Chicago, who also made it as a rookie in 2006.
"It's been an incredible journey," said Bironas, who also played in the Arena Football League and arenafootball2 before making good with the Titans. "I didn't have any doubt in myself when I got started on this journey in high school. That was my dream to play in the pros, and I just kept pursuing it. I wanted to be one of the better kickers in the NFL, and this year I was able to do that."
In all, 15 AFC players and 12 from the NFC were chosen as All-Pros.
The question: Who was the one that didn't vote for Tom Brady for MVP?
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has identified Cooney, the founder of SportsXchange, an information provider for news organizations, as the one voter out of 50 who didn't select Brady as the league's most valuable player. Cooney chose Green Bay's Brett Favre.
UPDATE: Cooney appeared on WEEI this morning to defend his choice of Favre and insisted that statistics played no role in his decision. Here's a partial transcript of his defense:
"Our website isn’t a public website, provide information and analysis for professionals. So the concept that I was trying to produce some 15 minutes of fame or publicity for my website is moot."
"Last year at this time, the Green Bay Packers organization was a woebegotten group that had no concept, none whatsoever, of what was in its future in the year 2007, it was disheveled, the youngest team in the NFL. Merely by [Favre] announcing he was going to come back for another season, it gave them hope, it gave them spirit. This is just one guy. This was not Belichick, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, the offensive line and Tom Brady. One man. Understand that this is a distinctly individual honor... I take that to mean what single person was most valuable in determining the outcome of his team’s fortune in that given year."
What if the award was Most Outstanding Player and not Most Valuable, Cooney was asked.
"Your own fans have thrown a monkey wrench into that question. Among the 300 or so e-mails I received from New England fans, half of them said perhaps I should have voted for Randy Moss. There is no such dichotomy with the Green Bay Packers."
For the record, Cooney also voted for Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy for Coach of the Year, which Bill Belichick won.
Tom Brady won his second Associated Press postseason award today, claiming the league's Offensive Player of the Year.
Brady got 35 1/2 (out of 50) votes, while teammate Randy Moss received 12 1/2. Wes Welker even drew one vote, as did Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre.
In case you hadn't heard, Brady threw 50 touchdown passes this season, setting a new NFL record, and his 4,806 passing yards were third most all-time.
Moss was on the receiving end of 23 of those TD passes (a league record), and Welker caught a franchise-record 112 of Brady's 398 completions.
TB: Am I glad it’s Jacksonville? They’re a very good team. I said earlier today the teams that are in this position are the best teams in the league. There’s no doubt about it. There is a reason why Jacksonville’s playing this week and I think they do a lot of things very well, offensively, defensively and special teams. They play well. They match up well against everybody because they’re big and physical, but they have speed. They play their scheme very well and they’re very smart. It’s going to be a great match-up. I think everybody’s excited to play -- I know I am. [I’m] glad we’re playing at home and hopefully it’s Foxboro-type weather. We’re preparing hard. I think we got off to a really good start today and I hope we’re able to put our best out there.
Q: In your younger days as an NFL quarterback did you ever envision yourself being an MVP - coming within one vote of being a unanimous MVP?
TB: We set out a bunch of goals early in the season and I think I said the best part about playing quarterback here is I just have to do my job, show up every day and work hard just like everybody else. I think my job description is just a bit different than everybody else’s, but there’s a lot of satisfaction [in] knowing that I can just come out there and worry about myself and expect that everybody else is going to do their job. We’ve really - It’s been a fun season. There’s no doubt about it. Every week we come in here on Monday and you win and everybody’s excited, the plane flights home are great. It’s been a lot of fun. To see what we’ve accomplished thus far is great. At the same time we realize that, as coach put it, there’s another mountain to climb. We’ve climbed the mountain thus far, but we’re right back at the bottom with everybody else. We’re in the same position as Jacksonville, which is in the same position as Indy, which is in the same position as San Diego. We’ve got our biggest test ahead of us and it’s going to be very challenging, but I know this team is ready for it.
Q: What are your thoughts on winning the MVP?
TB: Like I said, we have a bunch of goals every year and I think myself, as a player, I’m just hoping to be the best quarterback that I can be for this team. I’m glad that’s led up to 16 wins. Individual awards haven’t been as important to me as the team goals and I’ve said that for a long time. While I’m very flattered to be honored in that way, I understand that my greatest satisfaction comes from winning games and being the leader of this football team. I take that job very seriously and I hope that translates into a win this week.
Q: You said hopefully it’s Foxboro-type weather. Does that mean you don’t worry about how the wind and the cold might affect the passing game that you guys have?
TB: Quarterbacks always worry about the wind and the rain. If you didn’t you wouldn’t be playing quarterback. The kicker and I joke, it’s like we’re the only two people that care, and offensive coordinators, because weather does play a factor and it’s played a factor in a bunch of playoff games so hopefully we’ll be prepared for whatever the weather might be. We’ve been outside in some windy days, some wet days, some snowy days and I think we’re conditioned for it. I’m sure it’ll be cold -- It’s a Saturday night in January.
Q: How much do you respect what Jacksonville has been able to do going into Pittsburgh twice, winning in bad weather? Just how much do you mind their toughness?
TB: That’s the strength of their team. They’re very tough, physically, mentally [and] they’re coached extremely well. Their scheme is a very disciplined scheme and I think they have players that fit that scheme. [They have a] big physical defensive line, with powerful linebackers with cornerbacks and safeties that all make plays and can all hit. It’s really centered around the fact that they are a physical team. They play in a very physical division, very similar to the Steelers. Those games came down to the end, the ones they played against the Steelers, and they found a way to win. [You] can understand that they play well under pressure as well.
Q: You got 49 out of 50 first place votes for MVP. What do you think you need to do to get that last guy to vote for you?
TB: Oh man. Like I said it’s - I’ve always just tried to go out there and do the best that I can do. I hope that’s good enough this week. They said that on the radio this morning too. The MVP and all that, it’s wonderful and I’m sure one day I’ll look back on that and be very proud of the fact that’s something you accomplished, but it doesn’t mean anything this week.
Q: What kind of carry over is there, if any, from the last two times you’ve played them?
TB: Well I know how good they are. I know the kind of team they are and like said they’re disciplined, they’re powerful and they hit hard. I remember last year I got knocked out the game for a play. [Matt] Cassel and I were joking about it this morning and on the film it’s funny, I run and I dive and I get hit. Next thing you see it Matt’s right on the sideline and he’s buckling his chinstrap up. He knew right way that he was coming in. I think the play got - I think there was a penalty on the play so he did get credited for a play but I’m hoping to not get knocked out of the game this weekend. Knock on wood.
Q: How important are the games that you’ve had to come back and persevere, how important do you think those are going forward?
TB: Those are always important. We’ve been tested on the road, we’ve been tested at home we’ve been tested in poor weather [and] we’ve had to overcome deficits late in the games. We’ve needed to put together critical drives in those games so hopefully we’ve learned from those, hopefully we can deal with some of the pressure. We know there’s going to be quite a bit of pressure this weekend. There’s pressure on us every week but it’s different in the playoffs because you realize you’re getting dressed - you’re going to bed Saturday night realizing that Sunday night, that could be it. You could be, you know, planning your vacations. That’s not a very good feeling, we’ve experienced that the last few years and those are games you remember, that sit with you for a long time. Hopefully we’re ready to persevere.
Q: Dating back to 2001 and Kurt Warner, I think, none of the guys that won the MVP award have gone on to win a Super Bowl and you played a role in kind of derailing a couple of those. Do you see a Tom Brady out there who could knock you off in this circumstance?
TB: I see - I think the thing and I said earlier today, there is anxiety before every game. You’re nervous, you’re anxious and you’re playing against the best opponents in the league and you just don’t know what the outcome is going to be, you really don’t. Part of what has made this season so fun and so successful is that we’ve gone into each week and there is never a guarantee. You see great teams all over the league losing and we [say], how did that happen? Fortunately that didn’t happen for us this year during the regular season. I sure as [heck] hope it doesn’t happen the next month. Anytime a team has done what we’ve done in the regular season I think that’s definitely a motivating factor for other teams to come in here and say ‘let’s be the team to beat them.’ We’ve played undefeated teams this year and that’s been a thrill for us. Whether it [is] Dallas or whether [it’s] Indy, when we played those teams, or the Jets to start the season -- I guess it’s always fun beating the Jets. It’s a thrill for us and for those teams and I know we’re excited for the challenge too. To see what we’ve learned throughout the course of the season and hopefully we can go out there and, like I said, use what we’ve learned and, like I’ve said, use that to our advantage [and] try to play better than we have at points in the last eight weeks.
Q: Do you do anything different to prepare for a physical team than more of a finesse team?
TB: You just have to understand - you have to understand the strengths of their team and you try not to play into them. There’s things they do particularly well and you try not to just line up and do those things, because you realize, God a lot of other teams have tried it but haven’t been very successful at it. I feel, as a team, we’ve always done a pretty good job of trying to figure out what those things are and we’re kind of chameleon-like in that we find ways to do things that we’re good at while disguising it as well. I hope that’s what we do this week. We’ll put together a game plan and I’m sure we’ll have a lot of confidence in the game plan, they’ll do the same thing and they’ll change things up quite a bit, understanding what they do well. We’ll try to feel it out throughout the first half and I’m sure there’ll be adjustments that are made but they’re a very good team. They do a lot of things very well so it’s not like you can go out and try to avoid everything. You just have to go out and try to execute very well.
Q: Have you been able to watch their offense and what has impressed you about [David] Garrard?
TB: I haven’t had a chance to watch much of there offense. I know the kind of year he’s had and he’s done a great job in his first year as a starter. It’s very impressive. It seems like he’s a great leader and the players really rally around him. That’s the mark of any good player and I know they can really run the ball they’ve got Maurice Jones-Drew, who’s a California kid, and Fred Taylor, who’s a great player too. They do a lot of things well, like I said. Offensively they can really control the ball, run the ball and make plays when they need it and that was evidence by what you saw against Pittsburgh Saturday night.
Q: Can you explain Jabar Gaffney’s increase in stats over the second half of the season?
TB: He’s had a great role on this team since he got here in the bye week last season. He was a starter by the end of the year, played really well in the playoffs. [He] came here earlier in the season [and] fought for a job. He can really do a lot of things. His position versatility is extremely important to us. He can play in the slot, he can play outside, he can do a lot of things very well. He can - He’s quick, he’s fast, he’s got good hands, he’s big enough to go against small defensive backs and he’s quick enough to go against big defensive backs. He’s a very smart player and I think he provides a lot of flexibility within our scheme to put him in positions where we find we can get mismatches.
Q: Why has Wes Welker been so important to this offense?
TB: He’s like 5’6” so I guess it’s easy to miss him out there. He can hide in the grass out there. He’s been a great player since he got into the league. I remember watching him on film last year for Miami [and] realizing what a talent he was and when I heard we were getting him I knew he’d be a perfect fit. It doesn’t surprise me at all that he’s tied for the league lead in receptions as basically a slot receiver. 112 is an impressive total and he does a lot of things well. He’s very quick, he catches the ball well and like you see he turns these really short passes into medium type gains. There’s four- or five-yard completions that turn into 12 or 15 yards -- Those are really hidden stats. It’s not like you need to throw a 15-yard in-route to gain 15 yards to Wes. You can get him the ball underneath and he can make guys miss. He’s been doing that all season. He’s fun to have out there, brings a lot of energy and he’ll be a critical factor in the game, I’m sure.
Tom Brady's record-setting regular season earned him the NFL's most valuable player award.
Brady is the first Patriots player to earn NFL MVP honors; Gino Cappeletti and Jim Nance won AFL honors in the 1960s.
"As I have learned over the course of my time with the Patriots, the most meaningful accomplishments are always the ones I have celebrated with my teammates,” said Brady after learning of the MVP announcement. “I am certainly proud of the success that we have enjoyed so far this season. I consider myself extremely fortunate to play for an organization like the New England Patriots. The Kraft family, Coach Belichick, and all of my teammates and coaches have created a winning tradition that we all are proud to be a part of. For that I am most thankful."
Brady became the first quarterback in league history to throw 50 touchdowns in a season, breaking the record of 49 set by the Colts' Peyton Manning in 2004.
Tom Brady was today named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week, the fifth time this season he has gotten the honor. It was also the 10th time a Patriots player won an AFC weekly honor during the course of the regular season (Randy Moss won twice, and Ellis Hobbs, Mike Vrabel and Asante Samuel each won once).
Brady completed 76.2 percent of his passes for 356 yards in Saturday night's regular-season finale against the Giants, throwing his 49th and 50th touchdown passes, the first quarterback in NFL history to have a 50-TD season.
Tom Brady now has 48 touchdown passes this season, tying him with Dan Marino for second-most in a single season. In 1984, Marino also threw for 48 touchdowns.
The Sporting News has selected Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as its Sportsman of the Year, calling him the "perfect pick" for their annual award.
From the press release:
“Tom Brady has given us one of the greatest seasons in NFL history,” said Sporting News Sr. Vice President/Editorial Director, John Rawlings. “You can’t help but admire what he has accomplished – even if much of the NFL world has suddenly turned anti-Patriots.”
The Patriots wouldn’t be the Patriots – and the NFL wouldn’t be the NFL – without Tom Brady.
The Sportsman of the Year issue hits newsstands on Dec. 24.
Limited Participation
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
S James Sanders - knee
LB Mike Vrabel - thigh
TE Benjamin Watson - ankle
Full Participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
*This is Sanders' first appearance on the report this season; Neal did not play last week against Pittsburgh, and Yates is one of the players (with Russ Hochstein) responsible for filling in for him.
For the Jets:
Limited Participation
TE Chris Baker - back
WR Laveranues Coles - ankle
WR Jerricho Cotchery - finger
TE James Dearth - foot
WR Justin McCareins - thigh
DL Dewayne Robertson - knee
Full Participation
QB Kellen Clemens - thigh
TE Joe Kowalewski - shoulder
WR Brad Smith - back
Tom Brady has been named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the fourth time this season after his 32-for-46, 399 yard, four-touchdown performance against Pittsburgh on Sunday. Brady's 399 yards were second-most in his career and most ever in a non-overtime game.
This is the ninth time this season a New England player has won one of the weekly AFC awards -- Randy Moss (twice), Ellis Hobbs (special teams), Mike Vrabel and Asante Samuel have also been honored.
Q: What did you think of that lateral play for the touchdown?
TB: That's the first time that's worked in weeks. It doesn't work against the scout team-they've seen it, but we've been practicing it. I told Randy [Moss] that I guess he expected me to throw it on the ground. That was not the intention, but he made a great play to pick it up and get it back to me. I just barely got enough on it and it was a big turnaround in the game for us.
Q: How much does it help when Wes Welker produces like he did tonight?
TB: It always does. It always does. He's always a big part of the plan. I thought he played really well, made a bunch of huge catches. He made that huge third and one on our first scoring drive. He played well all night, caught the last touchdown on the post. He really played well.
Q: It seems like defenses are jamming Randy Moss at the line more. Does that affect how much of a factor he is?
TB: Sometimes they get good jams, that's part of being a good defensive back. I think if you ask our defensive backs, 'What's the best way to play receivers?' [It's] to be physical. Sometimes you're physical and it looks great. Other times, you miss and he was able to create space for himself. He's got great quickness for a guy his size, but sometimes they make pretty good plays, too. When he gets off clean, he's usually into his route, up on those safeties and makes it tough on them. He works extremely hard and we'll continue to find way to get him the ball and, obviously, he had a huge impact on the game tonight.
Q: Was that touchdown [to Jabar Gaffney] to start the second half a shot across the bow at the Steelers?
TB: No, we just try to execute on offense. That's what it comes down to. Good execution overcomes a lot of things. I think the last few weeks, we haven't necessarily executed as well as I thought we were capable of. Tonight was better, but I still think we let some plays out there. But, you know you're going against the first-ranked defense in the league and that's what it takes.
Q: Was it intentional that Gaffney's touchdown went in Anthony Smith's direction.
TB: No, he just ended up being in the right place at the right time.
Q: It looked like Randy Moss returned a pretty tight spiral to you. Do you have to wait before you set and threw downfield?
TB: Nah, I've got good hands… You know, as a quarterback you catch the ball quite a lot while you play catch so I'm lucky I didn't drop that. He made a better throw to me than I did to him.
Q: It looked like you got into it a little bit with their players in the first half. Do you care to elaborate on what you said?
TB: There's always just a little jawing. I don't care to repeat what I said.
Q: Can you give us a hint of what it was?
TB: I don't care to repeat it, especially if my mother reads it. She wouldn't be very happy with what I said.
Q: What do you put into players guaranteeing victory?
TB: It comes down to execution. You've got to come out and as soon as the ball is kicked off you've got to execute your plays.
Q: Are you at all surprised to see a player doing that?
TB: Yeah, he's a good player. I think he was trying to motivate his guys and I think him saying, 'We've seen the best receivers in the league.' Maybe that's their opinion, but hopefully we can go out and execute our offense. No matter what you say during the week, it comes down to execution.
Q: After you've wrapped up the division and home-field advantage, does going undefeated at all enter the picture in your minds of things to accomplish this season?
TB: 14-0 means something to me. I think that's about as far as I would go.
Q: Did it mean anything extra to have those plays on Anthony Smith?
TB: I think the receivers get more motivated than the quarterback. I think I'm kind of aware of that whole defense and just happened to be… Like I said, we happened to have those plays on him. He's the one that's got to go back to his team. Other than that, we're just going to move on and try to go out there and play great against the Jets.
PATRIOTS CLINCH FIRST-ROUND PLAYOFF BYE
By virtue of their victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers today, the Patriots have clinched a first-round playoff bye for the fifth time since the current NFL playoff format was implemented in 1990. New England has earned first-round byes in 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2007. If the Indianapolis Colts lose to Baltimore tonight, the Patriots would also clinch the top seed in the AFC and homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. If the Colts defeat Baltimore, the Patriots can clinch homefield advantage with a victory over the New York Jets next week.
500 POINTS FOR THE SEASON
With Tom Brady's 2-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker in the third quarter, the Patriots' season point total stood at exactly 500 points scored, marking the first time an NFL team has broken the 500-point mark since the 2004 Indianapolis Colts scored 522 points. New England finished the game with 503 total points this season. The 2007 Patriots are the 11th team in the 88-year history of the NFL to break the 500-point mark. The 1998 Minnesota Vikings hold the NFL record with 556 points scored.
PATRIOTS RAISE SEASON TD TOTAL TO 65
Following four touchdowns today, the Patriots have scored 65 touchdowns this season, a total that ranks seventh in NFL history. The 1984 Miami Dolphins hold the all-time record with 70 touchdowns, following by the 2000 St. Louis Rams (67). Four teams have scored 66 touchdowns in a season, most recently the 2004 Indianapolis Colts.
BRADY'S 45 TOUCHDOWN PASSES ARE THIRD HIGHEST NFL SINGLE-SEASON TOTAL
Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes to raise his season total to 45 touchdown passes. Brady's 45 touchdown passes are the third-highest single-season total in NFL history, trailing only Peyton Manning's NFL-record 49 touchdown passes in 2004 and Marino's 48 scoring throws in 1984 Brady's 45 touchdown passes have eclipsed the Patriots' old single-season mark of 31, set by Vito "Babe" Parilli in 1964. Brady has thrown 45 touchdowns and just five interceptions so far in 2007.
NFL SINGLE-SEASON TOUCHDOWN PASS LEADERS
Player Team Year TD
Peyton Manning IND 2004 49
Dan Marino MIA 1984 48
Tom Brady NE 2007 45
Dan Marino MIA 1986 44
Kurt Warner STL 1999 41
BELICHICK RECORDS 100th VICTORY AS PATRIOTS HEAD COACH
Bill Belichick recorded his 100th overall victory as Patriots head coach today. Since being hired by the Patriots prior to the 2000 season, Belichick has now recorded 88 regular-season victories and 12 playoff wins for a total of 100 victories. He is one of four current NFL head coaches to win 100 or more overall games with their current team, joining Washington's Joe Gibbs (168 wins), Denver's Mike Shanahan (130) and Tennessee's Jeff Fisher (117). Belichick has an overall coaching record of 137-84 (.620), including a 124-81 regular-season mark and a 13-3 playoff record.
MOSS'S 19 TOUCHDOWN CATCHES ARE SECOND HIGHEST NFL SINGLE-SEASON TOTAL
With two touchdown receptions in the first half, Randy Moss caught his 18th and 19th touchdown passes of the season, recording the second highest single-season receiving touchdown total in NFL history. Moss's 19 touchdown catches this season trail only Jerry Rice's NFL record total of 22 in 1987. The 19 touchdown receptions set a new career high for Moss, topping his 17 scoring catches in 1998 and 2003 while with the Minnesota Vikings.
NFL SINGLE-SEASON RECEIVING TD LEADERS
Player Team Year TD
Jerry Rice SF 1987 22
Randy Moss NE 2007 19
Sterling Sharpe GB 1994 18
Mark Clayton MIA 1984 18
Randy Moss MIN 2003 17
Randy Moss MIN 1998 17*
(Six others tied with 17 touchdown receptions)
*-NFL Rookie Record
BRADY RECORDS FIFTH GAME WITH FOUR OR MORE TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN 2007
Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes, marking his fifth game of the season with four or more scoring throws. Brady's five games with four or more touchdowns tie the third highest total in NFL history, trailing only the six games with four or more touchdown passes by Peyton Manning in 2004 and by Dan Marino in 1984. Brady's five games with four or more scoring passes tie Donovan McNabb's 2004 total, Marino's 1986 total and Brett Favre's 1996 total.
MOSS SETS TEAM RECORD FOR MOST OVERALL TOUCHDOWNS IN A SEASON
With his first touchdown catch of the day, a 4-yard reception from Tom Brady, Randy Moss set a new Patriots record with his 18th overall touchdown of the season, topping Curtis Martin's previous record of 17 touchdowns in 1996. Moss added a 63-yard scoring grab in the second quarter to raise his season total to 19 touchdowns. All 18 of Moss's touchdowns have come via receptions. In 1996, Martin had 14 touchdowns via rushes and three via receptions.
PATRIOTS SINGLE-SEASON OVERALL TD LEADERS
Player Year TDs Rush Rec. Ret.
Randy Moss 2007 19 0 19 0
Curtis Martin 1996 17 14 3 0
Curtis Martin 1995 15 14 1 0
Corey Dillon 2006 13 13 0 0
(Five others tied with 13 overall touchdowns)
GAFFNEY HAS CAREER HIGH YARDAGE
Jabar Gaffney set a career high with 122 receiving yards on seven catches, including a 56-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Gaffney's previous career high was 109 receiving yards, achieved while playing for the Houston Texans against Chicago on Dec. 19, 2004. The 100-yard receiving game was the second of Gaffney's regular-season career. He also has two 100-yard games in three career playoff contests, all with the Patriots in 2006.
BRADY HAS SECOND HIGHEST YARDAGE TOTAL OF CAREER
Tom Brady totaled 399 passing yards against Pittsburgh, completing 32-of-46 passes (69.6 percent) with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 125.2 passer rating. The 399 passing yards are the second highest of Brady's career, trailing only his 410 passing yards in a 41-38 overtime win over Kansas City on Sept. 22, 2002. Brady's 399 yards are his highest career total in a non-overtime game. Including today's yardage total, four of Brady's top five career single-game yardage totals have come this season. Against Pittsburgh, Brady recorded his sixth 300-yard passing game of the season and the 21st 300-yard game of his career.
BRADY PASSES 4,000-YARD MARK
With a 4-yard completion to Wes Welker in the third quarter, Tom Brady exceeded 4,000 passing yards for the season, marking the fourth 4,000-yard passing season in Patriots history. Following that completion, Brady had 4,001 yards on the season. He finished the game with 4,095 passing yards, a total that ranks third in team history. Brady has accomplished the feat for the second time in his career, having also exceeded the milestone in 2005 (4,110 yards). Drew Bledsoe also exceeded 4,000 passing yards two times in a Patriots uniform (4,555 yards in 1994 and 4,086 yards in 1996).
TWO COMPLETIONS OF 50 YARDS OR LONGER FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2001
The Patriots completed two touchdown passes of longer than 50 yards, marking the first time since 2001 that the Patriots have had two completions of 50 yards or more in the same game. Against Pittsburgh, Tom Brady hit Randy Moss for a 63-yard touchdown in the second quarter and later completed a 56-yard touchdown toss to Jabar Gaffney in the third quarter. The last time New England completed two passes of 50 yards or longer in the same game was on Oct. 21, 2001 at Indianapolis, when Brady threw a 91-yard touchdown pass to David Patten and Patten threw a 60-yard scoring pas to Troy Brown.
WELKER BREAKS 90-CATCH MARK
With an 11-yard reception in the fourth quarter - his 90th catch of the season - Wes Welker recorded the fifth 90-reception season in Patriots history. He joins Troy Brown (101 receptions in 2001 and 97 receptions in 2002), Ben Coates (96 catches in 1994) and Terry Glenn (90 receptions in 1996) as the only players in Patriots history to achieve the feat. Welker finished the game with 93 receptions this season, a total that ranks fourth in team history.
MOSS PASSES 1,200-YARD MARK
On his 63-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, Randy Moss passed the 1,200-yard receiving mark for the season, becoming the second player in Patriots history to achieve the 1,200-yard receiving plateau. Following that catch, Moss had 1,212 yards on 78 catches in 2007. Moss joins Stanley Morgan (1,491 yards in 1986) as the only players in franchise history to achieve the feat. Moss has exceeded the 1,200-yard receiving mark for the seventh time in his 10 NFL seasons and has achieved the milestone for the first time since gaining a career-high 1,632 receiving yards in 2003 with Minnesota.
MOSS RECORDS 54th CAREER 100-YARD RECEIVING GAME
With 135 yards on seven catches, Randy Moss has recorded his eighth 100-yard receiving game of the season and the 54th 100-yard receiving game of his career. Moss's 54 career 100-yard receiving games rank third all-time, trailing only Jerry Rice (76) and Marvin Harrison (59). Stanley Morgan holds the Patriots single-season record with nine 100-yard receiving games in 1986. Moss's 135 receiving yards are his third highest total of the season, trailing only his 183 yards against the New York Jets on Sept. 9 and his 145 yards against Indianapolis on Nov. 4.
MOSS CATCHES 63-YARD TOUCHDOWN PASS
Randy Moss hauled in a 63-yard touchdown reception from Tom Brady in the second quarter to give the Patriots a 14-3 lead. The reception was Moss's longest of the season, topping a 55-yard grab at Indianapolis on Nov. 4. It was also Moss's fourth catch of 50 yards or longer this season and was the 33rd reception of 50 yards or longer in his career. The 63-yard touchdown was Moss's 11th touchdown catch of 60 yards or longer in his career. It was the second longest reception of the season for the Patriots, trailing only a 69-yard scoring pass from Brady to Donte Stallworth at Dallas on Oct. 14.
PATRIOTS HELD ON OPENING POSSESSION
New England did not score on its opening possession for just the second time in 13 games this season. The only other game this season in which the Patriots did not put points on the board on its first offensive possession of the game was at Indianapolis on Nov. 4. On their 13 game-opening possessions this season, the Patriots have scored eight touchdowns, three field goals and have punted twice.
STEELERS BECOME FIRST PATRIOTS OPPONENT TO SCORE ON OPENING POSSESSION
The Patriots allowed the Steelers to convert a 23-yard field goal on Pittsburgh's first offensive possession of the game. The points were the first of the season that New England has allowed on an opponents' opening possession of the game. Entering this week's game, the Patriots were the only NFL team not to allow an opponent score on their opening possession. Jacksonville entered the week ranked second by allowing nine points on opponents first drives.
QUICK HITS
-Vince Wilfork stuffed Willie Parker in the backfield for a 2-yard loss in the first quarter.
-Chad Jackson returned a kickoff 39 yards in the first quarter, marking the fifth kickoff return of 35 yards or more by the Patriots this season.
-Jarvis Green sacked Ben Roethlisberger for a 9-yard sack in the first quarter. The sack was Green's fifth of the season, a total that ranks second on the team.
-Vince Wilfork sacked Roethlisberger for an 8-yard sack in the third quarter. The sack was Wilfork's first of the season.
-Adalius Thomas sacked Ben Roethlisberger for a 2-yard loss in the fourth quarter. The sack was Thomas's fourth of the season.
-James Sanders recovered a Steelers fumble on a punt in the second quarter. Sanders pounced on the ball after it his Pittsburgh's William Gay, giving the Patriots possession at the Steelers' 34-yard line.
-Rodney Harrison batted away a pass intended for Santonio Holmes in the end zone on third down in the fourth quarter. On the next play, Harrison combined with Richard Seymour to stuff Hines Ward for no gain and keep the Steelers out of the end zone.
HOT WHEN IT'S COLDThe Patriots have enjoyed tremendous recent success in cold weather and are 21-3 since 1993 when the kickoff temperature is 34 degrees or less. Today's kickoff temperature was 34 degrees. New England has won 16 of its last 18 games when the kickoff temperature has been 34 degrees or colder. Tom Brady is 23-2 as a starter when the temperature is less than 40 degrees.
PATRIOTS GAMES 34 DEGREES OR COLDER SINCE 1993 (21-3)
Sorted by Temperature
Date Opp. Temp Notes W/L Score
01/10/04 TEN* 4 Wind Chill -10 W 17-14
01/23/05 at PIT* 11 Wind Chill -1 W 41-27
12/26/93 IND 19 Wind Chill -1 W 38-0
01/07/06 JAX* 24 Clear and Calm W 28-3
12/21/96 at NYG 24 Wind Chill 17 W 23-22
01/01/06 MIA 25 Wind Chill 20 L 26-28
01/16/05 IND* 25 Snow W 20-3
12/14/03 JAX 25 Wind Chill 16 W 27-13
01/19/02 OAK* 25 Snow W 16-13 ot
12/05/05 NYJ 26 Light Snow W 16-3
12/10/95 NYJ 26 Wind Chill 12 W 31-28
01/12/97 JAX* 27 Wind Chill 11 W 20-6
12/07/03 MIA 28 Wind Chill 17 W 12-0
12/11/05 at BUF 30 Light Snow W 35-7
12/26/04 at NYJ 30 Wind Chill 21 W 23-7
12/20/03 at NYJ 30 Wind Chill 20 W 21-16
11/05/06 IND 31 Clear and Calm L 20-27
12/24/00 MIA 31 Wind Chill 22 L 24-27
01/02/05 SF 32 Wind Chill 27 W 21-7
01/18/04 IND* 32 Light Snow W 24-14
11/16/03 DAL 33 Cloudy and Calm W 12-0
11/26/95 at BUF 33 Flurries W 35-25
12/09/07 PIT 34 Cloudy and Cold W 34-13
12/16/01 at BUF 34 Wind Chill 25 W 12-9 ot
12/12/93 CIN 34 Wind Chill 23 W 7-2
*-playoffs
That Tom Brady-to-Randy Moss touchdown was noteworthy for several reasons:
It was Brady's 42nd TD of the season, fourth-most all-time for a single season.
It was Moss' 18th TD reception of the season, a new career high, and ties him for second-most in a single season. It also sets a new Patriots single-season record. Curtis Martin had 17 touchdowns (14 rushing, three receiving) in 1996
After completing that touchdown to Randy Moss to put New England up 7-3, Tom Brady had some words for Steelers' Anthony Smith, he of the we will win guarantee. As Brady jawed, linebacker James Harrison came up behind him and bumped him.
Brady continued to talk to Smith as he backed off the field.
Limited Participation
S Rashad Baker - ankle
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
DL Ty Warren - thigh
*This is the first report of the week for New England, as they did not practice yesterday. Brady was the only player on the team's last injury report, last Friday.
For the Steelers:
Did Not Participate
S Troy Polamalu - knee
Full Participation
RB Najeh Davenport - foot
*Polamalu was not on yesterday's report; WR Hines Ward, who did not practice yesterday (coach's decision), is not listed today.
What is your first impression of Pittsburgh? The same blitzing Pittsburgh Steelers that you’ve faced in the past?
They blitz us. They blitz us quite a bit. Their style is pretty much the same. They’re a good defense, obviously, the best in the league according to the statistics and if you ask them they’ll tell you that. It’s going to be a great challenge for us, so hopefully we go out and play well.
What did you think of the bold prediction by their corner back [Anthony Smith]?
Coach always says we do our talking on Sundays. I’m glad they feel that way. I hope they feel that way. I hope they do, I hope they feel like they can win. I’d hate for them to come in here and feel like they can’t win any games. We’ll see, we’ll see who comes out ahead on Sunday.
Is it fair to say that it might be talked about a little bit this week? It might find its way on a wall somewhere? [Anthony Smith’s victory guarantee]
I’m sure yeah. We heard about it, I think everybody on the team has heard about it. It always comes down to who plays better. Well done is always better than well said -- that’s been the motto of this team.
What do you know about Anthony Smith?
I didn’t know who he was until we started preparing for them. He’s a young player and it’s obvious that [there are] guys that we’ve played in the past that we really respect on that team, Deshea [Townsend], Troy [Polamalu], Aaron Smith, Casey [Hampton] -- those guys aren’t the ones that say it. It’s a great challenge for us we’ve had a great history with them, we’ve played some very meaningful games and they’re a great team. They’re really well-coached both offensively and defensively. I just hope we play well.
Do you consider the source when you hear things like that?
I don’t know if we’ve ever come out and predicted victory or anything and we’ve won a lot of games. Whether you predict it or not, he’s got to show up on Sunday and try to guard us, play his role, do his job and we’ve going to try and make it hard for him.
Are the Steelers are doing anything differently on defense with Mike Tomlin as head coach?
Not really, not really. To me it looks like it’s the same defense, the same group of guys, same style. They blitz a lot. It’s the same blitzes. It’s the same style of play that they’ve played in the past. They always seem to play it well. I think their players are very comfortable in their scheme and I think they have players that really play their scheme well. It’s a challenge to run it. It’s a challenge to throw it, it’s a challenge to protect and get open. It’s a lot of man coverage from the outsides. We all have our work cut out for us.
What needs to improve offensively going forward?
It’s a team-wide thing and I think we all need to focus on doing our job the best we can. Not to try to correct everybody’s mistakes, we all have our own mistakes we need to correct. I need to throw the ball better, make better reads, make better protection calls and lead a bit better. I think for each of us we need to look at ourselves individually and try to make improvements for ourselves. If we do that, collectively as a team there will be improvements. We’ve won these games, it’s been exciting to win them, it was a great game the other night but at the same time you realize we made mistakes in the game that we need to correct.
Is everybody kind of refreshed after a day and a half?
Oh yeah. Can’t you see the bright and sunny faces in here? It’s a long season and I think there’s moments when you feel a little drained and moments when you feel really reinvigorated. Going into my eighth year I really felt like every year, “OK, I have it a little more figured out this yea,” and you just realize it’s a grind. Everyday you come in here you’re coming in to work hard and give everything you’ve got. When you give everything you’ve got and it’s Monday, Tuesday morning at four in the morning you are drained but you find a way over the next day and a half to prepare yourself and come in here bright-eyed and bushy-tailed ready to get to work. There is no better team for us to be excited about than the Steelers and the challenges they present. There’s been a lot of excitement in our locker room. We’re back home playing in front of our crowd and hopefully we play the best game we have all season.
Along those lines, every team goes through the long grind of the season, but how much easier is it for this group to get back their energy back with your record being what it is and knowing that you’re playing for something?
I think you’re always playing for something. Whether you’re 12-0 or 0-12 you have a lot of reasons to be motivated and I think we’re motivated by playing a team that presents a lot of challenges for us. We’ve got to play our own style of game, understanding what they really do well and understanding what we need to do well. It’s a very motivated group we have. [We’ve] got some veteran players that try to work hard and take the coaching and we’re coached very hard around here. I really hope we’ve listened to what has [been] preached this week and can go out there and show it on Sunday.
They are number one in a lot of different defensive categories, but particularly in pass defense. What do you guys have to do to operate at your optimum level against their pass defense?
Yeah, they play the run well. They play the pass well. I think they create disruption with their front and they get to the quarterback and push the pocket. They’ve got some guys who can really rush. It’s a lot of man coverage on the outside and they’re on those guys tight and you’ve to find ways to get open. You don’t have all day. That’s the hard part. It’s a little bit of a challenge.
Coach Belichick talked a lot about Ed Reed last week. What do you see out of Troy Polamalu? How does he affect the Steelers defense?
He really sets the tone for them. In the times that I’ve played against him, he always makes a huge impact on the game. He’s very aggressive and he’s always focused on the ball and he can really make a lot of plays. He’s a really explosive athlete. We have to account for him on every play. Every week, we’re facing guys that are the best in the league and he’s… I don’t think there are too many players better than Troy.
Have you seen more and more creative ways each week in trying to bring pressure against you?
It’s different. I think different teams have different styles. For example, Baltimore blitzed 17 times so it wasn’t a big blitz game. They dropped a lot of guys into coverage. Every team looks at different ways to approach us and some want to cover, some want to pressure. Some want to play man. Some want to play zone. It’s probably based on what they do well and what they think they have to do to stop us. I think I know how to defend us, but I think I know how you wouldn’t defend us, too, so we’ll see if they’re right.
Well, along those lines, how do you defend against you guys?
There’s your chance. You’ve got to study the film, buddy. You’ve got to study the film.
Seriously though, you set the standard so high in the first 10 games, but the last two games do seem a little bit different from the passing production standpoint. Has there been a difference? Is it because of what teams are trying to do against you? What’s been the deal in terms of what you’ve seen in the passing game?
Well, I don’t think we’ve been executing as well. I think that’s what it comes down to. We’ve been playing good defensive teams that don’t give you a lot of opportunities, or much margin for error. When you get those opportunities, you have to take advantage of them so we’ve got to play better.
BALTIMORE – Tom Brady’s eye-popping pace has slowed a bit, but he’s still getting some impressive marks.
Last night, he had his 40th and 41st touchdown passes of the season, making him just the fourth player in NFL history with at least 40 TDs, following Peyton Manning, Dan Marino (who did it twice) and Kurt Warner.
Brady also got his 27th career fourth-quarter comeback win, and second in as many weeks. He is also now 29-5 in games where the final margin is a touchdown or less.
More Brady numbers:
He’s 46-16 on the road; 34-2 on artificial turf; and 42-8 on games played Thanksgiving or later.
*****
Randy Moss caught Brady’s first touchdown pass of the night. It was Moss’ 17th scoring catch of the season, tying his career high. Moss also had 17 as a rookie with Minnesota in 1998 and again in 2003.
With four catches last night, the 10th year veteran has 751 for his career, the 25th player in league history to hit that mark.
Moss has 1,129 yards receiving on 75 catches this season.
*****
New England recorded its 12th win of the season last night, just the fourth time in franchise history the Patriots have enjoyed a 12-win season. All four years – in 2003 and ’04, they had 14 wins, and in 2006 – have been with Bill Belichick as head coach.
*****
The win over the Ravens was the 99th win for Belichick as coach of the Patriots; he will become the first coach in team history to hit the century mark when New England wins again.
*****
New England has won all four of its meetings against the Ravens since the team moved from Cleveland in 1996. This was the Patriots’ first-ever trip to M&T Bank Stadium.
Tedy Bruschi is the only player to have appeared in all four games; Troy Brown was among the Patriots’ inactive players last night.
*****
New England is now 42-8 after Thanksgiving since 2001, the best late-season mark in the NFL.
*****
Last night’s announced attendance was 71,382, the largest crowd ever at M&T Bank Stadium.
BALTIMORE -- It was Tom Brady's worst game of the season.
Statistically, at least.
Completing just 18 of 38 passes, for 257 yards and two touchdowns, Brady was sacked three times, for 21 yards in losses, and threw his sixth interception of the year, leaving him with a season-low rating of 76.3 for the game.
"We have to execute better -- run better routes, throw better passes, make better catches, block better," said Brady, sounding remarkably, and unfortunately, like coach Bill Belilchick.
The Patriots appeared about to go down to their first defeat when Brady was stuffed on a fourth-down sneak at the Baltimore 30 with 1:48 to go. But the Pats were given a second chance when the officials ruled that Ravens coach Brian Billick had called a timeout from the sidelines just before the snap.
"I heard the whistle blow and stopped," Brady said, with tongue planted firmly in cheek. "I would've made the first down if the whistle didn't blow."
The Patriots came close to blowing the game, but the bottom line _ as Brady pointed out _ is that they didn't.
"We made a lot of plays under pressure," he said, "and that's what we needed to do down the stretch."
That Tom Brady-to-Randy Moss touchdown was the 40th TD pass of the season for Brady, making him just the fourth player in NFL history to throw for that many scores in a season, joining Peyton Manning, Dan Marino and Kurt Warner.
It also was the 17th touchdown reception of the year for Moss, tying his career high, which he has done two other times previously, including his rookie year with Minnesota.
The Patriots have released their Friday injury/participation report, and only one player is on it (guess who?) - Tom Brady, probable, right shoulder.
Much like last week, when Jarvis Green practiced only on Friday and played Sunday, Kevin Faulk (thigh) missed Wednesday and Thursday's sessions but practiced today and has been removed from the list.
Transcript: Tom Brady's Wednesday press conference
Are you happy to have Troy Brown back?
It’s great. It’s great to see him. I know he’s excited. He’s been working very, very hard. [He’s] played a long time and it’s great to have him up and available. I sure hope he makes a big impact on the team. He always does, just with his leadership, his ability to bring people together and he always has positive words. He’s a great leader. He’s a great teammate and everybody loves having Troy Brown.
Because Troy has been around so long and he knows what to expect, does that make it easier for him to come back and produce?
Yeah, and he’s been in our offensive meetings however as long the season has been going on. Even though he hasn’t been out on the practice field, he’s been keeping up with the meetings and so forth. I know he’s excited and he can do a lot for us. He can play receiver. He can play DB. He contributes on special teams. He really does whatever this team needs.
The Ravens are a team, like the Eagles, that you aren’t that familiar with. Talk a little bit about the Ravens.
Yeah and I think you’re right. It’s a team that we haven’t played in a bunch of years. They’re very experienced and very battle-tested. They were one of the best teams in the AFC last year. We really have our work cut out for us. It should be a fun week. It’s a great defense that we’re facing, led by a bunch of great players on that defense in Ed Reed and Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs and they can all really play - Bart Scott. It’s a very challenging defense to face. I know that hopefully we can present those same challenges to them, but on a Monday night, that’s kind of what that teams live for.
Tedy Bruschi said after Sunday night’s game that he anticipates more tough games like that this time of the year. Do you agree with that?
I think you have anxiety before every game. You sit in a locker room just before you run out and really it’s the unknown. You just don’t know the way the games are going to go. You always hope for the best and you try to prepare for everything and, really, however they play out, whether you win 56-10 like in Buffalo, or this past weekend when it came down right to the end, you have to really be mentally tough and prepare for both. I think you always prepare for the tough ones and if it ends up not being as close as expected then you deal with that, too. That’s a good thing to deal with, but we’re always expecting whatever is the team’s best performance and what they’re capable of. Really, that’s what we expect.
Bill Belichick raves about Ed Reed --
He wants to adopt Ed Reed.
Yeah, he does.
It’s going to be Ed Belichick.
How does [Ed Reed] change what you look at in terms of their defense?
I know he coached him at the Pro Bowl last year and I think, as a defensive coach, you look at a player like that who’s such a game-changer. [Belichick] coached Lawrence Taylor and he knew what the impact on the game that Lawrence Taylor had when he was coaching. I think Ed Reed is similar, in different ways, but [he’s] really a game-changer. He’s a ballhawk. He covers so much ground back there. He’s really smart. He’s really aware. He loves football. He’s got all the great qualities of a great defensive player. I tell you, he better run after the game is over because Coach is going to try to bring him back on the plane with us if he could.
Personally, do you like the games that are close as opposed to the games that are really out-of-whack like some of the games you’ve had?
Yeah, we’ve had some games that in the fourth quarter haven’t been much of a game, not like this last one. I think we’ve showed some mental toughness in Dallas and in Indianapolis and [against] the Eagles, where we’ve been down the second half you have to find ways to make plays under pressure and I think this team has done a good job -- Whether we’re up or down we’re focusing on doing our job. A lot of it is composure and poise and it’s tough environments you’re playing in. Two of those games were on the road with the crowd really into it and we found ways to pull it out in the end. Anyway, the goal is to win. That’s what we approach every week as and, whether you win by 30 or you win by three, you’re trying to win the game. Everyone was happy we won this last game and it’s really going to be a challenge for us to get to 12-0.
Are you sick of all these night games?
I’m tired of them. I look around at all these tired faces today and I think everyone is just dragging a little bit. You don’t get home until late and it feels like you’re always trying to get caught up throughout the week so I’m glad we’ve got the extra day. It’s not a Sunday night game so it’ll be a long week this week I’m sure. Four days of practice, we can use each and every day of that to get ready for this team and, hopefully, put our best out there.
Is it a disadvantage for you guys because you’re like bats, you don’t the see light of day because you’re always playing at night --
(Laughs.) That’s the first I’ve heard of that.
And you’ve got so many in a row that it’s got to be tough.
It is and you play when they tell you to play and I think most guys in the NFL, you love Monday night games. The fun part about Monday night is just before the game at 8:00 when you’re ready to go out there and the bad part is about 11:30 as soon as the game is over. It’s fun to play on Monday night, but I think most guys would love to play Sunday at 1:00, every single week. That gives you the most time to let your body rest and your mind to get focused on those weeks ahead. Coaches love it because they get - on the Monday night games they get the extra day to practice you, which a lot of the older players don’t like so much. But we play when they tell us to play.
What are some of the particular challenges this defense poses to you?
They challenge you in a lot of ways. I think they have very athletic pass-rushers. They have a bunch of different packages that they run with different types of D-lineman that have different abilities. Some rush the passer. Some play the run really well. They get you in a lot of long-yardage situations. I think they’re very creative with what they do up front and [you] just can’t go to sleep on them. If one guy isn’t focused and concentrating and their job, it’s going to be a negative play. A guy like Ed Reed, or Ray Lewis, or Bart Scott, or Chris McAlister, they’re all looking to make interceptions. Not only that, they’re trying to return it for a touchdown. They’ve got a bunch of play-makers and we’ve got to be able to focus on every play and make sure we’re really aware of what they’re doing so we can really stay on track.
FOXBORO – Asante Samuel got things off to a rousing start for the Patriots last night, intercepting the Eagles’ A.J. Feeley on the third play of the game and returning the pick 40 yards for a touchdown.
The interception was the 21st of Samuel’s five-year career, tying him for 10th in New England history with Don Webb. Ty Law and Raymond Clayborn are tied for the franchise lead with 36 each.
Samuel now has six interception returns for touchdowns in his career, including an NFL record-tying three in the postseason. His three regular-season return TDs are third-best in team annals.
*****
Tom Brady’s season-long streak of games with three or more touchdown passes came to an end last night, as he threw just one against the Eagles, but the quarterback still found a way to get into the record books this week.
By throwing for 380 yards, Brady passed 25,000 yards for his career, making him just the third quarterback in Patriots’ history to do so, after Drew Bledsoe (29,657) and Steve Grogan (26,886).
With 39 touchdowns this season, Brady is still on pace to throw 57 for the season.
He also:
- Led New England to a fourth-quarter comeback win for the 26th time in his career;
- Upped his record to 28-5 in games where the margin of victory is seven points or less and 19-4 when the margin is four points or less;
- Is 21-3 when throwing for more than 300 yards;
- Is 33-2 on artificial turf;
- And is 41-8 on Thanksgiving or later
*****
By scoring 31 points last night, New England now has 442 points for the season, setting a new single-season franchise record.
The previous team record of 441 points was established in the 1980 season, when the Pats went 10-6.
*****
Randy Moss’ 11-yard reception in the second quarter was the 744th catch of his 10-year career, putting him 25th all time in NFL history.
Moss passed Andre Rison (743 receptions) to move into the top 25. Jerry Rice had a record 1,549 catches in his 20 year career.
*****
Wes Welker’s 13 receptions tie the franchise record for catches in a non-overtime game. Both Deion Branch (at San Diego, Sept. 29, 2002) and Terry Glenn (at Cleveland, Oct. 3, 1999) had 13-catch games with New England.
The single-game team record is Troy Brown’s 16 receptions on Sept. 22, 2002 in an overtime win against Kansas City.
*****
Patriots’ receiver Jabar Gaffney and Eagles’ cornerback Lito Sheppard are cousins, and spent most of their early football years as teammates.
Gaffney and Sheppard both attended Raines High School in Jacksonville, Fla., winning a state title in their first season together, and both played at the University of Florida.
Gaffney’s father, Derrick, also attended Florida, and played in the NFL with the Jets.
*****
With a touchdown on its first possession of the game, New England has scored points on its opening drive in 10 of 11 games this season.
It was only against the Colts that the Patriots did not score on their first possession.
*****
New England boasts the best home record in the NFL since 2002 (the year Gillette Stadium opened) as well as the best home defense in the league.
The Patriots are 41-9 at Gillette, just ahead of the 40-10 mark Indianapolis has at the RCA Dome over the last five-plus seasons.
They also allow just 15.64 points per game to the opposition over those 50 games, ahead of the 16.26 points Baltimore gives up to visitors to M&T Bank Stadium.
First-time visitors to the Stadium are 4-23, with New England winning 19 of the last 20.
*****
The Patriots are now 26-4 against NFC teams since 2001, a run that includes their three Super Bowl wins.
It also includes a current streak of 10 straight which began on Oct. 9, 2005 against Atlanta. New England’s last loss to an NFC team was in the second game of the 2005 season, 27-17 in Carolina.
*****
Last night was the first time New England has hosted Philadelphia in a regular-season game at Gillette Stadium, and the first time the Eagles have traveled to Foxboro since Nov. 29, 1987, a 34-31 overtime win for Philly.
The teams’ last three regular-season meetings were in the City of Brotherly Love, in the 1990, 1999 and 2003 seasons.
With the Eagles’ near 20-year streak without a Foxboro visit now ended, the Carolina Panthers now have the longest period of not playing in New England, at 12 years. The Panthers will visit Gillette in 2009.
Carolina, Arizona, Atlanta and St. Louis are the four remaining teams who have not visited Gillette Stadium since it opened in 2002.
*****
The inactive players for the Patriots were: Matt Gutierrez (third quarterback), receiver Chad Jackson, safeties Mel Mitchell and Eugene Wilson, guards Wesley Britt and Billy Yates, and defensive linemen Le Kevin Smith and Kareem Brown.
For the Eagles: quarterback Donovan McNabb, safety Quintin Mikell, running back Tony Hunt, guards Max Jean-Gilles and Scott Young, and defensive linemen Kimo von Oelhoffen, Victor Abiamiri and Montae Reagor.
FOXBORO -- Asante Samuel became the 20th -- that's right, 20th -- New England player to score a touchdown this season when he returned an interception 40 yards for a score in the opening minutes against the Eagles.
He joins Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Benjamin Watson, Sammy Morris, Donte Stallworth, Kyle Brady, Tom Brady, Kyle Eckel, Ellis Hobbs, Mike Vrabel, Willie Andrews, Matt Cassel, Rosevelt Colvin, Heath Evans, Kevin Faulk, Jabar Gaffney, Randall Gay, Laurence Maroney, and Adalius Thomas in getting into the end zone for the Patriots.
The NFL record for most players scoring in a season is 21, shared by the 2000 Denver Broncos and the 1987 Los Angeles Rams.
FOXBORO -- Of the Patriots' 207 net yards in the first half, only 13 came on the ground, and 12 of those were on a scramble by QB Tom Brady. The Pats' only "real" carry was a 1-yard TD plunge by FB Heath Evans.
The Patriots released their Friday injury/participation report, and only one player was listed: Tom Brady.
Brady, as he has every week for more than four seasons, is listed as probable-right shoulder. He is listed as having limited participation in practice today.
Jarvis Green, who practiced this afternoon for the first time this week, has been removed from the report.
For the Eagles, quarterback Donovan McNabb (ankle, thumb) and safety Quintin Mikell (knee) are listed as doubtful and did not practice; tackle William Thomas (illness) did not practice and is questionable; receivers Jason Avant (groin) and Kevin Curtis (thigh), safety Brian Dawkins (thigh), guard Todd Herremans (knee), corner William James (foot), and linebacker Takeo Spikes (hamstring) all had full participation and are probable.
Curtis and Spikes are new additions to the report.
The Patriots held practice this morning, and have a shortened participation report:
Did Not Participate
DL Jarvis Green - ankle
Limited Participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
**Adalius Thomas (did not participate, team decision), Stephen Neal (limited participation, shoulder) and Eugene Wilson (limited participation, ankle) were on yesterday's list.
UPDATE
For the Eagles:
Did Not Practice
QB Donovan McNabb - ankle, thumb
S Quintin Mikell - knee
Limited Participation
T William Thomas - illness
Full Participation
WR Jason Avant - groin
FS Brian Dawkins - thigh
LS Jon Dorenbos - abdomen
G Todd Herremans - knee
CB William James - foot
DT Mike Patterson - ankle
RB Brian Westbrook - knee
** Thomas was upgraded, as he did not practice Wednesday; also, linebacker Omar Gaither (back) is removed from the list.
Did Not Participate
DL Jarvis Green - ankle
LB Adalius Thomas - team decision
Limited Participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
S Eugene Wilson - ankle
**Despite returning to practice for the first time in a month, Eric Alexander (knee) is not on the list; also note that Kevin Faulk (concussion) and Laurence Maroney (foot) are not on the list.
For the Eagles:
Did Not Participate
QB Donovan McNabb - ankle, thumb
S Quintin Mikell - knee
T William Thomas - illness
Full Participation
WR Jason Avant - groin
FS Brian Dawkins - thigh
LS Jon Dorenbos - abdomen
LB Omar Gaither - back
G Todd Herremans - knee
CB William James - foot
DT Mike Patterson - ankle
RB Brian Westbrook - knee
Injuries to both Kevin Faulk and Laurence Maroney in Sunday's game with Buffalo seemingly left the Patriots precariously thin at running back, but today Maroney said that he's not injured and expects to be available this Sunday against the Eagles.
As for Faulk, who suffered a first-half concussion, he said he'd like to play Sunday but if he doesn't, "you can't be mad about it because it's your health."
Tom Brady did not hold his customary Wednesday press conference.
In his chat, Bill Belichick spoke of the respect he has for Philadelphia coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, and noted that while their scheme is pretty much what it has been since that pair has been with the Eagles, it is a varied system with experienced players.
Belichick praised the Eagles' offensive line (he said right guard Shawn Andrews is the best offensive lineman the Pats have seen this season) and their red-zone defense, which is ranked third in the league.
Practice is being held outdoors today, and we'll give an update on who is and isn't there.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- With a New England Patriots victory clearly in hand late in the game Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills, the unbeaten Monster of the AFC East continued to do what it has done all season -- score.
Late in the game the Patriots decided to go for it on a fourth-and-two situation and scored to go up 42-7.
That's when the rude comments started from the Bills fans, calling Brady and his teammates not the nicest of names.
“We hear everything,” Brady responded with a big smile. “It’s not the worst word I’ve ever heard, and I’ve said plain worse than that. Coach says he puts us out there to score every time we touch it, so that’s what we’re trying to do and I think that’s the job description for every offense in the NFL. You score because you’re not out there to punt. . . If our fans ever called us that, then I would be pissed."
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - The first thing Patriots quarterback Tom Brady did after yesterday’s dominating win over the Buffalo Bills was kiss Myra Kraft.
The young stud planted a huge one on the cheek of his boss’s wife before heading into New England’s locker room where the song “Another One Bits the Dust” was blaring.
The feeling of affection is surely reciprocal because Brady is becoming the best quarterback in franchise history, and he took another step toward immortality last night. He completed 31 of 39 passes for 373 yards, including five touchdowns. With his six-yard TD pass to Randy Moss with 6:33 remaining in the second quarter, Brady surpassed former Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan with 183 career touchdown passes to become the franchise leader in that category.
It took Grogan 16 seasons to reach that plateau. It has taken Brady only seven.
Even though Brady is not one to talk about individual accomplishments, he did say it was an honor to be put in the same category with someone with Grogan.
“We have a great history of players for the Patriots,” said Brady. “Every time we take the field (at Gillette Stadium) we see the banners of the history of our team and the players who led the way for us. Hopefully we make those guys proud. I follow in the footsteps of a great quarterback myself in Drew Bledsoe, who taught me how to play quarterback in the NFL. . . Every time I’m around (Grogan) I think he’s a great person. He’s a great representative of the Patriots organization.”
Brady wasn’t alone last night in the history-making class.
First-year teammate and wide receiver Randy Moss caught 10 passes for 128 yards, including four touchdowns. When he grabbed his first TD of the night – a 43-yard reception to give New England a 14-0 lead with 8:04 remaining in the first quarter – he set the new Patriots’ single-season record with his 13th touchdown reception to surpass former receiver Stanley Morgan, who caught 12 in 1979.
Moss wasn’t done.
He finished with three more touchdown catchers to set another franchise mark, the single-game touchdown record of four. It was the first four TD game in team history. Moss is also the first Patriots player to grab at least three TD passes since Ben Coates accomplished that feat on Nov. 26, 1995.
And, it’s only November.
“I’ve never been a fan of records,” said Moss. “I learned at a young age that records are made to be broken, and I’ve never lived for my name in the record books. We have a goal, and that goal is to still be playing in January.”
Every week the Patriots’ offense continues to impress, and yesterday was as a dominating performance as they scored a season-high 56 points. In fact, the scored seven times on their first seven possessions.
So, Moss was asked if he has ever been a part of an offense this dominating, and he quickly pooh-poohed the question for good reason.
“The ’98 Vikings still hold the record for most points in the season,” he answered from first-hand experience.
That record of 556 points by Minnesota in 1998 may not last too much longer as the Patriots have scored 411 in the first 10 games of this season.
Earlier Sunday afternoon, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens caught eight passes for 173 yards, including four touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 28-23 victory over Washington. Moss said he saw the performance, but that didn’t give him any more motivation than he already had heading into his game Sunday night.
“Yeah, I saw it,” he said. “But I don’t get into that. I have a job to do and that’s for me to block and catch balls. To go out there and try to duplicate another receiver, that’s not my game and I’m not going to do that.”
It was a record-setting day for the New England Patriots, one that ended with a kiss. The next time Brady kisses something immediately after a game, it could be another Vince Lombardi Trophy. Then, of course, he’ll pass it over to Moss.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – For Tom Brady, making history has become a near-weekly event this season, and he went into last night’s AFC East matchup with the Bills with a chance to make even more.
With five touchdowns against the Bills, Brady now has 185 in his career, passing New England Hall of Famer Steve Grogan for the franchise career record.
In 16 seasons, Grogan threw 182 touchdowns. Brady is playing his eighth season and seventh as a starter.
Brady also extended his NFL record for consecutive games with three or more passing touchdowns to 10 games; against the Colts, he broke the record of eight games that he was sharing with Indy’s Peyton Manning.
More Brady numbers:
* He is on pace to throw a league-record 61 touchdowns against just six interceptions;
* He is now 32-2 on artificial turf;
* 45-16 on the road;
* 21-2 when the game-time temperature is 40 degrees or below;
* 20-3 when throwing for more than 300 yards;
* 71-3 when leading at halftime and 75-2 when leading after three quarters;
* 47-1 when is passer rating is 100 or better.
*****
One other team record went down last night, as Randy Moss scored four touchdowns, breaking the tie he had with Stanley Morgan after the Colts’ game for the single-season record for receiving touchdowns.
Moss now has 16, passing the record of 12 Morgan set in 1979. With six games to go, he is one away from tying his personal best of 17 scores, which he did in his rookie year, 1998, and in his final season with the Vikings, 2003.
The 30-year old also has a chance to break the single-season league record of 22 TDs, set by Jerry Rice in 1987. Moss is now on pace for 26 touchdowns.
Moss also topped 1,000 receiving yards for the season last night, making him the first Pats’ receiver to do so since Troy Brown in 2001 (1,199 yards on a franchise-record 101 grabs). Moss finished the night with 10 catches for 128 yards, giving him 66 catches for 1,052 yards (15.9 yards per catch).
It is the eighth 1,000-yard season in Moss’ 10-year career.
*****
New England established a new franchise record for total touchdowns in a single season last night, pushing its total to 54 with the eight-TD performance against the Bills.
The previous record was 52, set in 1961 and 1980. The NFL record for most touchdowns by a team is 70, set by the 1984 Miami Dolphins. The Patriots are currently on pace to shatter that record, with 86.
*****
Laurence Maroney's first quarter touchdown was his first of the season, but he is the 19th different player to get into the end zone for New England this season; the league record is 21, set by the 2000 Denver Broncos and 1987 Los Angeles Rams.
*****
The Patriots have now won nine straight games against Buffalo, the team’s third-longest regular-season win streak against an opponent.
Their longest win streak against the same opponent is 11 games, also over the Bills, from Jan. 2, 1983-Dec. 20, 1987. New England beat San Diego in 10 straight meetings from 1973-2001.
*****
Before last night, Buffalo’s record on Sunday Night Football was a league-best 5-0; Green Bay and Philadelphia are both 5-1 under the Sunday night lights.
*****
New England is now 33-9 against the AFC East since 2001, the best intra-divisional record in the NFL over that time – the Steelers are second, at 32-12.
The next best record in the AFC East belongs to the Jets, who are 20-22 in division play over the last six-plus years.
*****
Last night’s game inactives for the Patriots: Matt Gutierrez, third quarterback; safeties Eugene Wilson and Mel Mitchell; linebacker Eric Alexander; offensive linemen Stephen Neal and Wesley Britt; and defensive linemen LeKevin Smith and Kareem Brown.
For the Bills: Gibran Hamdan, third quarterback; running back Marshawn Lynch; tight ends Tim Massaquoi and Ryan Neufeld; linebacker Leon Joe; offensive lineman Christian Gaddis; and defensive linemen Copeland Bryan and Jason Jefferson.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. _ Bill Belichick’s name will never show up on the final score sheet.
But after the New England Patriots completely dismantled the Buffalo Bills 56-10 Sunday night at Ralph Wilson Stadium, every Patriots player gave their coach more props than usual.
With New England’s victory, the team is 10-0 in 2007 and things could only get better with the way the Patriots are playing, and with the way Belichick is coaching. In fact, during his eight-year tenure in New England, his ability to get the most out of his players has been quite obvious.
This season, however, it’s clear more than ever.
After the Patriots defeated the defending Super Bowl champion Colts, New England enjoyed a bye last weekend with Belichick giving his players five days off to do whatever they wanted. But, when they returned to Gillette Stadium last Monday, they were put through one of the toughest weeks they’ve had this season in order to prepare for last night’s game.
According to Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss, the coach gave the team a huge slice of humble pie.
The unbeaten record didn’t mean much. The complete dominance its shows every week didn’t mean much. Belichick wanted to make sure the Patriots weren’t getting too far ahead of themselves. After all, it’s only November.
“I’ve always known coach Belichick to be a hell of a coach,” said Moss. “I consider him the greatest coach ever, but I really didn’t expect the week of preparation he put us through. I’ve never been through that, so for us to come out and win this game the way we did is actually something to really smile about."
Moss said it was a hard week mentally and emotionally, something he’s never experience in his career.
“He really put us through it,” added Moss. “Coming off the bye week, and me not knowing what to expect, he tore our heads off Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It was just a big week, an emotional week.”
Moss, and the rest of the players in the cramped quarters of the visitor’s locker room at Ralph Wilson Stadium, said the coach placed a lot of emphasis on making sure the team was prepared.
“He didn’t want us to be satisfied by being 9-0 and coming off a bye week,” added Moss. “He put it to us this week. I have to commend him on that because not many head coaches will bit down hard, and put their team through the work he put us through this week. It surely paid off.”
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who always points out that the coach’s preparation is what allows New England to be so successful every Sunday, definitely made it a point after Sunday’s game to press it even further.
“He sets the tone for us,” said Brady. “He’s a great leader for us and he has high expectations, and when we don’t play up to those expectations in practice or the game, he let’s us know.”
Brady felt the team responded well to Belichick’s demeanor leading up to Sunday’s victory. He treated the team like it was 0-9 and not 9-0. For the players to respond so positively to Belichick’s philosophy the way they did is pretty amazing given this day and age of professional sports.
With such a big win on Sunday, the players are expecting much of the same this week.
“He doesn’t change his tone too often,” said Brady. “That’s just the way he coaches. There’s never anything that’s good enough, and after a well you get sick of it [saying] ‘enough coach.’ We take beating after beating after beating, but a lot of it helps us prepare and a lot of it puts us in the right frame of mind to go out there and play well each Sunday. It’s been 10 weeks and we have 10 victories, which is great.”
With the Bills now in the rear-view mirror, the Patriots have turned their focus to the Eagles.
“I hope we play up to his expectations,” said Brady.
Seriously, though. The team is 10-0 and is on pace to complete a historic season. What else is there to nitpick?
Belichick will find something.
“I missed a blitz pickup tonight from a look that I never expected them to blitz on,” said Patriots’ Heath Evans. “We are coached so diligently week in and week out, and we know so much coming into these games. Sometimes we relax because you’re not expecting [something] because of the way we are coached.”
Evans said there are always things you can improve on in order to play perfectly.
Belichick wouldn’t expect anything less.
“You know we’re going to be coached hard,” Evans said. “We’re going to practice hard, and that’s all I can guarantee you.”
These are provided by the Patriots' PR department:
BRADY SETS FRANCHISE CAREER TOUCHDOWN PASS MARK
Tom Brady has passed Steve Grogan to become the Patriots’ career touchdown pass leader. With a 6-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss in the second quarter – Brady’s third of the night and the 183rd of his career – Brady passed Grogan’s old career record of 182 touchdown passes. With four touchdown passes tonight (as of halftime) Brady has 184 touchdown passes in 106 career games (104 starts), while Grogan totaled his 182 scoring passes in 149 career games (131 starts). Brady’s 37 touchdowns in 2007 (as of halftime) are a Patriots single-season record (Babe Parilli, 31, 1964).
MOSS SETS FRANCHISE SINGLE-SEASON TOUCHDOWN RECEPTION RECORD
Randy Moss set a new Patriots single-season record with his 13th touchdown reception of the season and his first touchdown of the night, a 43-yard scoring catch in the first quarter to give the Patriots a 14-0 lead. With three more touchdowns in the second quarter, Moss raised his season total to 16 touchdowns (as of halftime). Moss eclipsed the previous team record of 12 touchdown receptions, achieved by Stanley Morgan in 1979. Moss’s 16 touchdown catches (as of halftime) are the third highest single-season total of his career, trailing only his career-high 17 scoring receptions in 1998 and 2003.
MOSS SETS FRANCHISE SINGLE-GAME TOUCHDOWN RECEPTION RECORD
With four touchdown receptions (as of halftime), Randy Moss has set the franchise’s single-game touchdown reception record, recording the first four-touchdown catch game in team history. Moss’s four scoring catches set a new single-game career high, topping his previous mark of three, achieved three previous times, most recently while playing for the Minnesota Vikings against San Francisco on Sept. 28, 2003. Moss is the first Patriot to catch at least three touchdown passes in a game since Ben Coates had three scoring grabs on Nov. 26, 1995. Coates’s performance also came in a game against the Bills in Buffalo.
MOSS BREAKS 1,000-YARD MARK FOR THE SEASON
With a 5-yard reception with 2:27 remaining in the second quarter, Randy Moss eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the year, becoming the first Patriots player to record 1,000 or more receiving yards since Troy Brown had 1,199 receiving yards in 2001. Moss’s 1,000-yard season is the 10th 1,000-yard receiving season in Patriots history and he joins Troy Brown (1), Terry Glenn (2), Ben Coates (1), Stanley Morgan (3), Irving Fryar (1) and Harold Jackson (1) as the only players in team history to achieve the feat. Morgan holds the team’s single-season record with 1,491 receiving yards in 1986. For Moss, the 1,000-yard season is the eighth of his 10-year career and his first since 2005, when he had 1,005 yards for the Oakland Raiders.
MARONEY REACHES END ZONE
Laurence Maroney scored his first touchdown of the season on a 6-yard run in the first quarter to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead. The touchdown was Maroney’s first since Dec. 31, 2006, when he scored on a 1-yard run at Tennessee in the 2006 regular-season finale. His touchdown against the Bills was the eighth touchdown of Maroney’s career (7 rush, 1 rec.).
MARONEY BECOMES 19th PATRIOT TO SCORE A TOUCHDOWN IN 2007
Laurence Maroney became the 19th player to score a touchdown for the Patriots this season, scoring on a 6-yard run in the first quarter to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead. The NFL record for most players scoring a touchdown in a single season is 21, achieved by the 2000 Denver Broncos and the 1987 Los Angeles Rams.
QUICK HITS
Ø Tonight’s kickoff temperature was 36 degrees, making this the Patriots’ coldest game since Nov. 5, 2006, when the temperature was 31 degrees for a Sunday night game against Indianapolis at Gillette Stadium.
Ø Jabar Gaffney caught a 31-yard pass from Tom Brady in the catch was Gaffney’s second longest since joining the Patriots in 2006, trailing only his 33-yard catch against the New York Jets on Nov. 12, 2006.
100-YARD GAME FOR MOSS
With 112 receiving yards on eight catches (as of halftime), Randy Moss has recorded his seventh 100-yard receiving game of the season and the 53rd 100-yard receiving game of his career. Moss’s 53 career 100-yard receiving games rank third all-time, trailing only Jerry Rice (76) and Marvin Harrison (59). Stanley Morgan holds the Patriots single-season record with nine 100-yard receiving games in 1986.
RANDALL GAY RECORDS THIRD INTERCEPTION OF THE SEASON
Randall Gay recorded his third interception of the season when he picked off a J.P. Losman pass on the Bills’ fourth offensive play of the game and returned it 21 yards to Buffalo’s 13-yard line. The interception set up a two-play touchdown drive that ended in a 6-yard scoring run by Laurence Maroney and a 7-0 Patriots lead. Gay’s three interceptions tie Junior Seau for the second highest total on the team, trailing only Asante Samuel’s team-high four interceptions. Gay’s three interceptions establish a new career high, topping his two interceptions as a rookie in 2004. Gay’s interception against Buffalo raised his career total to five interceptions.
VRABEL RAISES SEASON TOTAL TO 9.5 SACKS
Mike Vrabel was credited with a zero-yard sack of J.P. Losman in the first quarter. The sack raised Vrabel’s team-high season total to 9.5 sacks, tying his single-season career high, also achieved in 2003. Vrabel’s 9.5 sacks tie the highest total by a Patriots player since Willie McGinest had 11.0 sacks in 1995. Since then, a Patriot has totaled 9.5 sacks four times: Vrabel (2003, 2007), McGinest (1996, 2004).
THOMAS SETS SINGLE-GAME CAREER HIGH WITH 2.5 SACKS
Adalius Thomas recorded 2.5 sacks in the first half against the Bills, setting a new single-game career high and recording his fourth career game with at least two sacks. Thomas sacked J.P. Losman for a 9-yard loss in the first quarter and later dropped Losman for a 6-yard loss in the second quarter. He then teamed with Tedy Bruschi to drop Losman for a 7-yard loss in the second quarter. The sacks raised Thomas’s season total to 3.0 sacks and his career total to 41.5 sacks. Thomas is the fifth player to record 2.0 or more sacks in a game for the Patriots this season, joining Mike Vrabel (twice), Rosevelt Colvin, Tedy Bruschi and Jarvis Green.
Tom Brady is the all-time franchise leader with 183 career passing touchdowns. The Pats' QB surpassed Steve Grogan for the mark, which took the former quarterback 14 seasons to reach. Brady has done it in seven. Brady connected with Randy Moss on a six-yard pass to set the new record.
Brady has also extended his personal mark of throwing for three or more touchdowns in 10 straight games.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady just connected on a touchdown pass with Randy Moss to give New England a 21-7 lead over the Bills. The TD gives Brady 182 in his career to tie former QB Steve Grogan for the all-time franchise mark. It took Grogan 14 seasons to reach that total, while Brady needed just seven.
Today's injury/participation report has been released, and it's not looking good for Buffalo's Marshawn Lynch:
New England
Questionable
LB Eric Alexander -- knee (did not practice)
CB Eddie Jackson -- knee (limited participation)
G Stephen Neal -- shoulder (limited participation)
LB Mike Vrabel -- team decision (limited participation)
WR Wes Welker -- team decision (limited participation)
S Eugene Wilson -- ankle (did not practice)
Probable
QB Tom Brady -- right shoulder (limited participation)
**Benjamin Watson (ankle) and Mel Mitchell (groin) are no longer on the report.
Buffalo
Doubtful
RB Marshawn Lynch -- ankle (did not practice)
Probable
DE Aaron Schobel -- illness (full participation)
TE Robert Royal -- head (limited participation)
**CB Kiwaukee Thomas (groin) and TE Matt Murphy (calf) were placed on injured reserve earlier this week, so they will be out.
With a little more than a month until the AFC and NFC Pro Bowls are named, the NFL has announced early voting results. Seven New England players are the leading vote-getters at their respective position -- but record-setting quarterback Tom Brady is not among them.
The leading vote-getter for AFC quarterback is Peyton Manning (441,852); Brady is behind him at 440,354. Green Bay's miracle man Brett Favre (458,837) is the leading vote-getter overall.
Unhappy with the standings? You can vote here. Or if you have a Sprint cell phone, text "PRO" to 7777 to vote.
Here's the list of AFC leaders at each position and how many votes they've received:
QB - Peyton Manning, Colts - 441,852
RB - Joseph Addai, Colts - 297,504
FB - Lorenzo Neal, Chargers - 194,880
WR - Randy Moss, Patriots - 342,250
TE - Antonio Gates, Chargers - 199,593
T - Matt Light, Patriots - 179,054
G - Eric Steinbach, Browns - 188,052
C - Jeff Saturday, Colts - 168,502
DE - Dwight Freeney, Colts - 209,272
IL - Vince Wilfork, Patriots - 100,032
OLB - Shawne Merriman, Chargers - 148,287
ILB - Tedy Bruschi, Patriots - 121,099
CB - Champ Bailey, Broncos - 183,109
SS - Troy Polamalu, Steelers - 134,868
FS - Ed Reed, Ravens - 110, 412
P - Chris Hanson, Patriots - 52,131
K - Adam Vinatieri, Colts - 82,922
ST - Larry Izzo, Patriots - 105,147
KR - Wes Welker, Patriots - 69,590
New England and Buffalo have released the first participation/injury report of the week:
Did Not Participate
LB Eric Alexander - knee
S Mel Mitchell - groin
S Eugene Wilson - ankle
Limited Participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
CB Eddie Jackson - knee
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
LB Mike Vrabel - team decision
WR Wes Welker - team decision
* Neal missed three games earlier this season with a shoulder injury; Vrabel has been on the report in past weeks with a shoulder problem. This is Welker's first appearance on the list this season. But the team has listed both Randy Moss and Kyle Brady has having limited participation on Wednesdays and Thursdays this season, and both were just getting rest.
For Buffalo:
Out
TE Matt Murphy - calf
CB Kiwaukee Thomas - groin
Did Not Participate
RB Marshawn Lynch - ankle
TE Robert Royal - head
DE Aaron Schobel - illness
According to profootballtalk.com, the Opie and Anthony radio show has been pushing a rumor that Tom Brady failed a drug test. The site, which keeps a daily inventory on NFL rumors, throws cold water on the show's assertion. Click here to see the site's daily rumor mill, which also contains a link to the mysterious audio glitch that CBS has taken the blame for, and that has fed the Patriots-Colts crowd noise dispute.
These are courtesy of the New England media-relations department:
BRADY SETS SINGLE-SEASON FRANCHISE TOUCHDOWN PASS MARK
With three touchdown passes against the Colts today, Tom Brady raised his season total to 33 touchdown passes, setting a new franchise record and passing Vito “Babe” Parilli’s previous record of 31 touchdown passes in 1964. Brady tied the record with a 4-yard scoring strike to Randy Moss in the second quarter and set a new record with his 32nd scoring pass of the season, a 3-yard strike to Wes Welker in the fourth quarter. He added his 33rd touchdown pass of the season on a 13-yard score to Kevin Faulk in the fourth quarter. Parilli threw his 31 touchdown passes for the Boston Patriots during the 14-game American Football League season. Brady reached 33 passes in the ninth game of the season.
BRADY SETS NFL RECORD FOR MOST CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH 3+ TOUCHDOWN PASSES
Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes today, setting an NFL record with his ninth straight game with three or more touchdown passes. He broke the old record of eight consecutive games, set by Peyton Manning in 2004. Through nine games this season, Brady has totaled 32 touchdown passes and just four interceptions.
BRADY LEADS 25th CAREER COMEBACK
Tom Brady led the Patriots to a 24-20 victory following a 20-10 fourth-quarter deficit, marking the 25th time in his career that he has led the Patriots to a win following a fourth-quarter deficit or tie. He accomplished the feat for the 19th time in the regular season and has also done it six times in the playoffs (including three times in the Super Bowl. Against Indianapolis, the Patriots trailed 20-10 following an Indianapolis touchdown with 9:42 left in the game. Brady then led the team on a seven-play, 73-yard scoring drive to make the score 20-17 on a 3-yard touchdown catch by Wes Welker with 7:59 left and on the Patriots' next drive led a three-play, 51-yard drive that ended in a 13-yard touchdown catch by Kevin Faulk that gave the Patriots a 24-20 lead with 3:15 remaining in the game. The comeback against the Colts marked the Patriots’ fourth fourth-quarter comeback from a deficit of 10 or more points with Brady at the helm and the first one that was won in regulation time. The last time Brady led a comeback of 10 or more points was on Dec. 29, 2002, when the Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins 27-24 in overtime after trailing 24-13 with 4:59 remaining in regulation. Brady’s other comebacks of 10 or more points in the fourth quarter came on Nov. 10, 2002 at Chicago (a 33-30 win following a 30-19 deficit with 5:16 remaining in regulation) and in the 2001 divisional playoffs against Oakland on Jan. 19, 2002 (a 16-13 overtime win following a 13-3 deficit entering the fourth quarter).
MOSS TIES SINGLE-SEASON FRANCHISE RECEIVING TD RECORD
Randy Moss hauled in a 4-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the second quarter to give the Patriots a 7-3 lead. The touchdown was Moss’s 12th receiving touchdown of the season, tying the Patriots’ single-season franchise record also achieved by Stanley Morgan in 1979. Moss’s 12 touchdown catches are the fifth highest total of his 10-year career, trailing his career-best 17 scoring grabs in 1998 and 2003, his 15 touchdown catches in 2000 and his 13 scoring receptions in 2004. On the same touchdown pass where Moss tied the franchise touchdown reception record, Tom Brady tied Babe Parilli’s 1964 mark with his 31st touchdown toss of the year.
100-YARD GAME FOR MOSS
Randy Moss had 145 receiving yards on nine receptions, marking his sixth game this season with at least 100 receiving yards. The 100-yard receiving game was the 52nd of his career, a total that ranks third all-time behind Jerry Rice (76) and Marvin Harrison (59). Stanley Morgan holds the Patriots single-season record with nine 100-yard receiving games in 1986.
GREEN MACHINE
Jarvis Green strip-sacked Peyton Manning with 2:30 remaining in the game on third-and-nine at the Colts’ 49-yard line with New England holding a 24-20 lead. Rosevelt Colvin recovered the fumble, giving the Patriots possession at the Indianapolis 46-yard line and ending Indianapolis’ bid for a potential go-ahead score. The sack was Green’s fourth of the season and raised his career total to 22.5 sacks. It was his first forced fumble of the season and was the seventh forced fumble of his career. Last season, Green tied Mike Vrabel for the team lead with three strip sacks.
FAULK SCORES FIRST TOUCHDOWN OF THE SEASON
Kevin Faulk scored his first touchdown of the season on a 13-yard reception from Tom Brady that gave the Patriots a 24-20 lead with 3:15 remaining in the game. The touchdown was the 24th of Faulk’s career and was his 11th career touchdown reception. He has also scored 11 rushing touchdowns and two touchdowns on kickoff returns.
WELKER CATCHES SEVENTH TOUCHDOWN PASS OF THE SEASON
Wes Welker caught his seventh touchdown pass of the season, a 3-yard scoring grab from Tom Brady in the fourth quarter to cut the Indianapolis lead to 20-17. Welker, who had just one touchdown reception entering the 2007 season, has now caught six touchdown passes in his last four games. Welker entered the game tied for second in the NFL with a team-high 56 receptions this season.
SEYMOUR TIPS FIELD GOAL TRY
Richard Seymour tipped Adam Vinatieri’s 50-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter, getting his fingertips on the ball and forcing Vinatieri’s first career miss in the RCA Dome. In his seven-year career, Seymour has blocked five career field goals in the regular season and one in the playoffs. Heading into today’s game, Vinatieri was 55-for-57 on indoor field goal attempts in the regular season, with his only two misses coming at Houston’s Reliant Stadium on Nov. 23, 2003 while playing for the Patriots against the Houston Texans.
MOSS CATCHES 55-YARD PASS
Randy Moss hauled in a 55-yard pass in the fourth quarter that gave the Patriots a first-and-goal at the Colts’ 3-yard line. The catch was Moss’s longest of the season and his longest since Oct. 2, 2005, when he grabbed a 79-yard pass while playing for the Oakland Raiders against the Dallas Cowboys. Moss’s 55-yard grab was the second longest by a Patriots player this season, trailing only Donte Stallworth’s 69-yard touchdown reception at Dallas on Oct. 14.
VRABEL RAISES SEASON TOTAL TO 8.5 SACKS
Mike Vrabel sacked Peyton Manning for a 4-yard loss in the third quarter. The sack raised Vrabel’s season total to 8.5 sacks, a mark that leads the team. Entering this week’s games, Vrabel’s 7.5 sacks led all NFL linebackers and ranked second overall in the AFC and fifth overall in the NFL. Last season, Rosevelt Colvin led the Patriots with 8.5 sacks. Vrabel’s single-season career high is 9.5 sacks, achieved in 2003 with the Patriots. Following his sack of Manning, Vrabel had 47.0 career sacks, a mark that ranks sixth among all active NFL linebackers.
HARRISON HAS FIRST INTERCEPTION OF THE SEASON
Rodney Harrison intercepted a Peyton Manning pass in the third quarter, giving the Patriots possession at the Indianapolis 30-yard line. The interception was Harrison’s first of the season and was the 33rd of his career. Harrison’s last interception came on Oct. 30, 2006 at Minnesota. Harrison, who also has 30.5 career sacks, is the only player in NFL history with at least 30 career sacks and at least 30 career interceptions.
DEFENSE BEARS DOWN
The Patriots defense clamped down and held the Colts to a field goal on two occasions in the first half after long pass interference penalties gave the Colts a first-and-goal from inside the 10-yard line. In the first quarter, a 37-yard penalty gave Indianapolis a first-and-goal from the 9-yard line, but Asante Samuel’s pass deflection in the end zone on third down kept Indianapolis out of the end zone and forced a 21-yard field goal by the Colts. In the second quarter, a 40-yard penalty gave the Colts a first-and-goal from the six-yard line, but Randall Gay stuffed Dallas Clark on third down for a 2-yard loss on a pass play that once again kept the Colts out of the end zone and forced a 25-yard field goal.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Forgot to mention that Tom Brady's six-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss tied him with Vito "Babe" Parrilli for the Patriots' single-season touchdown record.
Brady now has 31 TDs, a mark Parrilli set in 1964.
Moss' reception was his 12th touchdown of the season, tying the Pats' franchise mark for receiving scores in a season, set by Stanley Morgan in 1979.
INDIANAPOLIS -- It's a huge plus for the Pats that both Marvin Harrison and Tony Ugoh will be inactive this afternoon -- and that TE Ben Watson will play.
With Harrison out, the Pats can concentrate more on stopping Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. Anthony Gonzalez may be a first-round draft choice, but he's still a rookie, and does not pose the threat that a healthy Harrison does.
Ugoh, Indy's second-round pick this year, out of Arkansas, is the Colts' starting left tackle. His absence could require the Colts to put a tight end on that side to help protect Peyton Manning.
Similarly, keep an eye on how Pats' LT Matt Light does with Indy's speed rusher, Dwight Freeney. Light sometimes struggles with speed guys, which may result in Kyle Brady staying in more often to block, rather than running routes. Stating the obvious, it's imperative that the Pats protect QB Tom Brady.
Conversely, having Watson in the lineup will make the Pats' already-potent passing game even more effective. When opposing defenses already have to worry about Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte Stallworth, adding a 6-3, 255-pound tight end who can run is another huge headache.
Yesterday, if pressed, I'd probably have taken the Colts, plus the points. Now, with Harrison and Ugoh out, and Watson playing, I like the Pats.
The Season of Brady continues, as he'll be named AFC offensive player of the month for October tomorrow...he was also named AFC POM for September.
In five October games (counting the Monday night football game in Cincinnati, which technically was in week four, but the league didn't count it in his September POM stats), Brady was 128-for-179 (71.5 percent) for 1,544 yards, 20 touchdowns and one interception.
New England has published its first participation/injury report of the week:
Did Not Participate
LB Eric Alexander - knee
S Mel Mitchell - groin
RB Sammy Morris - chest
CB Asante Samuel - team decision
S Eugene Wilson - ankle
Limited Participation
TE Kyle Brady - team decision
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
WR Randy Moss - team decision
LB Adalius Thomas - ankle
LB Mike Vrabel - shoulder
TE Benjamin Watson - ankle
Another week, another potential award for Tom Brady. At least one of his teammates
has a chance to get some shine this week too...
Mike Vrabel is one of five nominees for the GMC defensive player of the week for his 13 tackle (11 solo), three strip-sack, one offensive touchdown performance against Washington.
Also nominated are Philadelphia's Trent Cole (8 tackles, 2 sacks vs Minnesota), San Diego's Antonio Cromartie (2 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 touchdowns vs Houston), Jacksonville's Aaron Glenn (4 tackles, interception returned for touchdown vs Tampa Bay) and the Titans' Travis LaBoy (three tackles, two sacks, forced fumble vs Oakland) .
Brady has been nominated for the FedEx Air player of the week honor, and is going against the Saints' Drew Brees (31-for-39, 336 yards, 4 touchdowns in win over San Francisco) and the Packers' Brett Favre (21-for-27, 331 yards, 2 touchdowns, including game-winner seconds into overtime) for the honor.
Against the Redskins, Brady was 29-for-38 for 306 yards and three passing touchdowns (plus two rushing).
POSTGAME: Postgame notes, courtesy of Pats' P.R. department
EIGHT STRAIGHT GAMES WITH 34+ POINTS
The Patriots have become just the second team in NFL history to score at least 34 points in each of its first eight games of a season, joining the 2000 St. Louis Rams. The Patriots have scored 38, 38, 38, 34, 34, 48, 49 and 52 points in their eight games this season, for a total of 331 points. The 2000 Rams scored 41, 37, 41, 41, 57, 45, 34 and 34 points in their first eight games, for a total of 330 points. In their ninth game of the 2000 season, the Rams scored 24 points in a 27-24 loss to Carolina (Nov. 5, 2000).
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT IN CONTEXT
The Patriots scored 52 points today against Washington, tying the third highest single-game point total in team history. The 52 points was New England’s highest total since Sept. 9, 1979, when they scored a franchise-record 56 points in a 56-3 win over the New York Jets. New England scored 55 points in a 55-21 win over the Jets on Oct. 29, 1978, and also scored 52 points in a 52-21 win over Buffalo on Oct. 22, 1961. The Patriots’ 45-point margin of victory over the Redskins is the second largest victory margin in team history, trailing only a 53-point victory over the Jets on Sept. 9, 1979 (56-3).
BRADY TIES NFL MARK FOR MOST CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH 3+ TD PASSES
With three touchdown passes against the Redskins, Tom Brady has thrown for at least three touchdowns in all eight games this season, tying the NFL record for consecutive games with three or more touchdown passes. Peyton Manning also threw for three or more touchdown passes in eight consecutive games in 2004.
BRADY SETS NEW CAREER HIGH WITH 30 TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN 2007
Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes against Washington and ran for two more touchdowns. His three touchdown passes raised his season total to 30, a number that represents a new career high and is the second highest single-season total in team history, trailing only Vito “Babe” Parilli’s franchise-record total of 31 touchdowns in 1964. Brady has thrown 30 touchdowns and just two interceptions through eight games this season. Brady set a new single-season career high when he threw his second touchdown of the day and his 29th touchdown pass of the season – a 6-yard strike to Randy Moss – topping his 28 scoring passes in 2002 and 2004.
VRABEL SCORES EIGHTH CAREER REGULAR-SEASON TOUCHDOWN
Linebacker Mike Vrabel caught his eighth regular-season touchdown pass and his 10th overall touchdown pass (including two in the playoffs) on a 2-yard scoring catch from Tom Brady in the second quarter that gave the Patriots a 14-0 lead. Vrabel also caught a touchdown pass on Oct. 1 at Cincinnati, and has tied his single-season career high with two touchdown catches this season. He also had a pair of scoring grabs in 2005. Each of Vrabel’s 10 career receptions have been for touchdowns – including one in Super Bowl XXXVIII and one in Super Bowl XXXIX. Including his one career interception return for a touchdown, Vrabel now has totaled nine career regular-season touchdowns – the fifth-highest total in a New England uniform by a current Patriot (trailing only Troy Brown, Kevin Faulk, Randy Moss and Benjamin Watson).
VRABEL: THREE STRIP-SACKS
Mike Vrabel recorded three strip-sacks against the Redskins, all of which created fumbles that were recovered by the Patriots. His third strip-sack of the day caused a fumble that was picked up by Rosevelt Colvin and returned 10 yards for a touchdown. Vrabel also had two strip-sacks in the second quarter, with both fumbles being recovered by Ty Warren to give the Patriots possession. Vrabel’s three sacks tie his single-game career-high, also achieved on Oct. 26, 2003 against Cleveland. He is the first Patriot to record three or more sacks in a game since Jarvis Green had three on Oct. 1, 2006 at Cincinnati. Vrabel’s three strip-sacks against Washington give him four strip-sacks for the season, with his other strip-sack coming in the fourth quarter against the New York Jets on Sept. 9. Since joining the Patriots prior to the 2001 season, Vrabel has recorded 12 regular-season strip-sacks (four in 2003, one in 2005, three in 2006 and four in 2007) and three playoff strip-sacks (one in 2003, one in 2004 and one in 2006). Vrabel tied for the team lead with three strip-sacks in the 2006 regular-season and added one more in the 2006 divisional playoffs against San Diego. With his three strip-sacks against the Redskins, Vrabel raised his season total to 7.5 sacks, a tally that leads the team and stands as the second highest total of his career, trailing only his team-high 9.5 sacks in 2003. Vrabel’s three strip-sacks against Washington set up 17 points off turnovers, with his first strip-sack setting up a field goal drive that gave the Patriots a 17-0 lead, his second setting up a touchdown drive that gave the Patriots a 24-0 lead.
BRADY SCORES TWO RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS
Tom Brady scored two rushing touchdowns against Washington, setting a new single-game and single-season career high. Brady had three career regular-season rushing touchdowns heading into today’s game – one in each of the 2002, 2003 and 2005 seasons. Brady is the first Patriot to rush for two or more touchdowns in a game since Corey Dillon did it in the 2006 regular-season finale on Dec. 31, 2006. Against Washington, Brady gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead with a 3-yard scoring run in the first quarter and gave New England a 31-0 lead with a 2-yard scoring plunge in the third quarter. Prior to today, the last time Brady had scored a rushing touchdown was on Dec. 11, 2005 at Buffalo. The last Patriots quarterback to run for two or more touchdowns in a game was Tony Eason, who did it on Oct. 14, 1984 against Cincinnati. Brady’s performance is the fifth two-plus touchdown game for a Patriots quarterback since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger – in addition to Eason’s game in 1984, Steve Grogan ran for two touchdowns three times in 1976 and Jim Plunkett did it once in 1973.
BRADY: THREE-PLUS TOUCHDOWNS, 100.0-PLUS PASSER RATING AND 300-YARD GAME
Tom Brady achieved a passer rating of 125.5, and has totaled a rating of at least 100.0 in all eight games this season. He has had a rating of at least 115.0 in seven of the eight games and has totaled a rating of 123.0 or higher in six of the eight games. Brady also threw for 306 yards against Washington, marking his third straight game exceeding the 300-yard passing mark and becoming his fourth game of 300 or more yards this season. Brady has thrown for at least three touchdowns, totaled at least 300 yards and had a passer rating of at least 100.0 for three straight games.
COLVIN: FIRST CAREER TOUCHDOWN
Rosevelt Colvin scooped up a Jason Campbell fumble forced by Mike Vrabel in the third quarter and rumbled 11 yards to the end zone for his first career touchdown. The fumble recovery was the eighth of Colvin’s career. The fumble return for a touchdown was the third by the Patriots this season – Randall Gay returned a fumble 15 yards for a score against Cleveland on Oct. 7. Colvin’s touchdown marked the Patriots’ third defensive touchdown of the season, with Adalius Thomas returning an interception 65 yards for a score in addition to Gay’s fumble return. Colvin’s touchdown was the Patriots fifth touchdown on a return this season, with their three defensive scores joining a pair of kickoff returns for touchdowns.
CASSEL: RUSHING TOUCHDOWN
Quarterback Matt Cassel gave the Patriots a 52-0 lead on a 15-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter. The rushing score was the first of Cassel’s career and was the third by a Patriots quarterback on the afternoon – the highest total of rushing scores by Patriots quarterbacks in any game since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
MOSS: 11th TOUCHDOWN CATCH OF THE SEASON
Randy Moss caught his 11th touchdown pass of the season, a 6-yard grab in the second quarter that gave the Patriots a 24-0 lead. Moss’s 11 touchdown receptions stand as the second highest single-season total in Patriots history, trailing only Stanley Morgan’s franchise-record 12 touchdown receptions in 1986. Moss’s 11 touchdown catches tie the fourth highest total of his 10-year career, trailing only his 17 touchdown catches in with Minnesota 1998 and 2003 and his 13 touchdown receptions for the Vikings in 2004. He also had 11 touchdown receptions for the Vikings in 1999.
FAULK MOVES INTO SIXTH ON PATRIOTS’ ALL-TIME RECEPTIONS LIST
With a seven-yard reception in the first quarter – the 293rd catch of his career and his second of the game – Kevin Faulk passed Gino Cappelletti (292 catches) to move into sixth place on the Patriots’ all-time career receptions list. Faulk is the Patriots’ all-time leader in receptions by a running back. Cappelletti was once the Patriots’ all-time leading receiver, holding the record until Stanley Morgan passed him with his 293rd career catch on Nov. 11, 1984. Troy Brown is the Patriots’ all-time leading receiver with 557 career receptions.
SOLID DEFENSIVE EFFORT
The Patriots allowed just seven points, tying their best defensive effort of the season. They also allowed just seven points in a 38-7 win over Buffalo on Sept. 23. New England has allowed seven or fewer points five times in its last 18 games.
SINGLE-GAME TEAM RECORD: MOST FIRST DOWNS
The Patriots gained 34 first downs today, setting a new franchise record for most first downs in a single game. The previous single-game team record was 32 first downs, achieved on Dec. 11, 2005 in a 35-7 win at Buffalo. In their 52-7 win over Washington, the Patriots gained 13 first downs rushing and 21 first downs passing.
BRADY-TO-WELKER
Wes Welker caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the fourth quarter, giving the Patriots a 45-0 lead. The touchdown reception was Welker’s sixth of the season and was the seventh scoring catch of his career. With two-touchdown performances last week against Miami and two weeks ago against Dallas, Welker has caught five touchdown passes in his last three games after catching two scoring passes in the first 52 games of his career.
SAMUEL RECORDS 20th CAREER INTERCEPTION
Asante Samuel intercepted a Jason Campbell pass in the second quarter, recording his team-high fourth interception of the season and the 20th pick of his regular season career. He also has four career interceptions in the playoffs. Samuel’s 20 career interceptions rank 11th on the Patriots’ all-time list and lead all active Patriots. Samuel has recorded 13 interceptions in his last 17 regular-season and playoff games. Last season, he led the NFL with 10 regular-season interceptions.
STARTING STRONG
The Patriots scored first, taking a 7-0 lead on a 3-yard touchdown run by Tom Brady in the first quarter. New England has scored on its opening drive in each game this season, totaling five touchdowns and three field goals. New England has scored first in each of its eight games this season and has achieved the feat in 11 straight regular season and playoff games dating back to Jan. 7, 2007.
GOSTKOWSKI’S SUCCESS STREAK
Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 36-yard field goal in the second quarter to give the Patriots a 17-0 lead. He has hit nine of his 10 field goal attempts this season (90.0 percent) and has nailed 30 of his last 33 attempts (90.9 percent) dating back to Nov. 5, 2006, including a perfect 8-for-8 performance in last season’s playoffs.
RECORD PERFORMANCE
With the Patriots’ victory this afternoon, Tom Brady has now defeated each of the 31 other teams (besides New England) as a starting quarterback. Entering today’s game, the Redskins were the only team against which the Patriots had not won with Brady as a starting quarterback. Additionally, Brady raised his career records (including playoffs) to… 90-26 overall, 47-10 at home, 30-2 on artificial turf, 25-4 against NFC teams
HOME SELLOUT STREAK REACHES 143
Today’s game was the 143rd consecutive home sellout for the Patriots, a streak that includes every preseason, regular-season and playoff game since the 1994 regular-season opener.
INTERCEPTION-FREE STREAK
With his 38 interception-free passes today, Tom Brady has now thrown 164 consecutive passes without an interception, tying the longest such streak of his career (11/30/03 to 9/9/04). The Patriots record is 179 consecutive passes without an interception, achieved by Drew Bledsoe from Oct. 23 to Nov. 26, 2005. So far in 2007, Brady has thrown 30 touchdowns and two interceptions.
HIGH OCTANE MATCHUP
The Patriots-Colts matchup on Nov. 4 will pit the 8-0 Patriots against the 7-0 Colts, marking the first time in the 88-year history of the NFL that two undefeated teams with seven or more wins have faced each other, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. There are only five previous instances in which undefeated teams with five or more wins have faced each other, and the Patriots have been involved in the last two such matchups, including a 48-27 win by the 5-0 Patriots over the 5-0 Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 14, 2007 and a 13-7 win by the 5-0 Patriots over the 5-0 New York Jets on Oct. 24, 2004.
Tom Brady's touchdown pass to Mike Vrabel (have the Redskins never seen that play before??) was his 28th of the season, tying his career high in just the eight game of the year.
(We were having server issues, but we're back online now...)
Fan voters at nfl.com have chosen Tom Brady as the FedEx Express player of the week, over Houston's Sage Rosenfels and Denver's Jay Cutler.
Brady was also chosen as the AFC's Offensive player of the week for his 21-for-25, 354-yard, six-touchdown performance against Miami.
It is the second consecutive week that Brady has won both the FedEx and the AFC player of the week awards; along with the FedEx honor, the company will donate $5,000 to Children's Hospital in Boston on Brady's behalf.
Cincinnati's Kenny Watson was voted the FedEx Ground player of the week.
Tom Brady was named the AFC's offensive player of the week today for the second consecutive week and third time this season.
In case you hadn't heard, his stat line from Sunday's win in Miami went like this: 21-for-25, 354 yards, franchise-record 6 TDs, no interceptions, perfect passer rating (158.3).
Brady was also the conference's player of the month for September.
The Patriots have released their first participation report of the week:
Did not participate
LB Eric Alexander - knee
S Mel Mitchell - groin
RB Sammy Morris - chest
TE Benjamin Watson - ankle
S Eugene Wilson - ankle
Limited participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
*Note that Laurence Maroney (groin), Kelley Washington (hamstring), Donte Stallworth (knee), Adalius Thomas (ankle) and Randall Gay (thigh) have all been removed from last week's list.
For the Redskins:
Out
G Randy Thomas - triceps
Did not participate
RB Rock Cartwright - quad
OL Stephon Heyer - hamstring
Limited participation
S Pierson Prioleau - coaches' decision
CB Carlos Rogers - knee
CB Fred Smoot - hamstring
Full participation
OL Casey Rabach - groin
LB Marcus Washington - hamstring
FOXBORO – Tom Brady’s career is like something right out of a Hollywood script.
From being drafted in the 6th round, to being thrust into the starting lineup after quarterback Drew Bledsoe went down with an injury, to dating super models, to leading the Patriots to three Super Bowl victories.
Things like that just don’t happen in real life. At least they aren’t supposed too.
But Brady has been defying odds time and time again ever since he entered the NFL.
And as good as he has been since he entered the league – an NFL-best 89-26 record since the Super Bowl era (since 1966) with at least 40 starts, three Super Bowl victories, and two Super Bowl MVP awards – as hard as it is to believe, it seems like the best is yet to come.
Brady is having the best year of his life on the football field and if he continues to play at the pace that he is, he will have one of the best seasons by an NFL quarterback in league history, statistically speaking.
Brady needs just one more touchdown pass to tie his career mark of 28 (2002, 2004), and the undefeated Patriots have only played seven games. His 27 touchdowns are the most thrown by a quarterback through the first seven games in the history of the NFL.
He is on pace to throw 62 touchdowns which would shatter the NFL record for touchdowns thrown by a quarterback, 49, which was set by Peyton Manning in 2004.
Brady, who has a 73.8 completion percentage (169-for-229), is on pace to break the single-season completion percentage NFL record of 70.55 percent which Ken Anderson from Cincinnati set in 1982.
He’s on pace to obliterate Manning’s 2004-single-season quarterback rating record (121.1) with a 137.9 QB rating so far this year, and he’s on pace to finish second on the on the NFL all-time list for single-season passing yards, a position which Kurt Warner currently holds with 4,830 passing yards (2001, St. Louis).
Dan Marino threw for 5,084 yards (317.8 yards per game) for Miami in 1984.
Brady has thrown for 2,125 yards so far through the air, averaging 303.6 yards per game, which would give him 4,857 at the end of the regular season.
His latest victim was the Dolphins.
Brady, who had a quarterback rating of 68.2 in his previous six meetings with Miami, completed 21 of 25 passes for 354 yards and a career-high and team-record six touchdowns in a 49-28 rout of the Dolphins. His quarterback rating of 158.3 was also a career-high.
If Brady can throw four touchdowns passes on Sunday against Washington, he will be only the third player in NFL history to throw four touchdown passes in three consecutive games. Marino (1984) and Manning (2004) are the other two to accomplish that feat.
Brady has given a lot of credit for his success this season to his teammates.
“It makes my job easy when those guys are making those plays,” Brady said of his receivers. “It’s easy as a quarterback if you have people open and every time you throw it they catch it. It’s not like they are making many mistakes. I think they are probably more in the zone than I am. They feel great about what we’re doing.”
Miami had no solution for Brady and his receivers.
“They're stacked, and they spread the ball all over the field,” Miami linebacker Zach Thomas said after the game. “Today Wes and Randy Moss, they just ate us up. When Brady was in there, we couldn't stop them. They are stacked, and they gave
Brady a lot of help this year. They really took it to us. Everything worked for them, and we couldn't make a play and we couldn't get them out of rhythm.”
Brady didn’t have a go-to receiver last season because Deion Branch left for Seattle after the 2005 season. In the offseason, the Patriots signed former five-time Pro Bowler Randy Moss, who leads the league in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns with 44 catches for 732 yards and 10 TDs, which includes his four catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns performance on Sunday.
“He’s something else,” Brady said of Moss. “…Randy’s two touchdown catches were awesome.”
Said New England coach Bill Belichick of Moss, “He’s got great ball skills. It's not just the long balls. He does a good job on all of them, and we've seen him do it before.”
With Moss opening up the field, Wes Welker, who the Patriots also singed in the offseason, has thrived with his excellent route-running skills in the underneath routes.
Welker has a team-high 47 receptions for 524 yards and five touchdowns. He caught nine passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday.
The Patriots also signed Donte Stallworth prior to the season. Stallworth provides another deep threat. He has 22 catches for 367 yards and three touchdowns, including three catches for 51 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. Stallworth is averaging 16.7 yards per catch this year.
“Those guys are making the plays,” Brady said. “I’m just throwing it and they’re catching it and they’re making the run after the catch…The receivers [do] a great job. [They] makes my job awfully easy, I’ll tell you that.”
Throw explosive tight end Ben Watson (18 catches, 222 yards, five touchdowns) and running backs Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk, and Sammy Morris catching passes out of the backfield into the mix, and Brady has become the most dangerous passer in the NFL this season.
Brady outdid himself yet again in Miami, completing 21-of-25 passes for 354 yards (16.9 yards per completion), a franchise record six touchdowns and no interceptions.
The other nominees are Denver's Jay Cutler (22-for-29, 248 yards, 3TDs in a win over Pittsburgh) and Houston's Sage Rosenfels (22-for-35, 290 yards, NFL record-tying four fourth-quarter TDs).
Tom Brady threw a Patriots franchise record six touchdown passes, five of them in the first half, as the 7-0 New England Patriots rolled over the 0-7 Miami Dolphins, 49-28, today in Miami. The win gave the Patriots their best start in franchise history.
Brady threw two touchdowns each to Randy Moss and Wes Welker, and one each to Donte Stallworth and Kyle Brady. He did not throw an interception, leaving him with 27 touchdowns and two interceptions on the season so far. He completed 21 of 25 passes for 354 yards.
Brady left the game after completing New England's final drive of the third quarter, but returned after backup Matt Cassel -- on just his third play of the game -- threw an interception that Jason Taylor returned for a Miami touchdown, making the score 42-21. Brady promptly led the Patriots on a four-play, 59-yard drive that ended in a 16-yard touchdown toss to Welker.
Third-string quarterback Matt Gutierrez finished things up for the Patriots.
Willie Andrews, a second-year backup cornerback, had his proudest moment as a pro, returning a short kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter, after Miami had pulled to within 14-7. It was Andrews' first NFL touchdown.
Projo.com will have much more Patriots coverage all night long. We'll post game reports from Miami as we get them, with our full report online by about 8:30 tonight. We'll also bring you a gallery of Glenn Osmundson's photos.
In news that cannot be good for Matt Cassel, Bill Belichick has decided to pull Tom Brady once again, but this time it is undrafted rookie Matt Gutierrez under center and not Cassel.
Gutierrez showed pretty well during the preseason, and has just completed his first NFL pass, to Donte Stallworth for a first down.
MIAMI -- Tom Brady, who came back into the game after his backup, Matt Cassel, threw an interception that Jason Taylor returned for a touchdown, set a franchise record by throwing for his sixth TD pass of the game -- a 16-yarder to Wes Welker that capped a 4-play, 59-yard drive and made the score 49-21.
For the game, he has completed 21 of 25 passes, for 354, and the team-record six TDs.
MIAMI -- Finally going into the game in relief of Brady with 11 minutes left to play, Matt Cassel's first pass attempt was incomplete, and his second was intercepted by Jason Taylor, who returned it 36 yards for a touchdown to trim New England's lead to 42-21.
That prompted Bill Belichick to send Brady back into the game with 9:30 remaining.
Tom Brady has finally come out of the game, making way for Matt Cassel.
Brady's incredible day: 19-for-23, 327 yards, five touchdowns, one sack...and a perfect passer rating of 158.3, the first time in his career Brady has posted a perfect rating and the second time this season he's exceeded 150 -- against Buffalo, Brady's rating was 150.9.
MIAMI -- I don't get this. Never have. Never will.
The only way this spectacular Patriots season can go wrong is if QB Tom Brady gets hurt.
So why, with an exceedingly comfortable, 42-7 lead midway through the third quarter against a totally overmatched Dolphins team is he still in the game?
And taking a big hit from Jason Taylor after throwing a pass.
Why not put in Matt Cassell and give him some playing time in this blowout?
MIAMI -- When Tom Brady capped a 71-yard, 6-play scoring drive that took only 1:06 with a 14-yard TD pass to Wes Welker just 25 seconds before halftime, it was his fifth scoring toss of the afternoon, tying the franchise record for a single game for the second week in a row, although he need four quarters to do it in Dallas.
Brady heads into the locker room with 16 completions in 19 attempts for 291 yards and the 5 TDs.
MIAMI -- Cameron Worrell was lining up the first interception of his five years in the National Football League as Tom Brady's long, lofted pass began to plummet from the sky toward the end zone.
He was in position, the ball was headed his way, and he had just jumped up to get it when Randy Moss jumped higher and snatched the ball away for a TD.
Originally signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent out of Fresno State in 2003, Worrell came to Miami as unrestricted free agent in March.
He was burned again, on a similar play, later in the second quarter. This time, the 6-4 Moss outleaped not only the 5-11 Cameron, but also the 5-11 Renaldo Hill to pull down a 50-yard TD bomb from Brady.
Brady now has thrown for at least three touchdowns in every game this season, extending his NFL record, and is on pace to throw 57 TD passes, which would smash Peyton Manning's single-season mark of 49.
MIAMI -- As they have in every game this season, the Patriots scored on their first possession. Following the opening kickoff, the Pats drove 80 yards in 9 plays and 5:09, scoring a touchdown on a 30-yard pass from Tom Brady to Donte Stallworth. Stallworth broke three tackles on the play. New England now has scored first-possession TDs in the last three games, and has four TDs and three FGs on its opening possessions this season.
MIAMI -- Since J.D. Drew, the $14 million man who went from April 22 to Sept. 11 without hitting a home run at Fenway Park, came through with a grand slam in the first inning of Game Six last night, does that mean the winless Dolphins, 16-point underdogs, can upset the undefeated Patriots this afternoon?
Which, I wonder, would be the more surprising development to New England sports fans?
Lest we forget, Tom Brady has lost four of six career starts here, including last year, when the Dolphins whitewashed the Pats, 21-0, holding New England to a mere 189 yards total offense.
Sammy Morris ran for 123 yards and a touchdown that day -- one of the reasons the Patriots signed him as a free agent. Unfortunately, Morris, who had back-to-back, 100-yard games against the Bengals and Browns, will be out for several weeks after suffering a chest injury early in last Sunday's game at Dallas.
Voters at nfl.com have chosen Tom Brady as the FedEx air player of the week and Minnesota rookie Adrian Peterson as the ground player of the week.
From the release:
Brady and Peterson were selected from among finalists in air and ground categories. The other FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week finalists were quarterbacks DREW BREES of the New Orleans Saints and DAMON HUARD of the Kansas City Chiefs, while running backs MAURICE JONES-DREW of the Jacksonville Jaguars and LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON of the San Diego Chargers were the other finalists for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week.
Fans voted for more than their favorite players. The weekly FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Awards are also a win for the local community. Along with the player awards, FedEx is awarding Children’s Hospital of Boston and University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, Fairview, the children’s hospitals in each of the winning markets, each a check for $5,000.
The children’s hospitals in the two season-long winner’s markets, announced at Super Bowl XLII in Arizona, will be awarded $25,000 each. That means that FedEx will deliver nearly $250,000 to local children’s hospitals around the country in recognition of the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Award winners.
NEW ENGLAND
Did Not Participate
LB Eric Alexander - knee
RB Sammy Morris - chest
TE Benjamin Watson - ankle
Limited Participation
CB Randall Gay - thigh
RB Laurence Maroney - groin
S Mel Mitchell - groin
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
WR Donte Stallworth - knee
LB Adalius Thomas - ankle
WR Kelley Washington - hamstring
Full Participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
* Alexander, Morris and Watson are additions from last week's list; Matt Light (flu), Dan Koppen (ankle), Asante Samuel (foot) and Wesley Britt (personal) were all removed from the list.
MIAMI
Did Not Participate
QB Trent Green - concussion
DT Vonnie Holliday - ankle
LB Zach Thomas - toe
S Travares Tillman - knee
Wednesday at the Razor: Miami whuppin' still smarts
Hey all --
You could see this one coming from a mile away, but just because the Patriots are 6-0 and decimating every team that gets on the field with them does not mean Bill Belichick has forgotten the 21-0 loss New England suffered in Miami last year.
"That was a low point for us," Belichick said this morning.
In that game, Tom Brady was 12-for-25 for 78 yards and took four sacks. The Pats had just 12 first downs and 189 yards of total offense that afternoon.
Belichick acknowledged that Miami's offense under new head coach Cam Cameron is the same offense Cameron ran as San Diego's offensive coordinator -- "only the jerseys are different," he quipped -- and with the same defensive coordinator, Dom Capers, running the show, things aren't very different there either.
As for the players on the PUP list, Belichick said, "We'll let you know when we make those moves," and said that the player's situation as well as the team's situation dictates when the player begins to practice and/or is activated.
In the locker room, Tom Brady, Ellis Hobbs, Kevin Faulk, Rosevelt Colvin and Kyle Eckel had considerable media attention today.
We're out at practice shortly, and will check in with a report after we're kicked off the field.
Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady has been named AFC Offensive Player of the Week following his five-touchdown, zero-interception, 388-yard performance against the Cowboys on Sunday.
It is the second time this season Brady has received the honor and ninth of his career. He was also named AFC offensive player of the month for September.
See and hear the projo Play of the Week: Brady's five TDs
We're a little late on it this week, we realize, but here it is. Click the play button at the bottom of the photo to see more pictures and listen to the narration.
The Patriots scored 48 points today, marking their highest point total since 1984. The last time the Patriots scored 48 points or more was on Nov. 18, 1984, when they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 50-17. The 48 points are tied for the sixth-highest single-game total in franchise history.
BRADY SETS CAREER-HIGH WITH FIVE TOUCHDOWN PASSES, TYING FRANCHISE RECORD
In his 100th career start, Tom Brady set a career high with five touchdown passes today, tying the Patriots single-game franchise record and becoming the first New England player to achieve the feat since Steve Grogan on Sept. 9, 1979. Vito “Babe” Parilli also threw five touchdowns in a game for the Patriots on two occasions – on Oct. 15, 1967 and on Nov. 15, 1964. Brady had previously thrown four touchdown passes in a game on six occasions, most recently on Sept. 23, 2007 against Buffalo.
BRADY SETS NFL RECORD WITH THREE OR MORE TOUCHDOWNS IN FIRST SIX GAMES
By virtue of his five touchdown passes today, Tom Brady has set a new NFL record by becoming the first player in league history to throw for three or more touchdowns in each of a season’s first six games. The previous record was set by San Francisco’s Steve Young, when he threw for three or more touchdowns in each of the first five games of the 1998 season. Brady has totaled 21 touchdown passes through six games in 2007. Brady has now thrown for three or more touchdowns 25 times in his regular season career and his six three-touchdown games in 2007 set a new career-high, besting his five three-touchdown games in 2002. Last season, Brady threw for three or more touchdowns in a game on two occasions.
BRADY’S 388 YARDS ARE HIGHEST NON-OVERTIME TOTAL OF CAREER
Tom Brady totaled 388 passing yards today, marking the second highest total of his career. His yardage total against the Cowboys trails only his career-high 410 yards in an overtime game against Kansas City on Sept. 22, 2002. Brady’s 388 yards against Dallas stand as the highest non-overtime total of his career. Brady was 31-for-46 on the day, and his 31 completions are his highest in more than a year, dating back to when he also completed 31 passes against Denver on Sept. 24, 2006.
BRADY: 21 TOUCHDOWN PASSES THIS SEASON, 167 FOR HIS CAREER
Tom Brady’s career-high five touchdown passes raised his season total to 21 touchdown passes and his career total to 168 touchdown passes. With his fourth touchdown of the day – a 1-yarder to Kyle Brady in the third quarter – Tom Brady passed Drew Bledsoe (166 touchdown passes) for second place on the Patriots’ all-time list. Steve Grogan is the Patriots’ all-time leader with 184 touchdown passes. Brady’s 21 touchdown passes this season mark the sixth consecutive season he has exceeded 20 touchdown passes. Brady’s six straight seasons with 20 or more touchdown passes is the longest streak in Patriots history, topping Drew Bledsoe’s three straight years with 20 or more touchdown passes from 1996-98. Brady’s single-season career high is 28 touchdown passes, achieved in 2002 and 2004. Last season, Brady totaled 24 touchdown passes.
STALLWORTH HAULS IN 69-YARD TOUCHDOWN PASS
Donte’ Stallworth caught a 69-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the fourth quarter to give the Patriots a 38-24 lead. The touchdown was the longest touchdown completion for the Patriots in nearly four years. The last time New England had a touchdown catch that long was on Oct. 19, 2003, when Troy Brown hauled in an 82-yard touchdown from Brady in overtime at Miami. Stallworth’s 69-yard play was the longest play from scrimmage for the Patriots this season and was the longest play from scrimmage for New England since Sept. 18, 2005, when Troy Brown caught a 71-yard pass from Brady in a game at Carolina. The 69-yard touchdown catch was Stallworth’s second of the season and the 30th of his career.
STALLWORTH TOTALS SECOND-HIGHEST YARDAGE TOTAL OF CAREER
Donte’ Stallworth recorded his first 100-yard game in a Patriots uniform, totaling 136 yards on seven catches (19.4 avg.). The yardage total is the second highest of Stallworth’s six-year career, trailing only his career-high 139 receiving yards (on six catches), for Philadelphia on Nov. 12, 2006 against Washington.
SEAU SETS CAREER HIGH FOR INTERCEPTIONS
With his fourth-quarter interception of Tony Romo, Junior Seau set a new single-season career high with his third interception of the season. Seau’s previous single-season high in his 18-year career was two interceptions, achieved six times, most recently in 2000. Last week against Cleveland, Seau tied his single-game career high with two interceptions.
WELKER SCORES TWO TOUCHDOWNS
Wes Welker set a career high with two touchdown receptions today, doubling his career total heading into the game. He hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the first quarter to give the Patriots a 14-0 lead and then grabbed a 12-yard scoring pass to give the Patriots a 21-10 lead in the second quarter. The touchdown catches were the second and third of the season for Welker, who also snared an 11-yard scoring reception to cap off the Patriots’ opening drive of the season against the New York Jets on Sept. 9. Welker’s touchdown catches against the Cowboys raised his career receiving touchdown total to four. He also scored a touchdown on a kickoff return with the Miami Dolphins in 2004.
WELKER SETS CAREER HIGHS FOR RECEPTIONS AND RECEIVING YARDS
Wes Welker had a career-high 11 receptions for a career-high 124 yards, recording his first career 100-yard receiving game. His previous career high was 97 yards (on three receptions), achieved on Oct. 16, 2005 with the Miami Dolphins in a game at Tampa Bay. Welker’s 11 receptions are tied for the sixth-highest single-game total in Patriots history and are the most by a Patriot since Troy Brown caught 11 passes on Nov. 10, 2002 against the Chicago Bears at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. Welker's previous single-game career high for receptions was nine, acheived with the Dolphins against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Oct. 8, 2006.
FAULK MOVES INTO TOP TEN ON FRANCHISE RUSHING LIST
With his 50 rushing yards today, Kevin Faulk moved into 10th place on the Patriots’ all-time rushing list, passing Craig James’s total of 2,469 yards from 1984-88. Faulk finished the game with 2,498 rushing yards for the Patriots.
MOSS SCORES EIGHTH TOUCHDOWN OF THE SEASON
Randy Moss gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead on a 6-yard touchdown reception from Tom Brady on the Patriots’ opening drive of the game. The touchdown was Moss’s eighth of the season, making him the first Patriot since Ben Coates in 1997 to have eight or more scoring catches in a single season. The score was the 109th receiving touchdown of Moss’s career, a total that ranks fifth on the NFL’s all-time list. Moss has now caught a touchdown pass in five of New England’s six games this season.
BRADY-TO-BRADY TOUCHDOWN
Kyle Brady hauled in a 1-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to give the Patriots a 28-24 lead with 4:56 remaining in the third quarter. The touchdown pass was Tom Brady’s fourth of the day (tying his single-game career high) and was his 20th of the season. For Kyle Brady, the touchdown was his first of the season and his first in a New England uniform after joining the team as a free agent in the offseason. Kyle Brady’s last touchdown came on Nov. 20, 2005 while playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee. The score raised Kyle Brady’s career touchdown total to 23, achieved with the New York Jets (1995-98), Jaguars (1999-2006) and Patriots (2007).
HARRISON IS ALL-TIME DEFENSIVE BACK SACK LEADER
Rodney Harrison sacked Tony Romo for an 11-yard loss on third down in the first quarter, moving the Cowboys back to their own 8-yard line and forcing a punt on the next play. The sack raised Harrison’s career total to 29.5 sacks, a mark that is the highest in NFL history for a defensive back dating to when sacks became an official statistic in 1982. Carnell Lake ranks second among NFL defensive backs with 25.0 career sacks. Harrison, who has also recorded 32 career interceptions, is the only player in NFL history to total at least 25 career sacks and at least 30 career interceptions.
QUICK HITS
Ø Fullback Kyle Eckel scored his first career touchdown, on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter that made the score 48-24.
Ø The Patriots converted 11-of-17 third-down chances, totaling a 65 percent conversion rate.
Ø The Patriots converted four-of-four third-down attempts on their opening drive of the game as they went 74 yards in 14 plays, ending in a 6-yard touchdown catch by Randy Moss on third down.
Ø Vince Wilfork tackled Julius Jones in the backfield for a 1-yard loss on first down in the first quarter.
Ø The Patriots have outscored their opponents 58-7 in the first quarter through six games this season, including their 14-0 performance against the Cowboys today.
GOSTKOWSKI’S SUCCESS STREAK
Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 45-yard field goal in the third quarter to give the Patriots a 31-24 lead. He has hit eight of his nine field goal attempts this season (88.9 percent) and has nailed 29 of his last 32 attempts (90.6 percent) dating back to Nov. 5, 2006, including a perfect 8-for-8 performance in last season’s playoffs.
STARTING STRONG
The Patriots scored first, taking a 7-0 lead on a 6-yard touchdown reception by Randy Moss in the first quarter. New England has scored on its opening drive in each game this season. New England has scored first in each of its six games this season and has achieved the feat in nine straight regular season and playoff games dating back to Jan. 7, 2007.
TWO-SCORE RECEIVER FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT GAME
With Wes Welker’s two-touchdown performance today, the Patriots have had a receiver catch a pair of touchdowns in five consecutive games. Last season, the Patriots did not have a player with two or more scoring catches in a game. Randy Moss caught two touchdowns on Sept. 16, Sept. 23 and Oct. 1. Benjamin Watson set a career high with two touchdown receptions last week against Cleveland. Before Moss’s two-score performance on Sept. 16, the last Patriot to catch two or more touchdowns in a game was linebacker Mike Vrabel, who hailed in two scores against the New York Jets on Dec. 26, 2005.
SIXTH STRAIGHT GAME WITH A 100-YARD RECEIVER
With 100-yard receiving days for Donte’ Stallworth and Wes Welker against the Cowboys, the Patriots had a 100-yard receiver for the sixth consecutive game, adding to a team record. The previous team record was four straight games with a 100-yard receiver — from Nov. 23 to Dec. 21, 1975, when Russ Francis, Randy Vataha, Don Calhoun and Andy Johnson each broke the 100-yard mark one time in a four-game span. In addition to Welker’s 100-yard game against the Cowboys, Randy Moss exceeded the 100-yard mark in each of the first four games of the 2007 season and Benjamin Watson achieved the feat last week against Cleveland.
Dallas Morning News / Vernon Bryant
Rodney Harrison sacks Tony Romo to set a new NFL record for sacks by a defensive back.
Courtesy of the New England PR staff:
BRADY SETS NFL RECORD WITH THREE OR MORE TOUCHDOWNS IN FIRST SIX GAMES
By throwing three touchdown passes as of halftime today, Tom Brady has set a new NFL record by becoming the first player in league history to throw for three or more touchdowns in each of a season’s first six games. The previous record was set by San Francisco’s Steve Young, when he threw for three or more touchdowns in each of the first five games of the 1998 season. As of halftime, Brady has totaled 19 touchdown passes through six games in 2007. Brady has now thrown for three or more touchdowns 25 times in his regular season career and his six three-touchdown games in 2007 set a new career-high, besting his five three-touchdown games in 2002. Last season, Brady threw for three or more touchdowns in a game on two occasions. His three touchdowns give him 166 for his career, tying him with Drew Bledsoe's Patriots total for second on the team's all-time list. Steve Grogan is the franchise leader with 182 touchdowns.
WELKER SCORES TWO TOUCHDOWNS
Wes Welker set a career high with two touchdown receptions today (as of halftime), doubling his career total heading into the game. He hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the first quarter to give the Patriots a 14-0 lead and then grabbed a 12-yard scoring pass to give the Patriots a 21-10 lead in the second quarter. The touchdown catches were the second and third of the season for Welker, who also snared an 11-yard scoring reception to cap off the Patriots’ opening drive of the season against the New York Jets on Sept. 9. Welker’s touchdown catches against the Cowboys raised his career receiving touchdown total to four. He also scored a touchdown on a kickoff return with the Miami Dolphins in 2004.
MOSS SCORES EIGHTH TOUCHDOWN OF THE SEASON
Randy Moss gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead on a 6-yard touchdown reception from Tom Brady on the Patriots’ opening drive of the game. The touchdown was Moss’s eighth of the season, making him the first Patriot since Ben Coates in 1997 to have eight or more scoring catches in a single season. The score was the 109th receiving touchdown of Moss’s career, a total that ranks fifth on the NFL’s all-time list. Moss has now caught a touchdown pass in five of New England’s six games this season.
HARRISON IS ALL-TIME DEFENSIVE BACK SACK LEADER
Rodney Harrison sacked Tony Romo for an 11-yard loss on third down in the first quarter, moving the Cowboys back to their own 8-yard line and forcing a punt on the next play. The sack raised Harrison’s career total to 29.5 sacks, a mark that is the highest in NFL history for a defensive back dating to when sacks became an official statistic in 1982. Carnell Lake ranks second among NFL defensive backs with 25Harrison, who has also recorded 32 career interceptions and is the only player in NFL history to total at least 25 career sacks and at least 30 career interceptions.
STARTING STRONG
The Patriots scored first, taking a 7-0 lead on a 6-yard touchdown reception by Randy Moss in the first quarter. New England has scored on its opening drive in each game this season. New England has scored first in each of its six games this season and has achieved the feat in nine straight regular season and playoff games dating back to Jan. 7, 2007.
TWO-SCORE RECEIVER FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT GAME
With Wes Welker’s two-touchdown performance today, the Patriots have had a receiver catch a pair of touchdowns in five consecutive games. Last season, the Patriots did not have a player with two or more scoring catches in a game. Randy Moss caught two touchdowns on Sept. 16, Sept. 23 and Oct. 1. Benjamin Watson set a career high with two touchdown receptions last week against Cleveland. Before Moss’s two-score performance on Sept. 16, the last Patriot to catch two or more touchdowns in a game was linebacker Mike Vrabel, who hailed in two scores against the New York Jets on Dec. 26, 2005.
QUICK HITS
и The Patriots converted four-of-four third-down attempts on their opening drive of the game as they went 74 yards in 14 plays, ending in a 6-yard touchdown catch by Randy Moss on third down.
и Vince Wilfork tackled Julius Jones in the backfield for a 1-yard loss on first down in the first quarter.
The Patriots have outscored their opponents 58-7 in the first quarter through six games this season, including their 14-0 performance against the Cowboys today.
With that touchdown pass to Wes Welker -- Welker's second TD of the day -- Tom Brady has broken the record he shared with 49ers QB Steve Young.
With three touchdown passes in the game, Brady is now the only player in league history to record three or more passing touchdowns in six games at the start of the season. Brady tied Young's mark at five games last week against the Browns.
IRVING, Texas -- Many times, teams struggle to pass the ball if they're not running well. That's not the case this afternoon for the Patriots.
Although Sammy Morris has rushed for only 12 yards on 9 carries, Tom Brady has completed 16 of 27 passes for 213 yards and 3 TDs -- two to Wes Welker and one to Randy Moss.
AP photo / Matt Slocum
Randy Moss and Donte Stallworth celebrate Moss' first-quarter touchdown today in Texas.
IRVING, Texas -- As they have in every game so far this season, the Patriots scored on their first possession.
Converting four times on third down, the Pats drove 74 yards to a touchdown in 14 plays and 5:29, the score coming on a 6-yard pass from Tom Brady to Randy Moss -- his league-leading, 8th TD catch of the year.
Brady and Moss just missed connecting on a TD bomb on the first play of the game, when, after faking a handoff on a reverse to Wes Welker, Brady overthrew Moss going deep down the middle of the field.
The Pats scored TDs on their opening drives in their first two games, against the Jets and Chargers, and have kicked field goals on their opening drives in the past three games.
Well apparently the flu bug has hit the Patriots' locker room a bit early, as that is the reason given for Matt Light's absence from practice today. The left tackle is one of 10 players listed as questionable for Sunday's game.
Dallas cornerbacks Anthony Henry (ankle) and Courtney Brown (biceps) have both been declared out for the contest.
Here's the full injury list:
NEW ENGLAND
Questionable
CB Randall Gay - thigh
C Dan Koppen - ankle
T Matt Light - flu
RB Laurence Maroney - groin
S Mel Mitchell - groin
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
CB Asante Samuel - foot
WR Donte Stallworth - knee
LB Adalius Thomas - ankle
WR Kelley Washington - hamstring
Probable
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
T Wesley Britt - team decision
Britt, Light and Mitchell did not practice; Gay, Koppen, Maroney, Neal, Samuel, Stallworth, Thomas and Washington had limited participation; and Brady had full participation.
DALLAS
Out
CB Courtney Brown - biceps
WR Terry Glenn - knee
CB Anthony Henry - ankle
Doubtful
FB Oliver Hoyte - neck
Questionable
S Keith Davis - shoulder
Probable
LB Kevin Burnett - thigh
Henry did not practice; Brown and Hoyte had limited participation, and Davis and Burnett had full participation.
The Patriots' first participation/injury report of the week is out:
Did Not Participate
T Wesley Britt - team decision
S Mel Mitchell - groin
Limited Participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
CB Randall Gay - thigh
C Dan Koppen - ankle
RB Laurence Maroney - groin
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
CB Asante Samuel - foot
WR Donte Stallworth - knee
LB Adalius Thomas - ankle
WR Kelley Washington - hamstring
* Samuel and Thomas are new additions to the list; Rosevelt Colvin (ankle) has been removed.
For the Cowboys:
Out
WR Terry Glenn - knee
Did Not Participate
CB Anthony Henry - ankle
Full Participation
CB Courtney Brown - biceps
LB Kevin Burnett - thigh
S Keith Davis - shoulder
FB Oliver Hoyte - neck
While inside the Patriots locker room Sunday's game with Dallas is looked at as a big game mostly because it's the next game on the schedule, the national media don't feel the same way.
ESPN had four personalities here today -- Kenny Mayne doing his thing (he asked Bill Belichick was his inspiration was for the cutoff gray hoodie was), Wendi Nix, Rachel Nichols, and all-around good guy (and former Boston Globie) Michael Smith, as well as the cameramen and sound guys to go with them.
The Dallas Morning News and Ft. Worth Star-Telegram have reporters here to get things for Cowboys' fans, and the New York Times and nbcsports.com's Tom Curran were also on hand.
Bill Belichick always touts the strengths of Pats' opponents, but today he was particularly effusive when discussing the Cowboys in his opening comments:
"They’re a very, very impressive football team. I think they really do everything well. They’re very physical on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Statistically just about any stat that you want, they have. They can run it. They can throw it. They make big plays. They turn the ball over. They sack the quarterback. They have the most interceptions in the league. You could just go right down the line. They have a lot of great players," he said.
"They’re a complete team. They’re solid all the way around. They’re well coached. Wade [Phillips] has a very fundamentally sound defensive football team, but they don’t give you much. You have to earn it and they haven’t given up much. It will be a big challenge ahead of us this week."
In the locker room, Tom Brady talked more about the challenge Dallas poses, as did Rodney Harrison, Mike Vrabel, Rosevelt Colvin and Wes Welker.
Vrabel addressed the charge from Browns' guard Eric Steinbach that he's "classless," which Steinbach claimed on Monday for a last-second play in which Vrabel fell onto Cleveland left tackle Joe Thomas and Thomas fell into quarterback Derek Anderson. Steinbach felt Vrabel was intentionally going for Thomas' knees.
"I'm going to say this one time: I'm sorry they feel that way. I don't play that way," Vrabel said.
Harrison quipped that the only thing dirty on Vrabel is his underwear.
Transcript: Tom Brady's Wednesday press conference
How much are you looking forward to this matchup of the unbeatens?
It should be a good game. We’ve been studying hard for the last few days. They present some different challenges and they’re a very talented team so we need to play our best. They’re good in all facets and anyone who watched that game [on Monday Night] knows that they’re never out of it. We’ve got our work cut out for us so it should be fun.
What kind of challenge does their defense present for you?
They’re very active. They’ve got a great front seven. They have playmakers in the secondary; I think they lead the league in turnovers. They do a lot of things really well. They strip the ball. They intercept balls. They rush the passer. They stop the run. We’re playing on the road so that’s always a factor with the crowd noise.
Is this your first time playing in Texas Stadium?
Yes.
How much better do you feel you’re playing this year?
I don’t know. I think this offense… the longer we work together, hopefully, the better we play. We’re still getting to know each other. I think there’s still a lot of room for improvement.
You’ve had four-interception games before yourself. How do you bounce back from a game like Tony Romo had on Monday? What do you have to do to put that behind yourself, quickly?
I don’t know. I don’t know. You just try to play the best you can. I think that I’ve always approached it like that. You never try to go out there and do that. You just have confidence in yourself that you’ll go out and play better.
Sunday’s game would mark your 100th career start. Is that amazing to you?
Yeah, that is. I was hoping to get 10 games, but a 100, that’s good. I didn’t know that. That’s very exciting. That doesn’t include playoff games though does it? Regular season?
Coach Belichick said that one of the most important things about you is that regardless of how you were playing, you were always trying to get better. What in particular has been a focus for you this season?
I think everyone is trying to do things better each week. You take the things that you learned from last year. I think all of us try to protect the ball, it’s something that quarterbacks can always try to do a better job of, protecting the ball in the pocket and trying to make better decisions. But I think, overall, that we hopefully can continue to run the ball like we’ve been running and cause problems for defenses in that we can run it and pass it. You don’t want to become one-dimensional. I think more so than anything what this offense has done is we’ve been a threat when we run it and we’ve been a threat when we throw it. So if they want to play heavy pass coverage, we’ll try to run the ball and that’s great for a quarterback.
How similar are these defenses? Say of the Cowboys this year and the Chargers last year when you look at them on film.
How similar are they? I think it’s a similar scheme, obviously it’s the same coach and the same coach is calling the defense, and they’re very talented players. This team has very talented linebackers, a lot like San Diego does, a big front, their three down guys are big guys. It’s a one-gap defense that penetrates the line of scrimmage and the guys in the secondary can make plays so I hope I play better than the last time I played against them out in San Diego. I’m hoping for that.
What do you take from the last time you played the Cowboys in 2003 [a 12-0 Patriots’ win?
I don’t remember that so well. That was the Tuna Bowl with [Coach Bill] Parcells. That’s all I remember.
Did that game at all spur to become better as the season went on?
Any time you score 12 points, I hope you would’ve done better. But I think we kicked a bunch of field goals that game. I’m glad our defense played really well.
With both teams being 5-0, obviously the fans are going to pay a lot of attention to two teams being 5-0. Do you get caught up in that at all?
Not really. It’s another regular season game for us and there have been a lot of big games around here. They’re a very talented team and we need to play our best game. I think that’s what it comes down to. It’s a great defense that attacks the quarterback, attacks the football and they’re very good at what they do. I don’t think we’re building this to anything more than it really is, which is another game on our schedule. It’s another game that we’re hoping to play our best and make improvements.
FIVE STRAIGHT WINS BY 17+ POINTS
According to Elias Sports Bureau, the 2007 Patriots are the fourth team in NFL history to win each of its first five games by a margin of 17 points or more. The Patriots have won by 24, 24, 31, 21 and 17 points in their five games this season. The other teams to achieve the feat are the 1999 St. Louis Rams, the 1968 Dallas Cowboys and the 1921 Buffalo All-Americans.
TEAM-RECORD FIFTH STRAIGHT GAME WITH A 100-YARD RECEIVER
With Benjamin Watson’s 107-yard receiving day against the Browns, the Patriots had a 100-yard receiver for the fifth consecutive game, setting a new team record. The previous team record was four straight games with a 100-yard receiver — from Nov. 23 to Dec. 21, 1975, when Russ Francis, Randy Vataha, Don Calhoun and Andy Johnson each broke the 100-yard mark one time in a four-game span. In addition to Watson’s 100-yard game against the Browns, Randy Moss exceeded the 100-yard mark in each of the first four games of the 2007 season.
FIFTH STRAIGHT GAME WITH 34+ POINTS; 182 TOTAL POINTS
The Patriots have scored 34 or more points in each of the season’s first five games, marking the first time in team history that they have scored at least 30 points in as many as five consecutive games. The Patriots have totaled 182 points through five games, marking the second highest five-game point total in team history, trailing only the 187 points scored by the Boston Patriots in the first five games of the 1962 season. The Patriots have outscored their opponents 182-65 so far in 2007, with their +117 point differential marking the best total for any five-game span in team history.
MORRIS IS THIRD STRAIGHT 100-YARD RUSHER FOR THE PATRIOTS
With Sammy Morris’ 102-yard effort, the Patriots had a 100-yard rusher for the third consecutive game, marking the first time since 1995 that the Patriots have achieved that feat. Curtis Martin broke the 100-yard mark in four straight games from Nov. 26 to Dec. 16, 1995. Against Cleveland, Morris gained 102 yards on 21 carries (4.9 avg.), marking his second consecutive 100-yard game and the third 100-yard game of his eight-year career. Morris had 117 yards on 21 carries on Oct. 1 at Cincinnati. Morris also exceeded the 100-yard mark on Dec. 10, 2006 while playing for Miami in a game against the Patriots. Morris’ 100-yard game against Cleveland marked the Patriots’ third consecutive game with a 100-yard rusher – Laurence Maroney totaled 103 yards on 19 carries on Sept. 23 against Buffalo.
BRADY TIES NFL RECORD WITH THREE OR MORE TOUCHDOWNS IN FIRST FIVE GAMES
By throwing three touchdown passes today, Tom Brady tied an NFL record by throwing for three or more touchdowns in each of the season’s first five games. The only other player in league history to achieve the feat was San Francisco’s Steve Young in 1998. Brady has totaled 16 touchdown passes through five games in 2007. Brady has now thrown for three or more touchdowns 24 times in his regular season career and his five three-touchdown games in 2007 tie his career-high, also achieved in 2002. Last season, Brady threw for three or more touchdowns in a game on two occasions.
SCORING STREAK
Prior to being shut out in the third quarter against Cleveland, the Patriots scored points in each of their first 18 quarters of play this season and scored in 37 consecutive quarters dating back to last season (including regular season and playoff games). The Patriots’ streak of scoring points in 18 consecutive quarters to begin the season is the longest to begin an NFL season since the 2000 St. Louis Rams scored in their first 24 quarters of the year. Since being shut out 21-0 against the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 10, 2006, the Patriots scored in 41 of 42 quarters, with that streak ending in the third quarter against the Browns.
WATSON SETS CAREER MARKS FOR TOUCHDOWNS, RECEIVING YARDS
Benjamin Watson totaled a career-high 107 receiving yards, marking his the first 100-yard game of his career. He also caught two touchdown passes today, recording the second multiple-touchdown game of his career and bringing his 2007 total to a career-high five touchdown receptions. His previous season-best was four touchdowns, achieved in the 2005 season. Watson has scored touchdowns in four of the Patriots’ five games this season and has reached the end zone seven times in his last nine regular-season games dating back to November 2006. His two touchdowns against the Browns raised Watson’s career touchdown total to 12, marking the highest total in a Patriots uniform by a member of the team’s active roster (Kevin Faulk, 10). In addition to today, he also scored a pair of touchdowns at Miami on Nov. 13, 2005. Watson caught six passes for a career-high 107 yards, marking the first 100-yard receiving game of his career. His previous career high was 95 yards, achieved on seven receptions on Oct. 30, 2006 at Minnesota.
TWO INTERCEPTIONS FOR SEAU
Junior Seau intercepted two passes in the first half – picking off a Derek Anderson pass in the end zone in the first quarter that was deflected by Asante Samuel and snaring an Anderson pass in the second quarter that had been tipped by Mike Vrabel. The interceptions were the 16th and 17th of Seau’s 18-year career and marked his first interceptions since Sept. 15, 2002, when he picked off a pass by Houston’s David Carr while playing for the San Diego Chargers. The interceptions marked Seau’s third career multiple-interception game and his first in 11 seasons. He also picked off a pair of passes on Sept. 19, 1993 against the Houston Oilers and on Sept. 29, 1996 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
INTERCEPTION IN THREE STRAIGHT GAMES FOR SAMUEL
Asante Samuel intercepted a Derek Anderson pass in the first quarter, picking off a ball that was deflected by Adalius Thomas. The interception was Samuel’s team-leading third of the season and was his third in as many weeks. Samuel has now recorded 12 interceptions in his last 14 regular-season and playoff games, dating back to a three-pick performance against Chicago on Nov. 26, 2006. Samuel’s interception against Cleveland set up a 34-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Donte’ Stallworth on the next play, giving the Patriots a 10-0 lead. It was the 19th interception of his regular-season career. He also has recorded four career playoff interceptions, giving him a total of 23 interceptions since entering the NFL with the Patriots in 2003.
FUMBLE RETURN FOR A TOUCHDOWN BY RANDALL GAY
Randall Gay stripped Cleveland’s Kellen Winslow, recovered the fumble and ran 15 yards to the end zone for his second career fumble return for a touchdown. The play came on the first forced fumble of Gay’s career and was his third career fumble recovery. The only other touchdown of Gay’s career also came against Cleveland, when he scooped up a William Green fumble caused by Richard Seymour and raced 41 yards to the end zone on Dec. 5, 2004 in Cleveland.
TWO SACKS FOR BRUSCHI
Tedy Bruschi tied his career high with two sacks against Cleveland, raising his career sack total to 30.5 sacks. He is the 13th player in Patriots history to record 30 or more sacks in a New England uniform. His two sacks tie his single-game career-high with 2.0 sacks, tying his totals on Dec. 17, 2005 against Tampa Bay and Oct. 6, 1996 at Baltimore. He also had 2.0 sacks in Super Bowl XXXI against Green Bay on Jan. 26, 1997. Against Cleveland, Bruschi sacked Derek Anderson for a 10-yard loss in the final minute of the first half and dropped him for a 6-yard loss in the third quarter. Entering today’s game, the Patriots are 23-2 when Bruschi totals at least one sack.
QUICK HITS
-- Today’s game was the 142nd consecutive home sellout for the Patriots, a streak that includes every preseason, regular-season and playoff game since the 1994 regular-season opener.
-- Ellis Hobbs batted down a Derek Anderson pass intended for Joe Jurevicius in end zone in the first quarter.
-- Vince Wilfork sacked Anderson for a 10-yard loss in the fourth quarter, recording his first sack of the season and raising his career total to 4.5 sacks.
STALLWORTH SCORES
Donte’ Stallworth hauled in a 34-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the first quarter to give the Patriots a 10-0 lead. The touchdown catch was Stallworth’s first in a Patriots uniform and was the 29th scoring grab of his regular-season career with New Orleans (2002-05), Philadelphia (2006) and New England (2007). Stallworth became the sixth different player to catch a touchdown from Brady in 2007.
STARTING STRONG
The Patriots scored first, taking a 3-0 lead on a 20-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski in the first quarter. New England has scored first in each of its five games this season and has achieved the feat in eight straight regular season and playoff games dating back to Jan. 7, 2007.
GOSTKOWSKI’S SUCCESS STREAK
Stephen Gostkowski nailed two first-half field goals – a 20-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 3-0 lead in the first quarter and a 25-yarder to give the Patriots a 13-0 second-quarter advantage. He has hit seven of his eight field goal attempts this season (87.5 percent) and has nailed 28 of his last 31 attempts (90.3 percent) dating back to Nov. 5, 2006, including a perfect 8-for-8 performance in last season’s playoffs.
How does it feel to be 5-0?
It’s good, it’s good. It was one of those games where we weren’t as sharp as we would have liked to have been, but this team presented some different challenges and we’re going to have to come back and learn from the mistakes and try to play better next week.
The defense helped out with turnovers and setting you guys up.
Yeah, the defense played great. Those four turnovers [were] all critical plays of the game. Offensively, we had the ball in a short field a bunch [and] couldn’t really get it in the red area like we were wanting to. We had a few three-and-outs that weren’t very good, some missed opportunities in the passing game. But I think everybody is happy we won and to be 5-0 is…you can’t be much better than that at this point in the year.
On the Donté Stallworth touchdown, what was he on your progression? Was he three, four, two? It seemed like you checked off on all of the guys, which also speaks to good coverage.
Yeah, great protection and they played – I was trying to get the ball to Randy [Moss]. They played him a little differently than we expected. It was like double-coverage on every play, pretty much. I think there weren’t a whole lot of opportunities in the passing game where he wasn’t double-covered. They left Donté one-on-one and he made a great catch on that ball, and then his run after passes is one of his strongest assets. He made a great running catch, he got a great block from Sammy [Morris]. The protection was great all day. We had no sacks and not a whole lot of pressure. It was another good performance – great performance – by the offensive line. It’s a big, physical defensive front and --
What read was he?
He was last.
Was he fourth or fifth?
Fourth. Yeah, he was fourth.
How nice is it to have Benjamin Watson as an option for you catching the ball?
Yeah, there were a couple of good plays he made there and Ben is always – The great thing about Ben, he has these games where they kind of could be break-out games and if you stop paying attention to Ben he really hurts you. I think that was the situation on both of those touchdown passes, where they’re over-playing one thing and you forget about Ben and he’s there to make the play. It’s another couple of touchdown catches for him. He’s a threat every time he’s in the red zone because he has great hands, he’s very elusive, he gets open on the linebackers. I thought he had another great day.
Did you happen to see Junior Seau’s interesting football move?
I didn’t see it. I wasn’t paying attention
What kind of luxury is it to have Watson and Stallworth being a third and fourth and fifth option when these are one and twos on other teams?
Yes, and I think both of those guys are big parts of those offense. We need to find ways to get those guys involved and for them to be playmakers in this offense, probably they can make plays, you just have to get them the football. And both of them are great when they get the ball because they’re very elusive and strong runners. And if they choose to double Randy and Wes [Welker], then those guys have to be parts of the passing game.
I saw Adalius Thomas with the t-shirt. Will Bill Belichick have trouble coming up with humble pie on Monday?
Nope, not this week. It will be easy for him to find stuff to get on us about.
You had a lot of three-and-outs, especially in the second half. Did you have trouble finding a rhythm in that second half? What was that?
I think the execution just wasn’t as good as we would have liked and we want to make it [where] we could just execute better.
You share an NFL record with Steve Young, with two touchdown passes in five games in a row. Does that mean anything to you?
I’m happy we’re 5-0, really. It’s a challenging week. You have the Monday night game, it’s a very emotional game and then you come out with a short week, get back at 6:00 in the morning, off on Tuesday and we put a lot into it this week. It was good to come home against a different type of team that probably played us a little differently than they played some other teams. It’s good to come away with a win.
What was it like seeing Willie McGinest on the other side of the ball? Did you talk at all during the game?
A little bit, a little bit. He was a great player, still is a great player, probably because he’s very disruptive, he’s very strong, he’s so aggressive in the running game. He’s a great leader for that defense, you can tell. Like I said earlier, I hate to see him in another jersey. He’s a Patriot, as far as I’m concerned. But he’s doing great.
What are your thoughts on Dallas? Will today’s performance be enough against the Cowboys?
I don’t know. I have no idea. We’ll have to wait and see.
What are your thoughts on them in general? They’re the best team in the NFC, scoring at a similar clip to you guys . . .
I don’t know anything about them. I haven’t studied them for one second. I haven’t paid attention to them. We have to have a great week of preparation to try to beat the Cowboys. They play tomorrow night against Buffalo. We’ll get on to evaluations today and try to put as much into it. I know it’s going to be a tough game.
When TOM BRADY threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Ben Watson a little more than five minutes into the fourth quarter, it was his third TD toss of the afternoon -- his second to his big tight end -- and tied an NFL record.
Only former 49ers QB Steve Young had thrown for at least 3 TDs in each of the first five games of a season, accomplishing the feat in 1998.
Tom Brady has been named the AFC offensive player of the month for September after leading the NFL with 79.5 completion percentage and a 141.8 quarterback rating in the first three games of the season.
The Patriots QB completed 70 of 88 passes for 887 yards with 10 touchdowns.
He set a new career high with a 150.9 passer rating and tied a career high with four touchdown passes in week three against Buffalo.
He also threw three or more touchdown passes in three straight games. His 10 touchdown passes are the highest three-game total of his career.
Brady helped the Patriots to become the league's most formidable offense in September, scoring 38 points in all three games.
The NFL will announce tomorrow that Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady was named AFC offensive player of the month for September.
Really, the decision was about as easy as winning a one-man (or -woman) race.
In guiding New England to a 4-0 record (yes, technically the Bengals game was in October), Brady completed 95 of 120 passes, a 79.2 percent completion rate, for 1,118 yards, 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions. His QB rating is 134.7.
Brady has been named player of the week eight times, including after his performance against Buffalo in week three, but this is his first player of the month honor.
The New England Patriots ran their record to 4-0 tonight with a 34-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The storylines are much the same as they have been through the first three games: Tom Brady and Randy Moss continued their show, and Moss continued to get his shine on on Monday nights: in 12 career MNF games, Moss now has 68 catches for 1,166 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The defense kept the vaunted Bengals' defense out of the red zone, allowing them one touchdown in their two chances inside the 20, and the special teams helped out with good field position.
The Bengals fall to 1-3 with the loss, having lost three straight.
Wright added to injury/participation report; R. Johnson out
The Patriots and Bengals have released their injury/participation report for Thursday, and defensive lineman Mike Wright, who was not on yesterday's list for the first time since the regular season began, is back on today.
Also, Tom Brady is listed as "limited participation"; yesterday he was "full participation."
Here's the full list for New England:
Limited Participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
LB Rosevelt Colvin - ankle
CB Randall Gay - thigh
RB Laurence Maroney - groin
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
WR Donte Stallworth - knee
WR Kelley Washington - hamstring
S Eugene Wilson - ankle
NT Vince Wilfork - shoulder
DL Mike Wright - knee
G Billy Yates - shoulder
For the Bengals:
Out
RB Rudi Johnson - hamstring
LB Rashad Jeanty - shin
S Ethan Kilmer - knee
WR Tab Perry - hamstring
Did Not Participate
WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh - knee
OT Willie Anderson - foot
LB Caleb Miller - back
Limited Participation
G Stacy Andrews - shoulder
LB Ahmad Brooks - groin
DE Justin Smith - foot
Full Participation
C Eric Ghiacius - thumb
LB Anthony Schlegel - toe
The NFL has just announced that Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady is the AFC offensive player of the week after his career performance against Buffalo.
Brady was 23-for-29 for 311 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, which equals a career-best quarterback rating of 150.9.
It is the eighth weekly honor of Brady's career.
Tennessee linebacker (and fellow Orangeman) Keith Bulluck was defensive PofW for his three-interception game against New Orleans, and Baltimore rookie Yamon Figurs won the special teams honor after his 75-yard punt return.
Your first two touchdown drives were set up with good returns from Wes Welker. How important is it for you guys to get that field position there?
I think we got off to a bit of a slow start offensively, kind of like we did in practice this week. We picked it up there in the second half. But you’re right – Wes set up some great field position and I think the key to the game offensively [was] the offensive line, and the way they performed today was exceptional. It’s kind of what they’ve been doing all year, but they were doing such a good job run-blocking, we had a lot of holes in the run game and they did a great job of pass-protection. That allowed us to hold onto the ball a little bit longer. I don’t know if we had any sacks – maybe one – but I held on to the ball. They did a great job.
On that 45-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss, Coach Belichick thought it might have been incomplete. Did you think it might be too long?
Nope. I haven’t overthrown him yet.
Can you describe that play?
They were playing a lot of cover-2, and they weren’t in cover-2 on that particular play. I just tried to lay it up there for him and he usually comes down with it.
You mentioned the slow start. Was that because of things the Bills were throwing at you or is it just a matter of having to get into a rhythm?
I think it’s a good defense, and I think they did some things. They’re a very fast, physical defense and they have some play-makers over there with Aaron Schobel. I think they played very hard. I think we just capitalized when we had the opportunities – when we got the ball in the red zone on the fumble, missed the fourth down and six, so there’s things that we definitely need to improve on and I’m glad we won, but we have a big week this week.
You made that look easy out there -- To throw that ball the distance you threw it, in-stride, on the outside shoulder -- How hard is it to make that kind of play?
I just throw it up as high as I can and try to put it out there where only he can get it. Like I said, I think his length allows him to even when the DB is on his hip; just he can extend and make the play. It was a great catch. It was a great call by [offensive coordinator] Josh [McDaniels]. My job is easy. You just have to throw it up there.
You had a slow start this week. Do you think it has to do with an emotional letdown after last week, which was so charged up? How hard is it to maintain that type of energy each week?
[When] you play on Sunday night, you get home at 2:00 in the morning and believe it or not, those things affect you. They carry over for days. You go to bed at 3:00 in the morning and then you’re starting on Monday at the same time as normal. Wednesday afternoon it still kind of feels like late Tuesday night and it just…We have a bunch of old guys on this team and it takes a little longer to recover.
The quarterback is not as young as he used to be.
Yeah, he’s definitely not as young as he used to be. I don’t bounce back quite as fast. You want to have all of that energy all of the time, but some days you just wake up at 6:00 a.m. and say, “Ugh, it’s going to be a long day today.” You have to fight through it, because you can’t lose days. You can’t lose days of preparation. This team knows that and I think Coach recognized it and really came down on us pretty hard – probably harder than he ever has. The team really responded on Friday, Saturday we were focused and today we came out and we made enough plays.
How encouraging does it become that a fumble at the 1-yard line can almost become a momentum builder, given the defensive stop and Wes Welker’s return?
Sure, and it was great that the defense was able to hold them and keep them back there. The fumble was a bad play and you’d rather punch it in there and kick it off to them, but fumbling the ball there on the one and then gaining that field position definitely set us up.
Not that you’d ever fumble on purpose, but did you sense that something was needed at that moment to snap you out of it, because it wasn’t right, and they found the moments to do it?
Like I said, you’d rather have the good plays be the momentum builders than a play like that. I think the defense has given us momentum all year. The punt return that Ellis [Hobbs] gave us in the Jets game, the interception return Adalius [Thomas] gave us last week and then some of those stops and punt returns this week were huge for the offense and setting us up in field position, which is what we’re going to continue to need. I [take] pride [in] that 99-yard drive that we had out there in the fourth quarter. That was pretty good. I hope to continue that.
Were you surprised at the lateral that Wes Walker threw?
I don’t know what they were doing, those two. Maybe Wes learned that in Miami. I’ve never seen it around here. I’m sure Coach is going to [yell at] us for that. It’s just another one of those things that makes tapes. It turned out this time. I don’t know how well it turns out most of the time.
Your first three touchdown throws inside the 10 yard line were to three different people. Are you consciously trying to spread the ball around?
I think this particular time it was just that the coverage really dictated that it go to certain people. We got down there on the first drive and we were inside the five or six yard line and we didn’t get it in. We kicked the field goal and we came back with a good approach the next few times and really pounded the ball in there when we could and then took our shots when we got man-to-man coverage. I thought it was a nice play by Ben [Watson] reading the zone. The second one to Randy was an all-out blitz and the guy had no help in the middle of the field. Randy ran a great route. The third one, Jabar [Gaffney] found a hole. [They] ended up doubling or tripling Randy and Gaff kind of pulled ahead of there and made a catch. I think that’s all set up by great offensive line play, to tell you the truth. For us to hold the ball and sort through that kind of stuff, and with the blitz pick-up like they did, they performed extremely well. And that was a [darn] good defensive line we faced, too, Schobel and [Ryan] Denney and the big guys inside, too, who are excellent. The way they protected and the way they run-blocked for us today – a lot of us do a lot of things offensively.
Don’t you love to throw when Randy is covered and know that the play is still going to be made?
He’s a mismatch every time he’s out there when it’s one-on-one, so if they’re doubling him then you try to find other guys to go to. And if they single him, you have an opportunity even when he’s covered to put the ball in a position [where] only he can make the play because of his height and his length. That’s what happened today. He had pretty good coverage on him. He just made an outstanding catch.
Do you find yourself making throws maybe you wouldn’t have in the past because of who you have out there?
Like I said, we’ve had different styles throughout the years and that style has worked extremely well. This offense is going to just continue to morph into the players that we have. I thought there was a drive there where it was run, run, run, play-action and I hit Wes on that lateral play, but that was fun because we were pounding it in there and finally they had a cover-2 defense, we play-action fake and all three linebackers step up and Wes is wide open. That’s tough on the defense, and the more that we can run it effectively in a play-action pass and then when they give us man coverage you try to throw the ball to your mismatches, that’s a pretty good way to go.
What is it with 38 points?
38? I don’t know. Coach didn’t want to kick a field goal to get to 41 at the end, so…I don’t know. It’s a good number. I think it’s going to be a tough one this week playing on the road on Monday night, so we have a big challenge. I’m glad we have an extra day to prepare.
You gave credit to your offensive line. Going up against the pass-rush and the success Schobel has had, to not hear his name called for the first three quarters must have made you feel good.
Sure, and Matt [Light] did a great job over there on my left side. At the same time, I think we’re trying to scheme things up so he’s not coming off the edge all day, and you always try to keep those pass-rushes accountable for those pass-rushers, because they can ruin a game. That’s where the best guy usually is, right over on the offense’s left side. They did a good job with him. He’s a great player, a Pro Bowl player, but our offensive line is shutting it down this year.
The postgame notes from the Patriots' public-relations department:
SCORING STREAK
The Patriots have scored points in each of their 12 quarters of play this season and have scored in 31 consecutive quarters dating back to last season (including regular season and playoff games). Since being shut out 21-0 against the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 10, 2006, the Patriots have scored in 35 of 36 quarters. Since that game against Miami, the Patriots have averaged 34.8 points per game in nine regular season and playoff contests. Over that nine-game span, the Patriots have scored 34 or more points seven times.
MOSS FIRST IN NFL HISTORY WITH 100-PLUS YARDS IN FIRST THREE GAMES WITH TEAM
Randy Moss caught five passes for 115 yards, making him the first player in NFL history to record three straight 100-yard receiving games in his first three games with a team (rookie or veteran). His total of 403 receiving yards rank second to the 1963 total of 422 yards by Oakland’s Art Powell for the highest receiving yardage total in NFL history for a player’s first three games with a team. Moss’s three-game total of 403 receiving yards marks the second highest total by a Patriot since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, ranking second only to Terry Glenn’s three-game total of 431 yards from Sept. 19 to Oct. 3, 1999. Moss is the first Patriots player to top 100 yards in three straight games since David Givens did it from Oct. 24 to Nov. 7, 2004. The game against the Bills marked Moss’s 49th career regular season 100-yard game.
NFL RECORD BOOK
MOST REC. YARDS / FIRST THREE GAMES W/NEW TEAM
Player Team Year Yds
Art Powell OAK 1963 422
Randy Moss NE 2007 403
Laveranues Coles WAS 2003 391
Anquan Boldin ARZ 2003 378
PATRIOTS RECORD BOOK
MOST REC. YARDS IN A THREE-GAME SPAN SINCE 1970
Player Yds Dates Gm1 Gm2 Gm3
Terry Glenn 431 9/19/99-10/3/99 122 95 214
Randy Moss 403 9/9/07-9/23/07 183 105 115
Terry Glenn 401 9/26/99-10/10/99 95 214 92
Ben Coates 393 9/4/94-9/18/94 161 124 108
MOSS SCORES TWO
Randy Moss caught two touchdown passes for the second straight game, becoming the first Patriot to have two or more receiving touchdowns in back-to-back games since Ben Coates hauled in two scoring passes in the first two games of the 1994 season (9/4/94 and 9/11/94). Against the Bills, Moss scored a 3-yarder in the second quarter to give the Patriots a 17-7 lead and a 45-yarder in the fourth quarter to give New England a 38-7 advantage. The touchdowns give Moss a team-high five through three games this season and raise his career total to 106 receiving touchdowns, a mark that ranks fifth in NFL history.
CAREER-HIGH GAME FOR BRADY
Tom Brady set a career high with a 150.9 passer rating and tied his career high with four touchdown passes. Through three games, Brady has totaled 887 yards and has completed 70-of-88 passes (79.5 percent) and has compiled a 141.8 passer rating. Brady’s 79.3 percent completion rate against the Bills (23-29) is the fifth-highest completion percentage of his career. Each of his three games this season rank among the top six single-game completion percentages of Brady’s career.
BRADY’S TOP PASS RTGS
Rating Date Opp.
150.9 9/23/07 vs BUF
148.3 10/21/01 at IND
147.6 11/03/02 at BUF
146.6 9/9/07 at NYJ
143.9 11/25/01 vs. NO
140.4 10/09/05 at ATL
BRADY’S TOP TD GAMES
TD Date Opp.
4 9/23/07 vs BUF
4 11/19/07 at GB
4 10/30/07 at MIN
4 12/27/03 vs BUF
4 09/22/02 vs KC
4 11/25/01 vs NO
BRADY’S TOP COMP. PCTS.
Pct Cmp-Att Date Opp.
84.6 22-26 11/03/02 at BUF
81.5 22-27 10/09/05 at ATL
80.6 25-31 9/17/07 vs. SD
80.0 16-20 10/21/01 at IND
79.3 23-29 9/23/07 vs BUF
78.6 22-28 9/9/07 at NYJ
BRADY: CAREER-BEST THREE-GAME TOUCHDOWN TOTAL
Tom Brady tied his career high with four touchdown passes, marking his sixth career game with four scoring throws. Brady has thrown for three or more touchdowns in three straight games to begin the 2007 season - the first time in his career that he has thrown three or more touchdowns in three consecutive games. His three-game total of 10 touchdown passes is the highest three-game total of his career. His previous three-game high was nine touchdowns, achieved in the first three games of the 2002 season.
THREE WINS TO START SEASON
The Patriots have begun the 2007 season with a 3-0 record, marking the seventh time in the franchise’s 48-year history that they have begun the season with three victories in a row. New England last achieved the feat in 2004 and has done it five times in the 14 seasons since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994.
THREE GAMES, 114 POINTS
New England has scored a total of 114 points through three games this season, marking its highest three-game scoring output in a single season since the first three games of the 2002 season, when it totaled 115 points. The Patriots' 114 points in three games is tied for the third-highest three-game total in franchise history during a single season. The Patriots set a team record in 1962 by scoring 118 points over a three-game span from Sept. 16 to Oct. 6.
MARONEY: 100-YARD GAME
Laurence Maroney totaled 103 yards on 19 carries (5.4 avg.), marking his second career 100-yard rushing game. He also broke the 100-yard mark at Cincinnati on Oct. 1, 2006, when he totaled 125 yards on 15 carries (8.3 avg.). Through three games this season, Maroney is averaging 4.7 yards per carry, totaling 252 yards on 54 carries.
ASANTE SAMUEL INTERCEPTION
Asante Samuel picked off a Trent Edwards pass in the fourth quarter and returned it 42 yards, recording his first interception of the season and the 17th interception of his regular season career. Samuel has also recorded four playoff interceptions for New England. With his interception against the Bills, Samuel has now recorded 10 interceptions in his last 12 regular-season and playoff games, dating back to a three-pick performance against Chicago on Nov. 26, 2006. Including the playoffs, Samuel has returned five of his 21 career interceptions for touchdowns.
WATSON SCORES FOR THIRD STRAIGHT GAME
Tight end Benjamin Watson hauled in an 8-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to give the Patriots a 10-7 lead in the second quarter. The scoring grab was the 10th of his career and marked Watson’s third straight game with a touchdown reception. He also snared a 7-yard score last week against San Diego and grabbed a 5-yard touchdown in the season opener against the New York Jets. Dating back to last season, Watson has caught a touchdown pass in five of his last seven regular season games.
MOSS PASSES 11,000 YARDS
With a 45-yard reception in the third quarter, Randy Moss became the 19th player in NFL history to gain 11,000 or more career receiving yards. Moss finished the game with 11,103 career receiving yards. Moss, a 10th-year veteran, entered the game ranks third in NFL history by averaging 78.8 receiving yards per game (11,103 yards in 141 games).
GAFFNEY TOUCHDOWN
Jabar Gaffney scored his first touchdown of the season on a 4-yard reception from Tom Brady in the third quarter. The touchdown was the ninth of Gaffney’s regular season career and his second regular-season touchdown in a Patriots uniform. Gaffney also scored a pair of touchdowns for New England in the 2006 playoffs. Gaffney’s touchdown against the Bills capped off a 9-play, 89-yard drive and gave the Patriots a 24-7 lead.
HOBBS STRIP SACK
Ellis Hobbs strip-sacked Buffalo’s J.P. Losman, forcing a fumble on a 9-yard sack in the first quarter. Jarvis Green recovered the ball for the Patriots, who proceeded to march deep into Buffalo territory and take a 3-0 lead on a 24-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. The sack was the first of Hobbs’ career and his forced fumble was also a career first. For Green, it was his fifth career fumble recovery. Hobbs’ strip-sack was the Patriots’ fourth of the season. In the season opener against the Jets, Mike Vrabel sacked Kellen Clemens and forced him to fumble in the fourth quarter (the Jets recovered the ball). Last week against the Chargers, Rosevelt Colvin sacked Philip Rivers and caused him to fumble twice (the Patriots recovered once).
RECORD IMPROVEMENT
-- Today’s game was the 141st consecutive home sellout for the Patriots. The streak includes every preseason, regular season and playoff game since the 1994 regular season opener.
-- The Patriots improved to 82-33 (.713) at home since 1994, including regular season and playoff games.
-- The Patriots improved to 31-9 (.775) all-time at Gillette Stadium, including regular season and playoff games.
-- Tom Brady improved to 24-1 (.960) as a starter in games played on artificial turf during the regular season. His only career regular season loss on turf came to the Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium in the 2003 season opener.
-- Brady improved to 12-1 (.923) as a starter in his career against Buffalo.
-- Brady improved to 45-10 (.818) as a starter in home games, including regular season and playoff contests.
-- The Patriots improved to 41-1 (.976) when Tom Brady posts a passer rating of 100.0 or higher.
SERIES STATS
-- With their victory today, the Patriots now own 13 wins over the Bills in a 14-game span, marking the first time in franchise history that New England has defeated an opponent as many as 13 times in a 14-game span. The Patriots have defeated Buffalo eight straight times dating back to the Bills’ 31-0 victory in the 2003 season opener.
-- The Patriots defense has held the Bills to a touchdown or less in five of the last eight games between the teams.
-- The Patriots are now 20-6 in their last 26 meetings with the Bills.
-- The Patriots have now recorded 54 wins over the Bills, the most against any opponent.
-- Bill Belichick holds a 13-2 record against the Bills as head coach of the Patriots.
SILVER JERSEYS
The Patriots wore their silver jerseys today - the sixth time that the team has worn them since they were introduced in 2003. New England improved to 5-1 while wearing silver. Below is a recap of New England’s record when wearing silver.
GAMES WEARING SILVER JERSEYS
(all at Gillette Stadium)
Date Opponent W/L Score
11/16/03 Dallas W 12-0
12/07/03* Miami W 12-0
12/12/04* Cincinnati W 35-28
10/02/05 San Diego L 17-41
12/17/06 Houston W 40-7
09/23/07 Buffalo W 38-7
*-New England clinched AFC East title with win
SEAU MOVES UP LIST
Junior Seau played in his 244th career game today, moving into second place on the NFL’s list of most games played by a linebacker. He has played in 244 games over 18 seasons with San Diego (1990-2002), Miami (2003-2005) and New England (2006-2007). Seau passed Bill Romanowski’s mark of 243 career games, which he achieved from 1988-2003. Clay Matthews holds the NFL record for most games played by a linebacker, appearing in 278 contests from 1978-1996 with Cleveland and Atlanta.
BRADY-TO-BRADY
Kyle Brady grabbed his first pass in a Patriots uniform in the second quarter, hauling in a 20-yard reception from Tom Brady to bring the Patriots to the Bills’ 2-yard line and set up Randy Moss’s touchdown catch that made the score 17-7.
STARTING STRONG
The Patriots scored first, taking a 3-0 lead on a 24-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski in the first quarter. New England has scored first in six straight regular-season home games and has scored first in each of its three games this season.
Quick snippets from Tom Brady's postgame press conference . . .
On the Pats' getting better as the game went along
We got off to kind of a slow start offensively, just like we did in practice this week . . . But [coach Bill Belichick] got on us [this week in practice], probably more than he ever has, and by Friday we kind of got back in rhythm.
On the offensive line
I thought the play of the offensive line was exceptional, kind of like they've been doing all year.
On whether Randy Moss ever surprises him with the plays he makes
Nope. [Laughs]
On if he thought he had overthrown Moss on the 45-yard TD pass
I haven't overthrown him yet, so . . .
On the play
I throw it as high as I can and try to put it where only he can get it. It was a great catch, a great call by [offensive coordinator Josh McDaniel]. My job was easy. I just had to put it out there.
On the Bills' defense
That's a good defense, a very fast, physical defense, and I think they played very hard. We just capitalized when we had the opportunity.
On throwing TD passes to three different receivers in the red zone
I think this time it was just the coverage dictated [where I threw it] . . . The one to Ben [Watson] was zone coverage, the second one to Randy was an all-out blitz, the third one . . . they ended up doubling or tripling Randy and [Jabar Gaffney] got open.
On Moss
He's a mismatch every time he's out there when he's one-on-one.
FOXBORO -- With the Patriots leading comfortably, 24-7, midway through the third quarter, QB Tom Brady has thrown three short TD passes to three different receivers -- 8 yards to TE Ben Watson, 3 yards to WR Randy Moss, and 4 yards to WR Jabar Gaffney.
On the other side of the ball, the New England defense has not given up a first down since allowing the Bills to score a touchdown late in the first quarter. It doesn't help Buffalo that rookie Trent Edwards is playing QB, taking over when J.P. Losman suffered a knee injury on the first series of the game.
Friday's injury report: Five listed as questionable
FOXBORO -- Five players -- guards Stephen Neal (shoulder) and Billy Yates (shoulder), safety Eugene Wilson (ankle) and wide receivers Kelley Washington (hamstring) and Donte Stallworth (knee) -- were listed as questionable for Sunday's game on the Patriots' latest injury report, which was released moments ago.
All had limited participation in practice.
As he has been every week since 2003, quarterback Tom Brady (shoulder) was listed as probable. He participated fully in practice. Brady has never missed a start since becoming the Patriots' starting quarterback in 2001.
