Projo Pats Blog

At least good starting times are.

Whatever happened to ``Sunday at One?"

With the decision Monday to push the starting time for New England's Dec. 23rd game with Miami at Gillette Stadium back to 4:15 from the originally scheduled 1 p.m., the Patriots now will wind up playing just one of their final nine games -- and only 2 of their last 13 -- at what for years has been the traditional starting time for NFL games.

The last time the Patriots had a 1 o'clock kickoff was Oct. 21, at Miami. Three subsequent games were switched from 1 o'clock starts -- Nov. 18 at Buffalo, which was delayed 'til that night; this past weekend's game with the Steelers, switched to 4:15; and now the Dolphins game, leaving the Jets game this Sunday in Foxboro as the only 1 o'clock start for New England in the final 2 1/2 months of the season.

The Pats played the Eagles and Ravens at night, and games with Washington and Indianapolis always were slated to kickoff at 4:15.

The only other 1 o'clock starts for New England this year were the season opener at Giants Stadium against the Jets and home games against Buffalo (9/23) and Cleveland (10/7).

While there is a compelling angle to the New England-Miami matchup because the Patriots are trying to go undefeated while the Dolphins are trying to avoid a winless season, it figures to be a one-sided game for that very reason, which could prompt viewers nationwide to find other diversions on the Sunday before Christmas.

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