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Patriots postgame notes

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.

Posted by Art Martone  at 7:11 PM to Asante Samuel , Ben Watson , Donte Stallworth , Junior Seau , Randall Gay , Sammy Morris , Stephen Gostkowski , Tedy Bruschi , Tom Brady | Permalink | Comments 0

Transcript: Tom Brady press conference

Hi guys, how are you doing? Small crowd.

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.

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:52 PM to Tom Brady | Permalink | Comments 0

Transcripts: Patriots postgame quotes

Rosevelt Colvin, Linebacker
(On the Browns’ turnovers)
We made a couple of plays and got the ball away from them a few times. Any time you can get the ball to Brady and the offense, it’s a lethal weapon for us, so we try to do it as much as we can.

(On the first quarter red zone stand)
I think Asante [Samuel] tipped it and Junior came down with the ball and that was big because it was the opening drive for them and they were moving the ball well on us. It kind of turned the tables and the offense then got rolling.

(On Junior Seau’s interception run)
It was definitely something stamped into my memory for what not to do. Junior is a special kind of guy. When you practice and are with him on a daily basis you understand why he did it.

(On Junior Seau’s energy throughout the game)
Junior brings a lot of energy to this team. If you have been in the league for at least five years you have definitely seen him on film somewhere and the types of things he has done elsewhere and the energy he brings. He does a great job of brining energy and it helps everyone else get hyped up and ready to play.

Junior Seau, Linebacker
(On what he was thinking on his interception return)
That normally doesn’t happen. It’s an untapped territory for me to tell you the truth and I will handle it better next time. It is what it is and I will take the punishment. I will obviously take a lot of kick back from the players all week because I didn’t look too good on that play.

(On if he thought about lateraling the ball)
Yeah, I did but coach wouldn’t have liked that either. I didn’t want to have two mistakes in one play so I took the one negative and went from there.

(On the defense’s turnovers)
It’s the name of the game. Obviously you go out there and want to perform well and stop the run and get them into a passing situation. Whenever you make big plays like we did today, it definitely leans in our favor and our offense took care of the rest.

(On where his energy comes from)
I love this game. I just do. I have a lot of passion for it and I’m very fortunate to be 38 years old and have played 18 seasons and to be part of something special. It probably didn’t show in that interception but I am humbled by that and it definitely is a great time.

Rodney Harrison, Safety
(On being nervous playing in his first game of the season)
I wasn’t really nervous. It just felt a little different… Being back on the field trying to get used to everything and the formations. It’s one thing seeing it in practice, but when you’re out there in the game it’s a lot different. The speed is totally different.

(On the positive support from the fans Sunday)
Through a difficult time the fans have supported me just as well as my teammates and the coaches, as well as Mr. [Robert] Kraft and Scott Pioli. I’m just glad to be able to get back and get some playing time and help this team to another victory.

(On whether or not he was surprised about playing as much as he did)
No, [Coach Belichick] told me to be ready to play. I knew I was going to play and I really didn’t know how much I was going to play and when I was going to play. That was somewhat of a surprise. For the most part you just have to stay ready because at any time you’re called on to go out there and play.

(On playing more in the second half than in the first)
Coach Belichick has been coaching for 30 years, so he knows exactly what to do with guys like myself. You just sit and wait patiently and when you get your opportunity you try to take advantage of it.

(On playing special teams Sunday)
I’ve been doing that since ’94, since I first came into the league. Whether it’s guys that are backing up that play special teams or starters, we all have to play special teams. That’s part of your contribution on this team. I played some kickoffs - every kickoff, I think, seven or six of them – as well as some punt returns.

Ellis Hobbs, Cornerback
(On the defense not playing consistently throughout Sunday’s game)
We did a poor job today as far as playing the type of ball that we like to play. We started out fast, but we didn’t stay consistent throughout the whole game. We kind of had some down moments. Up and down, we can’t be like that. We have to be consistent every play, every game.

(On getting the win despite playing inconsistently)
It’s kind of a bittersweet feeling. We hold ourselves accountable to a higher level. Winning is just not enough for us. Playing well and winning is what we try to do. Pickoffs in the back end, the turnovers we had, the knockdowns, whatever. Up front, the linebackers, I think we can all agree that we have to pick it up and it’s not going to be enough to play Dallas and to beat Dallas.

(On Junior Seau’s move during his interception return)
I don’t know if he was trying to fake somebody out or what. I know we’re going to hear about that one tomorrow. It isn’t going to be just Junior, it’s going to be all of us hearing about that one. Tuck that ball away.

Benjamin Watson, Tight End
(On he and Donté Stallworth making the big plays this week, as opposed to Randy Moss and Wes Welker)
It’s great having the opportunity. That’s why you always have to be ready. You never know when your time is going to come to help out this team.

(On what the defense’s turnovers mean to the offense)
Just that we have to score. The defense played great. They got turnovers to set us up. They got a fumble recovery and scored. They played a great game. They set us up a lot with a short field. When we go out there and don’t score we feel like we’re letting them down.

(On the mindset of the offense during Sunday’s game)
We always feel like we want to score. We always feel like it’s tough to stop us unless we stop ourselves. But we tip our hats to the Browns defense because they played well, too. Coach Crennel had a good scheme for us. We want to score every time we get it, but sometimes it doesn’t turn out that way.

Adalius Thomas, Linebacker
(On the big plays made by the defense)
I think it was big, especially that they’d come off a big win and especially on the goal line and the interception on the first drive. I think that set the tone, but we left a lot of plays out there on the field and things that we must improve looking toward next week.

(On the “Humble Pie” t-shirts)
We’re going to have a nice dose of humble pie when it comes to tomorrow. I trust that if you call any of us or get any of us on the phone by 4 o’clock tomorrow, I think we’ll have enough. Ice cream will probably be out of the stores because we’ll be serving ice cream with this one.

(On Junior Seau’s second interception)
That was the play that I was on the ground on. They showed it on the big screen. When they showed it I said, ‘What are you doing?’ What was he doing? I thought he was in the end zone or something. Don’t worry, that’s going to be an extra large slice [of humble pie].

Asante Samuel, Defensive Back
(On The first red zone stop of the year)
We were in zone coverage and I had a guy going to the flat and I saw that someone had taken him, so I just zoned up and started reading the quarterback and I tipped the ball, which I should have caught and Junior Seau made a good play on the ball. So it was big because if they didn’t score on that play they would have made a field goal and that could have been big, you never know what the determination of the game could be.

(On his interception)
Adalius Thomas made a great play and I have been begging for a tipped ball all year and I finally got one and I almost dropped it, too.

Donté Stallworth, Wide Receiver
(On making his first touchdown catch after making several catches as a Patriot)
You just go out and play and wait on your opportunity. Today I got a little more opportunity because they were trying to take Randy out of the game. When that happens, they leave someone in single coverage [and] either me or Wes [are] able to make some plays. When that happens, the other guy has to stand up and make the plays.

(On the depth on the team)
We have some guys who can make plays, but you know we have to play a lot better than we did today. There are a lot of things that we could have done better out there and I am sure that we will hear about it tomorrow when we are watching the game film.

(On what happened in the second half where the offense slowed down)
I don’t know. There were times where we were just stopping ourselves. We just really weren’t efficient in the red zone and we came off the field on a lot of third downs. Those are the kind of plays we were making in the first couple of games. Third downs are very important and we just were not making the plays today to complete the third downs.

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:51 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Transcripts: Browns postgame quotes

Willie McGinest, Linebacker
(On Patriots)
I think they are a good team. They are well coached, disciplined, and are not going to make a lot of mistakes. You can’t give them much. They might have more offensive weapons than the Colts. You put those weapons around a guy like Brady then there is nothing left to talk about. They are a good team and I have nothing but respect for them.

(On his homecoming)
Coming back was nice, but who wants to come back to a whooping. It is good to be back to see some of the faces (coaches, players). I just wish that we would have played better. This is a great crowd. I had a lot of years here with them. We went through a lot together. I just take my hat off to them. I really appreciated the standing ovation. It was tough to focus with all of that going on.

(On Brady)
I am going to play hard against him. I wouldn’t do anything dirty but he knows I will play hard.

Daven Holly, Cornerback
(On Tom Brady)
He is a real good quarterback. He won some championships, but I felt that we played good enough and tight enough coverage to get some things done.

(On the game)
We came out and played a tough physical football team. If we would have scored on that first drive when we turned the ball over the whole complexity of the game would have changed right there. Early on, we did a good job of not letting them into the end zone.

(On controlling Moss)
Randy is a good wide receiver. We had a lot of different schemes available for him. We always want to take their top playmaker out of the game. I think we did a good job against Randy.

(On Benjamin Watson)
They have a lot of playmakers. You take one away and others show up. That is why New England is a good football team.

Brodney Pool, Defensive Back
(On defending against Tom Brady and the Browns’ turnovers)
It makes it harder for us, but it is still a team effort. We should have got off the field on defense, but we didn’t. If they had a turnover, we should have come back and got a turnover ourselves. He (Brady) was playing very safely and being very smart. He is a good quarterback and shows why he is one of the best in league. Whenever he makes an attempt to throw, you need to be right there and capitalize on it. Today he just went out and ran his game plan. I think he is one of the top quarterbacks in the league.

Andra Davis, Linebacker
(On the Patriots)
You can see why they are a playoff team. They go out there and don’t make very many mistakes. They recovered three turnovers and I don’t think we had any. They play well as a team and they force you to beat them. They force you to play safety football.

(On the game)
We came in here with the attitude that we were going to win the game. We know that we can play with anyone. We have a lot of weapons on our team on offense, defense and special teams. We expect to win. Games like this when you go out and play a team like the New England Patriots tough, you need to go back and correct your mistakes. The team has to know we can’t make those mistakes if we want to compete in these types of games. We will get better.

Jason Wright, Running Back
(On the game)
You have to be fundamentally sound, because they are, and they make you pay for the slightest mistakes. That was evident today. We really beat ourselves out there today.

(On being down 20-10 in third quarter)
I thought we were going to win the game. We felt like we were starting to move the ball. We were gaining confidence on offense and I thought we were going to win the game. We are a very confident team and I think everyone thought we were going to win that game.

(On first drive ending in an interception)
That’s evidence of what they are as a team. We moved the ball down the field, had a bunch of successful plays, got to the one-yard line and they made a play because we made a mistake. That’s the kind of team they are, they are veterans and they are smart. They expect to win.

(On being ready to fill in for Jamal Lewis)
You have to always be prepared for that as a backup. You never know when your time is going to be called. Jamal has helped me a ton to prepare, because he’s the type of guy who makes sure you are up on your game. His tutelage has really helped me.

Braylon Edwards, Wide Receiver
(On inconsistency)
We are very inconsistent right now. We win one; we lose one. Like today, our defense played well for us. They gave us everything we needed playing against this high-powered offense and we just didn’t help them. This loss can be attributed to the offense. We put [the defense] in bad situations time and time again. We couldn’t get drives consistently.

(On being David versus Patriots “Goliath”)
This is any given Sunday. We have to do everything in our power to win this game. I just don’t buy into this “David versus Goliath” concept in the NFL. It’s about who wants it. I’m not taking anything away from the Patriots. They have a phenomenal team. They play well together and when other teams make mistakes, they make them pay.

Ryan Tucker, Offensive Line
(On getting back in the game)
It was nice; unfortunately we did not come out with a win. I’m still rusty in some areas of my game.

Kellen Winslow, Tight End
(On the game)
We expected to win the game. I think we could have won, without the errors and forced turnovers. We gave them good field position and with a good team like that they are hard to stop on offense. They are the smartest team we have played so far and they schemed us well and we got behind early.

Tim Carter, Wide Receiver
(On the game plan)
We have a good offense, a balanced offense, and one thing we did not do today was take care of the ball. That was tough, we shot ourselves in the foot. We felt we could get a lot accomplished and put ourselves in a position to win the game.

(On the turnovers)
They did a great job and created turnovers. That was one key to the game. You cannot have turnovers, especially against a good team like the Patriots.

Joshua Cribbs, Wide Receiver
(On the game)
I feel I could have played better. I feel I played well below my standards. As a team, I think we played below our standards and if you ask any one of us they will say the same thing. We played a very good ball team and we have to give credit where credit is due.

(On the lateral)
It was a good play by Derek. He got the ball to me and I just tried to make a play with it.

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:48 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Transcript: Derek Anderson press conference

You had to deal with a little more pressure in this game. Is that something you had to adjust to after not getting that pressure in the first few games?
Yeah, they had us schemed up a few times and brought a little pressure, and I thought we handled it all right and made some good adjustments to it. But we knew they were a good pass rushing team coming in.

Can you talk about your first drive and the ball that got batted?
The first drive I threw a pick to Steve [Heiden] and nothing got batted. It didn’t get batted. I just made a poor decision and threw it back across my body, and a guy came off the receiver in the front and made a pick. Other than that, our first drive went well. We moved the ball well and it felt pretty good.

How deflating is that; to move the ball down there, especially early in the game when you’re looking for something positive to happen, and have it end like that?
It happens in games. We’re not going to quit just because that happens. Little things like that happen and you make adjustments and you come back. We kept fighting and nobody ever gave up today. We kept going, got a couple of scores, and I thought the overall attitude in the huddle was good.

Can you talk a little about the interceptions?
One was a poor decision and you can’t do anything about the rest of them once they get batted in the air.

Which one was the poor decision?
The first one. I threw it back across my body. A guy comes off the receiver, in the front, and picks it. And, obviously, it’s unfortunate because we drove the ball really well and got down there around the five. But I just have to learn from that and it’s all right to kick a field goal there.

What about the fade to [Joe] Jurevicius? I think it was first down on the goal line. You just didn’t put enough air under it or what?
I don’t know. I haven’t watched it. I thought I threw it in a pretty good spot for him to go get it. The [defensive back] kind of walled him, but I don’t really know. I couldn’t tell you exactly what happened until I watch it.

You’ve gotten really good protection this season, but their pass rush -- what is it they do that they’ve gotten pressure on you?
I think overall they try to stretch your protection, get on the edge of guys and kind of fall off late. They might not always get there, but they’re just falling off and kind of hitting you at the end. And toward the end, they try to get you and force you to make decisions quickly. That’s just the big picture of it, I guess.

It seems like you’re up, you’re down, one week you win, one week you lose. I know it is part of everything you guys have to go through, but how frustrating is it to go through that process?
It is. It’s very frustrating, honestly. I understand that a lot of work goes into this and a lot of work from coaches and players. And you’ll go out there and have some mistakes and some mental errors, but I know I’m going to keep fighting and I know everybody else is too. We have a bunch of good guys in there, guys who are going to come to work on Wednesday and really go after it and go get a win this week.

You’re exceptionally good at making adjustments. In the second half you guys looked pretty good.
We are good. I mean, we are. We have a lot of good players and we made some mistakes early on that really hurt us. Against a team like that, you can’t do that. We gave them 14 or 10 points right away, and you’re going to fight that battle the rest of the day, which we did. I was happy the way the guys kept fighting. Like I said earlier, the guys came into the huddle with a positive attitude and kept grinding at it. And I thought Jason Wright came in and ran the ball really hard and made plays for us when Jamal [Lewis] went out. Guys adjusted to that and guys were coming in and out, too.

What was the process of adjustment because you didn’t have the big back to really batter them with?
Just hit them with quick plays. Jason’s a good back and he went in there and played really hard. He’s on kickoff and he’s on everything we have. And we lose Jamal right away on the first series, [Wright] gave us a great effort today.

I think you got hurt on that one sack and called time out. Was it that there was no way you were coming out of the game? Was that the reason for that?
We were trying to save time. With the sack, it didn’t happen, and we took a time out.

What happened to you physically?
Just landing on my shoulder gave me a little bit of a stinger, but nothing big.

Your right shoulder?
Yeah, I mean, it wasn’t anything big. Obviously I played the rest of the game. There’s no ice on me. I’m good.

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:45 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Transcript: Romeo Crennel press conference

We came up and played a good football team here at their place and we did not do enough things to win the game. We had a good first drive, drove it all the way down into great scoring position and came up with no points, and I think that hurt us in the first half. That kind of set a tone for the first half. Then, also we threw some turnovers. They intercepted some balls in good field position, and when you give Tom Brady good field position he is going to hurt you. Sometimes when you give him bad field position he is going to hurt you. So, we didn’t do enough against a good football team to win. Those guys did a nice job, and when I say those guys [I mean] the Patriots. They did a nice job. They have a good football team. I think they are going to be hard to beat. But our football team, we still learn a little bit each week about ourselves and about what it takes to play in this league and to be successful in the NFL. Our guys did try to rally up in the second half a little bit and try to make a little comeback to make the game a more competitive overall. So, we are just going to go back and keep working. We still have a lot of games to play and try to get back on a winning track is what we need to do. So that is what we are going to try to focus on and get done. I know Jamal [Lewis] had an injury and we will take a look at that later on and they will let us know what the prognosis is there. Also Joe Jurevicius had a knee and we will find out about his prognosis and see what happens there. I think Brodney Pool got hit in the thigh and got a little contusion and we will find out about that. But, everyone else played in the game. A couple guys got some nicks and bruises and the doctor is going to look at that and he’ll let us know if they are serious or not. But, we are not satisfied by any means because we lost the game. We wanted to win and I thought that we would play a little bit better than we played. So we have to go back to the drawing board and get ready to play a game at home against the Miami team. I think that will be an important game for us. So we are going to try to put everything we have into that game and try to get back on track.

What is the proper etiquette at the end of the game when a team is so far ahead? Do you throw it in the end zone in that circumstance like Belichick did?
The proper etiquette is to try to win the game, and I think that is what he tried to do. When you go out there, it is the defense’s job to stop the offense. Whether they run or whether they throw doesn’t make any difference. It is our job to stop them. We were able to stop them, so we were able to get off the field in that instance.

How did not having Jamal Lewis for basically the whole game affect what you were trying to do?
Well, I think the score affected what we tried to do more than anything else because Jason Wright came in and I thought Jason did a nice job of running the ball. He stepped up pretty decently. I think it was the score. Sometimes in the NFL you get behind early and you feel like you have to try to catch up quickly, and against a good football team like that, if you don’t catch up then you probably get further behind. So, the score in this situation probably dictated what happened more than Jamal’s injury.

It looked like many of Derek Anderson’s interceptions came on tipped balls. Were those poor decisions or bad throws?
No, I thought they were good decisions. I was looking right at one of them and the guy was open and he tried to get it in there and the linebacker broke on it and tipped it up and they intercepted it. And then on the other one he got the arm hit and so that hurt. That is part of the game a little bit. We’ve got to protect better and we have to deliver quicker.

What about the third-and-one play on the goal line?
The third-and-and one down there. Was that one tipped?

Yes, it was tipped.
He thought he could get the ball in and he was trying to get it in. He had a chance to make it happen. The thing that happened on that one is he got flushed out a little bit and I think probably maybe his feet weren’t set enough because he was on the move. Maybe if he had been able to set his feet and deliver the ball he could have gotten it in.

It seemed like he didn’t get enough air under that pass to Jurevicius earlier in that sequence on the goal line.
Well, yeah. Sometimes you’ve got enough, sometimes you don’t.

You were able to control Randy Moss today, but Benjamin Watson and Sammy Morris had big games. Do they just have too many weapons?
They have quite a few weapons and you have to try to pick your poison a little bit against these guys. Moss has been killing people and we didn’t want him to kill us, so we died by the hands of somebody else.

One of those players was Donté Stallworth. What was your take on that 34-yard touchdown?
Well, we missed some tackles. If we make a tackle then we can line up and play again, but I think we missed two tackles on that play. We need to tackle better.

This isn’t the first game where Derek Anderson has had one good half and one bad half. How important is it for him to develop consistency?
Well, is always important to play consistently and be consistently good, and that is what we aim for and that is what we try to do. If we get that touchdown on that first down then we probably look at it differently because now you have a little confidence, you score on a team that hasn’t been allowing any points and then maybe you are able to do some things the rest of the game. But, by not scoring I think also some of the guys wonder about what we are able to do and how we missed that opportunity and those kinds of things. But, we did get it together a little or bit in the second half and were a lot more competitive.

Is that all part of the growing process?
Sure. It is a growing process for this team because we do have some young guys and everybody has to learn a little bit. Each game is a learning situation for us.

What was the plan with Ryan Tucker and how did he look?
We were going to rotate him in and we did rotate him in. I think in the running game he was okay. I think maybe he was a little rusty with his timing on pass protection, but from what I could see he wasn’t terrible.

Did you plan on playing him the second half? I didn’t see him out there.
Well, you know we were just going to rotate it in and sometimes you just get a gut feel about whether you need to put the guy in or not, so it just developed the way it developed.

You coached both Jarvis Green and Richard Seymour. How impressed are you by how seamlessly they can slide guys in and out of there and not miss a beat?
Jarvis Green is a very good football player as well. Jarvis is a hard worker and a good technician and he never says never. I expect that from Jarvis.

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:41 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Transcript: Bill Belichick press conference

It’s good to win. It’s always good to win and be 5-0. I don’t think that was either team’s best game out there today, but in the end we were able to make a few more plays. We’ll take it and move on to Dallas. It was a physical game. There was a lot of hard hitting out there. I just don’t think on our end it was executed the way we are capable of. But, as I said, in the end we made enough plays, and that was good, but we left some out there too. I think we just have to do a better job all the way around in all three areas of the game, and the coaching, and I think we can play better than that. Give Cleveland credit. They’re tough. They can move the ball, like we talked about all week and they showed that today and they gave us some problems defensively.

Can you talk about the roles of turnovers, especially early in the game?
BB: It was big, especially the one in the end zone. That was obviously a big play. We were able to get [four] of them. Turnovers, field position, it’s always important and we all know the stats that go with those turnovers. We had some big ones today that either saved us points or the last one got us points.

Did you figure going in that it might be a little bit different with the game plan in terms of using [Donté] Stallworth a little bit more early? Ben [Watson] got involved later.
BB: No. Not really. We just pretty much ran our stuff and a lot of that is dictated by the coverage and the matchups that we have there. I thought, for the most part, it came to probably the right spot on the ball. I don’t think our execution was as good as what it could be or maybe what it has been in other games.

How satisfying was the first red zone stop?
The first one of the year. Finally. I thought we played a little better in the red area. I really do. I think we tightened things up a bit, but we still need to do a better job of that.

What are your thoughts on Rodney [Harrison’s] performance there being his first game back?
I’ll have to take a look at the tape, but it’s good to have him back out there. We probably could have done with out the penalties.

Do you like how your team answered after they closed it to 20-10?
Yeah, that was a big drive. That was a big drive. After we had the penalty there and hitting Ben on that 2-and-20, something like that, that was a big play on that drive. We needed that drive. We really didn’t move the ball at all in the third quarter, other than the reverse and I guess one other first down, but we weren’t moving much in the third quarter. We need to advance it and that was big.

Overall, Junior Seau just seems to sort of turn back the clock. He’s running all over the field. Can you comment on the energy that he’s been bringing to the defense?
Oh, it’s been tremendous. Junior adds a lot of energy to our defense, to our entire football team. I think a lot of people on the team, a lot of players, coaches – all of us, respond to him. He has a great love for the game and a preparation for it as well, not just playing it, but he prepares hard during the week. You can see him in practice. You see pretty much the same thing as what you see out there on Sunday. He’s consistent. He brings it every day. He has a good level of energy and it’s real good for our football team. It’s good for our team. I’m glad we have him. I’m glad we do. He made some big plays today, but he makes plays every week and a lot of plays it’s things where he’ll draw something so somebody else can make it. It’s not in any way all about him. He’s a very unselfish player. He might be one of the most unselfish players I’ve ever coached.

You said during the week that it was basically [Jamal] Lewis who had carried the ball for them all year and they lost him early. Did you see that affect the offense for them at all?
Well, I think we had a lot of problems with [Jason] Wright. He bounced a lot of balls outside. He’s more of a loose play guy, similar to what we saw last week from [Kenny] Watson in Cincinnati. They ran some inside runs, but it wasn’t the same kind of power style that Lewis brings. I thought he ran the ball well and we got hurt on some bounce out and perimeter plays. It was a different challenge. They’re both good backs. It certainly gave them another option in the passing game. They hurt us on that angle route and the screen, things like that. I’m not sure that Lewis would have…well he might not have been in there on that play, but those are good plays for him and he runs them well.

Can you talk about that goal line stand and how it kind of got your defense going?
We weren’t actually in our goal line defense, but the ball was down there close. We were able to make a couple of plays with our regular defense in there. That was important, obviously. It was a good job to keep them out of the end zone. Then we got the tipped ball and the turnover. That gave us a lift. It seemed like we needed something to get us going a little bit today.

Did Junior think he was in the end zone on that one interception where he threw his hands up?
I don't know. He was pretty happy to get two in one game. I don't know. You’d have to ask him about that. I don’t know what Junior is thinking sometimes.

How did you like the kickoff coverage?
We had our moments. It’s a challenge though. They’re a great return team. [Joshua] Cribbs is a terrific runner. They didn’t break any real long ones, but they had some good field position. We got them down there a couple of time early, but it was a challenge. It was a problem.

Junior is pass coverage, have you noticed an improvement at all? After 18 years in the league, I don't know if he could improve.
I think Junior is a very astute player. He understands the passing game and he understands who the threats are, and those change from week-to-week and by passing scheme to passing scheme. One team throws a little bit different than the next. He understands football very well. He knows where the threats are and he’s very aware of those, both in the running game and in the passing game. He’s really outstanding in terms of knowing what needs to be done and what needs to be taken away in certain coverages and against different looks. I think he’s been pretty good at that since he’s been here. He’s a very instinctive player, but he knows what’s going on.

Is Watson’s production directly connected to the wide receivers around him?
I don't know. I think they all help each other. I think they all probably help each other – Stallworth and Watson, it seemed like they had more production today and a little bit less to Randy [Moss] and Wes [Welker], although we had our chances with them, we just maybe didn’t take advantage of some of the opportunities that we had. It’s hard to cover all of them. I can tell you that from practice. They all have good ability and they can get open and Tom [Brady] can get them the ball.

Were you impressed with some of the things that the Browns were able to do stop, something other teams haven’t been able to do, stop Moss?
Yeah, I think the Browns are a good football team. I think they’re a well-balanced team. They’re good in the kicking game. They gave us problems on defense and they moved the ball against us. That really didn’t come as any big surprise to me. They’ve been doing that.

When a team has six turnovers coming into a game, on paper do they look vulnerable?
I try not to put too much weight on the stats in previous games. Everything is pretty well contained within each competitive contest. Sometimes that stuff that has happened in the past doesn’t necessarily reflect the matchup in this game.

As games following Monday night go, how do you change your expectation level about efficiency performance, etcetera?
I just think we have to do a better job. I think we can play better than we played. We just didn’t play as well as I think we’re capable of playing in any phase of the game. We have to do a better job of coaching. When the players don’t play well, then that’s a reflection of the coaching. I think we just have to do a better job all the way around – long week, short week or any other week.

Posted by Art Martone  at 5:59 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Brady Ties Record

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.

Posted by Jim Donaldson  at 3:37 PM to Tom Brady | Permalink | Comments 0

Watson Targeted

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Ben Watson gets congratulations from Stephen Neal after his second-quarter touchdown.

Tight end BEN WATSON'S 7-yard touchdown catch from Tom Brady in the second quarter was his fourth in five games this season. He now has TD receptions in six of his last nine regular-season games, dating back to last year.

Posted by Jim Donaldson  at 3:20 PM to Ben Watson | Permalink | Comments 0

Scoring Streak Ends

The Patriots failed to score in the third quarter this afternoon -- marking the only quarter this season in which they have not put up any points. They had scored in all 18 quarters this year, and 37 in a row (including playoffs) dating back to last season.
Another scoring streak that remains alive, however, is New England's string of putting points on the board on their first possession. By kicking a field goal on a 78-yard drive following the opening kickoff, the Pats have scored the first time they've had the ball in all five of their games this season.

Posted by Jim Donaldson  at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Franchise player

Cornerback ASANTE SAMUEL, unhappy to have been designated the Patriots' "franchise player," even though that meant he'd be paid $7.79 this season, continues to make a case for an even bigger payday next year.
For the third game in a row, Samuel had an interception, picking off a Derek Anderson pass in the first quarter that first was deflected by linebacker Adalius Thomas. Including last season's playoff games, Samuel now has 12 interceptions in his last 14 games, dating back to the Chicago game last November, when he picked off three passes.

Posted by Jim Donaldson  at 3:11 PM to Asante Samuel | Permalink | Comments 0

Seau Stars

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Junior Seau runs with his second interception of the day.

Veteran linebacker JUNIOR SEAU had two interceptions in the first half. It was the third time in his 18-year, NFL career he's had multiple picks in the same game, the last time coming against the Chiefs in 1996, when he was playing for San Diego. Prior to this afternoon, Seau's last interception was in 2002, against Houston, when he was with the Chargers.

Posted by Jim Donaldson  at 3:07 PM to Junior Seau | Permalink | Comments 0

Tedy tops 30

That six-yard sack of Derek Anderson was Tedy Bruschi's second of the day, and gives him 30.5 for his career -- Bruschi is the 13th player to record 30 or more sacks in a Patriots' uniform.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 3:06 PM to Tedy Bruschi | Permalink | Comments 0

Hang onto that one, Donte

Journal photo / Glenn Osmundson

Donte Stallworth just recorded his first touchdown as a Patriot, and it was a nice one -- he came back for the Tom Brady ball, jumped over corner Leigh Bodden, then wove his way into the end zone.

Not surprisingly, the good-natured receiver ran off the field holding the ball aloft.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 1:32 PM to Donte Stallworth | Permalink | Comments 0

Harrison enters the game

Rodney Harrison just played his first down of the 2007 season, coming on for Cleveland's first down try from the New England 12. He showed good wheels, too, going across the field to try and stop Jason Wright.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 1:22 PM to Rodney Harrison | Permalink | Comments 0

Sanders gets the start

Though Rodney Harrison is in uniform and will likely see a bunch of snaps in today's game, he is not starting.

Third-year man James Sanders is starting alongside Eugene Wilson.

It's not much of a surprise, given that Harrison has been away for four weeks. Asante Samuel was held out of the starting lineup for the first two weeks of the season, though he saw extensive playing time in those games before starting opposite Ellis Hobbs for game three against Buffalo.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 12:59 PM to James Sanders , Rodney Harrison | Permalink | Comments 0

Willie gets big ovation

The Cleveland defense was just introduced, and former Patriot Willie McGinest was saved for last.

When his named was called, he received a great ovation from the Gillette crowd, and McGinest acknowledged the cheers with a wave.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Harrison's warm welcome

The defensive backs just ran onto the field for warmups, and did the customary lap around the field.

Rodney Harrison was at the front of the line, and the cheers from the few people in their seats was a sign that the fan base certainly is glad to have the safety back.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 12:21 PM to Rodney Harrison | Permalink | Comments 0

Game inactives - Maroney, Koppen out

Running back Laurence Maroney is once again listed as an inactive for today's game, the second game he's missed due to a groin injury.

Center Dan Koppen (ankle) is also out, meaning Russ Hochstein will likely serve as center.

Other inactives:

QB Matt Gutierrez - 3rd QB
S Rashad Baker
T Wesley Britt
DL Santonio Thomas
DL Kareem Brown
LB Chad Brown

By the way, we saw Marcellus Rivers in the media dining area with other inactive and practice-squad players, so it's a safe bet that he'll be re-signed this week.

Cleveland inactives:

QB Ken Dorsey - 3rd QB
P Dave Zastudil
DB Gary Baxter
RB Jerome Harrison
OL Isaac Sowells
OL Nat Dorsey
WR Travis Wilson
DL Ted Washington

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 11:41 AM to Chad Brown , Dan Koppen , Kareem Brown , Laurence Maroney , Marcellus Rivers , Matt Gutierrez , Rashad Baker , Santonio Thomas , Wesley Britt | Permalink | Comments 0

Traffic trouble . . . again

BY JIM DONALDSON
Journal Sports Writer

FOXBORO -- I've been driving to Patriots game here for 29 years now, and never have I so consistently encountered traffic problems as this season.

A huge problem, for those coming up Route 1 from the south, is that there is only one -- that's right, one! -- lane from which access to the lots on the east (stadium) side of the road is allowed. In years past, two lanes have been allowed to turn into those lots. But not this year, as I found out to my dismay this morning.

It already had taken me 30 minutes to poke up the road the short distance from the Dunkin Donuts to the P8 entrance. Because I was not in the far right lane, which actually is the breakdown lane on Route 1, I then had to continue past the stadium and enter at P1 to get to the media lot, which is located at the southeast corner of the stadium.

There is plenty of parking for fans west of Route 1, and, from reports I've heard, it's easy to get out and on the road after the game. Certainly, on the way in, the two left lanes of Route 1, heading north, move much more easily than the irritating backups on the right. So, unless you have to park on the stadium side of Route 1 (as media members do), you're better off staying left, if you're coming from the south, and parking on the west side of the highway.

My colleague, Ms. Manza-Young, our Patriots beat writer, came down Route 1 from the north, and she also encountered serious traffic, even though she was getting to the stadium three hours before kickoff. She'll describe her traffic troubles in her pregame blog.

While the Patriots clearly now how to design pass patterns, they obviously don't have a clue how to manage game-day traffic patterns.

Posted by Jim Donaldson  at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

Welcome to Gillette

Hey all --

For today at least, the beautiful weather we've been enjoying has left the area, as it's cool and cloudy with a threat of rain here in Foxboro.

That has not stopped the masses from making their Sunday pilgrimage here, popping up their tent/shelters and starting their parties. We hit Route 1 traffic before we even got off of Route 95, and coming down Route 1 south was a long and arduous process.

Oh, and to the guy who was riding with what looked to be a 6-year old in his lap -- what are you thinking?? I don't care if it was stop and go traffic or not -- and judging by the fact that your car was crammed full of people, I'm guessing he was only on your lap for the crawl down Route 1 -- that's the height of stupidity.

On the field, there's a lot of orange -- Browns players in their team shorts and security folks in neon parkas -- but Stephen Gostkowski, Chris Hanson, Mike Vrabel and Benjamin Watson are getting their warmup on for New England.

We will be back with more as things get going.

shalise

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments 0