March 28, 2008
In news first reported by the Boston Herald, tight end Benjamin Watson recently underwent left ankle surgery and may not be ready come training camp in late July.
The surgery reportedly revealed cartilage damage and scar tissue; when asked about the surgery, Watson declined. The Patriots refused to comment.
Watson first injured the ankle in Week 6 against Dallas, when he was dragged down from behind by Cowboys' safety Roy Williams, who is so notorious for taking players down that way that the NFL instituted a rule against using a "horse collar" tackle because of a high incidence of injury with the move.
Though Williams was fined three times for such a tackle last season -- including a one-game suspension late in the season after a takedown of the Eagles' Donovan McNabb -- he was not cited for the Watson tackle.
Watson played in 12 games last season. The Patriots cut veteran tight end Kyle Brady on Feb. 29, apparently before the extent of Watson's injury was known. David Thomas, who missed most of last season, and Stephen Spach, are the team's other players at the position.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young 
at 8:50 AM | Permalink
December 16, 2007
For the Patriots:
QB Matt Gutierrez (3QB)
WR Chad Jackson
S Rashad Baker
S James Sanders
G Stephen Neal
G Billy Yates
WR Troy Brown
TE Benjamin Watson
For the Jets:
QB Marques Tuiasosopo (3QB)
WR Chris Davis
OL Jacob Bender
T Adrian Jones
TE Jason Pociask
LB Marques Murrell
DL Kareem Brown
DE Eric Hicks
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 12:04 PM | Permalink
December 13, 2007
For the Patriots:
Did Not Participate
G Billy Yates - foot
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
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 4:10 PM | Permalink
December 3, 2007
BALTIMORE -- Although they had to settle for a field goal when tight end Ben Watson dropped what should have been a touchdown pass from Tom Brady, the Patriots scored on their first possession for the 11th time in their 12 games this season. They now have eight TDs and three FGs the first time they've had the ball.
Posted by Jim Donaldson at 9:16 PM | Permalink
November 25, 2007
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.
-- JIM DONALDSON
Posted by Jim Donaldson at 10:06 PM | Permalink
November 20, 2007
The Patriots today re-signed tight end Jason Rader to their practice squad; to make room for Rader on the eight-man unit, the team released quarterback David Greene.
New England has only two tights ends on its 53-man roster, Benjamin Watson and Kyle Brady.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 10:47 PM | Permalink
November 16, 2007
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.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 5:44 PM | Permalink
November 6, 2007
The Patriots have released tight end Marcellus Rivers again, in a move that shows that Benjamin Watson will be fully healthy by the time New England plays again, and leads one to believe that his spot on the 53-man roster will soon be filled.
Who it will be filled by is another question altogether. Bill Belichick said yesterday that the team will start the clock on veteran Troy Brown this week, and corner Eddie Jackson and wideout Chad Jackson have been practicing for the last three weeks as well.
This is the fourth time this season that Rivers has been released by the Pats; he did play in three games this season but did not record any statistics. Against the Redskins, he had two dropped passes, including one in the end zone.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 7:03 PM | Permalink
November 4, 2007
Here are the game inactives:
For the Patriots:
QB Matt Gutierrez - third quarterback
S Mel Mitchell
S Eugene Wilson
LB Eric Alexander
T Wesley Britt
G Billy Yates
TE Marcellus Rivers
DL Kareem Brown
For the Colts:
WR Craphonso Thorpe
DB Michael Coe
DB Brannon Condren
LB Freddy Keiaho
LB Tyjuan Hagler
T Tony Ugoh
WR Marvin Harrison
DT Quinn PItcock
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 3:17 PM | Permalink
The Patriots have started filtering on to the surface here at the Dome, and Benjamin Watson (questionable, ankle) is out there warming up. He is not being carefully watched by members of the training staff, which has shown to be a good sign with players in recent weeks.
Watson has been stretching, doing plyometric drills, and also ran some sprints with Mike Vrabel.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 1:41 PM | Permalink
November 2, 2007
New England has released its Friday injury/participation report:
Questionable
LB Eric Alexander - knee
S Mel Mitchell - groin
LB Mike Vrabel - shoulder
TE Benjamin Watson - ankle
S Eugene Wilson - ankle
Probable
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 4:31 PM | Permalink
The Patriots moved their practice inside at the last minute today, and are practicing inside the controlled atmosphere of the Dana-Farber Fieldhouse.
The news of the day is that Eugene Wilson and Mel Mitchell returned to practice, while Benjamin Watson, who practiced the first two days this week, was not spotted.
In addition to Watson, Sammy Morris and Eric Alexander were missing.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 12:29 PM | Permalink
November 1, 2007
New England has released its second participation report of the week:
Did Not Participate
S Mel Mitchell - groin
RB Sammy Morris - chest
S Eugene Wilson - ankle
LB Eric Alexander - knee
Limited Participation
TE Kyle Brady - team decision
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
LB Mike Vrabel - shoulder
TE Benjamin Watson - ankle
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 3:56 PM | Permalink
October 31, 2007
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
Indianapolis has not yet submitted its report.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 4:06 PM | Permalink
Hey all --
We are just in from the week's first practice, held in full pads. Team owner Robert Kraft was taking in the session, yet another sign of how big Sunday's game is.
As for who was there and who wasn't, Benjamin Watson made his return after missing two weeks with an ankle injury. However, Sammy Morris (chest), Eugene Wilson (ankle), Mel Mitchell (groin), and Eric Alexander (knee) remain on the list of absentees.
Joining them on that list is corner Asante Samuel, who was not spotted during media access.
And Troy Brown was not out there either, which is meaningful because this is the last week that the Patriots have the option of opening the window for Brown. As he is on the PUP list, teams can choose at any time between weeks six and nine to start practicing and open a 21-day window for them, by the end of which time they must either activate them to the 53-man roster or put them on season-ending injured reserve.
After Sunday's win over Washington, Bill Belichick said it had been his team's best week of practice to that point, and it showed in the high number of practice player of the week jerseys -- we counted 10, with rookies Brandon Meriweather and Kareem Brown, Larry Izzo, Ray Ventrone, Pierre Woods, Antwain Spann, Le Kevin Smith, Rashad Baker and Tim Mixon all sporting the black jerseys. Interesting that none of the award winners were from the offensive side of the ball.
We'll be back with more shortly.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 1:25 PM | Permalink
October 24, 2007
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
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 3:59 PM | Permalink
Hey all -
We've just been kicked out of the Dana-Farber Fieldhouse, where the Patriots are holding their first practice of the week in full pads.
The news of the day is the return of Richard Seymour, and also that safety Eugene Wilson was among those not on the field.
Wilson, who did not play many snaps against Miami but was not on the injury list, was one of five players not spotted. The other four: Benjamin Watson, Sammy Morris, Eric Alexander and Mel Mitchell.
Interestingly, there were no players in jerseys, leading to the assumption that no one was named practice player of the week.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 1:10 PM | Permalink
October 21, 2007
The game inactives have been released, and Laurence Maroney is not among them for the Patriots, though if we were to guess, we'd say Kevin Faulk will still be the primary and Maroney getting a few carries.
New England inactives
QB Matt Gutierrez - 3rd quarterback
S Mel Mitchell
LB Eric Alexander
T Wesley Britt
TE Benjamin Watson
DL Kareem Brown
DL Mike Wright
Miami inactives
RB Lorenzo Booker
S Travares Tillman
LB Abraham Wright
DT Anthony Bryant
DT Jesse Mahelona
DT Vonnie Holliday
DE Rob Ninkovich
DT Sam Rayburn
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 12:11 PM | Permalink
October 20, 2007
The Patriots have announced that five players have been downgraded to OUT for tomorrow's game with Miami:
LB Eric Alexander - knee
S Mel Mitchell - groin
RB Sammy Morris - chest
TE Benjamin Watson - ankle
DE Mike Wright - knee
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 7:42 PM | Permalink
October 19, 2007
Practice today, held under a very grey sky, looked mighty similar to the previous two days, at least from an attendance standpoint.
Eric Alexander, Benjamin Watson, Sammy Morris and Mel Mitchell were not on the field during media access, the same quartet that's been missing all week.
The players are in shells and shorts; Bill Belichick, when asked about yesterday's walkthrough practice, said it was for mental emphasis of things and indicated today's practice might be longer to make up for it.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 12:30 PM | Permalink
October 17, 2007
The first report of the week has been released:
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
Limited Participation
TE David Martin - ankle
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 6:24 PM | Permalink
Hey all -
As previously posted, Eddie Jackson and Chad Jackson were on the field with their teammates for practice today, meaning the Patriots have opened the 21-day window for both.
Within the next three weeks, the two players can practice and the team must decide by the end whether to activate the players (and make a corresponding move) or place them on season-ending IR.
Also at practice, held in shorts and shells, Benjamin Watson, Sammy Morris, Mel Mitchell and Eric Alexander were missing, and tackle Wesley Britt made his return after a week tending to personal issues.
Marcellus Rivers, Pierre Woods and C.J. Jones were all in black jerseys for being named practice players of the week.
It is the second consecutive black jersey and third of the season for Jones, a practice squad receiver.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 1:15 PM | Permalink
October 8, 2007
Hey all --
It was a sparsely-attended locker room this afternoon, as most of the players headed home after team meetings.
But Troy Brown, who hasn't been spotted in several weeks, did walk through the room.
Ellis Hobbs was rocking Red Sox regalia -- a road jersey and a red Sox cap, though the jersey bore the number 18 and the name "Damon."
"Don't read too much into it," Hobbs said. "I went to a game my rookie year (and that was the jersey he bought). I'm all about the fashion, that's all."
Hobbs also had Sammy Morris' Texas Tech jersey hanging in front of his locker, and will have to wear it around the facility on Wednesday since Morris' Red Raiders beat Hobbs' Iowa State Cyclones last weekend.
There were also Tennessee windbreakers hanging on Richard Seymour's locker and on the back of Benjamin Watson's chair -- left there by Donte Stallworth, whose Volunteers upset Georgia.
Chad Scott was also in the room for a few minutes, and said he's feeling pretty good as he rehabs the knee injury suffered on the first day of training camp.
As tomorrow is an off day for the players, we're going to take a mental health day as well, so unless news breaks, we'll talk to you again Wednesday morning.
shalise
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 3:55 PM | Permalink
October 7, 2007
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 | Permalink
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
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 | Permalink
October 2, 2007
BY JIM DONALDSON
Journal Sports Writer
CINCINNATI -- Turnabout, Patriots tight end Ben Watson believes, is fair play.
Since linebacker Mike Vrabel gets to come in near the goal line and catch touchdown passes, Watson wants a chance to rush the passer.
''I want to come in on third-and-long,'' he said, smiling broadly. ''I want to come in when it's third-and-20, when everybody's knows the quarterback is going to pass, and get a sack.''
Watson, still smiling, added that the tight ends get ''a little jealous'' when Vrabel gets the ball thrown to him in the end zone.
''Whenever we see Mike coming in,'' said Watson, ''we roll our eyes and say: 'Oh, man!' ''
The tight ends try not to let Vrabel slip into their meetings during the week.
''He tries to sneak in,'' Watson said.
But they can't keep him out of the huddle when coach Bill Belichick sends him in.
And, it appears, opposing defenses can't keep the versatile Vrabel from catching the ball in the end zone.
He has caught nine passes since coming to the Patriots from Pittsburgh as an unrestricted free agent in 2001, and all of them have been for touchdowns.
Two of them were in Super Bowls -- one against Carolina, one against the Eagles -- and his latest TD catch came last night in Cincinnati, when he hauled in a 1-yard toss from Tom Brady in the final minute of the first quarter that put the Patriots on top, 10-0.
''Mike's a great threat down there,'' Brady said. ''He's very elusive and has good hands.''
''His eyes light up,'' Belichick said, ''when he sees the ball coming.''
Posted by Jim Donaldson at 12:35 AM | Permalink
September 23, 2007
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.
Posted by Art Martone at 7:01 PM | Permalink
