April 28, 2008
Good friend Dan Pires of the New Bedford Standard-Times slipped an important note about Junior Seau into one of his draft stories this weekend.
Namely, that Seau wants to come back to the Patriots for a 19th NFL season. The 39-year old is at home in San Diego recovering from rotator cuff surgery.
Wrote Pires:
Seau confirmed Saturday that the two sides have spoken, and he's expected to return to the area shortly for a physical, but he's not totally convinced that he's in the team's plans.
"It's all good," he said from southern California, as he was preparing to head out and surf.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young 
at 10:39 AM | Permalink
December 16, 2007
Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Junior Seau celebrates his second-quarter sack of Chad Pennington.
Courtesy of the Patriots' PR department:
PATRIOTS TIE NFL RECORD WITH 21st DIFFERENT PLAYER TO SCORE A TOUCHDOWN
With his first quarter interception return for a touchdown, Eugene Wilson became the 21st different player to score a touchdown for the Patriots this season, tying the all-time NFL record for most players scoring a touchdown in a single season. The Patriots have tied the 2000 Denver Broncos and the 1987 Los Angeles Rams, who also each had 21 players scoring a touchdown.
WILSON SCORES FIRST CAREER TOUCHDOWN
Eugene Wilson returned an interception five yards for a touchdown in the first quarter to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead. The touchdown was the first of Wilson’s 5-year career and came on his 10th career interception. Wilson has become the 30th player in Patriots history to record 10 or more regular-season interceptions with the team and ties Mike Vrabel for the third highest interception total in a New England uniform by an active Patriots player. Of active Patriots, only Asante Samuel (22) and Tedy Bruschi (12) have more interceptions than Wilson in a New England uniform. The interception was Wilson’s first since Nov. 20, 2005. He became the sixth Patriots player to score a defensive touchdown this season, joining Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs, Randall Gay, Rosevelt Colvin and Adalius Thomas. The interception return for a touchdown was the third for the Patriots this season.
BRADY SETS SINGLE-SEASON CAREER HIGH FOR PASSING YARDS
On a 12-yard completion to Randy Moss in the first quarter, Tom Brady set a new single-season career high for passing yards, topping his total of 4,110 yards in 2005. Following his 12-yard completion to Moss, Brady had 4,117 passing yards for the season. Brady entered today’s game leading the NFL with 4,095 passing yards for the season. Brady’s 2007 yardage total is currently the second highest total in Patriots franchise history, trailing only Drew Bledsoe’s team-record 4,555 passing yards in 1994.
MARONEY SCORES THIRD TOUCHDOWN OF SEASON
Laurence Maroney gave the Patriots a 17-7 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The scoring run was Maroney’s third of the season and was the ninth rushing score of his career. Maroney’s touchdown against the Jets was the 10th overall touchdown of his career, including nine rushing scores and one receiving touchdown.
WASHINGTON BLOCKED PUNT: FIRST FOR PATRIOTS SINCE 1999
Kelley Washington blocked a punt by New York’s Ben Graham in the second quarter, giving the Patriots possession at the Jets’ 3-yard line, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Laurence Maroney and a 17-7 Patriots lead. The blocked punt was the first for the Patriots Dec. 19, 1999, when Larry Whigham blocked a punt by Philadelphia’s Sean Landeta in a 24-9 loss to the Eagles at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.
EVEN STEPHEN
Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 26-yard field goal in the second quarter to give the Patriots a 10-0 lead. Following that field goal, Gostkowski was 17-for-20 on the season (85 percent) and 37-for-46 for his regular-season career (80.4 percent). Including his 8-for-8 career playoff mark, Gostkowski was 45-for-54 in his career (83.3 percent) following the kick.
OPPONENT BLOCKED PUNT RETURN FOR TOUCHDOWN: FIRST TIME SINCE 1990
The Jets’ David Bowens blocked a Chris Hanson punt and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown, marking the first time a Patriots opponent had returned a blocked punt for a touchdown since Oct. 18, 1990. In that game, Miami’s Mark Higgs returned a blocked punt of New England’s Brian Hansen 19 yards for a touchdown. Prior to today’s game, the last time an opponent blocked a Patriots punt was on Sept. 8, 2005, when Oakland’s Randal Williams blocked a Josh Miller punt.
SEAU RECORDS SECOND SACK OF SEASON
Junior Seau sacked Chad Pennington for an 8-yard loss in the second quarter. The sack was Seau’s second of the season and raised his career total to 55.0 career sacks. Seau’s career sack total ranks fifth among active linebackers.
SEYMOUR/GREEN SPLIT SACK
Richard Seymour and Jarvis Green combined to sack Chad Pennington for a 13-yard loss in the second quarter.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 2:39 PM | Permalink
November 2, 2007
Hey all --
Bill Belichick was once again in a pretty good mood today, starting his press conference with the question in the title of this entry: "Have you got it all figured out yet?" Asked if he had, Belichick smiled and said, "I don't know. This is a big day for us. We're two-thirds of the way there," meaning the team had gotten two of its three practice days completed.
In the locker room, Junior Seau was heard singing something that sounded a lot like the "Golden Girls" theme song (loved that show), and the usual players were at the game table. It was again a light-hearted scene, which is likely a good sign for the Patriots.
shalise
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 11:46 AM | Permalink
October 25, 2007
Hey all --
It was a pretty quiet day here at Gillette Stadium, as New England continues its preparations for Sunday's game against the Redskins.
In the locker room, Junior Seau spoke about his constant concern for his family back home in San Diego. Seau owns several homes in the area, at least one of which has been consumed by the wildfires burning in southern California.
"I'm on it every minute of the day," the veteran said. "My mom and dad are there, my kids are there.... it's just sad."
Seau flew home from Miami on Sunday to help his parents move from their home to his beach house; his sports bar, Seau's, in Mission Valley not far from Qualcomm Stadium, is being used as a shelter.
Bill Belichick was asked about Seau's use as a fullback in some of the Pats' goal-line packages this season, and said it's something the two talked about at the 1998 Pro Bowl, when Belichick was there as a member of the Jets' coaching staff and Seau was with the Chargers.
Seau didn't get used as a fullback in Hawaii, but he did line up at tight end. In the locker room, he said there was one play when he was wide open and John Elway didn't get him the ball.
As for Richard Seymour, having him on the practice field for the first time yesterday "was a start," Belichick said. "It's good to have everybody on the field that we can."
Practice is outside again today; we'll post an update around 1 p.m.
shalise
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 12:01 PM | Permalink
October 18, 2007
It was a typical Thursday in the Patriots locker room where few players were available to speak to the media.
One big surprise was that injured running back Laurence Maroney (groin), who missed the last three games, was available to talk to the press.
Maroney said that while he hopes to be back on Sunday, especially with Sammy Morris out of the Patriots lineup, he added that he isn’t going to rush back too quickly and he isn’t going to play just because Morris is out.
He said that it will be the Patriots coaching staff, not him, who will have the final say on whether he plays or not, but added that he feels “good.”
“I feel better than I did two weeks ago,” Maroney said.
Chad Jackson and Junior Seau also had a large media contingent at their lockers.
Jackson, drafted by the Patriots in the second round (36th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft, is coming off the physically unable to perform list and said that he has
something to prove. He said that he can help out an already explosive Patriots offense if he is given the chance.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick said at the morning press conference that Jackson has matured a lot from last year to this year.
Seau, who was voted to the Pro Bowl in 12 consecutive seasons, from 1991-2002, said that he is excited to go back to Miami and face his former teammates. Seau played for the Dolphins from 2003 through the 2005 season.
He said that the Patriots just need to continue to do what they have been doing in order to be successful in Miami, a place where New England only has one victory in the history of the franchise in the months of September and October.
When former Dolphin Wes Welker was approached by the media he said that he had to go eat and then get ready for practice so he couldn’t talk.
Posted by Rob Lee at 12:48 PM | Permalink
October 14, 2007
From the New England PR staff:
HIGHEST POINT TOTAL IN 23 YEARS
The Patriots scored 48 points today, marking their highest point total since 1984. The last time the Patriots scored 48 points or more was on Nov. 18, 1984, when they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 50-17. The 48 points are tied for the sixth-highest single-game total in franchise history.
BRADY SETS CAREER-HIGH WITH FIVE TOUCHDOWN PASSES, TYING FRANCHISE RECORD
In his 100th career start, Tom Brady set a career high with five touchdown passes today, tying the Patriots single-game franchise record and becoming the first New England player to achieve the feat since Steve Grogan on Sept. 9, 1979. Vito “Babe” Parilli also threw five touchdowns in a game for the Patriots on two occasions – on Oct. 15, 1967 and on Nov. 15, 1964. Brady had previously thrown four touchdown passes in a game on six occasions, most recently on Sept. 23, 2007 against Buffalo.
BRADY SETS NFL RECORD WITH THREE OR MORE TOUCHDOWNS IN FIRST SIX GAMES
By virtue of his five touchdown passes today, Tom Brady has set a new NFL record by becoming the first player in league history to throw for three or more touchdowns in each of a season’s first six games. The previous record was set by San Francisco’s Steve Young, when he threw for three or more touchdowns in each of the first five games of the 1998 season. Brady has totaled 21 touchdown passes through six games in 2007. Brady has now thrown for three or more touchdowns 25 times in his regular season career and his six three-touchdown games in 2007 set a new career-high, besting his five three-touchdown games in 2002. Last season, Brady threw for three or more touchdowns in a game on two occasions.
BRADY’S 388 YARDS ARE HIGHEST NON-OVERTIME TOTAL OF CAREER
Tom Brady totaled 388 passing yards today, marking the second highest total of his career. His yardage total against the Cowboys trails only his career-high 410 yards in an overtime game against Kansas City on Sept. 22, 2002. Brady’s 388 yards against Dallas stand as the highest non-overtime total of his career. Brady was 31-for-46 on the day, and his 31 completions are his highest in more than a year, dating back to when he also completed 31 passes against Denver on Sept. 24, 2006.
BRADY: 21 TOUCHDOWN PASSES THIS SEASON, 167 FOR HIS CAREER
Tom Brady’s career-high five touchdown passes raised his season total to 21 touchdown passes and his career total to 168 touchdown passes. With his fourth touchdown of the day – a 1-yarder to Kyle Brady in the third quarter – Tom Brady passed Drew Bledsoe (166 touchdown passes) for second place on the Patriots’ all-time list. Steve Grogan is the Patriots’ all-time leader with 184 touchdown passes. Brady’s 21 touchdown passes this season mark the sixth consecutive season he has exceeded 20 touchdown passes. Brady’s six straight seasons with 20 or more touchdown passes is the longest streak in Patriots history, topping Drew Bledsoe’s three straight years with 20 or more touchdown passes from 1996-98. Brady’s single-season career high is 28 touchdown passes, achieved in 2002 and 2004. Last season, Brady totaled 24 touchdown passes.
STALLWORTH HAULS IN 69-YARD TOUCHDOWN PASS
Donte’ Stallworth caught a 69-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the fourth quarter to give the Patriots a 38-24 lead. The touchdown was the longest touchdown completion for the Patriots in nearly four years. The last time New England had a touchdown catch that long was on Oct. 19, 2003, when Troy Brown hauled in an 82-yard touchdown from Brady in overtime at Miami. Stallworth’s 69-yard play was the longest play from scrimmage for the Patriots this season and was the longest play from scrimmage for New England since Sept. 18, 2005, when Troy Brown caught a 71-yard pass from Brady in a game at Carolina. The 69-yard touchdown catch was Stallworth’s second of the season and the 30th of his career.
STALLWORTH TOTALS SECOND-HIGHEST YARDAGE TOTAL OF CAREER
Donte’ Stallworth recorded his first 100-yard game in a Patriots uniform, totaling 136 yards on seven catches (19.4 avg.). The yardage total is the second highest of Stallworth’s six-year career, trailing only his career-high 139 receiving yards (on six catches), for Philadelphia on Nov. 12, 2006 against Washington.
SEAU SETS CAREER HIGH FOR INTERCEPTIONS
With his fourth-quarter interception of Tony Romo, Junior Seau set a new single-season career high with his third interception of the season. Seau’s previous single-season high in his 18-year career was two interceptions, achieved six times, most recently in 2000. Last week against Cleveland, Seau tied his single-game career high with two interceptions.
WELKER SCORES TWO TOUCHDOWNS
Wes Welker set a career high with two touchdown receptions today, doubling his career total heading into the game. He hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the first quarter to give the Patriots a 14-0 lead and then grabbed a 12-yard scoring pass to give the Patriots a 21-10 lead in the second quarter. The touchdown catches were the second and third of the season for Welker, who also snared an 11-yard scoring reception to cap off the Patriots’ opening drive of the season against the New York Jets on Sept. 9. Welker’s touchdown catches against the Cowboys raised his career receiving touchdown total to four. He also scored a touchdown on a kickoff return with the Miami Dolphins in 2004.
WELKER SETS CAREER HIGHS FOR RECEPTIONS AND RECEIVING YARDS
Wes Welker had a career-high 11 receptions for a career-high 124 yards, recording his first career 100-yard receiving game. His previous career high was 97 yards (on three receptions), achieved on Oct. 16, 2005 with the Miami Dolphins in a game at Tampa Bay. Welker’s 11 receptions are tied for the sixth-highest single-game total in Patriots history and are the most by a Patriot since Troy Brown caught 11 passes on Nov. 10, 2002 against the Chicago Bears at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. Welker's previous single-game career high for receptions was nine, acheived with the Dolphins against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Oct. 8, 2006.
FAULK MOVES INTO TOP TEN ON FRANCHISE RUSHING LIST
With his 50 rushing yards today, Kevin Faulk moved into 10th place on the Patriots’ all-time rushing list, passing Craig James’s total of 2,469 yards from 1984-88. Faulk finished the game with 2,498 rushing yards for the Patriots.
MOSS SCORES EIGHTH TOUCHDOWN OF THE SEASON
Randy Moss gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead on a 6-yard touchdown reception from Tom Brady on the Patriots’ opening drive of the game. The touchdown was Moss’s eighth of the season, making him the first Patriot since Ben Coates in 1997 to have eight or more scoring catches in a single season. The score was the 109th receiving touchdown of Moss’s career, a total that ranks fifth on the NFL’s all-time list. Moss has now caught a touchdown pass in five of New England’s six games this season.
BRADY-TO-BRADY TOUCHDOWN
Kyle Brady hauled in a 1-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to give the Patriots a 28-24 lead with 4:56 remaining in the third quarter. The touchdown pass was Tom Brady’s fourth of the day (tying his single-game career high) and was his 20th of the season. For Kyle Brady, the touchdown was his first of the season and his first in a New England uniform after joining the team as a free agent in the offseason. Kyle Brady’s last touchdown came on Nov. 20, 2005 while playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee. The score raised Kyle Brady’s career touchdown total to 23, achieved with the New York Jets (1995-98), Jaguars (1999-2006) and Patriots (2007).
HARRISON IS ALL-TIME DEFENSIVE BACK SACK LEADER
Rodney Harrison sacked Tony Romo for an 11-yard loss on third down in the first quarter, moving the Cowboys back to their own 8-yard line and forcing a punt on the next play. The sack raised Harrison’s career total to 29.5 sacks, a mark that is the highest in NFL history for a defensive back dating to when sacks became an official statistic in 1982. Carnell Lake ranks second among NFL defensive backs with 25.0 career sacks. Harrison, who has also recorded 32 career interceptions, is the only player in NFL history to total at least 25 career sacks and at least 30 career interceptions.
QUICK HITS
Ø Fullback Kyle Eckel scored his first career touchdown, on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter that made the score 48-24.
Ø The Patriots converted 11-of-17 third-down chances, totaling a 65 percent conversion rate.
Ø The Patriots converted four-of-four third-down attempts on their opening drive of the game as they went 74 yards in 14 plays, ending in a 6-yard touchdown catch by Randy Moss on third down.
Ø Vince Wilfork tackled Julius Jones in the backfield for a 1-yard loss on first down in the first quarter.
Ø The Patriots have outscored their opponents 58-7 in the first quarter through six games this season, including their 14-0 performance against the Cowboys today.
GOSTKOWSKI’S SUCCESS STREAK
Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 45-yard field goal in the third quarter to give the Patriots a 31-24 lead. He has hit eight of his nine field goal attempts this season (88.9 percent) and has nailed 29 of his last 32 attempts (90.6 percent) dating back to Nov. 5, 2006, including a perfect 8-for-8 performance in last season’s playoffs.
STARTING STRONG
The Patriots scored first, taking a 7-0 lead on a 6-yard touchdown reception by Randy Moss in the first quarter. New England has scored on its opening drive in each game this season. New England has scored first in each of its six games this season and has achieved the feat in nine straight regular season and playoff games dating back to Jan. 7, 2007.
TWO-SCORE RECEIVER FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT GAME
With Wes Welker’s two-touchdown performance today, the Patriots have had a receiver catch a pair of touchdowns in five consecutive games. Last season, the Patriots did not have a player with two or more scoring catches in a game. Randy Moss caught two touchdowns on Sept. 16, Sept. 23 and Oct. 1. Benjamin Watson set a career high with two touchdown receptions last week against Cleveland. Before Moss’s two-score performance on Sept. 16, the last Patriot to catch two or more touchdowns in a game was linebacker Mike Vrabel, who hailed in two scores against the New York Jets on Dec. 26, 2005.
SIXTH STRAIGHT GAME WITH A 100-YARD RECEIVER
With 100-yard receiving days for Donte’ Stallworth and Wes Welker against the Cowboys, the Patriots had a 100-yard receiver for the sixth consecutive game, adding to a team record. The previous team record was four straight games with a 100-yard receiver — from Nov. 23 to Dec. 21, 1975, when Russ Francis, Randy Vataha, Don Calhoun and Andy Johnson each broke the 100-yard mark one time in a four-game span. In addition to Welker’s 100-yard game against the Cowboys, Randy Moss exceeded the 100-yard mark in each of the first four games of the 2007 season and Benjamin Watson achieved the feat last week against Cleveland.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 11:14 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
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 | Permalink
September 23, 2007
On falling behind in the first quarter
There is nothing to say, they went in there and jumped on us early and we didn’t meet their intensity. Obviously, that was taken care of after the second quarter and we went on to do what we had to do.
On the Patriots’ consistency
So far it has been going well and hopefully we can build on it. Obviously, we have a big game against Cincinnati and we will see what happens, but so far everything is working well and looking good. We know that it is one week at a time and a challenge every day.
On how the Patriots in the second half took the game over
Just making big plays. If you make enough big plays it’s definitely going to take the wind out of their sail. But, at the same time, you have a lot of people in this locker room who go out there and do what they have to do and make a big play.
Posted by Art Martone at 7:38 PM | Permalink
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
