January 30, 2008
There has been a lot of talk about Laurence Maroney’s running style and he doesn't like it.
He runs upright instead of getting low to the ground like most NFL running backs, but Maroney believes that just because he runs with a different style, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
After all, he’s been running that way his whole life and has been very successful at it.
He was selected the St. Louis Player of the Year while attending Normandy High School where he was a four-time All-Conference selection and rushed for 4,808 yards in his career with 56 touchdowns.
At the University of Minnesota, Maroney became one of only three players in Big 10 history to rush for over 1,000 yards in each of their first three seasons (Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, and Sedrick Irvin, Michigan State). He finished his three-year college career ranking second on Minnesota’s all-time career list with 3,933 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns.
And he’s rushed for 550 yards and six touchdowns over his last five games.
Those numbers are outstanding so Maroney doesn’t plan on adjusting his running style.
“Well you know, a lot of people always talk about adjusting your style, but you know, I continue to do what I do,” Maroney said. “That’s what got me here. I really don’t try to change too much of nothing, you know, I just go out there and have fun. I really don’t know what my style is.
Some games it may be speed and some games it may be power. It just depends on the atmosphere.
Maroney said that showing off his talent in the Patriots two playoff games in front of a national audience meant a lot to him. Maroney had 122 rushing yards and a touchdown in both of the Patriots playoff games.
“To be able to go out there and run the clock out on them having the confidence in me to run the clock out means a lot,” Maroney said. “…You know, one of the things I wanted to do was go out there and take advantage of the opportunities they give me and make them believe that we can run the ball when we need to.”
Not only can Maroney move the chains running the ball, but he also doesn’t turn the ball over either. In fact, none of the Patriot running backs or wide receivers have fumbled the ball resulting in a turnover.
“It is a good bit of us, but a lot more of Bill [Belichick],” Maroney said for the reason why the Patriots don’t fumble. “Every day he tells us, `protect the ball. Protect the ball.’ We don’t give teams turnovers…We work hard on ball protection every day.”
So how does Maroney plan on attacking the Giants on Sunday?
“Downhill,” Maroney said. “You know, when you have a physical defense like they do, you go down hill and hopefully they get tired of tackling.”
Maroney said that he will attack the Giants both inside and outside.
“It doesn’t matter; wherever the hole is at,” Maroney said. “I can go inside or outside. It really doesn’t matter.”
Maroney said that he is looking forward to Sunday.
Posted by Rob Lee 
at 12:54 PM | Permalink
December 26, 2007
Laurence Maroney is one of three nominees for the FedEx Ground player of the week after his 14 carry, 156-yard, one touchdown day against the Dolphins. Maroney had two runs of over 50 yards against Miami, including a 59-yard touchdown.
The other nominees are New York Giant Brandon Jacobs and Kenny Watson of the Bengals.
Fans can vote at nfl.com.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 9:15 PM | Permalink
December 11, 2007
The Patriots' underachieving, only-semi-durable, second-year running back might want to ponder these comments by Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy regarding the until recently unheralded Ryan Grant, who rushed for 156 yards on 29 carries Sunday against the Raiders: "I really like the way he runs. No wasted steps. One cut. Always moving forward. That's the style in the NFL that works best, I think."
Maroney was drafted 21st overall by New England in 2006. Grant was obtained by the Packers this year from the Giants in exchange for a late-round draft pick, after spending the 2005 season in New York on the practice squad and last season on the Injured Reserve list.
Unlike Grant, Maroney tries to make too many cuts, does too much dancing, too often runs East-West, instead of North-South.
As the weather worsens, and it becomes increasingly difficult to throw the football consistently, the Patriots will need to rely more on Maroney, who thus far in his brief career has not run as well as his former teammate at Minnesota, the Cowboys' Marion Barber.
Posted by Jim Donaldson at 3:32 PM | Permalink
November 25, 2007
Laurence Maroney's 4-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter not only regained the lead for the Patriots, 31-28, but also enabled the Pats to set a franchise record for points scored in a season -- 442, with five games still remaining.
Posted by Jim Donaldson at 11:11 PM | Permalink
FOXBORO -- Laurence Maroney finally got his first carry of the game, four minutes into the second half, but didn't gain any yards and promptly went to the sidelines. He did return to the field, however, after Brady scrambled for a first down at the NE 22.
-- JIM DONALDSON
Posted by Jim Donaldson at 10:12 PM | Permalink
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
FOXBORO -- Finally getting on the field with 6:38 to play in the first quarter, the New England offense proceeded to score on its first possession for the 10th time in 11 games, driving 78 yards in 10 plays, culminating in a 1-yard touchdown run by Heath Evans.
The Patriots now have scored a league-high 58 points the first time they've had the football through 11 games this season.
Coming on after the Eagles had tied the score with a 14-play, 77-yard drive that consumed 7 minutes, the Patriots went without a huddle -- and a running back -- on their opening drive, until they brought in Evans at the goal line.
Keeping Laurence Maroney, injured last Sunday night in Buffalo, on the bench on their opening drive, the Pats instead went with five receivers -- primarily Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker, Jabar Gaffney and Kevin Faulk.
-- JIM DONALDSON
Posted by Jim Donaldson at 8:50 PM | Permalink
November 21, 2007
For the Patriots:
Did Not Participate
DL Jarvis Green - ankle
LB Adalius Thomas - team decision
Limited Participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
S Eugene Wilson - ankle
**Despite returning to practice for the first time in a month, Eric Alexander (knee) is not on the list; also note that Kevin Faulk (concussion) and Laurence Maroney (foot) are not on the list.
For the Eagles:
Did Not Participate
QB Donovan McNabb - ankle, thumb
S Quintin Mikell - knee
T William Thomas - illness
Full Participation
WR Jason Avant - groin
FS Brian Dawkins - thigh
LS Jon Dorenbos - abdomen
LB Omar Gaither - back
G Todd Herremans - knee
CB William James - foot
DT Mike Patterson - ankle
RB Brian Westbrook - knee
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 4:04 PM | Permalink
The Patriots are holding their first practice of the week on a wet and very chiily practice field.
As the entry title indicates, Eugene Wilson and Eric Alexander returned to practice today, while Adalius Thomas and Jarvis Green were not spotted.
Kevin Faulk and Laurence Maroney are also on field for the full-pads practice.
Pierre Woods, Bam Childress, Tim Mixon and Santonio Thomas were each in black jerseys as practice player of the week.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 1:13 PM | Permalink
Hey all --
Injuries to both Kevin Faulk and Laurence Maroney in Sunday's game with Buffalo seemingly left the Patriots precariously thin at running back, but today Maroney said that he's not injured and expects to be available this Sunday against the Eagles.
As for Faulk, who suffered a first-half concussion, he said he'd like to play Sunday but if he doesn't, "you can't be mad about it because it's your health."
Tom Brady did not hold his customary Wednesday press conference.
In his chat, Bill Belichick spoke of the respect he has for Philadelphia coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, and noted that while their scheme is pretty much what it has been since that pair has been with the Eagles, it is a varied system with experienced players.
Belichick praised the Eagles' offensive line (he said right guard Shawn Andrews is the best offensive lineman the Pats have seen this season) and their red-zone defense, which is ranked third in the league.
Practice is being held outdoors today, and we'll give an update on who is and isn't there.
shalise
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 12:20 PM | Permalink
November 19, 2007
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – For Tom Brady, making history has become a near-weekly event this season, and he went into last night’s AFC East matchup with the Bills with a chance to make even more.
With five touchdowns against the Bills, Brady now has 185 in his career, passing New England Hall of Famer Steve Grogan for the franchise career record.
In 16 seasons, Grogan threw 182 touchdowns. Brady is playing his eighth season and seventh as a starter.
Brady also extended his NFL record for consecutive games with three or more passing touchdowns to 10 games; against the Colts, he broke the record of eight games that he was sharing with Indy’s Peyton Manning.
More Brady numbers:
* He is on pace to throw a league-record 61 touchdowns against just six interceptions;
* He is now 32-2 on artificial turf;
* 45-16 on the road;
* 21-2 when the game-time temperature is 40 degrees or below;
* 20-3 when throwing for more than 300 yards;
* 71-3 when leading at halftime and 75-2 when leading after three quarters;
* 47-1 when is passer rating is 100 or better.
*****
One other team record went down last night, as Randy Moss scored four touchdowns, breaking the tie he had with Stanley Morgan after the Colts’ game for the single-season record for receiving touchdowns.
Moss now has 16, passing the record of 12 Morgan set in 1979. With six games to go, he is one away from tying his personal best of 17 scores, which he did in his rookie year, 1998, and in his final season with the Vikings, 2003.
The 30-year old also has a chance to break the single-season league record of 22 TDs, set by Jerry Rice in 1987. Moss is now on pace for 26 touchdowns.
Moss also topped 1,000 receiving yards for the season last night, making him the first Pats’ receiver to do so since Troy Brown in 2001 (1,199 yards on a franchise-record 101 grabs). Moss finished the night with 10 catches for 128 yards, giving him 66 catches for 1,052 yards (15.9 yards per catch).
It is the eighth 1,000-yard season in Moss’ 10-year career.
*****
New England established a new franchise record for total touchdowns in a single season last night, pushing its total to 54 with the eight-TD performance against the Bills.
The previous record was 52, set in 1961 and 1980. The NFL record for most touchdowns by a team is 70, set by the 1984 Miami Dolphins. The Patriots are currently on pace to shatter that record, with 86.
*****
Laurence Maroney's first quarter touchdown was his first of the season, but he is the 19th different player to get into the end zone for New England this season; the league record is 21, set by the 2000 Denver Broncos and 1987 Los Angeles Rams.
*****
The Patriots have now won nine straight games against Buffalo, the team’s third-longest regular-season win streak against an opponent.
Their longest win streak against the same opponent is 11 games, also over the Bills, from Jan. 2, 1983-Dec. 20, 1987. New England beat San Diego in 10 straight meetings from 1973-2001.
*****
Before last night, Buffalo’s record on Sunday Night Football was a league-best 5-0; Green Bay and Philadelphia are both 5-1 under the Sunday night lights.
*****
New England is now 33-9 against the AFC East since 2001, the best intra-divisional record in the NFL over that time – the Steelers are second, at 32-12.
The next best record in the AFC East belongs to the Jets, who are 20-22 in division play over the last six-plus years.
*****
Last night’s game inactives for the Patriots: Matt Gutierrez, third quarterback; safeties Eugene Wilson and Mel Mitchell; linebacker Eric Alexander; offensive linemen Stephen Neal and Wesley Britt; and defensive linemen LeKevin Smith and Kareem Brown.
For the Bills: Gibran Hamdan, third quarterback; running back Marshawn Lynch; tight ends Tim Massaquoi and Ryan Neufeld; linebacker Leon Joe; offensive lineman Christian Gaddis; and defensive linemen Copeland Bryan and Jason Jefferson.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 1:42 AM | Permalink
November 18, 2007
Laurence Maroney has a foot injury. His return is probable.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 10:23 PM | Permalink
Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Patriots teammates celebrate Laurence Maroney's first-quarter touchdown.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 9:41 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
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 19, 2007
Hey all --
With the Red Sox in the ALCS and a less-than-imposing opponent on the Pats' schedule this week, today's media contingent at Gillette Stadium was the smallest we've seen in a couple of years.
Because of that, there were some off-the-beaten-path questions asked of Bill Belichick, with several focused on the "Air Coryell" offense Don Coryell and the Chargers used around 25 years ago.
Belichick was also asked about the recently-passed NFL trading deadline, and how much activity there really is. Because of the intricacies and differences in systems, Belichick said, it's hard to bring a player in and get him integrated and effective for the 10 remaining weeks of the season, and that's why there aren't many trades.
In the locker room, it was the typical light Friday, with a lot of music and singing and Laurence Maroney taking center stage. The running back, who always seems to have a smile on his face and something to say, was joking with reporters.
There was also a lot of dominoes and activity at the game table.
shalise
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 11:50 AM | 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 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
October 14, 2007
So Laurence Maroney is indeed a game-time decision, as Bill Belichick indicated on Friday, as the running back is on the list of today's inactives for New England.
Maroney had been on the field in early warmups, wearing uniform pants, and running sprints with members of the strength and conditioning staff.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 3:17 PM | Permalink
In what can only be viewed as a positive sign, Laurence Maroney is on the field here -- in silver Patriots' uniform pant -- taking a lap around the field.
Bill Belichick said on Friday that the running back, who is dealing with a tender groin, would be a game-time decision.
UPDATE: After doing some sprints the width of the field, Maroney chatted with the three members of the Pats' strength and conditioning team -- Mike Woicik, Harold Nash, and Don Davis -- and then ran a sprint a couple of sprints with Nash and Davis. From where we are, Maroney looks like he's moving well...
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 1:33 PM | Permalink
October 12, 2007
Hey all --
Well apparently the flu bug has hit the Patriots' locker room a bit early, as that is the reason given for Matt Light's absence from practice today. The left tackle is one of 10 players listed as questionable for Sunday's game.
Dallas cornerbacks Anthony Henry (ankle) and Courtney Brown (biceps) have both been declared out for the contest.
Here's the full injury list:
NEW ENGLAND
Questionable
CB Randall Gay - thigh
C Dan Koppen - ankle
T Matt Light - flu
RB Laurence Maroney - groin
S Mel Mitchell - groin
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
CB Asante Samuel - foot
WR Donte Stallworth - knee
LB Adalius Thomas - ankle
WR Kelley Washington - hamstring
Probable
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
T Wesley Britt - team decision
Britt, Light and Mitchell did not practice; Gay, Koppen, Maroney, Neal, Samuel, Stallworth, Thomas and Washington had limited participation; and Brady had full participation.
DALLAS
Out
CB Courtney Brown - biceps
WR Terry Glenn - knee
CB Anthony Henry - ankle
Doubtful
FB Oliver Hoyte - neck
Questionable
S Keith Davis - shoulder
Probable
LB Kevin Burnett - thigh
Henry did not practice; Brown and Hoyte had limited participation, and Davis and Burnett had full participation.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 4:15 PM | Permalink
Hey all --
Bill Belichick's love of football history is well-documented, and he was at his best this morning when asked about former New England coach Chuck Fairbanks, who address the Patriots yesterday at practice.
Belichick went on for several minutes about Fairbanks as a coach and general manager, admiring the talent he was able to acquire when Fairbanks was in Foxboro, and the core of players he signed became the strength of the Pats' Super Bowl XX squad.
Oh, and you might be interested in this one: the coach said that Laurence Maroney is making progress, and that he'll be a game-time decision.
We're headed out to practice.
shalise
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 11:43 AM | Permalink
October 11, 2007
Hey all --
On a rainy Thursday, things were pretty subdued here at Gillette as well.
Bill Belichick began his press conference by saying that the "more I look at Dallas, the better they look," in all facets of the game.
The coach was asked about Cowboys' running back Marion Barber, who shared carries at Minnesota with Pats' back Laurence Maroney. Belichick said it was easy to see how the Gophers were so successful with the Barber-Maroney tandem running the ball.
Though New England has turned the ball over just three times this season, Belichick isn't completely happy with the team's ball security:
"The numbers are OK, but I think we can do a better job with ball security. I really do," he said. "Guys don't secure it as well as they could." And if that's not corrected now, it could be a problem later.
Belichick also seemed pleased with the development of first-round draft pick Brandon Meriweather, whom he said has gotten better on a per-play basis, both in practice and in games.
In the locker room, backup quarterback Matt Cassel filmed a short bit for ESPN, working off yesterday's Kenny Mayne skit premise about Tom Brady's weekly appearance on the injury report.
Cassel, looking dejected, said "every week they give me hope, and every week they take it away," and threw a water bottle to the floor in disgust.
Pretty funny.
And new practice squad cornerback Tim Mixon backed up former Cal teammate Ryan O'Callaghan's claim that Buffalo running back Marshawn Lynch was fibbing when he said the offensive lineman's nickname was "Big Baby."
"I don't remember that one," said Mixon, who was signed earlier this week. O'Callaghan so wanted to defend his good name -- or nickname -- that he led two reporters over to Mixon's locker to have him dispel Lynch's story.
shalise
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 12:04 PM | Permalink
October 10, 2007
The Patriots' first participation/injury report of the week is out:
Did Not Participate
T Wesley Britt - team decision
S Mel Mitchell - groin
Limited Participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
CB Randall Gay - thigh
C Dan Koppen - ankle
RB Laurence Maroney - groin
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
CB Asante Samuel - foot
WR Donte Stallworth - knee
LB Adalius Thomas - ankle
WR Kelley Washington - hamstring
* Samuel and Thomas are new additions to the list; Rosevelt Colvin (ankle) has been removed.
For the Cowboys:
Out
WR Terry Glenn - knee
Did Not Participate
CB Anthony Henry - ankle
Full Participation
CB Courtney Brown - biceps
LB Kevin Burnett - thigh
S Keith Davis - shoulder
FB Oliver Hoyte - neck
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 4:43 PM | Permalink
Hey all --
We're just in from practice, and there are two absences to report: special-teamer Mel Mitchell and guard Wesley Britt were not on the field today.
Britt, we've been led to believe, is tending to a personal matter.
But Dan Koppen and Laurence Maroney, the starters who missed Sunday's game, were on the field, and both were spotted in the locker room today, which is generally a good sign for the player.
The practice players of the week were practice-squadders Dan Connolly, an offensive lineman, and receiver C.J. Jones. It is Jones' second black jersey this year.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 12:18 PM | Permalink
October 7, 2007
Running back Laurence Maroney is once again listed as an inactive for today's game, the second game he's missed due to a groin injury.
Center Dan Koppen (ankle) is also out, meaning Russ Hochstein will likely serve as center.
Other inactives:
QB Matt Gutierrez - 3rd QB
S Rashad Baker
T Wesley Britt
DL Santonio Thomas
DL Kareem Brown
LB Chad Brown
By the way, we saw Marcellus Rivers in the media dining area with other inactive and practice-squad players, so it's a safe bet that he'll be re-signed this week.
Cleveland inactives:
QB Ken Dorsey - 3rd QB
P Dave Zastudil
DB Gary Baxter
RB Jerome Harrison
OL Isaac Sowells
OL Nat Dorsey
WR Travis Wilson
DL Ted Washington
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 11:41 AM | Permalink
October 5, 2007
The Patriots have submitted their injury report in advance of Sunday's game with the Browns:
Questionable
LB Rosevelt Colvin - ankle
CB Randall Gay - thigh
C Dan Koppen - ankle
RB Laurence Maroney - groin
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
WR Donte Stallworth - knee
WR Kelley Washington - hamstring
* The above players were reported to have limited participation in practice today.
Probable
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
* Brady had full practice participation.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 4:28 PM | Permalink
October 4, 2007
The Patriots just released their Thursday injury report. Dan Koppen, who yesterday was listed as "did not participate in practice," is the only change.
Limited Participation in Practice:
Rosevelt Colvin, ankle
Randall Gay, thigh
Dan Koppen, ankle
Laurence Maroney, groin
Stephen Neal, shoulder
Donte Stallworth, knee
Kelley Washington, hamstring
Full Participation in Practice
Tom Brady, right shoulder
Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:05 PM | Permalink
October 1, 2007
Running back Laurence Maroney, listed as questionable with a groin injury, will not play in tonight's game. A report on ESPN had said the running back would play, returning to the site of his first career 100-yard rushing game.
Mike Wright is not listed among the Patriots' inactives, leading the way for him to get his first game action of the season.
The rest of the inactives for New England:
QB Matt Gutierrez, third quarterback
WR Kelley Washington
RB Laurence Maroney
G Stephen Neal
T Ryan O'Callaghan
DL Santonio Thomas
DL Kareem Brown
LB Chad Brown
**Also, New England today waived linebacker Corey Mays and signed fullback Kyle Eckel off the practice squad.
For the Bengals:
QB Jeff Rowe, third quarterback
RB Rudi Johnson
S Ethan Kilmer
LB Ahmad Brooks
LB Caleb Miller
C Dan Santucci
WR Tab Perry
LB Rashad Jeanty
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 7:16 PM | Permalink
September 27, 2007
The Patriots and Bengals have released their injury/participation report for Thursday, and defensive lineman Mike Wright, who was not on yesterday's list for the first time since the regular season began, is back on today.
Also, Tom Brady is listed as "limited participation"; yesterday he was "full participation."
Here's the full list for New England:
Limited Participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
LB Rosevelt Colvin - ankle
CB Randall Gay - thigh
RB Laurence Maroney - groin
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
WR Donte Stallworth - knee
WR Kelley Washington - hamstring
S Eugene Wilson - ankle
NT Vince Wilfork - shoulder
DL Mike Wright - knee
G Billy Yates - shoulder
For the Bengals:
Out
RB Rudi Johnson - hamstring
LB Rashad Jeanty - shin
S Ethan Kilmer - knee
WR Tab Perry - hamstring
Did Not Participate
WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh - knee
OT Willie Anderson - foot
LB Caleb Miller - back
Limited Participation
G Stacy Andrews - shoulder
LB Ahmad Brooks - groin
DE Justin Smith - foot
Full Participation
C Eric Ghiacius - thumb
LB Anthony Schlegel - toe
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 3:49 PM | Permalink
September 26, 2007
Nine players were listed as having limited participation in practice on Wednesday's Pariots injury report:
OLD Rosevelt Colvin, ankle
CB Randall Gay, thigh
RB Laurence Maroney, groin
G Neal, Stephen Shoulder
WR Donte' Stallworth, knee
WR Kelley Washington, hamstring
NT Vince Wilfork, shoulder
S Eugene Wilson, ankle
G Billy Yates, shoulder
QB Tom Brady (shoulder) had full participation in practice
Posted by Art Martone at 6:06 PM | 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
September 21, 2007
Hey all --
The atmosphere at Gillette today is fairly relaxed, as New England puts its finishing touches on its preparations for Buffalo.
Bill Belichick was asked for his reaction to the NFL deciding to take no further action against the Patriots after the team handed over videos and notes on opposing teams dating back to 2000; the league destroyed the items.
Not surprisingly, Belichick said his only reaction had to do with how his team was doing to get ready for Buffalo.
But the coach did give some praise to Bills' rookie linebacker Paul Posluszny, Patriots safety James Sanders and backup defensive lineman Santonio Thomas, who is seeing his first game action as a professional after spending most of the last two years on the practice squad.
"Like Vince (Wilfork) and Kareem (Brown), all the defensive linemen from Miami, its a different system than what we do here," Belichick said. "(But) he never stops working and trying to get better."
Belichick was at his best when he was asked about the fullback position, and how it has changed over the years in the NFL. He said that the I-formation is really the reason that the fullback has become a blocker, whereas years ago, Jim Brown was listed as a fullback.
In the locker room, Wilfork's old Miami jersey was hanging in Ty Warren's locker, as Wilfork's Hurricanes upset Warren's Texas A&M Aggies last night. There was also more tape-basketball, with Wes Welker draining at least five in a row at one point, and Laurence Maroney howling when he noticed that the trash can "hoop" had been pushed back a few feet.
We'll post the injury/participation report as soon as we can, and then unless there's breaking news, we'll be back on Sunday morning.
shalise
Posted by Shalise Manza Young at 12:46 PM | Permalink
