Welker to receive Pop Warner honor

New England wide receiver Wes Welker is being honored tonight by Pop Warner Little Scholars Inc. (PWLS), the largest national youth football and cheerleading organization in the U.S.

Welker is receiving the 2008 Pop Warner Inspiration to Youth Award for his record-breaking season with the Patriots and his commitment to working with youth through his 83 Foundation, which he established to provide underprivileged children in his hometown of Oklahoma City the opportunity to play football.

“We’re honored to present Wes with the 2008 Pop Warner Inspiration to Youth Award. His commitment to the game of football and the way he plays the game is inspiring to all Pop Warner participants,” said Jon Butler, Executive Director of Pop Warner Little Scholars, in a release. “What’s more impressive is his commitment to youth off-the-field with his work with the New England Patriots and his 83 Foundation. The New England Patriots, the NFL, and Pop Warner are all fortunate to have athletes like Wes as role models for today’s youth.”

Past Inspiration to Youth winners include Drew Bledsoe, honored in 2001, and Junior Seau, who was honored in 1994.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 6:06 PM | Permalink

Line of the Day

We've come to assume that Wes Welker is a pretty vanilla guy, not saying much during interviews, but with the bright lights of Super Bowl week tuned on him, he's dropping some pretty good lines.

Yesterday, after at least the fifth time he'd been asked about how Tom Brady looked at practice, Welker quipped, "He looks the same. Same dimples."

But today, Welker had the line of the day. Asked what's the difference between his former home, Miami, and his current home in New England, the receiver said:

"Weather. Women. Wins."

Love it.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 6:46 PM | Permalink

Photo: Welker does a milk commercial

AP photo / Milk Processor Education Program
Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker has touch-ups done to his milk mustache during a "got milk?" photo shoot yesterday in Mansfield, Mass.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:07 AM | Permalink

Welker Rises To First Playoff Challenge

By ROBERT LEE
Journal Sports Writer

FOXBORO – Wes Welker made his first playoff appearance a memorable one.

Welker led the Patriot receivers with a game-high nine catches for 54 yards and a touchdown.

His touchdown catch came on a trick play. On a first-and-goal from the Jacksonville six, Tom Brady jumped and raised his empty right arm in the air, making it appear as if Faulk had taken a direct snap.

Brady was hiding the ball in his left hand. Then, he switched to his right and found Welker in the back of the end zone which gave the Patriots the lead for good, 21-14, at 8:49 of the third quarter.

“I don’t know what you would call it but it was a play we felt we could take advantage of because of the aggressive plays by their safeties,” Welker said. “I was able to get behind them and Tom Brady was able to find me for the score.”

Welker said that the atmosphere of his first playoff game was intense.

“There was more intensity out there and focus and it took a couple of series to settle down,” said Welker, who did not get his first catch until the second quarter. “In the end we were able to put our execution together and were able to come up with some plays.”

Posted by Rob Lee  at 1:32 AM | Permalink

Welker gets 102

Wes Welker's first catch of the game was his 102nd of the season, breaking Troy Brown's franchise record for receptions in a season. In 2001, Brown had 101 catches.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 8:34 PM | Permalink

Welker hits 100

Wes Welker's catch on the first play of the second half is his 100th of the season, making him just the second player in franchise history to hit the century mark.

Troy Brown had a franchise record 101 in 2001.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 5:55 PM | Permalink

Welker wins Pats' 12th Player Award

From the New England press release:

Kimberly-Clark Corporation and Shaw's representatives have presented the 2007 Patriots 12th Player Award to wide receiver Wes Welker. The award is presented annually to the Patriots player who personifies the Patriots team spirit, performs beyond expectations and is recognized for his contributions to the organization, both on the field and in the community. For the past 12 years, Patriots fans have selected the winner by casting their votes at Shaw’s Supermarkets throughout the season and by voting online at www.shaws.com. Recent winners include running back Laurence Maroney in 2006, linebacker Willie McGinest in 2005, wide receiver/defensive back Troy Brown in 2004, defensive tackle/fullback Dan Klecko in 2003, kicker Adam Vinatieri in 2002, quarterback Tom Brady in 2001 and linebacker Tedy Bruschi in 2000.

Welker leads the Patriots with a career-high 96 receptions this season, a total that ranks second in the NFL. His 96 receptions are tied for the third highest single-season total in franchise history and he needs six catches in the Patriots’ final two games to eclipse Troy Brown’s franchise record of 101 receptions in 2001. Welker ranks second on the team with a career-high 1,004 receiving yards and is one of just eight players in team history to record a 1,000-yard receiving season. His eight touchdown receptions rank second on the team and are also a career high. On Nov. 25 against Philadelphia, Welker caught 13 passes, tying the second highest single-game reception total in team history and tying the highest single-game reception total by a Patriot in a non-overtime game. His 149 receiving yards in that game set a new career high and stand as the second highest receiving yard total by a Patriot this season. Welker is his first season with the Patriots and was acquired in a trade with the Miami Dolphins on March 5, 2007 in exchange for a second- and seventh-round selections in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 4:44 PM | Permalink

More Patriots postgame quotes

Wes Welker, Wide Receiver
(On guarantees from the opposing team)
Yeah. We just went out there and executed and just did our thing out there. I don't think that it played too much, I think that we just went out there and executed our plays. We are not going to pay attention to what anyone says or does out there, we are just going to go out and execute out there and do what we do out there.

(On if a win against a team like the Steelers is more satisfying)
Yes. They are a really good football team, so anytime you can get a win against a team like that it's a good deal.

(On the Moss to Brady to Gaffney touchdown pass)
It was really impressive and I didn't realize that Tom could throw that far. He really threw the ball down there and made a nice play.

Jabar Gaffney, Wide Receiver
(On the touchdown play from Moss to Brady to Gaffney for 56 yards)
The play was called the Ravens Special. We had it in for last week but we never got to use it. I knew it was going to be a touchdown.

(On what his touchdown catch did to the game.)
I think it put it out there a little bit and got us excited and got the crowd into it and I think we just rolled from there.

(On if Tom Brady took a while to throw it)
I think that he wanted to make sure that he could throw it that far and he just threw it all the way to the end zone. When I took off everyone bit up and I knew that if it made it back to Tom, it would be a touchdown. It took like forever for the ball to come down. I looked back and it was still in Tom's hand and I was like "come on, lets throw it".

Tedy Bruschi, Linebacker
(On the win)
The theme of the week was to go back to being a smart and tough football team. We have been doing some things the past couple weeks that we wanted to fix. We talked about fixing these things with just being a smart team because that's what you have to be to beat a team like this.

(On if the Patriots were trying to make a statement with their level of play tonight)
I don't care about statements and what people say, I just care about what the scoreboard says. We came away with a victory and that was all this week was geared for. We weren't focused on who was saying what, but more on us just doing our job.

(On the dominating 2nd half of play by the Patriots)
We had a couple of key series where we went three-and-out and got the ball in the offense's hands and they were able to do things with it. On defense we put them on a few three-and-outs and that's how we got them scrambling a bit.

(On what the team did well)
TB: Red zone, red zone defense, winning on third down, things like that, things that Baltimore had success with, Philly had success with. You may win games but you're constantly trying to still learn how you can get better. Number one we wanted to do better versus the run, we wanted to do better in the red area. I think we did that tonight and have a better percentage on third down. Those are things we'll continually harp even after this game going on later in the year and into the playoffs.

(On how the defense improved)
TB: I think we made progress. I think we made progress. It feels good when you talk about things during the week and then you go out and execute them. You set a goal of, let's get better in the red area, lets get better on third down and you go out there and your supposed to perform you have one chance a week. When you go out there and you do that, it feels good.

Rodney Harrison, Safety
(On the defense's success in the red zone)
It's an area that we struggled at this entire season, the goal line. We're not very proud of it. The only thing we can try to do is get better. We're probably the worst team in the league in the red area. Nowhere else to go but up.

(On how the Patriots did their talking on the field Sunday, not through the media)
A win is a win. They have a very good team. It's just, we don't get caught up in that cat and mouse game. The games aren't won or lost through the media. They're won or lost on Sunday and that's what we focus on. When I was a young player like that, I barely opened my mouth. You have to go out there and play football and not worry about the other crap that's going on.

(On if he's surprised that another opponent had to re-learn that lesson)
That's not my problem, that's their problem. Our team is focused on the 53 guys in this locker room and what we have to do and what we stand for and what we're trying to get accomplished, and that's to win one game at a time.

(On making the goal line stop on Hines Ward on fourth down)
I've seen that play over the course of my career maybe four or five times, when the wide receiver lines up wide and comes across on motion and they hand it off to him. Once he started motioning in - Hines is a big, physical receiver who likes to run the ball, [an] ex-quarterback - I figured they were going to run that play and I was able to come and make the play, along with all the other guys blowing up things to get myself, as well as someone else free to make that tackle.

(On the play of the defense Sunday)
We played Patriot football and this is what I'm used to playing since I've been here for [the last] five years -- going out here, not taking any crap, standing up to a big, physical team like Pittsburgh and doing what we do best. That's playing sound, fundamental football very physical and that's what we proved today.

Ellis Hobbs, Cornerback
(On the Patriots doing their talking on the field Sunday)
The game should speak for itself. You shouldn't have to do the extra talking. The really great players and great teams don't have to say all that. Play speaks for itself.

(On whether he has said anything he has really regretted afterwards - referring to Anthony Smith's guarantee)
Yeah, I've said some things, but nothing to that degree. Personally, when I said the things I regretted, [they were] more about my character, how I want to be portrayed, things like that, but nothing where you have the whole east coast waiting for you to come over here so they can slap you around. Nothing to that degree.

(On if the Patriots' offense was picking on Smith with the two long touchdown passes)
I have no clue what they were doing over there. I know he was back there and didn't make the plays. I don't know if they were picking on him, if it just happened like that, but whatever the offense did, keep doing it.

(On whether God has a sense of humor when things come around on people for something they say)
My God does, me being a Christian believer and everything. "Lower yourself so that he may be exalted." There's nothing wrong with confidence, don't get me wrong. You have to have a swagger out on the field. But there's a fine line and he definitely crossed it. He was definitely knocked down when he crossed it today. It is what it is. I wish the best for him, but not tonight.

(On what he expects in terms of motivation this week for the Jets game)
I expect us to go out there and continue to play. We've played, to this point, 12 games since [the first match-up between the teams] and we've done just fine. We're not worried about what happened then, definitely not worried about what's going to happen in the future. I just want to enjoy this win and let's move onto the Jets on Wednesday.

(On teams continually giving the Patriots bulletin board material)
EH: I think, maybe it's a defense mechanism. They see it as a weakness or as an approach of 'we're going to show you that we're not scared and we got all the confidence in the world.' Which is fine if that's how they feel, whatever, but we're going to continue being the same team. That's what keeps us driving, what motivates us, knowing that when we come in here, all of us, you're going to get 53 players plus who ever else is in here of guys that are dedicated to winning the right way. Doing the job in practice, not talking about it, going out there and doing the job and letting it show on Sunday.

Logan Mankins, Offensive Lineman
(On how the team responded and was more physical than last week)
LM: Oh, I think we did great. If you look at the scores someone was more physical than the other one.

(On whether or not the team got bullied in Baltimore and how they bounced back)
LM: At certain times your guy's going to beat you. That's how it goes, they give it and we give it. It's going to go back and fourth but I think tonight we won the majority of the battles.

(On the team coming out with more energy tonight)
LM: I think so. It felt like the first series was not that great but after that it felt like the momentum picked up our way and we were playing fast and playing physical. I think we played a lot better tonight.

Vince Wilfork, Nose Tackle
(On his sack)
VW: I knew the block that was given [because] they were giving it to me all game. I basically gambled on that play. He [Ben Roethlisberger] made a check at the line and I heard the same check earlier in the game and it was [a] pass so I knew right then and there what I was going to do. [Alan] Faneca came down and it was a double team but it was a pass play and I spun out of it and I was back there before he could even fake the ball. I think I kind of surprised him because once he turned around he tried to curl up. I stole a play. Preparation, I still do preparation on the field, during game time. Like I said that was something I picked up early in the game and I carried it over. I heard it again and I knew exactly what they were doing, so a win for me.

(On the teams' physicality)
VW: Of course, I mean you have to be to physical to beat this Pittsburgh Steelers team, to do what we wanted to do. There was a lot of talk leading to this game but we knew they could play some football. We knew that they could back up what they say so we had to match it and I think tonight we matched it. The outcome was in our favor, which we kind of wanted it to be. We are very happy with that win, very happy.

(On the difference between tonight's game and Monday night)
VW: It might sound funny but I think we played with more emotion tonight. I think we really did. I could see guys running to the football, guys having fun on the field and I think [Richard] Seymour or [Mike] Vrabel, one of them turned to me and he was like 'you know the problem is we having fun' and we always play good when we're having fun. I think last week we lacked that. Today we didn't lack it today.

Richard Seymour, Defensive End
(On how the win feels)
RS: Well it's always good when you beat a good football team and we classify them, those guys that we played today as a good football team. They're well coached and they play tough smart and physical, that's the way we try to play. We can go out and get a win against a quality opponent and every team we've played so far has been a quality opponent. It was a big night for us, one step closer to the ultimate goal.

(On how they felt about stopping the run in the past couple weeks)
RS: Yeah, I thought they just ran the ball but I didn't feel like they were effective. I thought they ran the ball and we stopped them when we needed to. I think throughout the game when you need to make stops and you need to score offensively and you can do that I think ultimately it helps our football team out a lot. I think going down the stretch we are definitely going to need everybody but it was a big win today.

(On how he is feeling, and if he is at 100% yet)
RS: Not quite 100 yet, but moving in the right direction. It's just good to get a win at this point. 13-and-0, one step closer and it's a quality opponent. That's always good. This is the time of year when you want to play your best football.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:01 PM | Permalink

Official postgame notes

PATRIOTS CLINCH FIRST-ROUND PLAYOFF BYE
By virtue of their victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers today, the Patriots have clinched a first-round playoff bye for the fifth time since the current NFL playoff format was implemented in 1990. New England has earned first-round byes in 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2007. If the Indianapolis Colts lose to Baltimore tonight, the Patriots would also clinch the top seed in the AFC and homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. If the Colts defeat Baltimore, the Patriots can clinch homefield advantage with a victory over the New York Jets next week.

500 POINTS FOR THE SEASON
With Tom Brady's 2-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker in the third quarter, the Patriots' season point total stood at exactly 500 points scored, marking the first time an NFL team has broken the 500-point mark since the 2004 Indianapolis Colts scored 522 points. New England finished the game with 503 total points this season. The 2007 Patriots are the 11th team in the 88-year history of the NFL to break the 500-point mark. The 1998 Minnesota Vikings hold the NFL record with 556 points scored.

PATRIOTS RAISE SEASON TD TOTAL TO 65
Following four touchdowns today, the Patriots have scored 65 touchdowns this season, a total that ranks seventh in NFL history. The 1984 Miami Dolphins hold the all-time record with 70 touchdowns, following by the 2000 St. Louis Rams (67). Four teams have scored 66 touchdowns in a season, most recently the 2004 Indianapolis Colts.

BRADY'S 45 TOUCHDOWN PASSES ARE THIRD HIGHEST NFL SINGLE-SEASON TOTAL
Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes to raise his season total to 45 touchdown passes. Brady's 45 touchdown passes are the third-highest single-season total in NFL history, trailing only Peyton Manning's NFL-record 49 touchdown passes in 2004 and Marino's 48 scoring throws in 1984 Brady's 45 touchdown passes have eclipsed the Patriots' old single-season mark of 31, set by Vito "Babe" Parilli in 1964. Brady has thrown 45 touchdowns and just five interceptions so far in 2007.

NFL SINGLE-SEASON TOUCHDOWN PASS LEADERS
Player Team Year TD
Peyton Manning IND 2004 49
Dan Marino MIA 1984 48
Tom Brady NE 2007 45
Dan Marino MIA 1986 44
Kurt Warner STL 1999 41

BELICHICK RECORDS 100th VICTORY AS PATRIOTS HEAD COACH
Bill Belichick recorded his 100th overall victory as Patriots head coach today. Since being hired by the Patriots prior to the 2000 season, Belichick has now recorded 88 regular-season victories and 12 playoff wins for a total of 100 victories. He is one of four current NFL head coaches to win 100 or more overall games with their current team, joining Washington's Joe Gibbs (168 wins), Denver's Mike Shanahan (130) and Tennessee's Jeff Fisher (117). Belichick has an overall coaching record of 137-84 (.620), including a 124-81 regular-season mark and a 13-3 playoff record.

MOSS'S 19 TOUCHDOWN CATCHES ARE SECOND HIGHEST NFL SINGLE-SEASON TOTAL
With two touchdown receptions in the first half, Randy Moss caught his 18th and 19th touchdown passes of the season, recording the second highest single-season receiving touchdown total in NFL history. Moss's 19 touchdown catches this season trail only Jerry Rice's NFL record total of 22 in 1987. The 19 touchdown receptions set a new career high for Moss, topping his 17 scoring catches in 1998 and 2003 while with the Minnesota Vikings.

NFL SINGLE-SEASON RECEIVING TD LEADERS
Player Team Year TD
Jerry Rice SF 1987 22
Randy Moss NE 2007 19
Sterling Sharpe GB 1994 18
Mark Clayton MIA 1984 18
Randy Moss MIN 2003 17
Randy Moss MIN 1998 17*
(Six others tied with 17 touchdown receptions)
*-NFL Rookie Record

BRADY RECORDS FIFTH GAME WITH FOUR OR MORE TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN 2007
Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes, marking his fifth game of the season with four or more scoring throws. Brady's five games with four or more touchdowns tie the third highest total in NFL history, trailing only the six games with four or more touchdown passes by Peyton Manning in 2004 and by Dan Marino in 1984. Brady's five games with four or more scoring passes tie Donovan McNabb's 2004 total, Marino's 1986 total and Brett Favre's 1996 total.

MOSS SETS TEAM RECORD FOR MOST OVERALL TOUCHDOWNS IN A SEASON
With his first touchdown catch of the day, a 4-yard reception from Tom Brady, Randy Moss set a new Patriots record with his 18th overall touchdown of the season, topping Curtis Martin's previous record of 17 touchdowns in 1996. Moss added a 63-yard scoring grab in the second quarter to raise his season total to 19 touchdowns. All 18 of Moss's touchdowns have come via receptions. In 1996, Martin had 14 touchdowns via rushes and three via receptions.

PATRIOTS SINGLE-SEASON OVERALL TD LEADERS
Player Year TDs Rush Rec. Ret.
Randy Moss 2007 19 0 19 0
Curtis Martin 1996 17 14 3 0
Curtis Martin 1995 15 14 1 0
Corey Dillon 2006 13 13 0 0
(Five others tied with 13 overall touchdowns)

GAFFNEY HAS CAREER HIGH YARDAGE
Jabar Gaffney set a career high with 122 receiving yards on seven catches, including a 56-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Gaffney's previous career high was 109 receiving yards, achieved while playing for the Houston Texans against Chicago on Dec. 19, 2004. The 100-yard receiving game was the second of Gaffney's regular-season career. He also has two 100-yard games in three career playoff contests, all with the Patriots in 2006.

BRADY HAS SECOND HIGHEST YARDAGE TOTAL OF CAREER
Tom Brady totaled 399 passing yards against Pittsburgh, completing 32-of-46 passes (69.6 percent) with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 125.2 passer rating. The 399 passing yards are the second highest of Brady's career, trailing only his 410 passing yards in a 41-38 overtime win over Kansas City on Sept. 22, 2002. Brady's 399 yards are his highest career total in a non-overtime game. Including today's yardage total, four of Brady's top five career single-game yardage totals have come this season. Against Pittsburgh, Brady recorded his sixth 300-yard passing game of the season and the 21st 300-yard game of his career.

BRADY PASSES 4,000-YARD MARK
With a 4-yard completion to Wes Welker in the third quarter, Tom Brady exceeded 4,000 passing yards for the season, marking the fourth 4,000-yard passing season in Patriots history. Following that completion, Brady had 4,001 yards on the season. He finished the game with 4,095 passing yards, a total that ranks third in team history. Brady has accomplished the feat for the second time in his career, having also exceeded the milestone in 2005 (4,110 yards). Drew Bledsoe also exceeded 4,000 passing yards two times in a Patriots uniform (4,555 yards in 1994 and 4,086 yards in 1996).

TWO COMPLETIONS OF 50 YARDS OR LONGER FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2001
The Patriots completed two touchdown passes of longer than 50 yards, marking the first time since 2001 that the Patriots have had two completions of 50 yards or more in the same game. Against Pittsburgh, Tom Brady hit Randy Moss for a 63-yard touchdown in the second quarter and later completed a 56-yard touchdown toss to Jabar Gaffney in the third quarter. The last time New England completed two passes of 50 yards or longer in the same game was on Oct. 21, 2001 at Indianapolis, when Brady threw a 91-yard touchdown pass to David Patten and Patten threw a 60-yard scoring pas to Troy Brown.

WELKER BREAKS 90-CATCH MARK
With an 11-yard reception in the fourth quarter - his 90th catch of the season - Wes Welker recorded the fifth 90-reception season in Patriots history. He joins Troy Brown (101 receptions in 2001 and 97 receptions in 2002), Ben Coates (96 catches in 1994) and Terry Glenn (90 receptions in 1996) as the only players in Patriots history to achieve the feat. Welker finished the game with 93 receptions this season, a total that ranks fourth in team history.

MOSS PASSES 1,200-YARD MARK
On his 63-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, Randy Moss passed the 1,200-yard receiving mark for the season, becoming the second player in Patriots history to achieve the 1,200-yard receiving plateau. Following that catch, Moss had 1,212 yards on 78 catches in 2007. Moss joins Stanley Morgan (1,491 yards in 1986) as the only players in franchise history to achieve the feat. Moss has exceeded the 1,200-yard receiving mark for the seventh time in his 10 NFL seasons and has achieved the milestone for the first time since gaining a career-high 1,632 receiving yards in 2003 with Minnesota.

MOSS RECORDS 54th CAREER 100-YARD RECEIVING GAME
With 135 yards on seven catches, Randy Moss has recorded his eighth 100-yard receiving game of the season and the 54th 100-yard receiving game of his career. Moss's 54 career 100-yard receiving games rank third all-time, trailing only Jerry Rice (76) and Marvin Harrison (59). Stanley Morgan holds the Patriots single-season record with nine 100-yard receiving games in 1986. Moss's 135 receiving yards are his third highest total of the season, trailing only his 183 yards against the New York Jets on Sept. 9 and his 145 yards against Indianapolis on Nov. 4.

MOSS CATCHES 63-YARD TOUCHDOWN PASS
Randy Moss hauled in a 63-yard touchdown reception from Tom Brady in the second quarter to give the Patriots a 14-3 lead. The reception was Moss's longest of the season, topping a 55-yard grab at Indianapolis on Nov. 4. It was also Moss's fourth catch of 50 yards or longer this season and was the 33rd reception of 50 yards or longer in his career. The 63-yard touchdown was Moss's 11th touchdown catch of 60 yards or longer in his career. It was the second longest reception of the season for the Patriots, trailing only a 69-yard scoring pass from Brady to Donte Stallworth at Dallas on Oct. 14.

PATRIOTS HELD ON OPENING POSSESSION
New England did not score on its opening possession for just the second time in 13 games this season. The only other game this season in which the Patriots did not put points on the board on its first offensive possession of the game was at Indianapolis on Nov. 4. On their 13 game-opening possessions this season, the Patriots have scored eight touchdowns, three field goals and have punted twice.

STEELERS BECOME FIRST PATRIOTS OPPONENT TO SCORE ON OPENING POSSESSION
The Patriots allowed the Steelers to convert a 23-yard field goal on Pittsburgh's first offensive possession of the game. The points were the first of the season that New England has allowed on an opponents' opening possession of the game. Entering this week's game, the Patriots were the only NFL team not to allow an opponent score on their opening possession. Jacksonville entered the week ranked second by allowing nine points on opponents first drives.

QUICK HITS
-Vince Wilfork stuffed Willie Parker in the backfield for a 2-yard loss in the first quarter.
-Chad Jackson returned a kickoff 39 yards in the first quarter, marking the fifth kickoff return of 35 yards or more by the Patriots this season.
-Jarvis Green sacked Ben Roethlisberger for a 9-yard sack in the first quarter. The sack was Green's fifth of the season, a total that ranks second on the team.
-Vince Wilfork sacked Roethlisberger for an 8-yard sack in the third quarter. The sack was Wilfork's first of the season.
-Adalius Thomas sacked Ben Roethlisberger for a 2-yard loss in the fourth quarter. The sack was Thomas's fourth of the season.
-James Sanders recovered a Steelers fumble on a punt in the second quarter. Sanders pounced on the ball after it his Pittsburgh's William Gay, giving the Patriots possession at the Steelers' 34-yard line.
-Rodney Harrison batted away a pass intended for Santonio Holmes in the end zone on third down in the fourth quarter. On the next play, Harrison combined with Richard Seymour to stuff Hines Ward for no gain and keep the Steelers out of the end zone.

HOT WHEN IT'S COLDThe Patriots have enjoyed tremendous recent success in cold weather and are 21-3 since 1993 when the kickoff temperature is 34 degrees or less. Today's kickoff temperature was 34 degrees. New England has won 16 of its last 18 games when the kickoff temperature has been 34 degrees or colder. Tom Brady is 23-2 as a starter when the temperature is less than 40 degrees.

PATRIOTS GAMES 34 DEGREES OR COLDER SINCE 1993 (21-3)
Sorted by Temperature
Date Opp. Temp Notes W/L Score
01/10/04 TEN* 4 Wind Chill -10 W 17-14
01/23/05 at PIT* 11 Wind Chill -1 W 41-27
12/26/93 IND 19 Wind Chill -1 W 38-0
01/07/06 JAX* 24 Clear and Calm W 28-3
12/21/96 at NYG 24 Wind Chill 17 W 23-22
01/01/06 MIA 25 Wind Chill 20 L 26-28
01/16/05 IND* 25 Snow W 20-3
12/14/03 JAX 25 Wind Chill 16 W 27-13
01/19/02 OAK* 25 Snow W 16-13 ot
12/05/05 NYJ 26 Light Snow W 16-3
12/10/95 NYJ 26 Wind Chill 12 W 31-28
01/12/97 JAX* 27 Wind Chill 11 W 20-6
12/07/03 MIA 28 Wind Chill 17 W 12-0
12/11/05 at BUF 30 Light Snow W 35-7
12/26/04 at NYJ 30 Wind Chill 21 W 23-7
12/20/03 at NYJ 30 Wind Chill 20 W 21-16
11/05/06 IND 31 Clear and Calm L 20-27
12/24/00 MIA 31 Wind Chill 22 L 24-27
01/02/05 SF 32 Wind Chill 27 W 21-7
01/18/04 IND* 32 Light Snow W 24-14
11/16/03 DAL 33 Cloudy and Calm W 12-0
11/26/95 at BUF 33 Flurries W 35-25
12/09/07 PIT 34 Cloudy and Cold W 34-13
12/16/01 at BUF 34 Wind Chill 25 W 12-9 ot
12/12/93 CIN 34 Wind Chill 23 W 7-2
*-playoffs

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 9:53 PM | Permalink

Steelers' Smith guarantees victory

Pittsburgh safety Anthony Smith today told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he guarantees a Steelers' victory on Sunday in Foxboro. It pains me to say it, but Smith went to Syracuse, so he really should know better.

From the story:

"We're going to win,'' Smith said today after practice. "Yeah, I can guarantee a win.''

Smith, a hard-hitting free safety who replaced injured Ryan Clark as the starter midway through the season, said he's not worried about any motivation he might be giving the 12-0 Patriots with his words.

"Now we have our swagger back on defense and we're playing great ball and they're playing great on the offensive side, too,'' he said of the Steelers. "I think we have a real good chance to win the game and we will win the game.''

Not only that, he said while New England's receiving corps of Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donte Stallworth is good, it isn't as good as the one the Steelers played Sunday against the Bengals , featuring T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chad Johnson and Chris Henry.

"I think we were facing great receivers last week too and we shut them down,'' Smith said. "Those three guys, I don't think it gets much better than Cincinnati's corps of receivers. We've already seen the best."

Smith added a little more lumber to the fire when he said New England's receivers haven't been hit the way they will be hit on Sunday.

"They said Baltimore was their most physical game but I think we hit harder than Baltimore, so they haven't seen nothing like us yet.

"They should be worried about us. We never worry about receivers. We're the ones doing the hitting. They have to run routes. We're attacking them, they're not really attacking us."

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 7:07 PM | Permalink

Thursday participation report

For the Patriots:

Did Not Participate
RB Kevin Faulk - thigh

Limited Participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
WR Wes Welker - team decision
S Eugene Wilson - groin

**Stephen Neal (shoulder), Randall Gay (back) and Mike Vrabel (team decision) were removed from the list. Welker and Wilson are additions.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 3:39 PM | Permalink

Squib kicks

FOXBORO – Asante Samuel got things off to a rousing start for the Patriots last night, intercepting the Eagles’ A.J. Feeley on the third play of the game and returning the pick 40 yards for a touchdown.
The interception was the 21st of Samuel’s five-year career, tying him for 10th in New England history with Don Webb. Ty Law and Raymond Clayborn are tied for the franchise lead with 36 each.
Samuel now has six interception returns for touchdowns in his career, including an NFL record-tying three in the postseason. His three regular-season return TDs are third-best in team annals.
*****
Tom Brady’s season-long streak of games with three or more touchdown passes came to an end last night, as he threw just one against the Eagles, but the quarterback still found a way to get into the record books this week.
By throwing for 380 yards, Brady passed 25,000 yards for his career, making him just the third quarterback in Patriots’ history to do so, after Drew Bledsoe (29,657) and Steve Grogan (26,886).
With 39 touchdowns this season, Brady is still on pace to throw 57 for the season.
He also:
- Led New England to a fourth-quarter comeback win for the 26th time in his career;
- Upped his record to 28-5 in games where the margin of victory is seven points or less and 19-4 when the margin is four points or less;
- Is 21-3 when throwing for more than 300 yards;
- Is 33-2 on artificial turf;
- And is 41-8 on Thanksgiving or later
*****
By scoring 31 points last night, New England now has 442 points for the season, setting a new single-season franchise record.
The previous team record of 441 points was established in the 1980 season, when the Pats went 10-6.
*****
Randy Moss’ 11-yard reception in the second quarter was the 744th catch of his 10-year career, putting him 25th all time in NFL history.
Moss passed Andre Rison (743 receptions) to move into the top 25. Jerry Rice had a record 1,549 catches in his 20 year career.
*****
Wes Welker’s 13 receptions tie the franchise record for catches in a non-overtime game. Both Deion Branch (at San Diego, Sept. 29, 2002) and Terry Glenn (at Cleveland, Oct. 3, 1999) had 13-catch games with New England.
The single-game team record is Troy Brown’s 16 receptions on Sept. 22, 2002 in an overtime win against Kansas City.
*****
Patriots’ receiver Jabar Gaffney and Eagles’ cornerback Lito Sheppard are cousins, and spent most of their early football years as teammates.
Gaffney and Sheppard both attended Raines High School in Jacksonville, Fla., winning a state title in their first season together, and both played at the University of Florida.
Gaffney’s father, Derrick, also attended Florida, and played in the NFL with the Jets.
*****
With a touchdown on its first possession of the game, New England has scored points on its opening drive in 10 of 11 games this season.
It was only against the Colts that the Patriots did not score on their first possession.
*****
New England boasts the best home record in the NFL since 2002 (the year Gillette Stadium opened) as well as the best home defense in the league.
The Patriots are 41-9 at Gillette, just ahead of the 40-10 mark Indianapolis has at the RCA Dome over the last five-plus seasons.
They also allow just 15.64 points per game to the opposition over those 50 games, ahead of the 16.26 points Baltimore gives up to visitors to M&T Bank Stadium.
First-time visitors to the Stadium are 4-23, with New England winning 19 of the last 20.
*****
The Patriots are now 26-4 against NFC teams since 2001, a run that includes their three Super Bowl wins.
It also includes a current streak of 10 straight which began on Oct. 9, 2005 against Atlanta. New England’s last loss to an NFC team was in the second game of the 2005 season, 27-17 in Carolina.
*****
Last night was the first time New England has hosted Philadelphia in a regular-season game at Gillette Stadium, and the first time the Eagles have traveled to Foxboro since Nov. 29, 1987, a 34-31 overtime win for Philly.
The teams’ last three regular-season meetings were in the City of Brotherly Love, in the 1990, 1999 and 2003 seasons.
With the Eagles’ near 20-year streak without a Foxboro visit now ended, the Carolina Panthers now have the longest period of not playing in New England, at 12 years. The Panthers will visit Gillette in 2009.
Carolina, Arizona, Atlanta and St. Louis are the four remaining teams who have not visited Gillette Stadium since it opened in 2002.
*****
The inactive players for the Patriots were: Matt Gutierrez (third quarterback), receiver Chad Jackson, safeties Mel Mitchell and Eugene Wilson, guards Wesley Britt and Billy Yates, and defensive linemen Le Kevin Smith and Kareem Brown.
For the Eagles: quarterback Donovan McNabb, safety Quintin Mikell, running back Tony Hunt, guards Max Jean-Gilles and Scott Young, and defensive linemen Kimo von Oelhoffen, Victor Abiamiri and Montae Reagor.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 1:49 AM | Permalink

Little Wes Welker Comes Up Huge For Patriots

BY JIM DONALDSON
Journal Sports Writer

FOXBORO – Little Wes Welker continues to come up, not just big, but huge, for the New England Patriots.
The Pats would not still be undefeated this morning if not for what Welker did last night in a surprisingly tough, 31-28, victory over the Eagles in which New England trailed heading into the fourth quarter, and Philly had the ball inside the Patriots’ 30-yard line in the final four minutes.
Although he didn’t score a touchdown, Welker made six catches in the second half for first downs – three of them on the Pats’ game-winning drive.
With the Patriots passing on almost every play throughout the game, the Eagles blitzed Tom Brady almost as often.
Forced frequently to get rid of the ball quickly, Brady repeatedly threw to the quick and elusive Welker, who consistently found open areas in the Philadelphia secondary.
It wasn’t just that the 5-9, 185-pound Welker had career highs in both receptions (13) and yards (149) that was most impressive, it was the situations in which he caught them.
Of his seven catches in the second half, six of them were for first downs, and four of those came with the Patriots throwing on third down, needing a completion to retain possession.
“I found him a bunch,” Brady said. “He did a great job of getting open.”
Welker’s performance was reminiscent of another undersized Patriots receiver who has made clutch catches throughout his career – popular veteran Troy Brown, who has been on the Physically Unable to Perform list throughout this, his 15th season in New England.
“They’re very similar-type players – great quickness, great awareness, smart, great hands,” Brady said last night. “They’re both great leaders.
“They have a lot of similar qualities. They’re both 5-7, or 5-8, or whatever they are. They’re very nifty in the slot, very comfortable. It’s a great matchup for us.”
Actually,.Welker against the Philadelphia secondary was more of a mismatch.
His 13 catches tied the club record for receptions in a non-overtime game. Deion Branch had 13 at San Diego in 2002 and Terry Glenn caught 13 at Cleveland in 1999. Brown holds the team mark for catches in a game with 16, set in an overtime win over Kansas City in 2002.
What Welker lacks in height, he more than makes up for in quickness and savvy. He knows how to get open, rarely drops a ball that’s thrown his way, and has a knack for eluding tacklers after making the catch and picking up extra yards.
He’s also modest. Rather than talking about his own considerable accomplishments last night, Welker preferred to talk about the way Brady threw the ball in the face of repeated blitzes by the relentless Philly pass rushers.
“They gave us a lot of different looks,” Welker said. “You have to hand it to the Eagles, the way they played. But Tom never loses his poise. He’s always on top of things.”
The Eagles were determined to put as much pressure on Brady as possible.
“We blitzed quite a bit,” said Philly’s defensive coordinator, Jim Johnson. “At times, we covered well and, other times, we didn’t cover as well as we would have liked. But at least we were getting pressure.
“They went a lot with four wide receivers. We felt that, anytime they did that, we would pressure them. Basically, that was our game plan. We felt that, every chance we had, we had to bring pressure. Even if we didn’t get to (Brady), we had to throw off his timing and move him around in the pocket.”
The Eagles did that, but Brady still was able to find Welker, threading his way through the Eagles’ secondary.
“He’s tough on all that underneath stuff,” Philly head coach Andy Reid said of Welker. “He’s got great quickness.”

jdonalds@projo.com / 401-277-7340

Posted by Jim Donaldson  at 1:20 AM | Permalink

A score of Patriots have scored TDs in '07

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

No Maroney, no huddle

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

Photo: Welker warms up

Journal photo / Glenn Osmundson
Wes Welker catches a pass during pregame warmups at Gillette Stadium.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 7:57 PM | Permalink

Two other injury changes

The Patriots have removed WR Wes Welker (questionable, team decision) from their injury list.

LB Mike Vrabel remains questionable, but the reason is now his shoulder, not team decision as had originally been listed.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 8:37 PM | Permalink

Friday injury/participation report

Today's injury/participation report has been released, and it's not looking good for Buffalo's Marshawn Lynch:

New England
Questionable
LB Eric Alexander -- knee (did not practice)
CB Eddie Jackson -- knee (limited participation)
G Stephen Neal -- shoulder (limited participation)
LB Mike Vrabel -- team decision (limited participation)
WR Wes Welker -- team decision (limited participation)
S Eugene Wilson -- ankle (did not practice)

Probable
QB Tom Brady -- right shoulder (limited participation)

**Benjamin Watson (ankle) and Mel Mitchell (groin) are no longer on the report.

Buffalo
Doubtful
RB Marshawn Lynch -- ankle (did not practice)

Probable
DE Aaron Schobel -- illness (full participation)
TE Robert Royal -- head (limited participation)

**CB Kiwaukee Thomas (groin) and TE Matt Murphy (calf) were placed on injured reserve earlier this week, so they will be out.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 5:44 PM | Permalink

Thursday participation report: No changes

There are no changes to New England's participation/injury report for today.

That means that Mike Vrabel and Wes Welker had limited participation due to a team decision.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 3:53 PM | Permalink

Seven Pats lead Pro Bowl voting -- just not Brady

Hey all --

With a little more than a month until the AFC and NFC Pro Bowls are named, the NFL has announced early voting results. Seven New England players are the leading vote-getters at their respective position -- but record-setting quarterback Tom Brady is not among them.

The leading vote-getter for AFC quarterback is Peyton Manning (441,852); Brady is behind him at 440,354. Green Bay's miracle man Brett Favre (458,837) is the leading vote-getter overall.

Unhappy with the standings? You can vote here. Or if you have a Sprint cell phone, text "PRO" to 7777 to vote.

Here's the list of AFC leaders at each position and how many votes they've received:

QB - Peyton Manning, Colts - 441,852
RB - Joseph Addai, Colts - 297,504
FB - Lorenzo Neal, Chargers - 194,880
WR - Randy Moss, Patriots - 342,250
TE - Antonio Gates, Chargers - 199,593
T - Matt Light, Patriots - 179,054
G - Eric Steinbach, Browns - 188,052
C - Jeff Saturday, Colts - 168,502
DE - Dwight Freeney, Colts - 209,272
IL - Vince Wilfork, Patriots - 100,032
OLB - Shawne Merriman, Chargers - 148,287
ILB - Tedy Bruschi, Patriots - 121,099
CB - Champ Bailey, Broncos - 183,109
SS - Troy Polamalu, Steelers - 134,868
FS - Ed Reed, Ravens - 110, 412
P - Chris Hanson, Patriots - 52,131
K - Adam Vinatieri, Colts - 82,922
ST - Larry Izzo, Patriots - 105,147
KR - Wes Welker, Patriots - 69,590

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 1:53 PM | Permalink

Wednesday participation/injury report

New England and Buffalo have released the first participation/injury report of the week:

Did Not Participate
LB Eric Alexander - knee
S Mel Mitchell - groin
S Eugene Wilson - ankle

Limited Participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
CB Eddie Jackson - knee
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
LB Mike Vrabel - team decision
WR Wes Welker - team decision

* Neal missed three games earlier this season with a shoulder injury; Vrabel has been on the report in past weeks with a shoulder problem. This is Welker's first appearance on the list this season. But the team has listed both Randy Moss and Kyle Brady has having limited participation on Wednesdays and Thursdays this season, and both were just getting rest.

For Buffalo:

Out
TE Matt Murphy - calf
CB Kiwaukee Thomas - groin

Did Not Participate
RB Marshawn Lynch - ankle
TE Robert Royal - head
DE Aaron Schobel - illness

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 4:02 PM | Permalink

Pats' postgame notes

These are courtesy of the New England media-relations department:

BRADY SETS SINGLE-SEASON FRANCHISE TOUCHDOWN PASS MARK

With three touchdown passes against the Colts today, Tom Brady raised his season total to 33 touchdown passes, setting a new franchise record and passing Vito “Babe” Parilli’s previous record of 31 touchdown passes in 1964. Brady tied the record with a 4-yard scoring strike to Randy Moss in the second quarter and set a new record with his 32nd scoring pass of the season, a 3-yard strike to Wes Welker in the fourth quarter. He added his 33rd touchdown pass of the season on a 13-yard score to Kevin Faulk in the fourth quarter. Parilli threw his 31 touchdown passes for the Boston Patriots during the 14-game American Football League season. Brady reached 33 passes in the ninth game of the season.

BRADY SETS NFL RECORD FOR MOST CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH 3+ TOUCHDOWN PASSES

Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes today, setting an NFL record with his ninth straight game with three or more touchdown passes. He broke the old record of eight consecutive games, set by Peyton Manning in 2004. Through nine games this season, Brady has totaled 32 touchdown passes and just four interceptions.

BRADY LEADS 25th CAREER COMEBACK

Tom Brady led the Patriots to a 24-20 victory following a 20-10 fourth-quarter deficit, marking the 25th time in his career that he has led the Patriots to a win following a fourth-quarter deficit or tie. He accomplished the feat for the 19th time in the regular season and has also done it six times in the playoffs (including three times in the Super Bowl. Against Indianapolis, the Patriots trailed 20-10 following an Indianapolis touchdown with 9:42 left in the game. Brady then led the team on a seven-play, 73-yard scoring drive to make the score 20-17 on a 3-yard touchdown catch by Wes Welker with 7:59 left and on the Patriots' next drive led a three-play, 51-yard drive that ended in a 13-yard touchdown catch by Kevin Faulk that gave the Patriots a 24-20 lead with 3:15 remaining in the game. The comeback against the Colts marked the Patriots’ fourth fourth-quarter comeback from a deficit of 10 or more points with Brady at the helm and the first one that was won in regulation time. The last time Brady led a comeback of 10 or more points was on Dec. 29, 2002, when the Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins 27-24 in overtime after trailing 24-13 with 4:59 remaining in regulation. Brady’s other comebacks of 10 or more points in the fourth quarter came on Nov. 10, 2002 at Chicago (a 33-30 win following a 30-19 deficit with 5:16 remaining in regulation) and in the 2001 divisional playoffs against Oakland on Jan. 19, 2002 (a 16-13 overtime win following a 13-3 deficit entering the fourth quarter).

MOSS TIES SINGLE-SEASON FRANCHISE RECEIVING TD RECORD

Randy Moss hauled in a 4-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the second quarter to give the Patriots a 7-3 lead. The touchdown was Moss’s 12th receiving touchdown of the season, tying the Patriots’ single-season franchise record also achieved by Stanley Morgan in 1979. Moss’s 12 touchdown catches are the fifth highest total of his 10-year career, trailing his career-best 17 scoring grabs in 1998 and 2003, his 15 touchdown catches in 2000 and his 13 scoring receptions in 2004. On the same touchdown pass where Moss tied the franchise touchdown reception record, Tom Brady tied Babe Parilli’s 1964 mark with his 31st touchdown toss of the year.

100-YARD GAME FOR MOSS

Randy Moss had 145 receiving yards on nine receptions, marking his sixth game this season with at least 100 receiving yards. The 100-yard receiving game was the 52nd of his career, a total that ranks third all-time behind Jerry Rice (76) and Marvin Harrison (59). Stanley Morgan holds the Patriots single-season record with nine 100-yard receiving games in 1986.

GREEN MACHINE

Jarvis Green strip-sacked Peyton Manning with 2:30 remaining in the game on third-and-nine at the Colts’ 49-yard line with New England holding a 24-20 lead. Rosevelt Colvin recovered the fumble, giving the Patriots possession at the Indianapolis 46-yard line and ending Indianapolis’ bid for a potential go-ahead score. The sack was Green’s fourth of the season and raised his career total to 22.5 sacks. It was his first forced fumble of the season and was the seventh forced fumble of his career. Last season, Green tied Mike Vrabel for the team lead with three strip sacks.

FAULK SCORES FIRST TOUCHDOWN OF THE SEASON

Kevin Faulk scored his first touchdown of the season on a 13-yard reception from Tom Brady that gave the Patriots a 24-20 lead with 3:15 remaining in the game. The touchdown was the 24th of Faulk’s career and was his 11th career touchdown reception. He has also scored 11 rushing touchdowns and two touchdowns on kickoff returns.

WELKER CATCHES SEVENTH TOUCHDOWN PASS OF THE SEASON

Wes Welker caught his seventh touchdown pass of the season, a 3-yard scoring grab from Tom Brady in the fourth quarter to cut the Indianapolis lead to 20-17. Welker, who had just one touchdown reception entering the 2007 season, has now caught six touchdown passes in his last four games. Welker entered the game tied for second in the NFL with a team-high 56 receptions this season.

SEYMOUR TIPS FIELD GOAL TRY

Richard Seymour tipped Adam Vinatieri’s 50-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter, getting his fingertips on the ball and forcing Vinatieri’s first career miss in the RCA Dome. In his seven-year career, Seymour has blocked five career field goals in the regular season and one in the playoffs. Heading into today’s game, Vinatieri was 55-for-57 on indoor field goal attempts in the regular season, with his only two misses coming at Houston’s Reliant Stadium on Nov. 23, 2003 while playing for the Patriots against the Houston Texans.

MOSS CATCHES 55-YARD PASS

Randy Moss hauled in a 55-yard pass in the fourth quarter that gave the Patriots a first-and-goal at the Colts’ 3-yard line. The catch was Moss’s longest of the season and his longest since Oct. 2, 2005, when he grabbed a 79-yard pass while playing for the Oakland Raiders against the Dallas Cowboys. Moss’s 55-yard grab was the second longest by a Patriots player this season, trailing only Donte Stallworth’s 69-yard touchdown reception at Dallas on Oct. 14.

VRABEL RAISES SEASON TOTAL TO 8.5 SACKS

Mike Vrabel sacked Peyton Manning for a 4-yard loss in the third quarter. The sack raised Vrabel’s season total to 8.5 sacks, a mark that leads the team. Entering this week’s games, Vrabel’s 7.5 sacks led all NFL linebackers and ranked second overall in the AFC and fifth overall in the NFL. Last season, Rosevelt Colvin led the Patriots with 8.5 sacks. Vrabel’s single-season career high is 9.5 sacks, achieved in 2003 with the Patriots. Following his sack of Manning, Vrabel had 47.0 career sacks, a mark that ranks sixth among all active NFL linebackers.

HARRISON HAS FIRST INTERCEPTION OF THE SEASON

Rodney Harrison intercepted a Peyton Manning pass in the third quarter, giving the Patriots possession at the Indianapolis 30-yard line. The interception was Harrison’s first of the season and was the 33rd of his career. Harrison’s last interception came on Oct. 30, 2006 at Minnesota. Harrison, who also has 30.5 career sacks, is the only player in NFL history with at least 30 career sacks and at least 30 career interceptions.

DEFENSE BEARS DOWN

The Patriots defense clamped down and held the Colts to a field goal on two occasions in the first half after long pass interference penalties gave the Colts a first-and-goal from inside the 10-yard line. In the first quarter, a 37-yard penalty gave Indianapolis a first-and-goal from the 9-yard line, but Asante Samuel’s pass deflection in the end zone on third down kept Indianapolis out of the end zone and forced a 21-yard field goal by the Colts. In the second quarter, a 40-yard penalty gave the Colts a first-and-goal from the six-yard line, but Randall Gay stuffed Dallas Clark on third down for a 2-yard loss on a pass play that once again kept the Colts out of the end zone and forced a 25-yard field goal.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 10:45 PM | Permalink

Big break for the Patriots

BY JIM DONALDSON
Journal Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS -- It's a huge plus for the Pats that both Marvin Harrison and Tony Ugoh will be inactive this afternoon -- and that TE Ben Watson will play.

With Harrison out, the Pats can concentrate more on stopping Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. Anthony Gonzalez may be a first-round draft choice, but he's still a rookie, and does not pose the threat that a healthy Harrison does.

Ugoh, Indy's second-round pick this year, out of Arkansas, is the Colts' starting left tackle. His absence could require the Colts to put a tight end on that side to help protect Peyton Manning.

Similarly, keep an eye on how Pats' LT Matt Light does with Indy's speed rusher, Dwight Freeney. Light sometimes struggles with speed guys, which may result in Kyle Brady staying in more often to block, rather than running routes. Stating the obvious, it's imperative that the Pats protect QB Tom Brady.

Conversely, having Watson in the lineup will make the Pats' already-potent passing game even more effective. When opposing defenses already have to worry about Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte Stallworth, adding a 6-3, 255-pound tight end who can run is another huge headache.

Yesterday, if pressed, I'd probably have taken the Colts, plus the points. Now, with Harrison and Ugoh out, and Watson playing, I like the Pats.

Posted by Jim Donaldson  at 3:27 PM | Permalink

POSTGAME: Postgame notes, courtesy of Pats' P.R. department

EIGHT STRAIGHT GAMES WITH 34+ POINTS
The Patriots have become just the second team in NFL history to score at least 34 points in each of its first eight games of a season, joining the 2000 St. Louis Rams. The Patriots have scored 38, 38, 38, 34, 34, 48, 49 and 52 points in their eight games this season, for a total of 331 points. The 2000 Rams scored 41, 37, 41, 41, 57, 45, 34 and 34 points in their first eight games, for a total of 330 points. In their ninth game of the 2000 season, the Rams scored 24 points in a 27-24 loss to Carolina (Nov. 5, 2000).

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT IN CONTEXT
The Patriots scored 52 points today against Washington, tying the third highest single-game point total in team history. The 52 points was New England’s highest total since Sept. 9, 1979, when they scored a franchise-record 56 points in a 56-3 win over the New York Jets. New England scored 55 points in a 55-21 win over the Jets on Oct. 29, 1978, and also scored 52 points in a 52-21 win over Buffalo on Oct. 22, 1961. The Patriots’ 45-point margin of victory over the Redskins is the second largest victory margin in team history, trailing only a 53-point victory over the Jets on Sept. 9, 1979 (56-3).

BRADY TIES NFL MARK FOR MOST CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH 3+ TD PASSES
With three touchdown passes against the Redskins, Tom Brady has thrown for at least three touchdowns in all eight games this season, tying the NFL record for consecutive games with three or more touchdown passes. Peyton Manning also threw for three or more touchdown passes in eight consecutive games in 2004.

BRADY SETS NEW CAREER HIGH WITH 30 TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN 2007
Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes against Washington and ran for two more touchdowns. His three touchdown passes raised his season total to 30, a number that represents a new career high and is the second highest single-season total in team history, trailing only Vito “Babe” Parilli’s franchise-record total of 31 touchdowns in 1964. Brady has thrown 30 touchdowns and just two interceptions through eight games this season. Brady set a new single-season career high when he threw his second touchdown of the day and his 29th touchdown pass of the season – a 6-yard strike to Randy Moss – topping his 28 scoring passes in 2002 and 2004.

VRABEL SCORES EIGHTH CAREER REGULAR-SEASON TOUCHDOWN
Linebacker Mike Vrabel caught his eighth regular-season touchdown pass and his 10th overall touchdown pass (including two in the playoffs) on a 2-yard scoring catch from Tom Brady in the second quarter that gave the Patriots a 14-0 lead. Vrabel also caught a touchdown pass on Oct. 1 at Cincinnati, and has tied his single-season career high with two touchdown catches this season. He also had a pair of scoring grabs in 2005. Each of Vrabel’s 10 career receptions have been for touchdowns – including one in Super Bowl XXXVIII and one in Super Bowl XXXIX. Including his one career interception return for a touchdown, Vrabel now has totaled nine career regular-season touchdowns – the fifth-highest total in a New England uniform by a current Patriot (trailing only Troy Brown, Kevin Faulk, Randy Moss and Benjamin Watson).

VRABEL: THREE STRIP-SACKS
Mike Vrabel recorded three strip-sacks against the Redskins, all of which created fumbles that were recovered by the Patriots. His third strip-sack of the day caused a fumble that was picked up by Rosevelt Colvin and returned 10 yards for a touchdown. Vrabel also had two strip-sacks in the second quarter, with both fumbles being recovered by Ty Warren to give the Patriots possession. Vrabel’s three sacks tie his single-game career-high, also achieved on Oct. 26, 2003 against Cleveland. He is the first Patriot to record three or more sacks in a game since Jarvis Green had three on Oct. 1, 2006 at Cincinnati. Vrabel’s three strip-sacks against Washington give him four strip-sacks for the season, with his other strip-sack coming in the fourth quarter against the New York Jets on Sept. 9. Since joining the Patriots prior to the 2001 season, Vrabel has recorded 12 regular-season strip-sacks (four in 2003, one in 2005, three in 2006 and four in 2007) and three playoff strip-sacks (one in 2003, one in 2004 and one in 2006). Vrabel tied for the team lead with three strip-sacks in the 2006 regular-season and added one more in the 2006 divisional playoffs against San Diego. With his three strip-sacks against the Redskins, Vrabel raised his season total to 7.5 sacks, a tally that leads the team and stands as the second highest total of his career, trailing only his team-high 9.5 sacks in 2003. Vrabel’s three strip-sacks against Washington set up 17 points off turnovers, with his first strip-sack setting up a field goal drive that gave the Patriots a 17-0 lead, his second setting up a touchdown drive that gave the Patriots a 24-0 lead.

BRADY SCORES TWO RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS
Tom Brady scored two rushing touchdowns against Washington, setting a new single-game and single-season career high. Brady had three career regular-season rushing touchdowns heading into today’s game – one in each of the 2002, 2003 and 2005 seasons. Brady is the first Patriot to rush for two or more touchdowns in a game since Corey Dillon did it in the 2006 regular-season finale on Dec. 31, 2006. Against Washington, Brady gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead with a 3-yard scoring run in the first quarter and gave New England a 31-0 lead with a 2-yard scoring plunge in the third quarter. Prior to today, the last time Brady had scored a rushing touchdown was on Dec. 11, 2005 at Buffalo. The last Patriots quarterback to run for two or more touchdowns in a game was Tony Eason, who did it on Oct. 14, 1984 against Cincinnati. Brady’s performance is the fifth two-plus touchdown game for a Patriots quarterback since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger – in addition to Eason’s game in 1984, Steve Grogan ran for two touchdowns three times in 1976 and Jim Plunkett did it once in 1973.

BRADY: THREE-PLUS TOUCHDOWNS, 100.0-PLUS PASSER RATING AND 300-YARD GAME
Tom Brady achieved a passer rating of 125.5, and has totaled a rating of at least 100.0 in all eight games this season. He has had a rating of at least 115.0 in seven of the eight games and has totaled a rating of 123.0 or higher in six of the eight games. Brady also threw for 306 yards against Washington, marking his third straight game exceeding the 300-yard passing mark and becoming his fourth game of 300 or more yards this season. Brady has thrown for at least three touchdowns, totaled at least 300 yards and had a passer rating of at least 100.0 for three straight games.

COLVIN: FIRST CAREER TOUCHDOWN
Rosevelt Colvin scooped up a Jason Campbell fumble forced by Mike Vrabel in the third quarter and rumbled 11 yards to the end zone for his first career touchdown. The fumble recovery was the eighth of Colvin’s career. The fumble return for a touchdown was the third by the Patriots this season – Randall Gay returned a fumble 15 yards for a score against Cleveland on Oct. 7. Colvin’s touchdown marked the Patriots’ third defensive touchdown of the season, with Adalius Thomas returning an interception 65 yards for a score in addition to Gay’s fumble return. Colvin’s touchdown was the Patriots fifth touchdown on a return this season, with their three defensive scores joining a pair of kickoff returns for touchdowns.

CASSEL: RUSHING TOUCHDOWN
Quarterback Matt Cassel gave the Patriots a 52-0 lead on a 15-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter. The rushing score was the first of Cassel’s career and was the third by a Patriots quarterback on the afternoon – the highest total of rushing scores by Patriots quarterbacks in any game since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

MOSS: 11th TOUCHDOWN CATCH OF THE SEASON
Randy Moss caught his 11th touchdown pass of the season, a 6-yard grab in the second quarter that gave the Patriots a 24-0 lead. Moss’s 11 touchdown receptions stand as the second highest single-season total in Patriots history, trailing only Stanley Morgan’s franchise-record 12 touchdown receptions in 1986. Moss’s 11 touchdown catches tie the fourth highest total of his 10-year career, trailing only his 17 touchdown catches in with Minnesota 1998 and 2003 and his 13 touchdown receptions for the Vikings in 2004. He also had 11 touchdown receptions for the Vikings in 1999.

FAULK MOVES INTO SIXTH ON PATRIOTS’ ALL-TIME RECEPTIONS LIST
With a seven-yard reception in the first quarter – the 293rd catch of his career and his second of the game – Kevin Faulk passed Gino Cappelletti (292 catches) to move into sixth place on the Patriots’ all-time career receptions list. Faulk is the Patriots’ all-time leader in receptions by a running back. Cappelletti was once the Patriots’ all-time leading receiver, holding the record until Stanley Morgan passed him with his 293rd career catch on Nov. 11, 1984. Troy Brown is the Patriots’ all-time leading receiver with 557 career receptions.

SOLID DEFENSIVE EFFORT
The Patriots allowed just seven points, tying their best defensive effort of the season. They also allowed just seven points in a 38-7 win over Buffalo on Sept. 23. New England has allowed seven or fewer points five times in its last 18 games.

SINGLE-GAME TEAM RECORD: MOST FIRST DOWNS
The Patriots gained 34 first downs today, setting a new franchise record for most first downs in a single game. The previous single-game team record was 32 first downs, achieved on Dec. 11, 2005 in a 35-7 win at Buffalo. In their 52-7 win over Washington, the Patriots gained 13 first downs rushing and 21 first downs passing.

BRADY-TO-WELKER
Wes Welker caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the fourth quarter, giving the Patriots a 45-0 lead. The touchdown reception was Welker’s sixth of the season and was the seventh scoring catch of his career. With two-touchdown performances last week against Miami and two weeks ago against Dallas, Welker has caught five touchdown passes in his last three games after catching two scoring passes in the first 52 games of his career.

SAMUEL RECORDS 20th CAREER INTERCEPTION
Asante Samuel intercepted a Jason Campbell pass in the second quarter, recording his team-high fourth interception of the season and the 20th pick of his regular season career. He also has four career interceptions in the playoffs. Samuel’s 20 career interceptions rank 11th on the Patriots’ all-time list and lead all active Patriots. Samuel has recorded 13 interceptions in his last 17 regular-season and playoff games. Last season, he led the NFL with 10 regular-season interceptions.

STARTING STRONG
The Patriots scored first, taking a 7-0 lead on a 3-yard touchdown run by Tom Brady in the first quarter. New England has scored on its opening drive in each game this season, totaling five touchdowns and three field goals. New England has scored first in each of its eight games this season and has achieved the feat in 11 straight regular season and playoff games dating back to Jan. 7, 2007.

GOSTKOWSKI’S SUCCESS STREAK
Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 36-yard field goal in the second quarter to give the Patriots a 17-0 lead. He has hit nine of his 10 field goal attempts this season (90.0 percent) and has nailed 30 of his last 33 attempts (90.9 percent) dating back to Nov. 5, 2006, including a perfect 8-for-8 performance in last season’s playoffs.

RECORD PERFORMANCE
With the Patriots’ victory this afternoon, Tom Brady has now defeated each of the 31 other teams (besides New England) as a starting quarterback. Entering today’s game, the Redskins were the only team against which the Patriots had not won with Brady as a starting quarterback. Additionally, Brady raised his career records (including playoffs) to… 90-26 overall, 47-10 at home, 30-2 on artificial turf, 25-4 against NFC teams

HOME SELLOUT STREAK REACHES 143
Today’s game was the 143rd consecutive home sellout for the Patriots, a streak that includes every preseason, regular-season and playoff game since the 1994 regular-season opener.

INTERCEPTION-FREE STREAK
With his 38 interception-free passes today, Tom Brady has now thrown 164 consecutive passes without an interception, tying the longest such streak of his career (11/30/03 to 9/9/04). The Patriots record is 179 consecutive passes without an interception, achieved by Drew Bledsoe from Oct. 23 to Nov. 26, 2005. So far in 2007, Brady has thrown 30 touchdowns and two interceptions.

HIGH OCTANE MATCHUP
The Patriots-Colts matchup on Nov. 4 will pit the 8-0 Patriots against the 7-0 Colts, marking the first time in the 88-year history of the NFL that two undefeated teams with seven or more wins have faced each other, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. There are only five previous instances in which undefeated teams with five or more wins have faced each other, and the Patriots have been involved in the last two such matchups, including a 48-27 win by the 5-0 Patriots over the 5-0 Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 14, 2007 and a 13-7 win by the 5-0 Patriots over the 5-0 New York Jets on Oct. 24, 2004.

Posted by Art Martone  at 9:55 PM | Permalink

Patriots 49, Dolphins 28

Tom Brady threw a Patriots franchise record six touchdown passes, five of them in the first half, as the 7-0 New England Patriots rolled over the 0-7 Miami Dolphins, 49-28, today in Miami. The win gave the Patriots their best start in franchise history.

Brady threw two touchdowns each to Randy Moss and Wes Welker, and one each to Donte Stallworth and Kyle Brady. He did not throw an interception, leaving him with 27 touchdowns and two interceptions on the season so far. He completed 21 of 25 passes for 354 yards.

Brady left the game after completing New England's final drive of the third quarter, but returned after backup Matt Cassel -- on just his third play of the game -- threw an interception that Jason Taylor returned for a Miami touchdown, making the score 42-21. Brady promptly led the Patriots on a four-play, 59-yard drive that ended in a 16-yard touchdown toss to Welker.

Third-string quarterback Matt Gutierrez finished things up for the Patriots.

Willie Andrews, a second-year backup cornerback, had his proudest moment as a pro, returning a short kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter, after Miami had pulled to within 14-7. It was Andrews' first NFL touchdown.

Projo.com will have much more Patriots coverage all night long. We'll post game reports from Miami as we get them, with our full report online by about 8:30 tonight. We'll also bring you a gallery of Glenn Osmundson's photos.

For now, we invite you to answer this question: Were the Patriots trying to humiliate the Dolphins today?

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 4:05 PM | Permalink

Record For Brady

MIAMI -- Tom Brady, who came back into the game after his backup, Matt Cassel, threw an interception that Jason Taylor returned for a touchdown, set a franchise record by throwing for his sixth TD pass of the game -- a 16-yarder to Wes Welker that capped a 4-play, 59-yard drive and made the score 49-21.

For the game, he has completed 21 of 25 passes, for 354, and the team-record six TDs.

Posted by Jim Donaldson  at 3:34 PM | Permalink

That's Just Sick

MIAMI -- When Tom Brady capped a 71-yard, 6-play scoring drive that took only 1:06 with a 14-yard TD pass to Wes Welker just 25 seconds before halftime, it was his fifth scoring toss of the afternoon, tying the franchise record for a single game for the second week in a row, although he need four quarters to do it in Dallas.

Brady heads into the locker room with 16 completions in 19 attempts for 291 yards and the 5 TDs.

Posted by Jim Donaldson  at 2:32 PM | Permalink

Thursday locker room report: Maroney speaks; Welker dodges reporters

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

Patriots' postgame notes

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

Patriots' halftime notes

Dallas Morning News / Vernon Bryant
Rodney Harrison sacks Tony Romo to set a new NFL record for sacks by a defensive back.

Courtesy of the New England PR staff:

BRADY SETS NFL RECORD WITH THREE OR MORE TOUCHDOWNS IN FIRST SIX GAMES

By throwing three touchdown passes as of halftime 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. As of halftime, Brady has totaled 19 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. His three touchdowns give him 166 for his career, tying him with Drew Bledsoe's Patriots total for second on the team's all-time list. Steve Grogan is the franchise leader with 182 touchdowns.

WELKER SCORES TWO TOUCHDOWNS

Wes Welker set a career high with two touchdown receptions today (as of halftime), 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.

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.

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 25Harrison, who has also recorded 32 career interceptions and is the only player in NFL history to total at least 25 career sacks and at least 30 career interceptions.

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.

QUICK HITS

и 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.

и Vince Wilfork tackled Julius Jones in the backfield for a 1-yard loss on first down in the first quarter.
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.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 6:20 PM | Permalink

Brady sets mark

With that touchdown pass to Wes Welker -- Welker's second TD of the day -- Tom Brady has broken the record he shared with 49ers QB Steve Young.

With three touchdown passes in the game, Brady is now the only player in league history to record three or more passing touchdowns in six games at the start of the season. Brady tied Young's mark at five games last week against the Browns.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 5:39 PM | Permalink

Running To Set Up The Pass

IRVING, Texas -- Many times, teams struggle to pass the ball if they're not running well. That's not the case this afternoon for the Patriots.
Although Sammy Morris has rushed for only 12 yards on 9 carries, Tom Brady has completed 16 of 27 passes for 213 yards and 3 TDs -- two to Wes Welker and one to Randy Moss.

Posted by Jim Donaldson  at 5:37 PM | Permalink

Wednesday wrap

Hey all --

While inside the Patriots locker room Sunday's game with Dallas is looked at as a big game mostly because it's the next game on the schedule, the national media don't feel the same way.

ESPN had four personalities here today -- Kenny Mayne doing his thing (he asked Bill Belichick was his inspiration was for the cutoff gray hoodie was), Wendi Nix, Rachel Nichols, and all-around good guy (and former Boston Globie) Michael Smith, as well as the cameramen and sound guys to go with them.

The Dallas Morning News and Ft. Worth Star-Telegram have reporters here to get things for Cowboys' fans, and the New York Times and nbcsports.com's Tom Curran were also on hand.

Bill Belichick always touts the strengths of Pats' opponents, but today he was particularly effusive when discussing the Cowboys in his opening comments:

"They’re a very, very impressive football team. I think they really do everything well. They’re very physical on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Statistically just about any stat that you want, they have. They can run it. They can throw it. They make big plays. They turn the ball over. They sack the quarterback. They have the most interceptions in the league. You could just go right down the line. They have a lot of great players," he said.

"They’re a complete team. They’re solid all the way around. They’re well coached. Wade [Phillips] has a very fundamentally sound defensive football team, but they don’t give you much. You have to earn it and they haven’t given up much. It will be a big challenge ahead of us this week."

In the locker room, Tom Brady talked more about the challenge Dallas poses, as did Rodney Harrison, Mike Vrabel, Rosevelt Colvin and Wes Welker.

Vrabel addressed the charge from Browns' guard Eric Steinbach that he's "classless," which Steinbach claimed on Monday for a last-second play in which Vrabel fell onto Cleveland left tackle Joe Thomas and Thomas fell into quarterback Derek Anderson. Steinbach felt Vrabel was intentionally going for Thomas' knees.

"I'm going to say this one time: I'm sorry they feel that way. I don't play that way," Vrabel said.

Harrison quipped that the only thing dirty on Vrabel is his underwear.

shalise

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 2:11 PM | Permalink

Postgame quotes: Patriots WR Wes Welker

On his punt returns
I think that it is a part of our game that we are trying to get going and Buffalo’s punter put some big punts out there and we still were able to net some yards out there. I still think that we have some room to improve.

On the 75-yard punt
It is one of those deals that you have to become like a receiver, like your trying to catch a deep ball. It was kind of that type of situation, where I wasn’t able to turn around and square up on it, but I was able to field the ball and get it up field and the guys did a great job of blocking this week. They take a lot of pride in that and they did a great job.

On the lateral to Randy Moss
Yeah, I am probably going to get yelled at a little bit tomorrow, but it just kind of happened. It is one of those plays that he was there and I felt like it was safe and a possibility to score.

Posted by Art Martone  at 7:31 PM | Permalink

Friday wrap from Gillette

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