Sunday, November 09, 2008

Pats-Bills Postgame notes

Courtesy: The New England Patriots

GAME NOTES
Patriots vs. Bills - November 9, 2008

WELKER SETS NFL RECORD WITH NINTH STRAIGHT GAME WITH 6+ CATCHES TO BEGIN SEASON
On a 12-yard reception in the third quarter - his sixth catch of the day - Wes Welker became the first player in NFL history to have six or more receptions in each of the first nine games of a season. Welker topped the previous league record of eight games, achieved by Jacksonville’s Jimmy Smith in 2001. Dating back to last season (and including the playoffs), Welker has had six or more receptions in 13 straight games. The NFL record for most consecutive games with six or more receptions is 16, achieved by Marvin Harrison of the Colts from 2002-03.

WELKER SETS SEASON HIGHS FOR RECEPTIONS, YARDS
Wes Welker ended the game with a season-high 10 receptions for a season-best 107 yards. The game was his first 100-yard receiving game of the season and was the fifth of in his career. Welker’s four previous 100-yard games all came last season with the Patriots. His career high of 149 receiving yards came against Philadelphia on Nov. 25, 2007. The game was Welker’s fourth career contest with 10 or more receptions. He turned the trick three times last year and had a career-high 13 catches, also against Philadelphia on Nov. 25, 2007. Welker’s 10 receptions were the most for a Patriots player since he had 11 catches against the New York Giants in the 2007 regular-season finale on Dec. 29, 2007.

GREEN-ELLIS TOPS 100 RUSHING YARDS
Rookie running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis topped the 100-yard rushing mark, totaling 26 rushes for 105 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was his fourth of the season and his fourth in as many weeks. Since being signed to the Patriots active roster on Oct. 11, Green-Ellis has scored touchdowns in four of five games, becoming the first Patriots rookie to score touchdowns in as many as four of his first five career games since running back Robert Edwards scored in each of his first six career games in 1998. The Patriots’ franchise record for consecutive games with a rushing touchdown is held by Curtis Martin, who scored a rushing touchdown in seven straight games in 1996. The 100-yard game was the first of Green-Ellis’s five-game NFL career. Green-Ellis, who was originally signed by the Patriots in the offseason as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Mississippi, was signed to New England’s active roster on Oct. 11.

PATRIOTS TIE MOST PLAYS IN A SINGLE DRIVE IN TEAM HISTORY
The Patriots tied the longest drive in team history (in terms of number of plays) when they embarked on a 19-play, 92-yard drive in the fourth quarter, chewing up 9:08 of clock time and protecting what was then a 13-3 lead. The drive ended in a 1-yard touchdown by BenJarvus Green-Ellis that made the score 20-3. The 19-play drive against Buffalo tied a 19-play drive against the New York Jets on Sept. 15, 2002 as the longest drive in team history in terms of number of plays.

FEATS, RECORDS AND MILESTONES
· The Patriots improved to 16-1 (.941) in games following a loss since the beginning of the 2003 season. Over the last five-and-a-half seasons (2003-08), the Patriots have only lost back-to-back games on one occasion (Nov. 5 and Nov. 12, 2006).
· The Patriots had a 100-yard rusher (BenJarvus Green-Ellis) and a 100-yard receiver (Wes Welker) in the same game for the first time since Oct. 7, 2007, when Sammy Morris (102 rushing yards) and Benjamin Watson (107 receiving yards) for New England against Cleveland.
· The Patriots’ victory over the Bills was New England’s 50th win at Gillette Stadium since the facility opened in 2002 (including playoffs). New England is now 50-10 (.833) all-time at Gillette Stadium, the best home record in the league since the facility opened in 2002.
· Today’s game was the 156th straight home sellout for the Patriots, a streak that is now in its 15th year and includes every preseason, regular-season and playoff game since the 1994 regular-season opener, which was Robert Kraft’s first regular-season game as Patriots owner.

PATRIOTS DEFEAT BILLS FOR 10th STRAIGHT TIME
The Patriots beat the Bills for the 10th consecutive time, extending a streak that dates back to 2003. The last time the Bills beat the Patriots was on Sept. 7, 2003. New England’s 10 straight wins over the Bills ties the longest current winning streak by one NFL team over another (San Diego has beaten Oakland 10 straight times and Pittsburgh has defeated Cleveland 10 straight times). The 10 straight wins over Buffalo ties the second longest streak over an opponent (they also beat San Diego 10 straight times from 1973-2001). The Patriots franchise record for most wins over a single opponent is 11, achieved against the Bills from 1983-87.

CASSEL SCORES SECOND CAREER TOUCHDOWN
Matt Cassel gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead on a 13-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to cap off a 7-play, 71-yard drive on the Patriots’ first offensive possession of the game. The touchdown was the second of Cassel’s career - he also scored on a 15-yard run against Washington on Oct. 28, 2007. Cassel’s 15-yard scoring run last year was the longest touchdown run by a Patriots quarterback in at least the last 20 years, and his 13-yard touchdown run against Buffalo today ties a 13-yard touchdown by Drew Bledsoe on Oct. 15, 2000 as the second longest touchdown run by a Patriots signal caller in at least 20 years. Steve Grogan holds the Patriots record for longest touchdown run by a quarterback with a 41-yard touchdown run in 1976.

MOSS MOVES UP ALL-TIME LIST
Randy Moss moved up three spots on the NFL’s all-time receptions list today, taking sole possession of 17th place in league history after entering the day in the 20th spot. Moss’s third catch of the day, a 6-yard grab in the first quarter, was the 815th reception of his career and moved him past Henry Ellard (814) and Keyshawn Johnson (814) and into a tie with Shannon Sharpe (815) for 17th place all-time. His fourth catch of the day, a 9-yard catch in the second quarter, was the 816th of his career and moved him past Sharpe into sole possession of 17th place all-time. Moss ended the day with five receptions, bringing his career total to 817. Steve Largent ranks 16th in league history with 819 career receptions.
HOBBS INTERCEPTION
Ellis Hobbs intercepted a Trent Edwards pass in the first quarter and returned it four yards to the Bills’ 34-yard line, setting up a 32-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski that gave the Patriots a 10-0 lead. The interception was Hobbs’s second of the season and was the eighth of his regular-season career. Hobbs also has two career playoff interceptions, bringing his overall career total to 10. Hobbs’s other interception this season came in the season opener against Kansas City and also led to a New England field goal.

O’NEAL INTERCEPTION
Deltha O’Neal intercepted a Trent Edwards pass in the third quarter and returned it two yards to the Patriots’ 41-yard line. The interception was O’Neal’s third of the season, tying him with Brandon Meriweather for the team lead. The interception was the 34th of O’Neal’s nine-year NFL career. He had 15 interceptions with Denver from 2000-03 and had 16 picks with Cincinnati from 2004-07. O’Neal was signed by the Patriots as a free agent on Sept. 1, 2008.

SEYMOUR SACK
Richard Seymour sacked Trent Edwards for a six-yard loss on third down on Buffalo’s first possession of the game, forcing a Bills punt on the next play. The sack was Seymour’s fifth of the season (tying him with Adalius Thomas for the team lead) and raised his career sack total to 36.0, tying Garin Veris for 11th on the Patriots’ all-time sacks list.

GOSTKOWSKI IMPROVES TO 21-FOR-23 ON THE SEASON
Stephen Gostkowski was 2-for-3 on field goals, hitting a 32-yard field goal in the second quarter to give the Patriots a 10-0 lead and nailing a 29-yarder in the third quarter to give New England a 13-3 advantage. He also missed a 49-yard try in the second quarter. Following his 2-for-3 performance his accuracy rate was 91.3 percent this season (21-for-23). He has hit 28 of his last 30 field goals (93.3 percent) dating back to last season, and his career accuracy rate of 84.9 percent (62-for-73) is the best in Patriots history. Gostkowski, who was the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October, entered this week’s games leading the AFC in field goal percentage (95.0, minimum 12 attempts), field goals (19) and points (72).

QUICK HITS
· Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour combined to tackle Buffalo running back Marshawn Lynch for a 3-yard loss on third-and-goal from the Patriots’ 4-yard line in the second quarter, forcing a Buffalo field goal on the next play.
· Ty Warren sacked Trent Edwards for a 6-yard sack in the fourth quarter, setting up a third-and-11 that the Bills did not convert. The sack was Warren’s second of the season and raised his career total to 19.5 sacks.
· Wes Welker’s 27-yard reception from Matt Cassel in the second quarter tied his longest catch of the season. Welker also had a 27-yard grab from Cassel against Denver on Oct. 20.

PUNT, PASS AND KICK WINNERS
The 2008 NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick New England Patriots team championships were held on the Gillette Stadium field this morning. At halftime, the eight first place team champions were honored and the participants exhibited their passing skills. Below is a list of the first place winners and their hometowns.

2008 PATRIOTS PUNT, PASS AND KICK WINNERS
8/9 year olds: Mikaya Bowerfind (Cumberland, R.I.) & Cooper Chiasson (Dixfield, Maine)
10/11 year olds: Katie Day (E. Kingston, N.H.) & Evan Delaney (Hadley, Mass.)
12/13 year olds: Elisa Formiglio (Bozrah, Conn.) & Michael Caswell (Falmouth, Maine)
14/15 year olds: Anna Grant (Stratham, N.H.) & Mason Powers (Kensington, Conn.)

Monday, November 03, 2008

Pats-Colts Post game notes

Courtesy of The New England Patriots

GAME NOTES

Patriots at Colts - November 2, 2008

PATRIOTS OWN BEST 100-GAME STRETCH IN NFL HISTORY
Entering tonight’s game, the Patriots had won 82 of their last 100 games (including playoffs). New England’s 81-18 record in those 100 games was the best record by any team over any 100-game stretch in NFL history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Three teams (Green Bay, Pittsburgh and San Francisco) are tied for the second best 100-game stretch, with each having gone 79-21 over various 100-game spans. The Patriots’ most recent 100-game stretch leading into tonight’s game began with a 31-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 14, 2003.

WELKER TIES RECORD FOR MOST GAMES WITH SIX OR MORE CATCHES TO OPEN SEASON
On a 10-yard reception in the fourth quarter - his sixth catch of the game - Wes Welker tied the NFL record for most games with six or more receptions to begin a season. Welker has had six or more receptions in each of the Patriots’ eight games this season and ties the NFL record established by Jacksonville’s Jimmy Smith in 2001.

EVEN STEPHEN
Stephen Gostkowski hit three field goals—a 29-yard field goal in the second quarter to cut the Colts’ lead to 7-3 and a 35-yard kick later in the quarter to cut the lead to 7-6 and a 25-yarder in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 15. The kicks raised Gostkowski to 19-for-20 (95 percent) on field goals this season. Following his boots against the Colts, Gostkowski had nailed 26 of his last 27 kicks (96.3 percent) dating back to last season. Gostkowski is the Patriots’ all-time leader in field goal percentage, hitting 60-of-70 kicks (85.7 percent) since being selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft.

GREEN-ELLIS SCORES FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WEEK
Rookie running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis gave the Patriots a 12-7 lead on a 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The scoring run was Green-Ellis’s third of the season, the third of his career and his third in as many weeks, having also scored against Denver on Oct. 29 and against St. Louis on Oct. 26. Green-Ellis, who was originally signed by the Patriots in the offseason as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Mississippi, was signed to New England’s active roster on Oct. 11. He has now scored a touchdown in three of his four professional games.

QUICK HITS
· Kelley Washington tackled Colts punt returner Marvin Harrison at the Indianapolis 9-yard line in the first quarter after just a 2-yard punt return, helping the Patriots to net 62 yards on a 64-yard Chris Hanson punt.

· Mike Vrabel tripped up Joseph Addai in the backfield for a 1-yard loss on third down in the second quarter, forcing a Colts punt on the next play.

· Kevin Faulk completed a pass to Wes Welker for a 2-yard loss in the second quarter. The completion was the second of Faulk’s career, and came on his fourth career passing attempt (and his first since 2003). Faulk’s only career completion prior to tonight’s game came on a 23-yard completion to Tom Brady in 2001.

· The Patriots were called for a false start penalty in the third quarter, breaking a streak of seven penalty-free quarters. Prior to the third-quarter false start, the last time the Patriots were penalized was in the third quarter against Denver on Oct. 20. Last week against St. Louis, the Patriots played the first penalty-free game in franchise history.

· Richard Seymour and Mike Vrabel combined to stop Joseph Addai for a 2-yard loss on first-and-goal in the third quarter.

· The Patriots outgained the Colts in total net yardage, 342-301.

· The Patriots outrushed the Colts 140-47.

· Jerod Mayo, the NFL’s defensive rookie of the month for October, led the Patriots with 11 tackles (8 solo).

SWAT TEAM
· Terrence Wheatley knocked down a Peyton Manning pass intended for Marvin Harrison on third down on the Colts’ first possession of the game, forcing an Indianapolis three-and-out as the Colts punted on the next play.

FAULK BREAKS 3,000-YARD RECEIVNG MARK
On an 11-yard reception in the second quarter, Kevin Faulk recorded his 3,000th receiving yard, becoming the 14th player in Patriots history to break the 3,000 receiving yard mark. Following his 11-yard catch against the Colts, Faulk had 3,003 career receiving yards - a total that ranks 14th in team history. Faulk is the Patriots’ all-time leader in receptions by a running back, and his 343 receptions entering tonight’s game ranked fifth in team history.

Friday, October 31, 2008

2008-2009 Friars

By: Frank Carpano

The Friars step onto the floor at the Dunkin Donuts Center Saturday for the first time under head coach Keno Davis. I had an opportunity to see the Friars at their intrasquad scrimmage last week. And there is a potentially interesting new piece to the Frias squad. His name is Balal Dixon, a freshman forward who doesn’t look like a true freshman. He has a well developed body that should serve him well when it comes time to battle the beasts of the Big East.
In the meantime, I’m told he improves each day in practice. And hopefully he’ll push senior Randall Hanke, Goeff McDermott and Jonathan Kale.

I also liked the performance of Brian McKenzie. He spent most of his time shooting outside shots last season. During the game I saw, Coach Davis prodded McKenzie to take the ball all the way to the basket off the fast break. It’s a new dimension that could prove interesting.

It was disappointing that Sheraud Curry did not play in the intrasquad game. I’m told that he continues to progress in his efforts to recover from the injury that made him miss all of last season. 

Needless to say a healthy Curry is one of the keys to the Friars success this season

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Post game notes Pats-Broncos

Courtesy: The New England Patriots

GAME NOTES
Patriots vs. Broncos - October 20, 2008

FOUR OUT OF SIX TO START THE SEASON
The Patriots have begun the season with a 4-2 record, marking the third straight season that they have won at least four of their first six games. The Patriots are the only AFC team to start each of the last three seasons with a six-game record of 4-2 or better (the Patriots started 6-0 in 2007 and 5-1 in 2006). New England joins the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers as the only NFL teams to start with four or more wins in their first six games in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

PATRIOTS RUSHING TOTAL TIES MOST IN A SINGLE GAME SINCE 1985
As a team, the Patriots ran for 257 yards on 38 carries (6.8 avg.), tying the team’s highest single-game rushing total since Dec. 22, 1985, when the Patriots posted 281 yards on 46 carries (6.1 avg.) against the Cincinnati Bengals. New England rushing total against Denver matched their Dec. 26, 1993 total of 257 yards (on 58 carries) against Indianapolis as the highest since that 1985 game. Against Denver, Sammy Morris led the way with a career-high 138 rushing yards, while rookie BenJarvus Green-Ellis added 65 yards on 13 carries, Kevin Faulk picked up 50 yards on four carries, Heath Evans had three yards on one carry and Matt Cassel has one yard on four carries, including three game-ending kneeldowns.

CASSEL’S PASSER RATING RANKS IN FRANCHISE TOP 10
Matt Cassel posted a career-high passer rating of 136.3, completing 18-of-24 passes (75 percent) for 185 yards and three touchdowns. Cassel’s 136.3 passer rating places among the Patriots’ top 10 single-game passer ratings since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, ranking 10th on that list, just ahead of Drew Bledsoe’s 136.2 rating on Sept. 7, 1997 against Indianapolis. Cassel’s three touchdowns against Denver also set a new single-game career high, and his 75 percent completion rate was also a career best.

TURNING OVER POINTS
The Patriots forced five Denver turnovers and scored 20 points off of those turnovers. The five forced turnovers were the most for the Patriots since also forcing five in a 28-21 win over Detroit on Dec. 3, 2006. New England’s 20 points off turnovers were its highest total since scoring 21 points off of four Cleveland turnovers in a 34-17 win on Oct. 7, 2007.

PATRIOTS IMPROVE TO 15-1 FOLLOWING LOSSES SINCE 2003
The Patriots bounced back from a loss with a victory for the 15th time in their last 16 chances, a run of success that dates back to the beginning of the 2003 season. Since then, the Patriots have only lost back-to-back games on one occasion, dropping their first two games in November, 2006. This season, New England has followed each of its losses with victories, bouncing back from a 38-13 loss to Miami on Sept. 21 with a 30-21 win over San Francisco on Oct. 5 and rebounding from a 30-10 setback at San Diego on Oct. 12 with a 41-7 win over Denver on Oct. 20.

PATRIOTS TIE THEIR SECOND HIGHEST POINT TOTAL AT GILLETTE STADIUM
The Patriots scored 41 points against Denver, tying the team’s second highest single-game point total in Gillette Stadium history. The only game in which the Patriots scored more points at Gillette Stadium came on Oct. 28, 2007, when they defeated Washington 52-7. New England’s 41-7 win over Denver ties their 41-point output in a 41-38 win over Kansas City on Sept. 22, 2002 as their second highest point total at home since moving into Gillette Stadium in 2002.

PATRIOTS TOTAL FIFTH-LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY IN BELICHICK ERA
The Patriots’ 34-point victory over Denver (41-7) was the fifth largest margin of victory for the team since Bill Belichick became head coach in 2000. The only larger margins of victory for New England under Belichick were by 46 points against Buffalo on Nov. 18, 2007 (56-10), 45 points against Washington on Oct. 28, 2007 (52-7), 37 points against the New York Jets on Sept. 15, 2002 (44-7) and 35 points against the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 19, 2006 (35-0).

PATRIOTS TIE LARGEST MONDAY NIGHT VICTORY IN TEAM HISTORY
The Patriots’ 41-7 win over the Denver Broncos tied the largest victory in team history on Monday Night Football. New England equaled its 41-7 win over the New York Jets on Oct. 18, 1976 as the highest point total and the largest margin of victory for the team on Monday night. The Patriots’ game against the Broncos was the 37th Monday night game in franchise history. The Patriots-Broncos game was the 600th game in Monday Night Football history.

CAREER HIGH FOR MORRIS
Running back Sammy Morris had a career-high 138 rushing yards on 16 first-half carries (8.6 avg.), topping his previous career best of 123 yards on 25 carries while playing for the Miami Dolphins against the Patriots on Dec. 10, 2006. Morris broke the 100-yard rushing mark early in the second quarter, totaling exactly 100 yards on his first nine rushes of the game. The performance marked the fourth 100-yard rushing game of Morris’s 9-year career and his third in 12 games as a Patriot. Morris joined the Patriots as a free agent from the Dolphins prior to the 2007 season.

FOUR FOR MORRIS
Sammy Morris scored his fourth touchdown of the season on a four-yard run on fourth down with 7:34 left in the first half. Morris’s four touchdowns are tied with Randy Moss for the Patriots’ team lead and mark Morris’s highest total since 2004, when he had a career-high six rushing scores for the Miami Dolphins. Last season, Morris had three rushing touchdowns for New England in the first six games of the season before missing the remainder of the year with a chest injury.

CASSEL-TO-MOSS FOR TWO
Randy Moss caught two touchdown passes from Matt Cassel - a 13-yard strike in the second quarter and a 27-yard score on a catch-and-run play in the third quarter. Moss’s second score gave the Patriots a 27-0 lead with 7:32 left in the third quarter. The two-touchdown performance marked Moss’s first multiple-touchdown game of the season and his ninth since joining the Patriots via trade prior to the 2007 season. The two-touchdown game against Denver marked the 30th time in his career that Moss has caught two or more scoring passes in a game. Moss now has 128 career touchdown receptions, a total that ranks fourth all-time and is two behind Cris Carter’s total of 130 scoring catches.

WELKER HAS SIXTH STRAIGHT GAME WITH SIX OR MORE CATCHES
Wes Welker totaled six receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown, recording his sixth straight game with six or more catches to open the 2008 season. Welker has totaled 42 catches through six games this year, averaging exactly seven receptions per game. Last season, Welker also averaged exactly seven catches per game, totaling a franchise-record 112 catches and tying for the league lead while setting an NFL record for most receptions by a player in his first season with a new team. Against Denver, Welker caught his first touchdown of the season, his ninth touchdown catch since joining the Patriots via trade prior to the 2007 season.

EARLY TURNOVERS
The Patriots forced Denver turnovers on the Broncos’ first two drives of the game, forcing two fumbles by Denver running back Andre Hall. The Patriots converted both turnovers into field goals, leading to a 6-0 first-quarter lead. The first Patriots takeaway came when Lewis Sanders reached in and Hall to fumble and Le Kevin Smith pounced on the loose ball to give the Patriots possession at their own 32-yard line. The play marked Smith’s first career fumble recovery and was the second forced fumble of Sanders’ 9-year NFL career. On Denver’s next possession, Ty Warren forced Hall to fumble at the Patriots’ 37-yard line. The ball squirted towards the Broncos end of the field before Jerod Mayo recovered the ball at the Broncos’ 37-yard line. The forced fumble was the fourth of Warren’s career, while the fumble recovery was the first of Mayo’s career.

MERIWEATHER INTERCEPTION
Brandon Meriweather picked off a deep ball from Jay Cutler intended for Darrell Jackson at the Patriots’ 16-yard line in the second quarter. The interception was Meriweather’s team-leading third of the season and was also the third of his career. Meriweather was selected by the Patriots in the first round (24th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft.

SANDERS INTERCEPTION
James Sanders recorded his first interception of the season and the fifth interception of his 4-year career when he picked off a Jay Cutler pass in the third quarter. The play set up an 8-play, 80-yard drive that ended in a 6-yard scoring strike to Wes Welker and a 34-0 Patriots lead.

GREEN-ELLIS HAS SOLID NIGHT
Rookie running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis totaled 65 rushing yards on 13 carries (5.0 avg.) and scored his first career touchdown in just his second career NFL game. Green-Ellis was signed to the Patriots’ active roster from their practice squad on Oct. 11, 2008 and made his NFL debut on Oct. 12 at San Diego. Green-Ellis was originally signed by the Patriots this past offseason as a rookie free agent from the University of Mississippi.

WRIGHT RECORDS SACK AND FORCED FUMBLE; GUYTON RECOVERS
Patriots defensive lineman Mike Wright sacked Denver’s Patrick Ramsey for a 5-yard loss with 25 seconds left in the first half, forcing a fumble on the play that was recovered by Patriots rookie linebacker Gary Guyton. The sack was Wright’s first of the year and raised his career total to 2.5 sacks. Guyton recorded his first career fumble recovery. He was signed by the Patriots as a rookie free agent out of Georgia Tech prior to the 2008 season.

LONG PUNT RETURN FOR WELKER
Wes Welker had a 44-yard punt return in the third quarter, setting up a Patriots scoring drive at the Broncos 28-yard line. The 44-yard punt return was the longest for the Patriots since Troy Brown had a 66-yard punt return for a touchdown against Tampa Bay on Sept. 3, 2000. The 44-yard punt return set up a Patriots touchdown and was the third longest of Welker’s career, trailing only a 47-yard return for Miami against Pittsburgh on Sept. 7, 2006 and a 71-yard return for Miami against the Patriots on Dec. 20, 2004.

EVEN STEPHEN
Stephen Gostkowski got the Patriots on the scoreboard with a pair of first-quarter field goals, from 31 yards and 40 yards. The kicks raised Gostkowski’s mark to 13-for-14 on the season (92.9 percent). He has now made 20 of his last 21 field goals dating back to last season.

ANDRE TIPPETT NIGHT
Tonight was Andre Tippett Night at Gillette Stadium in honor of Tippett’s enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2008. The Patriots and their fans honored the legendary linebacker in a ceremony on the field at halftime, during which Tippett was presented with his Hall of Fame ring. Tippett also served as an honorary captain at tonight’s coin toss. Tippett’s Hall of Fame bust was on display this past weekend at The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon.

QUICK HITS
· Cornerback Mike Richardson made his NFL debut tonight as part of the Patriots’ kickoff team for the game’s opening kickoff. He was signed to the active roster from the practice squad prior to the game.
· Guard Stephen Neal saw his first action of the season when he came in at right guard on the Patriots’ first possession of the second quarter. Neal, a 7-year veteran, was activated from the reserve/PUP list prior to the game.
· After recording one takeaway via fumble in their first five games combined, the Patriots forced and recovered three Denver fumbles in the first half.
· Sammy Morris’s 20-yard run in the second quarter was second longest rush of the season for the Patriots at the time and the longest since Morris’s 22-yard scamper in the season opener against Kansas City on Sept. 7. He later exceeded that on a 34-yard run in the second quarter that was the Patriots’ longest since a 59-yard touchdown run by Laurence Maroney vs. Miami on Dec. 23, 2007.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

RI Sports Trivia

By: Frank Carpano

Ok Sports fans, here’s a trivia question for you.

Cumberland’s Rocco Baldelli hit a homerun in Game 3 of the American league Championship series. Including Rocco, there are 4 Rhode Islanders who have hit a postseason homerun in major league baseball. Can you name them?

Besides Rocco Baldelli, the other three: Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, current Phillies first base coach Davey Lopes, and Cubs Hall of Famer Gabby Hartnett.

I’m familiar with the Rhode Island heritage of the first 3, but admit that I didn’t know that Hartnett was a Rhode Island native. I did a little research and discovered that he was born in Woonsocket.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Red Sox vs. Rays

By: Frank Carpano

• The economy has affected ticket sales of sporting event, but it was hard to tell at the Providence Bruins home season opener. Three-Quarters of the building was full on a Wednesday night. Traditionally a tough night for the Bruins to bring the fans out.
•
• It doesn’t seem like that long ago that the the Tampa Bay Rays were the doormat of the American league. Look at them now! They win the AL East, the win their ALDS series against Chicago and now face the Red Sox in the ALCS. The Rays are officially the Cinderella of the 2008 MLB playoffs. All season long I kept hearing people talk about how they were waiting for the Rays to collapse. It didn’t happen, and I don’t suspect they will rollover for the Red Sox. Boston may have more postseason experience, but these Rays have nothing to lose.
•
• What will be interesting is to see how many Rays fans there will be at Tropicana Field. Traditionally, Red Sox fans dominate the crowd there.

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Pats-Niners Postgame Notes

Courtesy: New England Patriots

GAME NOTES
Patriots at 49ers - October 5, 2008

THREE OUR OF FOUR TO START THE SEASON
The Patriots have begun the season with a 3-1 record, marking the third straight season in which they have won at least three of their first four games. The Patriots are the only NFL team to start each of the last three seasons with a record of 3-1 or better.

CAREER HIGHS FOR CASSEL
Quarterback Matt Cassel set single-game career highs with 259 yards, 22 completions and 32 attempts. Prior to today, his previous single-game highs were 168 yards (vs. Miami on Jan. 1, 2006), 19 completions (vs. Miami on Sept. 21, 2008) and 31 attempts (vs. Miami on Sept. 21, 2008).

CASSEL BOMB TO MOSS
On third and eight from the 49ers’ 34-yard line in the first quarter, Matt Cassel rolled to his right and hit Randy Moss, who had split the defense down the middle, on a 66-yard touchdown, tying the score at seven. The catch was Moss’s longest reception as a Patriot and his longest reception since Oct. 2, 2005, when he snared a 79-yard catch while playing for Oakland against the Dallas Cowboys. The touchdown toss was the longest of Matt Cassel’s career, the longest play of the year for the Patriots and the longest since Donté Stallworth’s 69-yard touchdown reception against Dallas on Oct. 4, 2007. The touchdown was Moss’s 126th career scoring reception and his 25th touchdown grab since joining the Patriots via trade prior to the 2007 season. Last season, Moss had touchdown receptions of 65 yards (at N.Y. Giants, 12/29/07) and 63 yards (vs. Pittsburgh, 12/9/07).

FAULK’S GOAL LINE SCORES
Kevin Faulk scored on a two-yard run to give the Patriots a 17-14 lead with six seconds remaining in the first half and a two-yard run on fourth and goal to give the Patriots a 24-14 lead in the third quarter. It is the first time Faulk has scored two rushing touchdowns in a game and just the third time he has scored two total touchdowns in a game (vs. Houston, 12/17/06 and at Chicago, 11/10/02). The touchdowns were Faulk’s first two of the season. Faulk’s first touchdown was his first rushing score since Dec. 17, 2006, when he had an 11-yard scoring run against the Houston Texans. Last season, Faulk scored one touchdown, via a 13-yard reception at Indianapolis on Nov. 4, 2007. For his career, Faulk now has 13 rushing touchdowns, 11 receiving touchdowns and two touchdowns via kick return.

MOSS GOES FOR 111
Randy Moss had five receptions for 111 yards, recording his second 100-yard receiving game of the season and the 57th 100-yard receiving game of his career. Moss’s 57 career 100-yard receiving games rank third in NFL history, trailing only Jerry Rice (76) and Marvin Harrison (59). In 2007, Moss had nine 100-yard receiving games. Moss had four catches for 111 yards in the first half.

GOSTKOWSKI’S FIELD GOAL STREAK
Stephen Gostkowski nailed three field goals in the game—a 35-yarder, a 40-yarder and a 49-yarder. The kicks were Gostkowski’s 15th, 16th and 17th consecutive successful field goals, extending a streak that dates back to Dec. 9, 2007. Gostkowski has now made 30 of his last 32 regular-season field goals (93.8 percent) and is a perfect 10-for-10 this season. Gostkowski’s 17 straight successful field goals streak is the third longest in Patriots history, trailing only a 25-kick streak by Adam Vinatieri from 1996-97 and a 23-kick streak by Vinatieri in 2004.

FIRST WIN IN SAN FRANCISCO
Today’s 30-21 victory over the 49ers was the Patriots’ first win in San Francisco. New England had lost in each of their four previous road matchups with the 49ers. The Washington Redskins are now the only NFL team the Patriots have never beaten on the road.

MERIWEATHER HIGHLIGHT
Brandon Meriweather recorded his second interception of the season and the second interception of his career when he made an acrobatic play to intercept a J.T. O’Sullivan pass at the San Francisco 4-yard line in the first quarter, tipping the ball in the air and corralling it with his back on the ground. Meriweather, who also had an interception in the Patriots’ week two victory over the New York Jets, leads New England with two interceptions in 2008.

SEYMOUR’S 100th GAME
Richard Seymour is playing in his 100th career game this afternoon against the 49ers. Seymour was selected by the Patriots with the sixth overall selection in the 2001 NFL Draft.

FAULK FIFTH IN CAREER RECEPTIONS
With a 2-yard reception in the first quarter, Kevin Faulk passed Terry Glenn for fifth place on the Patriots’ all-time receptions list. The reception was the 330th of Faulk’s career, passing Glenn’s mark of 329 career catches in a New England uniform. Irving Fryar ranks fourth in team history with 363 career catches. Faulk is the Patriots’ all-time leader in receptions by a running back and trails only Fryar, Ben Coates (490), Stanley Morgan (534) and Troy Brown (557) on the Patriots’ all-time receptions list.

HARRISON’S PICK
Rodney Harrison intercepted a J.T. O’Sullivan pass in the third quarter to give the Patriots possession at the San Francisco 24-yard line and set up Kevin Faulk’s second touchdown of the day, giving the Patriots a 24-14 lead. The interception was the 34th of Harrison’s 15-year career and his eighth regular-season interception since joining the Patriots in 2003. Harrison also has seven interceptions in nine playoff games with New England. Harrison now has 34 career interceptions and 30.5 career sacks and is the only player in NFL history with at least 30 career interceptions and 30 career sacks.

O’NEAL INTERCEPTION
Deltha O’Neal intercepted a J.T. O’Sullivan pass that was deflected by Rodney Harrison with 2:45 remaining in the game and the Patriots holding a 30-21 lead. The interception was O’Neal’s first in a New England uniform after being signed as a free agent on Sept. 1. The pick was the 32nd of O’Neal’s nine-year NFL career. He had 14 interceptions with Denver from 2000-03 and 16 picks with Cincinnati from 2004-07.

INFREQUENT VISITS
Today’s game was the Patriots first visit to San Francisco since Sept. 17, 1995, a 28-3 loss to the 49ers at 3Com Park. Prior to today, the 13-year period between away games with the 49ers was second only to the Seahawks, who the Patriots last visited on October 24, 1993. The Patriots visit the Seahawks on Dec. 7, 2008.

WHITE JERSEY STREAK
The Patriots wore their road white jerseys today for the fourth consecutive game after wearing them in each of their first three games, including two home games. The Patriots typically wear their blue jerseys at home, but home teams have the option of choosing which jersey to wear.

QUICK HITS

§ The Patriots won the opening coin toss, but deferred to the 49ers, who chose to receive.

§ Rodney Harrison upended the 49ers’ Josh Morgan for a 4-yard loss on a pass play on third-and-three in the third quarter, forcing a punt on the next play.

SERIES STREAKS

§ Today’s win is the Patriots third consecutive victory against the 49ers after going just 1-7 against San Francisco in the first eight meetings between the franchises.

§ The 49ers still hold the series lead 7-4.

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Red Sox postseason roster for division series

Courtesy of: The Boston Red Sox

It has been a well kept secret the past few days, but finally here are the players the Red Sox will take into battle against the Angels.

October 1, 2008

RED SOX SET ROSTER FOR 2008 AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES

BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today announced the team’s 25-man active roster for their American League Division Series with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The roster is as follows:

PITCHERS (10): Josh Beckett; Paul Byrd; Manny Delcarmen; Jon Lester; Javier Lopez; Justin Masterson; Daisuke Matsuzaka; Hideki Okajima; Jonathan Papelbon; Tim Wakefield.

CATCHERS (3): Kevin Cash; David Ross; Jason Varitek.

INFIELDERS (7): Sean Casey, Alex Cora, Mike Lowell; Jed Lowrie; David Ortiz; Dustin Pedroia; Kevin Youkilis.

OUTFIELDERS (5): Jason Bay; Coco Crisp; J.D. Drew; Jacoby Ellsbury; Mark Kotsay.

The Red Sox and Angels play Game 1 of the 2008 ALDS on Wednesday night at Angel Stadium of Anaheim beginning at 7:07 PDT.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Bits and Pieces 10/1/08

by: Frank Carpano

Bits and Pieces

Josh Beckett is nursing an injury, J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell too. That doesn’t exactly instill confidence in me that the Red Sox will be able to repeat as World Series Champs. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Sox were beaten in 3 straight games by the Angels.
I know that Boston has owned the Angels in past postseason get-togethers, but the Angels are vastly improved this year and the Sox are hurt.

It’s no surprise that the Patriots have fallen from Super Bowl favorites to a 20-1 shot to make it to Tampa. I know Bill Belichick has a system, but I don’t have confidence in Matt Cassel to lead the Patriots back from a deficit they are sure to face in many games.
And that’s a bummer to me because the February 1st Super Bowl will be televised on NBC.

The best part of my job is to get to know and observe some of the areas most talented athletes. I had another opportunity to do that recently. Our local Summer Olympians who competed in Beijing were honored recently at the Rhode Island State House by Governor Don Carcieri. Boxer Demetrius Andrade, Swimmer Elizabeth Beisel and soccer star Michael Parkhust and great representatives of the ocean state. One thing they have in common; their parents all knew very early in their child’s life that they had a gift. And in many cases, more than one gift. Parkhurst is a dean’s list student is who is closing in on a college degree, Beisel (only 16 years old!) is a fabulous violinist, and Andrade not only carries a lethal punch, he’s extremely charismatic. Good luck to them all as they continue their athletic careers.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Pats-Dolphins Postgame Notes

Courtesy of The New England Patriots

Game Notes
Patriots vs Dolphins - September 21, 2008

HOBBS SETS PATRIOTS RECORD FOR MOST KICKOFF RETURN YARDAGE IN A GAME
Ellis Hobbs totaled 237 yards on six kickoff returns, setting a Patriots record for most kickoff return yardage in a game. Hobbs topped the previous Patriots record of 220 kickoff return yards, set by Kevin Faulk against the New York Jets on Dec. 22, 2002. Hobbs had long kickoff returns of 81 yards and 50 yards en route to his record against the Dolphins. His 82-yard return in the third quarter set up Matt Cassel’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney. Playing in his 50th career game today, Hobbs returned the opening kickoff of the game 50 yards to the Miami 49-yard line. In his 50-game career, Hobbs has now recorded six kickoff returns of 50 yards or longer and nine kickoff returns of 40 yards or longer.

GAFFNEY SCORES
Jabar Gaffney snared a 5-yard touchdown pass from Matt Cassel on fourth-and-three with 3:20 remaining in the third quarter to cut the Miami lead to 28-13. The touchdown catch was Gaffney’s first of the season and the 14th of his career. Last season, Gaffney set a career high with five touchdown receptions.

EVEN STEPHEN
Stephen Gostkowski was two-for-two on field goals, connecting from 37 yards and 44 yards. Today’s kicks were Gostkowski’s 13th and 14th consecutive successful regular-season field goals, extending the longest success streak of his career, and tying the fourth-longest streak in Patriots history (also achieved by Tony Franklin from 10/26/86 to 11/23/86). Gostkowski has now made 27 of his last 29 regular-season field goals (93.1 percent) and is 57-for-67 in his regular-season and playoff career, with his 85.1 percent accuracy rate standing as the highest in Patriots history. Last week against the Jets, Gostkowski tied his career high with a 4-for-4 field goal performance.

GOSTKOWSKI MOVES INTO NINTH PLACE ON PATRIOTS SCORING LIST
On his extra point following New England’s third-quarter touchdown, Stephen Gostkowski passed running back Tony Collins to move into ninth place on the Patriots’ all-time scoring list. The extra point gave Gostkowski 265 career points, moving him past Collins’s total of 264 points for the Patriots from 1981-87. Running back Jim Nance ranks eighth with 276 points from 1965-71.

QUICK HITS
· 2008 Patriots Hall of Fame Inductee Ben Coates served as an honorary captain at the coin toss.
· Patriots tackle Matt Light is playing in his 100th career game today. Light, a 2008 offensive captain, was drafted by the Patriots in the second round (48th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft.
· Sam Aiken made his Patriots debut today after missing the first two games of the season. Aiken, signed as a free agent from the Buffalo Bills in the offseason, caught his first pass in a New England uniform in the second quarter, a 9-yard catch on third-and-two
· Wes Welker gained 19 yards on a reverse in the first quarter. The play was Welker’s sixth career rushing attempt and his first of 2008. Last season, Welker rushed four times for 34 yards.
· Tedy Bruschi tackled Ronnie Brown for a loss of one yard in the third quarter.

SWAT TEAM
· Richard Seymour batted down a Chad Pennington pass intended for tight end David Martin on third-and-two on the Dolphins’ first possession of the game, forcing a Miami punt on the next play.
· Adalius Thomas batted down a Pennington pass intended for Ted Ginn on third-and-five in the third quarter, forcing a Miami punt on the next play.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

NFL Week 3: Pats prep for Dolphins

Courtesy of the New England Patriots

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS HEAD COACH BILL BELICHICK
Press Conference
September 17, 2008

BB: Well, [we’re] back at it in the division again this week. That’s a big challenge for us with Miami. In a lot of respects they have some similarities to Kansas City. They have a lot of new players, younger players and obviously a big makeover going on with that team. I think they are greatly improved from where they were last year. I think Bill [Parcells] and Tony [Sparano] have done a real good job down there by putting some young players in place. They have done a good job of improving that football team. You can really see it in all three phases of the game. In a way it just doesn’t seem the same standing up here, talking about the Dolphins and not going on about [Jason] Taylor and [Zach] Thomas. But, they’re not here. There’s been a changing of the guard in that respect. Offensively, with [Chad] Pennington down there, the running backs, offensive line and tight ends. It’s a good, very well balanced team. I know [Chad] Pennington has shown a lot of poise down there as he does and has done against us in the past. They are tough and big defensively. [They] do a good job of stopping the run. They do a good job of hitting the cornerback. I think Will Allen is one of the best corners that we will see this year. We have a lot to work on this week, a lot to get ready for. [There are] a lot of new faces, so that’s where we are.

Q: After all the changes in preseason with the offensive line, have you seen those five guys settle in?

BB: I think it’s worked out ok. Really, [Matt] Light was the big guy that was out and missed the most time. Billy [Yates] played guard and Nick [Kaczur] was over at tackle for a game but we swung him back to right tackle where he has been. [Also] Logan [Mankins] and Dan [Koppen]. So, it was really the last three-preseason games and most of the practices were with those four guys and Russ [Hochstein] working in there as well. We didn’t have Light at left tackle. You don’t like to see that. You like to see everybody out there and you like to work the guys together who are going to play together. But, in the long run there is some benefit to have other guys get experience and play with different people, to give your team a little more depth and improve the communication process. So, when they have to play they have done it before too.

Q: You are familiar with the Bill Parcells’ way of doing things. What signs have you seen so far?

BB: Bigger and more physical. Starting with [Jake] Long. But, even on the defensive side of the ball too - bringing in [Jason] Ferguson and [Randy] Starks. Their outside linebackers are big guys. They moved [Matt] Roth outside and drafted [Quentin] Moses. Of course, Joey Porter was there but he is another pass rusher, outside linebacker. So, their front seven is big, physical and tough. The offensive line - I thought [Donald] Thomas did a good job for them before he got hurt last week and I guess they moved [Ikechuku] Ndukwe - he’s another big, physical guy to go along with [Vernon] Carey and Jake [Long] outside. They brought in [Justin] Smiley, [Samson] Satele was there last year, [Anthony] Fasano is a good blocking tight end, as well as, a good receiving tight end. He might be their leading receiver or he is right up there anyway. I think the overall presence of the offensive line and defensive line, including linebackers - that’s already been addressed. They have a lot of young players there. Guys who will develop and grow into the big, physical, tough type players that they want to play with. [Phillip] Merling on the defensive line is another one. They have a number of them and they look pretty good.

Q: In what respects, with [Jason] Taylor and [Zach] Thomas’ absence represents the change and makeover of the team?

BB: I have been watching them all year. I think their second preseason game was against Kansas City. We saw that game early as we were looking at Kansas City. But, you also see the Dolphins. Then, of course the Jets game on opening day as we prepared for the Jets and now Miami. We have kind of seen them all the way through. I’m just saying, ‘it’s odd for me to not be talking about them.’ On film, that transition has been made and it’s been made a long time ago. [Channing] Crowder has done a good job for them inside with [Akin] Ayodele. They are strong at inside linebacker, they are strong at outside linebacker and they are strong up front. It is a little different style of defense that they play down there when Dave [Wannstedt] was down there and transitioning into Nick [Saban]. But, they’re pretty solid.

Q: Do you think Ricky Williams is not running as well as he used to or do you think the offensive line is not opening holes?

BB: I think they have run into a couple of overloaded fronts. I know the Jets got them on some blitzes. They brought the safeties up, blitzed the safeties a few times. Kris Jenkins did a good job in there, in the running game. Last week they fell behind Arizona but Arizona is another 8-man front team that brings a lot of people down there. They have been out numbered a couple times. I think he’s running well. I think he ran well in preseason. I think Ronnie Brown ran well in preseason. They both caught the ball. I think their running game is good. I think their offensive line is good. I think their tight ends are good. I think they have very good backs and the quarterback is a good player. I know what the stats are but I think some of that is circumstantial. I think when all said and done, they’re going to be a good running team statistically. I think they are a good running team now. The statistics don’t bear that out but I am sure that they will.

Q: From watching the film do you think Ricky Williams is running with the same explosiveness he used to?

BB: It is a little different running game. But, I would say overall yes. I think he and Ronnie Brown are two of their best players. They pretty much split carries in the first two games. I think that either guy is dangerous with the ball in their hands. They have a little different style but they are both dangerous. They have good vision. They can both get the ball outside and they both have enough power to take it up inside.

Q: What would you like to see be done in the red zone?

BB: I would like to see us get in the end zone more. It is as simple as that. Run it and throw it. Coach it better, would be number one. Number two would be run it better and throw it better. We just have to do a better job. I give the Jets credit. They are a good red area team and we have to execute it better. We had some chances and didn’t take advantage of them. Then, there were some other plays that really weren’t good plays for what they came up against. Overall, we just have to do a better job. Keep working on it. We will work on it today, work on it tomorrow and hopefully it will be better at the end of the week.

Q: Are they using Joey Porter as a more stand up guy?

BB: The only time his hands are down is on third down. He’s rushing a lot so whether his hands are up or down, you can call it what you want. He’s in the pass rush a lot.

Q: More than last year?

BB: Yes. So is [Matt] Roth for that matter, [Quentin] Moses or whoever is out there. They rush those outside linebackers a lot - both of them. One or the other, you don’t know which one, or both of them. You are pretty much getting one of them on every play and you are getting both of them on quite a few plays.

Q: Matt Roth was a defensive end last year?

BB: Three Technique, defensive end and defensive tackle at college in Iowa. They stood him up outside. He’s a big, physical guy. I’m sure in the mold for them like a [Shawne] Merrimen who plays in that defense and so is [Quentin] Moses - he’s a big guy too. So, they’re hard to run against. They are hard to get outside on and block. It is a tough block for the tight ends, the full backs, or whoever is blocking them outside on the perimeter. They are big powerful guys in the pass rush. If you don’t get an offensive line on them, then you are probably mismatched. If you put an offensive lineman on them and they happen to not be rushing, then you have wasted your offensive lineman on a guy whose not rushing and you are late somewhere else. They kind of keep moving that around and it’s a good scheme. It makes it hard on you.

Q: Was Brett Favre more raw then Chad Pennington was when Chad Pennington started with the Jets?

BB: I don’t know. I think you would have to ask them how they are doing and all that. I am just looking at Pennington and he looks pretty good to me, like he usually does. He makes good decisions. He’s accurate with the ball. He’s an accurate passer. If they are open, he’s going to hit them. He’s got a little bit of movement. He’s scrambled some. He’s pulled the ball down a few times and scrambled up the middle. They run a few bootlegs just to move the pocket and keep you off balance. He’ll hit the check downs. I think when you look at the stats - to me; it is interesting how the tight ends, the backs and the receivers have the same amount of catches when you add up the group. He spreads the ball around. He basically throws the ball to the guy that’s open. You try to take one guy away and it doesn’t really matter to him, he’ll go to the next option. That’s what he does. He’s an accurate passer [and] good decision maker. Obviously, we have competed against him a lot. I have a lot of respect for him and I know our team does as well. He’s a good competitor and he’s given us plenty of trouble.

Q: Can you talk about Richard Seymour showing up in the red zone?

BB: Of course, the Kansas City play - that was a huge play for us down there. The goal line play was one of three that we made as a team. That was a big stop as well. Richard is off to a good start this year. He had a good camp and good off-season. He’s been able to take more reps and I think he’s a better fundamental player this year than he was last year. Having missed all those fundamental and individual periods in training camp and in the early part of the season, coming in half way through the year and trying to get assignments and game plans - you just don’t have as good of a fundamental base. That’s one of the things that training camp is the best for. For a player [training camp] is to develop their fundamentals and their basic techniques. Those carry you through the season. As you get into the season you pick up game plan, schemes and adjustments. But, its good to have a good base on the fundamentals. That’s why pitchers and catchers go to training camp early. It is the same thing with football. You learn your fundamentals and then you get those down early in camp. They carry you through the whole year, hopefully.

Q: Is having Adalius Thomas on the outside adding a different dimension to the defense?

BB: I am not sure. I don’t know. Our outside linebackers have been our outside linebackers. Whether it’s [Willie] McGinest, Rosevelt [Colvin], Mike [Vrabel] or Adalius [Thomas]. Whoever it’s been out there, its been pretty much the same defense. Those guys have all been an important part of the defense, to the outside running game and in the pass rush. That’s where Adalius Thomas is playing. That’s his role. He made some big plays for us last year - playing off the ball, playing inside. He’s still does a little bit of that. His primary role is on the end of the line and he’s been productive for us out there too. So, he’s a good football player that has some versatility [and] can do some different jobs. What we’ve asked him to do this year in terms of rushing the passer, playing outside and setting the edge in the running game, which he did the second half of last year after Rosie [Colvin] got hurt. I think he’s done a good job of it.

Q:  On defense in the red zone.

BB: Whatever happened happened and that’s a matter of record. Some plays are better than others and some plays are a lot worse than others. It’s one thing in the Kansas City game where [Dwayne] Bowe goes up there, it’s a great throw, and it’s a great catch. I don’t know that there was a lot of defense that would have stopped that play - that particular play. The way it was executed and the players that did it and all that. Then you see a play were Chansi Stuckey standing in the end zone and there is nobody within five yards of him. You would like to be more competitive on the play than that. Same thing offensively. Sometimes you got plays that are relatively easy to make if you could just make them - that’s frustrating. We ran a play into a blitz last week. Kerry Rhodes came off the edge and made the play. We didn’t have him blocked. That’s one of those situations that it was a bad play into a good defense. We have to do a better job of coaching and give the Jets credit. They really had us on that one. I’m not saying those numbers aren’t important. You just have to look at each situation. Some things are a little harder to live with than others - let me put it that way.

Q: Can you talk about your defense in the last two games and how they have played as a whole?

BB: Well, some things are better than others. Our red area defense has probably been better than our third down defense. We still have a lot of things to work on. It could be more consistent. We will try to coach it better and play it better going forward. I think we can improve and that’s what we’re going to try to do this week. It’s been good enough for two weeks. I don’t know if it will be good enough this week or not, unless we improve. So, that’s our focus for these next three days - to get up to a higher level, I think that’s where it needs to be.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Pats-Jets Postgame Notes

Courtesy: New England Patriots

GAME NOTES
Patriots at Jets - September 14, 2008

TWENTY-ONE IN A ROW
The Patriots won their 21st consecutive regular-season game this afternoon, improving on their all-time NFL record for consecutive regular season wins. The Patriots have not lost in the regular season since Dec. 20, 2006, when they fell to the Dolphins in Miami. Since then, they won the final three games of the 2006 regular season, won all 16 games in the 2007 regular season and have won the first two games of the 2008 campaign. New England also holds the second longest regular-season winning streak in NFL history, claiming victory in 18 straight regular season games from Oct. 5, 2003 to Oct. 24, 2004. The 1933-34 Chicago Bears rank third with 17 straight wins.

CASSEL WINS FIRST CAREER START
Matt Cassel made his first career start at quarterback today and completed 16-of-23 passes (69.6 percent) for 165 yards and a passer rating of 89.9 in helping the Patriots to a 19-10 divisional win on the road. Through two games this season, Cassel has completed 29-of-41 passes for 317 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, totaling a 101.4 passer rating, as New England has started the season with a 2-0 record for the third straight year and for the fifth time in the nine seasons since Bill Belichick became head coach in 2000.

MERIWEATHER’S FIRST CAREER INTERCEPTION SETS UP TOUCHDOWN
Brandon Meriweather recorded his first career interception, picking off a Brett Favre pass at the Jets’ 44-yard line in the third quarter and returning it 13 yards to give the Patriots possession at the New York 31-yard line. The play set up a 6-play, 31-yard dive that ended in a 1-yard scoring plunge by Sammy Morris that gave the Patriots a 13-3 lead. Meriweather was selected by the Patriots in the first round (24th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Miami.

DEFENSE: JUST 20 POINTS ALLOWED THROUGH TWO GAMES
The Patriots allowed the Jets to score 10 points today and have allowed a total of just 20 points through two games (Kansas City also scored 10 points in a 17-10 Patriots win on Sept. 7). The 20 points allowed through the season’s first two games is the lowest total by a Patriots team since Bill Belichick became head coach in 2000. The last time the Patriots allowed a total of 20 points or fewer in the season’s first two games was in 1997, when New England allowed a total of 13 points, beginning the season with a 41-7 win over San Diego at Foxboro Stadium and following that up with a 31-6 win at Indianapolis.

GOSTKOWSKI TIES CAREER HIGH WITH FOUR FIELD GOALS
Stephen Gostkowski nailed all four of his field goals – from 21, 37, 28 and 27 yards – improving to a perfect 5-for-5 on the season. He tied his career high for field goals in a game, matching his 4-for-4 performance against Houston as a rookie on Dec. 17, 2006. Gostkowski has hit 12 straight regular-season field goals dating back to last season, and has nailed 25 of his last 27 regular season boots (92.6 percent). Following his four kicks against the Jets, Gostkoswki has hit 55-of-65 field goals in his regular season and playoff career, and his 84.6 percent career accuracy rate is the highest in Patriots history. The Patriots selected Gostkowski in the fourth round (118th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Memphis. Additionally, Gostkowski booted five kickoffs out of the end zone for touchbacks.

MORRIS SCORES
Sammy Morris gave the Patriots a 13-3 third-quarter lead with a 1-yard touchdown rush, diving into the end zone. The touchdown run was Morris’s second in as many weeks. He also scored on a 5-yard touchdown run in the Patriots’ season-opening win over Kansas City on Sept. 7. The touchdown was Morris’s 19th career rushing touchdown and his 20th career overall touchdown (one receiving).

FAULK MOVING UP PATRIOTS RECEPTIONS LIST
Kevin Faulk recorded four receptions, finishing the game with 327 career receptions. Faulk is the Patriots’ all-time leader in receptions by a running back. Faulk needs two more receptions to tie Terry Glenn (329 receptions) for fifth place on the Patriots’ all-time receiving list. Faulk, selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft, is the Patriots’ longest-tenured offensive player and is second only to Tedy Bruschi (1996) among the longest-tenured Patriots.

RED ZONE STOP
The Patriots held the Jets to a field goal after New York had gained a first-and-goal from the Patriots’ 3-yard line in the second quarter. On first down, Tedy Bruschi and James Sanders stuffed Thomas Jones for a 1-yard gain. On second down, Rodney Harrison snared Jones for just a 1-yard advance. And on third-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Richard Seymour stuffed Jones in the backfield for a 2-yard loss to force a New York field goal and keep the Patriots ahead, 6-3.

SERIES STREAKS
· With today’s win over the Jets, the Patriots took the lead in the all-time series against New York, 49-48-1 (including a 2-0 playoff record). The last time the Patriots were above .500 in their all-time series with New York was in entering the 1967 season, when they led 7-6-1.
· The Patriots defeated the Jets for the eighth consecutive time on the road. The streak dates back to a 17-16 win at Giants Stadium on Dec. 2, 2001.
· The Patriots have now held the Jets to 17 points or fewer in 10 of their last 11 meetings.

QUICK HITS
· Matt Cassel completed his first four passes of the day for 61 yards. His longest and final completion in the string was a 26-yard completion to Wes Welker that drove the Patriots to the Jets’ 5-yard line, setting up a 21-yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal and a 3-0 Patriots lead.
· Matt Cassel found Kevin Faulk for a 22-yard gain on third-and-10 to extend a Patriots touchdown drive in the third quarter.
· Kevin Faulk made a heads-up play in the second quarter when he snared a deflected Matt Cassel pass for a 9-yard gain on third-and-four to extend a Patriots field goal drive.
· Richard Seymour sacked Brett Favre for a loss of nine yards in the second quarter.
· Adalius Thomas sacked Brett Favre for a loss of 20 yards in the fourth quarter, dragging Favre down at the Jets’ own seven yard line.
· Jerod Mayo buried Thomas Jones in the backfield for a 3-yard loss on second down in the second quarter, forcing New York into a third-and-18 that it did not convert.
· Deltha O’Neal started for the Patriots at left cornerback, recording his first start in a New England uniform. O’Neal was signed by the Patriots as a free agent on Sept. 1.
· Stephen Gostkowski booted five kickoffs out of the end zone for touchbacks.

BALL HAWKS
· Ellis Hobbs batted away a Brett Favre pass intended for Jerricho Cotchery at midfield in the first quarter to thwart what would have been a 30-yard gain.
· Hobbs broke up a Favre pass intended for Lavaranues Coles on third down in the fourth quarter with the Jets backed up on their own 7-yard line, forcing a New York punt on the next play.
· Tedy Bruschi dove in to bat away a Brett Favre pass intended for Thomas Jones on the Jets’ opening drive to put the Jets in a third-down situation.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Randy Moss Prepares for the Jets

Courtesy of the New England Patriots

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS WIDE RECEIVER RANDY MOSS
CONFERENCE CALL
September 10, 2008

Q: What are your thoughts on losing quarterback Tom Brady for the season?

RM: Well, it is going to hurt. The ‘said and done’ term is to just go forward. That is hard for us to really say and hard for us to really do when you are talking about a player and team leader such as Tom [Brady]. With all that said, we know the show must go on. We know with him being gone that a lot of players are going to have to step it up a notch. They have to go an extra notch or go the extra level knowing that we had a guy like Tom and we are going to miss him. That means everybody else is going to have their work cut out for them and is going to have to give a little bit more.

Q: What did head coach Bill Belichick say when he talked about quarterback Tom Brady’s injury to the team?

RM: I think it is more about us coming together, knowing the type of player Tom [Brady] is. In a certain sense, we really don’t have that much margin for error now. That means each week, week in and week out, that we are focused and making sure that we are on top of our game, players and coaches included. He [Bill Belichick] is not really shying away from the fact that Tom is hurt. He is making it known that he is hurt and we are going to move forward and put 11 [players] out there on the field. Hopefully, with the way we practice each week we still have a good chance to win. We are going to miss Tom for this season but at the same time there are still guys collecting a check that are a part of this team. We are going to put guys out on the field to go out there and make it happen.

Q: Can you talk about your comfort and confidence level with quarterback Matt Cassel?

RM: Well, there really isn’t a comfort level yet because I haven’t really had a chance to work with [Matt] Cassel or him getting a chance to work with the first team. I think it is more of him working with the first team. I don’t think he has experienced much at that. I think he experienced some of it in the preseason. As far as the regular season with the bullets alive and where everything counts, I don’t think he has really experienced that. We have had a little time to work on our timing and get our timing down just for the fact that Tom didn’t play in the preseason. We have our work cut out for us and we know that. That is what back-ups, second and third string guys are for - just incase the first [string] goes down then you have to have confidence in your second and third string. Regardless of what you see and hear, coach [Bill] Belichick, our organization and our team are behind Matt Cassel. He is our quarterback now and we are going to go out there to try and make things happen. That is best thing we can do.

Q: Were you impressed with how quarterback Matt Cassel handled himself last week against Kansas City?

RM: I was happy with the way our team responded. Not just [Matt] Cassel, just with the magnitude of it [losing Tom Brady], it was like the helium was let out of the balloon. When Tom went down everything got quiet. Guys were looking at each other with the ‘deer in the headlights’ eyes. You can see everybody was stuck in the moment like ‘Is this really happening?’ From a team standpoint and coaching standpoint we pulled together knowing that Tom did get hurt and limped off the field. We didn’t know his status. Not just being impressed with Cassel’s performance but I was impressed by the whole team’s performance. We were able to overcome our leader being down, our leader getting hurt and still being able to come up with a victory.
Q: You were in similar situation with the Minnesota Vikings when quarterback Daunte Culpepper was a young quarterback. What are some things you can do to help a young guy like quarterback Matt Cassel?

RM: I am always open to anything. Time and time again the quarterback really makes all the calls and makes the decision of where he distributes the ball. The biggest way I can help is go out there and do my job. Doing my job may consist of doing things a little bit harder, quicker and faster. I am not going to let something like this [Tom Brady’s injury] get me down. Knowing that we still have a lot, a lot of football to be played. I am not going step up as far as going in there and trying to tell him how to do things knowing Tom is gone. The best thing I can do is do my job, get open, catch the ball and score touchdowns. That’s what I’m going to continue to do. I’m not going to let anything slow me down.”

Q: Will you guys try to change or simplify the offense now that Matt Cassel is the starting quarterback?

RM: I don’t really know if this offense can be conservative. We can score in many ways. If it’s the run, play-action, drop back, whatever it may be. I don’t really know what our goal is. All I know is we’re going to go out and try to win games. If that consists of changing the way we call plays, or not changing, that’s what it’s going to be. For right now, we have a game plan. We’re not slowing down. We are going to practice today and have a full day’s work. Some people may not want to adjust to what happened but Tom is not coming back this year. Matt Cassel is our quarterback. O’Connell’s his backup and [Matt] Gutierrez is the third quarterback. That’s who we’re going to war with. We have guys on this team who need to step up. That’s just where we are. I don’t think we need to change our offense by any means. Guys just need to step up and go out there and play ball.

Q: Have you worked enough with quarterback Matt Cassel to talk about his game? What do you think his strengths are?

RM: I don’t really know. I don’t really want to get into that because I am use to working with Tom [Brady]. He [Matt Cassel] has a great upside. I can’t really answer your question to pinpoint and be exact. Really, the only performance I have seen has been in preseason. Each week in preseason we would come back and look at the things that we did right and the things we did wrong. We still have a lot of offense out there on the field. Matt Cassel has a great upside. It is up to us, teammates and coaches, to keep him upbeat and to keep everything positive because there are times during the season and during the games when there are negative plays and teams do step up and make that run. I think just by him being young, the biggest thing we can do is keep him upbeat, keep his spirits high and go out there and make things happen. I don’t think that Cassel needs to do anything or we need to do anything. I think everybody just needs to do their job and my job is to score touchdowns and catch balls. His job is to distribute that ball and make good decisions with it. It is not just on myself or Cassel, it’s on coach [Bill] Belichick and his coaching staff and all the guys dressed in uniform. Like I said at the beginning, we have our work cut out for us for but I think we are up for the challenge. It is early in the season to start all this speculating. We are just going to go out each week, put 11 [players] on the field and see if we can win the game.

Q: Do you like the fact that a lot of people doubt the Patriots’ potential now that quarterback Tom Brady is out?

RM: I think that is a good way to motivate. Guys get motivated differently. When you put it on the team as a whole and say we as a unit aren’t going to do anything, that is something that can motivate us. When you start talking about individual play that is hard but when you say ‘The New England Patriots team is not going to be what they were suppose to be or what they thought they would be’ then I think that is something that is going to motivate us to step up and try to make it happen.

Q: Have you been able to talk to quarterback Tom Brady much since he was injured? How has he been?

RM: He [Tom Brady] is still upbeat. You expect a guy to really be down on himself. I think he was more down last Sunday. Just from a few conversations and text messages, he is still positive. That is what you can hope for in a guy like Tom. Unfortunately, he is gone for the season with a knee injury. I don’t know what happened to his knee but I know it is a knee injury. He is still the same old Tom Brady. I think that is what a lot people don’t really understand. A lot of times when guys get hurt, you might not see him around the locker room for months at a time. We saw Tom today, I am not sure how much longer we are going to see him, but he is here today and has been uplifting and keeping a positive attitude. I think that goes a long way with not only him but the team as well.

Q: What was your initial reaction when you heard the New York Jets traded for quarterback Brett Farve?

RM: I think my initial reaction was that we are back to playing against each other in the same division. I think that was the biggest thing. I don’t know too much about the [New York] Jets organization. I know a little bit about their players just by being here last year. I don’t really know too much about the Jets organization and their philosophy. Just by him [Brett Farve] being there I know that uplifted the city and put a smile on the organization’s face. Unfortunately, I am a good friend of Chad Pennington and the way it happened for him was bad. I felt for him and his family. Being able to have Farve back in the league and playing together twice during the year - I always loved that back in the NFC North with the Vikings and the Packers. Now it’s the Jets and Patriots. I am still going to love seeing him out there throwing the ball. I don’t think I am the only one that is happy that he came him back. It is a football thing. You don’t want to see a person leave the game knowing they have a lot of football to be played. I am actually happy that he came back. 

Q: What did you make of the fact that when quarterback Brett Farve was with the Green Bay Packers that he was trying to get them to trade for you?

RM: I think Brett [Farve] has been in the game long enough and been in that organization long enough that he knew what they were missing. Just with how things happened last year, I think they were probably missing one big-play wide receiver. They made it to the NFC Championship without that. I think Brett had more of a feel of what the organization needed to be able to make that Super Bowl run. Luckily that didn’t happen. I think that is where a little bit of frustration might have set in last season. I was happy to be able to sign with the New England Patriots last season and then sign a new three-year deal with them. I don’t think Green Bay was really what I was looking for. In all honesty, I think they were just entertaining that to keep Farve happy. I think once everything happened and I signed with the Patriots, I think Farve was probably wondering what happened with the Randy Moss deal. Things happen and this is a business. I think a lot of people have to look at it as a business and not just about playing football. I think when people look at it as a business they look past all the nonsense and get down to the real business side of professional football.

Q: With quarterback Brett Farve with the New York Jets and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady out for the season, do you think the Jets are the team to beat in the AFC East or close to the Patriots level?
RM: I don’t really know. I think the New England Patriots have won this division over the last couple of years. So I think the New England Patriots are still the team to beat. We did have a big loss in Tom Brady, but we still have 10 guys out there on that field to go out there and make it happen. Tom was a big component to making our offense move and execute but now with him gone we have to find other ways to make the offense move. We are still the team to beat in this division and we will see what happens.

Q: How big of a reason was quarterback Tom Brady for you signing with the New England Patriots?

RM: It was a big factor but it wasn’t the main factor. With me being here and being able to get with a team that is about ‘team’ and really expresses ‘team’. That is really all I have been about is being a team player and having team success. I think that is what played a key factor in me coming back here was the overall team concept in the locker room and even in practice. It wasn’t just about going 18-1 and having that Super Bowl appearance. With everything that we accomplished last year, we had a lot of fun behind close doors whether it was in the locker room or over at a guy’s house watching film. They understand how to be a team and what winning is about around here. I can definitely appreciate that.

Bill Belichick preps for jets

Courtesy of the New England Patriots

0.NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS HEAD COACH BILL BELICHICK
Press Conference
September 10, 2008

BB: It is challenging and exciting to get back into the division this week. The Jets started out with a big win on the road in Miami. This is our first division game so we’re excited about the challenge to go down to New York. It’s going to be a tough game. It certainly was up here the last time we played them. We have a lot of respect for the Jets. They’ve certainly made a lot of changes in their team from last year. There’s a lot of new faces [and] there’s plenty of familiar, old ones. It is two teams that know each other pretty well and have played in a lot of tough, competitive games over the last few years and that’s what we’re expecting this weekend. [We’ve] got a lot of work to do and a lot to prepare for. We will just take it day by day here. The Jets have made quite a few changes in the off-season and it looks like a lot of the things they’re trying to do, they accomplished in their first game. It’s going to be tough for us to make sure we try to meet all of those challenges on Sunday.

Q: When you get a talented player on your team, do you have to gear your philosophy toward his talents, does he have to gear his talents towards your philosophy or is it a little of both?

BB: I think each case is different. I don’t know that there is any set formula for that. I think you just have to, in the end, do what’s best for your football team. Whether that is [to] go more towards one direction, them come more in your direction, or meet somewhere in the middle. I don’t think there is a right, wrong, or specific answer to that. I think it depends on a lot of things and in the end you have to factor it all together. [You have to] decide as a coach how much you can change so that it doesn’t affect your team that you already have in place and how much you need to change in order to work towards the talents of another player. I think in our case, ultimately, what we try to do is have a system that is flexible enough so we can take into account his talents and try to utilize them in the best way possible. Generally speaking, [we try to] have enough flexibility in our system [to] accommodate that.

Q: Along that line, have you seen a change in the Jets system, a change in Brett Farve or has there not been enough time to evaluate that?

BB: No. I think from what we’ve seen, offensively, in some respects the Jets are doing a little bit less than what they did last year. In some respects they’re doing a little bit more and in some respects, I think, they are doing some of the same things. They are just doing [them] a little bit differently. I think part of that might have been an actual transition from one year to the next anyway, that is hard to tell. But, that is probably the same thing you could say about most teams. So I’d say, a little bit of everything.

Q: What is your thought process with this catastrophic injury? How do you process this and move forward?

BB: It is pretty much the same thing every week. You look at what you have available on your team [and] what your situation is. You look at who your opponent is - what they are doing and what you think you need to do to stop and attack them. Then, you go from there. That is really what every team deals with every week. Sometimes, it is in one area or another area, or it might be greater or smaller. But, in the end, that is what it comes down to.

Q: How much did bringing Matt Gutierrez back have to do with his familiarity of the offense?

BB: Well, Matt is on the practice squad so that changes the options right there. We felt like that was the best thing we could do in terms of adding a third quarterback on our roster right now.

Q: Do you feel as challenged as you ever have as a coach given the circumstances?

BB: Well, every week in this league is a big challenge. It is a challenge going up against the Jets, their team and their organization. We’ve played a lot of tough games against them. I know it will be a challenge this week.

Q: How will Kevin O’Connell’s play change this week?

BB: He will take, as the second quarterback, a few more reps than he did last week.

Q: Other than that?

BB: I think everyone has to be ready. Every player is expected to be ready to play in the game. Whether you have one guy ahead of you or two guys ahead of you, it is still a player’s job to be ready to play in those situations. That won’t change. It will just be a question of how many practice opportunities you can give the quarterback. It’s hard to give three quarterbacks reps. It’s hard to give two [quarterbacks] reps. But, you have to give two quarterbacks some reps and the third doesn’t get too many. As the second [quarterback] he will probably get a few more than he did last week.

Q: What’s the most impressive part of what Kevin O’Connell has done so far?

BB: Move the team. Score points.

Q: Going back to Matt Gutierrez - he did a lot of work last year for the show team. Will he be doing that again this year?

BB: That’s apart of his job. A more important part of a player’s job is playing for us. But, that is not an opportunity for everybody all the time. So, when they can’t do that, then we want them to do the best they can to prepare the other side of the ball for what they see and Gutierrez has done a great job of that. I don’t mean to minimize that, he has done a great job of it but the real and most important thing is for him to get back, play his position and give us depth there.

Q: How much different is it for Matt Cassel, this week, that he knows he will be starting on Sunday?

BB: I think every player has to be ready to play. What a professional player does is he comes in and gets the information given to him. Then, he goes, studies it and personalizes it to his specific role on the team. Then, when it comes time on Sunday, he is ready to go in and perform whatever role, whatever job the coaches put them in there to do. Players don’t control playing time. Those are coaching decisions, coaching substitutions. So whether a player goes in for one or two plays, which as we all know depending on the play could be just as important or sometimes more important than maybe the other 58 plays that occurred in that phase of the game. That play could end up being the most important play of the game. So, it is every player’s responsibility to be ready to play for 60 minutes in situations he is accountable for. When he is put into that situation, we expect him to go in there and do his job. That’s how he should approach it. Every single player, it doesn’t make any difference who they are, what position they play, how many years they’ve been in the league, what school they are from or what number they wear. It doesn’t make any difference. That’s a player’s job. The coach’s job is to try to try to put the players in a position where they can be successful, control substitutions and make some decisions as it relates to game situations.

Q: Do you need to look for any signs among players, for example, them saying, ‘let’s go here, we have a job to do’?

BB: We all have a job to do. We are all going to try to do it.

Q: Can you talk about the continued development of Ellis Hobbs?

BB: Ellis [was] a little bit behind this year in training camp. He missed a little bit of time at the beginning when he was on PUP [physically unable to perform]. But, Ellis is a well-conditioned athlete and when he started practicing, he was able to pick up a pretty heavy work-load right off the bat. He has continued to do that both on defense and in the kicking game. He’s a versatile player that has a variety of skills. He’s a tough kid. He’s physical. He tackle’s well. He’s fast. He has good hands and he has some return skills. He’s developing as a player, like all young players are in the passing game. The coverage’s that we use, the routes and the passing game that we see in this league is a lot different than what those guys in the secondary saw in college. So, it is continuing development of covering receivers, playing against different quarterbacks, playing against different pass offenses and also working together with the people on our side of the ball, in terms of the coordination of the overall pass defense and the individual techniques. Sometimes, it is one on one out there and it’s corner against the receiver. But, there’re plenty of times that it’s not. When it is some type of coordinated defense - combination mans, zones, or pressures. Most of the time it is team defense and [you have to] understand where your help is and how to use it. That’s a process that takes quite awhile for any defensive back or any offensive skill player to really get down. There is a lot to it.

Q: What does your decision in not bringing in a veteran quarterback say about your confidence in Matt Cassel?

BB: I don’t know what else it could say. That’s it. He’s our quarterback.

Q: You started Lewis Sanders opposite Ellis Hobbs last week.  Going forward - Is that position going to be a matter of match-ups or are you hoping someone can win that spot?

BB: We will do the same thing we do every week and try to play the players, schemes and the situation we feel is best for that particular game. It might change from week to week and it might not. I think Lewis did a good job. He certainly had some experience over Deltha [O’Neil] coming in last week. Deltha, this week will be able to catch up a little bit in that area. Where that goes exactly, I am not sure. I just hope all the players will be ready to play at the positions they are responsible for. However we decide to do it and whatever we feel is best, that they will go in there and do a good job. Both of them played last week at that spot. Deltha played some over at the right corner for us [last week]. That might happen again, that might not.

Q: What kind of challenge does Brett Farve present?

BB: I think in the secondary, particularly, you can never relax. You never want to relax anywhere but Brett is the type of player that can take the ball from one side of the field and in a split second, turn around, whip it somewhere else and put it right on the money - just like he did against the Giants when he hit [Jerricho] Cotchery down the sideline for a 50 yard touchdown, where he looked off the safeties. You don’t really want to guess with Brett. You’ve got to react to him. When he starts to do something, if you think, ‘this is what he’s going to do’ [and] then he switches it - you are out of position and you’re really in trouble. He does a good job of reading what the defense is seeing and reacting away from it. If you over react to him, it’s almost the worst thing you can do because it encourages him to go back somewhere else and that’s where you just left. He’s very good at that. He’s made a lot of plays through the course of his career. He’s athletic. He can stay on his feet and buy extra time in the passing game and that puts most stress on your coverage at all levels - both at the intermediate level and the deeper level. He can scramble and run if he needs to. At times, he can be a sixth receiver and pick up first downs in those kinds of situations.

Q: I know it’s only one week but how much did Kris Jenkins change the look of the front seven?

BB: Well, it’s not one week. [He goes] back all the way to the Cleveland game. I think, as you watch teams play against the Jets they’re consistently trying to put two guys [on him]. Two guys can’t stay on Jenkins but two guys can start on him, work to somebody else and try to neutralize him. A lot of times, two guys isn’t enough. They just can’t handle him. So, I think we’ve seen Jenkins in all five of their games. Well, four. Not so much the last [preseason] game against the Eagles. But, in the other games we have seen Jenkins play, literally, a big role in there on the nose [tackle] and that puts a lot of pressure on the inside part of the running game. It pushes it outside to the ends, the outside linebackers, and the safeties that are coming down. He’s been a force in there and he’s been a factor in their run defense. Miami had 50 yards last week and he’s a big reason, not just the plays he makes but the plays that get eliminated [inside], get pushed out to somebody else.

Q: Does it look similar to 2003 with Ted Washington’s play?

BB: There are some similarities but he’s not as big as Ted Washington. He plays a little different style then Ted did. But, they are big, physical nose tackles - I agree with that. But, beyond that I think their playing styles are a little bit different.

Q: Is their impact similar?

BB: I think Kris [Jenkins] is a big, powerful guy in there. He’s a hard guy [to play against]. You can’t move him. You just have to try to place him somewhere, where he can’t affect the play. But, he’s also a guy that they stunt some, penetrate with and when he gets moving in one direction, he is a hard guy to stop. He has some plays in the backfield, some negative plays where [he] penetrates and cuts off half the line of scrimmage, whichever way he’s going - he cuts off the other half of it and that can be effective too. 

Q: I noticed on Sunday that Mike Vrabel had the green dot on his helmet. Did you use the defensive headsets?

BB: Yeah. It’s a long conversation that really is not worth getting into. Yea, he had it.

Q: Did you actually use it [defensive headset]?

BB: I am not going to get into it. I don’t know how many plays we had on defense - 65 plays. Which play we did, which play we didn’t, what he heard? I mean really. To some degree it was used but I would say overall, minimal.

Q: Having a significant injury like this one, making adaptations on the field and moving forward. Has this been the hardest one for you yet?

BB: I don’t know. It is hard to rank them. Tom [Brady] is a great player for us - don’t get me wrong. He’s responsible for a lot of the success that we’ve had around here but at the same time, as a coach you take the hand that is dealt to you and you try to play it as best as you can. That’s really what you do on a weekly basis. You don’t sit around and worry about, what could have been or what [if] this or what [if] that. You look at what you have, you look at what they have, which you don’t know as well, but you have to try and figure [it] out, and then you deal with that. That is really what a coach’s job is. That’s the way I look at it.

Q: After building your roster this off-season, you don’t know how it will hold up after injury. What are your thoughts on that?

BB: I feel like when you build your roster, you build it the best that you can, given the circumstances and the restraints that you have on you, which there are always a number of those, and then you go with them. If you need to make changes, then you make the changes that you can make. I think that is the process you always go through. I don’t think any team goes through the season without making some changes. I’m sure we will make some along the way, like we have in the past and I’m sure we will in the future. That is pretty much true of most teams too. That’s part of the adjustment over a 16 game regular season schedule.

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Pats-Chiefs Post Game Notes

Courtesy of The New England Patriots

GAME NOTES
Patriots vs. Chiefs - September 7, 2008

TWENTY IN A ROW
The Patriots won their 20th consecutive regular-season game this afternoon, improving on their all-time NFL record for consecutive regular season wins. The Patriots have not lost in the regular season since Dec. 20, 2006, when they fell to the Dolphins in Miami. Since then, they won the final three games of the 2006 regular season, won all 16 games in the 2007 regular season and have won the first game of the 2008 campaign. New England also holds the second longest regular-season winning streak in NFL history, claiming victory in 18 straight regular season games from Oct. 5, 2003 to Oct. 24, 2004. The 1933-34 Chicago Bears rank third with 17 straight wins.

WHITE JERSEYS AT HOME
The Patriots wore white jerseys at home for the first time since Oct. 2, 1994, according to John Hendry, the team’s stats crew chief. Hendry is in his 29th season as a member of the Patriots’ gameday stats crew and is in his 23rd year as crew chief. On Oct. 2, 1994 against the Green Bay Packers, the Patriots donned their white throwback jerseys in a 17-16 win at Foxboro Stadium. New England wore throwbacks in that game as part of a league-wide initiative in recognition of the NFL’s 75th anniversary season.

RED ZONE STOP IN FINAL MINUTE
The Patriots defense clinched the 17-10 win by keeping Kansas City out of the end zone after the Chiefs had gained a first-and-goal from the 5-yard line with 53 seconds left in the game. The Patriots did not allow the Chiefs to even gain a yard. The Patriots forced an incompletion on first down, Richard Seymour and Mike Vrabel combined to stop Larry Johnson for no gain on second down, and then New England forced two straight Kansas City incompletions on third and fourth downs.

CASSEL LEADS 98-YARD DRIVE
In his first drive at quarterback in the first quarter, Matt Cassel directed a 10-play, 98-yard drive that ended in a 10-yard scoring strike to Randy Moss and a 7-0 Patriots lead. The drive was the longest for the Patriots since Sept. 23, 2007, when they also embarked on a 10-play, 98-yard drive against Buffalo at Gillette Stadium.

MOSS SCORES 126th CAREER TOUCHDOWN
Randy Moss caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Matt Cassel in the second quarter, recording his 126th career overall touchdown and his 125th career receiving touchdown. His 126 total touchdowns (125 receiving, 1 via punt return) tying him with Jim Brown (106 rushing, 20 receiving) for eighth on the NFL’s all-time touchdowns list. LaDainian Tomlinson ranks seventh with 129 total touchdowns. Moss’s 125 receiving touchdowns rank fourth on the league’s all-time list.

MOSS BREAKS 100-YARD MARK IN FIRST QUARTER
Randy Moss had 101 yards on four receptions in the first quarter, marking the third time in his career that he has broken the 100-yard receiving mark in the first quarter. The last time he achieved the feat was on Oct. 3, 1999, while playing for Minnesota in a game against Tampa Bay. Last season, Moss had 100 or more receiving yards in a quarter on one occasion—in the second quarter at Miami on Oct. 21, 2007, when he had 104 yards on three receptions.

MOSS TOPS 100 RECEIVING YARDS FOR 56th TIME
Randy Moss recorded his 56th career 100-yard receiving game today. That total ranks third in NFL history, trailing only Jerry Rice (76) and Marvin Harrison (59). Last season, Moss had nine 100-yard receiving games and broke the mark in each of the first four games in 2007.

PATRIOTS DEBUTS

Nine players made their Patriots debuts this afternoon: LB Gary Guyton, T Mark LeVoir, RB LaMont Jordan, LB Jerod Mayo, CB Deltha O’Neal, CB Lewis Sanders, WR Matthew Slater, CB Terrence Wheatley and CB Jonathan Wilhite

HOBBS INTERCEPTION

Ellis Hobbs intercepted a Damon Huard pass at the Kansas City 41-yard line with 7:21 remaining in the game and the Patriots holding a 14-10 lead. Hobbs pounced on the pass intended for Dwayne Bowe and returned the ball to the 38-yard line. The interception was the seventh of Hobbs’s regular-season career. He also has two career postseason interceptions. Including the 2007 playoffs, Hobbs has four interceptions in his last five games—he had one in the 2007 regular season finale and added two in three playoff games last season before opening the 2008 regular season with a pick today.

MORRIS SCORES

Sammy Morris gave the Patriots a 14-3 lead on a 5-yard scoring run with 3:01 left in the third quarter. The touchdown was the 19th of Morris’s career (18 rushing, one receiving). Last season, Morris played in six games with two starts and totaled 384 yards on 85 rushes (4.5 avg.) before being placed on injured reserve with a chest injury on Nov. 2, 2007.

GOSTKOWSKI FG

Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 37-yard field goal with 2:26 remaining in the game to extend the Patriots’ lead to 17-10. In his regular season and playoff career, Gostkoswki has hit 51-of-61 field goals, and his 83.6 percent career accuracy rate is the highest in Patriots history.

CASSEL-TO-MOSS

Matt Cassel’s 51-yard completion to Randy Moss on the final play of the first quarter was the longest completion of his career, topping his 36-yard completion to Andre Davis in the 2005 regular-season finale against Miami on Jan. 1, 2006.

BIG BOOT FOR HANSON

Chris Hanson’s 70-yard punt in the second quarter was the longest punt by a Patriot since 2001 and was his longest boot since 2005. The play pinned the Chiefs at their own 9-yard line following no return. The last time a Patriots player had a punt of 70 yards or longer was on Sept. 9, 2001, when Lee Johnson had a 76-yard boot in the season opener at Cincinnati.

BRUSCHI ENTERS 13th SEASON

Tedy Bruschi played in his 177th game as a Patriot today and is in his 13th season with New England since being selected in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft. Bruschi’s 13 seasons as a Patriot tie Raymond Clayborn, John Hannah, Stanley Morgan and Mosi Tatupu for sixth on the team’s all-time list. Bruschi’s 177 games played rank eighth on the club’s all-time list.

CAPTAINS ELECTED

The following players were elected as Patriots captains by their teammates this week—Offense: QB Tom Brady, T Matt Light, WR Randy Moss; Defense: LB Tedy Bruschi, S Rodney Harrison, LB Mike Vrabel, NT Vince Wilfork; Special Teams: LB Larry Izzo.

QUICK HITS

· Today’s game was the 152nd straight home sellout for the Patriots. The streak is now in its 15th season and includes every Patriots preseason, regular-season and playoff game since the 1994 regular-season opener.

· The Patriots won their fifth straight regular season opener, and won their first game of the season for the sixth time in the last seven years. New England won for the fifth straight time when opening the regular season at home, including wins in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008.

· The Patriots have won 15 straight home games (including regular season and playoff contests) dating back to a 17-13 win against Chicago at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 26, 2003. That game was the first game played on FieldTurf at Gillette Stadium—the Patriots have won all 15 of their games since the turf was installed.

· The Patriots have allowed an average of 10.0 points per game in their last four regular-season home games. Since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002, the Patriots lead the league in allowing just 15.25 points per game at home (854 points in 56 games).

DEFENSIVE NOTES

· Richard Seymour provided pressure on Kansas City’s Brodie Croyle on third down in the first quarter, forcing an incompletion and a punt to end Kansas City’s first offensive possession of the game.

· James Sanders broke up a Brodie Croyle pass in the end zone intended for Dwayne Dowe on third down in the second quarter, forcing the Chiefs to settle for a field goal on the next play.

· Adalius Thomas sacked Brodie Croyle for a 10-yard loss on third down in the third quarter, forcing a punt on the next play.

· Mike Vrabel sacked Damon Huard for a 2-yard loss on the final play of the third quarter. Last season, Vrabel led the Patriots with a career-high 12.5 sacks—the most by a New England player in 20 years.

· Ellis Hobbs had a 51-yard kickoff return in the third quarter, tying his third longest career kick return, also achieved on Dec. 10, 2006 at Miami. Hobbs’s two longer kickoff returns came on his NFL-record 108-yard touchdown return in the 2007 regular season opener against the N.Y. Jets and a 93-yard scoring return against Houston on Dec. 17, 2007.