Today In Patriots History
The First Two Super Bowl Appearances
January 26, 1997 at the Louisiana Superdome
Super Bowl XXXI
Green Bay Packers 35, New England Patriots 21
Final Records: Packers 16-3, Patriots 13-6
Head Coaches: Bill Parcells, Mike Holmgren
Quarterbacks: Drew Bledsoe, Brett Favre
Odds: Packers favored by 14
Perhaps if Tuna wasn't spending so much time negotiating a contract to coach the Jets, he would have focused a bit more on Desmond Howard and special teams.
January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome
Super Bowl XX
Chicago Bears 46, New England Patriots 10
Final Records: Bears 18-1, Patriots 14-6
Head Coaches: Raymond Berry, Mike Ditka
Quarterbacks: Tony Eason/Steve Grogan, Jim McMahon
Odds: Bears favored by 10
Fun Fact: the Bears did not take the lead in this game until less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Fun Fact II: Many people still hold a grudge against Ditka for rubbing it in by giving the football to 'The Fridge' Perry to score at the goal line for Chicago's final touchdown, rather than to Walter Payton.
Key Stat: too many to count.
Six turnovers.
11 rushes for 7 yards.
Eason: 0-6, 1 fumble lost, 3 sacks for -28 yards.
Total Yards: 408 to 123.
Time of Possession: 39:15 to 20:45.
Offensive plays: 73 to 47.
The Patriots had won their Super Bowl the previous week in the
Squish the Fish Game. Chicago had Buddy Ryan's 46 defense, something that the NFL had not yet
figured out how to counter.
January 26, 2000:
Bill Belichick drops lawsuit against Jets and NFL
Bill Belichick dropped the antitrust lawsuit he had filed against the National Football League and the Jets yesterday, one day after the judge in the case refused to grant a temporary restraining order that would have allowed Belichick to negotiate with other teams for a new job.
Belichick filed the lawsuit on Monday, hoping that the judge would grant him the freedom that N.F.L. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue did not when he ruled last Friday that the Jets still own Belichick's rights.
''The main purpose of the case from Bill's perspective was to seek emergency relief so he had the opportunity to coach now,'' Jeffrey Kessler, Belichick's lawyer, said. ''Since it became apparent the court wasn't going to give us that relief, we had to decide what other options we could pursue. That option didn't work out.''
. . . . .
'''His goal is not to not be a coach and get damages,'' Kessler said. ''He wants to be a coach. If necessary, if all else fails, then he will pursue his claim for damages. Right now, what he wants to do is be permitted to work again. He wants it very clear that what he is seeking was to become free. He's trying to avoid the damage. If it turns out he can't, we'll consider other alternatives.''
The Jets had no comment on yesterday's development.
Belichick's immediate future remains murky. A team that wants his services may have them, but it will have to pay compensation to the Jets. The New England Patriots, who asked for permission to speak to Belichick on Jan. 3, have had talks with the Jets to try to reach a deal, but so far those talks have produced no resolution.
Meanwhile, the Patriots have also had talks with candidates who would fill the general manager and head-coaching posts separately, the two jobs that Belichick would presumably fill by himself if he had the freedom to make a deal with New England. Yesterday, the Patriots met with Dom Capers, the defensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Patriots are one of just two N.F.L. teams that now need a head coach.
Happy 29th Birthday to
Brandon Bolden
Born January 26, 1990 in Baton Rouge
Patriot RB/ST 2012-2017; uniform #38
Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent on May 12, 2012 from Ole Miss
- Earned two Super Bowl rings with Patriots
- His grandfather, Frank Pitts, played ten years in the NFL. Pitts was a SE who played in Super Bowl I and IV with the Chiefs.
- 2012 FedEx Ground Player of the Week in week four. Bolden ran for 137 yards and a TD on just 16 carries in the 52-28 victory at Buffalo, including runs of 20 and 27 yards.
- The 8.6 yards per carry in that game ranks as the third most for a single game in Patriots history with a minimum of 15 rushing attempts. Only Curtis Martin (9.6 ypc on 17-164 vs Washington on Oct 13, 1996) and Tony Collins (9.2 ypc on 23-212 vs the Jets, Sept. 18, 1983) rank higher.
- 912 career rushing yards ranked 34th in franchise history at the time (now 35th, surpassed by Sony Michel).
- 216 career rushing attempts ranks 38th in club history, one behind Shane Vereen.
- 6 career rushing touchdowns ranks 38th in team history, tied with Michel, Reggie Dupard and Tony Eason.
2012: Played in ten games; missed two due to injury and four on a suspension for peds. Rushed for 274 yards on 56 carries with two touchdowns. On the field for 98 offensive snaps (12%) and 165 special team snaps (55%).
2013: Made his season debut and first career start vs Tampa Bay on 9/22 and compiled 100 total yards on offense. He ran three times for 51 yards - including a career-long 46 yard gain - and caught five passes for 49 yards. Bolden then started and rushed eight times for 36 yards at N.Y. Jets (10/20) and his first touchdown of the season.
He played in 12 regular-season games with two starts and compiled 271 yards on 55 carries and three touchdowns, and also caught 21 passes for 152 yards; he also played in both playoff games. Was inactive for four games - the first two contests of the year and at Carolina (11/18) due to injury, and was a healthy scratch vs Cleveland (12/8).
On the field for 269 offensive snaps (30%) and 152 special team snaps (41%).
2014: Played in all 16 regular-season games with two starts and rushed 28 times for 89 yards and one touchdown. Bolden was a major contributor on special teams, compiling six tackles, one blocked punt and one forced fumble on a kickoff - both leading to Patriot touchdowns. He also appeared in all three playoff games with one start.
In the
'We're on to Cincinnati' Game Bolden had two special teams tackles and forced a fumble on a kickoff that Kyle Arrington returned nine yards for a touchdown. On December 7 Bolden blocked his first NFL punt in the win at San Diego that led to a Patriot touchdown. It was the Patriots’ first blocked punt since 2010.
On the field for 73 offensive snaps (6%) and 285 special team snaps (61%).
2015: Played in 15 regular-season games with two starts, rushing 63 rushing times for 207 yards and catching 19 passes for 180 yards, and the first two receiving touchdowns of his career. Saw increased playing time after an injury to Dion Lewis in the third quarter vs Washington (11/8). Rushed once for 12 yards and caught three passes for 27 yards, including an 18-yard score that marked the first touchdown reception of his career. Ran four times for 11 yards and caught four passes for 84 yards at Denver (11/29), including a 63- yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that is the longest reception of his career. Rushed 16 times for 51 yards at Houston (12/13) after an injury to LeGarrette Blount in the second quarter increased his workload. Made his second career postseason start at running back and made two special teams tackles in the playoff victory vs. Kansas City (1/16).
On the field for 191 offensive snaps (18%) and 263 special team snaps (57%).
2016: Played in 14 regular-season games, mainly on special teams, and totaled four tackles and one forced fumble on special teams. Rushed once for 4 yards and caught two passes for 15 yards on offense. Recorded one special teams tackle in the Super Bowl LI win vs. Atlanta (2/5) that pinned the Falcons at their own 11-yard line with 57 seconds left in regulation.
On the field for just 13 offensive snaps (1%), and 264 special team snaps (67%).
2017: 42 offensive snaps (4%) and 271 special team snaps (60%).
Only 14 offensive touches: 13 carries for 67 yards, and one catch for seven yards.
Career Regular Season Stats as a Patriot:
85 games with six starts
216 carries for 912 yards (4.2 ypc), with six touchdowns
47 receptions (on 75 targets) for 373 yards, 7.9 ypc, two touchdowns
1,285 yards from scrimmage on 263 touches, 4.9 yards per touch
Career Playoff Stats as a Patriot:
The Patriots went 11-4 in the 15 postseason games Bolden played in.
12 carries for 46 yards (3.8 ypc) and one rushing touchdown
4 receptions on 5 targets for 37 yards (9.3 ypc)
5 tackles (3 solo)
2018 for Miami: ran twice against the Patriots - and scored both times.