Today In Patriots History August 18: Adalius Thomas

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Adalius Thomas​

Happy 47th birthday to Adalius Thomas
Born Aug 18, 1977; from Rockford, Alabama
Patriot LB, 2007-2009; uniform #96


While Adalius Thomas is most remembered for how things ended poorly with him in Foxboro, it is worth pointing that it wasn't always that way. He was an incredibly athletic defender with Baltimore, capable of playing nearly every position on the field. That versatility is why Bill Belichick was willing to "back up the Brink's truck" to pay him when he hit free agency. Thomas was initially a beast with the Patriots, until he broke his arm against the Bills late in the 2008 season.

Things went south in 2009 for whatever reason. He was a healthy scratch for a game against Tennessee, then was one of three players who were sent home after arriving late to a morning meeting due to a snowstorm. One day after the 2010 draft the Patriots released Thomas. As far as I know no other teams offered him a workout or contract - and his NFL career was over.


Feb 4, 2010:
Adalius Thomas details falling out Adalius Thomas details falling out | Mike Reiss, espn

“After the Buffalo game, the first game of the year, something happened and I was like ‘I really don’t understand this,’" Thomas said.​

“I really don’t want to go into it, because I still don’t understand it. I had a meeting and I just really didn’t understand some of the stuff I was being told. So I knew at that point it was bigger than what was on the surface. It was something bigger than that. You guys watch the games. I was used totally differently this year than I was last year before I broke my arm. Even before I came back, I was told that I was going to be used differently.”​

Asked more about the meeting after the Bills game, Thomas said it wasn’t about a specific play but more his overall performance and “whether or not it was sufficient.”​

“It’s the first game back and the way some stuff went down, I just really didn’t understand it,” he said. “It was a confusing meeting to me. I understood some of it, but a lot of it was just confusing and it even got more confusing as the year went on.”​

One theme that came up a few times in the interview -- and seemed to be at the root of Thomas' frustration -- was Thomas pointing out that the coaches critiquing his play weren’t on the field themselves. It sounded like Thomas felt that he was being overcoached.​

“The way they coach things and do things may be totally different than how I see it,” he said. “There is a checks-and-balance system that really is not going to marry up because regardless of what you see as a player on that play, it really doesn’t matter if someone else sees it differently. Unless you’re on the field, there are a million things going on at one time. So when you see something and you go, you don’t have time to sit back and think or whatever.​

“Monday through Saturday is for coaches. Sunday has to be for the player. You do adjustments and everything like that, which is great, but at the same time you can’t coach every single thing during the game. It’s just impossible to do because there are so many things going on. A player can’t tell you every single thing that happens in front of him because it happens so fast and there is the next play. You’re trying to go to the sidelines trying to recap everything and it’s kind of hard to do that.”​

Apr 26, 2010:
Patriots release Adalius Thomas | Patriots.com

Thomas, 6-2, 270 pounds, originally signed with New England as an unrestricted free agent on March 3, 2007. Last season, he played in 14 games with 11 starts and finished with 31 total tackles, three sacks and two passes defensed. Thomas has played in 135 NFL games and has accumulated 584 tackles, seven interceptions, 17 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and 79 special teams tackles.​

Apr 26, 2010:
Jeff Howe with his thoughts:
Adalius Thomas never found a home with Pats | Jeff Howe, nesn

Recently Released Adalius Thomas Never Found a Home With Patriots - NESN.com

After months of anticipation, the Patriots finally released Thomas on Monday morning, according to a report. Thomas had long since fallen out of favor with head coach Bill Belichick, and the linebacker’s performance in 2009 was uninspired and warranted two games on the bench. When asked in...

nesn.com

When asked in February about the tension between Thomas and Belichick, a Patriots source told NESN.com, “Yeah, everybody saw that. That was no secret.”​

Thomas has thrown some passive-aggressive jabs at Belichick through the media — at least twice last season from the Pats’ locker room, and then again during separate interviews with 98.5 The Sports Hub and the Boston Globe — stoking a fire he obviously didn’t want to simmer.​

It wasn’t solely Thomas’ fault, but his constant whining will leave him remembered as the bad guy. Plus, Belichick and the Patriots won three Super Bowls before Thomas arrived — as Thomas’ former Ravens teammate, Ray Lewis, pointed out in 2007 — so the head coach will usually earn the benefit of the doubt in such occasions.​

Still, it just wasn’t the right fit. Thomas signed a $35 million, five-year contract prior to the 2007 season — the most money the Patriots have ever dished out to a free agent — and he played well at the start of his career in New England. He had a 17-game stretch from 2007-08 when he recorded 13 sacks, including his masterful two-sack performance in the Super Bowl.​

But Thomas had only registered three sacks since that point. In that most recent stretch, he played in 17 games, missed seven due to injury and was benched twice. While Thomas has showed he can be a very strong pass rusher, he couldn’t excel with the other responsibilities Belichick levied to his outside linebackers. Credit Belichick with some blame in that regard, too, because he wasn’t always putting Thomas in a position to succeed.​

When Thomas stopped playing at a high level on the field, he became testier behind the scenes, and it sounds like he was able to further act out his displeasure after the Patriots lost leaders Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour. This wasn’t Thomas’ first temperamental issue, either.​

After leaving the Ravens, he got into a war of words with Lewis, the longtime Baltimore leader who called Thomas a “coward” and noted the Ravens needed to adjust their schemes to coddle Thomas. Sound familiar?​

Apr 26, 2010:

Thomas free to sign with another team

The New England Patriots on Monday released former Pro Bowl linebacker Adalius Thomas, who joined the team as a high-profile free agent in 2007, but fell into disfavor with coach Bill Belichick last season.

www.espn.com

In the end, it was a pairing in which both sides didn't get what they felt was advertised.​

Thomas had issues with his role, expecting to be used as more of a pure pass-rusher, while the Patriots were disappointed with Thomas' production and presence in the locker room.​

Given the timing of the release, it appears the Patriots tried to trade Thomas during the draft and when nothing materialized, they went ahead with the release.​

"After the draft, we talked about the personnel and looked at our roster and so forth, and we made that decision to move on with the players that we have," Belichick told Boston sports radio station WEEI. "He was a good football player, he came in and had a heck of a year for us in '07. Again, at this point in time, we felt like this was the direction we had to go on."​

22:43 Audio from the Ravens' website:

What Happened to That Guy? Adalius Thomas

The former Ravens linebacker talks about his fight for voting rights in Georgia, his frustration with the way his NFL career ended, and his many business dealings.​

Catching Up with Former Player Rep: Adalius Thomas

Former NFL linebacker, Adalius Thomas, spent 10 seasons between the Ravens and the Patriots. Adalius attended The University of Southern Mississippi and was drafted in the 6th round of the 2000 draft. He is a Super Bowl champion, a 2X Pro Bowler, and a 2006 First Team All-Pro selection. We...

nflpa.com

Former NFL linebacker, Adalius Thomas, spent 10 seasons between the Ravens and the Patriots. Adalius attended The University of Southern Mississippi and was drafted in the 6th round of the 2000 draft. He is a Super Bowl champion, a 2X Pro Bowler, and a 2006 First Team All-Pro selection.​

How has your career been since transitioning out of the league?​

I would say slow because I left the game unexpectedly and when you think you're going to play again and have to sit around and wait for a call, it's a little different than a planned exit. You find yourself working out and doing all the right things and trying to find who you are. You've been doing something since you were a kid and it’s tough trying to understand all the emotional roller coaster moments that you go through with your mental health. You don't understand it, and so the transition was a little tough for me to go through because I thought I could still play the game but was not given the opportunity to play for one more season. It was a tough adjustment for me, and I think that having patience with yourself is very important.​

Former linebacker Adalius Thomas continues to experience success with businesses of his own.

Thomas was raised by his mother, a seamstress for Russell Athletics, and his father, an electrician, in the tiny town of Rockford, Alabama in Coosa County. Although a talented athlete, the NFL wasn’t something Thomas focused on. For him, football started simply as a way to get a college education, which he knew he wanted as the foundation for his future. In fact he was initially interested in sports administration and chose that as his major at the University of Southern Mississippi. But, as it turned out, football became more than just a means to obtain a college degree.​

Thomas was acutely aware that the end of his football days was always right around the corner. While he was playing, he dabbled in real estate, but upon retiring he knew he wanted something more.​

A friend suggested the restaurant business and Thomas was immediately interested. He ultimately opened a restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina, which then led to his opening two others, one in Durham, North Carolina and one in Ellicott City, Maryland. He loved the combination of the business and social aspects and the purpose it gave him every day. They all remain open and successful.​

Nov 4, 2015:

Super Bowl Champion Turned Successful Restaurateur Set to Inspire Audience at Gwinnett Tech

One of your neighbors posted in Neighbor News. Click through to read what they have to say. (The views expressed in this post are the author’s own.)

patch.com

Thomas is now co-owner of several restaurants, including Bolt Bistro and Bar in Raleigh, N.C.​

I didn't realize that Deion Sanders refers to himself as "Coach Prime" now. Gimme a break...
May 30, 2024:

NFL veteran Adalius Thomas joining Coach Prime’s staff as analyst for CU Buffs

Already loaded with NFL experience, the Colorado football staff has gained even more recently. During a video posted by Well Off Media on Tuesday, CU head coach Deion Sanders introduced a new member of the staff, as Adalius Thomas will be a…

www.buffzone.com

Adalius Thomas, a former NFL standout, has joined the Colorado Buffaloes as a defensive analyst under head coach Deion Sanders. Thomas, who played ten seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots, brings a wealth of experience to the team. Sanders and Thomas were teammates with the Ravens in 2004 and 2005, and Sanders praised Thomas as "arguably the smartest football player" he's ever played with. “Played every position on the field and special teams was everything to him. So not only can he help with the defense, but special teams as well, because that’s what he did. That’s where he made his mark when he first got there.”​

 

[signbabybrady]

I'm rooting for Colorado so I guess I'm rooting for AT again

 

[Pape]

I had such high hopes for Thomas when they announced the signing... really thought he was going to reach the next level... bona fide super star... all that talent combined with BB? it was a no brainer to my thinking...

instead we got one decent season and two Monty Beisel level efforts... blah...

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
More August 18 Birthdays​

In memory of Jess Richardson, who would have turned 94 today
Born Aug 18, 1930 in Philadelphia
Died 6/17/75 at the age of 44 from kidney disease, in Philadelphia
Patriot DT 1962-1964; uniform #75


Jesse Richardson played for eight seasons with the Eagles before plying for the Pats for three years. He played in 42 games (36 starts) for the Boston Patriots, plus two playoff games, with 6.5 sacks. Over the course of his career Richardson played in 139 regular season games and three postseason games.

Richardson may be most well known for being the last lineman to play pro football without a faceguard.

Last Players To Not Wear Facemask

LOOKING BACK By John Turney In 1990s Don Daly's and Bob O'Donnell volume The Pro Football Chronicle reported that Jess Richardson w...

nflfootballjournal.blogspot.com

Jess Richardson "Last of an Era" | Helmut Hut

High school star, collegiate standout, a pro football draft choice with a career that spanned twelve seasons, and a respected coaching resume that had more longevity than most, gave Jesse Richardson a luster appreciated by all who knew him and perhaps envied by some. However if ever a man had to deal with setback and sorrow, Richardson proved he was a resilient individual who could in fact overcome the worst that life and athletics could throw at him.​

A two-way line standout at Philadelphia’s Roxborough High School, he enjoyed a high school career that brought honors and recognition of his talent that has left him on a number of “All Time…” all star lists for both Pennsylvania and Philadelphia area high school football players. As the leader for the Roxborough 49ers, he earned All Public School honors and a scholarship to the University of Alabama where he lettered for three seasons and was a key component as a defensive guard in the Tide’s 61-6 win over Syracuse in the January 1st, 1953 Orange Bowl. The decisive victory was termed “the most lopsided win in bowl history” to that point in time and Richardson enjoyed national exposure as it was the inaugural television broadcast of a major college bowl game. “Big Jess” became an eighth round draft pick of his hometown Philadelphia Eagles and his 6’2”, 235 pound frame quietly but very effectively controlled the interior of the Eagles line for many seasons. Richardson suffered a devastating injury that tore knee ligaments early in 1957, the type of injury that was most often not resolved with the available surgical techniques.​

Against all odds, he battled back, strengthened his knee and lower body, and was again in the starting lineup for the ’58 season. In order to be as fast and quick as possible, Richardson played with minimal protection. He would not wear pads under his uniform and insisted on the smallest sized shoulder pads that would fit his muscular torso. As part of his “sleek and swift” approach to the game and his appearance, he refused to wear a facemask, even after the National Football League rules were changed to include it as a mandatory part of the game uniform. Richardson would go through most of his entire career without a mask and retire as the last NFL lineman with that distinction. As noted football researcher and author John Maxymuk pointed out in the very first sentences about Richardson in his book, Eagles By The Numbers, “Even though he was the last lineman in the league to play without wearing a facemask, Jess Richardson never lost a tooth. His nose wasn’t so lucky. He broke that so many times that he would reset it himself by going in the shower, smearing his nose with Vaseline, and rubbing up and down along the sides of his nose till he felt everything was back in place.” In addition to his desire to move as fast as possible, Richardson believed that a facemask would interfere with his peripheral vision because of his “deep-set, narrow eyes.” Whatever his true motivation, Big Jess was “grandfathered” by the league and was never required to don a mask.​

Interestingly, for a player who went about the business of raising Hell in the middle of the defensive line of a rugged if unspectacular 1950’s Eagles defense, Richardson, even without facial protection, was known to engage in some “extracurricular” activity that included an errant elbow or punch. Filling out to 260 pounds, he was the Eagles Defensive Most Valuable Player in 1955, and came back from his horrid 1957 injury with a Second Team All Pro nomination and Pro Bowl appearance in ’59. Helping the more heralded Chuck Bednarik, Maxie Baughn, Bob Pellegrini, and Tom Brookshier on Philly’s run to the 1960 NFL Championship, Jess suffered through the death of his seven week old infant just days prior to the game with the Packers. He still played and helped to secure the crown for the Eagles. During the latter part of 1961, new Coach Nick Skorich removed Richardson as a starter and then cut him in ‘62’s training camp. Jess immediately hooked onto the Boston Patriots squad, fought through a bout of hepatitis, and became a contributor along the defensive front. Despite advancing age, Jess’ willingness to mix it up in the middle of the action didn’t change. Because he was guilty of physical contact with an official during a “discussion” over a call, he was tossed from the game and hit with what was then a record $500.00 fine. So popular was this rather under publicized defensive lineman, that the Boston fans passed the hat around the stadium and presented Jess with the fine money after the game. His injuries finally caught up with him. He saw limited action in the Patriots’ loss to the Chargers in the 1963 AFL Championship game, and finally called it quits at the conclusion of the ’64 season. He continued to serve the franchise as their defensive line coach until leaving for a similar position with the ’71 Eagles under head coach and former Philadelphia teammate Ed Khayat.​

Happy 68th birthday to Dave Browning
Born Aug 18, 1956 in Spokane, Washington
Patriot DE, 1983; uniform #74
Signed as a free agent September 27, 1983

David Browning was a second round draft pick by Oakland in '78, and was part of the Raiders SB 15 winning team. After five seasons with the Raiders, he played in the final twelve games for Ron Meyer's 1983 8-8 club. During what turned out to be his last season in the NFL, he had two of his 21.5 sacks for the Pats. After that he played in the USFL for a couple of years. Browning plated in a total of 77 regular season NFL games (59 starts) from 1978-1983, plus the four 1980 postseason games with the Raiders.

Jan 27, 2009:
Where Are They Now? Small town outshines big time for ex-Husky | Seattle PI

Dave Browning lives in Mica, Wash., a town with a post office and not much more. It's just 15 miles from where he was raised. He has 10 acres, or about 750 fewer than he and two brothers once tended.​

Browning, 52, once played in the Rose Bowl, Super Bowl and USFL championship game -- just missing out on a rare title trifecta -- before returning to his Eastern Washington roots.​

There's always something else he could be doing. On the family farm in nearby Fairfield, Browning operated heavy machinery when he was 10. He and brothers Dean and Dan annually were responsible for 100 head of beef and 400 tons of hay once in high school. Each hay bale needed to be handled seven times to move it from the field to a trailer and into the barn.​

A tall, rangy kid could turn strong and muscular without ever walking into a weight room.​

Browning lives in Mica with his wife of 20 years, Leslie. He drives a truck for a Spokane cement company. He owns three Icelandic horses and rides every weekend during the summer months. He prefers the simple life. Sadly, there have been excruciating complications along the way.​

Other players born on Aug 18 with a New England connection:

-Taylor Moton, 30 (1994)
Pats draft pick trade
The Pats traded the 64th overall pick of the 2017 draft to Carolina on 3/10/17, which the Panthers used to select Moton. In return the Pats received Kony Ealy and another draft pick - which was traded again. Eventually the Patriots used the picks to select Derek Rivers and Antonio Garcia. Moton is now entering his eighth season as the starting right tackle for Carolina.

- Dan Orlovsky, 41 (1983)
Born in Bridgeport; Shelton (CT) High School; UConn
While he is most well known for inadvertently running out of the back of the end zone during Indy's Suck for Luck season, the career backup QB did enough to collect paychecks for 12 full NFL seasons.

- Les Olsson (1909-1972)
Boston Redskins, 1934-36
Les Olsson started at RG in 57 games over five seasons, plus two championship games - including Washington's 28-21 victory over the Bears in 1937.

- Nate Freese, 34 (1990)
Boston College
The kicker was a 7th round draft pick by the Lions in 2014. His NFL career ended abruptly after four missed field goals in his first three games.




Some other notable pro football players sharing this birth date:

- Greg Pruitt, 73 (1951)
Browns RB had three consecutive seasons with 1,000+ yards rushing, then was named to his fifth Pro Bowl with Oakland at the age of 32, when he led the NFL in punt returns.

- Brian Mitchell, 56 (1968)
Washington KR/PR/RB led the NFL in All-Purpose Yardage four times from 1994-1998. His 23,330 career all purpose yards is a mere 216 yards fewer than record holder Jerry Rice. At that time his 2,477 all-purpose yards in 1994 was the second most in a single season in NFL history.

- Matt Snell, 83 (1941)
The three-time Pro Bowl fullback had far more to do with the outcome the historic Super Bowl III than Joe Namath did. Snell ran for 121 yards and a touchdown that day to propel the Jets to a 16-7 upset over the Colts.

- Jeremy Shockey, 44 (1980)
The brash tight end from the University of Miami had 547 receptions and 37 TD from 2002-2011.

- Dontari Poe, 34 (1990)
Two-time pro bowl NT played in 128 games from 2012-20, mostly with the Chiefs, with 20.5 sacks.

- Bart Scott, 44 (1980)
Highly opinionated linebacker played in 172 games for the Ravens and Jets from 2002-2012.

 

[TheRainMaker]

The myth among some fans is that Thomas was a bust. He signed when he was 30 years old so there was some risk. The Pats major weakness was defending the TE. He erased TE’s in 2007 and was a sack away from getting 3 and a most likely would’ve been the Super Bowl MVP. Where it went south was after his injury in 2008 and he got tired of more of a coverage LB. He wanted to go back to getting after the QB, but he was cooked as he never played with another team after leaving NE.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
August 18 Games​

Aug 18, 2016:

Patriots Vs. Bears Live: Jimmy Garoppolo Sharp In 23-22 Preseason Win - NESN.com

Final, Patriots 23-22: That will do it for preseason game No. 2. Third-string Bears quarterback Connor Shaw closes out the game by finding B.J. Daniels in the back of the end zone with no time remaining. A sucessful two-point conversion officially seals things. Next up for the Patriots is a trip...

nesn.com

Here’s how Jimmy Garoppolo played in Patriots’ preseason game against Bears

Jimmy Garoppolo found the end zone for the first time in the 2016 preseason during the Patriots’ matchup against the Bears Thursday. Garoppolo started at quarterback on a night when Tom Brady didn’t play after reportedly slicing his thumb with scissors prior to the game. Garoppolo was 16 of 21...

www.boston.com

Tom Brady misses preseason game after reportedly slicing thumb with scissors

Tom Brady was set to play in the Patriots’ preseason game against the Bears on Thursday night, according to the Boston Herald and other reports. But the quarterback sliced his thumb with scissors prior to the game, according CSNNE.com’s Tom E. Curran. Brady was trying to pry something off the...

www.boston.com

Tom Brady was set to play in the Patriots’ preseason game against the Bears on Thursday night. But the quarterback sliced his thumb with scissors prior to the game, according CSNNE.com’s Tom E. Curran. Brady was trying to pry something off the bottom of his cleat, Curran reported.​

Patriots 23-22 Bears (Aug 18, 2016) Game Recap - ESPN

Expert recap and game analysis of the New England Patriots vs. Chicago Bears NFL game from August 18, 2016 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

Tom Brady sat out his second straight preseason game, while the guy that will replace him at the start of the regular season continued to make progress. He had been expected to make his debut after missing last week's game to attend memorial services for a family member.​

Jimmy Garoppolo will start the first four games of the regular season while Brady serves his "Deflategate" suspension, and he made the most of the extra playing time.​

Asked about a report that Brady accidently cut his hand pregame, coach Bill Belichick said it was his call to only play Garoppolo and rookie Jacoby Brissett.​

Garoppolo threaded a 16-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone to A.J. Derby late in the first half for his first TD pass of the preseason. He played the entire first half and one series in the second half, finishing 16 of 21 for 181 yards.​

ROOKIE WATCH​

Patriots CB Cyrus Jones continues to make a case for playing time in an already stacked New England secondary. He came away with his second turnover in two weeks, this time stepping in front of Bears backup quarterback Brian Hoyer's first pass for an interception in the second quarter. He had a fumble recovery last week.​

POSITION BATTLES​

Patriots: Tight end A.J. Derby may have put some distance between himself, Bear Pascoe and Clay Harbor in the competition for the third tight end spot. Derby was all over the field, catching six passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. WR Chris Hogan, an offseason free agent pickup, took off his noncontact jersey this week during practice and had a solid debut for the Patriots. He had four catches for 53 yards.​

Aug 18, 2011:

Patriots 31-14 Buccaneers (Aug 18, 2011) Final Score - ESPN

Game summary of the New England Patriots vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL game, final score 31-14, from August 18, 2011 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

Brady, Patriots Win Big In Tampa

Tom Brady looks to be in regular season form after tossing a pair of touchdown passes in the New England Patriots' 31-14 preseason win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.

www.cbsnews.com

Tom Brady, the reigning NFL MVP, tossed a pair of touchdowns and completed 11 of 19 passes in the Patriots' 31-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady threw for 118 yards in one half of work, and connected on scoring strikes from 16 yards to Aaron Hernandez, and 8 yards out to Chad Ochocinco, who also both made their debuts.​

BenJarvus Green-Ellis also got in on the act, rushing 11 times for 51 yards and two touchdowns.​

First-half observations from the Patriots-Buccaneers game

New England has completely manhandled Tampa Bay to take a 28-0 lead.

www.masslive.com

Running a 4-3 defense, the Patriots defense has been creating constant pressure on Tampa QB Josh Freeman, helping to hold them to 70 total yards and four first downs.​

Ochocinco a mixed bag: Brady went to wide receiver Chad Ochocinco early and often with mixed results.​

Carter as good as advertised: Defensive end Andre Carter created constant pressure off the edge by completely overmatching Bucs tackles Donald Penn and James Lee.​

Yeatman getting spins: Undrafted rookie Will Yeatman received a lot of reps with the first-team offense and appears to have overtaken fifth-round pick Lee Smith. He played well and had a key block on BenJarvus Green-Ellis' 16-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.​

Solder with another solid performance: Nate Solder, starting at left tackle in place of Matt Light, completely owned Bucs defensive end Adrian Clayborn, taken 20th in April's draft.​

Bad half for Gronk: Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski had a bad half. First he dropped a pass on the 2-yard line, and was then whistled for an illegal downfield block.​

A rare mistake for Dan Koppen: The center had a rare mistake when he was whistled for a holding call that nullified a Green-Ellis touchdown run midway through the second quarter.​

Aug 18, 2005:
Saints 37, Patriots 27 at Gillette

The Patriots led 10-3 at the end of the first quarter and 24-16 at the half, before New Orleans won the battle of backups in the second half.

The Saints would play at home eight days later against Baltimore. It turned out that would be the final game to be played at the old Superdome. Hurricane Katrina would hit on August 29th, 2005, and change everything for the New Orleans area.




Aug 18, 2001:
Patriots 23, Panthers 8 at Ericcsson Stadium, Charlotte

Tom Brady went 11-18 for 122 yards and one touchdown, while Leonard Myers, Antwan Harris and Ty Law all had interceptions for the defense.

New England Patriots at Carolina Panthers - NFL Box Score - Aug 18, 2001 | USA TODAY

Get the full box score for the New England Patriots at Carolina Panthers NFL football game on August 18, 2001 from Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, NC. Follow player stats live or view the complete box score after the game from USA TODAY.

sportsdata.usatoday.com

Aug 18, 1996:
Patriots 37, Eagles 10 at Foxboro Stadium


Aug 18, 1994:
Patriots 27, Washington 17 at Foxboro Stadium


Aug 18, 1990:
Tampa Bay 44, New England 10 at the Gator Bowl, Jacksonville


Aug 18, 1974:
Patriots 7, Saints 3 at Schaefer Stadium


Aug 18, 1973:
Falcons 27, Patriots 10 at Atlanta Stadium


Aug 18, 1964:
Jets 23, Boston Patriots 7 at Cawley Stadium, Lowell Mass

JETS WILL MEET PATRIOTS TONIGHT; Taliaferro at Quarterback in Exhibition at Lowell (Published 1964)

www.nytimes.com

Jets Overcome Patriots, 23?7; As Wood Directs 2d?Half Drive (Published 1964)

www.nytimes.com

Aug 18, 1962:
Houston Oilers 20, Boston Patriots 10 at City Park Stadium, New Orleans

 

[Zuma]

I had such high hopes for Thomas when they announced the signing... really thought he was going to reach the next level... bona fide super star... all that talent combined with BB? it was a no brainer to my thinking...

instead we got one decent season and two Monty Beisel level efforts... blah...

Same here but I’m on the opposite side…that one year was good enough for me. I still think he was a good signing.