Today In Patriots History 2020: Pats beat Miami in Cam Newton's debut, 21-11

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Cam Newton leads Pats to victory in debut
Patriots beat Dolphins, 21-11​

Sunday Sept 13, 2020 at 1:00
Week 1, Game 1 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 21, Miami Dolphins 11
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Brian Flores
QBs: Cam Newton, Ryan Fitzpatrick
Odds: New England Patriots favored by 7½


There have been six Pats games played on September 13, each with a different head coach, and a distinct era.
First up is Game One of the short-lived Cam Newton era, which got off to a very positive start.

Hitting the ground running: Patriots churn out tough win over Miami

The stark contrast between Brady and Newton running this offense – key word here is "running" – became evident almost immediately, as Newton read-options and other designed runs proved effective in moving the football consistently against Miami's defense. After New England's defense forced a Miami three-and-out to start the game, two of the first four New England plays were designed runs for Newton, who gained positive yardage on both efforts, including a first-down. In all, Newton gained 75 yards on 15 rushing attempts – an even five yards per carry – and a pair of touchdowns with his legs.​

New England's focus on the running game chewed up considerable clock throughout the day. The Patriots wound up winning the time of possession advantage 35 minutes to 25, thanks in large part to the success of the rushing attack.​

Meanwhile, New England's run defense, which suffered mightily in the Wild-Card loss to Tennessee back in January, held Miami to around half a field by intermission. The Dolphins managed only 87 yards total by game's end, a paltry 3.3 average per carry. Patriots defenders knew they'd have to solidify this aspect of their play in order to get off to a better start in 2020 than 2019 ended.​

Second-year edge rusher Chase Winovich epitomized that aggressive style of run-defense. He finished with six total tackles (four solo), including a pair of run-stuffers on consecutive first-quarter plays, one for a loss of three yards which contributed to Miami's having to punt for the second time in as many drives at the outset.​

The secondary did its part for most of the afternoon, too, though it wasn't without its faults. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore, the league's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, thwarted one Miami drive with an early interception of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick in Dolphins territory. In the '19 finale, Gilmore surrendered eight catches for 137 yards to Miami receiver DeVante Parker.​

By halftime Sunday, Parker had half as many grabs and only 47 yards, and that's what he'd end with – in part due to Parker's lingering hamstring injury, which limited him in practices all week. Yet, Gilmore also committed a couple of pass interference penalties Sunday afternoon, the first of which contributed to Miami's lone touchdown drive of the game, early in the fourth quarter to close the deficit to 14-11.​

Newton and the O responded, though, by driving – mostly on the ground – to the Dolphins' 5-yard line, where they faced a 4th-and-short. Newton, running behind fullback Jakob Johnson, easily converted before tailback Sony Michel scored on a 1-yard run. Crucially, the Patriots again took precious time off the clock, and cornerback J.C. Jackson's INT just after the two-minute warning clinched the 21-11 victory.​

A good start, and a most unusual one. An unprecedented one, in fact, when you consider it was played in front of zero fans, due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions league-wide.​

"Yeah, it's definitely different. Everything about it," McCourty agreed. "It kind of felt like back in high school. It was definitely a different feel. You had to make your own energy, you could hear everything going on out there on the field. You could hear trash-talking, communication. But I thought we adjusted. You could feel the energy on the big plays, but it was different without the crowd noise and having the fans there supporting us."​

NFL Week 1 PFF ReFocused: New England Patriots 21, Miami Dolphins 11

The Dolphins made the Patriots work for it late, but Cam Newton ultimately did enough to get a win in his New England debut.

www.pff.com

The big story heading into the matchup was what the Patriots' offense would look like with Newton at quarterback and whether the team would make use of his rushing threat. Based on this outing, not only will New England make use of Newton’s rushing threat, but the team will lean heavily on it.​

Newton led the team in rushing in pretty much every possible category. He had more carries (15), yards (75), yards after contact (39), first downs (8) and touchdowns (2) than any other Patriots ball-carrier, and it was clearly a staple of an offense whose receivers still didn’t look like they were going to elevate the passing game.​

​

The Patriots embraced some of the classic Carolina run concepts that Newton makes possible, such as running pure quarterback-power plays, and don’t seem inclined to dial back on the traits that make him such a unique threat in order to preserve his durability over the course of the season.​

The Patriots’ offensive line also largely had its way with Miami’s defensive front, controlling the line of scrimmage and answering some of the questions that surrounded it entering the year.​

5 takeaways from the Patriots' 21-11 win over the Dolphins

COMMENTARY Five takeaways from the first game the Patriots have ever played at Gillette Stadium without Tom Brady on the payroll, as New England’s new-look offense stomped its way to a 21-11 dispatching of the Dolphins… CAM WAS SUPER, MAN Cam Newton was always going to be the biggest story of...

www.boston.com

Cam Newton was always going to be the biggest story of Game 1, good or bad.​

Sunday, it turned out, he was neither good nor bad. He was great.​

Of the 18 quarterbacks who started games at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon, Newton threw for the fewest yards, with 155. He joined counterpart Ryan Fitzpatrick as one of only two of the 18 among that group who failed to throw a touchdown pass.​

But don’t let the numbers fool you. Newton dominated Sunday’s game, with his passing stats only telling a small part of the story in his Patriots debut, and failing to encapsulate the impact his ability to run the ball had on the efficiency and effectiveness of the New England offense.​

Newton himself ran for 75 yards on 15 carries, good for an average of five yards per attempt with a couple of trips to the end zone. And those aren’t the only yards he deserves credit for. The 142 yards piled up by his teammates — bringing the team total to 217 — were likewise attributable to Newton, who helped to create those opportunities because of the threat he posed the Dolphins and his ability to decipher the Miami defense when left to decide whether to keep or give the ball away to his back.​

Sony Michel had 37 yards. Rex Burkhead added 32. Rookie JJ Taylor picked up 28 on just four attempts, James White had 22, and Julian Edelman’s 23 on an end around was a testament to the value of the movement and misdirection Josh McDaniels was able to utilize with Newton as his trigger man.​

In total, the Patriots kept it on the ground 42 times, and averaged 5.2 yards each time. They were 6-for-11 on third and fourth downs, and if N’Keal Harry hadn’t fumbled through the end zone they would likely have gone 4-for-4 on converting red zone trips into touchdowns.​

Patriots 21, Dolphins 11: Newton-led Pats open sesaon with a ’W’

Sunday’s Patriots home opener certainly didn’t look normal. That’ll happen when you have no fans in...

www.providencejournal.com

4 takeaways from Patriots' rush-heavy 21-11 win over Dolphins

The Patriots’ rushing attack will be something special this season.

patriotswire.usatoday.com

Tom Who? Patriots Win Opener vs. Dolphins

Life without the greatest quarterback who ever lived is just fine in New England. With the caveat that it is just one game, of course, Tom Brady’s replacement, Cam Newton, had about as sharp a debut as anyone could have hoped for. The 2015 NFL MVP rushed for 75 yards on 15 carries and scored a...

www.nbcboston.com

2:24 NFL Highlight Video
Patriots Defense Dominates the Dolphins | NFL 2020 Highlights



10:32 NFL Highlight Video
Dolphins vs. Patriots Week 1 Highlights | NFL 2020



6:49 Third Quarter Highlights
Patriots vs Dolphins - 3rd Qtr FULL Highlights | Week 15 | NFL Season 2020-21 HD
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Box Score, Team & Individual Stats, and Full Play-by-Play:

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots - September 13th, 2020 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Miami Dolphins 11 at New England Patriots 21 on September 13th, 2020 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[signbabybrady]

The Cam year was actually kind of fun. Too bad his shoulder was shot would have been interesting to see what could have been. He was such a monster and if he could have just been a little better passing for us maybe he could have lasted longer.

Losing James White was such a killer he could have really helped everyone the past few years.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Ty Law picks off rookie Peyton Manning twice
Patriots crush Colts, 29-6​

Sunday Sept 13, 1998 at 8:20
Week 2, Game 2 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 29, Indianapolis Colts 6
Head Coaches: Pete Carroll, Jim Mora
QBs: Drew Bledsoe, Peyton Manning
Odds: New England Patriots favored by 10½
Patriots improve to 1-1, Colts drop to 0-2


There have been six Pats games played on September 13, each with a different head coach, and a distinct era.
Second up is the Patriots going up against rookie Peyton Manning, in his second NFL game.

The Patriots gave the Forehead a proper welcome to the NFL on Sunday Night Football.
- On the Colts first drive Manning's first pass went incomplete, forcing a punt.
- On the first play of the second drive Willie McGinest strip sacked Manning with Willie Clay picking up the fumble and giving the Patriots a first down on the Indy five-yard line.
- Next up was a 59-yard pick-six by Ty Law on the third drive.
- After another Colt punt, Law picked off Manning again on drive number five.

Ouch.

Manning's only touchdown came late in the fourth quarter during garbage time. That, and the Pats having to settle for short field goals in the red zone are the only things that prevented the final score from being a complete blowout. New England's defense put pressure on the rookie all game long, and was able to produce two sacks and four takeaways – one fumble and three interceptions. The Patriots were without Ben Coates due to a right ankle injury, which had a profound negative effect on the Pats offense.

https://fox59.com/sports/colts/colts-vs-patriots-so-much-history/

Manning vs. Pats, Episode 1​

Manning’s first trip to Foxboro was forgettable. In week 2 of 1998, the Colts were handled 29-6 and Manning looked very much like what he was – a rookie making his second start. He suffered three interceptions, two by Ty Law, and Law set the tone for Manning’s long afternoon by returning a first-quarter interception 59 yards for a touchdown.​

Manning’s bottom line that day: 21-of-33, 188 yards, one TD, three interceptions, a 51.1 passer rating.​

Patriots.com report:

New England 29, Indianapolis 6

N.F.L. Week 2 -- YESTERDAY'S GAMES; Favre Backs Up Talk With Smart Passing (Published 1998)

Green Bay Packers defeat Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 23-15; Minnesota Vikings defeat St Louis Rams, 38-31; Miami Dolphins defeat Buffalo Bills, 13-7; New Orleans Saints defeat Carolina Panthers, 19-14; New England Patriots defeat Indianapolis Colts, 29-6; Pittsburgh Steelers defeat Chicago Bears...

www.nytimes.com

Peyton Manning, the first pick in the N.F.L. draft, committed four turnovers -- giving him seven for the season -- as visiting Indianapolis lost again. Manning's four-year football education at Tennessee did not keep him from throwing two interceptions to Ty Law, one for a 59-yard touchdown, and losing a fumble, leading to 13 points as the Patriots led by 16-0 at halftime.​

Any doubt they would falter faded when Drew Bledsoe, the top pick five years earlier, threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Terry Glenn on New England's first series of the third quarter.​

And any inkling Manning could rally the Colts ended when he threw his third interception of the night, to Chris Canty, late in the third quarter. He also threw three interceptions in his debut last week.​

The Colts avoided their first shutout loss since a 38-0 loss at Foxboro in 1993 when Manning hit Torrance Small on a slant for a 3-yard touchdown with 4:09 left.​

58-second Quick Highlight Video
1998 Colts at Patriots Week 2



2:04:47 Full Game Video
1998 Week 2 Colts @ Patriots(upgrade)
​

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats, and Full Play-by-Play:

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots - September 13th, 1998 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Indianapolis Colts 6 at New England Patriots 29 on September 13th, 1998 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Pats offense sputters
Rams shutout Patriots, 14-0​

Sunday Sept 13, 1992 at 1:00
Week 2, Game 1 at Anaheim Stadium
Los Angeles Rams 14, New England Patriots 0
Head Coaches: **** MacPherson, Chuck Knox
QBs: Hugh Millen, Jim Everett
Odds: Los Angeles Rams favored by 4
Rams improve to 1-1; Patriots start 0-1


There have been six Pats games played on September 13, each with a different head coach, and a distinct era.
Third up is the beginning of the end of the **** MacPherson era.

The offense was non-existent, scoring zero, six and seven points in the first three games. The season was so bad that MacPherson literally could not stomach it, and was hospitalized midseason. Dante Scarnecchia took over on an interim basis and ended a nine-game losing streak with the Pats two lone victories in the '92 season.

Patriots' MacPherson hospitalized

The reeling New England Patriots got another jolt Wednesday when coach **** MacPherson was hospitalized on his 62nd birthday with a serious intestinal disorder.

www.tampabay.com

The ailment is the latest blow in a stressful season in which the Patriots (0-8) have the NFL's worst record and must face the New Orleans Saints (6-2) at home Sunday.​

"I don't think that this is only stress," Patriots chief executive officer Sam Jankovich said of MacPherson's condition. "There's a lot to be said about diet and then the nerves definitely play a big role in it."​

"It is extremely important that Mac divorce himself from the team for a while, that he watch his diet, that he stay away from stress," Jankovich said. "I don't think there's any way in the world he should rush this."​

PATRIOTS’ EFFORT NOT IN QUESTION, ONLY EXECUTION

The one-week postponement in the start of the Patriots’ season because of Hurricane Andrew did not help preparation. Execution was lacking as the Patriots lost 14-0 Sunday to the Los Angeles …

www.courant.com

The one-week postponement in the start of the Patriots’ season because of Hurricane Andrew did not help preparation.​

Execution was lacking as the Patriots lost 14-0 Sunday to the Los Angeles Rams in Anaheim, Calif.​

“We had effort,” Patriots coach **** MacPherson said, “but we didn’t have execution.”​

Ten penalties. Seven sacks. Four interceptions.​

'The substandards of yesteryear': The suddenly relevant story of the 1992 Patriots

"The substandards of yesteryear": Looking back at the suddenly relevant story of the 1992 Patriots, and what came afterward.

www.boston.com

The season was originally scheduled to begin on Sept. 6 in Miami against the Dolphins, but Hurricane Andrew — a deadly Category 5 storm that made landfall in South Florida in late August (along with the Bahamas and Louisiana) — forced the game to be postponed.​

Before even playing a down of regular season football, the Patriots had already been shifted from the team’s original plan. Instead of having a midseason bye week (like every other team), New England now had to play 16 consecutive weeks.​

When the games finally did get underway, the preseason concerns about the offensive line were quickly confirmed. Facing the Rams, the Patriots surrendered seven sacks and proved utterly unable to move the ball. Quarterback Hugh Millen, a journeyman who started a career-high 13 games for the Patriots in 1991, tossed four interceptions in a 14-0 loss.​

Rams 14, Patriots 0 - UPI Archives

The Los Angeles Rams did not beat a team bound for the Super Bowl Sunday, although the quality of the opponent made little difference to them....

www.upi.com

The Los Angeles Rams did not beat a team bound for the Super Bowl Sunday, although the quality of the opponent made little difference to them.​

The important thing was that their 11-game losing streak came to an end.​

Los Angeles came up with four interceptions and seven sacks and although the Rams managed only 14 points it was plenty to down the struggling New England Patriots, 14-0.​

'The monkey's off our back,' said Los Angeles quarterback Jim Everett. 'I played conservativley today. My philosophy was just to not let anything bad happen. Hats off to our defense.'​

Los Angeles safety Todd Lyght accounted for two of the interceptions, a career high for the second-year player.​

'When you have them backed up like we did,' said Lyght, 'you can become very aggressive as I did.​

Kevin Greene led the Rams sack parade with three, matching his career high. It was the Rams first shut out since they blanked the Atlanta Falcons 33-0 in 1988.​

Cleveland Gary provided the offense with a pair of touchdown runs.​

'Our defense played well enough to win two games,' Hugh Millen said. 'But our field position each time we got the ball left us a long way to go.'​

The Patriots announced after the game that Millen had played with a separated left shoulder since midway through the first quarter.​

Patriots head coach **** MacPherson had little with which to be pleased.​

'We weren't smooth,' he said. 'And we didn't get the field position that we needed. It's a terrible thing to come all the way out here and play like that. The Rams knew what they had to do and they did it.​

'I thought our defense was good. We have to put some things together on offense and get better field position.'​

Rams 14, Patriots 0 - UPI Archives

Cleveland Gary rushed for a pair of touchdowns to lead the Los Angeles to a 14-0 victory over the New England Patriots Sunday, snapping the Rams' 11-game...

www.upi.com

Cleveland Gary rushed for a pair of touchdowns to lead the Los Angeles to a 14-0 victory over the New England Patriots Sunday, snapping the Rams' 11-game losing streak. Gary gained 71 yards on 19 rushes.​

Gary's first touchdown run followed a 38-yard pass interference penalty by Patriots' free safety Jerome Henderson in the Los Angeles end zone against Willie 'Flipper' Anderson. The interference call put the ball at the 1-yard line, from where Gary scored on the next play.​

The Rams had taken possession on the play prior to the interference penalty when Los Angeles defensive end Gerald Robinson hit Patriots quarterback Hugh Millen from behind, forcing a fumble which linebacker Roman Pfifer recovered.​

Gary's second touchdown from nine yards out and followed Rams saftey Todd Lyght's 23-yard return of his second interception of the game.​

Both teams had been unable to mount a consistant offense and neither team could move inside the other's 20-yard line until the interference call with 4:42 to play in the third quarter.​

Los Angeles kicker Tony Zendejas had a chance to tie the NFL record of 24 consecutive field goals held by Chicago's Kevin Butler, but he missed his first attempt from 47 yards in the second quarter and followed that with another miss from 39 yards in the third quarter.​

Zendejas missed again from 25 yards out late in the final quarter but Lyght's interception followed shortly after to help seal the victory.​

Jim Everett completed 10 passes in 22 attempts for 130 yards to help snap the Rams losing skid which dated back to October 13, 1991 when Los Angeles defeated San Diego, 30-24.​

Millen completed 18 passes in 32 attempts for 145 yards. But he suffered four interceptions and was sacked seven times.​

Leonard Russell led the Patriots rushing attack with 71 yards on 18 carries.​

My favorite scene from Jim Everett's career
Amazing that Jim Rome had a career after this

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:

New England Patriots at Los Angeles Rams - September 13th, 1992 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 0 at Los Angeles Rams 14 on September 13th, 1992 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[Vindicate]

The Cam year was actually kind of fun. Too bad his shoulder was shot would have been interesting to see what could have been. He was such a monster and if he could have just been a little better passing for us maybe he could have lasted longer.

Losing James White was such a killer he could have really helped everyone the past few years.

The part of the Cam year I don't understand is how it was after the CoVID break he had where everything fell apart. I might be remembering in favorable terms, but it did not seem like he had bad throwing before he got CoVID. He was cooked upon return.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Pats overcome 14-point deficit, beat Miami 28-21
Ronnie Lippett scores game-winner on 4th quarter pick-six​

Sunday Sept 13, 1987 at 1:00
Week 1, Game 1 at Sullivan Stadium
New England Patriots 28, Miami Dolphins 21
Head Coaches: Raymond Berry, Don Shula
QBs: Steve Grogan, Dan Marino/Don Strock
Odds: New England Patriots favored by 6


There have been six Pats games played on September 13, each with a different head coach, and a distinct era.
Number four is a Raymond Berry/Steve Grogan vs Don Shula/Dan Marino classic.

The Dolphins took a 21-7 first-half lead behind three touchdown passes from Dan Marino, including two to Mark Duper, but the Patriots came back with a vengeance. The Patriots staged a dramatic rally in a driving downpour - scoring 14 fourth-quarter points in a 50-second span - on Tony Collins' 7-yard run and Ronnie Lippett's 20-yard interception return of a tipped Marino pass.

Collins led the Pats with 22 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns, and added another 22 yards on three receptions. Stanley Morgan was the top receiver with six catches for 76 yards. Fred Marion joined Lippett with a pick, and Rich Camarillo helped out with an average of 47.3 yards on his four punts.

PRO FOOTBALL '87 : Patriots Beat Dolphins on Two Costly Mistakes

A driving rain forced Miami's Bruce Hardy into two costly mistakes Sunday, and the Dolphins lost their opening game to the New England Patriots.

www.latimes.com

A driving rain forced Miami’s Bruce Hardy into two costly mistakes Sunday, and the Dolphins lost their opening game to the New England Patriots.​

Hardy’s bad snap to punter Reggie Roby and his deflection of Dan Marino’s pass over the middle led to two Patriot touchdowns as New England came back from a 21-7 deficit for a 28-21 victory.​

Ronnie Lippett intercepted the tipped throw and ran 20 yards for the decisive touchdown, the first of his five-year career, with 7:52 left in the third quarter.​

“I saw him juggle the ball,” Lippett said. “I just came up to make the hit, but the ball was there.”​

“It was a good pass,” said Hardy, a tight end who also handles the snaps on punts. “I thought I had it. I made that play 100 times before.”​

In the first quarter, Hardy’s snap that skidded on the ground led to Tony Collins’ four-yard run that tied the game, 7-7. Roby tried to pick up the ball and suffered a sprained right ankle and groin pull when he was tackled by Rod McSwain.​

“I’ve been snapping the ball 10 years, and I’ve never made a play like that,” Hardy said. “I didn’t get a good grip on it.”​

Roby, who was expected to be sidelined about two weeks, was replaced by backup quarterback Don Strock, who never had punted in his previous 13 seasons.​

Strock later almost led the Dolphins to the tying score when he replaced Marino at quarterback after the Dolphin starter was kicked in the face with 2:22 remaining. Marino had a swollen black eye and was expected to miss two practice days.​

Strock took Miami from its 38 to the New England three, but a delay-of-game penalty moved the ball back to the eight with five seconds remaining. Strock’s pass into the end zone to Fred Banks fell incomplete, and time ran out.​

“Fortunately for us, in the NFL the official on the field is the one who keeps the official time, and he said time ran out,” Patriot cornerback Raymond Clayborn said.​

“I thought we had another opportunity,” Miami Coach Don Shula said. “The officials didn’t see it that way.”​

The Patriots had tied the score, 21-21, on Collins’ seven-yard run just 50 seconds before Lippett’s interception. Collins led all rushers with 95 yards in 22 carries.​

Marino, who missed most of the exhibition season with a dislocated finger, threw three touchdown passes that gave the Dolphins a 21-14 halftime lead. Mark Duper scored on receptions of 9 and 25 yards, and fullback Ron Davenport had a 1-yard touchdown catch.​

Marino completed 19 of 37 passes for 165 yards.​

New England’s comeback from the 21-7 deficit began when Steve Grogan threw a 17-yard scoring pass to Irving Fryar 1:48 before intermission. On the 66-yard drive, Grogan completed all four of his passes for 50 yards.​

He started in place of Tony Eason, who has a groin injury. Grogan also was outstanding on the game-tying series, completing 4 of 5 passes for 41 yards.​

22:20 Season Highlights Video
1987 New England Patriots Team Season Highlights "Heart Of A Champion"



2:16:52 Full Game Video
1987 week 1 Dolphins at Patriots
​

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots - September 13th, 1987 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Miami Dolphins 21 at New England Patriots 28 on September 13th, 1987 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1981: Grogan, Cavanaugh combine to throw five picks
Eagles win 13-3​

Sunday Sept 13, 1981 at 4:00
Week 2, Game 2 at Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Eagles 13, New England Patriots 3
Head Coaches: Ron Erhardt, **** Vermeil
QBs: Steve Grogan/Matt Cavanaugh, Ron Jaworski
Odds: Philadelphia Eagles favored by 3.5
Eagles improve to 2-0; Patriots drop to 0-2


There have been six Pats games played on September 13, each with a different head coach, and a distinct era.
Game number five is the only one with a repeat at quarterback. Unfortunately it was one of the worst games of Steve Grogan's career.


Both teams were coming off winning 1980 seasons. The Eagles had finished 12-4, their defense ranking first in points allowed and second in yardage. Philly beat Minnesota and Dallas in the playoffs before losing to Oakland in Super Bowl XV.

In 1981 NT Charles Johnson was a first-team All-Pro, and other Pro Bowlers included ILB Frank LeMaster, OLB Jerry Robinson and CB Roynell Young. Defensively they ranked first in both points and yards allowed, Their offense ranked fifth in points scored, and included Pro Bowl RT Jerry Sisemore; RB Wilbert Montgomery, who ran for 1,402 yards and had another 521 receiving; 6'8 WR Harold Carmichael, who had over 1,000 yards receiving.

The Eagles began the '81 season 6-0, but stumbled after that to a 10-6 finish and a wild card loss. Interestingly the team had three people who would later go into national sports broadcasting. Vermeil was a color analyst on CBS and ABC for college and NFL games, while QB Ron Jaworski and CB Herm Edwards would work for ESPN.

The Patriots were considered to be a very good team as well. They were coming off a 10-6 season, and were on a streak of five consecutive winning seasons. Nobody was predicting them to have one of the worst year over year drops in NFL history, where they would win eight fewer games than they had won in the previous season. The 1981 Patriots lost eight games when the offense scored at least 20 points, lost eight by one touchdown or less, and were 0-13 in games decided by 11 or fewer points.

EAGLES DOWN PATRIOTS, 13 TO 3 (Published 1981)

www.nytimes.com

The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots today, 13-3, and the victory for the champions of the National Conference fell into a familiar style. The Eagles were efficient, rather than flamboyant, and deadly.​

''The defense did a good job,'' Coach **** Vermeil said. ''Wilbert was great and we got stronger in the second half.'' The reference was to Wilbert Montgomery, the team's remarkable running back, who seems smaller than his height of 5 feet 10 inches and weight of 195 pounds. He gained 137 yards on 18 carries and caught two passes for 57 more. So Montgomery, now in his fifth pro season, handled the ball 20 times and moved it forward an average of almost 20 yards each time.​

As for the Eagle defense, the best in the league last season, it gave up a 22-yard field goal by John Smith in the first period, and that was all against a team that scored 441 points last season, the second-highest total in the National Football League.​

''Yes, we've got a great defense,'' said John Bunting, an Eagle linebacker, ''everybody contributes.'' There were many contributors as the Eagles, in their fashion, rotated 15 defensive players. Five of them intercepted Patriot passes.​

Vermeil makes the Eagles work harder and practice longer than any other N. F.L. coach, and he justifies the regimen because of stronger second-half performances. He got another today; New England did next to nothing in the last 30 minutes of play while Philadelphia scored 10 points to break a 3-3 halftime tie. While the Eagles won for the second time in two games, the Patriots lost for a second time and exposed some of their problems. One was at quarterback. Steve Grogan had a sorry game and so did Matt Cavanaugh, who replaced him in the third period.​

Patriot Passers Inconsistent​

Grogan, bothered by a pinched nerve in his neck, completed 7 of 19 passes and was intercepted three times. Cavanaugh hit on 4 of 12 and was intercepted twice.​

Grogan said the shift in quarterbacks was something that had been discussed with Coach Ron Erhardt, at halftime. ''We agreed,'' Grogan said, ''that I'd take one series in the second half and if nothing happened then we'd make a change. Matt got the same thing I got.''​

He meant rough treatment from the Eagle pass rushers, once more led by the veteran Claude Humphrey. Although the Eagles had only one sack of the Patriot passers, the pressure was always there.​

The second interception of a Grogan pass was made by a defensive tackle, Charlie Johnson. ''I stepped forward to throw,'' said Grogan, ''and was hit in the chest by somebody, I guess Humphrey.''​

The football went straight up in the air and when it came down around the scrimmage line Johnson grabbed it. Although the Patriots are now two games behind unbeaten Buffalo in the Eastern Division of the American Conference, Erhardt grasped at straws. ''We probably gave as good an effort as we have in a long time,'' he said. ''We proved we could stay with them, even up in the first half. Philadelphia is a terrific team.''​

The Patriots played without Stanley Morgan, their exceptional wide receiver who teams so well with Harold Jackson. Morgan, who is due back next Monday night for the game against the Dallas Cowboys, was replaced by Carlos Pennywell, who never had a pass thrown in his direction.​

''Morgan is our Carmichael,'' said Erhardt. ''We need him just to line up on the field.'' Philadelphia's Harold Carmichael, the tall and talented receiver, caught five damaging passes thrown by Ron Jaworski. Jaworski, who speaks in superlatives, thought it was ''a terrific victory.'' He said, ''It was like a playoff game.''​

Montgomery Is Exciting​

Jaworski, passing often out of the Eagles' new shotgun formation, was efficient rather than brilliant as he completed 11 of 25 passes for 152 yards. Those completions fit well with the brilliant running of Montgomery, who went through the harassed New England linebackers like a sports car on a crowded expressway.​

Vermeil was looking ahead, and he did not have to look far. The Eagles' next game is on Thursday night in Buffalo against the unbeaten Bills. ''It will be a real struggle,'' he said. ''They are probably the best team in the American Conference. We'll have to score more points. But we're gaining confidence.''​

The Eagles have won 28 of their last 39 games.​

1:29 Odd "Highlight"
New England Patriots vs Philadelphia Eagles (9-13-1981) "Tony Franklin FG Makes Patriots Explode"
​

I found this old historical relic to be pretty cool:
Official NFL In-Game Play-by-Play and Stat Sheet


Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:

New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles - September 13th, 1981 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 3 at Philadelphia Eagles 13 on September 13th, 1981 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1964: Pats Win On Gino's 48 Yard Field Goal
Boston Patriots 17, Oakland Raiders 14​

Sunday Sept 13, 1964 at 4:00
Week 1, Game 1 at Frank Youell Field
Boston Patriots 17, Oakland Raiders 14
Head Coaches: Mike Holovak, Al Davis
QBs: Babe Parilli, Tom Flores
Odds: Oakland Raiders favored by 7


There have been six Pats games played on September 13, each with a different head coach, and a distinct era.
Game six is an upset road victory at Oakland over a Raiders team coached by Al Davis and quarterbacked by Tom Flores.


Back in the sixties the regular season meant far more than it does now. The 'playoffs' consisted of one game, for the championship. In order to play in the postseason you had to win your division; for everyone else, the season was over at the finish of the final regular season game. The 1963 Patriots tied Buffalo for the AFL East title, prompting a tiebreaker game and delaying the AFL championship for one week - something that would be unfathomable now. The Pats defeated the Bills, but lost to the Chargers.

The 1964 Boston Patriots were better than that 1963 team. The '64 club finished 10-3-1 - the second best winning percentage of any Patriot team prior to 2003. (The 1976 Patriots were a half game better at 11-3.) Unfortunately Buffalo was slightly better that year with a 12-2 record. Even more unfortunate was the fact the Patriots would have only one winning record over the next 11 seasons, until that '76 team reenergized football fans in New England.


Babe Parilli threw touchdown passes of 72 yards to Art Graham, and 19 yards to Tony Romeo in the win. Gino Capelletti scored what turned out to be the winning points with a fourth quarter 48-yard field goal, an incredibly long boot for that era, prior to the advent of soccer style kicking. The Raiders closed to within three on a Tom Flores 33-yard TD pass to Art Powell, but the Pats held on for the win.

PATRIOT KICK TOPS RAIDERS, 17 TO 14; Cappelletti Boots a 48?Yard Field Goal in 4th Period (Published 1964)

www.nytimes.com

A 48?yard field goal in the fourth quarter by Gino Cappelletti gave the Boston Patriots a 17?14 American Football League victory today over the Oakland Raiders before a crowd of 21,126.​

The kick came with 12 minutes 52 seconds left in the game and sailed squarely between the uprights.​

Boston scored in four plays in the second quarter on a pass from Babe Parilli for 70 yards to Art Graham. Cappelletti booted the extra point for a 7?7 tie at the half.​

With a minute 30 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Tony Romeo gathered in a 19 yard pass from Parilli to score.​

Boston Patriots 0 7 7 3—17 Oakland Raiders 7 0 0 7—14

Oak.—Shaw, 1, run (Mercer, kick). Bos —Graham, 70, pass from Parilli (Cappelleth, kick) Bos—Romeo, 19, pass from Parilli (Cappelleth, kick) Bos—FG, Cappelleth, 48. Oak—Powell, 33, pass from Flores (Mercer, kick) Attendance?21,126.

Pats First downs 11 17 Rushing yardage 87 49 Passing yardage 166 210 Passes 9?21 16?32 Interceptions by 0 0 Punts 6?44 5?48 Fumbles lost 1 1 Yards penalized 62 66

4:44 Highlight Video
9/13/1964 Boston Patriots at Oakland Raiders highlights, American Football League Week 1
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1963 Boston Patriots - Fenway Park Diaries
1964 Boston Patriots - Fenway Park Diaries


Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:

Boston Patriots at Oakland Raiders - September 13th, 1964 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Boston Patriots 17 at Oakland Raiders 14 on September 13th, 1964 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com