Today In Patriots History Oct 2, 1988: Flutie comes off bench, rallies Pats to 4th quarter comeback win vs Colts

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1988: Doug Flutie to the rescue
Pats break three-game losing streak
Flutie scores with 23 seconds to go for the win​

Sunday Oct 2, 1988 at 1:00
Week 5, Game 5 at Sullivan Stadium
New England Patriots 21, Indianapolis Colts 17
Head Coaches: Raymond Berry, Ron Meyer
QBs: Tom Ramsey, Doug Flutie; Chris Chandler
Odds: New England 2-point home favorites
TV: NBC, Steve Grad, Jon Morris; game not sold out, not televised locally
Hazy, 76°, 60% relative humidity, 20 mph wind; attendance 58,050 (plus 343 no-shows); time 3:25
Pats improve to 2-3; Colts drop to 1-4


The Colts had won the AFC east in 1987, and they and the Patriots both entered the 1988 season with high expectations. Yet here they both were at 1-3 one month into the season; already three games behind Buffalo, and in a three-way tie for last place with the Dolphins.


The media gossip entering this game revolved around the coaches. Ron Meyer had coached the Pats from 1982 to midway through the 1984 season, when he was fired despite the team having a 5-3 record. Meyer was replaced by Raymond Berry, who had been the Pats receivers coach from 1978 to 1981. Meyer became the Colts head coach near the end of the 1986 season, and they went from 3-13 that year to winning the division in '87.


Berry had a bigger issue to contend with than that contrived controversy. Steve Grogan was injured, so he called on Tom Ramsey as his replacement. The 1983 10th round pick from UCLA was making his fourth career start, and it did not go well.

Ramsey was 8-19 for a paltry 77 yards, no touchdowns, a pick and two sacks. Despite that performance the game was tied 7-7 late in the second half of an offensive ineptitude that would end with the two teams combining for 17 punts.

Berry had seen enough and called on his third-string quarterback to enter the game: Doug Flutie.

Good choice, coach.


Flutie came in and went 12-of-16 for 132 yards the rest of the way. He led the Pats on a six-play, 70-yard drive that culminated in a 26-yard touchdown pass to give the Patriots a 14-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.

The Colts, who got 118 yards rushing and 27 yards receiving from Eric ****erson were not done yet. Those kind of stats were not unusual for the future Hall of Famer. In 1988 ****erson would lead the NFL in rushing for the fifth time in his career, and also eclipse 2,000 yards from scrimmage for a fourth time.

Indy had to settle for a 20-yard field goal after an interception, but then Chris Chandler threw a 48-yard touchdown pass with 2:23 left to play and the Colts had a 17-14 lead.


Then Flutie magic happened.

The Patriots drove 80 yards in nine plays over two minutes - with Flutie scoring on a 13-yard bootleg with 23 seconds left on the clock.

Patriots 21, Colts 14.

Flutie Comes to the Rescue . . . Again : His Late Rally Revives Memories of College Days

The moment New England Patriot fans have been waiting for finally arrived Sunday.

www.latimes.com

The moment New England Patriot fans have been waiting for finally arrived Sunday.​

Doug Flutie came off the bench at the start of the fourth quarter and sparked a 14-point rally, including a winning 13-yard touchdown run with 23 seconds to play to lead the New England Patriots past the Indianapolis Colts, 21-17.​

The winning 80-yard scoring drive brought back memories to area fans and Flutie, who won the Heisman Trophy in his senior year at Boston College.​

“I went on the field and said to myself, ‘Here we go again,’ ” said Flutie, who was know for exciting finishes as a collegian.​

It took 8 plays to put the ball on the Colts’ 13-yard line. The Patriots (2-3) took their last time out, and Flutie headed for the sidelines to confer with Coach Raymond Berry and injured Steve Grogan, who was replaced by Tom Ramsey as New England’s starting quarterback.​

“I said, ‘I may be crazy, but what about the boot?’ ” Flutie said of a possible fake handoff. “But he (Berry) and Steve had already talked about the play. Steve and I were on the same wave length. I took it and ran for the corner.”​

Flutie faked the ball to John Stephens, circled left and beat Colt linebacker Duane Bickett to the left corner of the end zone.​

Flutie took over for Ramsey at the start of the fourth quarter, after Ramsey (8 of 19 for 77 yards) could only generate a first-half touchdown.​

“I went to Doug because we were dragging a little bit,,” Berry said. “I feel confident in him that he could get the job done.”​

Flutie (12 of 16 for 132 yards) needed a little more than 4 minutes to move the Patriots 70 yards in 6 plays, ending with a 26-yard scoring pass to Stanley Morgan. The two hooked up on a 27-yard pass earlier in the drive.​

NFL rushing leader Eric ****erson ran for 118 yards in 29 carries and a touchdown. It was the fourth time he ran for more than 100 yards this season and the 48th time in his career, third all-time behind Walter Payton and Jim Brown.​

****erson had 93 yards in the first half, 43 of which came during the Colts’ scoring drive, which tied the score, 7-7. It was Indianapolis’ only time over the 50-yard line in the first 30 minutes.​

The Patriots took a 7-0 lead on the first possession of the second quarter on a 1-yard dive by Robert Perryman. That culminated an 81-yard drive.​

The Patriots and Colts both finished the season 9-7, missing the postseason by one game. The Bills and Bengals won the AFC East and AFC Central divisions with 12-4 records, and Seattle took the AFC West with a 9-7 record; the Browns and Oilers were the wild cards with 10-6 records. Cincinnati defeated Buffalo 21-10 in the AFCCG, then in Miami the Bengals lost to San Francisco 20-16 in Super Bowl 23, on Joe Montana's 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds remaining in the game.

23:37 1988 Patriots Yearbook
1988 New England Patriots Team Season Highlights - "A Team Of Character"







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https://media.gettyimages.com/id/90346513/photo/indianapolis-in-circa-1980s-eric-****erson-of-the-indianapolis-colts-carring-the-ball-looking.jpg?s=612x612&w=0&k=20&c=oqc1DM4hlShH6Cz_4LPk3ta7rnuPq8ssWZL3YI6jpLc=

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats, Full Play-by-Play, and handwritten Drive Charts:
NFL Media Game Summary

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots - October 2nd, 1988 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Indianapolis Colts 17 at New England Patriots 21 on October 2nd, 1988 - Full team and player stats and box score

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October 2, 1988 - Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for October 2, 1988 - Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots boxscore and game statistics.

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Patriots Starting Offense:
86 WR Stanley Morgan
73 LT Danny Villa
62 LG Sean Farrell
68 C Mike Baab
61 RG Ron Wooten
78 RT Bruce Armstrong
87 TE Lin Dawson
80 WR Irving Fryar
12 QB Tom Ramsey
44 HB John Stephens
34 FB Bob Perryman

Patriots Starting Defense:
96 LDE Brent Williams
72 NT Tim Goad
60 RDE Garin Veris
93 LOLB Tim Jordan
95 LILB Ed Reynolds
52 RILB Johnny Rembert
50 ROLB Larry McGrew
42 LCB Ronnie Lippett
38 SS Roland James
31 FS Fred Marion
26 RCB Ray Clayborn

Patriots Special Teams:
7 K Teddy Garcia (missed a 31-yard field goal, wide left)
6 P Jeff Feagles
82 KR Sammy Martin
80 PR Irving Fryar

Inactives:
Andre Tippett, Russ Francis

Did Not Play:
Steve Grogan, Trevor Matich

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1994: Kraft gets first home win as owner
Matt Bahr kicks last-second, game-winning field goal
Patriots nip Packers 17-16 in Favre's first game vs NE​

Sunday Oct 2, 1994 at 1:01
Week 5, Game 5 at Foxboro Stadium
New England Patriots 17, Green Bay Packers 16
Head Coaches: Bill Parcells, Mike Holmgren
QBs: Drew Bledsoe, Brett Favre
Odds: New England 3-point home favorites
TV: Fox, Kevin Harlan, Jerry Glanville; game sold out, telecast locally
Sunny, windy, cool; 60°, 61% relative humidity, 6 mph wind; attendance 57,522 (plus 2,768 no-shows); time 3:10
Pats improve to 3-2; Packers drop to 2-3


In a matchup between the number two defense (GB) and the number two offense (NE), the Patriots overcame a 10-0 halftime deficit on two touchdown passes from Drew Bledsoe to Vincent Brisby, to defeat the Packers and their hideous throwback uniforms. Green Bay had taken the lead with 1:14 left in the game, but missed the extra point on a fumbled snap. Matt Bahr — who had earlier missed a 48-yard field goal short, and 32-yard attempt wide left — connected on his third try from 33 yards for the win.


In the second quarter the Patriots forced a punt, after stuffing a 3rd-and-2 run at midfield. On 2nd-and-5 from the 26, Bledsoe's pass in the middle of the field for Ben Coates was short, and intercepted by Fred Strickland. A penalty gave Green Bay first down at the 30, and four plays later Brett Favre threw an 11-yard TD to Shannon Sharpe to give the Packers a 10-0 lead.

In a five minute span at the end of the third/beginning of the fourth quarter, Bledsoe threw touchdown passes of 10 and 37 yards to Vincent Brisby to give the Patriots their first lead of the game, 14-10.

However, Favre came back with a 38-yard deep pass down the right side of the field to Ron Lewis, and a 17-yard completion to Sharpe over the middle. That gave Green Bay first down at the New England 12-yard line with 90 seconds left, and one timeout remaining.

At this point Favre spiked the ball rather than running another play, which turned out to work in the Pats favor. Reggie Cobb scored on a one-yard run to give Green Bay the lead — but there was still 1:14 left to play. Much more importantly, the slightly low snap on the extra point attempt was bobbled, which meant a field goal would win the game for the Patriots.

Green Bay's kickoff went out of bounds, allowing the Patriots to start the drive at the 40-yard line. On first down Ben Coates was unable to hang on to a pass at the fifty, but it was probably just as well; he was well covered and would have been tackled inbounds. On the next play Bledsoe threw a short pass to RB Leroy Thompson, who caught the ball at the 42 and made his way down the right side to get out of bounds at the 44 for a 16 yard gain.

With 1:04 to go and two time outs left, things looked good.

Bledsoe connected with Michael Timpson on the next play, but the pass was low and in the middle of the field, resulting in no chance to run for more yardage. Bill Parcells called timeout, with the Patriots facing a 2nd-and-one on the 35-yard line with 54 seconds to go.

Bledsoe's pass for Timpson on the left side was broken up, bringing up 3rd-and-one with 50 seconds left. Drew ran a sneak up the middle for a first down at the 32, but the Patriots had to use their final timeout.


On 1st-and-ten with 45 seconds left Bledsoe connected on a quick pass with Coates, who pushed forward for a seven yard gain, then spiked the ball to stop the clock with 28 seconds left. Then on 3rd-and-3 Drew completed a pass to Ray Crittenden at the 15 for another first down. After spiking the ball Bledsoe appeared to have Crittenden open in the end zone on the right side, but the ball was just an inch or two beyond the receiver's grasp. Bahr came on the field and though his kick was rather low, it was somehow not blocked — and went through the uprights, right down the middle.


The Patriots were unable to get anything going on the ground in this game against a stout Green Bay defense, leading to 55 dropbacks versus 17 rushing attempts. Bledsoe was 29-53 for 334 yards and two touchdowns with one pick and only two sacks. Vincent Brisby had six receptions and what was at that time a career-best 117 yards receiving (surpassed twice the following year). Ben Coates added another 87 yards on six receptions, Chris Slade had 2½ of the Pats four sacks, while Vincent Brown and Rod Smith both had picks off Favre.

With a three-game winning streak things looked good, but the Patriots would lose each of their next four games to fall to 3-6, scoring just 43 points in that span. The Pats would rebound though, finishing the season with seven straight wins, before losing 10-7 to Bill Belichick's Cleveland Browns in the wild card game. Overall the season was a huge success: a five-game improvement from 1993, plus the first winning season and playoff berth in eight years.

3:39 Highlight Video
1994 Packers at Patriots Week 5



2:30:40 Full Game
1994 95 W05 Green Bay Packers 16 @ New England Patriots 17
​

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats, Drive Chart and Full Play-by-Play:
NFL Media Game Summary

Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots - October 2nd, 1994 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Green Bay Packers 16 at New England Patriots 17 on October 2nd, 1994 - Full team and player stats and box score

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October 2, 1994 - Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for October 2, 1994 - Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots boxscore and game statistics.

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Patriots Starting Lineup:
85 TE John Burke
78 LT Bruce Armstrong
61 LG Bob Kratch
67 C Mike Gisler
75 RG Doug Skene
77 RT Pat Harlow
87 TE Ben Coates
83 WR Michael Timpson
11 QB Drew Bledsoe
44 RB Marion Butts
34 FB Kevin Turner

Patriots Starting Defense:
93 LDE Mike Pitts
72 NT Tim Goad
96 RDE Mike Jones
95 LOLB Dwayne Sabb
59 LILB Vincent Brown
43 RILB Todd Collins
53 ROLB Chris Slade
22 LCB Rod Smith
42 SS Harlon Barnett
29 FS Myron Guyton
37 RCB Maurice Hurst

Patriots Special Teams:
3 K Matt Bahr
5 P Pat O'Neill
81 KR Ray Crittenden
81 PR Ray Crittenden

Other Substitutions:
QB/Holder Scott Zolak, CB Ricky Reynolds, S Terry Ray, S Larry Whigham, RB Corey Croom, RB Blair Thomas, FB Sam Gash, RB leroy Thompson, LB Willie McGinest, LB Marty Moore, NT Buster Stanley, OT Max Lane, G Todd Rucci, WR Ray Crittenden, WR Vincent Brisby, DE Aaron Jones, DL Troy Barnett, LB Steve DeOssie

Did Not Play:
65 C Mike Arthur

Inactives:
7 QB Jay Walker
35 FB Burnie Legette
43 CB Vernon Lewis
52 LB David Bavaro
69 G Eugene Chung
70 OT Brandon Moore
80 WR Steve Hawkins
92 DE Ray Agnew

 

[TheRainMaker]

How did fans feel about Flutie during his time in NE? Him re-emerging out of nowhere in 1998 was wild. He was a pain in the ass. And they definitely beat Tennessee in 1999 had he played.

 

[jmt57]

How did fans feel about Flutie during his time in NE? Him re-emerging out of nowhere in 1998 was wild. He was a pain in the ass. And they definitely beat Tennessee in 1999 had he played.

As I recall the fans were all behind Flutie; Grogan was too old, showing his wear and tear, and throwing too many interceptions. Very few were still behind Eason ever since the super bowl loss, even though the Pats made the playoffs in '86 with him at QB.

Raymond Berry never cared for Flutie though, that was obvious.

Wade Phillips going with Rob Johnson over Flutie was an all-time coaching blunder.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
2011: New England 31, Oakland 19
Wes Welker goes over 150 yards receiving
for third time in four weeks
Raiders & Pats combine for 913 yards of offense​

Sunday Oct 2, 2011 at 1:15 PT, 4:15 ET
Week 4, Game 4 at O.co Coliseum
New England Patriots 31, Oakland Raiders 19
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Hue Jackson
QBs: Tom Brady, Jason Campbell
Odds: New England 6½-point road favorites
TV: CBS. Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots
Partly cloudy, 71°, 50% relative humidity, 6 mph wind; paid attendance 62,572; time 3:03
Pats improve to 3-1; Raiders drop to 2-2



The Patriots scored on five of their first six possessions and survived some big yardage plays by Darrius Heyward-Bey and Michael Bush to defeat the Raiders in Oakland. New England had no turnovers while a Patrick Chung end zone pick prevented one Raider touchdown, and Vince Wilfork's interception prevented another Oakland score.


Wes Welker had nine receptions for 158 yards and a touchdown - yet it was only his third highest yardage game of the year at that point. Through his first four games Welker had 40 receptions for 716 yards and five touchdowns - an incredible average of 179 yards per game.


Not to be outdone, the Pats running backs averaged 6.7 yards per carry, rushing for 188 yards on 28 attempts, with two touchdowns. Stevan Ridley had 97 yards on just ten carries, including a 33-yard TD, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis had 75 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown.

​

Tom Brady plays mistake free in Patriots' 31-19 win over Raiders

Wes Welker caught nine passes for 158 yards and a score, while BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Stevan Ridley adding rushing touchdowns for New England.

www.masslive.com

Game Recap: Patriots 31, Raiders 19 - Balanced offensive attack, key defensive plays highlight Patriots' win in Oakland - Patriots.com

Live Game Blog:

Final: Patriots 31, Raiders 13

Patriots 31, Raiders 19 — The Patriots bounced back from last week’s loss at Buffalo with a steady performance in Oakland. Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes and the rushed for 184 yards in the victory. Wes Welker had nine catches for 158 yards as the Patriots (3-1) kept the sloppy Raiders...

www.boston.com

Brady Plays Mistake-Free In 31-19 Win Over Raiders

Brady bounced back from a four-interception performance by throwing for 226 yards, two touchdowns and committing no turnovers.

www.wbur.org

Patriots 31, Raiders 19: Post-game report

A look back at the Patriots' victory over the Raiders.

www.boston.com

Analysis/reaction: Patriots-Raiders - New England’s ground game reaches a high point in the Patriots’ 31-19 win over Oakland - Patriots.com

Game Notes: Patriots at Raiders - Patriots.com

Raiders lose to Patriots 31-19

OAKLAND — Through the first three weeks of the 2011 NFL season, we learned that the Raiders could score points in bunches, that they could beat a bad team on the road and a good team at home, and that they shaped up as contenders in…

www.pressdemocrat.com

Mistakes costly to Oakland Raiders in 31-19 loss to New England Patriots

Mistakes costly to Oakland Raiders in 31-19 loss to New England Patriots

www.mercurynews.com

2:29 Highlight Video
Patriots vs Raiders 2011 Week 4



2:07:03 Full Game
2011 Patriots @ Raiders

Pats Media Dept Pre-Game Release

Patriots Week 4 Roster and Depth Chart

Week 4 Participation and Injury Report

Patriots and Raiders Starting Lineups, Full Roster

Week 4 Post-Game Notes
Tom Brady moves past Joe Montana into 8th place for most career touchdowns (275)

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats, Drive Chart and Full Play-by-Play:
NFL Media Game Summary

New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders - October 2nd, 2011 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 31 at Oakland Raiders 19 on October 2nd, 2011 - Full team and player stats and box score

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October 2, 2011 - New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for October 2, 2011 - New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders boxscore and game statistics.

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Patriots Starting Offense:
84 WR Deion Branch
83 WR Wes Welker
72 LT Matt Light
70 LG Logan Mankins
63 C Dan Connolly
54 RG Brian Waters
77 RT Nate Solder
87 TE Rob Gronkowski
66 TE Thomas Welch
12 QB Tom Brady
42 HB Benjarvus Green-Ellis

Patriots Starting Defense:
94 LDE Shaun Ellis
74 DT Kyle Love
75 NT Vince Wilfork
93 RDE Andre Carter
50 LOLB Rob Ninkovich
51 LILB Jerod Mayo
55 RILB Brandon Spikes
32 LCB Devin McCourty
25 SS Pat Chung
30 FS Josh Barrett
24 RCB Kyle Arrington

Patriots Special Teams:
3 K Stephen Gostkowski
14 P Zoltán Meskó
11 KR Julian Edelman
11 PR Julian Edelman

Others with playing time:
RB Stevan Ridley, RB Shane Vereen, RB Danny Woodhead, WR Chad Ochocinco, OL Ryan Wendell, OL Donald Thomas; DL Gerard Warren, DE Mark Anderson, LB Jermaine Cunningham, LB Dane Fletcher, LB James Tarpinian, LB Tracy White, LB Gary Guyton, CB Antwaun Molden, S Sergio Brown, S James Ihedigbo; LS Danny Aiken, ST Matthew Slater

Active, Did Not Play:
QB Bryan Hoyer, WR Taylor Price, CB Phillip Adams

Inactive:
OT Sebastian Vollmer, TE Aaron Hernandez, QB Ryan Mallett, DL Albert Haynesworth, DL Mike Wright, CB Leigh Bodden, CB Ras-I Dowling

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

As I recall the fans were all behind Flutie; Grogan was too old, showing his wear and tear, and throwing too many interceptions. Very few were still behind Eason ever since the super bowl loss, even though the Pats made the playoffs in '86 with him at QB.

Raymond Berry never cared for Flutie though, that was obvious.

Wade Phillips going with Rob Johnson over Flutie was an all-time coaching blunder.

SO spot on. I'd drive RT27 to the stadium, park for free in the woods and pick up excellent tickets from folks selling. Even though I've always made fun of BC, my brother's & brother-in-law's school, I Ioved watching Flutie who never lost as a Patriot at Foxboro. On USENET I'd troll Bills fans over Rob "He's TALL and has a STRONG Arm" Johnson, who we'd call "The Tackling Dummy" Rob was a sack & INT machine. Flutie was a winnah.
In the mid 80's at Club Med on Guadalupe I organized a hoops team consisting of me & young Natick MA fire persons who played roundball with Flutie. They said he was a great player & could stuff the ball. We destroyed the NY & other teams even with me playing.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1966: Pats blow 24-7 4th quarter lead, tie Jets
Boston unable to take advantage of four Jet turnovers
Namath throws for 338 yards, two TD​

Sunday October 2, 1966 at 1:00
Week 5, Game 4 at Fenway Park
Boston Patriots 24, New York Jets 24
Head Coaches: Mike Holovak, Weeb Ewbank
QBs: Babe Parilli, Joe Namath
Odds: New York 7½-point road favorites
TV: NBC; Curt Gowdy, Paul Christman (not broadcast locally, but televised everywhere else)
Radio: WBZ-AM; Bob Starr, Gil Santos; sponsored by Citgo, Ballantine Beer, New England Rambler Dealers, Liberty Mutual Insurance
Sunny, cool, 70°, 43% humidity, 15-20 mph wind; attendance 27,255
Pats go to 1-2-1; Jets drop to 3-0-1



This game would come back to haunt the Patriots. Even though the Pats swept Buffalo, the Bills would win the AFL East by a half game, thanks to the Patriots inability to beat the Jets. To add salt to the winning the division would have set up a rematch with the Chiefs, who the Patriots had played well against in a 27-27 week 12 in Kansas City. The winner of the title game would represent the American Football League in the first "AFL-NFL World Championship Game" to be played at the end of this season, a pretentious, stuffy name that would soon be referred to as the Super Bowl. That week 16 loss to the Jets commenced my life long hatred for anything and everything to do with that despicable franchise.



Things were going fine early. Larry Garron scored on a six-yard run, but the Patriots had to settle on a field goal from inside the ten yard line for a 10-7 halftime lead. Gino Cappelletti scored on a 19-yard pass from Babe Parilli, and Garron scored on another short run to make the score 24-7 after three quarters.


However, things went south after that. The Patriots were forced to punt on each of their five fourth-quarter possessions, unable to muster a single first down to run out the clock. As a result Jim Fraser set a team record for most punts in a single game (11), a mark that has been tied five times but never broken.


Meanwhile second-year pro Joe Namath shook off three picks, throwing two late touchdowns. Jim Turner kicked a 17-yard field goal with 35 seconds left on the clock, to end the game in a tie. As it turned out this began a bad streak, as it would be the last time the Patriots did not lose to the Jets until 1971.

2:21 Highlight Video
10/2/1966 New York Jets at Boston Patriots highlights, American Football League Week 5
​

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:
AFL Media Game Summary

New York Jets at Boston Patriots - October 2nd, 1966 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New York Jets 24 at Boston Patriots 24 on October 2nd, 1966 - Full team and player stats and box score

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October 2, 1966 - New York Jets at Boston Patriots Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for October 2, 1966 - New York Jets at Boston Patriots boxscore and game statistics.

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Patriots Starting Offense:
84 SE Art Graham
71 LT Don Oakes
60 LG Len St. Jean
56 C Jon Morris
76 RG Charlie Long
77 RT Tom Neville
82 TE Jim Whalen
20 FL Gino Cappelletti
15 QB Babe Parilli
40 HB Larry Garron
35 FB Jim Nance

Patriots Starting Defense:
89 LDE Bob Dee
73 LDT Eddie Khayat
65 RDT Houston Antwine
72 RDE Larry Eisenhauer
53 LLB Tommy Addison
85 MLB Nick Buoniconti
55 RLB Lonnie Farmer
30 LCB Tom Hennessey
23 LS Ronnie Hall
34 RS Chuck Shonta
42 RCB Don Webb

Patriots Special Teams:
Kickoffs: 63 Justin Canale
FG, PAT: 20 Gino Cappelletti
Punter: 51 Jim Fraser
Kick Returns: 33 Bob Cappadona, 21 Jay Cunningham
Punt Returns: 30 Tom Hennessey

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1977: Jets upset Patriots, 30-27​

Sunday October 2, 1977 at 1:01
Week 3, Game 3 at Shea Stadium
New York Jets 30, New England Patriots 27
Head Coaches: Chuck Fairbanks, Walt Michaels
QBs: Steve Grogan, Richard Todd
Odds: New England 13½-point road favorites
TV: NBC, Charlie Jones, Len Dawson
Partly cloudy, drizzly, 69°, 88% relative humidity, 10 mph wind
Paid attendance 49,801; 11,524 no-shows; actual attendance 38,277; time 2:58
Pats drop to 1-2; Jets improve to 1-2



I blame this loss - as well as an overtime loss to Cleveland the previous week - squarely on the Sullivans. The family refused to pay John Hannah and Leon Gray what they were worth, creating a holdout. Without the best left side of an offensive line in the history of the NFL, the Patriots began the season 1-2 rather than 3-0. As soon as they returned the Patriots won five in a row, but those two early losses caused the Pats to miss the playoffs.


The Patriots had tied the score on a 22-yard pass from Steve Grogan to Darryl Stingley with 1:27 left to play. The defense forced a three-and-out, but Mike Haynes fumbled the ensuing punt. The Jets only advanced the ball 14 yards, but that was enough for Pat Leahy to kick a game-winning 32-yard field goal with 23 seconds to go in the game.


While the Pats outgained the Jets by a margin of 356-251 yards, they continually shot themselves in the foot. The Patriots committed ten penalties for a loss of 100 yards, and more egregiously, turned the ball over five times. After a great 1976 season where they were robbed of a championship, the Pats entered this game as nearly two-touchdown favorites - but without Hannah and Gray, they were a completely different team.


One positive note to this game was the performance by Raymond Clayborn. In the first quarter he returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, to tie the score at 14. That return set a franchise record, breaking Alan Carter's 99-yard return at Baltimore in 1975. Later in the season Clayborn would surpass his own record with a 101-yard return at Baltimore. That mark would stand for thirty years, until Ellis Hobbs set a franchise record that will likely never be broken: a 108-yard return against the Jets on September 9, 2007.

Jets Upset Patriots On Late Kick, 30‐27 (Published 1977)

www.nytimes.com

The sort of dramatic, implausible ending that can give a young team instant self-respect finally happened to the Jets yesterday before a Shea Stadium crowd that alternately buried its head in its hands and leaped off its feet.​

The decisive score was booted between the uprights by Pat Leahy, on a 32-yard field goal with only 23 seconds remaining, and it propelled the New Yorkers to a 30-27 victory over the New England Patriots.​

The visitors were favored by 13½ points over a club that had dropped its first two games under its new coach, Walt Michaels, who had insisted on a conservative attacking style that enabled the Jets to hang on in their first two losses but never really threaten.​

Yesterday, they threatened, taking the game boldly to the Pats from their first play, and then fighting them on defense with players few fans in the National Football League ever heard of.​

The ending was amazing. Leahy had missed an extra point in the final quarter and then a field-goal attempt was blocked and the teams went into the final seconds tied at 27-all.​

The Jets were forced to punt with 71 seconds remaining and the new man, Chuck Ramsey, blasted a high twirler that descended like a spinning top.​

Mike Haynes fielded it for the Patriots, but as he was hit by Billy Hardee, he fumbled, and Al Palewicz of the Jets recovered.​

Soon the Jets drove toward field-goal range. They were set, in fact, for a 27-yarder, but a penalty pushed them back 5 yards.​

The kick was good and most of the 38,277 fans let out a roar that drowned out the players screaming on the field.​

There were, in fact, few people—including the thousands of New England fans—whose voices weren't raised at some point during the afternoon.​

There were to be 28 points scored in the opening period, and the New Yorkers went ahead by 14-7 on a drive that began again with a first-down pass —this time Todd to David Knight, who picked up 49 yards. Todd ended it on a 7-yard quarterback draw for his second N.F.L. touchdown.​

Leahy's kickoff, though, was snared by Raymond Clayborn at the goal line, and Clayborn didn't stop until he completed the 100-yard dash for a score. It was the longest kickoff return in Patriots’ history.​

The Jets began to get sloppy. Todd was intercepted twice, the offense stalled and the Pats went ahead on John Smith's 44-yard field goal in the second quarter and padded the lead on Smith's 24-yarder in the third.​

That gave the Pats a 20-14 edge. But Steve Grogan wasn't prepared for fourth-quarter Jets’ comeback that began when his pass was picked off by Greg Buttle. The linebacker sidestepped clutching New Englanders and returned the interception 44 yards for a score that, with Leahy's conversion, gave the Jets a 21-20 lead.​

Buttle, though burly, ran as if he had practiced open-field running all his life, daintily skipping around people. When he crossed the goal line, he held the ball aloft in one hand, as if displaying a trophy.​

2:24 Highlight Video
10/2/1977 New England Patriots at New York Jets highlights, National Football League Week 3
​

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:
NFL Media Game Summary

New England Patriots at New York Jets - October 2nd, 1977 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 27 at New York Jets 30 on October 2nd, 1977 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

October 2, 1977 - New England Patriots at New York Jets Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for October 2, 1977 - New England Patriots at New York Jets boxscore and game statistics.

www.profootballarchives.com

Patriots Starting Offense:
86 WR Stanley Morgan
74 LT Shelby Jordan
58 LG Pete Brock
67 C Bill Lenkaitis
61 RG Sam Adams
66 RT Bob McKay
81 TE Russ Francis
84 WR Darryl Stingley
14 QB Steve Grogan
44 HB Don Calhoun
39 FB Sam Cunningham

Patriots Starting Defense:
72 LDE Mel Lunsford
71 NT Ray Hamilton
85 RDE Julius Adams
54 LOLB Steve Zabel
57 LILB Steve Nelson
50 RILB Sam Hunt
59 ROLB Pete Barnes
26 LCB Ray Clayborn
34 SS Prentice McCray
48 FS Tim Fox
40 RCB Mike Haynes

Patriots Special Teams
1 K John Smith
2 P Mike Patrick
26 KR Raymond Clayborn
40 PR Mike Haynes

 

[NCPATSFAN1971]

As I recall the fans were all behind Flutie; Grogan was too old, showing his wear and tear, and throwing too many interceptions. Very few were still behind Eason ever since the super bowl loss, even though the Pats made the playoffs in '86 with him at QB.

Raymond Berry never cared for Flutie though, that was obvious.

Wade Phillips going with Rob Johnson over Flutie was an all-time coaching blunder.

I was at that game! I will never forget it. All game the wind was blowing straight out. The Pats were 123 Punt as Eason was being Eason. When Flutie began to warm up on the sidelines the crowd went wild. Then when Flutie went into the game it was like divine intervention as the wind died down. LOL

Flutie moved the ball during his first series which culminated with a naked bootleg for a TD. That was unbelievable. He finished the game with a victory and what a game it was.

Berry didn't like Flutie because he wasn't a drop back passer. Nope all he did was win Ray. . .

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1983: Montana, SF offense unstoppable
49ers dominate, 33-13 at Sullivan Stadium​

Sunday October 2, 1983 at 1:00
Week 5, Game 5 at Sullivan Stadium
San Francisco 49er 33, New England Patriots 13
Head Coaches: Ron Meyer, Bill Walsh
QBs: Steve Grogan, Joe Montana
Odds: San Francisco 3-point road favorites
TV: CBS; **** Stockton, Wayne Walker (not broadcast locally)
Foggy, overcast, rainy; 64°, 96% relative humidity, 6 mph wind
Paid attendance 54,577; 284 no-shows, actual attendance 54,293; time 3:08
Pats drop to 2-3; 49ers improve to 4-1



The Patriots scored first on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Steve Grogan to Derrick Ramsey, but it was all 49ers after that, starting with an 8-yard TD from Joe Montana to Russ Francis. San Francisco scored six straight times to make it 30-6 after three quarters, before the Pats finally scored again on a 32-yard TD from Grogan to Stanley Morgan.


The 49ers dominated, gaining 29 first downs to New England's 14, controlling the ball for plus-13:38 (36:49 to 23:11), and outgaining the Patriots by a margin of 131 yards (426-295). The final score could have easily been much worse had San Francisco not settled for four field goals.

Irving Fryar in the first quarter, when the game was still close.​

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:
NFL Game Summary

San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots - October 2nd, 1983 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

San Francisco 49ers 33 at New England Patriots 13 on October 2nd, 1983 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

October 2, 1983 - San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for October 2, 1983 - San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots boxscore and game statistics.

www.profootballarchives.com

Patriots Starting Offense:
86 WR Stanley Morgan
76 LT Brian Holloway
73 LG John Hannah
58 C Pete Brock
61 RG Ron Wooten
75 RT Bob Cryder
88 TE Derrick Ramsey
81 WR Stephen Starring
14 QB Steve Grogan
33 RB Tony Collins
34 FB Mark van Eeghen

Patriots Starting Defense:
90 LDE Toby Williams
98 NT Dennis Owens
85 RDE Julius Adams
56 LOLB Andre Tippett
52 LILB Johnny Rembert
53 RILB Clayton Weishuhn
55 ROLB Don Blackmon
42 LCB Ronnie Lippett
38 SS Roland James
25 FS Rick Sanford
26 RCB Ray Clayborn

Patriots Special Teams:
1 K John Smith
3 P Rich Camarillo
24 KR Robert Weathers
82 KR Clarence Weathers
27 PR Ricky Smith

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
2005: Chargers easily handle New England
Drew Brees near-perfect vs Pats depleted defense
Tomlinson 168 yards, 2 TD; Gates 108 yards receiving​

Sunday October 2, 2005 at 1:02
Week 4, Game 4 at Gillette Stadium
San Diego Chargers 41, New England Patriots 17
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Marty Schottenheimer
QBs: Tom Brady, Drew Brees
Odds: New England 5½-point home favorites
TV: CBS; Jim Nantz, Phil Simms; Bonnie Bernstein
Sunny and warm; 73°, humidity 51%, no wind
Paid attendance 68,756; time 3:02
Pats drop to 2-2; Chargers improve to 2-2



This game was tied at halftime, but San Diego outscored the Patriots 24-0 in the second half. New England's scores came on a Corey Dillon that gave the Pats a 7-3 lead, a 30-yard pass from Tom Brady to Tim Dwight for a 14-10 lead, and Adam Vinatieri's 24-yard field goal in the closing moments of the first half.


Drew Brees completed 79% of his passes (19-24) for 248 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions, no sacks - and a 137.5 passer rating. Brees threw touchdown passes to Keenan McCardell and Reche Caldwell, while Antonio Gates had six recptions for 108 yards. LaDainian Tomlinson averaged 5.4 yards per carry, rushing for 134 while adding 34 yards on four receptions. Clinton Hart put the exclamation point on this game with a 40-yard pick six off Matt Cassel during garbage time in the final minute of play.

Chargers 41, Patriots 17

AP Football Writer FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — This was finally the week the New England Patriots couldn't plug the holes left by injuries — not against Drew Brees and San Diego's explosive offense. …

www.fosters.com

Painful Omen for Patriots (Published 2005)

CHARGERS 41, PATRIOTS 17 The New England Patriots' first test without Rodney Harrison was a miserable failure. Snapping New England's 21-game home winning streak, encompassing the regular season and the playoffs, the San Diego Chargers shredded the Patriots and their porous defense...

www.nytimes.com

The New England Patriots' first test without Rodney Harrison was a miserable failure.​

​

Snapping New England's 21-game home winning streak, encompassing the regular season and the playoffs, the San Diego Chargers shredded the Patriots and their porous defense, 41-17, Sunday at Gillette Stadium.​

​

Without Harrison, a team leader and hard-hitting star safety who sustained a season-ending knee injury last week, New England's defense looked shakier than Jell-O. LaDainian Tomlinson (134 yards) ran through massive holes and extended his N.F.L. record to 16 consecutive games with a rushing touchdown. Chargers quarterback Drew Brees (19 for 24, 248 yards and 2 touchdowns) had a smorgasbord of open receivers to choose from. And Patriots Coach Bill Belichick watched from the sideline, looking as if he had indigestion.​

Perhaps the Patriots (2-2), the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, may finally have too many holes to fill, particularly on defense. They lost three defensive leaders before the season when linebacker Tedy Bruschi had a stroke, linebacker Ted Johnson retired and their defensive coordinator, Romeo Crennel, left to become the coach of the Cleveland Browns. In the past, Belichick and his players have been masterly at overcoming adversity. But in this game, they were simply overwhelmed.​

​

Chargers Coach Marty Schottenheimer said the Patriots might face their most difficult challenge this season, trying to win a third consecutive Super Bowl, facing every team's best effort and losing key players early.​

​

"At what point does it turn the other way?" Schottenheimer said. "It's hard to win in this league when you've had as many people hurt as they do. They had eight players that started for them today that didn't start for them a year ago. That's a third of the roster.​

​

"I'm going to say it again: What the New England Patriots have done in the last four years defies logic and reason. The way our system is set up, with free agency, salary cap and the draft, there's no way in the world one team should be able to win three Super Bowls in four years. It doesn't make sense."​

But there is no way the Patriots will win another Super Bowl unless they play far better. They were shut out in the second half as the Chargers (2-2) turned a 17-17 halftime tie into a rout.​

​

This is not supposed to happen to the Patriots, particularly at Gillette. They had the N.F.L.'s longest home winning streak, having not lost a regular-season or playoff game there since Dec. 22, 2002, when the Jets defeated them, 30-17. But the Chargers did not just make themselves at home in the Patriots' house. They ransacked it. And the Patriots need to regroup quickly, facing road games the next two Sundays, against Atlanta and Denver.​

​

"We have a lot of work to do," defensive end Richard Seymour said. We're at a crossroads right now."​

The Chargers took the lead for good in the third quarter, on a 1-yard touchdown run by Tomlinson that was set up a 38-yard completion from Brees to tight end Antonio Gates. It was an athletic catch by Gates, who used his body in midair to shield the ball from Patriots safety Guss Scott.​

​

San Diego went two touchdowns ahead on its next possession when Brees hit Reche Caldwell for a 28-yard scoring pass. Caldwell beat Patriots cornerback Duane Starks and made a leaping catch in the back of the end zone, continuing a woeful day for New England's secondary.​

After the Patriots could not sustain their next drive, the Chargers delivered the knockout punch, a 15-play drive that took 8 minutes 55 seconds. Not only did it wear down New England's defense, but it also kept the Patriots' offense on the sideline. Not even quarterback Tom Brady (19 for 32, 224 yards, a touchdown, an interception) is good enough to lead a comeback drive if he does not have the ball.​

​

"We did a great job of controlling the game," Tomlinson said. "Most of the credit has to go to the offensive line."​

3:32 Highlight Video
2005 Chargers at Patriots Week 4



2:13:43 Full Game
2005 Week 04 Chargers at Patriots
​

Patriots Pre-Game Press Release

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats, Drive Chart and Full Play-by-Play:
National Football League Game Summary

San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots - October 2nd, 2005 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

San Diego Chargers 41 at New England Patriots 17 on October 2nd, 2005 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

October 2, 2005 - San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for October 2, 2005 - San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots boxscore and game statistics.

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Patriots Starting Offense:
83 WR Deion Branch
82 TE Daniel Graham
77 LT Nick Kaczur
70 LG Logan Mankins
67 C Dan Koppen
61 RG Stephen Neal
68 RT Tom Ashworth
88 TE Christian Fauria
87 WR David Givens
12 QB Tom Brady
28 RB Corey Dillon

Patriots Starting Defense:
94 LDE Ty Warren
75 NT Vince Wilfork
93 RDE Richard Seymour
50 LOLB Mike Vrabel
52 LILB Monty Beisel
98 RILB Chad Brown
55 ROLB Willie McGinest
22 LCB Asante Samuel
29 SS Guss Scott
26 FS Eugene Wilson
23 RCB Duane Starks

Patriots Special Teams:
4 K Adam Vinatieri
8 P Josh Miller
81 KR Bethel Johnson
27 KR Ellis Hobbs
86 PR Tim Dwight

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
2016: Buffalo Bills 16, New England Patriots 0​

Sunday October 2, 2016 at 1:02
Week 4, Game 4 at Gillette Stadium
Buffalo Bills 16, New England Patriots 0
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Rex Ryan
QBs: Jacoby Brissett, Tyrod Taylor
Odds: New England 3½-point home favorites
TV: CBS. Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts; Evan Washburn
Cloudy, 56°, humidity 91%, 7 mph wind
Paid attendance 66,829; time 2:50
Pats drop to 3-1; Bills improve to 2-2


Congratulations Rex, you beat a team with a third string rookie QB with an injured thumb on his throwing hand, making his second NFL start.

New England got through Tom Brady's supension with a 3-1 record. Not bad at all.


The Patriots were shut out for the 21st time in franchise history, and for the first time since a 21-0 loss at Miami late in 2006. This was also the first shutout at home since 1993.

TE Martellus Bennett caught a career-long 58-yard pass from Jacoby Brissett in the second quarter. Martysaurus finished with 106 yards on five receptions. It was Bennett's fourth career 100-yard game, and second of the 2016 season.

Rob Gronkowski moved past Ben Coates into 20th place in NFL history for career receiving yards, now with 5,556 yards. Gronk was now within 161 yards of moving past Irving Fryar into fourth place on the Patriots all-time receiving yards list.

Brady Exile Ends With Shutout Loss to Bills | PatsFans.com

It's finally time for Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garoppolo to return to their clipboards, and thankfully so.

www.patsfans.com

The Patriots could not pull off what would have been a richly satisfying 4-0 record without Tom Brady. The Buffalo Bills came out with a ton of intensity, and an uncharacteristic show of poise and discipline, and blanked the Patriots 16-0 at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. The Patriots suffered their first shutout loss since 2006 at Miami, and their first home shutout loss since 1993 against the Jets. The Patriots are still 3-1, in great shape, and Brady can now re-enter Gillette Stadium once the clock strikes midnight on Monday.​

Most everyone who dissects this game will sit back and say “The game was too big for Brissett”, or “Brissett could not handle the game when given some adversity”. While Brissett did make some bad plays and throws, the root problem is that the defense lost this game, playing one of their worst games in recent memory. Bad scheme, bad tackling, and lack of intensity and execution put Brissett in an impossible situation on offense.​

The game went south for the Patriots on the first two plays of the game. Cyrus Jones took the opening kickoff two yards deep in the end zone, and Matthew Slater told him to down the ball. Jones ran a few yards, broke the plane of the goal, then stopped and ran back into the end zone. Jones then realized that he was risking a safety and took off, but was clobbered at the 9-yard line. Brissett found Julian Edelman in the right flat on the first offensive play, and Edelman took off on a 90-yard gallop before being downed at the one-yard line of Buffalo. However, former Bills receiver Chris Hogan was guilty of both holding and offensive pass interference on the same play, and the Patriots never recovered.​

The Bills scored thirteen points on their first three offensive possessions, all of them drives of ten plays or more. This served two purposes; first, to establish an aura of dominance for the entire game, and second, to prevent Brissett from any chance of getting into a rhythm, however limited his performance may have ultimately been. For the first half, the Bills had a nearly two-to-one advantage in time of possession. Making things worse for the Patriots was that Buffalo won the toss and deferred, giving the Bills the ball to start the second half. Fortunately, that turned out to be a non-factor.​

Tyrod Taylor, the Bills’ quarterback, was the benefactor of virtually no pass rush and soft zone coverage all game long, especially the first half. Taylor in particular picked on Logan Ryan, who played off Robert Woods all afternoon with adverse results for the Patriots. Woods led the Bills in both receptions (seven) and receiving yardage (89). Woods had a 10-yard catch on third and seven on Ryan on the first drive, then had a nine-yard grab on second and seven on the next drive. Woods burned Ryan for two catches for 21 yards on the third drive. Woods was allowed clean looks on inside slants, and Ryan played 5-7 yards off Woods on sideline passes. It seemed that the Patriots were bent on preventing long plays, but gave up way too much underneath which kept the defense out on the field for far too long.​

Bills 16-0 Patriots (Oct 2, 2016) Game Recap - ESPN

Expert recap and game analysis of the Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots NFL game from October 2, 2016 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

2:28 Video Highlights
Bills vs. Patriots | NFL Week 4 Game Highlights



1:51:07 Full Game
2016 Week 4 - Bills @ Patriots
​

Patriots Media Dept Pre-Game Press Release

Patriots vs Bills Rosters and Depth Charts

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats, Drive Chart and Full Play-by-Play:
National Football League Game Summary

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots - October 2nd, 2016 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Buffalo Bills 16 at New England Patriots 0 on October 2nd, 2016 - Full team and player stats and box score

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October 2, 2016 - Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots Box Score and Game Statistics

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Patriots Media Dept Post-Game Notes


Patriots Starting Offense:
15 WR Chris Hogan
77 LT Nate Solder
72 LG Joe Thuney
60 C David Andrews
69 RG Shaq Mason
61 RT Marcus Cannon
88 TE Martellus Bennett
11 WR Julian Edelman
80 WR Danny Amendola
7 QB Jacoby Brissett
29 RB LeGarrette Blount

Patriots Starting Defense:
95 LDE Chris Long
97 LDT Alan Branch
90 RDT Malcom Brown
93 RDE Jabaal Sheard
91 LLB Jamie Collins
54 MLB Dont'a Hightower
55 RLB Jonathan Freeny
21 LCB Malcolm Butler
23 SS Pat Chung
32 FS Devin McCourty
26 RCB Logan Ryan

Patriots Special Teams:
3 K Stephen Gostkowski
6 P Ryan Allen
24 KR Cyrus Jones
80 PR Danny Amendola

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
2022: Green Bay 27, New England 24 in OT
Aaron Rodgers gets only second-ever win vs Pats
Jack Jones with a 40-yard pick-six​

Sunday October 2, 2022 at 3:25 CDT, 4:25 EDT
Week 4, Game 4 at Lambeau Field
Green Bay Packers 27, New England Patriots 24 in OT
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Matt LaFleur
QBs: Brian Hoyer, Bailey Zappe; Aaron Rodgers
Odds: Green Bay 9½-point home favorites
TV: CBS. Jim Nantz, Tony Romo; Tracy Wolfson
Sunny, 66°, humidity 54%, 10 mph wind
Paid attendance 78,317; time 3:21
Pats drop to 1-3; Packers improve to 3-1


There were a combined total of nine scores in this game. Every one of those nine scores either changed the lead, or tied the score.

Penalties (seven for 75 yards) and sacks (four for 32 yards) put the offense in difficult situations (3-11 on third down). The Patriots ran the ball well (Damien Harris 18-86, one TD; Rhamondre Stevenson 14-66) but after those sacks Brian Hoyer and Bailey Zappe managed only 104 net yards passing.

​

Packers 27-24 Patriots (Oct 2, 2022) Game Recap - ESPN

Expert recap and game analysis of the Green Bay Packers vs. New England Patriots NFL game from October 2, 2022 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

Patriots lose to Packers on last-minute field goal in Bailey Zappe's debut

Can the New England Patriots beat Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers without Mac Jones? Follow along for updates.

www.boston.com

Patriots drop 27-24 overtime heartbreaker at Green Bay

Miss the Patriots game? Get caught up here.

www.bostonherald.com

How it happened: Patriots fall just short of an upset in overtime loss to Packers - The Boston Globe

Down to their third-string quarterback in rookie Bailey Zappe, the Patriots pushed the Packers to overtime before losing at Green Bay.

www.bostonglobe.com

NFL Week 4 Game Recap: Green Bay Packers 27, New England Patriots 24

The Green Bay Packers breathed a collective sigh of relief as Mason Crosby’s 31-yard field goal split the uprights as overtime expired. It was surprising that it took overtime, given that New England Patriots third-string rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe was forced into action for the majority of...

www.pff.com

11:54 Highlight Video
New England Patriots vs. Green Bay Packers - Week 4 2022 Game Highlights
​

Patriots Media Dept Pre-Game Press Release

Patriots vs Bills Rosters and Depth Charts

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats, Drive Chart and Full Play-by-Play:
National Football League Game Summary

New England Patriots at Green Bay Packers - October 2nd, 2022 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 24 at Green Bay Packers 27 on October 2nd, 2022 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

October 2 ,2022 - New England Patriots at Green Bay Packers Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for October 2 ,2022 - New England Patriots at Green Bay Packers boxscore and game statistics.

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Patriots Media Dept Post-Game Notes


Patriots Starting Offense:
83 WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey
77 LT Trent Brown
69 LG Cole Strange
60 C David Andrews
71 RG Mike Onwenu
76 RT Isaiah Wynn
81 TE Jonnu Smith
15 WR Nelson Agholor
1 WR DeVante Parker
5 QB Brian Hoyer
37 RB Damien Harris

Patriots Starting Defense:
91 LDE Deatrich Wise
90 DT Christian Barmore
92 NT Davon Godchaux
30 SLB Mack Wilson
8 MLB Ja'Whaun Bentley
9 WLB Matt Judon
31 LCB Jonathan Jones
23 SS Kyle Dugger
32 FS Devin McCourty
13 RCB Jack Jones
21 NB Adrian Phillips

Patriots Special Teams:
6 K Nick Folk
7 P Jake Bailey
25 KR Marcus Jones
25 PR Marcus Jones

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1970: Pats sign Joe Kapp to record contract​

Oct 2, 1970:
Patriots sign "free agent" Joe Kapp to a four-year contract that made him the highest paid player in the NFL
Vikings receive strong safety John Charles, a 1972 first round draft pick, and cash as "compensation"


In 1969 Kapp was named to the Pro Bowl and a second-team All Pro, and finished second behind Roman Gabriel as the NFL's MVP. He was 12-1 as a starter for the NFL champion Vikings, and led the league with a touchdown percentage of 8.0%.

In 1970 Kapp was 1-9 as a starting quarterback, completing 98 of 219 pass attempts (47.7%), for 1,104 yards (5.0 ypa) with three touchdowns and 17 interceptions. That touchdown to interception ratio has to be the worst for a quarterback with at least ten starts since the merger.


Bud Grant's team and coaching was just a smidge better than Clive Rush's.

https://www.nytimes.com/1970/10/03/archives/kapp-signs-with-patriots-but-he-is-not-likely-to-play-tomorrow.html

Joe Kapp, the colorful 32‐ year‐old quarterback who had sought a $1.25‐million, five‐year contract with the Minnesota Vikings, joined the Boston Patriots yesterday as a free agent. He declined to discuss the financial terms, but predicted, “We're going to be a winner.”​

In compliance with the National Football League rule that requires a team to compensate a free agent's former club, the Patriots surrendered John Charles, a 26‐year‐old defensive back in his fourth season, and their first‐round choice in the 1972 draft.​

Kapp guided the Vikings into the Super Bowl last season while exercising the option clause in his contract that created his free‐agent status on May 1. During his negotiations with the Vikings, he was reported to have rejected a three‐year contract with an annual $100,000 salary.​

As a holdout, Kapp had not attended the Vikings’ training camp. He has maintained a semblance of physical condition by running, but his unfamiliarity with the Patriots’ playbook is expected to prevent him from opposing the Baltimore Colts tomorrow.​

The Patriots will play the Chiefs at Kansas City a week from tomorrow with Kapp, who was humiliated by the champions in the Super Bowl game last January, likely to be the starting quarterback. Kapp's presence is expected to turn Mike Taliaferro into a backup quarterback.​

Kapp, the biggest star in the Patriots’ 11‐year history, joined the Vikings in 1967 after eight years in the Canadian League.​

In his three N.F.L. seasons, Kapp completed 351 of 699 passes for 4,811 yards and 37 touchdowns, including seven in one game against the Colts last season. But his reputation as a passer was overshadowed by his leadership and his fondness for tequila.

Charles, a 6‐1, 200‐pounder, also was involved in a contract dispute. He had been deactivated by Rush an hour before the season opener in apparent punishment for being a hold out. He was replaced on the roster at the last minute by Bob Gladieux, who had been in the stands drinking beers with a buddy of his. Charles had requested to be traded, but signed a contract several days ago.​

Fast forward nine months, to July 17, 1971. In typical Billy Sullivan bungling, the Patriots had not signed Kapp to an official, standard, NFL-approved contract - and needed to sign him to a new contract.

https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/17/archives/kapp-quits-patriot-camp-rejects-standard-contract.html

Joe Kapp, quarterback for the New England Patriots, packed his bags and quit the team today, refusing to sign a National Football League standard players’ contract.​

In a brief statement, the club said:​

“The Patriots have been notified by the commissioner's office that Joe Kapp cannot work out with the club until he signs a standard players’ contract.”​

Kapp was signed as a free agent by the Patriots last October after he played out his contract with the Minnesota Vikings in 1969. He reportedly signed a three‐year contract for $500,000.​

However, the Patriots disclosed today that Kapp merely had signed “a pro ‐ tempore agreement” to enable him to play for the Patriots.​

“This is unbelieveable,” General Manager Upton Bell said.​

“It is a momumental disappointment,” said the Patriots’ president, Billy Sullivan.​

The Patriots emphasized that Kapp still was their property. Sullivan said he had been advised of the situation regarding Kapp at the N.F.L. meetings in New York in May.​

Kapp left less than 24 hours after the Patriots announced the signing of their No. 1 draft choice, Jim Plunkett, Stanford's star quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner.​

Kapp led the Vikings to the N.F.L. championship and the Super Bowl while playing out his option with Minnesota.​

Unable to reach agreement on a new contract, he sat out the first few weeks of the 1970 season before being signed by the Patriots.​

To get Kapp the New Eng land team, then known as the Boston Patriots, gave up a strong safetyman, John Charles, and an undisclosed 1972 draft pick in keeping with N.F.L. policy providing compensation in such cases.​

Kapp led California to the Rose Bowl in 1958. He played eight years in the Canadian League before joining Minnesota in 1967.​

Fast forward again:

Kapp Redux: Revisiting Joe Kapp v. NFL in Light of the Kaepernick Case - Cal Alumni Association

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s lawsuit against NFL owners for colluding to keep him out of football because he launched the “take-a-knee” protests against racial injustice evokes an earlier landmark sports case, one involving another player whose surname shares a...

alumni.berkeley.edu

Way back in 1971, Boston Patriots, and former Cal, quarterback, Joe Kapp was directed to sign a standard player’s contract following his first season with the Pats. John Elliot Cook, Kapp’s attorney, advised his client to refrain from putting his signature on the dotted line, observing Kapp already had a legal and binding contract, one that Cook had negotiated. When Kapp followed Cook’s advice, he was booted from training camp, effectively expelling him from the League. Kapp, known as a particularly aggressive player, didn’t take the sacking meekly. He sued the NFL and its 26 teams for violating antitrust law.​

Against odds that seemed insurmountable at the time, Kapp won. Ruling in the U.S. Court for the Northern District of California, Judge William Sweigert declared that the means used by team owners to control a player’s career—the college draft, the Rozelle Rule, the option clause—were “patently unreasonable and illegal.”​

Kapp lost out, however, in a subsequent trial to determine and award damages. Plaintiffs typically are entitled to triple damages in most antitrust cases. Despite the fact that Kapp had $450,000 remaining in his contract with the Patriots, an unsympathetic jury—possibly influenced by news stories and editorials about “greedy pro athletes” circulating at the time—stiffed him, refusing to award a single dollar. Kapp also lost subsequent appeals.​

But if the proud and rebellious quarterback ultimately lost out, the entire class of pro football players won. Kapp v National Football League became a major precedent in antitrust case law, and is a primary reason why players enjoy free agency today.​

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Wilfork, Gostkowski placed on Injured Reserve
Sam Cunningham trade voided
and other old October 2 news​

Oct 2, 1973:
Kicker Bill Bell is cut, and kicker Jeff White is signed

Back in 1966, Charlie Gogolak became the first kicker to ever be drafted in the first round. He was in demand after the success of his brother Pete, the NFL's first soccer style kicker. Charlie suffered a leg injury causing him to miss all but one game in 1967, and after a similar injury resulted in his missing all of 1969 he was released by Washington.

The Patriots signed Gogolak in 1970, but after another hamstring injury it was time to find a new kicker. The Pats marketing department brought in kickers from all over the globe, with the UK's Mike 'Superfoot' Walker finishing the season as the Pats kicker. Unfortunately Walker connected on only two of his eight attempts, and the search continued.

In 1973 Chuck Fairbanks replaced John Mazur as head coach, and rather than another PR stunt to determine who the kicker would be, Bill Bell won the job out of training camp.


Bell was originally a 17th round draft pick by Atlanta in 1970 out of Kansas, and handled the Falcons kicking duties for all of 1971-72. In week one he hit his only extra point attempt, and though 0-1 on field goal attempts, it was from 53 yards out in 20 mph winds. However in a week two 10-7 home loss to Kansas City, on the opening drive Bell was wide left on a 30-yard attempt. (On a side note the Patriots also fumbled on the one-yard line, and had a pass intercepted at the four, so Bell was not to blame for the loss. On a second side note this was also a game in which the Pats infamously went backwards on a third quarter drive, recovering a fumble that gave them first down at the KC 26 into a 4th-and-63 from their own 21.)


Back to Bill Bell. In their week three loss at Miami, Bell made a 36-yard field goal to close out the first half, but also had a first quarter 33-yard field goal blocked and a third quarter PAT blocked. To me that's an indictment of the special team ends, not the kicker, but either way Fairbanks made the change two days later from Bell to White.

In the remaining 11 games Jeff White made 21 of 25 extra points, and only 56% of his field goal attempts (14-25). White missed many gimmes; he was only 6-8 inside the 20, 2-3 from 20-29, 3-5 from 30-39, 3-7 from 40-49, and 0-2 beyond the 50. Not sure how that was an upgrade over Bill Bell.


A year later the annual search for a kicker resulted in the signing of John Smith, who was a vast immediate improvement, connecting on 73% of his field goal attempts and 98% of his point afters. Smith brought continuity to the position that had been missing since Gino Cappelletti retired. Smith played for ten seasons and still ranks fourth for most points in Patriots franchise history.

Oct 2, 1980:
An earlier trade of holdout FB Sam Cunningham to Miami is voided due to a failed physical

The Miami Dolphins' deal with the New England Patriots... - UPI Archives

The Miami Dolphins' deal with the New England Patriots for holdout fullback Sam 'Bam' Cunningham was scratched Friday when a physical examination revealed...

www.upi.com

The Miami Dolphins' deal with the New England Patriots for holdout fullback Sam 'Bam' Cunningham was scratched Friday when a physical examination revealed his knees, ankles and a shoulder are ailing.​

More specific results of the examination by club physician Dr. Charles Virgin were not revealed. Cunningham, hindered by injuries last season, had said before the physical he was now completely healthy. The Dolphins disagreed.​

'Cunningham didn't pass the physical,' a club spokesman said. 'He has problems with both knees, both ankles and a shoulder.'​

The Dolphins said the deal with the Patriots had not been completed, so they would retain any draft choices involved.​

It had been reported that the Dolphins offered first and seventh round choices for Cunningham, but could change to a second and third depending on the kind of year they have.​

Cunningham had been a holdout at New England since training camp opened because he wanted a reported $350,000 over a three-year contract. Rumors were only that Cunningham would be paid more than $250,000 if he joined the Dolphins.​

The 30-year-old Cunningham, 6-3 and 230 pounds, had rushed for 5,136 yards in seven seasons since joining the Pats as a first round draft choice. He also caught 198 passes for 1,813 yards. But last year he missed four of the club's last six games and gained only 563 yards rushing.​

Despite persistent rumors Thursday, the Dolphins had insisted no trade had been completed and negotiations were still under way.​

The Dolphins have been looking for a big running back since last summer when Larry Csonka and owner Joe Robbie failed to come to terms. Second-year man Steve Howell thus keeps his job as starting fullback.​

Oct 2, 2013:
The dream is over; TE Zach Sudfeld is released
DT Vince Wilfork placed on injured reserve
WR Austin Collie signed

Patriots release TE Zach Sudfeld

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots announced the release of rookie tight end Zach Sudfeld on Thursday, which could be an indication Rob Gronkowski is set to return.

www.espn.com

Sudfeld, an undrafted free agent out of Nevada who had a surprise emergence in training camp, didn't carry the momentum he had generated in the preseason into the regular season. He was used sparingly in Sunday night's 30-23 win against the Atlanta Falcons, playing eight snaps, and couldn't corral an onside kick that was recovered by the Falcons late in the fourth quarter.​

New England Patriots release undrafted rookie TE Zach Sudfeld

FOXBOROUGH – It turns out that the New England Patriots didn’t find a running mate for Rob Gronkowski in the post-draft bargain bin.

www.masslive.com

After emerging as one this summer’s darlings and drawing comparisons to former Pats tight end Aaron Hernandez, undrafted rookie Zach Sudfeld was released by New England Tuesday afternoon. During the preseason, Sudfeld caught eight passes for 101 yards with a touchdown.​

His release leaves Matt Mulligan, Rob Gronkowski and Michael Hoomanawanui as the only tight ends on the roster. Gronkowski, who is recovering from back and forearm surgeries, has not played this season.​

Patriots place Wilfork on IR, announce Collie signing, release Sudfeld

New England released rookie Sudfeld, who was a preseason darling after one-handed catches and strong play in the red zone.

www.boston.com

Wilfork’s season is officially over; the team used its one IR-designated to return exception on Shane Vereen, though given Wilfork had Achilles surgery, it was highly unlikely he would have been physically ready to return this season, even for the playoffs.​

Collie, 27, was a fourth-round pick of the Colts in 2009. He spent some time with the 49ers in training camp this year, but has suffered three documented concussions in his career and suffered a knee injury last year, both of which have derailed a once-promising career.​

Oct 2, 2019:
K Stephen Gostkowski placed on injured reserve
Patriots re-sign S/LB Jordan Richards

Kick in the head: Patriots place veteran K Gostkowski on IR (hip) - MetroWest Daily News

The Patriots' kicking situation went from troublesome to worse.​

On Wednesday, the Patriots placed Pro Bowler kicker Stephen Gostkowski on the injured reserve. According to ESPN, the 35-year-old suffered a season-ending injury to his left hip, which will require surgery. Gostkowski is expected to return in 2020. This is a blow to a Patriots team that’s now seen 11 players land on the IR.​

In four games, Gostkowski made just 11 of 15 (73.3%) of his extra-point attempts and 7 of 8 (87.5%) of his field-goal attempts. Gostkowski missed five kicks in the last three games. Last weekend, in Buffalo, he missed an extra point attempt — wide right from the left hash. The only positive to come out of this current situation is that Gostkowski will have time to heal and try to come back better next season.​

On Wednesday, the Pats held kicker tryouts in Gillette Stadium around 2 p.m. According to multiple reports, the Pats also tried out Kai Forbath, Mike Nugent, Blair Walsh, Elliott Fry and Matthew Wright.​

Why Did Patriots Re-Sign Jordan Richards? Bill Belichick Explains - NESN.com

FOXBORO, Mass. — Bill Belichick rarely confirms reported roster moves during his news conferences, but he made an exception Wednesday for Jordan Richards. Belichick acknowledged Richards, a safety/linebacker/special teamer who played three seasons for the New England Patriots from 2015 to 2017...

nesn.com

Richards, who had toiled in free agency since the Oakland Raiders released him at the end of August, is considered one of Belichick’s biggest draft whiffs. The Patriots selected him in the second round in 2015 and, after a rocky 2017 campaign capped by a brutal performance in Super Bowl LII, traded him to the Atlanta Falcons for a seventh-round pick before the end of his rookie contract.​

With superb depth in the secondary, New England likely will use Richards primarily in the kicking game. He led the team in special teams snaps played in 2017, and the Patriots are dealing with injuries to a few core special teamers. Rex Burkhead clearly was limited with a foot injury during Sunday’s win over the Buffalo Bills, and Nate Ebner was listed as questionable for that game with a groin issue.​

Richards did not last long; the Pats released him three weeks later. He was immediately signed by Baltimore, and played for the Ravens from 2019 to 2021.

​

Gostkowski was released the following March. Since then the Patriots selected the wrong replacement (Mike Nugent over Younghoe Koo), have split kickoff duties and place kicks (Jake Bailey, Nick Folk), drafted three kickers (Justin Rohrwasser, Chad Ryland, Andres Borregales), utilized four others (Nugent, Kai Forbath, Tristan Vizcaino, Joey Slye), and released a practice squad player who outperformed a draftee during training camp (John Parker Romo).


There were also some other minor moves on this date:

New England Patriots sign WR Kelvin McKnight to practice squad

The Patriots added a new receiver to their roster Wednesday.

www.masslive.com

It didn’t take long for the New England Patriots to find a new No. 17 to replace Antonio Brown. An undrafted rookie out of Samford, McKnight spent the preseason with the Denver Broncos.​

The signing comes after the Patriots made a series of roster moves Tuesday, releasing offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch from the main roster and linebacker Scooby Wright from the practice squad. The team also released receiver Cameron Meredith from the PUP list, indicating that the team may be looking to move in a different direction at wide receiver.​

Oct 2, 2020:

Patriots sign LB Michael Pinckney, miss Cody Davis at practice

The Pats are unlikely to have Davis for their game at Kansas City on Sunday.

www.bostonherald.com

The Patriots signed linebacker Michael Pinckney to their practice squad on Friday and released defensive tackle Xavier Williams.​

Williams spent most of his time in New England on the practice squad, though he was elevated to the active roster prior to the team’s season opener. He made two tackles in the Pats’ 21-11 win over the Dolphins. Williams originally signed with the team on Aug. 22.​

Pinckney was present for practice Friday in a No. 48 jersey. The 22-year-old rookie played college football at Miami, where he amassed 267 tackles and 14.5 sacks over 49 games. He checks in at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds.​

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Robert Edwards​

Happy 51st birthday to Robert Edwards
Born October 2, 1974 in Tennille, Georgia; hometown Sandersville, GA
Patriot running back, 1998; uniform #47
Pats first round (18th overall) selection of the 1998 draft, from Georgia
Pats résumé: one season, 16 games (15 starts), plus one playoff games


In terms of untapped potential, has there ever been a bigger 'what if' or 'what could have been' than Robert Edwards in the history of the Patriots franchise?

I suppose that I should look at this as a glass half full instead. Don't dwell on what the follow up to a rookie season in which he set an NFL record for most consecutive games with a touchdown to start a career. Maybe just shrug it off as inevitable, based on injuries he had as a Georgia Bulldog. Just be thankful that the freak injury playing flag football as part of the Pro Bowl festivities in Hawaii did not cause his leg to be amputated, or worse. Cherish that one season where he carried the offense, accounting for 75% of the team's rushing yards, 100% of the rushing touchdowns, 72% of the rushing first downs, 26% of the total yardage, and 38% of the Pats touchdowns, double the number than any other teammate.


What was the butterfly effect? Had Robert Edwards been able to play in 1999, does Pete Carroll keep his job - and as a result, Bill Belichick is never hired by the Patriots? Does Tom Brady still become Tom Brady - or even drafted by New England?


Edwards was unable to play football again until 2002, with the Miami Dolphins. He then spent three seasons in the CFL before retiring in 2008. The following year Edwards returned to Georgia, where he had been coaching high school football ever since.

1999 New England Patriots Media Guide

Robert Edwards Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Get Robert Edwards Career game log for regular season and playoff games on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

Robert Edwards Pro Football Record

The trusted source for pro football information about Robert Edwards. Get statistics, transactions. biographical data and more at Pro Football Archives.

www.profootballarchives.com

Robert Edwards (gridiron football) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

How did fans feel about Flutie during his time in NE?

Had Kiam simply re-signed him and made Flutie the starter, the stadium would have been sold out for every game.

And they would have (at least) made the playoffs.

Instead, they made Hugh Millen the first Patriots $million quarterback. Sick. Insane.

Him re-emerging out of nowhere in 1998 was wild. He was a pain in the ass. And they definitely beat Tennessee in 1999 had he played.

The NFL (including the Patriots) treated him like ****.

Raymond Berry never cared for Flutie though, that was obvious.

...and benching Doug at the end of the season (in favor of Eason) was fatal.

Wade Phillips going with Rob Johnson over Flutie was an all-time coaching blunder.

Wilson forced him to.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Today in Patriots History
Robert Edwards​

Happy 51st birthday to Robert Edwards
Born October 2, 1974 in Tennille, Georgia; hometown Sandersville, GA
Patriot running back, 1998; uniform #47
Pats first round (18th overall) selection of the 1998 draft, from Georgia
Pats résumé: one season, 16 games (15 starts), plus one playoff games


In terms of untapped potential, has there ever been a bigger 'what if' or 'what could have been' than Robert Edwards in the history of the Patriots franchise?

I suppose that I should look at this as a glass half full instead. Don't dwell on what the follow up to a rookie season in which he set an NFL record for most consecutive games with a touchdown to start a career. Maybe just shrug it off as inevitable, based on injuries he had as a Georgia Bulldog. Just be thankful that the freak injury playing flag football as part of the Pro Bowl festivities in Hawaii did not cause his leg to be amputated, or worse. Cherish that one season where he carried the offense, accounting for 75% of the team's rushing yards, 100% of the rushing touchdowns, 72% of the rushing first downs, 26% of the total yardage, and 38% of the Pats touchdowns, double the number than any other teammate.


What was the butterfly effect? Had Robert Edwards been able to play in 1999, does Pete Carroll keep his job - and as a result, Bill Belichick is never hired by the Patriots? Does Tom Brady still become Tom Brady - or even drafted by New England?


Edwards was unable to play football again until 2002, with the Miami Dolphins. He then spent three seasons in the CFL before retiring in 2008. The following year Edwards returned to Georgia, where he had been coaching high school football ever since.

1999 New England Patriots Media Guide

Robert Edwards Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Get Robert Edwards Career game log for regular season and playoff games on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

Robert Edwards Pro Football Record

The trusted source for pro football information about Robert Edwards. Get statistics, transactions. biographical data and more at Pro Football Archives.

www.profootballarchives.com

Robert Edwards (gridiron football) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

What a shame. I really feel bad for the guy. I have a feeling Carroll probably thought this was the beginning of the end for him. However, I think the Pats would've squeaked in the playoffs in 1999 and Bob doesn't fire Carrol had he not gotten injured. Had they not made the playoffs and it BB was still hired as the HC in 2000, I think 2001 would've been his breakout season with the OL more stabilized.

The NFL (including the Patriots) treated him like ****.

It was because he didn't have the prototypical size at QB. Every team he went to they tried to push him out even when they were winning like Buffalo did.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

What a shame. I really feel bad for the guy. I have a feeling Carroll probably thought this was the beginning of the end for him. However, I think the Pats would've squeaked in the playoffs in 1999 and Bob doesn't fire Carrol had he not gotten injured. Had they not made the playoffs and it BB was still hired as the HC in 2000, I think 2001 would've been his breakout season with the OL more stabilized.

It was because he didn't have the prototypical size at QB. Every team he went to they tried to push him out even when they were winning like Buffalo did.

As Brady didn't have the prototypical athleticism or flashiness at QB. Belichick had to defend keeping Brady in there to the media as much as he had to for DefameGate.

The "T-E-A-M" quote is up there with the "Mona Lisa Vito" quote.