Today in Patriots History

Happy 35th birthday to Shawn Crable
Born Dec 26, 1984 in Massillon, Ohio
Patriot OLB/DE, 2008-2010; uniform #95
Pats 3rd round (78th overall) selection of the 2008 draft, from Michigan


Shawn Crable was one of the least productive draft picks in the Bill Belichick era, appearing in just six games over three seasons. His career stat line consisted of four tackles (two solo), one quarterback hit and a half sack, getting some playing time only when the Patriots were desperate and woefully inadequate at linebacker.


Sept 26, 2010: Patriots re-sign Shawn Crable | Erik Frenz, Bleacher Report



Nov 16, 2010: Patriots release LB Shawn Crable | Patriots.com



Oct 25, 2011: Where are they now? - Shawn Crable | Ian Logue, Pats Fans





Happy 47th birthday to Derrick Cullors
Born Dec 26, 1972 in Dallas
Patriot RB/KR, 1997-1999; uniform #29
Signed as a free agent after being waived by the Ravens on Aug 25, 1996

Derrick Cullors played in 31 games for the Patriots, gaining 303 yards on a combination of 40 rushes and 30 receptions. He also averaged 24.5 yards on 60 kickoff returns. Cullors also played in three playoff games, with 102 yards from scrimmage.

In the 1997 divisional playoff win over Miami he had seven carries for 42 yards in a third quarter drive, while subbing for Curtis Martin. That led to a field goal that gave the Pats a 17-0 lead; he ended up leading the Pats with 86 yards on 22 rushes for the game.


May 16, 2000: Patriots release RB/KR Derrick Cullors | Patriots.com






Happy 36th birthday to P.K. Sam
Born Dec 26, 1983 in Denver
Patriot WR, 2004; uniform #14
Pats 5th round (164th overall) selection of the 2004 draft, from Florida State

Sam played in only two games for the Patriots, but did have a college highlight catch.



PK Sam, Bobby Bowden and the prez








Other pro football players born on Dec 26 with a New England connection:

Chris Gronkowski, 33 (1986)
Brother of former Patriots Rob, Glenn and Dan Gronkowski
Fullback appeared in 35 games with the Cowboys, Colts, Broncos and Chargers from 2010-2013.

Scott Curtis, 52 (1964)
Born in Burlington VT; Lynnfield High School; UNH
The linebacker played in 41 games with the Eagles and Broncos from 1998-1990; he is one of two Wildcats to play in a Super Bowl.

Joe Osmanski (1917-1993)
Born and raised in Providence; Central High School; Holy Cross
Played fullback for the Chicago Bears in the forties.

Sun Dec 27, 2015 at 1:00
Week 16, Game 15 at East Rutherford
Jets 26, Patriots 20 in OT
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Todd Bowles
QBs: Tom Brady, Ryan Fitzpatrick
Odds: New England favored by 3
Pats drop to 12-3, still #1 seed in AFC
Jets improve to 10-5, tied with KC for wild card spot

The Patriots won the coin toss but elected to kick, and the decision backfired. A 48 yard catch and run by Quincy Enunwa and a 20 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Brandon Marshall set up the winning score, a 6-yard fade to Eric Decker past Malcolm Butler.

The Pats could not get their running game in gear, gaining just 63 yards on 22 attempts. Combined with both Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola sidelined with injuries, the Pats had trouble moving the chains, converting just one of ten third down attempts.

Brandon Marshall scored his second TD of the game on a 33 yard pass play (thanks to a no-call for pushing off on Duron Harmon) in the third quarter, giving the Jets a 17-3 lead. The Patriots closed the gap to 17-13 when Jabaal Sheard sacked Fitzgerald and forced a fumble that jamie Collins ran back for a score.

Late in the fourth quarter Tom Brady hit Gronk on a deep pass down the middle for 26 yards on 4th-and-9. On the next play TB12 connected with James White for a 9-yard touchdown with 1:55 to go in regulation, forcing the overtime.

One week later the Jets lost to Rex Ryan and the Bills in Buffalo 22-7, with Fitzpatrick throwing three interceptions. That loss combined with a Pittsburgh win at Cleveland put the Steelers in the playoffs over the Jets. The Patriots would lose again the next week at Miami, then beat Andy Reid and the Chiefs in Kansas City in the divisional round.






Sun Dec 27, 2009 at 1:00
Week 16, Game 15 at Gillette
Patriots 35, Jaguars 7
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Jack Del Rio
QBs: Tom Brady, David Garrard
Odds: New England favored by 9
Pats improve to 10-5, first in AFC East
Jaguars drop to 7-8, T-3rd with Titans

Tom Brady threw four touchdowns, including three to Randy Moss as the Patriots clinched the AFC East for the seventh time in the decade. After having lost three of four this was the Pats third straight win, by a combined score of 72-27. Brady rebounded from two subpar games by going 23-26 for 267 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions and no sacks.






Sat Dec 27, 2003 at 1:30
Week 17, Game 16 at Gillette
Patriots 31, Bills 0
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Gregg Williams
QBs: Tom Brady; Drew Bledsoe, Travis Brown
Odds: New England favored by 9½
Pats improve to 14-2, best record in NFL
Bills finish 6-10, tied with Jets for third

Facing the NFL's #2 defense the Patriots scored three times in their first four possessions, over a span of 16 minutes. With four minutes left in the first half Tom Brady had thrown touchdown passes to Daniel Graham, Bethel Johnson, Troy Brown and David Givens. Buffalo's first half possessions consisted of zero first downs on the first four drives, a missed field goal and another punt.

This game was the perfect bookend for the season opener, the infamous 'They Hate Their Coach' Game. Both final scores were 31-0, and both ended with the defense preserving a shutout from the one yard line of the final game. This time it was Larry Izzo intercepting a pass in the end zone, giving the Pats their third shutout of the season.

Drew Bledsoe was a dismal 12-29 for 83 yards, one interception and three sacks for Buffalo. His former backup went 21-32 for 204 yards, four touchdowns and a 122.9 passer rating for the game. Bledsoe was mercifully pulled early in the fourth quarter after losing a fumble on a Tedy Bruschi sack.






Sun Dec 27, 1998 at 1:00
Week 17, Game 16 at Giants Stadium
Jets 31, Patriots 10
Head Coaches: Pete Carroll, Bill Parcells
QBs: Scott Zolak, Vinny Testaverde
Odds: Jets favored by 6½
Pats drop to 9-7, finish 4th in AFC East
Jets go 12-4, winning the division

Bill Parcells' Jets annihilated the Patriots in this game, building up a 31-3 lead before Scott Zolak hit Tony Simmons for the Pats only touchdown with 1:38 left to play. The Jets controlled the ball for 38:51, with former Patriot Curtis Martin rushing for 102 yards.

Despite finishing fourth in the AFC East the Pats made the playoffs, losing a week later to Jacksonville. Parcells' team set a franchise record with 12 victories, and would defeat the Jaguars before losing at Denver in the AFCCG.




Sun Dec 27, 1992 at 1:00
Week 17, Game 16 at Foxboro Stadium
Dolphins 16, Patriots 13 in OT
Head Coaches: Dante Scarnecchia, Don Shula
QBs: Jeff Carlson Dan Marino
Odds: Miami favored by 11
Pats finish 2-14, tied with Seattle for worst record in AFC
Miami goes 11-5, wins division in tiebreaker over Buffalo

The Patriots led 13-3 at the half, but being the 1992 Pats they found a way to lose. The Pats were in position to attempt a game-winning field goal in the final minute, but Jeff Carlson took a big sack that left the Patriots out of field goal range.

That was actually a good thing, because it meant they got to choose Drew Bledsoe with the number one pick of the 1992 draft and leave Rick Mirer for Seattle.

Happy 60th birthday to Andre Tippett
Born Dec 27, 1959 in Birmingham, Alabama
Patriot OLB, 1982-1993; uniform #56
Pats 2nd round (41st overall) selection of the 1982 draft

NFL Honors and Records
Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2008
NFL All-Decade Team of the 1980s
Pro Football Weekly All-Time 3-4 Defense, 2008
AFC Defensive Player of the Year, 1985
First Team All Pro, 1985 and 1987
Named to five Pro Bowls (1984-1988)
NFL record for sacks by a linebacker over two seasons (35, 1984-85)
Third most sacks by a LB in a single season in NFL history (18.5, 1984)
1985 AFC leader in sacks (16.5)
1987 AFC leader in sacks (12.5)
Fourth most sacks per game, career, for a LB (0.662)
Seventh in career sacks (third for LB) when he retired

University of Iowa Sports Hall of Fame, 2007
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, 2012

Patriot Honors and Records
Most career sacks (100)
1st, 2nd and 3rd most sacks in a single season (18.5, '84; 16.5, '85; 12.5, '87)
Tied with Steve Nelson for most career fumble recoveries (18)
Patriots Hall of Fame, 1999
Patriots Team of the Century, 2000
Patriots 35th Anniversary Team, 1994


Pro Football Hall of Fame | Andre Tippett



Patriots Hall of Fame | Andre Tippett








Happy 29th birthday to Matt Lengel
Born Dec 27, 1990 in Mechanicsburg, PA
Patriot TE, 2017-2019; uniform #82
Signed off Cincinnati practice squad Nov 2, 2016

Matt Lengel originally enrolled at Northeastern, then transferred to Eastern Kentucky when the Huskies shut down their football program. He signed as an undrafted rookie free agent with the Bengals in 2015.

A year and a half later the Patriots claimed Lengel from Cincinnati's practice squad, a week after trading TE AJ Derby to Denver. The spot on the roster was made available after the Pats had traded Jamie Collins to the Browns. Lengel appeared in six games for the Pats in 2016, with two receptions and one touchdown.

Lengel was placed on injury reserve at the end of training camp in 2017, then waived with an injury settlement a few weeks later. Since then he has played sparingly with the Browns, Bengals and Colts.






Happy 36th birthday to Ricky Brown
Born Dec 27, 1983 in Cincinnati
Patriot OLB, 2011 offseason
Signed as veteran free agent Aug 20, 2011

The Raiders signed Brown as a rookie free agent out of Boston College in 2006, after spending five seasons with Oakland. The Pats released him as part of final roster cuts two weeks after signing him, and he then returned to the Raiders for one final NFL season.




Happy 39th birthday to Tommy Kelly
Born Dec 27, 1980 in Jackson, Mississippi
Patriot DT, 2013; uniform #93
Signed as a veteran free agent on April 8, 2013

The Patriots signed Tommy Kelly after he had been a starter in Oakland for the previous eight seasons. He started his first five games for the Pats, then suffered a knee injury. He spent the next four weeks on the inactive list in hopes of a return, then was placed on IR on November 2nd. Kelly spent the 2014 offseason with the Pats before being released on August 24.

Tommy caught on for one final season in Arizona, finishing an 11-year career with 151 games played and 38 sacks.

Football Journey: Tommy Kelly | espn, Mike Reiss

Tommy Kelly begs the question: do the Patriots want to win or save money? | NESN




Happy 53rd birthday to Eric Coleman
Born Dec 27, 1966 in Denver
Patriot CB, 1989-1990; uniform #22
Pats 2nd round (43rd overall) selection of the 1989 draft, from Wyoming

Eric Coleman played in eight games for the Pats in '89, with one interception. He appeared in the first seven games of 1990 before suffering an achilles injury that put him on IR for the rest of the year. He signed with Minnesota in the offseason but never played in the NFL again.




Happy 53rd birthday to Jon Melander
Born Dec 27, 1966 in Fridley, Minnesota
Patriot guard, 1991; uniform #64
Pats 5th round (113th overall) selection of the 1990 draft from Minnesota

The 6'7, 280 pounder played in ten games with three starts for the '91 Pats, after spending his rookie season on IR. Melander played in 54 games with 32 starts from 1991-94, mostly with Denver.




Happy 72nd birthday to Bob McKay
Born Dec 27, 1947 in Seminole, Texas
Patriot OT, 1976-1978; uniform #66
Acquired in trade with Browns on April 8, 1976 for Ron Bolton

Bob McKay spent his first six NFL seasons with Cleveland, primarily as their starting right tackle. He started all 14 games of the 1976 season at that position, as part of an offense that averaged 5.0 yards per carry and rushed for 2,948 yards. McKay then became a swing tackle the next two years; he played in 38 games with 17 starts for the Pats, his final three years in the NFL.




Happy birthday to Whit Canale (1941-2011)
Born Dec 27, 1941 in Sarasota, Florida
Patriot DE/DT, 1968; uniform #67

The older brother of Patriot guard and kicker Justin Canale, Whit played in 13 games for the 1968 Boston Patriots. He was originally a 17th round draft pick by the Steelers in 1965, and also played for the Dolphins.

January 3rd Birthdays


Happy 48th birthday to Charles Johnson
Born Jan 3, 1972 in San Bernardino, California
Patriot WR, 2001; uniform #81
Signed as a veteran free agent on May 31, 2001

Charles Johnson was a first round pick out of Colorado by the Steelers in 1994. He started for five seasons in Pittsburgh and two in Philadelphia before signing with the Patriots. Johnson played 14 games with two starts for the Pats in '01. He had 14 receptions for 111 yards, and two receptions in the AFCCG against the Steelers that postseason.

Johnson was also just the eighth player to catch an NFL touchdown pass from Tom Brady. It came in the second quarter of a November 25 game against the Saints that put the Pats up 20-0; it was Brady's 15th TD pass of the season.

The Pats released Johnson a few weeks after Super Bowl 36, adding Deion Branch and David Givens two months later in the draft. Over nine NFL seasons Charles Johnson caught 354 passes for 4,606 yards and 24 touchdowns.

May 31, 2001: Patriots land Eagles' Johnson, Small | Patriots.com





Happy birthday to Darryl Usher
January 3, 1965 - February 24, 1990
Patriot WR/KR, 1988 off-season
Pats 7th round (181st overall) selection of the 1988 draft, from Illinois

In his rookie season Darryl Usher was placed on IR by the Pats, on Aug 22, 1988. He signed with the Browns early the following offseason, then played with the Chargers and Phoenix Cardinals in 1989.

Following that '89 season Usher began dating a girl in Phoenix named Chiquita Burt. She was at Usher's apartment one evening and called 911 due to concerns about a jealous and possessive former boyfriend, Craig Gardner, who had threatened to kill her. Gardner had stalked her and found Usher's apartment, then climbed in through a window. He tragically shot and killed both Burt and Usher, and then turned the weapon on himself.

Feb 25, 1990: Darryl Usher shot to death in Phoenix | LA Times

In Memory of My Friend Darryl




Other pro football players born on this date with a New England connection:

Mackenzy Bernadeau: January 3, 1986
Born and raised in Waltham, he stayed in his hometown and went to Bentley College. The guard was drafted by the Panthers in the 7th round of the 2008 draft. Bernadeau played in 64 games over seven NFL seasons for Carolina and Dallas.

Dan Sileo: January 3, 1964
Sileo was born in Stamford and went to Stamford Catholic High School. The Bucs selected him in the 1987 supplemental draft, and he played 10 games for Tampa Bay that year. For the last twenty years he has worked as a highly opinionated sports talk radio host in various southern markets, most recently in San Diego.

Gerry Zawadzkas: January 3, 1946 - September 3, 2008
Zawadzkas was born and raised in Torrington CT, and then went to Columbia University. He was a 16th round draft pick by the Lions in 1967, appearing in two games. While there he also had a bit part in the film Paper Lion. The tight end then put his Ivy League education to use, and got a master's degree in physics from City College of New York. Zawadzkas worked with lasers at the Exxon Research Center in New Jersey. He moved to Albuquerque in 1978 to work in nuclear and radiation research for Sandia National Laboratories before retiring in 2003.

Tom Whelan: January 3, 1894 - June 26, 1957
Whelan was born and raised in Lynn, and went to Lynn English High School and Worcester Academy. He played end, center and guard for the 1919-1920 Canton Bulldogs and 1921 Cleveland Tigers in the APFA (before it became known as the NFL). Whelan also played pro baseball, as a first baseman for the 1920 Boston Braves. Whelan later returned to Lynn where he became a coach, athletic director and principal of Lynn English High School.




Others born today include both Eli Manning and David Tyree (!), quarterbacks Jim Everett and DeShone Kizer.... and my brother: Happy Birthday Larry!




January 3, 2000:
Pete Carroll is fired as head coach of the New England Patriots.

January 3, 2000:
Bill Belichick was named head coach of the New York Jets, replacing Bill Parcells.

(My seventh grade English teacher would call this news foreshadowing.)

January 4, 2000:
This decision of course set the wheels in motion for Bill Belichick to become the head coach of the New England Patriots.








Remember When: Bill Belichick quit as 'HC of the NYJ' after one day


Marking the anniversary of Bill Belichick quitting the Jets after a single day | Boston.com

Sunday January 4, 1987 at 4:00
1986 AFC Divisional Round Game at Mile High
Denver Broncos 22, New England Patriots 17
Head Coaches: Raymond Berry, Dan Reeves
Quarterbacks: Tony Eason, John Elway
Odds: Denver favored by 4
Patriots finish 11-6
Broncos improve to 12-5; advance to AFCCG at Cleveland


The Broncos scored on a long pass that could have been called for offensive pass interference to come from behind in the second half to win. Tony Eason was sacked in the end zone with less than two minutes to play, killing any last hope for a Patriot comeback of their own.



Stanley Morgan caught three passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Patriot offense. Mosi Tatupu tossed the football back to Eason, who threw a 45-yard touchdown to Morgan with 2:50 to play in the third quarter. That gave the Pats a 17-13, but Denver came right back with a long touchdown pass of their own.

Don Blackmon was flagged for being offsides, giving Denver a free play with no whistles blown. With nothing to lose John Elway threw a deep ball on a post pattern, which was slightly underthrown. Bronco receiver Vance Johnson came back for the ball and in doing so pushed off on cornerback Ernest Gibson, catching the pass and falling into the end zone for the score - and a 20-17 Denver lead.

Denver was able to rush better than they had all season despite missing their starting running back, racking up 188 yards on the ground. That led to a 23-12 disparity in first downs as the Patriot offense spent most of the game watching from the sideline. The Broncos ran 21 more offensive plays than the Patriots, controlling the ball for 35:29. In the second half the Patriot offense was on the field for less than ten minutes (20:20 to 9:40).

The Patriots were able to keep the score close thanks in part to two interceptions off Elway, by Rod McSwain and Johnny Rembert. But too many Patriot drives were extinguished due to Tony Eason taking six sacks.

One week later Elway - who was just 13-32 in this game - would engineer The Drive in the historical overtime victory against Cleveland in the AFC Championship Game.






Broncos Oust Pats | Harvard Crimson



Broncos defeat Patriots | New York Times



Late safety secured the Broncos' playoff win over Patriots | Denver Post



Broncos beat Patriots, head to Cleveland for AFCCG | Denver Post

Saturday January 4, 2020 at 8:15
2019 AFC Wild Card Game at Gillette
Tennessee Titans 20, New England Patriots 13
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Ryan Tannehill
Odds: New England favored by 4½
Pats finish 12-5
Titans improve to 10-7




January 4, 1991:
New CEO Sam Jankovich fires head coach Rod Rust. The Pats finished 1990 with a 1-15 record and a negative 265 point differential, distracted all season by the Lisa Olson incident.

Happy 47th birthday to Lamont Warren
Born January 4, 1973 in Indianapolis
Patriot RB, 1999; uniform #27
Acquired as a veteran free agent on April 12, 1999

Lamont Warren was originally a 6th round pick out of Colorado in 1994. During those five seasons he played in 61 games with six starts, scoring six touchdowns as a backup to Marshall Faulk. Warren played one season with the Pats, playing in all 16 games. As the third option at running back behind Terry Allen and Kevin Faulk he rushed for 120 yards, and caught 29 passes for 262 yards and one touchdown. Warren later spent two seasons with Detroit, finishing his career with 2,192 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns in 96 regular season games, plus 133 yards rushing in four playoff games. Lamont Warren is now a coach at Football University, a private training camp for middle and high school football players.






Happy 47th birthday to Ray Mickens
Born Jan 4, 1973 in Frankfurt, Germany
Patriot CB, 2006; uniform #38
Signed as a veteran free agent on Dec 4, 2006

Ray Mickens was 33 years old when the Pats signed him to replace Eugene Wilson, who went on IR with a hamstring injury. Mickens played in the final four regular season games as well as all three playoff games, as a slot corner and nickel back. He was originally a third round pick by the Jets in 1996, out of Texas A&M. He played in 146 games over 11 NFL seasons with the Jets, Browns and Patriots.

In his post-NFL life Mickens became a successful entrepreneur, now operating several airport-located restaurants, coffee shops and bars in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.




Happy 47th birthday to Todd Sauerbrun
Born January 4, 1973 in Setauket, New York
Patriot punter, 2006; uniform #18
Signed as a veteran free agane on Dec 22, 2006

The Patriots signed the 33 year old veteran after Josh Miller and then Ken Walter went on injured reserve, with two weeks remaining in the 2006 regular season. Sauerbrun averaged 40.8 yards on ten regular season punts, and 44.4 on 14 punts in three playoff games. On five punts against the Colts in the AFCCG he averaged 51.4 yards.

The contract with the Patriots included an option for the Patriots to match any other team's offer for the 2007 season. Denver signed Sauerbrun the following April and the Pats opted to match that offer. A grievance was filed with the player's union and Sauerbrun was allowed to be considered a free agent, and he signed with the Broncos.

The Bears had originally drafted Sauerbrun in the second round of the 1995 draft. He handled both punting and kickoff duties for Chicago, Carolina, Kansas City and Denver from 1995 to 2005. Sauerbrun played for the Panthers in Super Bowl 38 against the Pats. He led the NFL in punting average in 2001 and 2002, was a two-time All-Pro and was named to three Pro Bowls. Over his 13 year NFL career Sauerbrun averaged 62.1 yards on 543 kickoffs and 44.1 yards on 889 punts.

Dec 23, 2006: Patriots sign Sauerbrun; veteran brings plenty of ability, baggage | Mike Reiss, Christopher Gasper for boston.com

April 19, 2007: Attorney Calls Pats Ruling First Of Its Kind In NFL | Sports Business Daily




One other New England Birthday:
January 4, 1949: Vince Clements was born in Southington CT
Grew up in Southington and went to UConn
Was a RB with the Giants in 1972-73
Clear Field Ahead for Clements




Some notable pro football players born on this date include:

Johnny Lujack
Garrison Hearst
Derrick Henry
Eric Weddle
George Atkinson

Sun Jan 7, 2007 at 1:00
2006 AFC Wild Card Game at Gillette
New England Patriots 37, New York Jets 16
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Eric Mangini
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Chad Pennington
Odds: New England favored by 9
Pats improve to 13-4; next game is at San Diego
Jets finish the 2006 season 10-7

Key Stats:
3rd Down: Patriots 11-16; Jets 3-11
Turnovers: Patriots 1; Jets 2


Patriots beat Jets 37-16 in AFC Wild Card | Reuters
Patriots ground Jets 37-16
Patriots 37, Jets 16 - Boston.com








Saturday January 7, 2006 at 8:00
2005 AFC Wild Card Game at Gillette
New England Patriots 28, Jacksonville Jaguars 3
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Jack Del Rio
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Byron Leftwich
Odds: New England favored by 8
Pats improve to 11-6; play at Denver the next week
Jacksonville finishes 12-5

The Patriots outscore Jacksonville 21-0 in the second half to advance to the divisional round. Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes, including 63 yarder to Ben Watson to make the score 21-3 late in the third quarter. Jacksonville was driving into New England territory when Asante Samuel intercepted a Byron Leftwich pass on the first play of the fourth quarter and raced down the sideline 73 yards to put the game out of reach.

Key Stats:
3rd Down: Patriots 7-14, Jaguars 1-12
Turnovers: Patriots 0, Jaguars 2
Better to be lucky department: The Patriots fumbled the ball four times, but retained possession all four times.


Patriots Make It A Perfect 10; Brady Has 3 TD Passes for Two-Time Defending Champs: Patriots 28, Jaguars 3 | WaPo

Patriots still have it going on / Brady, McGinest make 10th straight playoff win look easy

Patriots too strong for Jaguars as playoff streak builds - The Boston Globe

Saturday January 8, 1983 at 4:00
1982 AFC Wild Card Game at the Orange Bowl
Miami Dolphins 28, New England Patriots 13
Head Coaches: Ron Meyer, Don Shula
Quarterbacks: Steve Grogan, David Woodley
Odds: Miami favored by 7½
Pats finish the strike-shortened season 5-5
Dolphins improve to 8-2, are home to San Diego the following week


The next two lines sum up this game:

• Miami: 27 first downs, 214 yards rushing, 448 total yards
• Patriots: 14 first downs, 77 yards rushing, 237 total yards

Other key stats:

• Pats TE Don Hasselbeck: 7 receptions, 87 yards, 1 TD
• Mia QB David Woodley: 16-19, 246 yards, 2 TD
• Mia RB Andra Franklin: 26 carries, 112 yards, 1 TD
• Mia RB Tony Nathan: 139 yards from scrimmage

The Pats have never played a game on January 9, but there are six former Patriot players that were born on this date.


Happy 55th birthday to Vincent Brown
Born Jan 9, 1965 in Atlanta
Patriot LB, 1988-1995; uniform #59
Pats 2nd round (43rd overall) selection of the 1988 draft, from Mississippi Valley State

Vincent Brown played in 123 games for the Patriots, missing just five games over his eight years with the Pats. He registered 811 tackles, 16.5 sacks, ten interceptions, seven fumble recoveries, six forced fumbles, and scored two touchdowns. "The Undertaker" led the Patriots in tackles five times, a genuine star player on teams that were not very deep with talent.

Since 2001 Brown has been coaching, mostly at the college level. He spent one season as a linebacker coach with the Dallas Cowboys, and has also been a position coach at the University of Virginia and Richmond, and defensive coordinator at UConn and Howard. Brown is currently the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at William & Mary.



The columnist below doesn't hold back about the treatment Vincent Brown received from Bill Parcells and Bob Kraft:

Brown earned better than he got from Pats | South Coast Today





Happy 63rd birthday to Rick Sanford
Born Jan 9, 1957 in Rock Hill, South Carolina
Patriots safety, 1979-1984; uniform #25
Pats 1st round (25th overall) selection of the 1979 draft, from South Carolina

Rick Sanford did not miss a single game in his six seasons with the Patriots. The Patriots of the early eighties featured an excellent defensive secondary, with Sanford and Tim Fox at safety, and Mike Haynes and Raymond Clayborn at cornerback. Sanford had 16 interceptions, nine fumble recoveries and two touchdowns as a member of the New England Patriots. He now co-hosts an evening sports talk radio show in his native South Carolina.


More Trouble for Ex-Gamecock Great Rick Sanford





Happy 69th birthday to **** Conn
Born Jan 9, 1951 in Louisville, Kentucky
Patriot S/ST, 1975-1979; uniform #22
Signed as a veteran free agent on Nov 26, 1975

**** Conn played in 46 games for the Patriots as a backup safety and special teamer. As a rookie he earned a ring with Pittsburgh in Super Bowl IX, over the Vikings.

Catching up with **** Conn - UGA Sports





Happy 42nd birthday to Chad Johnson
Born Jan 9, 1978 in Miami
Patriot WR, 2011; uniform #85
Acquired in trade with Cincinnati on July 29, 2011 for a 2012 fifth and 2013 sixth round draft pick.

From 2003 to 2207 Ochocinco was one of the best receivers in the NFL, averaging 92 receptions, 1,374 yards receiving and nine touchdowns, and was twice a first team All-Pro. Unfortunately he was past his prime (33 years old) and just didn't have the type of mind that is required to understand the Patriot offense. He caught less than half the balls thrown his way in his one season with the Patriots, totaling just 15 receptions for 276 yards and one touchdown.




Happy 39th birthday to Cedric Cobbs
Born Jan 9, 1981 in Little Rock
Patriot RB, 2004; uniform #34
Pats 4th round (128th overall) selection of the 2004 draft, from Arkansas

Cedric Cobbs played in three games for the Patriots, gaining 50 yards on 22 carries (2.3 ypc), with three first downs and no touchdowns. The 6', 227 pound back was released at the end of training camp in 2005. He was signed by Denver, spending '05 on the Bronco practice squad, missing '06 with an ankle injury, and then being waived at the end of '07 training camp. Cobbs did earn a ring from Super Bowl 39 during his time with the Patriots.

In his post-NFL life Cobbs was arrested for conspiracy to obtain 180 Oxycodone pills by fraud. He faced up to four years in prison but avoided prison time after telling a federal judge that he had been receiving inpatient treatment for CTE.




Happy 34th birthday to Jonathan Compas
Born Jan 9, 1986 in Yorba Linda, California
Patriot center, 2011 offseason; uniform #74
Signed as a free agent on August 3, 2011

The 6'3, 315 pound center from Cal-Davis was signed as an undrafted rookie by the Raiders in 2009, then was with the Tampa Bay organization for most of 2009-2010. He was released as part of final roster cuts on Sept 2, 2011. Jonathan Compas has since worked in the wholesale fuel distribution business, and now is an account executive for a commercial wire manufacturer.




January 9, 1985:
The Patriots announce several hires to new head coach Raymond Berry's staff:
Bobby Grier (running backs)
Dante Scarnecchia (special teams and tight ends)
Ed Khayat (defensive line)
Don Shinnick (linebackers)
Jimmy Carr (defensive backs)
Dean Brittenham (strength and conditioning)




Others born on this date with a New England connection:

Ken McAfee, 64 (Jan 9, 1956)
Brockton High School
After leading Brockton to the state high school football championship, McAfee was a two-time All-American at Notre Dame, and was named the 1977 Walter Camp Player of the Year. He was the 7th overall pick of the 1978 draft by San Francisco.

**** Lucas, 86 (1934)
Born and raised in Southie; South Boston High School; Boston College
Tight end played with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia from 1958-1963, winning a championship in 1960 with Norm Van Brocklin and the Eagles.

James Sheldon (1901-1980)
Williston Seminary (Easthampton MA); Brown University
Was an end for the 1926 Brooklyn Lions.




Some other notable players born on January 9 include:

Bart Starr (1934-2019)
Hall of Fame quarterback won five championship with the Packers, after not being drafted until the 17th round.

Marcus Peters, 27 (1993)
Despite wearing out his welcome with the Chiefs and Rams, the now-Baltimore cornerback has been a first team All-Pro twice in just five seasons.

Robert Newhouse (1950-2014)
Fullback played 14 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, winning one championship and scoring 36 touchdowns.

John Henderson, 41 (1979)
The ninth overall pick of the 2002 draft was a two-time Pro Bowl DT for Jacksonville.

love this thread ... some of the pics you get are pretty dang cool ... the one of Odell Lawton a page back? Nice get ... pics like that? that stuff can be real hard to come by

if you ever come across a pic of bryan wagner in pats gear, jersey # 8 or #9, either or, let me know

Saturday January 10, 2015 at 4:30
2014 AFC Divisional Round Playoff Game at Gillette
New England Patriots 35, Baltimore Ravens 31
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, John Harbaugh
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Joe Flacco
Odds: New England favored by 7
Pats improve to 13-4; next game home vs Colts, who beat Denver 24-13
Baltimore finishes 11-7

The Patriots twice came back from 14 point deficits to defeat the Ravens. This was the game that Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh cried foul over Patriot 'trick' formations. In the post-game Q&A Tom Brady poured gasoline on the fire by answering a question about trick plays with this response:


In my opinion the trick plays - and Brady's comments - were the impetus for the botched frame job a week later, that became the witch hunt known as deflategate.


Baltimore limited the Pats to 14 yards rushing, but Tom Brady set franchise postseason records for completions (33) and yards passing (367). Despite the points allowed the Patriot defense did its part with four interceptions off Joe Flacco.

With the score 28-14 the Pats deployed an unusual formation, keeping only four offensive linemen on the field. TE Michael Hoomanawanui lined up in the traditional left tackle position. The Patriots put two players to the right side of the line of scrimmage, which meant the inside player (Shane Vereen) was ineligible to receive a pass - and Hoomanawanui, who was at the end of the line on the other side - was an eligible receiver.

Hooman caught passes for 16 and 14 yards, with the Baltimore defense in disarray. Harbaugh went ballistic - yet did not call a timeout to gather his team on how to defend the formation. Instead he went on the field and drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, giving the Patriots first and goal. Rob Gronkowski caught a 5-yard TD, and the Pats had cut the Baltimore lead to 28-21.

The Ravens seemed unfocused and went three-and-out on the next series. After getting the ball back Brady connected on short passes to Julian Edelman for 9 yards, and Vereen for 10. On the third play of the drive Brady passed to Jules behind the line of scrimmage. The former college quarterback then hit Danny Amendola for a 51 yard touchdown, and the score was tied.

Harbaugh was absolutely fit to be tied as well. I thought he was going to have a stroke right then and there on the field.

Baltimore settled down somewhat and a Justin Tucker field goal put the Ravens back up by three with just over ten minutes to play. Brady completed eight out of nine passes on the following drive, as well as gaining a first down on a quarterback sneak. The winning points came on a 23 yard touchdown to Brandon LaFell with 5:21 left to play. On the ensuing drive Baltimore drove as far as the New England 36, then Flacco threw his fourth interception - this one snared by Duron Harmon - with 1:46 to play to seal the victory.

NFL says Patriots' formations, reporting were legal | Baltimore Sun








Saturday January 10, 2004 at 8:15
2003 AFC Divisional Round Playoff Game at Gillette
New England Patriots 17, Tennessee Titans 14
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Jeff Fisher
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Steve McNair
Odds: New England Favored by 6
Pats improve to 15-2; next play at home vs Colts, who beat KC 38-31
Tennessee finishes 13-5


The Pats advanced to the AFC Championship game for the third time in four years in a game that is most remembered for its frigid temperature. Adam Vinatieri's 46-yard field goal with 4:11 remaining was the game winner on a Saturday night where temperatures hovered around zero with a wind chill of 14 below. Due to the conditions the Pats lifted their ban on bringing blankets and sleeping bags into the stadium, and free coffee and hot chocolate was made available in the parking lot. There were reports of beer freezing in the stadium before fans could finish drinking their beverage, though that may just be an urban legend.

It was New England’s 13th consecutive win, and they improved to 9-0 at home for the season. The win was Tom Brady's 14th when tied or coming from behind in the 4th quarter in just 47 career starts, and his fifth of the 2003 season. Brady improved his record to 14-1 in games decided by seven or fewer points, and 35-12 for his career overall.

On the first drive Brady completed a pass across the middle to Kevin Faulk for a 19-yard gain, then burnt an early timeout when he was confused by Tennessee’s defensive coverage. The decision to call a timeout proved to be a good one; on the ensuing play Brady found Bethel Johnson open over the top for a 41-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead just four minutes into the game.

After Tennessee tied the score on a 5-yard run by Chris Brown the Pats drive appeared to stall. On a 3rd-and-13 Brady hit Johnson, who then cut back looking for a running lane; Brady threw a key block on the Titans safety and Johnson gained 14 yards on the play for a first down. Later in the drive Brady made a first down on a naked bootleg on a 3rd-and-3; two plays later Antowain Smith scored to give the Pats a 14-7 halftime lead. The score would have been closer if not for Richard Seymour's block of a field goal late in the half.

Tennessee tied the game on an 11-yard pass from Steve McNair to Derrick Mason to make it 14-all heading into the fourth quarter. Brady hit Troy Brown on a 4th-and-3 from the Tennessee 33 to get the ball close enough for Vinatieri's clutch field goal, but there was plenty of time left. McNair drove the Titans to the New England 33 but two penalties left them out of field goal range. The Tennessee quarterback then threw a pass on 4th-and-12 to Drew Bennett who was somehow wide open at the 10-yard-line – but the ball bounced off his hands and fell incomplete. From there the Patriots ran out the clock to advance to the AFC Championship game against Indianapolis.

Credit the Patriot defense, as they harassed McNair all night. Willie McGinest had seven tackles and three sacks; Mike Vrabel had a sack; Rodney Harrison had an interception that led to a touchdown, five tackles, and several hits on McNair; and Tedy Bruschi had nine tackles.

Patriots outlast Titans in frigid playoff test | Boston Globe








Sunday January 10, 2010 at 1:00
2009 AFC Wild Card Game at Gillette
Baltimore Ravens 33, New England Patriots 10
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, John Harbaugh
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Joe Flacco
Odds: New England favored by 4
Pats finish 10-7
Ravens improve to 10-7; lose 20-3 the following week at Indianapolis

A week after losing Wes Welker to a knee injury a week earlier, the Pats came out flat and were run over by the Ravens. Ray Rice rushed for an 83-yard touchdown right up the middle on the game's first play from scrimmage, and things went downhill from there. Tom Brady threw two touchdowns, but also threw three picks and lost a fumble on one of three times he was sacked. This fiasco was a fitting end to a season of discontent and turmoil, and coincidentally the final game of Adalius Thomas' NFL career.



Happy birthday to Mike Montler (1944-2018)
Born January 10, 1944 in Columbus, Ohio
Patriot LG/LT, 1969-1972; uniform #64
Pats 2nd round (32nd overall) selection of the 1969 draft, from Colorado

Mike Montler was a four-season starter with the Patriots, playing in 53 games with 50 starts during that down post-Holovak/pre-Fairbanks era when the head coaches were Clive Rush and John Mazur. Montler was part of a horrible trade with Buffalo when he, Jim Cheyunski and Halvor Hagen were sent to the Bills for three players that even the most die hard of Patriot fans never heard of.

Find A Grave | Mike Montler






Happy 58th birthday to Clarence Weathers
Born January 10, 1962 in Green Pond, South Carolina
Patriot WR, 1983-1984; uniform #82
Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent on July 19, 1983

Clarence Weathers came to visit his brother Robert, who was a running back with the Pats in 1983. Offensive Coordinator Lew Erber saw his athletic ability and signed him as a free agent, even though he had not played any organized football since dropping out of Delaware State as a freshman four years earlier.

Weathers played in all 16 games with the Pats in 1983, but a fractured left foot limited him to the final nine games of 1984. In two years with the Patriots he appeared in 25 games, with 27 catches for 494 yards and 5 touchdowns. Despite all the time missed from college football he ended up playing nine years in the NFL (primarily with the Browns), as a backup receiver and special teams player.




Happy 34th birthday to Mike Rivera
Born January 19, 1986 in Shawnee, Kansas
Patriot LB, 2012; uniform #52
Signed as a free agent on November 9, 2011

The linebacker from the University of Kansas spent parts of 2011 and 2012 on the New England practice squad. He played in the first two games of 2012 for the Pats, was released, and signed with Miami. The Pats re-signed Rivera in October, and he ended up playing ten games that year with one start for the Patriots. Rivera also played in the two 2012-13 postseason games for New England. He was part of cuts at the end of the 2013 training camp, ending his pro football career.

Saturday January 11, 2014 at 8:15
2013 AFC Divisional Round Playoff Game at Gillette
New England Patriots 43, Indianapolis Colts 22
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Chuck Pagano
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Andrew Luck
Odds: New England favored by 7
Patriots improve to 13-4, advance to AFCCG at Denver
Colts finish to 12-6

Key Stats I:
Interceptions: Luck 4, Brady 0

Key Stat II:
Patriots Rushing: 46 attempts, 234 yards, six touchdowns
Colts Rushing: 21 attempts, 69 yards, zero touchdowns

Key Stat III:
Time of Possession: Patriots 35:00, Colts 25:00

Doesn't-matter-even-if-they-know-the-play-call Stat:
LeGarrette Blount took 27 snaps on offense.
Of those 27 snaps he ran the ball 24 times (89%).
Despite this tipping of their hand, Blount ran for 166 yards (6.9 yards per carry), and four touchdowns.






Colts run out of playoffs by Patriots, 43-22 | IndyStar



Run-heavy Patriots end the Colts season with a 43-22 win | Fox59 Indianapolis



Patriots RB LeGarrette Blount broke a few franchise records | CBS Sports



LeGarrette Blount runs for 4 TDs as Patriots clobber Colts | ESPN (AP report)



Rapid Reaction: New England Patriots 43, Indianapolis Colts 22 | ESPN (Mike Reiss)

Happy 70th birthday to John 'Deac' Sanders
Born January 11, 1950 in Chicago
Patriot CB/FS, 1974-76; uniform #25
Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent on April 3, 1974

Although he was born in Chicago, John Sanders grew up in anything but a big city, going to Sunshine Bible Academy for high school and then the University of South Dakota. After graduation he had already started a job as a history teacher, not thinking that an NFL team would be interested in him. Two months after the 1974 draft the Patriots called and signed him to a contract.

Sanders played in 30 games with 24 starts for the Patriots. During that time he had five fumble recoveries and six interceptions, including a pick-six off Earl Morrall his rookie season to give the Patriots a 14-0 lead at Miami.

In '74 he started at cornerback opposite Ron Bolton, with Jack Mildren and Prentice McCray as the safeties. The following season Sanders replaced Mildren as the free safety, with former Charger Bob Howard added at corner.

Sanders went on injured reserve early in '76 due to a strained achilles tendon. He was traded to Philadelphia on September 6, 1977 for an 8th round pick in the 1978 draft. Knee injuries and surgeries ended his NFL career in 1979.

New England Patriots
In his post-NFL career John Sanders opened a financial services company that he still runs today with his family, in Jackson, Mississippi.

Where Are They Now? - John Sanders







Happy 32nd birthday to Jordan Devey
Born January 11, 1988 in American Fork, Utah
Patriot OL, 2013-14; uniform #65
Signed as a free agent to the practice squad on September 3, 2013

Jordan Devey was originally signed as an undrafted rookie out of Memphis by the Ravens in 2013. The Pats added him to their practice squad after Baltimore released him at the end of training camp. Devey spent all of 2013 on the practice squad, then played in seven games with four starts for the Pats in 2014, filling in when injuries sidelined Dan Connolly and Ryan Wendell.

The Patriots traded Devey to San Francisco on August 19, 2015 for TE Asante Cleveland. From 2016-2018 he was with the Chiefs, then played for Oakland in 2019. Devey has played in 43 games with 12 starts, plus one playoff game for the Chiefs. He received a ring with the Pats for Super Bowl 49 versus Seattle.

Patriots re-sign FB James Develin, add OT Jordan Devey to practice squad

Patriots Trade Jordan Devey To San Francisco For TE Asante Cleveland

Ex-Pat Jordan Devey - he of the tuba - returns with KC

Jordan Devey





Happy 51st birthday to Darren Anderson
Born January 11, 1969 in Cincinnati
Patriot CB, 1992; uniform #25
Pats 4th round (93rd overall) selection of the 1992 draft, from Toledo

Darren Anderson was waived after his rookie training camp, and immediately re-signed to the practice squad. He played in one game for the Pats, returned to the practice squad, and was then released on October 28, 1992.

After that Anderson played as a special teams player and backup for the Bucs, Chiefs and Falcons. Over seven NFL seasons he played in 74 games with six starts, two interceptions and one touchdown. Anderson worked as a regional scout for the Detroit Lions

According to his LinkedIn page, Anderson is a Vice President/Market Sales Manager at Huntington National Bank in Cincinnati, since 2006. Wikipedia claims that Anderson was a regional scout for the Detroit Lions from 2014-2016, but I'm not sure why a bank VP would want that gig... seems like one of those two pages needs to be updated.




Happy 46th birthday to Dana Cottrell
Born January 11, 1974 in Boston
Patriot LB, 1998; uniform #45
Signed as a free agent on February 2, 1998

Dana Cottrell is a New England native, who went to Billerica High School. He was undrafted from Syracuse University, spending the 1997 offseason with Cincinnati and Jacksonville. Cottrell played in the final three games of the '98 season for the Patriots, including the playoff loss to the Jaguars.

In his post-NFL career Cottrell has worked in the financial industry.

Dana Cottrell | MetLife





Two others with New England area connections:

Ryan Griffin, 30 (1990)
Born in Londonderry NH; Londonderry High School; University of Connecticut
The tight end was a 6th round pick by Houston in 2013. After six seasons with the Texans, Griffin played for the Jets in 2019. The 6'6, 255 pounder has played in 90 games with 49 starts and 12 touchdowns.


Jack Triggs (1903-1951)
Born, raised and died in Brockton; Brockton High School; Providence College
Fullback for the Providence Steam Roller.




Other pro football players born on January 11 include:

Paddy Driscoll (1895-1968)
Hall of Fame halfback and kicker for the Chicago Cardinals and Chicago Bears was a six-time All Pro. Paddy was the NFL all-time career leader in extra points until 1931, in total points scored up till 1942, and in field goals for 28 years, all the way to 1951.

Richmond Webb, 53 (1967)
The Miami Dolphin left tackle was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first seven seasons, and played in 184 games from 1990 to 2002.

Freddie Solomon (1953-2012)
Wide receiver scored 52 touchdowns from 1975-85, winning two Super Bowls with the 49ers.

Ray Pelfrey (1928-2017)
Became famous for his innovative punting and kicking camps, and his patented kicking shoes.

jmt57 said:

Happy 70th birthday to John 'Deac' Sanders
Born January 11, 1950 in Chicago
Patriot CB/FS, 1974-76; uniform #25
Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent on April 3, 1974

Click to expand...

Deac Sanders, on the left, trying to take down The Juice ... 10/20/74

Sunday January 12, 1986 at 4:00
1985 AFC Championship Game, at the Orange Bowl
New England Patriots 31, Miami Dolphins 14
Head Coaches: Raymond Berry, Don Shula
Quarterbacks: Tony Eason, Dan Marino
Odds: Miami favored by 5½

- Patriots win the AFC, improve to 14-5 and advance to Super Bowl 20.
- Dolphins drop to 13-5 and are denied a Super Bowl, and rematch with Bears. Miami was the only team to defeat Chicago that season, keeping the Fins 1972 17-0 season intact.
- Dolphins have not been AFC champs since 1984; they are 6-11 in the playoffs since this game. - Miami last won a playoff game on December 30, 2000.















Key Stat I
Turnovers: Miami 6, New England 2
(Fumble recoveries by Julius Adams, Greg Hawthorne, Garin Veris and Lester Williams; interceptions by Raymond Clayborn and Fred Marion)

Key Stat II
Pats Rushing: 59 for 255 yards
Craig James, Robert Weathers and Tony Collins combined for 253 yards on 50 carries.
Miami Rushing: 13 for 68 yards
[Key Stat 2-B, Time of Possession: Pats 39:51, Dolphins 20:09; Pats held the ball for 19 minutes and 42 seconds more than Miami!]


Squish the Fish: 1985 Patriots run one of the greatest in NFL history | Boston.com

Don't forget 'Squishing the fish'

Raymond Clayborn remembers Patriots teammates in Hall of Fame induction – Boston Herald

jmt57 said:

Today In Patriots History
Squish the Fish Game​

Sunday January 12, 1986 at 4:00
1985 AFC Championship Game, at the Orange Bowl
New England Patriots 31, Miami Dolphins 14
Head Coaches: Raymond Berry, Don Shula
Quarterbacks: Tony Eason, Dan Marino
Odds: Miami favored by 5½

- Patriots win the AFC, improve to 14-5 and advance to Super Bowl 20.
- Dolphins drop to 13-5 and are denied a Super Bowl, and rematch with Bears. Miami was the only team to defeat Chicago that season, keeping the Fins 1972 17-0 season intact.
- Dolphins have not been AFC champs since 1984; they are 6-11 in the playoffs since this game. - Miami last won a playoff game on December 30, 2000.

​

Key Stat I
Turnovers: Miami 6, New England 2
(Fumble recoveries by Julius Adams, Greg Hawthorne, Garin Veris and Lester Williams; interceptions by Raymond Clayborn and Fred Marion)

Key Stat II
Pats Rushing: 59 for 255 yards
Craig James, Robert Weathers and Tony Collins combined for 253 yards on 50 carries.
Miami Rushing: 13 for 68 yards
[Key Stat 2-B, Time of Possession: Pats 39:51, Dolphins 20:09; Pats held the ball for 19 minutes and 42 seconds more than Miami!]


Squish the Fish: 1985 Patriots run one of the greatest in NFL history | Boston.com

Don't forget 'Squishing the fish'

Raymond Clayborn remembers Patriots teammates in Hall of Fame induction – Boston Herald

Click to expand...

one of the greatest wins in Pats History

Sunday January 12, 1997 at 4:00
1996 AFC Championship Game at Foxboro Stadium
New England Patriots 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 6
Head Coaches: Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin
Quarterbacks: Drew Bledsoe, Mark Brunell
Odds: Patriots were favored by 7½
- Patriots improve to 13-5 to win the AFC, and advance to Super Bowl 31 in New Orleans vs Green Bay.
- Jacksonville had upset Buffalo and then #1 seed Denver to advance to AFCCG in just their second NFL season; the Jaguars finished with a record of 11-8.

Key Stat: Turnovers
Jaguars 4 (Brunell had two picks, and lost a fumble); Patriots 2.

As a result Pats were able to overcome their offense converting just two of 13 third down opportunities. The Jacksonville defense was strong, limiting Curtis Martin to 59 yards rushing on 19 carries.







Click the link below for a very well detailed account of the game:

Patriots' Defense Freezes Out Upstart Jaguars, 20-6 | Washington Post



Memorable Moments: 1996 AFC Championship | Patriots.com Video






Saturday January 12, 2008 at 8:15
2007 Divisional Round Game at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 31, Jacksonville Jaguars 20
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Jack Del Rio
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, David Garrard
Odds: Patriots were favored by 13½
Patriots improve to 17-0; next up is AFCCG vs San Diego
Jacksonville finishes season with a 12-6 record

Key Stat: Incomplete Passes (2)
Brady was 26-28 for 262 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int, 1 sack (-4 yards) and a 141.4 passer rating.





Patriots claw past Jaguars to open playoffs | The Boston Globe



Still Perfect, and Passing Game Almost Is | New York Times



Jaguars vs. Patriots - Game Recap - January 12, 2008 - ESPN

Watch Jacksonville vs New England [1/12/2008] | NFL.com

jmt57 said:

Click to expand...

great photo, great fans...there were so many that day in Miami...finally an happy moment...

Happy 41st birthday to Jarvis Green
Born January 12, 1979 in Thibodaux, Louisiana
Patriot DE, 2002-2009; uniform #97
Pats 4th round (126th overall) pick in the 2002 draft, from LSU

Jarvis Green ranks 12th all-time in franchise history with 28 sacks. He played in 121 regular season games with 233 tackles, nine forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and four pass deflections.

The Patriots went 11-4 in 15 postseason games with Jarvis Green. He had five sacks and 27 tackles in the playoffs, with three tackles for a loss. Green earned rings for his play in Super Bowls 38 and 39.

After a knee injury in 2009 and subsequent surgery, Green lost some acceleration and his football career was over. At the time he retired Green ranked seventh (now 14th) all time for the Patriots with 24 tackles for a loss. In his post-NFL career he opened a wholesale shrimp business called Oceans97.






Former Patriot Jarvis Green brings business to Boston

Jarvis Green recalls Bill Belichick's blunt post-draft advice | boston.com

'Don't call me Bubba': How former NFL player Jarvis Green learned shrimping from scratch | Sporting News

Ex-Pats' Jarvis Green hopes to supply the country with shrimp from the Gulf | Providence Journal

Former Patriot Jarvis Green Dives Into The Shrimp Business | Metro West




Happy 39th birthday to Dan Klecko
Born January 12, 1981 in Colts Neck, New Jersey
Patriot DT, 2003-2005; uniform #90
Pats 4th round (117th overall) pick in the 2003 draft, from Temple

Dan Klecko played in 29 regular season games for the Patriots, with three starts. He earned rings from Super Bowls 38 and 39, then received a third in SB 41 when the Colts beat the Bears. Over six NFL seasons Klecko played in 63 regular season games and eight playoff games for New England, Indianapolis and Philadelphia.

Klecko now works with a financial investment firm that includes a division that focuses on professional entertainers and athletes. He also handles pre and post game analyst duties for the Eagles radio network. His father Joe played defensive end in the NFL from 1977-88, going to four Pro Bowls.


Dan Klecko Following In His Father's Footsteps

Dan Klecko savors gift of grabbing passes from Tom Brady and Peyton Manning | Fox Sports

Dan Klecko | Peter Grandich and Company






Happy 70th birthday to Neil Graff
Born January 12, 1950 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Patriot QB 1974-1975; uniform #15

Neil Graff was originally a 16th round (414th overall) selection of the 1972 draft by the Vikings, out of Wisconsin. He spent '72 on the Minnesota taxi squad, then went back to college in 1973. The Patriots then signed Graff as a free agent in 1974.

He started the first two games of the 1975 season for the Patriots , a 7-0 loss to the Oilers and a 22-14 loss to Miami. The quarterback went 18-35 for 221 yards, with two touchdowns (to Randy Vataha and Russ Francis) and three picks.

Graff was starting due to a combination of factors. Jim Plunkett had separated his shoulder in the preseason on a blindside hit by San Diego defensive end Coy Bacon, and was unable to play. Rookie Steve Grogan was already a fan favorite, but was still far too raw to start. The relationship between Chuck Fairbanks and Plunkett was not good at all, and Plunkett's skill set did not match Fairbanks' vision of the offense. Plunkett was rushed back too soon, Grogan eventually took over - and with the benefit of hindsight, it is no surprise at all that the 1975 Patriots finished 3-11, after a very promising 1974 season when they went 7-7.

On April 30, 1976 the Seattle Seahawks took Graff as part of the expansion draft. He also later spent time with Pittsburgh and Green Bay.



An Original Seahawk by way of New England: Neil Graff's start did not go unnoticed | New York Times

South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame - Neil Graff



Neil Graff at United Planners Financial Services



Whatever Happened To: Former NFL Quarterback Neil Graff | Argus Leader


Sioux Falls family suing children's hospital for treatment of autistic son | Argus Leader




Happy 73rd birthday to Onree Jackson
Born January 12, 1947; from Brighton, Alabama
Patriot QB, 1969 offseason
Pats 5th round (110th overall) selection of the 1969 draft, from Alabama A&M

6'5 Onree Jackson was a three year starting quarterback in college and two-time conference MVP. He was the first franchise's first African American quarterback and first quarterback to be drafted by the NFL from a historically black college or university as a QB. (Pete Hall was drafted to play end and Eldridge ****ey to be a wide receiver; Willie Thrower and Sandy Stephens were undrafted. Jim Harris was selected three rounds later by Buffalo from Grambling. He would become the first African American to begin the season as a starting quarterback in the NFL.)

Player Personnel Director Rommie Loudd said that 'Jackson could be the Willie Mays of pro football'. However new Patriot head coach Clive Rush wanted everything to be like it was the previous year with the Jets, often telling Jackson 'Joe (Namath) wouldn't do that'. He chose to make Jet backup Mike Taliaferro the starting quarterback and went so far to say that Jackson ''was behind three other quarterbacks''. The Pats would go 5-16 before Rush was fired.

Jackson was waived before the season began and never returned to the NFL. He played briefly for the minor league Alabama Hawks then spent the rest of his working life as a football coach and teacher in Huntsville, Alabama.