Today in Patriots History

Sunday January 13, 2013 at 4:30
2012 AFC Divisional Round Playoff Game at Gillette
New England Patriots 41, Houston Texans 28
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Gary Kubiak
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Matt Schaub
Odds: Patriots favored by 9½
Pats improve to 14-4; next up is AFCCG vs Baltimore
Texans finish 13-5

This was a rematch of the Letterman Jacket Game from six weeks earlier. The Pats held a slim 17-13 halftime lead, then broke the game open in the third quarter. New England went 69 yards on seven plays on the opening drive of the second half, upping the lead to 24-13 on an 8-yard Stevan Ridley run.

Two possessions later the Texans once again drove to the Patriot 37, but Schaub was intercepted by Rob Ninkovich at the 31. Less than three minutes later the Patriots scored on Brandon Lloyd's 5-yard touchdown catch, making the score 31-13. This was Brady's 40th career playoff touchdown pass, making him only the third player with that many in the postseason.

On their next drive, very early in the 4th quarter, Houston went for it on 4th-and-1 from their own 33 - but Schaub's long pass fell incomplete. On the very next play Brady hit Shane Vereen on a 33-yard touchdown pass. It was Vereen's third touchdown of the day, putting the game away with a 38-13 lead.

Houston did come back to trim the lead to 38-28 with 5:11 remaining, but Ninkovich recovered the ensuing onside kick after multiple bounces. The Pats held the ball for nearly four minutes before Stephen Gostkowski connected on a 38 yard field goal for the final score.

Ridley finished 82 yards rushing, averaging 5.5 yards per carry with one touchdown. Brady spread the ball effectively between Wes Welker (eight catches for 131 yards), Aaron Hernandez (six for 85 yards) and Vereen (five for 83 yards and two touchdowns).

With the victory Tom Brady became the winningest quarterback in NFL playoff history with his 17th postseason win, breaking a tie with Joe Montana. The game was also the 450th win (regular season and playoffs) in Pats franchise history. The victory put the Patriots into the AFCCG for the ninth time in franchise history, and a rematch of the 2011 title game (as well as a rematch of Week 3) with the Baltimore Ravens.

Tom Brady wins QB-record 17th playoff game as Pats advance | ESPN

Patriots 41, Texans 28 | Chicago Tribune

NFL.com Highlight Video






Saturday January 13, 2018 at 8:15
2017 AFC Divisional Round Playoff Game at Gillette
New England Patriots 35, Tennessee Titans 14
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Mike Mularkey
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Marcus Mariota
Odds: Patriots favored by 13½
Pats improve to 14-4; face Jacksonville next in AFCCG
Titans finish 10-8

The Patriot defense led the way, sacking Mariota eight times to set a franchise playoff record. Tennessee RB Derrick Henry had rushed for 156 yards the previous week against KC, but the Pats limited him to just 28 yards on 12 carries.

The defense forced three straight 3-and-outs (all for negative yardage) to open the second half, with the Patriots then going on two long scoring drives that chewed up over 11 minutes off the clock to put the game away.

Tom Brady passed for 337 yards and three touchdowns; it was his 10th career postseason game with at least three TD passes, moving him past Joe Montana for the most in NFL history. Danny Amendola led the Patriots with 11 catches for 112 yards.




Patriots beat Titans 35-14 to head back to AFC title game | ESPN

New England wins in rout to advance to 7th straight AFC title game | weei.com

Patriots beat Titans 35-14 to head back to AFC championship game | LA Times

Patriots 35, Titans 14: Tom Brady dices Tennessee defense | tennesseean.com




Sunday January 13, 2019 at 1:00
2018 AFC Divisional Round Playoff Game at Gillette
New England Patriots 41, Los Angeles Chargers 28
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Anthony Lynn
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Philip Rivers
Odds: Patriots favored by 4½
Pats improve to 12-5; next game at Kansas City
Chargers finish 13-5

Sony Michel ran for 129 yards and three touchdowns as the Pats jumped out to a 35-7 halftime lead, cruising to their eighth straight AFC championship game.

Tom Brady went 34-444 for 343 yards, James White tied an NFL playoff record with 15 receptions, and Julian Edelman had 151 yards on nine catches.

The Patriots scored touchdowns on their first four possessions before the Chargers forced a three-and-out. But the punt was muffed and after a challenge it was New England's ball on the 35. Four plays later the Pats scored again, making the score 35-7.




5 Takeaways from the Patriots' eye-opening obliteration of the Chargers | Boston.com

Patriots Dominate Chargers to Reach A.F.C. Championship Game | New York Times

The biggest takeaways from the Patriots’ 41-28 win over Chargers | Washington Post

Happy 65th birthday to Dwight Wheeler
Born January 13, 1955 in Memphis, Tennessee
Patriot OT, 1978-1983; uniform #62
Pats 4th round (102nd overall) selection of the 1978 draft, from Tennessee State

Dwight 'Wimpy" Wheeler had the unenviable task of replacing the great Leon Gray in 1979. Billy Sullivan held a grudge against Gray for a prior contract holdout, and in the 1979 offseason traded the 27 year old All Pro to Houston for a bag of money and a couple of draft picks. Gray continued to perform at an elite level with the Oilers, while the Patriot run blocking and pass protection regressed without him on the line.

Wheeler spent three seasons as the Patriot starting left tackle (1979-81), and three more as a backup lineman. He played in 72 games for New England with 40 starts.




Happy 57th birthday to Rico Corsetti
Born January 13, 1963 in Newton, Massachusetts
Patriot LB, 1987; uniform #93

Enrico Corsetti is a local guy who was able to play for the team he grew up rooting for. He went to Belmont Hill High School and Bates College in Maine, then was able to play two of the replacement player games during the player strike in 1987.




Happy 58th birthday to Eric Stokes
Born January 13, 1962 in Derby, Connecticut
Patriot center, 1987; uniform #78

Like Corsetti, Stokes was another local who had an opportunity to join the Patriots as a replacement player; he is credited with one start. Stokes was originally a sixth round draft pick by the Bengals in 1985, out of Northeastern.




There are also two Patriot draft picks born on this date, who chose the NFL over the AFL:

Jim Bradshaw, 81 (1939)
Pats 20th round (158th overall) selection of the 1963 draft, from Tennessee-Chattanooga
Played in 62 games over five seasons at safety and punt returner for Pittsburgh.

Clarence Childs, 82 (1938)
Pats 20th round (155th overall) selection of the 1961 draft, from Florida A&M
CB/HB/KR played in 59 games in the sixties, mostly with the Giants.



One draft-trade birthday today:
Doug Martin, 31 (1989)
In 2012 the Patriots traded their first round pick (31st overall) and a fourth to move up to #25, where they selected Dont'a Hightower. Denver then traded the 1.31 pick to Tampa, who chose the running back from Boise State.




January 13, 2009:
Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli is hired as General Manager of the Kansas City Chiefs.

January 13, 2010:
Linebacker Junior Seau retires.

jmt57 said:

Sullivan Stadium was packed to the gills as the Patriot faithful hoped to cheer their team into the playoffs.

Click to expand...

I was there. A historic day. Lots of fun.

jmt57 said:

Steve Grogan replaced an injured Tony Eason in the second quarter and threw two fourth quarter touchdowns for the comeback victory. Grogan had also scored a third quarter touchdown on a seven yard run to tie the score at 20.

Click to expand...

Steve played some of his best football in 1985 and 1986.

He was to us then what Brady is to us now.

jmt57 said:

But too many Patriot drives were extinguished due to Tony Eason taking six sacks.

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Steve Grogan, who won the division for us, starts, we win and advance.

jmt57 said:

“To me,” said Berry,” it was just one of those games that goes back and forth and is going to go down to the wire and we’d end up winning. My only surprise is that we didn’t.”

Click to expand...

Absolutely no surprise to me. Start Eason, lose. Start Grogan, win. Like always.

Remembering one of the greatest forgotten plays in Patriots history | Boston.com




Saturday January 14, 2006 at 8:15
2005 AFC Divisional Round Game at Invesco Field
Denver Broncos 27, New England Patriots 13
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Mike Shanahan
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Jake Plummer
Odds: Broncos favored by 3
Patriots finish 11-5, ending hopes for a three-peat
Broncos improve to 14-3; move on to AFCCG vs Pittsburgh

Denver was leading 10-6 late in the third quarter when the Patriots started a drive at their own 22 following a punt. On the first three plays Tom Brady completed passes of 33 yards to Troy Bown, 26 yards to Deion Branch, and nine yards to David Givens. Corey Dillon ran five yards off left tackle on the following play to give the Patriots a first and goal at the five yard line.

A false start, a five yard completion to Branch and an incomplete pass to Givens set up third and goal at the five. On a safety blitz Brady rolled to his right and threw off his back foot for Troy, not getting enough zip on the ball. Champ Bailey stepped in front for the interception. With the line of scrimmage so close to the pick, it only took a few steps for him to be past most would-be tacklers. Kevin Faulk had a chance at the 45, but Bailey side stepped him and had a clear path for the end zone.

Then Watson made his famous effort play - but what usually gets lost in the story is the fact that the Patriots should have got the ball back, rather than Denver scoring from the one-yard line to take a commanding 17-6 lead.

Click below for four tell-tale still photos:
What if Ben Watson's play against Denver was called correctly?

Clearly the ball went of bounds in the end zone (and not the one yard line), which would have given the Patriots possession at the twenty, with the score still 10-6. Whether or not the Pats would have used that play as an emotional lift to victory is impossible to say.

The reality is they made bad plays near the end of the first half that cost them ten points. A Kevin Falk fumble gave Denver the ball at the New England 40, and on the next play Asante Samuel had a bad pass interference giving the Broncos first down at the one, leading to a touchdown. Ellis Hobbs fumbled the ensuing kickoff, gifting Denver with another three points. Then early in the fourth quarter Adam Vinatieri missed a 43 yard field goal, followed Troy Brown muffing a punt. Three plays late Denver scored another touchdown, and the Broncos had an 18 point lead.


10 years later, Bailey thinks Belichick may have been right | NBC Sports Boston

Sunday January 14, 2007 at 4:30
2006 AFC Divisional Round Game at Qualcomm Stadium
New England Patriots 24, San Diego Chargers 21
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Marty Schottenheimer
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Philip Rivers
Odds: Chargers favored by 5
Patriots improve to 14-4; head to #3 Indy for AFCCG
Chargers finish 14-3




The number four seed New England Patriots knocked off the team with the NFL's best record, 24-21 in San Diego. The Chargers were extremely confident - perhaps overconfident - and seemed to be in denial, unable to grasp the reality they had lost to a better team that day.

The one iconic play in this game happened with 6:20 left to play, and San Diego leading 21-13. The Patriots were facing a 4th-and-5 on the Charger 41 yard line. The pass was intercepted by Marlon McCree, who could have either just knocked the pass down, or fall to the ground with the ball to put the Charger offense on the field. Instead he attempted to run with the ball even though there was little daylight. Troy Brown made the game-saving play, knocking the ball out of McCree's hands and recovering the fumble himself.

With a fresh set of downs and renewed confidence the Pats quickly scored against a demoralized and unfocused Charger defense. On the extra point attempt the snap went to Kevin Faulk, who was standing next to Brady, and he quickly burst up the middle for two points to tie the score.

The Patriot defense forced a three and out, then a 49-yard completion to Reche Caldwell set up Stephen Gostkowski's game winning 31 yard field goal with 1:14 to play. San Diego was able to move into New England territory, but Nate Kaeding's 52 yard field goal attempt went wide.



After the game was over league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson had to be restrained, and complained incessantly about the Patriots mocking Shawne Merriman by mimicking his lights-out dance. LT whined that the Patriot celebration was not 'classy'. What a hypocrite! In other words it is okay for Merriman to mock an opposing team, but when the shoe is on the other foot he cries foul? The Patriots would have never done that if not for the steroid abuser Merriman's childish antics first. Memo to Tomlinson: people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.


Live Game Blog | The Fifth Down

Crafty Brady fuels Pats' comeback win over Chargers | AP/espn

jmt57 said:

Billy Sullivan held a grudge against Gray for a prior contract holdout, and in the 1979 offseason traded the 27 year old All Pro to Houston for a bag of money and a couple of draft picks.

Click to expand...

"...Is that a **** move?...Okay, kind of a **** move..."

"Oh, and I get to stab Hannah in the back, too! 'Your best friend is GONE! GONZO! BYE-BYE!' Ha. I'm the boss. Not Fairbanks. I call the shots. Maybe I'm a racist after all..."

Saturday January 14, 2012 at 8:15
2011 AFC Divisional Round Game at Gillette
New England Patriots 45, Denver Broncos 10
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, John Fox
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Tim Tebow
Odds: Patriots favored by 13½
Patriots improve to 14-3; advance to AFCCG vs Ravens
Broncos finish 9-9

Broncos vs. Patriots: Tom Brady ties playoff record as New England shreds Tim Tebow and Denver | Washington Post



Tom Brady fuels record night as Pats end Tim Tebow's run with rout | AP/espn









Saturday January 14, 2017 at 8:15
2016 AFC Divisional Round Game at Gillette
New England Patriots 34, Houston Texans 16
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Bill O'Brien
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Brock Osweiler
Odds: Patriots favored by 16
Patriots improve to 15-2; advance to AFCCG vs Pittsburgh
Texans finish 10-8

Dion Lewis scored three different ways - on a 13 yard pass reception, on a 98 yard kickoff, and on a one yard run - as the Patriots defeated Houston to advance to the AFC championship game against the Steelers.

The defense limited the Texans to three points in the second half, thanks to interceptions by Devin McCourty, Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon. Julian Edelman had eight receptions for 137 yards. In doing so he broke a franchise record held by Wes Welker for career postseason catches, with 76. Meanwhile Tom Brady was held in check, going 18-38 for 287 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.



Happy 36th birthday to Brandon Meriweather
Born Jan 14, 1984 in Apopka, Florida
Patriot safety 2007-2010; uniform #31
Pats 1st round (24th overall) selection of the 2007 draft, from Miami




Happy 48th birthday to Kyle Brady
Born Jan 14, 1972 in New Cumberland, PA
Patriot TE, 2007; uniform #88
Signed as a free agent on March 3, 2007




Happy birthday to Mel West (1939-2003)
Born Jan 14, 1939 in Columbia, MO
Patriot HB, 1961; uniform #24
Pats 11th round (82nd overall) selection of the 1961 draft, from Missouri




Happy 60th birthday to Joaquin Zendejas
Born Jan 14, 1960 in Curimeo, Mexico
Patriot kicker, 1983; uniform #2
Signed Dec 6, 1983




Happy 28th birthday to James O'Shaughnessy
Born Jan 14, 1992 in Naperville, Illinois
Patriot TE, 2017 offseason; uniform #88
Acquired on April 29, 2017 with a 6th round pick from Chiefs, for a 5th round draft pick




January 14, 1991:
Patriots hire Joe Collier as defensive coordinator, and Charlie West as defensive backs coach.

January 14, 2010:
Defensive coordinator Dean Pees resigns following a 33-7 wild card loss to Baltimore.




Others born on this date with a New England connection:

Frank Varrichione (1932-2018)
Born in Natick; Natick High School
OT was the #6 overall pick of the 1955 draft and went to five Pro Bowls with the Steelers and Rams.

Terry Wooden, 53 (1967)
Born in Hartford; Farmington HS
LB played for nine years, seven with Seattle; he led the NFL in solo tackles in 1995.

Jack Sachse (1921-1988)
C/LB from Texas played for the Boston Yanks in 1945.

The fifteenth is one of eight days the Patriots have never played in the month of January; the others being the 9th, 17th, 25th and 28th through 31st. This date is devoid of famous birth dates as well.


Happy 69th to Bill DuLac
Born January 15, 1951 in Detroit
Patriot guard, 1973-1975; uniform #68
Acquired in trade with Los Angeles Rams on July 24, 1973

Bill DuLac was a seventh round draft pick by the Rams in 1973, from Eastern Michigan. The Patriots traded him to Green Bay on August 9, 1973, just 16 days after acquiring him from the Rams. DuLac spent the 1973 season the taxi squad for Dallas, then re-signed with the Patriots when the Cowboys cut him at the end of their 1974 training camp.

DuLac played in 13 games with one start for the Patriots in both 1974 and 1975. He was released on July 1, 1976.

William DuLac - E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame | Eastern Michigan University Eagles




Perhaps of more interest is how Bill DuLac ever came to be a New England Patriot.

Herb Adderley is a Hall of Fame cornerback; one of just three players to win six NFL championships. Adderley played from 1961 to 1969 for Vince Lombardi and the Packers, then for Tom Landry in Dallas for three seasons. After being benched late in the 1972 season he was dealt to the Patriots for nothing more than a tenth round draft pick just before the start of training camp.

Patriots Get Adderley, Voss In Separate Transactions | New York Times

After this things get murky. It appears as though Adderley never reported to the Patriots and they traded his rights to the Rams in exchange for DuLac. Wikipedia makes no mention of the Patriots in their Herb Adderley bio, stating he refused to report to the Rams. Pro Sports Transactions says that the Rams waived Adderley with an injury settlement two weeks after the trade with the Pats.




Happy 31st birthday to Chris White
Born January 15, 1989 in Mobile, Alabama
Patriot ST/LB, 2013-2014; uniform #59
Claimed off waivers from Detroit on September 1, 2013

Chris White was originally a sixth round draft pick by Buffalo in 2011, from Mississippi State. After two seasons with the Bills he was traded to Detroit for QB Thad Lewis; the Patriots picked him up off waivers less than a week later.

In 2013 White played in all 16 games with the Patriots and was on the field for 328 special team snaps (67%), as well as both playoff games (40 ST snaps, 70%). He had nine tackles (five solo) as the Pats went 13-5.

White appeared in 13 games the following season, missing three games late in the year with an ankle injury. He was on the field for 257 special team snaps and seven defensive snaps in the regular season, making seven tackles. White made four more tackles in the postseason, earning a ring from Super Bowl 49 versus Seattle. The Pats released White on August 10, to make room for RB Tony Creecy.

Oct 26, 2013: Football Journey: Chris White | Mike Reiss, espn

Patriots re-sign LB Chris White | Patriots.com





Happy 53rd birthday to Fred DeRiggi
Born January 15, 1967 in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Patriot NT, 1990; uniform #71

Fred DeRiggi was originally a seventh round draft pick by the Bills in 1990, from Syracuse. He played in the final two games of the forgettable 1990 season for Rod Rust. DeRiggi was with the Pats for the 1991 offseason but was released as part of roster cutdowns in late August - even though at that point he was reunited with his college coach, **** MacPherson.

Fred DeRiggi - Syracuse University Athletics

Syracuse football hopes LSU rematch looks like 1989 Hall of Fame Game



Aug 19, 1991: Four players cut by Patriots | Hartford Courant





And some draft pick trade trivia involving players born on January 15:

Eric Kelly, 43 (Jan 15, 1977)
Third round (69th overall) pick of the 2001 draft

On April 21, 2001 the Patriots traded their third round (#69) pick of the 2001 draft to Minnesota, moving down 17 spots while adding a fourth round pick. The Pats used 3.86 to select CB Brock Williams, and 4.119 TE Jabari Holloway. Neither Williams nor Holloway ever registered a single stat with the Patriots.

Williams dressed for the first game of 2001, then tore his ACL. The following offseason he was limited with an ankle injury before being released on Sept 1, 2002. He went on to play 12 NFL games with the Bears and Raiders.

Holloway began the 2001 training camp on the PUP list, then was placed on injured reserve for the '01 season. He was waived a year later on Aug 25, 2002. The tight end played for two seasons with Houston, with 15 receptions and no touchdowns.

Kelly was a starter for two season with the Vikings, then asked for his release in the 2004 offseason after his playing time had dwindled. The Texans claimed Kelly off waivers, then released him when he refused to renegotiate his contract and take a pay cut. Kelly signed with the Bears but he was cut at the end of 2004 training camp, and he never played in the NFL again.



Travis Lewis, 32 (Jan 15, 1988)
Seventh round (223rd overall) pick of the 2012 draft

On Sept 4, 2010 the Patriots acquired this draft pick plus LB Tracy White from Philadelphia in exchange for a 2012 sixth round pick. White would go on to play 42 games over three seasons with the Pats.

A month later New England traded 2012 draft pick 7.223 to Minnesota along with Randy Moss, in exchange for a 2011 third round pick. That pick was used to select QB Ryan Mallett.

In 2012 the Vikings made a draft day trade with Detroit, receiving a fourth round pick from the Lions. That fourth was one of four draft picks that Minnesota sent to New England in exchange for the Patriots' first round pick, 29th overall. The Viking used that on Cordarrelle Patterson. The Patriots used their picks on Jamie Collins, Logan Ryan and Josh Boyce. The Pats also later packaged a seventh round pick they received in the Minnesota trade with Jeff Demps, to trade for LeGarrette Blount.




One other player born on this date with a New England connection:

Fran Morelli (1939-2008)
Born in Medford; Medford High School
Tackle for the New York Titans in 1962

The iconic play of this game occured in the second quarter when Tedy Bruschi turned a routine play into a signature moment, ripping the ball away from Dominic Rhodes for a takeaway. Before the game was over the crowd in Foxborough was mocking quarterback/television commercial endorser Peyton Manning with 'Cut That Meat' chants.


Sunday January 16, 2005 at 4:45
2004 AFC Divisional Round Playoff Game
New England Patriots 20, Indianapolis Colts 3
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Tony Dungy
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning
Odds: Patriots favored by 1
Pats improve to 15-2; advance to AFCCG at Pittsburgh
Colts finish 13-5


Key Stat I: Turnovers
Patriots 0, Colts 3

Key Stat II: Rushing Yards (and Time of Possession)
Patriots: 39 carries for 210 yards (5.4 ypc) and 1 TD (37:43 TOP)
Colts: 15 carries for 46 yards (3.0 ypc), 1 fumble lost (22:17 TOP)



Bruschi Bruises Indy | New York Post





The Patriots Deliver Yet Another Cold Slap to Manning | The New York Times




Horse Whisperers | ESPN Page Two




Patriots Cold-**** Colts | Washington Post

Saturday January 16, 2016 at 4:30
2015 AFC Divisional Round Playoff Game, at Gillette
New England Patriots 27, Kansas City Chiefs 20
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Andy Reid
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Alex Smith
Odds: New England favored by 4½
Pats improve to 13-4, advance to AFCCG at Denver
Kansas City finishes 12-6

The Chiefs entered this game as a hot team, on an 11-game winning streak after defeating Houston 30-0 in a wild card game. With several Patriots recovering from injuries - and the media in a frenzy after Chandler Jones showed up shirtless and reeking of weed at a police station - KC was a trendy pick to win in an upset.

Julian Edelman caught ten passes for 100 yards, returning from a broken foot while the Pats finished the regular season 2-4 without him. Rob Gronkowski had seven receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns, and also recovered an onside kick to seal the victory.

The crowd became energized when Tom Brady took off for a ten yard run late in the second quarter, taking a hard hit just short of the goal line. On the next play Brady (28-42, 302 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int) snuck in for a touchdown, giving the Pats a 14-6 halftime lead.

Andy Reid once again had some questionable clock management, with the Chiefs using up 5:16 late in the fourth quarter while down by 14 points. KC held an advantage in almost every statistical category, but the Patriots held the lead for almost the entire game. The Chiefs ran 29 more plays on offense (85-56) and held the ball for over minutes more than the Pats (37:51-22:09), but could not come up with a big play when needed.






Sunday January 16, 2011 at 4:30
2010 AFC Divisional Round Playoff Game, at Gillette
New York Jets 28, New England Patriots 21
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Rex Ryan
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Mark Sanchez
Odds: New England favored by 9½
Pats finish 14-3
Jets improve to 13-5, go to Pittsburgh for AFCCG

The Patriots did just enough wrong to lose this game. Late in the first half Patrick Chung took a direct snap out of a punt formation and failed to run for a first down. The Jets took advantage a few plays later, scoring a touchdown with 33 seconds to go to take a 14-3 lead. The Pats scored late in the third quarter to pull within four, then a couple plays later Jerricho Cotchery took a short pass and ran 58 yards to set up another Jet touchdown, early in the fourth quarter.

New England used up 7:45 on the ensuing drive and came away empty handed, again turning the ball over on downs. The Pats kicked a field goal on their next possession to pull within seven at the two minute warning. That was followed by an onside kick that was not only recovered by the Jets, but run back to the 20 yard line. Two plays later the Jets scored again, giving them an insurmountable 14 point lead with 1:40 to play.




Happy 73rd birthday to Brian Stenger
Born January 16, 1947 in Euclid, Ohio
Patriot LB, 1973; uniform #59
Acquired Sept 10, 1973 from Pittsburgh in exchange for a 1974 10th round draft pick

Brian Stenger was originally signed by the Steelers in 1969 as an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame. He played in ten games with two starts and two fumble recoveries in 1973 with the Patriots, before going on injured reserve on November 28.

The following year he was re-signed by the Patriots, and was also drafted by the Florida Blazers of the World Football League. Stenger departed to play in the WFL, first with the Detroit Wheels and then the Southern California Sun.




Two others born on this date with a New England connection:

Joseph Fauria, 30 (1990)
Nephew of Christian Fauria
The tight end from UCLA had seven touchdowns as a rookie with Detroit in 2013.

Daryl Porter, 46 (1974)
Boston College
A sixth round draft pick by Pittsburgh, the safety played in 55 games for the Lions, Bills and Titans from 1997-2001.

With zero games ever played on this date and only one January 17 birthday, here is a longer biography on a relatively obscure former Patriot.


Happy 32nd birthday to Trevor Reilly
Born January 17, 1988 in Valley Center, California
Patriot OLB 2016-2017; uniform #51
Signed to the practice squad on October 20, 2016

As a 16 year old youth Reilly set the Guinness World Record for fastest time eating a 7.5-ounce white onion at 1 minute and 35 seconds, shattering the former mark of 2:45. Reilly earned a football scholarship to Texas Tech, but instead accepted a two-year Latter Day Saints mission to Sweden. After returning he was a walk-on at the University of Utah: a 22-year old redshirt freshman. By the time he was a senior he was married with two kids.

During that senior year his wife discovered a lump on their 9-month old daughter. Two days later she had her kidney removed, and had to undergo chemotherapy for a year; it has been in remission since. The next year Reilly was selected by the Jets in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL draft.

After two seasons with the Jets - and some interesting moonlighting as an Uber driver - Reilly went on IR. After reaching an injury settlement with the Jete, Reilly was a free agent. Two days later the Patriots signed him to their practice squad on October 20, 2016.

Miami signed Reilly to their full roster off the Pats PS on December 19. The next season Reilly did not survive final cuts, and the Dolphins re-signed him to their practice squad. He was released October 10, 2017 and two days later the Pats again signed Reilly to the PS. A few weeks later he was promoted to the 53-man roster after Harvey Langi was injured in an automobile accident. In late December Reilly returned to the practice squad, to make room for James Harrison. He was released on February 12, 2018 and has not been with an NFL organization since.

In 2018 Reilly returned to Salt Lake City, working as a grad assistant and part time scout player with the Utes while taking one last class to earn his degree. He also signed to play for Dennis Erickson with the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football. That minor league operation folded before its first season was completed. At least Reilly fared better than some teammates who suffered injuries during play, left to pay their own medical and rehab expenses when the AAF declared bankruptcy.



Trevor Reilly appeared in six games with the Patriots, from week eight to week 15 of the 2017 season. He logged 57 defensive snaps and 94 special team snaps with the Pats.

Trevor Reilly followed unique path to Patriots | Providence Journal

Patriots sign LB Trevor Reilly to the practice squad; Release WR Bernard Reedy from the practice squad | Patriots.com

Despite ‘roller coaster ride,’ the Patriots’ Trevor Reilly hopes to be next Ute alumnus to win a Super Bowl | Deseret News

Patriots LB Trevor Reilly has had an absurdly action-packed life | Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Former Utes Trevor Reilly and Brandon Burton finding out coaching is tougher than it looks - The Salt Lake Tribune

Graduate assistant Trevor Reilly helps Utes while waiting for NFL call | Deseret News

Salt Lake Stallions add a pair of former BYU, Utah players to roster | Deseret News

Sunday January 18, 2004 at 3:00
2003 AFC Championship Game at Gillette
New England Patriots 24, Indianapolis Colts 14
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Tony Dungy
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning
Odds: Pats favored by 3½
Pats improve to 16-2; advance to Super Bowl 38 vs Carolina
Colts finish 14-5

Key Stat I : The Colts turn the ball over five times, including four interceptions by Peyton Manning. Ty Law had an amazing day with three picks, and Rodney Harrison had another.

Key Stat II: Marvin Harrison was limited to just three receptions for 19 yards, plus had one turnover on a fumble (Rodney Harrison once again. He too had a great game, with ten tackles (7 solo), an interception, a forced fumble and a deflected pass).

Key Patriot Stats:
- Manning was sacked four times; Brady sacked zero times
- Antowain Smith: 22 carries for 100 yards
- Troy Brown: 7 receptions for 88 yards
- David Givens: 8 receptions (on 9 targets) for 68 yards and a touchdown


Below is an excellent post-game article from Sports Illustrated:
Cold Blooded: Patriots 24, Colts 14









Sunday January 18, 2015 at 6:50
2014 AFC Championship Game at Gillette
New England Patriots 45, Indianapolis Colts 7
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Chuck Pagano
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Andrew Luck
Odds: Pats favored by 7
Pats improve to 14-4; move on to Super Bowl 49 vs Seattle
Colts finish 13-6

Key Stat I : Andrew Luck
The Indy quarterback was completely neutralized, completing just 12 of 33 passes for 126 yards, with no touchdowns, two interceptions - and a 23.0 passer rating.

Key Stat II: Colt drives
First half: punt; muffed punt (turnover); missed FG; punt; TD; kneel down (halftime)
Second half: punt; interception; punt; interception; punt; end of game

Key Patriot Stats:
- LeGarrette Blount: 30 carries, 148 yards, 3 TD
- Julian Edelman: 10 touches, 110 yards
- Nate Solder and James Develin each with more touchdowns than any Colt not named Zurlon Tipton
- 3rd Quarter Drives: Touchdown, Touchdown, Touchdown, Touchdown


Patriots stomp Colts with Brady in high gear | AP/ESPN







This of course was also the game that Ryan Grigson, Bob Kravitz and others conspired to attempt to frame the Patriots - while forgetting about grade school science and the Ideal Gas Law.

Pats Fans: How Strong is the Curse of Deflategate?

Happy 71st birthday to Tony McGee
Born Jan 18, 1949 in Battle Creek, Michigan
Patriot DE, 1974-1981; uniform #78
Acquired on Sept 10, 1974 from Chicago for a 1975 8th and 1976 3rd round draft pick

Tony McGee played in 121 games with the Patriots. Along with Julius Adams, Ray Hamilton and Mel Lunsford the New England defensive line was a formidable group in the late seventies. McGee also spent three seasons each with Chicago and Washington and is unofficially credited with 106.5 sacks in his career. (Sacks did not become an official statistic until 1982. As a frame of reference, Patriot Hall of Famer had 100 career sacks.)




McGee was a player at the University of Wyoming during an ugly and mostly forgotten incident took place. The Cowboys played Brigham Young every year, and in 1968 BYU's all-white squad had hurled racial slurs and cheap shots at black players during their game. Just prior to playing BYU again a year later, 14 players approached the Wyoming head coach about wearing black armbands as a form of protest. That group not only did not get the support from the head coach they were seeking - they were all immediately kicked off the team. Wyoming had been ranked #16, but lost its final four games; a year later they fell to 1-9.

The defensive end transferred to now defunct Bishop College in Texas. The situation in Wyoming caused him to fall from a first round draft pick to the third round, due to gossip and assumptions that McGee must have been a troublemaker. He went on to play in 212 NFL games, and in two Super Bowls. In his post-NFL career he started a physical therapy business in the Virginia suburbs of DC, which he ran for 13 years before selling to a health care firm.

Tony McGee Still Stands With Black 14: 'It Had To Be Done'

University of Wyoming apologizes to Black 14 nearly 50 years after their dismissal

The Black 14 Video | Wyoming PBS




Happy 45th birthday to Jermaine Wiggins
Born Jan 18, 1975 in East Boston
Patriot TE, 2000-2001; uniform #85
Claimed off waivers from Jets on Nov 28, 2000

The graduate of East Boston High School and Bridgton Academy in Maine is remembered not for his 20 regular season games with the Patriots, but for the 2001 postseason. In the divisional round Snow Bowl game against Oakland he had ten receptions, four of which came on the fourth quarter drive that ended with Tom Brady scoring on a six yard run, to cut the deficit to three points. Wiggins then had three more catches on the game winning drive that culminated with Adam Vinatieri's improbable field goal, including a clutch six-yard reception on 3rd-and-five. Wiggins then came up big on the final drive of Super Bowl 36, making a catch with 21 seconds remaining to set up another iconic Vinatieri game winning field goal.





Happy 35th birthday to Matthew Mulligan
Born Jan 18, 1985 in West Enfield, Maine
Patriot TE, 2013; uniform #88
Signed as a free agent on Sept 2, 2013

The former University of Maine Black Bear had spent time on practice squads and active rosters with the Dolphins, Titans, Jets, Rams over five years, playing in 50 games before being signed by New England. Mulligan played in 15 games with four starts as a pretty decent blocking tight end, scoring a week four touchdown at Atlanta. He bounced around a bit more from 2014-2016, with Chicago, Arizona, Tennessee, Buffalo and Detroit. Mulligan played in 89 games over his NFL career from 2009-2016.




Happy birthday to Kenyatta Jones (1979-2018)
Born Jan 18, 1979 in Gainesville, Florida
Patriot OL, 2001-2002; uniform #74
Pats 4th round (96th overall) selection of the 2001 draft, from South Florida

The Pats thought enough of Jones to move up 16 spots in the draft to select him, trading their own fourth (#112) and a fifth (#139) to San Diego for the #96 pick. I can remember Jones as being a very athletic run blocker in college, though it was not against top competition. He played in 18 games for the Patriots with 11 starts.

Jones was waived by the Patriots on Oct 26, 2003, three days after pleading not guilty to multiple charges stemming from a bizarre incident where he doused a roomate with scalding water, causing second and third degree burns.

Kenyatta Jones, USF's first NFL draft pick, dies at 39

Patriot player pleads not guilty to scalding aide | boston.com





Happy 25th birthday to Chad Hansen
Born Jan 18, 1995 in Fillmore, California
Patriot WR, 2018; uniform #16
Claimed off waivers from Jets on Sept 2, 2018

Chad Hansen was only with the Patriots for a week. A day after being on the week one inactive list versus Houston the Pats released the 6'2, 202 lb receiver from Cal. Hansen played in 15 games for the Jets in 2017; he spent 2019 on the practice squad for the Texans.




Happy 28th birthday to Jonathan Krause
Born Jan 18, 1992 in San Bernardino, California
Patriot WR/PR, 2014-2015; uniform #16
Signed as a free agent to the practice squad on Oct 24, 2014

Jonathan Krause spent almost all of the 2014 season from week seven forward on the New England practice squad, earning a ring for Super Bowl 49 in the process. He was waived/injured at the end of 2015 training camp and then placed on injured reserve, then released with an injury settlement on Sept 19.

From 2014 to 2017 Krause was with the Browns, Patriots, Eagles, Bucs, Chargers, Bucs again, and Titans, on practice squads and in training camps. He made it to the field for two NFL games with Philly in 2015.




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

Chris Snee, 38 (1982)
Boston College
Four-time Pro Bowl right guard played ten seasons with the Giants, winning two rings.

Corrie Artman (1907-1970)
Tackle from the 1930s played with the Boston Yanks.

Dave Ziff (1902-1977)
Northampton MA, Northampton High School
Syracuse end played for the Rochester Jeffersons and Brooklyn Lions in the twenties.

I can't wait for tomorrow's edition (1/19/02).........been 18 years, damn!

Hyped said:

I can't wait for tomorrow's edition (1/19/02).........been 18 years, damn!

Click to expand...

The final game to ever be played at Foxboro Stadium was a case of saving the best for last.

Saturday January 19, 2002 at 8:00
2001 AFC Divisional Round Playoff Game
New England Patriots 16, Oakland Raiders 13 in OT
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Jon Gruden
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Rich Gannon
Odds: New England favored by 3
Pats improve to 12-5; move on to AFCCG at Pittsburgh
Oakland finishes 11-7

Key Stat I: plus-135 yards in total offense
Patriots had 365 total yards (312 passing), Raiders were at only 230 total yards (159 passing).
The Pats ran 22 more offensive plays (84-62) and held the ball for 11:41 more than Oakland (40:05-28:24). The Patriot defense forced Oakland to punt on nine of their twelve possessions (not including two kneel downs at the end of each half). The Raiders had only four drives that consisted of more than four plays.

Key Stat II: Special Teams
Adam Vinatieri went 3-3 on field goal attempts in extremely unfavorable conditions.
Troy Brown added 49 yards on punt returns; Charles Woodson had minus-3.

Key Stat III: Making plays in the clutch
From the fourth quarter on, Oakland's drives consisted of three punts and a knee.
New England finished with 13 points on a touchdown, punt, field goal, field goal.


Patriots storm to AFC title game after snowy comeback
Eliminate Raiders, helped by controversial call - The Boston Globe



Patriots Persevere With a Late Blizzard of Their Own | The New York Times











Photo Gallery: The Snow Bowl | Patriots.com

hells yes ... I was there, section 12 row 6 ... it was truly a magical evening

Happy 59th birthday to Johnny Rembert
Born Jan 19, 1961 in Hollandale, Mississippi
Patriot ILB, 1983-1992; uniform #52
Pats 4th round (101st overall) selection of the 1983 draft, from Clemson

John Lee Rembert played in 126 regular season games and five playoff games in his NFL career, all with the Patriots. He had 16 sacks, 11 fumble recoveries and seven interceptions.

Rembert was named to the 1988 and 1989 Pro Bowl, and is a member of the Patriots All-Decade Team of the 1980s.

Catching up with Johnny Rembert | Boston Globe





Happy birthday to Junior Seau (1969-2012), who would have been 51 today
Born Jan 19, 1969 in San Diego
Patriot LB, 2006-2009; uniform #55
Signed by the Patriots as a free agent on August 18, 2006

Junior Seau played in 38 regular season and four playoff games with Patriots. He was named to the Pro Bowl 12 times, and was a six-time All Pro. Seau was the 1994 Walter Payton Man of the Year. He was elected into the.Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

Reflections on Junior Seau from Robert Kraft






Happy 55th birthday to Ricky Reynolds
Born January 19, 1965 in Sacramento
Patriot CB, 1994-1996; uniform #21
Signed by the Patriots as a free agent on April 11, 1994

Reynolds played in 42 regular season games and one playoff game with Pats. During that time had six interceptions, four fumble recoveries, 4.5 sacks and one touchdown. Overall Reynolds played in 147 NFL games, with 23 interceptions.

Reynolds loses bet but makes history | Sun Sentinel

Patriots Lure Bucs' Reynolds | Orlando Sentinel

Ricky Reynolds | Orlando Sentinel





Happy birthday to Lester Williams (1959-2017), who would have been 61 today
Born Jan 19, 1959 in Miami
Patriot NT, 1982-1985; uniform #72
Pats first round (27th overall) selection of the 1982 draft, from Miami

Lester Williams played in 40 regular season games plus five playoff games for New England, with 39 solo tackles, 60 assists, five sacks, three fumble recoveries and five passes defensed.



Rookie Dan Marino scrambles to get away from Lester Williams on November 13, 1983. The Patriot defense limited the Miami QB to 141 yards and 14-37 passing to upset the Dolphins at Foxboro Stadium, winning 17-6.

Former Patriot NT Lester Williams Passed away | Patriots.com





Happy 75th birthday to Bobby Leo
Born Jan 19, 1945 in Everett
Patriot RB/KR/PR 1967-1968; uniform #24
Pats 7th round (180th overall) selection of the 1967 draft, from Harvard


Alumni Bio - Bobby Leo | Patriots.com








Happy 30th birthday to Jonathan Cooper
Born January 19, 1990 in Wilmington NC
Pats guard, 2016; uniform #65
Acquired March 15, 2016 from Arizona

The Pats received Cooper and the 61st overall pick in exchange for Chandler Jones, who was close to becoming a free agent - and had a bizarre shirtless incident at Foxboro police station days before a playoff game two months earlier. New England then traded 2.61 to the Saints for a third (#78 overall, Joe Thuney) and fourth (#112, Malcolm Mitchell).


The Patriots waived Cooper on October 8, 2016; he never played a single down with the Pats.

Jonathan Cooper Cut By Patriots Before Making New England Debut - NESN





Two other pro football players with New England connections born on this date:

Frank Hubbell (1922 - 2005)
Born and raised in Bridgeport CT
Played end and defensive end for the Rams in the 1940s.

Frank Trigilio (1919 - 1992)
University of Vermont
Was a fullback for the Los Angeles Dons and Miami Seahawks in the AAFC.




January 19, 1990:
Patriots release former number one draft pick Kenneth Sims.




Sunday January 19, 2014 at 3:00
2013 AFC Championship at Sports Authority Field
Denver Broncos 26, New England Patriots 16
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, John Fox
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning
Odds: Broncos favored by 5
Patriots finish 13-5
Denver improves to 15-3; faces Seattle in Super Bowl 48

The Patriots were without Gronk for most of the 2013 season. He had multiple issues following surgery on a broken arm and subsequent infection, then tore his ACL and MCL on a cheap shot by TJ Ward in December. This was also the first season without Wes Welker, and missing those two for this game was a major factor. The Denver defense shut down the Patriot running game; LeGarrette Blount had five carries for six yards and Stevan Ridley had 17 yards on five attempts. Those two were rarely on the field after the first couple of drives, logging just 18 snaps between the two of them.

With Gronk and Welker gone the cupboard was bare for weapons in the passing game. Other than Julius Edelman and Shane Vereen, the passing options consisted of Austin Collie and Aaron Dobson at receiver and Michael Hoomanawanui and Matthew Mulligan at tight end. Danny Amendola was on the field for 41 snaps, but had the same number of pass targets (1) and receptions (0) as Matthew Slater.

The primary issue was not the Patriot offense though; the Denver offense dominated the Pats defense. On their first possession the Broncos went 37 yards in seven plays before having to punt. They scored on every possession thereafter, other than running out the clock to end the game. The New England defense was unable to come up with a turnover or a sack, with only three tackles for a loss. Denver was rarely faced with third and long (or third down of any length), rolling up 507 yards of total offense. The Broncos took a page from Bill Belichick's playbook, kicking a field goal to end the first half and then receiving the ball and scoring a touchdown to start the second half. That gave Denver a 20-3 lead.

On the ensuing drive a 2nd-and-2 at the Denver 28 turned into a 4th-and-3. It was apparent New England needed touchdowns, not field goals - but with his receivers unable to get open Brady was sacked. The Pats finally scored touchdowns on their next two possessions but Denver added two more field goals for the final score.


Key Stat I: First Downs
Broncos 27, Patriots 19

Key Stat II: Plays from scrimmage / Time of Possession
Broncos: 71 plays from scrimmage, 35:44 TOP
Patriots: 54 plays from scrimmage, 24:16 TOP

AFC Championship Final: Broncos 26, Patriots 16

Photo Gallery and Game Recap - boston.com

Broncos 26, Patriots 16 - Chicago Tribune