Today In Patriots History 1976: 14½ point underdog Pats stun defending champ Steelers at Three Rivers

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1976: Pats stun defending Super Bowl champions
Grogan throws long TD passes to Francis, Stingley in 2nd half rally
Defense forces six turnovers in 30-27 upset​

Sunday Sept 26, 1976 at 1:00
Week 3, Game 3 at Three Rivers Stadium
New England Patriots 30, Pittsburgh Steelers 27
Head Coaches: Chuck Fairbanks, Chuck Noll
QBs: Steve Grogan, Terry Bradshaw
Odds: Steelers favored by 14½
Patriots improve to 2-1, Steelers drop to 1-2


The Patriots overcame a second half 20-9 deficit on touchdown passes of 38 yards to Russ Francis, 58 yards to Darryl Stingley, and a 6-yard rush by Steve Grogan. In rainy weather the defense forced and recovered six fumbles, leaving Steeler fans crying in their towels.


Even though Pittsburgh had begun the season 1-1, the Steelers were still huge favorites. After all, the Patriots were coming off a 3-11 season and had lost eight of their last ten games. The first series went as the oddsmakers had predicted, driving 80 yards down the field to take an early 7-0 lead. While the Pats couldn't get much going against the Steel Curtain defense, two fumble recoveries set up John Smith field goals to make the score 7-6 after one quarter. The Patriot offense was turning the ball over as well though, and Pittsburgh led 13-9 at the half.

Steve Grogan was in his second NFL season and first as the fulltime starter. This game was a very early example of Grogan's leadership. The offense came alive in the second half, scoring on three consecutive drives. The Pats cut the deficit to four on a 38-yard touchdown pass from Grogan to Russ Francis, then took the lead on a 58-yard TD to Darryl Stingley. Grogan scored on a six-yard keeper, and the Patriots were up 30-20 early in the fourth quarter.

Unfortunately the Pats fumbled the ball away themselves, and Pittsburgh eventually scored on an 11-yard Bradshaw touchdown pass with 2:34 left to play. The Patriots could not do anything on their next possession and were forced to punt, giving the ball back. With under two minutes to go the Steelers were driving for a winning score, but the New England defense stopped Pittsburgh at the thirty yard line. The Steelers settled for a 48-yard field goal attempt to tie the score, but the kick went wide right - and the Pats took over and escaped with a huge upset.

Russ Francis finished the game with 139 yards receiving on six catches, and one touchdown.

The game must have been a big confidence booster for the Patriots; a week later they demolished previously unbeaten Oakland 48-17. In back-to-back weeks the Patriots knocked off what had been considered to be the two best teams in the NFL.

The Surprising 1976 New England Patriots - The Sports Column | Sports Articles, Analysis, News and Media

When and how did the Patriots go from being perennial losers to becoming sustainable winners? The angles are many, but an argument can be made that the turnaround began in 1976.

www.thesportscol.com

Management and fans thought that the Pats’ fortunes would change when the team hired Chuck Fairbanks in 1973, but the Pats went 15–27 from ’73-75, finishing 1975 with a dismal 3-11 record. Hope was running thin and Fairbanks (understandably) was under fire. Was more losing on the way?​

New England started the 1976 season right where they left off in 1975, losing to the Baltimore Colts. But the Patriots came back strong in Week Two with an easy win over the Miami Dolphins. Then the Patriots traveled to Pittsburgh the following week to face the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers. New England scored a surprising win in the rain (forcing six fumbles), upsetting the Steelers. 30–27, with a furious second-half rally.​

It was a game that would set the tenor for what became a turnaround season. The Patriots kept winning in Week Four, humiliating the eventual Super Bowl champ Oakland Raiders, 48–17. It was the Raiders’ only loss of the 1975 campaign.​

A roundup of the week Sept. 20-26

PRO FOOTBALL—Quarterback Steve Grogan passed for two touchdowns and ran for a third as New England rallied from a 20-9 third-quarter deficit to stun

vault.si.com

Quarterback Steve Grogan passed for two touchdowns and ran for a third as New England rallied from a 20-9 third-quarter deficit to stun Pittsburgh 30-27 with the Super Bowl champions' second loss in three games.​

Grogan, who engineered the Patriots' 30-14 upset of Miami the week before, surprised the Steelers on a fourth-and-two gamble at the Pittsburgh 38-yard line when he connected with Tight End Russ Francis for a touchdown to bring the Patriots to within 20-16. Minutes later Grogan combined with Wide Receiver Darryl Stingley on a 58-yard touchdown play to give the Patriots a 23-20 lead, and then he ran across from the six-yard line to increase the lead to 30-20.​

1:09 MNF Highlight Video
9/27/1976 MNF halftime highlights Patriots at Steelers Howard Cosell Russ Francis All-World mention



19:43 Highlight Video
9/26/1976 New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers highlights, National Football League Week 3



2:57:34 Full Game with Steelers radio audio
1976-9-26 New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers (WTAE Audio)



23:33 Week 3 This Week In Pro Football
TWIPF NFL 1976 Week 03
​

NFL Media Game Summary

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:

New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers - September 26th, 1976 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 30 at Pittsburgh Steelers 27 on September 26th, 1976 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
2010: Pats rebound from tough loss
Beat Buffalo for 14th straight time
Patriots 38, Bills 30​

Sunday Sept 26, 2010 at 1:00
Week 3, Game 3 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 38, Buffalo Bills 30
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Chan Gailey
QBs: Tom Brady, Ryan Fitzpatrick
Odds: Patriots favored by 14½
Patriots improve to 2-1, Bills drop to 0-3

Pats Take Care of Business Against Bills

Honestly, this is what we thought they would look like before the season started. The Patriots did what they needed to do Sunday by beating the…

www.golocalprov.com

The Patriots did what they needed to do Sunday by beating the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium 38-30. It may not have been the blowout many expected, but for the Patriots is was a much needed win coming off of the demoralizing loss to the Jets one week earlier.​

Tom Brady (21-27 252 yds. 3 TD 0 INT) and the Patriots offense was rock solid. Brady spread the ball around connecting with 7 different receivers. Rookie TE Aaron Hernandez led the team with 6 catches for 65 yards. Wes Welker had 4-45. Fellow rookie TE Rob Gronkowski had 3 catches for 43 yards and 1 TD. Randy Moss only caught 2 balls Sunday but both were for TD's.​

The surprising thing was that the running game was outstanding for a change! The Patriots ground game picked up 200 yards and 2 TD's on 38 carries. That's an average of 5.3 yards per carry. Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis led the Pats with 98 yards and 1 TD. Newly signed RB Danny Woodhead picked up 42 yards on 3 carries including a 22-yard TD run.​

Defensively, however, New England struggled. Ryan Fitzpatrick, making his first start of the season, went 20-28 for 247 yards, 2 TD's and 2 INT. The Bills also racked up 134 yards rushing at an average of 5.6 yards per clip. Those number probably would have been bigger had Buffalo not fallen behind in the second half.​

Still, isn't this what we expected from the 2010 Patriots? This was a team with an offense capable of moving the football and scoring points on any one. But it was also a team with a lot of young, unproven talent on the defensive side of the football. It was a defense that would give up its share of big plays and points with the hope of improving each week. That's what we saw on display yesterday in Foxboro.​

Post-Game Analysis and Live Stream Blog:

Final: Patriots 38, Bills 30

Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense were so unstoppable Sunday afternoon that the struggles of the defense didn’t much matter. Brady completed 21 of 27 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns — two to Randy Moss — as the Patriots fended off the pesky Buffalo Bills, 38-30. The victory was the...

www.boston.com

Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense were so unstoppable Sunday afternoon that the struggles of the defense didn’t much matter.​

The Patriots (2-1) had their way with the Buffalo defense, piling up 445 total yards and compiling 25 first downs while receiving significant contributions from virtually every player they used on offense.​

Five receivers had a reception of at least 21 yards. Rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez had six catches for 65 yards, while Rob Gronkowski had the other receiving touchdown, a 5-yard grab in the fourth quarter.​

Patriots 38, Bills 30: Offensive outburst

The Buffalo Bills' offense roamed all over Gillette Stadium yesterday, as did its kickoff-return man. With two of the "three phases" Patriots head coach Bill Belichick often refers to faltering, the …

www.metrowestdailynews.com

The Buffalo Bills' offense roamed all over Gillette Stadium yesterday, as did its kickoff-return man.​

With two of the "three phases" Patriots head coach Bill Belichick often refers to faltering, the third one had to be nearly spotless in order for New England to win.​

The Patriots' offense carried that weight.​

After sputtering in the second half of a loss to the Jets last week, New England temporarily eased worried minds by putting up 445 yards of offense in a 38-30 win over AFC East rival Buffalo.​

Leading 17-16 at halftime, the Patriots (2-1) came out right after the break and padded the advantage when Brady lofted a 35-yard TD strike down the middle of the field to Randy Moss. The score was 24-16, but the breathing room was still limited.​

With the fans still on their feet for the ensuing kickoff, the Patriots allowed a 95-yard touchdown jaunt by rookie speed merchant C.J. Spiller that cut the lead to 24-23.​

Given how the defense played for much of yesterday, Brady's boys on the other side will have to carry the torch more often than not. On the day, the Patriots defense also allowed quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick - a backup until last week - to lead Buffalo to 374 yards of offense.​

Statistically, the Bills were the league's worst offensive team entering the game.​

"We just have to execute better and make plays," said Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo, who had a team-high nine tackles.​

In the fourth quarter, they did, as two late interceptions proved integral in preserving the win. On the first play of the fourth quarter and New England clinging to a 31-23 lead, Patrick Chung snatched a pass that sailed on Fitzpatrick in the end zone. The play led to a 13-play, 75-yard TD drive that ended with a 7-yard run by running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis (16 carries, 96 yards) that made it 38-23 with 8:24 to go.​

Patrick Chung with a 26-yard interception return off Ryan Fitzpatrick​

Patriots: Bills buffaloed, 38-30

FOXBORO — Tom Brady regained his touch against his personal pushovers.

www.capecodtimes.com

Brady throws for 3 TDs, Pats beat Bills 38-30

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady regained his touch against his personal pushovers. The New England Patriots retained theirs against Buffalo with a 38-30 win

www.bangordailynews.com

Brady throws for 3 TDs, Pats beat Bills 38-30

Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes, two to Randy Moss, and the New England Patriots overcame Buffalo's stiff challenge for a 38-30 win Sunday, their 14th straight over the Bills.

www.patriots.com

Patriots 38, Bills 30: Buffalo still can't beat New England

Foxborough, Mass. • Tom Brady regained his touch. The Buffalo Bills, as usual, couldn't f

archive.sltrib.com

4:02 Highlight Video
Bills vs Patriots 2010 Week 3



2:02:30 Full Game
2010 Patriots vs Bills W3
​

Game Day Roster 'Flip Card'
Patriots Media Dept Game Notes
NFL Media Game Summary

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

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots - September 26th, 2010 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Buffalo Bills 30 at New England Patriots 38 on September 26th, 2010 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[tuckeverlasting]

I remember it well !!

 

[Pape]

Today in Patriots History
2010: Pats rebound from tough loss
Beat Buffalo for 14th straight time
Patriots 38, Bills 30​

Sunday Sept 26, 2010 at 1:00
Week 3, Game 3 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 38, Buffalo Bills 30
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Chan Gailey
QBs: Tom Brady, Ryan Fitzpatrick
Odds: Patriots favored by 14½
Patriots improve to 2-1, Bills drop to 0-3

Pats Take Care of Business Against Bills

Honestly, this is what we thought they would look like before the season started. The Patriots did what they needed to do Sunday by beating the…

www.golocalprov.com

The Patriots did what they needed to do Sunday by beating the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium 38-30. It may not have been the blowout many expected, but for the Patriots is was a much needed win coming off of the demoralizing loss to the Jets one week earlier.​

Tom Brady (21-27 252 yds. 3 TD 0 INT) and the Patriots offense was rock solid. Brady spread the ball around connecting with 7 different receivers. Rookie TE Aaron Hernandez led the team with 6 catches for 65 yards. Wes Welker had 4-45. Fellow rookie TE Rob Gronkowski had 3 catches for 43 yards and 1 TD. Randy Moss only caught 2 balls Sunday but both were for TD's.​

The surprising thing was that the running game was outstanding for a change! The Patriots ground game picked up 200 yards and 2 TD's on 38 carries. That's an average of 5.3 yards per carry. Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis led the Pats with 98 yards and 1 TD. Newly signed RB Danny Woodhead picked up 42 yards on 3 carries including a 22-yard TD run.​

Defensively, however, New England struggled. Ryan Fitzpatrick, making his first start of the season, went 20-28 for 247 yards, 2 TD's and 2 INT. The Bills also racked up 134 yards rushing at an average of 5.6 yards per clip. Those number probably would have been bigger had Buffalo not fallen behind in the second half.​

Still, isn't this what we expected from the 2010 Patriots? This was a team with an offense capable of moving the football and scoring points on any one. But it was also a team with a lot of young, unproven talent on the defensive side of the football. It was a defense that would give up its share of big plays and points with the hope of improving each week. That's what we saw on display yesterday in Foxboro.​

Post-Game Analysis and Live Stream Blog:

Final: Patriots 38, Bills 30

Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense were so unstoppable Sunday afternoon that the struggles of the defense didn’t much matter. Brady completed 21 of 27 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns — two to Randy Moss — as the Patriots fended off the pesky Buffalo Bills, 38-30. The victory was the...

www.boston.com

Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense were so unstoppable Sunday afternoon that the struggles of the defense didn’t much matter.​

The Patriots (2-1) had their way with the Buffalo defense, piling up 445 total yards and compiling 25 first downs while receiving significant contributions from virtually every player they used on offense.​

Five receivers had a reception of at least 21 yards. Rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez had six catches for 65 yards, while Rob Gronkowski had the other receiving touchdown, a 5-yard grab in the fourth quarter.​

Patriots 38, Bills 30: Offensive outburst

The Buffalo Bills' offense roamed all over Gillette Stadium yesterday, as did its kickoff-return man. With two of the "three phases" Patriots head coach Bill Belichick often refers to faltering, the …

www.metrowestdailynews.com

The Buffalo Bills' offense roamed all over Gillette Stadium yesterday, as did its kickoff-return man.​

With two of the "three phases" Patriots head coach Bill Belichick often refers to faltering, the third one had to be nearly spotless in order for New England to win.​

The Patriots' offense carried that weight.​

After sputtering in the second half of a loss to the Jets last week, New England temporarily eased worried minds by putting up 445 yards of offense in a 38-30 win over AFC East rival Buffalo.​

Leading 17-16 at halftime, the Patriots (2-1) came out right after the break and padded the advantage when Brady lofted a 35-yard TD strike down the middle of the field to Randy Moss. The score was 24-16, but the breathing room was still limited.​

With the fans still on their feet for the ensuing kickoff, the Patriots allowed a 95-yard touchdown jaunt by rookie speed merchant C.J. Spiller that cut the lead to 24-23.​

Given how the defense played for much of yesterday, Brady's boys on the other side will have to carry the torch more often than not. On the day, the Patriots defense also allowed quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick - a backup until last week - to lead Buffalo to 374 yards of offense.​

Statistically, the Bills were the league's worst offensive team entering the game.​

"We just have to execute better and make plays," said Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo, who had a team-high nine tackles.​

In the fourth quarter, they did, as two late interceptions proved integral in preserving the win. On the first play of the fourth quarter and New England clinging to a 31-23 lead, Patrick Chung snatched a pass that sailed on Fitzpatrick in the end zone. The play led to a 13-play, 75-yard TD drive that ended with a 7-yard run by running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis (16 carries, 96 yards) that made it 38-23 with 8:24 to go.​

Patrick Chung with a 26-yard interception return off Ryan Fitzpatrick​

Patriots: Bills buffaloed, 38-30

FOXBORO — Tom Brady regained his touch against his personal pushovers.

www.capecodtimes.com

Brady throws for 3 TDs, Pats beat Bills 38-30

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady regained his touch against his personal pushovers. The New England Patriots retained theirs against Buffalo with a 38-30 win

www.bangordailynews.com

Brady throws for 3 TDs, Pats beat Bills 38-30

Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes, two to Randy Moss, and the New England Patriots overcame Buffalo's stiff challenge for a 38-30 win Sunday, their 14th straight over the Bills.

www.patriots.com

Patriots 38, Bills 30: Buffalo still can't beat New England

Foxborough, Mass. • Tom Brady regained his touch. The Buffalo Bills, as usual, couldn't f

archive.sltrib.com

4:02 Highlight Video
Bills vs Patriots 2010 Week 3



2:02:30 Full Game
2010 Patriots vs Bills W3
​

Game Day Roster 'Flip Card'
Patriots Media Dept Game Notes
NFL Media Game Summary

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

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots - September 26th, 2010 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Buffalo Bills 30 at New England Patriots 38 on September 26th, 2010 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

We have won 5 games vs buffalo where we scored 38 points... We have lost 5 games vs buffalo where they scored 38 points... just thought that was odd

 

[signbabybrady]

Every day seems like your posting some 30-something win over Buffalo lol

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1999: Defense shuts down Giants after first drive
Pats hold on, Pete Carroll gets third straight win
Patriots 16, Giants 14 on SNF​

Sunday Sept 26, 1999 at 8:20
Week 3, Game 3 at Foxboro Stadium
New England Patriots 16, New York Giants 14
Head Coaches: Pete Carroll, Jim Fassel
QBs: Drew Bledsoe, Kent Graham
Odds: Patriots favored by 6
Patriots improve to 3-0, Giants drop to 1-2


After allowing a drive on the first possession, the New England defense shut the New York offense down on each of the next seven drives. A dormant Patriot offense came out of its slumber to score on each of its second half possessions - though having to settle for field goals - and the Patriots hung on for 16-14 victory.

Terry Glenn had five receptions for 95 yards and Drew Bledsoe was error-free, going 20-28 for 233 yards. Adam Vinatieri was his typical self, converting on all three field goal attempts (38, 19, 41 yards) to provide what turned out to be the winning points.

Pats stay perfect with 16-14 win over Giants

FOXBORO, Mass. -- The New England Patriots are unbeaten and unimpressed.

www.theledger.com

The New England Patriots are unbeaten and unimpressed.​

"We're not even good yet," strong safety Lawyer Milloy said after a 16-14 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday night. "The way we're winning games is not to our liking."​

The Patriots joined Tennessee as the only NFL teams with 3-0 records, yet their combined margin of victory is seven points. And, for the first time this season, they didn't need Drew Bledsoe and Adam Vinatieri to lead them to victory in the final minute.​

The quarterback and the kicker did their work earlier.​

The score was 7-7 at halftime before Vinatieri kicked field goals of 38 and 19 yards in the third quarter and 41 yards in the fourth. Bledsoe completed 10 of 13 passes for 110 yards on those three drives.​

"We can make things easier on ourselves. We can play better than we've played these first three games," Bledsoe said. "To get where we want to be, we have to play closer to our potential."​

That's what the Giants (1-2) did on defense. One week after losing 50-21 to Washington, they trailed by just two points after Kent Graham's second touchdown pass of the game, a 1-yarder to Tiki Barber with 1:14 left.​

Then Ben Coates recovered the onside kick and New England ran out the clock.​

NOTES: Left tackle Bruce Armstrong tied John Hannah's Patriots record of 183 starts. ... Michael Strahan, who had 29 sacks over the past two seasons, was shut out for the third straight week. The Giants sacked Bledsoe just once. ... Giants cornerback Jason Sehorn played his first game since 1997. He sat out all last season with a knee injury and the first two games this season with a hamstring injury. ... The Patriots are 16-4 in their last 20 home games. ... Terry Glenn had five catches for 95 yards, the first time he was held under 100 this season. He had seven catches for 113 yards in a 30-28 win over the New York Jets and seven for 122 against the Colts. ... It was the first NFL game this season without a turnover.​

Margin Displeases Patriots

The New England Patriots are unbeaten and unimpressed.

www.latimes.com

The Patriots were under no illusions that the Giants would be the pushovers they were against the Redskins, who scored on their first three possessions. New England punted on its first three.​

But when their drives stall, the Patriots have Vinatieri. He is 7-for-7 on field goal attempts this season.​

In the first half, the Giants allowed only a 1-yard scoring run by Terry Allen in the second quarter.​

But the offense only scored on its first possession of the game, a 6-yard pass from Graham to a wide-open LeShon Johnson, and on its last possession. After Johnson scored, the Giants turned the ball over on punts on their next five series and on downs the next time they got the ball.​

Until Barber scored, New England had held its opponent scoreless in the second half for the second straight week after a victory was far from certain at halftime. One week earlier, the Patriots scored on four of their five second-half possessions to beat Indianapolis 31-28 after trailing 28-7 at halftime.​

The Giants nearly went ahead after Vinatieri's 19-yarder had given the Patriots a 13-7 lead with 1:32 left in the third quarter.​

With the ball at the Patriots 40-yard line, linebacker Tedy Bruschi swatted away a pass into the end zone intended for Pete Mitchell. On the next play, though, Bruschi nearly turned into a goat as he threw the ball at guard Luke Petitgout after Graham was sacked.​

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gave the Giants a first down at the 40, but the drive stalled when Graham¹s 3-yard pass to Barber left them 5 yards short of a first down at the New England 24.​

Brad Daluiso's 41-yard field goal attempt on the next play went wide left with 9:07 to play.​

"I didn't appreciate the guy kicking me and lost my head. My emotions were high," Bruschi said. "I dodged a bullet when they missed the field goal."​

Vinatieri's successful kick from the same distance, 41 yards, with 3:12 to go provided the winning points.​

PRO FOOTBALL; For the Giants, First Impressions Prove Meaningless in Second Loss (Published 1999)

New England Patriots defeat New York Giants, 16-14; photo (M)

www.nytimes.com

A relentless Patriots offense, led by quarterback Drew Bledsoe, took advantage of a fatigued Giants defense to move into position for three second-half field goals as New England remained undefeated after three games with a 16-14 victory.​

The Patriots, who joined Tennessee as the only 3-0 teams, kept pounding at the Giants. In the second half, New England was winning the battle at the line of scrimmage and moved into position methodically for each of its field goals, breaking open a game that was tied at halftime, 7-7.​

The Giants' offense, which once again struggled mightily to move the ball on the ground, did little against the Patriots' defense, which pressured Giants quarterback Kent Graham throughout the game and forced him into several hurried throws.​

Although the Giants scored a touchdown when they first had the ball, they did not not score again until 1 minute 14 seconds remained, when Tiki Barber caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Graham to cut the Patriots' lead to 2 points.​

Bledsoe finished the game with 20 completions in 28 pass attempts for 233 yards with no interceptions.​

It wasn’t pretty, but Patriots beat Giants - The Boston Globe

The Patriots slogged through a 16-14 win to move to 3-0 in the AFC East in this 1999 matchup.

www.bostonglobe.com

A sequence midway through the third quarter illustrated how the game's momentum had swung toward the Patriots.​

On a fourth-and-1 at the Patriots' 40-yard line, the Giants attempted a quarterback sneak over the right guard. It was the second time tonight that the Giants had tried this play, and this time New England was waiting for Graham.​

When the Giants turned the ball over on downs, the Patriots marched downfield on a Giants defense that was starting to look fatigued.​

The Giants were lucky to halt the drive at the 2-yard line. Adam Vinatieri's 19-yard field goal gave the Patriots a 13-7 lead late in the third quarter. Vinatieri added a 41-yard field goal with just over three minutes remaining that provided what proved to be the winning points.​

17:50 Highlight Video
1999-09-26 New York Giants vs New England Patriots



2:13:20 Full Game
1999 week 3 Giants @ Patriots
​

NFL Media Game Summary

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

New York Giants at New England Patriots - September 26th, 1999 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New York Giants 14 at New England Patriots 16 on September 26th, 1999 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Every day seems like your posting some 30-something win over Buffalo lol

It's easy to forget now, but there was a very long stretch when beating Buffalo - by a lot - was a semiannual event.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

So, the OP is hinting that, this Sunday, the 10.5 point underdog Patriots will stun the defending NFC Champion 49'ers?
From your lips to God's ears!

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
2021: Mac Jones throws three picks
Patriots rush for only 49 yards on 17 carries
New Orleans 28, New England 13 ​

Sunday Sept 26, 2021 at 1:00
Week 3, Game 3 at Gillette Stadium
New Orleans Saints 28, New England Patriots 13
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Sean Payton
QBs: Mac Jones Jameis Winston
Odds: Patriots favored by 3
Patriots drop to 1-2, Saints improve to 2-1


Mac Jones threw the interceptions (which were returned a combined 100 yards) - one for a pick-six - in a game that was never close. The Saints rushed for 142 yards while limiting the Patriots to 49 yards rushing (2.88 yards per carry).

It's never good when you are having Mac Jones drop back to pass 54 times in a game.

​

Saints Run Over Lackluster Patriots 28-13 | PatsFans.com

The Patriots could start the season 0-3 at home for the first time since 1993 in Bill Parcells' first season when the team started 0-5

www.patsfans.com

The New England Patriots looked like the team that had been on the road for a month and not the New Orleans Saints, who rode a dominant defense en route to a 28-13 win that wasn’t as close as the score indicated although it was still a one-score game with just over nine minutes to go.​

The Patriots were beaten in all three phases of the game, offense, defense, and special teams. Going into this matchup the team knew they had to stop Alvin Kamara and they didn’t do it. Kamara rushed for 89 yards of 24 carries and added three catches for 29 more including a too easy 7-yard touchdown toss from Jameis Winston.​

Saints 28-13 Patriots (Sep 26, 2021) Game Recap - ESPN

Expert recap and game analysis of the New Orleans Saints vs. New England Patriots NFL game from September 26, 2021 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

Jameis Winston threw two touchdown passes, Malcolm Jenkins returned an interception for a score, and the Saints beat the Patriots 28-13 on Sunday. New England is 0-2 at home for the first time since 2000, Bill Belichick's first season as coach.​

Mac Jones entered the day hoping to stretch the field after two games in which the passing attack was mostly underneath. Instead, he found himself under pressure for most of the day and threw three interceptions, two leading to Saints touchdowns. New Orleans sacked Jones three times and hit him 11 times. He finished 30 of 51 for 270 yards and a touchdown.​

Game Day Thread - Official Game Day Thread- Saints @ Pats

Huge game for us today. Can't wait. Going to be huge if we can get Trent Brown back at RT. Also need to monitor the Uche back situation and hopefully he can go. I'm looking for our offense to be better in the red zone and hoping MacDaniels opens the offense a little more for Mac. Also hoping we...

www.patsfans.com

Patriots Crumble Amidst A Hail Of Mistakes | PatsFans.com

The Patriots suffered a tough loss at home to the Saints on Sunday.

www.patsfans.com

New Orleans Saints ride defense to 28-13 victory over New England Patriots | Week 3

Malcolm Jenkins has key pick-six vs. rookie quarterback Mac Jones

www.neworleanssaints.com

A dominating defense allowed the New Orleans Saints to grab a 28-13 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday.​

Veteran defensive back Malcolm Jenkins had a 34-yard pick-six in the third quarter off Pats rookie quarterback Mac Jones to give New Orleans a commanding two-score lead and backup quarterback Taysom Hill put the game away with a 4-yard touchdown run with 2:37 to play. Hill's score ended a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ate up 6:45 off the clock.​

Post-game wrap up and live in-game stream/blog from Chris Price:

Final: Patriots clobbered 28-13 by Saints Sunday

Mac Jones threw three interceptions, and the Patriots fell to 1-2.

www.boston.com

It was the second defeat in three games to start the season for the Patriots. Mac Jones ended up throwing the first three picks of his NFL career. He finished 30-for-51 for 270 yards with one touchdown. The Patriots made several uncharacteristic mistakes on the afternoon, including a blocked punt in the second quarter that set New Orleans up for its second touchdown of the day.​

BSJ Game Report: Saints 28, Patriots 13 - New England in trouble

With epic failures in all three phases of the game, you have to wonder if the Patriots were indeed distracted about the looming Tom Brady storylines. If that's the case, does Bill Belichick have his kind of team?

www.bostonsportsjournal.com

What a disaster: Well, let's go through some of it:​

Rushing offense? Bad.​

Patriots averaged 2.9 yards per carry on 17 carries, and Damien Harris had as many rushes as Mac Jones, and was outgained by the QB 28-14.​

Passing offense? Bad.​

Jones posted a 55.2 rating with three interceptions. One came via the Saints pass rush because the offensive line was a sieve and nearly got Jones killed. One glanced off Jonnu Smith's hands (second drop of the game for him) and into that of Malcolm Jenkins that made it 21-3 to start the second half. Oh, and Smith couldn't block either.​

Rush defense? Ok, but atrocious when the game was on the line.​

In a 21-13 game with 9 minutes, the Patriots defense allowed the Saints to hold the ball for almost seven minutes and 13 plays — and just two were pass attempts — before scoring a game-clinching touchdown. The final SEVEN plays of that drive were running plays.​

Pass defense? Eh.​

Saints march into New England, outmuscle Patriots 28-13

The Pats fell to 1-2 on the season with a thorough, troubling loss to New Orleans on Sunday.

www.bostonherald.com

Patriots-Saints takeaways: Sloppy football, bad offensive line play sinks the Patriots

Takeaways from the Patriots-Saints game: Other than honoring Julian Edelman at halftime, there wasn’t much for New England to celebrate.

www.providencejournal.com

It's a good thing the Patriots decided to honor Julian Edelman at halftime on Sunday. It gave fans inside Gillette Stadium something to cheer about.​

Other than honoring the recently retired wide receiver, there wasn’t much to celebrate on this day. Simply put, the Patriots looked horrible in this 28-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints.​

https://985thesportshub.com/2021/09/26/photos-patriots-lose-to-saints-28-13/

Mac Jones intercepted three times, Patriots lose to Saints

The Patriots host Tom Brady and Tampa Bay next week

www.masslive.com

New Orleans (2-1) moved the ball early, but led only 7-0 after the first quarter on an 11-yard TD pass from Jameis Winston to Alvin Kamara.​

Aldrick Rosas missed a field goal in both the first and second quarters to prevent the lead from growing.​

Jones’ first NFL interception was costly. Under pressure, his throw intended for Hunter Henry was well underthrown and floated right into the hands of P.J. Williams, who returned it to the Patriots’ 9 setting up Winston’s TD pass to Marquez Callaway to make it 14-0 with 1:44 left in the second quarter.​

Jones led a no-huddle drive quickly upfield and Nick Folk hit a 45-yard field goal to make it 14-3 at halftime.​

Jones was intercepted again on the first play of the second half. His pass hit an open Jonnu Smith in the hands. The receiver seemed to be moving before securing the ball. It clanked off his hands to Malcolm Jenkins who trotted 34-yards into the end zone for a 21-3 New Orleans lead.​

Patriots’ Lessons-Learned from Week Three Loss to the Saints

The New England Patriots continue to struggle on offense, both in protection and execution. Still, they got solid production by some new faces on defense.

www.si.com

While the Patriots offensive line was considered to be (arguably) the team’s strongest positional grouping heading in 2021, the unit has yet to live up to expectations. Much of the blame for that will be placed on the absence of starting right tackle Trent Brown who has been sidelined with a calf injury. However, the problems along the line run deeper. They have collectively struggled to keep their young quarterback upright. Mac Jones found himself pressured on 17 drop backs, and was hit 11 times; taking two sacks. This was clearly evident on Sunday, when New Orleans ran several blitz packages with six rushers, followed by situational five-man rushes. Both sides of New England’s o-line had difficulty blocking them, which forced Jones into repeated miscues. Though Brown’s return should improve the line’s stability, the Pats’ coaching staff clearly has some work to do to correct the inconsistent run and pass protection from the left and center of the line, as well as the right side.​

5:47 Highlight Video
Saints vs Patriots 2013 Week 6



12:34 NFL Highlight Video
Saints vs. Patriots Week 3 Highlights | NFL 2021



2:08:05 Full Game
New Orleans Saints vs New England Patriots Week 3 NFL 2021-2022 Full Game Watch Online, Football 21
​

Game Day Roster 'Flip Card'

Patriots Media Dept Game Notes

NFL Media Game Summary

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

New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots - September 26th, 2021 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New Orleans Saints 28 at New England Patriots 13 on September 26th, 2021 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1993: Jets bombard New England on SNF
Pats drop to 0-4 under new head coach Bill Parcells
Boomer Esiason completes his first 13 passes; Jets 45, Patriots 7​

Sunday Sept 26, 1993 at 8:00
Week 4, Game 4 at Giants Stadium
New York Jets 45, New England Patriots 7
Head Coaches: Bill Parcells, Bruce Coslet
QBs: Drew Bledsoe, Boomer Esiason
Odds: Jets favored by 9½
Patriots drop to 0-4, Jets improve to 2-1

Jets 45, Patriots 7 - UPI Archives

Brad Baxter scored twice and New York turned two first-half turnovers into touchdowns that allowed the Jets to bombard the winless New England Patriots...

www.upi.com

Brad Baxter scored twice and New York turned two first-half turnovers into touchdowns that allowed the Jets to bombard the winless New England Patriots Sunday night, 45-7.​

Quarterback Boomer Esiason completed his first 13 passes and the Jets scored touchdowns on their first five possessions.​

The Jets led 35-0 at halftime, cruising to their largest margin of victory since a 45-3 win against Houston on Sept. 18, 1988. They also spoiled the return to the New York area of Patriots coach Bill Parcells, who coached the Giants from 1983 to 1990.​

New England suffered its worst loss since a 45-3 setback against Green Bay on Oct. 9, 1988 and joined the Cincinnati Bengals as the only 0-4 teams in the NFL.​

The Jets joined a four-way tie at the top of the AFC East with a 2-1 record.​

Esiason completed 17 of 21 passes for 215 yards and one touchdown before leaving early in the fourth quarter. His string of consecutive completions ended in the third quarter when Baxter was unable to hold onto a screen pass. Esiason completed 18 consecutive passes over two games, tying the third longest streak in league history.​

PRO FOOTBALL : Esiason Dominates the Patriots : Interconference: Jets' quarterback completes first 13 passes in 45-7 rout of New England.

Boomer Esiason of the New York Jets completed his first 13 passes Sunday night and led his team to a 45-7 rout of the New England Patriots.

www.latimes.com

Boomer Esiason of the New York Jets completed his first 13 passes Sunday night and led his team to a 45-7 rout of the New England Patriots.​

Esiason, who completed 17 of 21 passes for 215 yards, set a team record with 18 completions in a row over two games. He tied the third-longest streak in NFL history. Joe Montana set the record of 22 consecutive completions when he played for San Francisco. Ken Anderson had 20 for the Bengals.​

The Jets ruined New England Coach Bill Parcell’s return to Giants Stadium. Parcells, who led the New York Giants to two Super Bowls and was 50-21 at the Meadowlands, watched the Patriots give a shoddy performance.​

The Patriots (0-4) fell behind 14-0 after one quarter and 35-0 at halftime.​

“We were completely outclassed in every way,” Parcells said. “That wasn’t even a good scrimmage.”​

Asked about returning to Giants Stadium, Parcells snapped, “What kind of a question is that?”​

Patriot rookie Drew Bledsoe completed 19 of 42 passes for 195 yards. He was harried by a strong pass rush, but even when he had time, Bledsoe threw poor passes or his receivers dropped the ball.​

Brad Baxter scored on runs of one and four yards, Johnny Johnson had a six-yard touchdown run, Terance Mathis scored on a 17-yard reverse and James Thornton’s first catch as a Jet completed a 13-yard touchdown pass play.​

All that came in the first half, when the Jets outgained the Patriots 233 yards to 41. New York had 16 first downs to four for New England, forced Bledsoe to fumble once and got an interception by defensive end Jeff Lageman.​

The Jets scored touchdowns on all five of their first-half possessions.​

Boomer Esiason could do no wrong in this game​

Baxter ended a 73-yard drive with his dive from the one, then Johnson scored to make it 14-0. Lageman’s interception led to Baxter’s four-yard touchdown. Ronnie Lott’s blitz forced Bledsoe to fumble and Bobby Houston fell on the ball at the New England 26. Thornton scored four plays later.​

Mathis capped the big half by running for a touchdown around left end.​

Cary Blanchard added a 42-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, and Adrian Murrell ran 37 yards for the final touchdown.​

A five-yard run by Leonard Russell with 2:47 left kept the Jets from their first shutout in 11 years.​

1:30 Highlight Video
1993 Patriots at Jets Week 4 (Inside the NFL)



2:05:33 Full Game
1993 - Week 4 - New England @ NY Jets
​

NFL Media Game Summary

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:

New England Patriots at New York Jets - September 26th, 1993 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 7 at New York Jets 45 on September 26th, 1993 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1982: No Football
NFLPA goes on strike, seeking higher revenue share
Weeks 3 through 10 canceled​

Sunday Sept 26, 1982 at 1:00
Week 3, Game 3 at Schaefer Stadium
Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots
Head Coaches: Ron Meyer, Jack Patera
QBs: Matt Cavanaugh, Dave Krieg
Odds: none
Patriots remain at 1-1, Seahawks remain at 0-2

​

Lengthy strike has mostly been forgotten

Although the 1982 strike is a distant memory, the NFL is not exactly enjoying complete labor peace, writes Len Pasquarelli.

www.espn.com

Not surprisingly, even in a league that justifiably finds a way to recognize most seminal moments in its 88-season annals, there were no celebrations this week commemorating the silver anniversary of one of the most significant events in NFL history.​

Go ahead, do a Google search for NFL+players+strike+1982, and see whether you come up with any feature stories in any major publication in the country from the past day or two that recalls the infamous day on which the league suddenly went dark for more than eight weeks.​

Football stopped that year for 57 agonizing days. And two-and-a-half decades later, it seems, most fans who were around in '82 have stopped thinking about the tumultuous strike and the labor problems that were fomented in that era. There basically is an entire generation of NFL fans now who can't recall an autumn weekend without the sport.​

Which isn't an altogether bad thing.​

According to the chronological history section of the 2007 NFL Record & Fact Book, the work stoppage began Sept. 20, 1982. Most newspapers, though, peg the start of the players' strike as a day later because the Monday night game of Sept. 20, a 27-19 win by the visiting Green Bay Packers over the New York Giants, didn't end until after midnight. That game in Giants Stadium was the last contest played until the truncated season resumed Nov. 21.​

The regular season, under a plan devised by Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who would serve as the key mediator in two work stoppages in the 1980s, was reduced to nine contests. The NFL then enacted a "Super Bowl Derby," in which the eight franchises with the best records in the two conferences advanced to the playoffs.​

But in between the Packers-Giants game of Sept. 20 and the resumption of play, there were a lot of negotiations, a lot of words and a lot of broken hearts around the country, as legions of fans sought diversions for long, NFL-less Sunday afternoons. A lot of men who otherwise would have remained relatively anonymous to America -- league negotiator Jack Donlan, NFL Players Association executive director Ed Garvey and federal arbitrator Sam Kagel, who passed away earlier this year -- became pretty famous.​

Then, the more their countenances showed up on television as they exited another futile bargaining session, they became infamous.​

The cover of Sports Illustrated on Sept. 27, 1982, the first edition published after the strike, showed a football with most of the air pumped out of it, sitting on a football field with just the goalposts visible in the background. The headline: "PFFFFFFT!" Indeed, it was a deflating time.​

The NFLPA actually staged two AFC-NFC "all-star" games during the strike, perhaps the lowlight moments of the work stoppage, and the contests drew only 8,760 fans to RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., and 5,331 to the Los Angeles Coliseum. Said then Redskins star fullback John Riggins after the first game: "I guess I'll do just about anything for money."​

The all-star games, now a bad bit of football lore, were about as unmemorable then as the whole concept of a work stoppage seems to be now.​

So why haven't more people recalled the '82 strike on its 25th anniversary?​

There are a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that it represented one of the darkest events in the otherwise mostly glorious history of this nation's most cherished sports league, a time when the game broke trust with its fans. There was, of course, another strike, just five years later, after the agreement reached in 1982 expired. But the 1987 strike, which featured three weeks of mostly unwatchable "scab games" in which replacement players filled rosters for many teams, essentially lasted only three weeks. And if you were absolutely desperate for football, and had a strong stomach, the "scab games" did offer some entertaining moments, usually determined by how many players for each franchise crossed the picket lines.​

Besides selective amnesia, however, probably the biggest reason the 1982 strike is recalled so sparingly this week is because the NFL basically has lived in a golden age for the past 15 years and a work stoppage is a concept totally anathema to most.​

Uncanceled: The 1982 football strike | The North State Journal

We’ve now gone more than a month with no sporting events in the United States due to the coronavirus pandemic. No one knows when we’ll get back to normal, with games every day. With the viral outbreak depriving us of sports, it’s easy to look back with regret on all the times that sports leagues

nsjonline.com

A labor dispute caused the league to shut down in 1982 from Week 3 to Week 10. When the teams got back onto the field, they needed to find a way to make up for losing half the season. They took one game per team from the canceled weeks — mostly Week 3 — and created a Week 17 to give every team nine regular season games, with a relatively even home/road split.​

Then the NFL drastically expanded the playoffs, adding five wild cards to the winners of the (then) three divisions in each conference, for a 16-team bracket.​

The Redskins ended up beating the Dolphins in the Super Bowl.​

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1977: Browns win in MNF overtime nail biter
Game featured nine ties or lead changes
Cleveland 30, New England 27​

Monday Sept 26, 1976 at 9:00
Week 2, Game 2 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium
Cleveland Browns 30, New England Patriots 27 in OT
Head Coaches: Chuck Fairbanks, Forrest Gregg
QBs: Steve Grogan, Brian Sipe
Odds: Patriots favored by 3½
Patriots drop to 1-1, Browns improve to 2-0


Greg Pruitt accounted for over 200 yards of offense to lead the Browns to a thrilling 30-27 overtime victory over the Patriots on Monday Night Football. Sam Cunningham rushed for 70 yards and added 52 yards on seven receptions for the Pats.

Browns Beat Patriots in Overtime, 30‐27 (Published 1977)

www.nytimes.com

Don ****roft's 35?yard field goal with four minutes 45 seconds gone in sudden death overtime gave the Cleveland Browns a 30?27 victory over the New England Patriots at Municipal Stadium tonight.​

The Browns took the overtime kickoff after having won the toss of the coin and rolled from their 29?yard line to the New England 17.​

A major play on this drive was a 22?yard toss by Brian Sipe, the Cleveland quarterback, to Dave Logan. The play put the ball on the Patriots’ 18. Greg Pruitt, who finished with 153 yards on 27 carries, then bulled for a yard, and the Browns opted for the immediate field goal on second and 9.​

****roft's Earlier Heroics​

John Smith's 34?yard field goal for New England, as time ran out, had sent the game into overtime. Smith made the kick after Steve Grogan had led the Patriots on a sensational comeback, completing four of six passes in a 72yard drive, including a 28?yarder to Russ Francis. Immediately after Francis's catch, Smith trotted onto the field with one second to go and tied the game.​

The Browns had apparently put the game away with 55 seconds left on ****roft's 37?yard field goal, a kick set up by Charlie Hall's interception of a Grogan pass at the New England 27?yard line with 2:11 to play in the fourth period.​

This National Football League game seesawed all the way.​

Cleveland took a 7?0 lead in the first period on Pruitt's 5?yard option pass to a fellow running back, Brian Duncan.​

The Patriots charged back to take a 17?7 lead in the second period on Grogan's 8?yard touchdown pass to Sam Cunningham, Smith's 35?yard field goal and Don Calhoun's 3?yard scoring burst.​

But Cleveland rebounded in the third period, with Sipe finding Gary Parris on a 27?yard scoring pass play and ****roft kicking the first of his two 37?yarders and tying the score, 17?17, as the game headed into the final period.​

Back came New England again, with Grogan rifling a 6?yard touchdown bullet to Francis. But Sipe put the Browns into a 24?24 tie with 3:02 left in the fourth period, throwing an 8?yard touchdown pass to Pruitt.​

3:14 Highlight Video
1977 Patriots at Browns Game 2



11:51 Highlight Video
1977 - Week 2 - Patriots at Browns - Monday Night Memory



18:52 Highlight Video
1977-09-26 MNF Cleveland Browns vs New England Patriots
​

NFL Media Game Summary

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:

New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns - September 26th, 1977 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 27 at Cleveland Browns 30 on September 26th, 1977 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Today in Patriots History
1982: No Football
NFLPA goes on strike, seeking higher revenue share
Weeks 3 through 10 canceled​

Sunday Sept 26, 1982 at 1:00
Week 3, Game 3 at Schaefer Stadium
Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots
Head Coaches: Ron Meyer, Jack Patera
QBs: Matt Cavanaugh, Dave Krieg
Odds: none
Patriots remain at 1-1, Seahawks remain at 0-2

​

Lengthy strike has mostly been forgotten

Although the 1982 strike is a distant memory, the NFL is not exactly enjoying complete labor peace, writes Len Pasquarelli.

www.espn.com

Not surprisingly, even in a league that justifiably finds a way to recognize most seminal moments in its 88-season annals, there were no celebrations this week commemorating the silver anniversary of one of the most significant events in NFL history.​

Go ahead, do a Google search for NFL+players+strike+1982, and see whether you come up with any feature stories in any major publication in the country from the past day or two that recalls the infamous day on which the league suddenly went dark for more than eight weeks.​

Football stopped that year for 57 agonizing days. And two-and-a-half decades later, it seems, most fans who were around in '82 have stopped thinking about the tumultuous strike and the labor problems that were fomented in that era. There basically is an entire generation of NFL fans now who can't recall an autumn weekend without the sport.​

Which isn't an altogether bad thing.​

According to the chronological history section of the 2007 NFL Record & Fact Book, the work stoppage began Sept. 20, 1982. Most newspapers, though, peg the start of the players' strike as a day later because the Monday night game of Sept. 20, a 27-19 win by the visiting Green Bay Packers over the New York Giants, didn't end until after midnight. That game in Giants Stadium was the last contest played until the truncated season resumed Nov. 21.​

The regular season, under a plan devised by Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who would serve as the key mediator in two work stoppages in the 1980s, was reduced to nine contests. The NFL then enacted a "Super Bowl Derby," in which the eight franchises with the best records in the two conferences advanced to the playoffs.​

But in between the Packers-Giants game of Sept. 20 and the resumption of play, there were a lot of negotiations, a lot of words and a lot of broken hearts around the country, as legions of fans sought diversions for long, NFL-less Sunday afternoons. A lot of men who otherwise would have remained relatively anonymous to America -- league negotiator Jack Donlan, NFL Players Association executive director Ed Garvey and federal arbitrator Sam Kagel, who passed away earlier this year -- became pretty famous.​

Then, the more their countenances showed up on television as they exited another futile bargaining session, they became infamous.​

The cover of Sports Illustrated on Sept. 27, 1982, the first edition published after the strike, showed a football with most of the air pumped out of it, sitting on a football field with just the goalposts visible in the background. The headline: "PFFFFFFT!" Indeed, it was a deflating time.​

The NFLPA actually staged two AFC-NFC "all-star" games during the strike, perhaps the lowlight moments of the work stoppage, and the contests drew only 8,760 fans to RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., and 5,331 to the Los Angeles Coliseum. Said then Redskins star fullback John Riggins after the first game: "I guess I'll do just about anything for money."​

The all-star games, now a bad bit of football lore, were about as unmemorable then as the whole concept of a work stoppage seems to be now.​

So why haven't more people recalled the '82 strike on its 25th anniversary?​

There are a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that it represented one of the darkest events in the otherwise mostly glorious history of this nation's most cherished sports league, a time when the game broke trust with its fans. There was, of course, another strike, just five years later, after the agreement reached in 1982 expired. But the 1987 strike, which featured three weeks of mostly unwatchable "scab games" in which replacement players filled rosters for many teams, essentially lasted only three weeks. And if you were absolutely desperate for football, and had a strong stomach, the "scab games" did offer some entertaining moments, usually determined by how many players for each franchise crossed the picket lines.​

Besides selective amnesia, however, probably the biggest reason the 1982 strike is recalled so sparingly this week is because the NFL basically has lived in a golden age for the past 15 years and a work stoppage is a concept totally anathema to most.​

Uncanceled: The 1982 football strike | The North State Journal

We’ve now gone more than a month with no sporting events in the United States due to the coronavirus pandemic. No one knows when we’ll get back to normal, with games every day. With the viral outbreak depriving us of sports, it’s easy to look back with regret on all the times that sports leagues

nsjonline.com

A labor dispute caused the league to shut down in 1982 from Week 3 to Week 10. When the teams got back onto the field, they needed to find a way to make up for losing half the season. They took one game per team from the canceled weeks — mostly Week 3 — and created a Week 17 to give every team nine regular season games, with a relatively even home/road split.​

Then the NFL drastically expanded the playoffs, adding five wild cards to the winners of the (then) three divisions in each conference, for a 16-team bracket.​

The Redskins ended up beating the Dolphins in the Super Bowl.​

Look at that schedule, early games played in Baltimore when the Colts were still there started at 2 PM, not 1 PM like the rest of the league. Baltimore had an arrangement with the churchs that games would start after the last Sunday morning service, giving parishioners time to get o the game without cutting out of service. Bet the league loved that.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1971: Lions bring Pats fans back to earth
Steve Owens scores twice, gaining 163 yards from scrimmage
Detroit 34, New England 7​

Sunday Sept 26, 1971 at 1:00
Week 2, Game 2 at Schaefer Stadium
Detroit Lions 34, New England Patriots 7
Head Coaches: John Mazur, Joe Schmidt
QBs: Jim Plunkett, Greg Landry
Odds: Lions favored by 11
Patriots drop to 1-1, Lions improve to 1-1


A week after shocking the NFL with a 20-6 upset victory over Oakland, the Patriots came crashing back down to earth. The Pats turned the ball over three times, gained just ten first downs, and ran only 47 offensive plays compared to Detroit's 61. The Lions held a 368-246 advantage in total yards, and Jim Plunkett, in his second NFL game, went 6-17 for 113 yards and two interceptions.

The lone bright spot was a third quarter 61-yard touchdown pass from Plunkett to Randy Vataha which cut the Detroit lead to 20-7.

Former Heisman Trophy winner Steve Owens rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown, and added 83 yards on three receptions - including a 74-yard TD that put the Lions back up 27-7, to clinch the win.

This was the first-ever meeting between the Patriots and Lions. It is still to this day the most lopsided victory by Detroit over New England in their 13 games, but just by a nose. In 2000 the Lions beat the Patriots 34-9 in a meeting that is most noteworthy for being the game in which Tom Brady completed his first NFL pass.

3:04 Highlight Video
1971 Lions at Patriots week 2
​

NFL Media Game Summary

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:

Detroit Lions at New England Patriots - September 26th, 1971 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Detroit Lions 34 at New England Patriots 7 on September 26th, 1971 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Here is an interview from Wednesday, September 26, 2001 on Patriots All Access.

“Hopefully it’s the start of a successful, long career”

4:21 Interview with Tom Brady
EXCLUSIVE | Tom Brady 2001 All Access Interview Prior to First NFL Start
​

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Larry Izzo​

Happy 50th birthday to Larry Izzo
Born Sept 26, 1974 in Fort Belvoir, Virginia
Patriot ST/LB, 2001-2008; uniform #53

Larry Izzo was originally signed as an undrafted rookie out of Rice by the Dolphins in 1996. In 2001 the Patriots signed Izzo as an unrestricted free agent, after having been named to the Pro Bowl in 2000 for his special teams play.

Izzo went on to play the next eight seasons in New England, missing only one game during that time. He was named to two more Pro Bowls and earned three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots.

Izzo played in 17 postseason games with the Pats, with the team posting a 14-3 record in those games.


Larry Izzo is a member of the New England Patriots All-Decade Team for the 2000s for his exemplary special teams performances. He holds the unofficial NFL record with 298 career special team tackles (275 in the regular season, plus 23 in the postseason.

Since 2011 Izzo has worked as a special teams coach for the Giants, Texans, Seahawks and now Washington.


Seattle Seahawks Roster - Coaches - Larry Izzo

In his 14-year NFL career (1996-2009), Izzo played for three teams, including the Miami Dolphins (1996-2000), New England Patriots (2001-08) and New York Jets (2009). He was a three-time Super Bowl champion with New England (2001, 2003 and 2004) and a three-time Pro Bowler (2000, 2002 and 2004). He is one of 22 people in NFL history to win a Super Bowl as both a player and coach.

He was also credited with 275 special teams tackles in 200 regular season games and 23 more in 21 postseason games. Izzo never played on a team with a losing record and his teams participated in the playoffs nine times, reaching five AFC Championship Games and four Super Bowls. His teammates selected him as a special teams captain nine times, including eight with the Patriots.

Izzo, who is considered one of the best special teams players in NFL history, began his career in 1996 as an undrafted free agent with the Miami Dolphins. He made such a rapid and positive impact that in the preseason, Head Coach Jimmy Johnson said only two players were guaranteed to make the team – future Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino and Izzo.​

Best of Belichick Era: Number 34 - Larry Izzo | NBC Sports Boston

Belichick’s reverence for Izzo and Slater was articulated a couple of year back when he said, “In my time here I’ve been very fortunate to have two outstanding, I mean exemplary, players at leadership positions on special teams with Larry Izzo and Matt Slater. I thought that when we had Larry here that there’d never be another one like that, that that was so rare. Matt’s different than Larry but I think in his own way is equally effective."​

Brandon Meriweather calls Larry Izzo his grossest teammate | CBS Boston

​