Today In Patriots History 2005: Pats down 49ers 21-7 to finish 14-2

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Pats shake off slow start to go 14-2 - again
Dillon earns bonus, sets franchise rushing yardage record
Patriots 21, 49ers 7​

Sun Jan 2, 2005 at 1:00
Week 17, Game 16 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 21, San Francisco 49ers 7
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Dennis Erickson
QBs: Tom Brady, Rohan Davey; Ken Dorsey
Odds: New England favored by 13
Patriots improve to 14-2; 49ers drop to 2-14


AP recap by Howard Ullman

Another poor start similar to the one the New England Patriots had Sunday could mean an early exit from the playoffs. The Patriots lost two fumbles and Tom Brady threw an interception in the first half but beat San Francisco 21-7, giving the 49ers the top pick in this year's draft after they matched their franchise-worst 2-14 record. New England, a franchise-best 14-2 for the second straight season, was coming off one of its best games in a win over the New York Jets that clinched a bye and the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs. "There's a lot of good teams still left in these playoffs, so we're going to have to play a lot better than what we played today to win games in the playoffs," said linebacker Mike Vrabel, who caught a 1-yard touchdown pass as a tight end Sunday. The Patriots would face third-seeded Indianapolis at home if the Colts win their opening playoff game next weekend but wanted to go into the postseason on a roll.​

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At least the 49ers gave the Patriots trouble early. Brady threw two touchdown passes after tossing an interception that went off Corey Dillon's hands. Dillon ran for 116 yards and one touchdown but also lost a fumble. A penalty nullified Bethel Johnson's punt return for a touchdown at the end of the 49ers' first drive. "Oh, man, it was a terrible start. I'm not proud of that," Dillon said. "I just can't start like that. I was lackadaisical." But Dillon spearheaded two scoring drives that put the Patriots ahead 14-7, then scored on a 6-yard run. After the first quarter, "we settled down and played a pretty solid game," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said.​

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The Patriots' regular-season record of scoring first in 20 straight games ended on Ken Dorsey's 4-yard pass to third-string tight end Steve Bush late in the first quarter. New England had scored first in 23 consecutive games, including the playoffs, but couldn't do it against the team that began the day having allowed the most points in the NFL.​

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On Sunday, the Patriots, winners of two of the last three Super Bowls, hardly resembled the dynasty they hope to build. They struggled against a team that has plummeted from its own dynasty, when it won four Super Bowls in nine years in the 1980s. Brady played three full quarters and was replaced by Rohan Davey on the first play of the fourth quarter with the ball at the San Francisco 14. The drive ended with the touchdown by Dillon, who earned a $375,000 bonus by rushing for more than 1,600 yards. He finished with 1,635 in his first season with New England. "I wasn't even thinking about that," he said of the 29-yard run that put him over 1,600 yards. "I was thinking about not getting hit."​

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Brady's scoring pass to Vrabel tied the game at 7 at halftime. The Patriots took the lead on Brady's 8-yard pass to Deion Branch. Dillon ran 37 yards on the first two plays of the 51-yard march. But New England's defense allowed a 100-yard rusher for just the third time this season as Kevan Barlow ran 25 times for 103 yards.​

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The 49ers lost wide receiver Cedrick Wilson with a broken left leg in the third quarter. The Patriots played without two of their best defensive players: defensive end Richard Seymour hurt his knee against the Jets, and cornerback Ty Law missed his ninth straight game after breaking his foot. Both could return for the playoffs.​

Bethel Johnson had a great 86-yard punt return for a TD after the opening drive - that was called back on an Earthwind Moreland penalty.



21-7 win gives Patriots 14-2 mark on season | Patriots.com
New England gets next week off as they wait for Divisional Playoff opponent.

The Patriots closed out the 2004 regular season with a 14-2 mark, matching last season's franchise best, with a 21-7 win over the San Francisco 49ers.​

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It was a slow start for New England but once it grabbed the lead at 14-7, it never looked back.​

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Corey Dillon ran for 116 yards and topped the season with over 1,600, adding to his franchise record. Jed Weaver had 4 catches for 62 yards and Tom Brady was 22 of 30 passing for 226 yards, a touchdown and one interception.​

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New England began the game with a series of mistakes and one could not blame the back-ups as every healthy starter was in the game through three quarters. The first came as Bethel Johnson was in the process of returning a 49er punt for an 86-yard punt for a touchdown. Earthwind Moreland was called for a block in the back and the play came back to the Patriots 7 where they had to start first and 10.​

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Then, on the subsequent drive that looked promising, Corey Dillon fumbled after picking up 18 yards on a short pass play. Ronnie Heard of the 49ers recovered at his own 29. The Patriots came out in a no-huddle and was driving prior to the turnover.​

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Fortunately for New England, the 49ers went backwards with three straight penalties and punted for the second straight time in two tries.​

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But New England wasn't finished mishandling the ball. This time, Brady slightly overthrew Dillon and Dwaine Carpenter came up with an easy interception that he returned 31 yards to the Patriots 22. A few plays later, tight end Steve Bush took a short pass and crashed into the end zone for the early 7-0 lead. It was the first time in 20 straight regular season games that an opponent of the Patriots scored first.​

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The first quarter ended with San Francisco in possession of the ball. This time the 49ers had it after a couple of penalties by the Patriots killed any hopes of mounting a drive and forced a punt.​

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A Willie McGinest facemask penalty aided the 49ers to the New England 49 after one play but their next drive was halted at the 21. Todd Peterson's field goal attempt from 39 yards out clanked off the right upright and the Patriots escaped still down by 7.​

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The Patriots finally got on track with an eight play drive that ended with a Brady to Mike Vrabel pass for a 1-yard score. Dillon did most of the work to get his team there with four runs totalling 41 yards with the longest a 19-yarder.​

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At the two-minute warning, New England was threatening to add to its lead but faced a second and 16 from the 49ers 25. Brady took a shotgun snap and looked to pass but had his arm hit by John Engelberger. The ball came loose before Brady's arm came forward making the play a fumble. Engelberger was also credited with the recovery.​

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"Well, any time you turn the ball over, we were probably fortunate for it to be 7-7 at that point," Bill Belichick said. "Three turnovers and a punt return called back from a touchdown, that is a lot to overcome. But fortunately, we were able to hang in there and come back and get a couple scores in the second half. So, [when] you turn the ball over that many times, it is usually not good."​

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The two teams traded punts to start the second half, but Josh Miller's was downed on the 1-yard line of San Francisco. The New England defense didn't allow the 49ers beyond the 14 and after the punt, gave New England a short field to work with on their ensuing drive.​

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The Patriots took advantage by running Dillon twice for 37 yards. The second rush, for 29 yards, put Dillon over 100 yards for the game and 1,600 yards on the season.​

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Two plays later, Deion Branch scored on an 8-yard pass that he did most of the work on, outracing his defender and sticking the ball over the goal line for the score.​

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With Brady still in the game, New England had the ball first and 10 at the 49ers 14 as the third quarter ended. Brady had just successfully pulled off a quarterback sneak for 3 yards on fourth and 1. But as the fourth quarter opened, it was Rohan Davey under center. All he had to do was give the ball to Dillon twice, the first time for an 8-yard gain and the second for a 6-yard scoring plunge.​

49ers vs Patriots 2004 Week 17
1:21 Highlight Video



49ers @ Patriots 2004
1:59:17 Full Game
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San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots - January 2nd, 2005 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

San Francisco 49ers 7 at New England Patriots 21 on January 2nd, 2005 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

Patriots Pre-Game Press Release
NFL Media Game Summary, with full team & individual stats, drive charts, and detailed play-by-play.

 

[brdmaverick]

Ah, the good 'ole days. It was such a different time. Those were the days when the 'regular season' was almost viewed as the pre season.

Even when suffering a sluggish start, those were the days when you knew the Pats would still win.

This win over the 49ers was teh classic case of a ho-hum victory to close out the regular season and lead us to the most difficult post season run.

Yes, I know that probably is a controversial statement, but I consider the 2004 playoff run to be their most impressive.

Game 1: vs Indy. They were underdogs in this game. Manning just set the single season TD record. Wayne, Harrison, and Stokely just became the first WR trio to all hit 1,000 yards and 10 TDs each. OH, and who were we asking to cover these three studs....that's right Asante Samuel, Randall Gay, and Troy Brown. This is still my favorite 'non Super Bowl game' in Pats history. No Law, No Seymout, No problem...Pats win!

Game 2: at PIT. Just goes to show how malleable the Pats team was. A week after facing the greatest offense in league history (to that point), the Pats then had to travel to annual stud PITTSBURGH and their number of 1 defense.....and casually drop over 40 on them (with Brady supposedly being sick too). YOu can't make this stuff up.

Game 3: vs PHI. Sure, this will go down as their easiest and least stressful Super Bowl victory (thus far), but Eagles were a formidable opponent as they were knocking on the Super Bowl door for many years prior to this appearance. Between McNabb, TO, and Westrbook they was reason for concern, but Pats were just that good where they turned it into a ho-hum victory.

Collectively I think IND/PIT/PHI was their toughest road to Super Bowl victory.

 

[jmt57]

On a side note to the 2004 season, check out the discrepancy between the AFC and NFC.
Overall the AFC won a whopping 24 more games than the NFC.
The Patriots went 14-2 yet were only the #2 seed.
We didn't know it at the time, but that Halloween loss to Pittsburgh ended up clinching the AFC for the Steelers.
The late season loss to Miami, which included a bad Brady pick that gave the Dolphins good field position, turned out to be a big wake up call.


AFC Final Playoff Standings ..................................................................... NFC Final Playoff Standings
#1 --- 15-1 Pittsburgh ............................................................................... 13-3 Philadelphia
#2 --- 14-2 New England ......................................................................... 11-5 Atlanta
#3 --- 12-4 Indianapolis ............................................................................ 10-6 Green Bay
#4 --- 12-4 San Diego ................................................................................ 9-7 Seattle
#5 --- 10-6 NY Jets ...................................................................................... 8-8 St. Louis
#6 --- 10-6 Denver ...................................................................................... 8-8 Minnesota

#7 --- 9-7 Jacksonville ................................................................................ 8-8 New Orleans
#8 --- 9-7 Baltimore .................................................................................... 7-9 Carolina
#9 --- 9-7 Buffalo ......................................................................................... 6-10 Detroit
#10 -- 8-8 Cincinnati ................................................................................... 6-10 Arizona
#11 -- 7-9 Houston ...................................................................................... 6-10 NY Giants
#12 -- 7-9 Kansas City ................................................................................ 6-10 Dallas
#13 -- 5-11 Oakland .................................................................................... 6-10 Washington
#14 -- 5-11 Tennessee ................................................................................ 5-11 Tampa Bay
#15 -- 4-12 Miami ........................................................................................ 5-11 Chicago
#16 -- 4-12 Cleveland ................................................................................. 2-14 San Francisco


On another side note, I had forgotten how quickly Tampa Bay had fallen after winning the Super Bowl just two years prior.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Patriots clinch playoff berth
Mac Jones throws 3 TD; Pats pick off Trevor Lawrence 3x
New England 50, Jacksonville 10​

Sun Jan 2, 2022 at 1:00
Week 17, Game 16 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 50, Jacksonville Jaguars 10
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Darrell Bevell
QBs: Mac Jones, Brian Hoyer; Trevor Lawrence
Odds: New England favored by 16½
Patriots improve to 10-6; Jaguars drop to 2-14


The Patriots snapped a two-game skid in convincing fashion, crushing the Jaguars 50-10 in Foxborough. Surprisingly it was not the highest offensive output on the season. After an overtime loss to Dallas, the Pats defeated the Jets 54-13 in week 7 to start a seven-game winning streak. It was also not the high score for the week, as Seattle beat Detroit 51-29 on the same day.

Trevor Lawrence is sacked by Dont'a Hightower in the first half.​

Patriots clinch playoff berth with dominating 50-10 win over Jaguars

Follow along as Mac Jones, Damien Harris, and the Patriots play their final regular season home game of the season.

www.boston.com

Christopher Price

After missing out on the postseason party last year, the Patriots are back in the playoffs.​

Mac Jones and New England delivered a thunderous 50-10 win over the Jaguars at Gillette Stadium. That, combined with a loss by the Dolphins to the Titans allowed the Patriots to clinch a playoff spot Sunday afternoon.​

Jacksonville was overwhelmed from start to finish. Jones (22-30, 227 yards, 3 touchdowns) and the New England offense didn’t punt in the first half. They never trailed, and led by 20-plus points throughout the second half. Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris (two rushing TDs each) and Kristian Wilkerson (two receiving TDs) provided the bulk of the offense for the Patriots, who moved to 10-6 on the season with the victory.​

The ground attack was sharp early. Harris put the capper on the first drive with a two-yard touchdown run, and after a Jacksonville field goal, he added his second of the day on a seven-yard run to make it 14-3 early in the second quarter.​

Then, it was the Patriots’ passing game that took center stage, as Jones found Wilkerson and Jakobi Meyers on scoring strikes to make it 21-3 at the half. Wilkerson found the end zone again early in the third quarter after a 20-yard touchdown pass from Jones.​

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New England kept after it when Stevenson got in on the fun, taking it in from a yard out (after Kyle Dugger returned a Lawrence interception) to make it 41-3 early in the fourth. Nick Folk blasted a 43-yarder with 11:46 to go in regulation, and Stevenson added a six-yard touchdown midway through the fourth (the extra point was off the mark) to give the Patriots a 50-3 lead.​

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Lawrence and the Jaguars finally reached the end zone late in the fourth when Lawrence found Dare Ogunbowale for a 28-yard touchdown to wrap up the scoring.​

5 Keys from Patriots' 50-10 win over Jaguars - Mike Dussault, Patriots.com

Patriots 50-10 Jaguars (Jan 2, 2022) Game Recap - ESPN

Expert recap and game analysis of the New England Patriots vs. Jacksonville Jaguars NFL game from January 2, 2022 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

NFL Week 17 Game Recap: New England Patriots 50, Jacksonville Jaguars 10

The New England Patriots scored a touchdown on each of their first five possessions and cruised to a dominant 50-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17.

www.pff.com

15 Observations Week 17 Jacksonville Jaguars versus NE Patriots

Patriots were embarrassed last week by the Bills and they came out on fire right from the start against the Jaguars.

www.patsfans.com

Patriots Lock In Playoff Berth, Maul Jaguars

The Jaguars put up little resistance, the Patriots scored on most every drive, and the only thing Bill Belichick needs to complain about is his extra point unit which failed twice during the game.

www.patsfans.com

Patriots Week 17 Report Card, in 50-10 Blowout of the Jaguars

The Patriots did start well with the defense notching a 3-and-out with the offense scoring TDs on their first five drives in a 50-10 win

www.patsfans.com

Game Day Thread - Official Game Day Thread - Jax @ Pats

Wanted to start this thread a little early today. We need to get a win badly. Looking for a bounce back game from our defense. Also looking for more consistency from our offense. Will be nice to get to 10 wins and clinch a playoff berth today!!!! I'm ready to get back on the rolling train...

www.patsfans.com

Game Day Thread - Official Post Game Thread- Pats beat the Jags

We needed that win badly!!!! Get's us to 10 wins and probably a playoff berth. Non competitive and I'll take it....Wilkerson other than that drop was great and our running game was good as well. Our defense got a few turnovers as well... Not too many people thought we'd be playoff bound...

www.patsfans.com

Back in the playoffs!

Narrative 10 weeks ago Pats not a playoff team Narrative 3 weeks ago Pats a SB team Writing thier own story - Patriots secure their playoff spot with one week to go Congrats!

www.patsfans.com

Photo Gallery - Patriots.com

Jaguars vs. Patriots Week 17 Highlights | NFL 2021
10:11 Highlight Video by NFL



Jaguars vs Patriots Full Game Week 17 | January 02, 2022
2:30:51 Full Game
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Pre-Game Patriots Press Release
Patriots Week 17 Roster
Pats-Jaguars Week 17 Depth Charts
Pats-Jaguars Week 17 Injury Reports
NFL Media Game Summary with complete team & individual stats, drive charts, and detailed play-by-play.
Post-Game Notes

Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots - January 2nd, 2022 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Jacksonville Jaguars 10 at New England Patriots 50 on January 2nd, 2022 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Pats cruise to easy 38-7 win over Miami
Wilfork, Ninkovich with 2 sacks each
Brady extends record to 335 passes without a pick​

Sun Jan 2, 2011 at 1:00
Week 17, Game 16 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 38, Miami Dolphins 7
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Tony Sparano
QBs: Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer; Tyler Thigpen, Chad Henne
Odds: New England favored by 6
Patriots improve to 14-2; Dolphins drop to 7-9


Tom Brady played into the third quarter and stayed healthy despite taking some decent hits. Brady finished the season with 36 touchdowns passing against just four interceptions. He extended his NFL records to 335 straight passes without an interception, and 28 consecutive regular season wins as a starter at home.

The Patriots completed the season with the NFL's best record and had already clinched home-field advantage for as long as they remain in the AFC playoffs. Unfortunately, that would turn out to be much shorter than everyone anticipated.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis led both teams with 80 yards rushing, and scored a TD to put the Pats up 14-0 in the first quarter.​

Patriots blow out Dolphins, 38-7, in regular-season finale

A meaningless Sunday game? Not for Julian Edelman and the New England Patriots.

www.tauntongazette.com

A meaningless Sunday game?​

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Not for Julian Edelman and the New England Patriots.​

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Tom Brady threw a pair of touchdown passes and BenJarvus Green-Ellis became the first Patriots running back to eclipse 1,000 yards in a season since 2004 as the Patriots roared into the playoffs with their eighth straight win, a 38-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins in the regular season finale at Gillette Stadium. Green-Ellis went over the 1,000-yard mark early in the fourth quarter to become the first back since Corey Dillon reached the milestone in 2004.​

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For a game that did not mean anything in the standings, New England accomplished plenty heading into the bye week.​

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The 14-2 record for head coach Bill Belichick is the fourth for him in four separate seasons, becoming the first head coach to win that many during the regular season.​

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The Patriots set an NFL record for the fewest turnovers in a season (10), breaking the mark set by the Kansas City Chiefs during the 1982 strike-shortened season. New England finished the season unbeaten at home for the fifth time in team history.​

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The 518 points this season were the second most in club history behind their record-setting season (589) in 2007.​

Patriots 38, Dolphins 7: Exclamation point

Surely to the chagrin of many Patriots loyalists, NFL rules didn't permit Tom Brady to wear a red non-contact jersey for yesterday's regular-season finale. The Patriots' prized commodity absorbed hit…

www.metrowestdailynews.com

In a game that the Patriots seemingly had nothing to gain from playing, they still gained plenty. They nearly doubled up the Dolphins' yardage output (502-250), and many on the home team reached personal milestones. On the Dolphins' first offensive series, cornerback Devin McCourty picked off Chad Henne at the Miami 47 yard line, the rookie Pro Bowler's seventh interception this season. Henne went just 6-for-16 for 71 yards before being pulled for Tyler Thigpen (10-for-21, 169 yards, TD).​

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On the ensuing Patriots drive, tight end Rob Gronkowski was on the receiving end of Brady's first TD throw of the day, a 13-yard strike that put the hosts up 7-0 nearly five minutes into the game. It was Gronkowski's 10th touchdown grab of the year, a New England rookie record. He finished with six catches for 102 yards, the first 100-yard game of his career.​

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"We expect big things out of (Rob)," said Crumpler, "not only the rest of this season, but for the rest of his career."​

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The Patriots increased their lead to 14-0 on a 1-yard TD plunge by BenJarvus Green-Ellis (80 yards on 20 carries) with 4:15 to go in the first quarter. Green-Ellis finished the regular season with 1,008 yards and 13 TDs.​

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A 28-yard Shayne Graham field goal made it 17-0 with 1:45 to go in the first half, but New England wasn't done there. With 40 seconds remaining before halftime, Dolphins punter Brandon Fields unloaded a 61-yard kick. Upon fielding the punt, second-year man Julian Edelman provided the highlight of his season.​

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After catching the ball at the Patriots' 6 yard line, Edelman broke an ankle tackle, juked and wiggled to the middle of the field in search of open space. He found it soon enough, galloping the rest of the way untouched. The 94-yard jaunt with 18 seconds before halftime marked the longest punt return for a touchdown in franchise history as New England took a 24-0 lead into the locker room.​

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Edelman also had three catches for 72 yards and a 13-yard run on a reverse.​

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"When I was pressing back and I was going to put my foot in the ground and cut back, I knew we were going to his the house right there," Edelman said.​

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Also for the Patriots, Brian Hoyer (7-for-13, 122 yards, 1 TD) connected on the first touchdown pass of his career when he hit Brandon Tate on a 42-yard deep ball in the end zone's left corner that made it 38-0 with 6:33 to play.​

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The Dolphins got on the board with 2:11 left when Thigpen hit Davone Bess for a 21-yard score that made it 38-7.​

Patriots beat Dolphins for eighth win in a row | Patriots.com
Patriots 38, Dolphins 7 | Patriots.com

Brady caps record year as Pats beat Dolphins 38-7 | FOX Sports

Brady caps record year as Pats beat Dolphins 38-7

www.foxsports.com

Dolphins vs Patriots 2010 Week 17
3:05 Highlight Video



2010 Week 17 Dolphins at Patriots 400P 1st Half
58:18 Full First Half



2010 Week 17 Dolphins at Patriots 400P 2nd Half
55:41 Full Second Half



2010 week 17 Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots
1:57:01 Full Game
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Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots - January 2nd, 2011 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Miami Dolphins 7 at New England Patriots 38 on January 2nd, 2011 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

Pre-Game Patriots Press Release
Patriots Week 17 Roster
Pats-Dolphins Week 17 Depth Charts
Pats-Dolphins Week 17 Injury Reports
NFL Media Game Summary with complete team & individual stats, drive charts, and detailed play-by-play.
Post-Game Notes
- Belichick becomes first head coach in NFL history to win 14 regular-season games in four separate seasons.
- Patriots set NFL record for fewest turnovers in a 16-game season (10).
- Patriots tie NFL record for fewest interceptions in a season (5).
- Patriots finish with 8-0 home record for second straight season.
- Julian Edelman sets franchise record with a 94-yard punt return for a TD.
Edelman was only handling punt duties in order to give the regular return man, Wes Welker, a game off heading into the playoffs.
Mike Haynes held the previous record with an 89-yard TD versus Buffalo on Nov 7, 1976.
It was the first Pats punt return for a TD since Troy Brown had a 68-yard return at Carolina on Jan 6, 2002.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Troy Brown's returns highlight Pete Carroll's final game
Pats defense registers seven sacks
Patriots 20, Ravens 3​

Sun Jan 2, 2000 at 1:00
Week 17, Game 16 at Foxboro Stadium
New England Patriots 20, Baltimore Ravens 3
Head Coaches: Pete Carroll, Brian Billick
QBs: Drew Bledsoe; Tony Banks, Stoney Case
Odds: Baltimore favored by 1
Patriots improve to 8-8; Ravens drop to 8-8


The Patriots snapped a three-game losing streak to avoid a losing season for the first time in four years. For Pete Carroll - who was already on the hot seat according to media reports at the end of the previous season - this would mark his final game as head coach of the New England Patriots. The 1999 team finished just 20th in points and 18th in yardage on offense, though it was much better on defense (7th in points, 8th in yardage). The stat that jumped out to one and all was the trajectory of win totals: 11 wins in 1996 in the final season with Bill Parcells, to 10, then 9 and then 8 with Carroll at the helm. It would be 24 years from the time of this game until the Patriots would win another game without Bill Belichick as the team's head coach.

Patriots beat Ravens in Pete Carroll’s likely finale - The Boston Globe

The Patriots ended a three-game losing streak with a 20-3 win in the season finale, in what was likely Pete Carroll’s final game as the team’s head coach to conclude an 8-8 season.

www.bostonglobe.com

Patriots 20, Ravens 3

Pete Carroll strode to the podium, spoke animatedly about having fun, then left with a light wave of his right hand and the words, "See ya."

www.tampabay.com

Pete Carroll strode to the podium, spoke animatedly about having fun, then left with a light wave of his right hand and the words, "See ya."​

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The news conference after his Patriots ended their season might have been the last public sighting of Carroll as New England's coach.​

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He's expected to be fired with two years left on his contract. He avoided questions about his future as successfully as his defense battled the Ravens, who had won four straight.​

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"I just loved the day today," Carroll said when asked if he didn't think he'd have another enjoyable day as coach of the Patriots. "I'm always savoring everything I have an opportunity to savor."​

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He loved Troy Brown's three long kick returns and a defense that allowed one touchdown in its past two games. That compensated for a season-low 151 yards against the NFL's third-ranked defense.​

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Brown's returns set up 10 points as the Patriots led 13-3 at halftime.​

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"Our whole thing was to have fun," Carroll said. "Sometimes in the bitterness, we miss the fun."​

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He said he had a "very good, upbeat" conversation with team owner Robert Kraft.​

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The second half of the season wasn't much fun for the Patriots. They were 2-6 and finished last in the AFC East. They were tied with the Jets at 8-8, but New York had the tiebreaker.​

Patriots end season on winning note - ESPN

"We didn't give them a lot of yards, but we didn't do anything big on defense," Ravens free safety Rod Woodson said.​

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The Patriots did, as Chad Eaton returned Tony Banks' fumble 23 yards for a touchdown and a 20-3 lead with 7:01 left in the third quarter, and backup cornerback Kato Serwanga intercepted Banks' pass in the back of the end zone with 2:41 left in the period.​

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Troy Brown was the biggest star, with returns that set up 10 points as the Patriots led 13-3 at halftime.​

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"We didn't want to go home carrying a loss with us," Brown said.​

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That's what the Ravens had to do, despite a strong stretch run.​

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"This loss definitely takes the luster off the winning streak," said Banks, who left the game after the third quarter with a strained left knee. "People only remember your last game."​

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Carroll can only hope.​

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The Patriots have gotten worse in each of his three seasons since he took over the AFC champions from Bill Parcells, now the Jets' coach.​

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"Pete walked into an extremely difficult situation," quarterback Drew Bledsoe said. "Has it been fair? Probably not, but nobody said it has to be fair."​

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"I don't know what's going on," defensive end Willie McGinest said. "I just wanted to play hard for the guy."​

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The small crowd reflected the game's meager significance. The 50,263 fans marked the smallest crowd at Foxboro Stadium since the Patriots last home game of 1995.​

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On Sunday, the Patriots' offense wasn't much better than it had been when it averaged 12.6 points in its previous seven games. The Patriots, without leading receiver Terry Glenn, were outgained 313 yards to 151 for the game. Carroll suspended Glenn for missing three medical checkups after he contracted the flu.​

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But Brown's three returns in the first half and two key turnovers in the second half sparked New England.​

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"It's too bad," Baltimore defensive end Michael McCrary said. "I thought this team's pride had passed the point of packing it in."​

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Brown returned the opening kickoff 54 yards, but New England couldn't get a first down and turned the ball over on downs.​

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After Matt Stover's 19-yard field goal on the third play of the second quarter, his 18th consecutive successful attempt, Brown returned the kickoff 49 yards. But the Patriots settled for Adam Vinatieri's 25-yard tying field goal with 10:01 left in the period.​

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Kyle Richardson punted after Baltimore's next series and Brown returned that kick 52 yards to the Ravens' 23. Five plays later, Bledsoe threw a 1-yard scoring pass to tight end Mike Bartrum, whose two catches in four seasons with the Patriots went for 1-yard touchdowns against Baltimore.​

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Vinatieri, who missed a field goal with two seconds left in regulation and another in overtime in a 13-10 loss to Buffalo the previous Sunday, made a 51-yarder on the last play of the half.​

Ravens vs Patriots 1999 Week 17
One-minute Highlight video
​

NFL Media Game Summary, with lineups, drive charts, handwritten notes, team & individual stats, and detailed play-by-play.

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots - January 2nd, 2000 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Baltimore Ravens 3 at New England Patriots 20 on January 2nd, 2000 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[Steve102]

On a side note to the 2004 season, check out the discrepancy between the AFC and NFC.
Overall the AFC won a whopping 24 more games than the NFC.
The Patriots went 14-2 yet were only the #2 seed.
We didn't know it at the time, but that Halloween loss to Pittsburgh ended up clinching the AFC for the Steelers.
The late season loss to Miami, which included a bad Brady pick that gave the Dolphins good field position, turned out to be a big wake up call.


AFC Final Playoff Standings ..................................................................... NFC Final Playoff Standings
#1 --- 15-1 Pittsburgh ............................................................................... 13-3 Philadelphia
#2 --- 14-2 New England ......................................................................... 11-5 Atlanta
#3 --- 12-4 Indianapolis ............................................................................ 10-6 Green Bay
#4 --- 12-4 San Diego ................................................................................ 9-7 Seattle
#5 --- 10-6 NY Jets ...................................................................................... 8-8 St. Louis
#6 --- 10-6 Denver ...................................................................................... 8-8 Minnesota

#7 --- 9-7 Jacksonville ................................................................................ 8-8 New Orleans
#8 --- 9-7 Baltimore .................................................................................... 7-9 Carolina
#9 --- 9-7 Buffalo ......................................................................................... 6-10 Detroit
#10 -- 8-8 Cincinnati ................................................................................... 6-10 Arizona
#11 -- 7-9 Houston ...................................................................................... 6-10 NY Giants
#12 -- 7-9 Kansas City ................................................................................ 6-10 Dallas
#13 -- 5-11 Oakland .................................................................................... 6-10 Washington
#14 -- 5-11 Tennessee ................................................................................ 5-11 Tampa Bay
#15 -- 4-12 Miami ........................................................................................ 5-11 Chicago
#16 -- 4-12 Cleveland ................................................................................. 2-14 San Francisco


On another side note, I had forgotten how quickly Tampa Bay had fallen after winning the Super Bowl just two years prior.

IS that the one where he threw a pick while essentially sitting on his ass?

 

[jmt57]

IS that the one where he threw a pick while essentially sitting on his ass?

Yes.
Monday night game, up 28-23 with less than two minutes to go.
Needed to just eat the ball, take the sack and punt.
Miami takes over on the Patriot 21 yard line, scores on a 4th down.

Tom was very un-Brady-like on that play.


2004 - Tom Brady Makes a Terrible Pass Leading to Interception
Quick 33-second video

 

[Steve102]

Yes.
Monday night game, up 28-23 with less than two minutes to go.
Needed to just eat the ball, take the sack and punt.
Miami takes over on the Patriot 21 yard line, scores on a 4th down.

Tom was very un-Brady-like on that play.


2004 - Tom Brady Makes a Terrible Pass Leading to Interception
Quick 33-second video

Yup, that's the one. I fell asleep and saw the highlights next morning. Even then, I was all "C'mon Tommy, you know better than that. That's rookie chit."

 

[NFL Mystique]

Going 14-2 and not getting HFA throughout is crazy. But nothing can top the Vikings/Lions. A 14-3 team as the 5th seed.

 

[jmt57]

Going 14-2 and not getting HFA throughout is crazy. But nothing can top the Vikings/Lions. A 14-3 team as the 5th seed.

I'm showing my age here, but I recall this happening when I was a very young kid.
It was long enough ago that I had to look up some of the details.


1967 season: NFL had 16 teams, with four 4-team divisions and two conferences.
Two eastern conference division winners played each other in the playoffs, same in the west; then the NFL championship.
This was the first year of expanded playoffs. Prior to that there was only only playoff game, between the east winner and west winner.

Problem was that that the league's two best teams were in the same division - but at least they played each other twice in the regular season, so perhaps that might solve any issues.
But the league had no overtime then, so ties were not uncommon either.


The LA Rams began the year with three wins, then lost to SF by three in a huge upset.
The following week they played division rival Baltimore (that is not a misprint, despite the 2600 mile separation), who were 4-0.
Roman Gabriel and Johnny Unitas duked it out to a 24-all tie.

The Rams tied Washington the following week, then won seven in a row.
The Colts tied Minnesota the following week, then won seven in a row as well.

That set up a regular season finale: 11-0-2 Baltimore at 10-1-2 LA.
The Colts won, and both teams finished with identical 11-1-2 records.
LA was 1-0-1 in their head-to-head games, so they won the division and advanced.
Baltimore - who entered the game undefeated - saw their season end, as there was no such thing as a wild card yet.
The three other teams that made it to the playoffs? They all had nine wins, two fewer than the Colts.


Ironically the Rams got bounced the following week in the first round/conference championship.
Green Bay - who had lost to both the Rams and the Colts in the regular season - won that game as well as the next two games: the "Ice Bowl" against Dallas, and then Super Bowl II versus the Raiders.


When the two leagues merged in 1970, they retained something that the AFl had begun a year earlier: the concept of wild card teams.
In the late sixties the two best AFL teams were from the same division, the AFL West.
In 1969 the AFL added the two second-place teams to the playoffs, with #2 in the East playing #1 in the West, and vice versa.
Sure enough 12-1-1 Oakland crushed the east's Oilers, 56-7 - and west #2 KC beat east #1 NYJ, 13-6 to make it an all-west AFL title game.

 

[festy1986]

Yes.
Monday night game, up 28-23 with less than two minutes to go.
Needed to just eat the ball, take the sack and punt.
Miami takes over on the Patriot 21 yard line, scores on a 4th down.

Tom was very un-Brady-like on that play.


2004 - Tom Brady Makes a Terrible Pass Leading to Interception
Quick 33-second video

I remember this same play working for him a week or two before.

He never tried it again after this INT

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Parcells, Bledsoe finish first season strong
Four straight wins after rough 1-11 start
Patriots 33, Dolphins 27 in OT in Andre Tippett's final game​

Sun Jan 2, 1994 at 1:00
Week 18, Game 16 at Foxboro Stadium
New England Patriots 21, San Francisco 49ers 7
Head Coaches: Bill Parcells, Don Shula
QBs: Drew Bledsoe, Scott Mitchell
Odds: Even, pick'em
Patriots improve to 5-11; Dolphins drop to 9-7


Miami entered this game needing a win to gain a playoff berth; this was not a case of a meaningless game for the Dolphins. Miami had started the season with a 9-2 record, but after Dan Marino was sidelined early in the year they slumped and entered this must-have game on a four-game losing streak.

The Patriots were on a polar opposite trajectory. The euphoria of signing Parcells and Bledsoe was already starting to wear off, with a 1-11 record showing absolutely zero improvement over the pathetic two-win 1992 **** MacPherson/Hugh Millen season.


Throwback Thursday: Patriots vs. Dolphins Week 18 1993

Both teams started out slow with the Patriots taking a 3-0 lead into the second quarter before Drew Bledsoe found Ben Coates for an 11-yard touchdown to make it 10-0. Miami got on the board just before halftime with a Mark Riggs 5-yard touchdown run to make it 10-7.​

​

After Bledsoe lost a fumble deep in his own territory to begin the second half, the Patriots defense held strong and forced Miami to a short field goal, tying the game at 10. Another 11-yard touchdown pass from Bledsoe, this time to Vincent Brisby, gave the Patriots a 17-10 lead after the third.​

​

By now, the Dolphins knew that the Steelers had won so they needed a win or a tie in order to make the playoffs and it looked like they might be headed there after Bledsoe threw a pick on the first possession of overtime. However, the Patriots defense finally made a stop, forcing Miami to punt.​

​

With another shot, Bledsoe again led the offense down the field culminating in a 36-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline to Michael Timpson, sending Patriots fans home happy and the Dolphins home for the season.​

The win, and the four-game winning streak was critical to fans of the New England Patriots. The Pats were on the verge of moving to St. Louis, and were coming off three abysmal double-digit loss seasons. Prior to those wins the Pats had gone 10-53 from late '89 to late '93. Realistically, one could not fault lack of fan support for a franchise with that type of non-production.

He may have his warts in 2025, but give him some 1995 credit: a month after this game, Robert Kraft purchased this team and kept them in New England. Ending the season with a few wins - and knocking behemoth division rival Miami out of the playoffs - that got the ball rolling for forward progress and a spot in the playoffs the following year.

The post-game focus may have been on Drew Bledsoe, who went 27-43 for 329 yards and four touchdowns, but overlooked at the time was that this was the final game of Andre Tippett's great career. While overlooked at first, he eventually got noticed after his career had ended - thanks in great part to the Pats upward trajectory - and ended up in the Hall of Fame. Tippett had 1½ sacks agianst the Dolphins, giving him a perfect 100 for his career.

1/2/1994 Dolphins at Patriots Week 18
3:14 Highlight Video, Chris Berman narration



Miami Dolphins vs New England Patriots 1993 1st Half Week 18
1:05:31 1st Half Video



Miami Dolphins vs New England Patriots 1993 2nd Half Week 18
1:46:06 2nd Half Video



1993 week 18 Dolphins at Patriots
3:34:25 Full Game Video, not quite as good quality as the two above
​

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots - January 2nd, 1994 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Miami Dolphins 27 at New England Patriots 33 on January 2nd, 1994 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

NFL Media Game Summary, typewritten with lineups, individual & team stats, halftime summaries and drive charts

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Pats win to secure post-season berth
Grogan goes 20/34, 26 yards with 3 TD
Ron Meyer secures job for now with 5-4 season, playoffs​

Sun Jan 2, 1983 at 1:00
Week 17, Game 9 at Schaefer Stadium
New England Patriots 30, Buffalo Bills 19
Head Coaches: Ron Meyer, Chuck Knox
QBs: Steve Grogan, Joe Ferguson
Odds: Bills favored by 3½
Patriots improve to 5-4; Bills drop to 4-5


1982 was a unique season. The players went on strike after two weeks, and play did not resume until week 11 in late November. Initially the final week was simply going to be all of the canceled week 3 games, but then that was changed to in-division games that would help determine divsion champions. Because of the shortened season (nine games) the NFL also expanded the number of playoff teams - which of course, also helped owners recoup lost revenue.

The winner of this game would advance to the playoffs - four AFC games and four NFC games in the wild card round, with 16 teams qualifying for the postseason.

The NFL MVP that year was a kicker. I guess that makes perfect sense.

​

PATRIOTS GET PLAYOFF SPOT (Published 1983)

www.nytimes.com

Steve Grogan's three touchdown passes, one following an interception by Mike Haynes, were the big plays for New England as the Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills, 30-19, yesterday at Foxboro, Mass., and gained a place in the American Conference playoffs. It is their first playoff berth since 1978 and it was achieved by a team with a lot of new faces.​

​

The Bills, losing their third straight game, finished the season with a 4-5 record and will miss the playoffs for the first time in three years.​

​

Haynes, the Patriot cornerback, intercepted a Joe Ferguson pass that had been deflected and made a 25-yard return late in the third quarter when the score was tied, 16-16. Four plays later, Tony Collins, the New England halfback, scored from the 1-yard line for his first rushing touchdown of the season and only the third by rushing for New England.​

​

The victory left the Patriots with a 5-4 record and provided some satisfaction for the team's new coach, Ron Meyer, who had been the subject of complaints recently from John Hannah and other veteran players because of his strict rules on and off the field. Hannah, an all-pro guard, last week had said he would ask to be traded before next season.​

 

[jmt57]

And some January 2 Patriot birthdays:




Happy 70th birthday to Raymond Clayborn





Happy 66th birthday to Fred Marion





Happy 64th birthday to Craig James





Happy 58th birthday to Harlon Barnett
Hopefully no more Barry Sanders nightmares.