Today In Patriots History Dec 10, 2012: The Letterman Jackets Game

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Dec 10, 2012: The Letterman Jackets Game
Tom Brady throws for 296 yards, 4 TD
Pats crush Texans, 42-14​

Monday, December 10, 2012 at 8:40
Week 14, Game 13 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 42, Houston Texans 14
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Gary Kubiak
QBs: Tom Brady, Matt Schaub
Odds: New England 5½-point home favorites
TV: ESPN (WCVD, WMUR locally); Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden; Lisa Salters
59º, humidity 91%, wind 7 mph
Referee: Terry McAulay; Paid Attendance: 68,756; Time: 2:58
Patriots improve to 10-3, up four games with three to go in AFC East
Texans drop to 11-2, still best in AFC, two games up in AFC South


This was a flat out huge game. The AFC's best team was 11-1 Houston, and the Texans were visiting the reigning AFC champion Patriots, who were tied with Denver and Baltimore with a 9-3 record. Both teams were hot, entering the night on six-game winning streaks. The victory was important because the Pats hosted Houston in the divisional round, and also hosted Baltimore in the AFCCG after the Ravens knocked off #1 seed Denver the previous week.

The Patriots scored on each of their first three drives to lead 21-0 at the half, with Tom Brady throwing a 37-yard TD to Brandon Lloyd, sandwiched between two red zone TDs to Aaron Hernandez. Recently signed Donte' Stallworth (added to replace Julian Edelman, who had been placed on injured reserve six days earlier) scored on a 63-yard TD deep down the middle early in the third quarter, making it 28-0. (Stallworth's second tenure with the team would be short: he injured his ankle on the play, and he too was placed on IR a day later). Then in the first minute of the fourth quarter Danny Woodhead caught a pass and was headed for a score when JJ Watt forced a fumble - which was recovered by Brandon Lloyd. Stevan Ridley scored on a 14-yard on the next possession, making it a 42-7 blowout with 7:23 left to play.

No wins ever came from those Texans letterman jackets, only camaraderie

In 2012, the 11-1 Texans headed to New England wearing matching letterman jackets as a sign of unity, but the stunt brought only "bad memories."

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Donte' Stallworth Back With The Patriots

With the injury to Julian Edelman on Sunday, after working out with the team last week the Patriots elected to bring back Donte' Stallworth on Monday.

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Patriots WR Edelman Appears to Be Headed to Injured Reserve

Wide receiver Julian Edelman had started to put on quite a late season push, but according to CBS Boston's Dan Roche, it appears a broken foot will sideline him for the rest of the season.

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Defensive Key to the Game: Pats Run Defense vs Arian Foster

While it may not be realistic to think the Pats can completely stop Arian Foster, they need to at least limit him in some form Monday night.

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Monday night's game is unfamiliar territory for Patriots

The Patriots have rarely been tested in a December game the past few seasons, until Monday night

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Top Dogs In AFC? Patriots Stake Their Claim

On Monday night, the Houston Texans gave the Patriots a bigger gift.

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The Baltimore Ravens gave the Patriots a big gift on Sunday by losing to Washington and giving the Patriots the inside track to the two seed and a bye.

And on Monday night, the Houston Texans gave the Patriots a bigger gift.

Though the Texans are currently still the top seed in the AFC with an 11-2 record, the Patriots pulled to within one game of the conference lead with a resounding 42-14 win over the Texans on Monday night at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots used an early 21-0 run to take control of the game, then went on cruise control and basically never allowed the Texans to do to them what they had done to the rest of the league.

The game turned out to be the first road loss for Houston of the season, but in the long haul it could be far worse. The Texans still have two meetings left with their closest pursuer, the Colts, and now they lose a tiebreaker with the Patriots. The Patriots have one more rough game left, next Sunday night against San Francisco at home, then two easy concluding games against Florida teams (at Jacksonville, Miami). End result? The Patriots could be looking at still another top playoff seed.

Leading the way was Tom Brady and a defense which made big plays when it had to, never allowing the big offensive guns of Houston to take over the game. Brady led the Patriots on an early blitz, scoring touchdowns on each of the first three Patriot offensive possessions. Meanwhile, Devin McCourty thwarted an early Houston scoring drive with an end zone interception of Matt Schaub in the first quarter which really seemed to put the Houston offense in a funk all game long.

The Patriots opened with a 56-yard drive. A leaping grab by Wes Welker for 24 yards set up a seven-yard scoring pass from Brady to Aaron Hernandez, who beat linebacker Bradie James in the left flat and took a perfect toss into the end zone. McCourty's pick, which was the result of Schaub misfiring towards Kevin Walter, set the Patriots off on an 82-yard scoring drive. Brady ate up the yards in huge chunks, hitting Lloyd for 13 yards with Johnathan Joseph in coverage, Danny Woodhead beating Darryl Sharpton over the middle for a 19-yard screen toss, Hernandez beating Kareem Jackson for 13 yards, and then Brady hit a wide open Brandon Lloyd on a deep post pattern for 37 yards and a touchdown.

After holding Houston on 4-and-out, Brady used Wes Welker to drive the Patriots down the field. A controversial pass interference penalty on Danieal Manning begat two throws to Welker for 27 yards. On first and goal at the four, the Texan defense did not account for Hernandez lining up at the left wideout position, and Brady found him for an easy touchdown to make it 21-0 Patriots early in the second quarter.

From this point on, the Patriot offense stalled for the next four offensive possessions, three of them being three-and-out. Brady went on a one-for-seven passing slump, throwing mostly lob throws downfield into tight coverage which were either overthrown or knocked down. Houston had a golden opportunity to get back into the game.

But the Patriot defense would not allow that to happen. Vince Wilfork killed one drive with a J.J. Watt-esque bat down of a pass on third down. Houston sustained a drive all the way to the Patriot 33, but on fourth and five Walter dropped a first down completion with Kyle Arrington draped all over him. Aqib Talib killed another drive by making a spectacular near-pick on a deep ball to Andre Johnson, though Talib was hurt on the play and did not return. It was 21-0 Patriots at the half and a total domination by the home team of the best team in the AFC.

The Patriots began the second half with a punt after 7 plays, but Alfonzo Dennard stopped the Texans cold with a brilliant tackle on Johnson a yard shy of a first down on the ensuing drive to force a three-and-out. The Patriots finally broke through on the next drive as Donte' Stallworth was able to slip in behind the Texan secondary and haul in a 63-yard scoring bomb, his only catch of the game, to make it 28-0 Patriots.

Houston was able to finally get on the board with an eight-play, 88-yard drive with Arian Foster barreling in from one yard out for the score. But after an exchange of three-and-outs, the Patriots put the game away with a kooky play early in the fourth quarter. On second down and ten at the Houston 27, Danny Woodhead took a screen pass in the right flat, sidestepped a tackle and ran towards the end zone. Watt batted the ball out of his hands around the nine-yard line, but the ball was batted into the end zone and Lloyd was able to fall on the ball for a touchdown and a 35-7 Patriot lead.

Stevan Ridley would ice the game on the next drive with six carries for 37 yards, the last 14 of them carrying him into the end zone. The drive smacked of the last drive last week against Miami, as Houston was too tired to stop the Patriot running game any longer.

Brady finished the game 21 of 35 passing for 296 yards, four touchdowns and a rating of 125.4. His rating was almost double that of Schaub. Ridley and Shane Vereen combined for 112 yards rushing and a 4.3 average per carry. On a night where Welker basically had an off night with misfires and dropped passes, Lloyd stole the show with seven catches for 89 yards and a touchdown. Hernandez had two touchdown catches.

​

5 Observations: Texans at Patriots

Five observations from Monday night's win, including the great start offensively and the Aqib Talib effect on the defensive philosophy

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Patriots vs Texans: Photos From The Game

Here are some great action photos from the Patriots Monday night win over the Houston Texans.

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Patriots Aqib Talib Suffers Injury During Win Over Texans

The Patriots may have taken care of business Monday night with a 42-14 win over the Texans, but it definitely didn't come easy for one of their top corners.

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INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Patriots Run Defense Once Again Terrific

We're thirteen weeks into this season and Monday night's performance makes you wonder if we could finally be on the verge of seeing the start of a new era on the defensive side of the football here in New England.

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Some Observations After Brady and the Patriots Defense Hammered the Texans

The New England Patriots put a beat down on the Houston Texans behind a solid defensive effort and MVP type performance by Tom Brady 42-14 on Monday Night Football in Foxboro.

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Patriots Adjust, Texans Give Up On Monday Night Football

The Texans learned a lesson Monday night following their visit and dismissal from Gillette Stadium by New England.

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Patriots Place Stallworth on IR, Release Shiancoe; Branch Expected To Return

The New England Patriots announced on Tuesday veteran wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth has been placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury. In addition to Stallworth, tight end Visanthe Shiancoe has been released. Deion Branch expected to return.

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Letterman jackets and 'Homecoming' an indelible part of Patriots-Texans history

https://twitter.com/ConnorBarwin98/status/277138244922126336 The Patriots are 8-1 all-time against the Texans, including two playoff victories. Despite Houston edge defender Whitney Mercilus’ claim that his team is “better” than New England, history between the two franchises has been...

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12:19 Highlight Video
The Letterman Jacket Game! (Texans vs. Patriots 2012, Week 14)



31:20 Extended Highlights
2012 - Texans @ Patriots Week 14
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Houston Texans at New England Patriots - December 10th, 2012 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Houston Texans 14 at New England Patriots 42 on December 10th, 2012 - Full team and player stats and box score

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December 10, 2012 - Houston Texans at New England Patriots Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for December 10, 2012 - Houston Texans at New England Patriots boxscore and game statistics.

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Patriots Starting Offense
85 WR Brandon Lloyd
47 TE Michael Hoomanawanui
77 LT Nate Solder
70 LG Logan Mankins
62 C Ryan Wendell
63 RG Dan Connolly
76 RT Sebastian Vollmer
81 TE Aaron Hernandez
83 WR Wes Welker
12 QB Tom Brady
22 RB Stevan Ridley

Patriots Starting Defense:
99 LDE Trevor Scott
75 LDT Vince Wilfork
71 RDT Brandon Deaderick
50 RDE Rob Ninkovich
54 SLB Dont'a Hightower
55 MLB Brandon Spikes
51 WLB Jerod Mayo
31 LCB Aqib Talib
32 SS Devin McCourty
28 FS Steve Gregory
37 RCB Alfonzo Dennard

Patriots Special Teams:
3 K Stephen Gostkowski
14 P Zoltan Mesko
48 LS Danny Aiken
83 KR Wes Welker
83 PR Wes Welker

 

[n1997y]

From Letterman jackets and 'Homecoming' an indelible part of Patriots-Texans history:

Before wearing their varsity jackets for the Monday Night game in New England in 2012, the Texans were 11-1. After that – including the 2012 postseason – Houston went 4-18 through the next season.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Dec 10, 1978: Pats clinch
their first-ever outright division title
on David Posey's last second field goal​

Sunday, December 10, 1978 at 1:00
Week 15, Game 15 at Schaefer Stadium
New England Patriots 26, Buffalo Bills 24
Head Coaches: Chuck Fairbanks, Chuck Knox
QBs: Steve Grogan, Chuck Knox
Odds: New England 11½-point home favorites
TV: NBC; play-by-play unknown, Mike Haffner analyst
Partly cloudy, cold, 28º, 17 mph wind
Referee: Gord McCarter; Time: 3:08
59,927 tickets distributed; 329 no-shows; in-stadium attendance 59,598
Patriots improve to 11-4, one game ahead of Miami in AFC East
Bills drop to 4-11, fifth in AFC East


In a see-saw game that had six lead changes, the Patriots came from behind to defeat Buffalo 26-24. With the victory the Pats clinched the AFC East title, their first outright division title in franchise history. Boston finished the regular season tied with Buffalo in 1963, forcing an extra game for the division title the following week back in an era before tiebreakers.


The Patriots opened up the fourth quarter with an eight-play drive that stalled at the 24 yard line. David Posey's 42-yard field goal was short and wide to the left, and the Bills retained their 17-14 lead. On third-and-five Joe Ferguson was sacked by Tony McGee, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Ray Hamilton for a loss of ten yards. On the first play after the change of possession Horace Ivory ran around the right end 20 yards for a touchdown, and New England took a 21-17 lead with 8:23 to play.


Ferguson moved Buffalo down the field, completing passes of 28 and 25 yards to put the Bills in scoring position. After an offensive holding call resulted in a Buffalo 3rd-and-19, the Bills quarterback completed a 21-yard touchdown pass. With that the Patriots were down 24-21 with 4:39 on the clock.


On the next drive Steve Grogan scrambled for a gain of 23, then completed a 52-yard pass to Stanley Morgan. However on 2nd-and-goal Sam Cunningham fumbled, with Buffalo recovering with only 2:32 to go. The defense was able to stop Buffalo a yard short on third down, and Chuck Knox made an interesting decision here. Rather than risk a blocked punt, he had punter Rusty Jackson take the snap and run back out of the end zone, for a safety. As a result the score was now 24-23 - meaning a Patriot field goal would win the game rather than just tie it. Jackson's 44-yard free kick was returned 17 yards by Morgan, and the Pats began their final drive on the Buffalo 47 with 1:43 left to play.


Grogan completed two short passes to Ivory, scrambled for five yards, and completed a nine-yard pass to Cunningham that put the ball on the 30 with 50 seconds to go. Sam Bam ran up the middle for 14 yards, followed by a spike and three-yard run by Ivory to the four yard line. On third down Posey got another chance, this time connecting on a 21-yard game-winning field goal with eight seconds to go.

​

The celebration didn't last very long unfortunately. Shortly afterwards University of Colorado boosters who wanted to get an advantage with college recruits jumped the gun, and let it be known that the Buffaloes hired Chuck Fairbanks - who had had enough of Billy Sullivan's miserly ways. The owner suspended Fairbanks for the following game against Miami, naming interim co-head coaches: the OC would be the head coach when the Pats had the ball, the DC the head coach when the team was on defense. That went about as well as you could imagine, and Fairbanks was re-instated for a chaotic, downbeat, miserable playoff game on New Year's Eve against Houston. The first ever home postseason game in franchise history was uglier than the ominous dark gray sky, and about as enjoyable as pouring lemon juice on an open wound.



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Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots - December 10th, 1978 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Buffalo Bills 24 at New England Patriots 26 on December 10th, 1978 - Full team and player stats and box score

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December 10, 1978 - Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for December 10, 1978 - Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots boxscore and game statistics.

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The Roller Coaster Ride Of The 1978 New England Patriots – OUAT Sports

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2:00 Highlight Video
12/10/1978 Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots highlights, National Football League Week 15
​

Patriots Starting Offense:
86 WR Stanley Morgan
80 TE Don Hasselbeck
70 LT Leon Gray
73 LG John Hannah
67 C Bill Lenkaitis
61 RG Sam Adams
74 RT Shelby Jordan
81 TE Russ Francis
14 QB Steve Grogan
32 HB Andy Johnson
39 FB Sam Cunningham

Patriots Starting Defense:
72 LDE Mel Lunsford
71 NT Ray Hamilton
64 RDE Richard Bishop
52 LOLB Steve King
55 LILB Ray Costict
50 RILB Sam Hunt
56 ROLB Rod Shoate
26 LCB Ray Clayborn
27 SS Doug Beaudoin
48 FS Tim Fox
40 RCB Mike Haynes

Patriots Special Teams:
9 K David Posey
4 P Jerrell Wilson
26 KR Ray Clayborn
23 KR Horace Ivory
86 KR Stanley Morgan
86 PR Stanley Morgan

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Ronnie Lippett​

Happy 65th birthday to Ronnie Lippett
Born December 10, 1960 in Melbourne, Florida; hometown Sebring FL
Patriot cornerback, 1983-1991; uniform #42
New England's eighth round (214th overall) selection of the 1983 draft, from Miami
Pats résumé: eight seasons, 122 games (111 starts); plus four postseason games
New England Patriots All-1980's Team
1987 All-AFC Team; 1987 Patriots Unsung Hero Award


As a rookie drafted in the eighth round, Ronnie Lippett was unexpectedly thrust into the starting lineup after Mike Haynes was traded during a contract dispute. While he was no Mike Haynes, Lippett filled the role admirably, far exceeding any reasonable expectations. When Lippett retired he ranked sixth for most interceptions in franchise history (now tenth), with 24. On a side note Lippett hated Don Shula and the Miami Dolphins due to an incident when he visited a Dolphins training as a college student. Of his 24 career interceptions, seven of them were on Dan Marino passes.


Alumni Spotlight: Ronnie Lippett (2008 column)

Former Pats corner Ronnie Lippett, a Miami native, started 111 games for the Patriots from 1983 - 1991. He played some of his best games against the Miami Dolphins.​

Looking at former corner back Ronnie Lippett today, it's tough to believe he's the same guy who started 111 of 122 games over nine seasons with the Patriots (1983-91). Almost too small at 5-11, 180-pounds, Lippett played big. He terrorized receivers and quarterbacks across the league and is still tied with Patriots Hall-of-Famer Nick Buoniconti as the eighth-leading interceptor in franchise history (24 picks).​

Sitting in a dimly lit corner of Gillette Stadium with friends, Ronnie is easy going and relaxed. He's got a signature smile, and although he turned 47 this year, he doesn't look a day over 35. After he retired, Lippett chose to remain in New England rather than return to his home state of Florida. He currently lives in South Easton, Mass. with his wife, Sheryl. They have three grown children, and are active foster parents.​

The Ronnie Lippett of Patriots lore, on the other hand was an aggressive defender, recognized not only for his closing speed, but also for his physical style of play and ferocity as an open-field tackler. Perhaps he wasn't intimidating in stature, but he made up for it with aggressive play – mostly directed toward the Miami Dolphins.​

Lippett started three years at the University of Miami under coach Howard Schnellenberger. When he was a senior Ronnie attended a Dolphins camp at St. Thomas University, where they were practicing against the Saints. He and his teammates were unexpectedly asked to leave.​

"They were allowing us to come over and watch, and that's what we did. We were standing on the sidelines and (then-Head Coach) Don Shula was having a bad day or something. He started telling us to get off the field and yelling at us. So we left and from that point on I wanted to be drafted by a team that would play against the Dolphins. I hated them after that."​

Selected by the Patriots in the eighth round of the 1983 NFL Draft, Ronnie immediately had Hall-of-Fame-sized shoes to fill. His predecessor was All-Pro corner Mike Haynes, who left for the Los Angeles Raiders following a contract dispute during Training Camp.​

Lippett started every game that year. The Patriots made it to the AFC Championship, their first playoff appearance since 1978, and Ronnie led the team in passes defensed (26), holding his own by focusing on not getting beat on deep routes.​

When he joined the Patriots secondary, Lippett was playing opposite All-Pro corner Raymond Clayborn, who made the Pro Bowl that year, and again in '85 and '86. If forced to choose between the two, any quarterback in the league would obviously take his chances with the undersized rookie.​

Teams like the Broncos and Dolphins game planned for the young corner. It wasn't always pretty.​

"It's not as easy to pick on one man as it used to be," said Shula after Ronnie's first meeting with the Dolphins, a 34-24 loss at Miami. "But we'd obviously rather throw to Lippett's side than Clayborn's."​

It wasn't always that way, however. Of his 24 career interceptions, 7 came from the hands of Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino.​

"When we played against those guys, you had [wide receiver] Mark Clayton who would talk so much. He and I got into a verbal altercation that ended up spilling out onto the field," said Lippett, a hint of the old tenacity in his voice. "You don't want it to spill over to the point where you'll get a 15-yard penalty, but you do want to be jacked up to the point where you can use that adrenaline to help you run a little faster and hit a little harder."​

Lippett's good friend and fellow Patriots alumni Fred Marion was also his teammate at the University of Miami. That's where the two defensive backs met Clayton.​

"We were playing against (Louisville) and I had two interceptions in the game, one for a touchdown. Fred intercepted another ball and Clayton made the tackle. Clayton went and kicked Fred in the head," he said emphatically. "[Marion] had a concussion so bad he was walking around the dorm with a teddy bear one night. Ever since then we were trying to find a way to get at him. Then when he ended up being on the Dolphins, that was another reason for us to hate the Dolphins."​

Playing opposite of Clayton was Mark Duper.​

"I bumped into Duper two years ago up in New York at a golf tournament. We were supposed to be sitting at the same table and I was coming towards him. I thought, "Oh no. That's Duper, we're about to fight," said Lippett, only half joking. "We began to talk and he said, 'Man we used try to tell Mark (Clayton) to shut up, because he was going to get you started. We couldn't get him to shut up.' I said, 'Yeah man, that's over with.' We ended up being friends after that, but I never thought that could ever happen because I hated those two guys."​

Lippett's favorite memory of playing against Dan Marino and the duo of Marks involves a bit of prediction.​

"(Marino) called me and asked me if I would come on his television show and I said sure. When I came on his show, he was kind of joking around. I said, 'Well Dan, if you don't mind throwing me two interceptions, I'd really appreciate it.'" Lippett smiled thinking of the interview. "As it turned out, he did."​

In an Oct. 5, 1986 meeting at New England, Lippett opened the game with an interception from Marino, stealing the pass away from Duper. In their previous meeting, the Patriots "Squished the Fish" in the divisional round of the 1985 playoffs on their way to Super Bowl XX.​

"I just stayed with him and looked at his face," Lippett told reporters after the game. "He strained to stop in front of me, so I stopped and stepped in front of him. He started talking as soon as I had the ball and mumbled all the way off the field."​

Ronnie grabbed a second interception before the 34-7 trouncing was through, this time from Clayton.​

"It was an out move, so I went in and hit the ball," he said at the time. "[Clayton] started screaming at the official about interference even before I caught the ball. That was great."​

Clayborn had another pick before the game was over, and Ronnie was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. He finished the '86 season with a league-leading eight interceptions for 76 yards.​

Lippett played in 13 games against the Dolphins, including their meeting in the 1985 playoffs. The rivalry was stronger then, and the Patriots stole eight wins in those games. As divisional opponents, the Pats and the Phins still meet twice a year. Ronnie always enjoys watching the rivalry play out.​

"I think the best times I had were playing against the Dolphins and Dan Marino. I have seven interceptions from him."​

Ronnie Lippett - University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame

Biography page for University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame member, Ronnie Lippett

www.umsportshalloffame.com

During the 1980's the University of Miami's football program took a significant turn in an upward direction. Though the talent on offense was a major key to this success, the Canes defense was not to be sold short. neither was Sebring, Florida native Ronnie Lippett was a three-year starter and letter-winner during his days at UM, and began the great tradition of defensive backs at Miami, including All-Americans Bennie Blades, Bubba McDowell, and Daryl Williams. His ten career interceptions still rank eighth on Miami's all-time list. He also finished with 49 tackles and three interceptions during his senior year. Among his greatest achievements was a 66-yard interception return in 1981 that helped set up Miami's winning score in a 21-20 victory over arch-rival Florida.​

VIDEO: Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame NFL Great Ronnie Lippett Loved Making Big Play - Space Coast Daily

While the University of Miami in the 1980s was sometimes called “Quarterback U,” its defense was known for its speed and its intensity. And a major part of that was because of the play of Ronnie Lippett. [...]

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Ronnie Lippett not doing well and denied assistance

Very detailed story starting on page 1 of the Boston Globe about Ronnie and his struggles. Denied benefits, delayed payments, and the bureaucratic roadblocks of the NFL’s concussion settlement Perhaps most glaring, only six of the 1,108 players who had filed monetary claims for diagnoses of...

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https://www.mass.gov/decision/ronnie-lippett-v-new-england-patriots

Ronnie Lippett Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com

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

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Ronnie Lippett Pro Football Record

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

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Ronnie Lippett - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Dec 10, 1972: NE upsets NO
Jim Plunkett > Archie Manning
Phil Bengston's only win as Pats HC​

Sunday, December 10, 1972 at 1:08
Week 13, Game 13 at Tulane Stadium
New England Patriots 17, New Orleans Saints 10
Head Coaches: Phil Bengston, J.D. Roberts
QBs: Jim Plunkett, Archie Manning
Odds: New Orleans 10-point home favorites
TV: NBC; Ken Coleman, Dave Kocourek
Cloudy, 77º, humidity 77%, wind 7-10 mph
Referee: Chuck Heberling; Attendance: 64,889; Time: 2:52
Patriots improve to 3-10, a half game behind Buffalo and ten games back from Miami in AFC East
Saints drop to 2-10-1, tied with Eagles for worst in NFC

A sellout crowd turned out for what hometwon fans hoped would be a rare win in New Orleans, but in a battle of two-win teams the Patriots pulled off an upset. Jim Plunkett threw two touchdown passes to Reggie Rucker, and Phil Bengston got his only victory in his five games as the Pats interim head coach. Plunkett (16-24, 209 yards) outplayed Archie Manning, who threw 28 incomplete passes and three interceptions despite the Saints having success running the ball (4.8 ypc). The win snapped a nine-game losing streak for New England, and the ten points allowed were half as few as the next best defensive game of the season. Rickie Harris' interception off the elder Manning at the Pats 15 yard line on 4th-and-nine with 1:33 remaining sealed the victory, in the first-ever game between the Patriots and the Saints.

3:40 Highlight Video
1972 Patriots at Saints week 13
​

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New England Patriots at New Orleans Saints - December 10th, 1972 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 17 at New Orleans Saints 10 on December 10th, 1972 - Full team and player stats and box score

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December 10, 1972 - New England Patriots at New Orleans Saints Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for December 10, 1972 - New England Patriots at New Orleans Saints boxscore and game statistics.

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Patriots Starting Offense:
18 WR Randy Vataha
64 LT Mike Montler
67 LG Bill Lenkaitis
56 C Jon Morris
60 RG Len St. Jean
77 RT Tom Neville
86 TE Bob Windsor
33 WR Reggie Rucker
16 QB Jim Plunkett
31 RB Josh Ashton
36 RB John Tarver

Patriots Starting Defense:
88 LDE Ron Berger
76 LDT Dave Rowe
63 RDT Rick Cash
70 RDE Denny Wirgowski
66 LLB Ed Weisacosky
55 MLB Ralph Cindrich
51 RLB Ron Acks
41 LCB Larry Carwell
29 LS Honor Jackson
23 RS George Hoey
44 RCB Johnny Outlaw

Patriots Special Teams:
12 K Mike Walker
2 P Pat Studstill
30 KR Carl Garrett
35 KR Henry Matthews
30 PR Carl Garrett

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Dec 10, 1989: Dolphins sweep Pats
​

Sunday, December 10, 1989 at 8:06
Week 14, Game 14 at Joe Robbie Stadium
Miami Dolphins 31, New England Patriots 10
Head Coaches: Raymond Berry, Don Shula
QBs: Marc Wilson, Dan Marino
Odds: Miami 5-point home favorites
TV: ESPN (and WCVB locally); Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann
Clear with a few scattered clouds, 60º, humidity 73%, wind 9 mph
Referee: Gene Barth; Time: 2:59
62,127 tickets distributed; 6,209 no-shows; attendance 55,918
Patriots drop to 5-9, three behind Buffalo and Miami, one ahead of the Jete in AFC East
Dolphins improve to 8-6, move into first place tie with Buffalo


Miami swept the Patriots and eliminated New England from the playoffs, this coming after snapping a seven-game head-to-head losing streak to the Pats earlier in the season. In fact 1989 would embark a nine-game winning streak for the Dolphins against NE, and a 12-1 stretch from '89 to early 1995.

Miami was able to run the ball (41 carries for 108 yards, 4 TD) and New England could not (19 carries for 66 yards, 1 TD, 1 fumble). That led to predictable play calling, which resulted in five sacks and an 11-minute differential in controlling the ball (35:42 to 24:18). The Dolphins had over 100 more yards of total offense (408 to 297) against an uninspired Pats team that was in an absolute must-win situation to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

The lone bright spot was backup TE Eric Sievers having his best game as a Patriot, with six catches for 117 yards. It was Siever's second 100-yard game of the season, and two off his personal best of 119 yards when he played for the Chargers in 1984 - ironically, also against the Dolphins.

Dolphins Defeat Patriots to Move Closer to Playoffs

The Miami Dolphins regained control of their destiny in the wild-card playoff race Sunday night by beating New England, 31-10.

www.latimes.com

The Miami Dolphins regained control of their destiny in the wild-card playoff race Sunday night by beating New England, 31-10.​

The Dolphins (8-6) moved into a first-place tie with Buffalo in the AFC East and are guaranteed their first playoff berth since 1985 if they win their final games at Indianapolis and at home against Kansas City.​

Sammie Smith scored on a three short runs and Dan Marino passed for 300 yards to spark the Dolphins’ offense. Their defense, ranked third-worst in the NFL against the rush, limited New England’s John Stephens to 20 yards in 10 carries.​

New England fell to 5-9 as Miami completed its first sweep over the Patriots since 1984.​

DOLPHINS WHIP PATS, MOVE INTO TIE FOR 1ST

Finding the overall team character they had been missing, the Miami Dolphins truly looked like a prime-time, playoff-bound team Sunday night while ambushing the New England Patriots, 31-10, at Robbie Stadium. Rookie running back Sammie…

www.orlandosentinel.com

Smith rushed for 62 yards in 21 carries, scoring on runs of one, seven and two yards to match a team record accomplished 12 times for rushing touchdowns in a game.​

Marino hit 21 of 32 passes, including completions of 36 and 35 yards to Fred Banks on a touchdown drive that gave Miami a 28-10 lead early in the fourth quarter. Each of the Dolphins’ first two touchdowns was set up by two Marino third-down completions.​

New England’s only touchdown came on a one-yard run by Stephens that capped an 80-yard drive in the third quarter.​

1:40 Highlight Video
New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins (December 10, 1989) "If At First You Don't Succeed......"



2:30:35 Full Game Video:
1989 week 14 Patriots at Dolphins
​

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New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins - December 10th, 1989 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 10 at Miami Dolphins 31 on December 10th, 1989 - Full team and player stats and box score

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December 10, 1989 - New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins Box Score and Game Statistics

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Patriots Starting Offense:
88 WR Hart Lee Dykes
70 LT David Viaene
73 LG Danny Villa
68 C Mike Baab
66 RG Paul Fairchild
78 RT Bruce Armstrong
87 TE Lin Dawson
83 WR Cedric Jones
15 QB Marc Wilson
44 HB John Stephens
34 FB Bob Perryman

Patriots Starting Defense:
77 LDE Kenneth Sims
72 NT Tim Goad
96 RDE Brent Williams
59 LOLB Vincent Brown
95 LILB Ed Reynolds
52 RILB Johnny Rembert
50 ROLB Larry McGrew
37 LCB Maurice Hurst
38 SS Roland James
31 FS Fred Marion
26 RCB Ray Clayborn

Patriots Special Teams:
4 K Jason Staurovsky
6 P Jeff Feagles
21 KR Erroll Tucker
21 PR Erroll Tucker

 

[turkeyneck]

Letterman game wrecked that franchise for a decade.

 

[n1997y]

Letterman game wrecked that franchise for a decade.

They were riding high, full of themselves, and got crushed. Devastated them. Karma is a ***** when you get too ****y.

 

[mike_usagisan]

They were riding high, full of themselves, and got crushed. Devastated them. Karma is a ***** when you get too ****y.

Loved the Letterman Jacket game. Told everyone that style is BS in the NFL.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Dec 10, 1995:
Pats win 31-28 comeback thriller
Season sweep over the Jete​

Sunday, December 10, 1995 at 1:01
Week 15, Game 14 at Foxboro Stadium
New England Patriots 31, New York Jete 28
Head Coaches: Bill Parcells, Rich Kotite
QBs: Drew Bledsoe, Boomer Esiason
Odds: New England 7-point home favorites
TV: NBC; Dan Hicks, Bob Trumpy
Sunny, windy, cold; 26º, wind 21 mph, wind chill -4º
Referee: Bob McElwee; Time: 3:35
60,292 tickets distributed; 13,675 no-shows; attendance 46,617
Patriots improve to 6-8, three behind Buffalo, two behind the Colts and Dolphins
Jete drop to 3-11, tied with Jacksonville for worst in the NFL


In a wild 31-point fourth quarter, the Patriots came from behind to keep their razor-thin playoff hopes alive. Boomer Esiason (27-42, 296 yards, 4 TD) completely outplayed Drew Bledsoe (11-36-178-1-1), but the Patriots forced four Jete turnovers.


Matt Bahr gave New England a 17-14 lead on a 31-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, but a short kickoff led to a 7-play, 59-yard scoring drive making it 21-17 Jets with 5:58 to play. A few seconds later Dave Meggett fumbled the kickoff, but rather than disaster striking, Troy Brown picked the ball up and alertly ran 75 yards for a touchdown and a 24-21 lead.

On the first play from scrimmage on the ensuing drive Ty Law picked off Esiason, giving the Patriots a first down on the Jet 22 yard line After a false start, Curtis Martin ran for gains of 11 and 15 yards, then scored on 3rd-and-goal at the one to up the lead to 31-21. The Jete returned the kickoff 59 yards, but gifted the Pats with their third fumble lost of the day. Although the Patriots were forced to punt, by the time NYJ got the ball back there was only 1:36 to go. Esiason threw his fourth touchdown of the day, but it came with only five seconds left to play, and the Patriots recovered the onside kick for the win. Collectively the two teams had ten fumbles (five lost) and seven turnovers in a very imperfect performance.

In Battle of Blunders, Patriots Clip Jets, 31-28 : AFC: New England takes advantage of fumble on kickoff return and scores winning touchdown to keep its slim playoff hopes alive.

Troy Brown was ready when New England made one more mistake in a mistake-filled game.

www.latimes.com

Troy Brown was ready when New England made one more mistake in a mistake-filled game. He turned it into the winning touchdown.​

While the Jets simply stood around, Brown scooped up Dave Meggett’s fumbled kickoff return and raced 75 yards with 5:39 left as the Patriots blundered their way past New York, 31-28, Sunday.​

“I saw the ball was out of Dave’s arms and I scooped it up and everybody just stopped,” Brown said of his touchdown that made the score 24-21.​

Said Meggett: “It was a negative play and something positive turned out from that. I’ve been in crazier games, but this one had to be the most mistakes at crucial times.”​

Not surprising for two of the AFC’s worst teams.​

Start with the mistakes of the Patriots (6-8). They broke a three-game home losing streak and remained mathematically alive for a wild-card berth.​

But they lost two of their four fumbles, missed three of four field-goal tries, dropped at least three passes and had a touchdown nullified by a holding penalty. Quarterback Drew Bledsoe had one of his worst games, completing 11 of 38 passes and having at least six tipped at the line of scrimmage.​

Now check out the Jets (3-11).​

They lost three of six fumbles, committed eight penalties and missed their only field-goal attempt. Quarterback Boomer Esiason did throw four touchdown passes, but was sacked four times and threw a crucial interception after Brown’s touchdown.​

“Had they gotten the fumble, we would have been in real trouble,” Patriot Coach Bill Parcells said.​

Said Esiason: “I’ve seen some monumental plays in my career, but there’s no way to describe how that play changed the game. Then, to come out and throw an interception right afterward, that’s preposterous.”​

Esiason succumbed on the first offensive play after Brown’s touchdown. Ty Law intercepted his pass, giving the Patriots the ball at the Jets’ 22-yard line.​

DECEMBER 10: A couple of record setters: Drew Bledsoe congratulates Curtis Martin after his second TD of the day. Martin broke a rookie franchise TD record, and Bledsoe broke an NFL record for youngest QB to reach 10,000 career yards passing in the win against the New York Jets.

1995 Patriots- What went wrong? - Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

The Disappointing Regression Of The 1995 New England Patriots – OUAT Sports

ouatsports.com

1:16 Highlight Video
1995 Jets at Patriots Week 15



24:29 NFL Fims Video, narrated by Harry Kalas
1995 New England Patriots Team Season Highlights "Unfinished Business"
​

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New York Jets at New England Patriots - December 10th, 1995 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New York Jets 28 at New England Patriots 31 on December 10th, 1995 - Full team and player stats and box score

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December 10, 1995 - New York Jets at New England Patriots Box Score and Game Statistics

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Patriots Starting Offense:
82 WR Vincent Brisby
78 LT Bruce Armstrong
76 LG Bill Roberts
64 C Dave Wohlabaugh
61 RG Bob Kratch
68 RT Max Lane
87 TE Ben Coates
83 WR Will Moore
11 QB Drew Bledsoe
28 RB Curtis Martin
33 FB Sam Gash

Patriots Starting Defense:
94 LDE Tim Roberts
96 NT Mike Jones
98 RDE Troy Barnett
55 LOLB Willie McGinest
59 LILB Vincent Brown
52 RILB Ted Johnson
53 ROLB Chris Slade
21 LCB Ricky Reynolds
23 SS Terry Ray
29 FS Myron Guyton
24 RCB Ty Law

Patriots Special Teams:
3 K Matt Bahr (FG, PAT)
9 K Bryan Wagner (kickoffs)
9 P Bryan Wagner
22 KR Dave Meggett
22 PR Dave Meggett

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Dec 10, 2000: Bears 24, Pats 17
Shane Matthews has career day
against soft Pats defense​

Sunday, December 10, 2000 at 1:02 (12:02 CST)
Week 15, Game 14 at Soldier Field
Chicago Bears 24, New England Patriots 17
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, **** Jauron
QBs: Drew Bledsoe, Shane Matthews
Odds: Chicago 2-point home favorites
TV: CBS. Kevin Harlan, Daryl Johnston; Beasley Reece
Cloudy, misty, 36º; humidity 85%, wind 12 mph, wind chill 17º
Referee: Ron Blum; Time: 3:06; Paid Attendance: 66,944
Patriots drop to 4-10, fifth in AFC East
Bears improve to 4-10, fifth in NFC Central


Shane Matthews carved up the Patriots defense, who were unable to stop his quick slant passes all afternoon long and making him look like he was once again slinging the ball for Steve Spurrier and the Florida Gators. Matthews finished 22-27 for 239 with two touchdowns, no picks and only one sack. The Pats were unable to run the ball (12 carries for 38 yards), and combined with the inability to stop Matthews the Bears held a whopping 37:10 to 22:50 advantage in time of possession. The Patriots had five three-and-outs, including both of their first two possessions, which went for a cumulative negative 22 yards.

Patriots Fall to Bears 24-17 | PatsFans.com

Matthews completes club record 15 straight passes, and fires two touchdown passes to lead Bears to win. Allen rushes for 97 yards and breaks the 1,000-yard barrier for the season. Lethargic Pats fall short at end as illegal motion penalty robs them of final ten seconds.

www.patsfans.com

Leave it to the New England Patriots to turn regular guys into future residents of Canton.

Shane Matthews, who is on the record as wanting out of Chicago this year, completed a Bears record 15 consecutive passes, hit on 22 of 27 passes, and fired two touchdown passes. Eddie Kennison caught eight passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. James Allen went over the 1,000-yard mark this season with 97 yards on 37 carries.

This was more than enough for the 3-10 Bears to overtake the woebegone Patriots, as they pulled off a 24-17 win before over 24,000 no-shows at cold and dank Soldier Field in Chicago. The Patriots played listlessly for most of the game, and stood there and watched the game end with ten seconds left after an illegal motion penalty.

In the abstract, it was two teams going nowhere, and the team that did the most to lose the game succeeded.

The Patriots kicked their no-huddle offense in for some of the game, and it produced two touchdown drives. Terry Glenn hauled in a 12-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to make it 7-3 Pats, culminating a 12-play, 83-yard drive. Then in the fourth quarter, the Pats drove 73 yards in 12 plays, and Troy Brown made a nifty, diving touchdown grab from seven yards out to close Chicago’s lead to 24-17.

But in between scoring drives, the Patriots abandoned their no-huddle plan. Result: no first downs between scoring drives, period.

During this offensive shutdown, Matthews and Allen were busy at work. Matthews broke Steve Walsh’s 1994 record of 14 straight completions with a 12-yard pass to Kennison in the fourth quarter. One of Allen’s 37 carries went for a touchdown, a 16-yard run in the second quarter. Allen also caught a six-yard scoring toss in the third stanza.

Penalties also crippled the Patriots today, as they were flagged 7 times for 60 yards. Three such penalties wiped out Drew Bledsoe passes of ten or more yards.

The last penalty was quite strange, and put an appropriate capper on another dreadful game for the Patriots.

With no time outs and 1:54 to play, the Patriots had the ball at their own 38. They drove to the Bear 40 with 30 seconds to play. After a Bledsoe spike on first down, Bledsoe hit Curtis Jackson over the middle for nine yards (Over the middle? Can you say Elvis Grbac?). With the clock ticking, the Patriots desperately tried to set up the next play. With ten seconds left, Bledsoe found Jermaine Wiggins for eleven yards to the Bear 20. Again, over the middle.

But it didn’t matter. With ten seconds left, the clock was stopped. Jackson didn’t get set on the line of scrimmage in time and was flagged for illegal motion. By rule, ten seconds had to be run off the clock, and the game thus ended.

The Patriots fall to 4-10, and head to Buffalo next week.

Not Doing What Works Spells Defeat For Pats | PatsFans.com

Patriots went away from the very things that helped them defeat Kansas City the other night, and it cost them a win. Matthews torched soft zone defense for 15 straight compeletions and two touchdowns. Patriots scored touchdowns on two hurry-up drives, but gained virtually nothing otherwise.

www.patsfans.com

It was as if a magic wand had been waved over Ty Law last Monday night.

Except for one anomaly of a play, Law blanketed his former Michigan teammate, Derrick Alexander all evening. Every time Elvis Grbac threw to him, boom! Law was right there to break up the play. If only for one game, Law had regained his style of play that has made him one of the richest cornerbacks in the NFL.

This week, Law and Belichick went over game tapes of Monday night. Belichick asked Law if he liked what he saw. Law said he did. Belichick asked Law if he would like to continue this style of play. Law’s eyes lit up. He eagerly answered in the affirmative.

Ahhh. No more dropbacks. No more soft zone coverages. No more read/react. Law’s back to his old, sweet self again. Play the man tight, and use his God-given speed and talent to shut down the other guy’s best wide receiver.

Trouble is, the only cornerback we saw today that batted down any passes was Otis Smith. Where was Law?

Seven yards downfield on every play. Watching Eddie Kennison catch eight passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. Watching Shane Matthews complete 22 of 27 passes for 239 yards, including a club-record 15 in a row. Watching nobodies like Kaseem Sinceno, Marty Booker, Scott Dragos and D’Wayne Bates make mincemeat of the Patriot secondary.

Law’s defensive unit gave up 24 points. His offense scored only 17.

Moral of the story: Do what works.

In life, one should always follow that basic rule. Do what works. That’s how I approach my job. It would be nice if Bill Belichick and Charlie Weis felt the same way.

But they don’t. Otherwise, there is no conceivable way the Patriots lose today, unless they commit more penalties with more hurry-up plays.

It was refreshing to watch the Kansas City game and realize that Belichick and Weis had finally figured out how to work around the biggest problem that plagues the Patriots. Absent of any running game whatsoever, the Patriots kept the Chief defense on edge all night long, and Bledsoe feasted on it. No running game was needed, and the confusion in the Chief defense actually helped open up a few holes here and there.

But Belichick and/or Weis (whose call was it, folks?) went away from that idea. For most of the day, the Patriots went back to their produce-nothing offense, and watched J.R. Redmond and former reject Raymont Harris bludgeon their way to a collective 32 yards on nine carries. With time to react, the Bears held Bledsoe to only 25 completions in 46 attempts, and sacked him twice.

And to sit there and watch Matthews do what he did was just plain sickening.

1:16 Highlight Video
Patriots vs Bears 2000 Week 15



20:50 Extended Highlights
2000 Week 15 - Patriots vs Bears



2:35:20 Full Game
2000 NFL Week 15 - Patriots vs Bears
​

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New England Patriots 17 at Chicago Bears 24 on December 10th, 2000 - Full team and player stats and box score

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Patriots Starting Offense:
80 WR Troy Brown
78 LT Bruce Armstrong
59 LG Adrian Klemm
65 C Damien Woody
72 RG Sale Isaia
77 RT Greg Randall
83 TE Rod Rutledge
88 WR Terry Glenn
82 WR Curtis Jackson
11 QB Drew Bledsoe
21 RB J.R. Redmond

Patriots Starting Defense:
55 LDE Willie McGinest
90 DT Chad Eaton
60 NT Garrett Johnson
91 RDE Bobby Hamilton
53 SLB Chris Slade
52 MLB Ted Johnson
54 WLB Tedy Bruschi
24 LCB Ty Law
36 SS Lawyer Milloy
34 FS Tebucky Jones
45 RCB Otis Smith

Patriots Special Teams:
4 K Adam Vinatieri
10 P Lee Johnson
66 LS Lonie Paxton
82 KR Curtis Jackson
80 KR Troy Brown
80 PR Troy Brown

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Dec 10, 2006: Miami 21, Pats 0
The Nick Saban Audio Tape Game​

Sunday, December 10, 2006 at 1:05
Week 14, Game 13 at Dolphin Stadium
Miami Dolphins 21, New England Patriots 0
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Nick Saban
QBs: Drew Bledsoe, Joey Harrington
Odds: New England 3-point road favorites
TV: CBS; **** Enberg, Randy Cross
Sunny, breezy, 77º, humidity 54%, wind 21mph
Referee: Larry Nemmers; Time: 2:54; Paid Attendance: 74,033
Patriots drop to 9-4, two games ahead of Jete in AFC East
Dolphins improve to 6-7, tied with Buffalo for third place


This was the game where Saban had purchased audio tapes of the Patriots previous games, so the team knew Brady's play calls. In the name of integrity, the NFL quickly concluded there was no wrongdoing here. Miami limited New England to 189 yards of offense and twelve first downs, while forcing three turnovers. Due to the loss the clinching of the AFC East was postponed for a week.

Report says Dolphins bought tape of Brady

The Miami Dolphins might have had a little help preparing for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots.

www.latimes.com

NFL: Dolphins did no wrong vs. Patriots

Without convening a Congressional hearing or hiring an independent counsel to investigate the incident, the NFL has ruled that the Dolphins violated no league rules in the Tapegate affair associated with the team's 21-0 victory over the Pats on Sunday.

www.espn.com

Final: Dolphins 22, Patriots 21

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — FINAL, Dolphins 22, Patriots 21: Tom Brady threw an interception as Cameron Wake wrapped him up around the legs with 35 seconds left. Channing Crowder caught the interception, securing the victory for the Dolphins. The Patriots have now dropped five road games, the most...

www.boston.com

FINAL, Dolphins 22, Patriots 21: Tom Brady threw an interception as Cameron Wake wrapped him up around the legs with 35 seconds left. Channing Crowder caught the interception, securing the victory for the Dolphins.​

The Patriots have now dropped five road games, the most since 2000. They have also lost back-to-back games for the first time since 2006.​

Patriots drown in Dolphins drink, 21-0

The Patriots suffered as bad a loss as they've had in recent memory, being completely manhandled and falling 21-0 to the Miami Dolphins.​

Tom Brady had absolutely no answer to fierce Miami pressure and while Corey Dillon (16 carries, 79 yards) ran well in spurts, not having Laurence Maroney (out with a back injury) didn't help his cause. His numbers were paltry: 12 of 25 passing for 78 yards and a 55.1 passer rating.​

Brady was sacked four times and with the little time he had when he dropped back, was unable to find anything going on in the way of open receivers. Turnovers continued to plague New England -- 3 lost fumbles -- although they had little bearing on the outcome. This was a game that was decided by Miami's defense and New England's inability on offense to adjust.​

2:38 Highlight Video
2006 Patriots at Dolphins Week 14



2:04:47 Full Game
2006 week 14 New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
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New England Patriots 0 at Miami Dolphins 21 on December 10th, 2006 - Full team and player stats and box score

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Patriots Starting Offense:
80 WR Troy Brown
87 WR Reche Caldwell
72 LOT Matt Light
70 LOG Logan Mankins
67 C Dan Koppen
61 ROG Stephen Neal
77 ROT Nick Kaczur
82 TE Daniel Graham
84 TE Ben Watson
12 QB Tom Brady
33 RB Kevin Faulk

Patriots Starting Defense:
94 LDE Ty Warren
75 NT Vince Wilfork
93 RDE Richard Seymour
59 LOLB Rosevelt Colvin
50 LILB Mike Vrabel
54 RILB Tedy Bruschi
97 ROLB Jarvis Green
22 LCB Asante Samuel
36 SS James Sanders
25 FS Artrell Hawkins
30 RCB Chad Scott

Patriots Special Teams:
3 K Stephen Gostkowski
15 P Ken Walter
66 LS Lonie Paxton
33 KR Kevin Faulk
27 KR Ellis Hobbs
33 PR Kevin Faulk

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Dec 10, 2020: Rams 24, Pats 3​

Thursday, December 10, 2020 at 8:22 (5:22 PST)
Week 14, Game 13 at SoFi Stadium
Los Angeles Rams 24, New England Patriots 3
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Sean McVay
QBs: Cam Newton/Jarrett Stidham, Jared Goff
Odds: Los Angeles 5-point home favorites
TV: Fox/NFLN: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman; Erin Andrews, Kristina Pink. Amazon Prime: Hannah Storm, Andrea Kremer
Clear, 60º, wind 7 mph
Referee: Craig Wrolstad; Time: 2:47; Paid Attendance: zero (covid)
Patriots drop to 6-7, third in AFC East, four games behind Buffalo
Rams improve to 9-4, tied with Seattle for first in NFC West


After defeating the Chargers 45-0 five days earlier in brand new SoFi Stadium, the Patriots got their asses kicked in the same venue.

The Pats had begun the season 2-5 but clawed their way back to 6-6, two games out of a wild card spot with four to play. But this was the first of what turned out to be three-game losing streak, with the Patriots being outscored 84-24. The result was a string of eleven consecutive postseasons came to an end, as did a streak of 19 consecutive winning seasons. Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham were sacked a total of six times, and the Pats twelve possessions consisted of six punts, an interception, three turnovers on downs, a field goal, and the end of the first half.

This marked the worst-ever (24 points) loss by the Patriots to the Rams in their 14 meetings, and first loss after six consecutive wins. It was also the fourth of what would eventually be six games in which the Pats were limited to twelve or fewer points in 2020, as they finished the season ranked 27th in both points scored and yardage.

Patriots Never Recover From Slow Start, Lose 24-3 To Rams On Thursday Night Football

Instead of carrying over some of that dominant momentum from Sunday, the Patriots got bowled over to start the game and never recovered, losing to the Rams on Thursday Night Football.

www.cbsnews.com

Tough Loss Now Has Patriots In Difficult Shape Heading Into Final Weeks | PatsFans.com

The Patriots are not eliminated from the playoffs, but their chances certainly don't look good after Thursday night's loss.

www.patsfans.com

Friday Morning Observations, Rams Trample Patriots 24-3 | PatsFans.com

Josh McDaniels schemed this offense into the red zone four times on Thursday night. And the Patriots could only muster three points

www.patsfans.com

Six For Saturday: What Does the Future Hold For Stidham? | PatsFans.com

Some thoughts on this Saturday coming off Thursday night's loss.

www.patsfans.com

Patriots Media Dept Post-Game Notes:

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The fact that the first statement was that the Patriots were the first team to play consecutive road games in the same stadium since the 1932 Portsmouth Spartans tells you how little the spin doctors had to work with in the team's post-game press release. The Patriots did set an NFL record of 83 straight games without being shutout in the first half, breaking their own 82-game streak from 2006 to 2011, but when you only score three points that's not much of a flex. The only other positives were rookie Myles Bryant recording his first NFL interception, DL Byron Cowart getting his first NFL sack, Jake Bailey kicking a career-long 71-yard punt, and Nick Folk extending his streak to 23 consecutive successful field goal attempts, two short of his career-best.


Patriots Media Dept Pre-Game Press Release: 60 pages long, vs two pages for the Post-Game Release

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New England Patriots at Los Angeles Rams - December 10th, 2020 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 3 at Los Angeles Rams 24 on December 10th, 2020 - Full team and player stats and box score

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December 10, 2020 - New England Patriots at Los Angeles Rams Box Score and Game Statistics

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Patriots Starting Offense:
16 WR Jakobi Meyers
72 LT Jermaine Eluemunor
62 LG Joe Thuney
60 C David Andrews
69 RG Shaq Mason
71 RT Mike Onwenu
75 TE Justin Herron
10 WR Damiere Byrd
1 QB Cam Newton
37 RB Damien Harris
47 FB Jakob Johnson

Patriots Starting Defense:
91 LDE Deatrich Wise
93 LDT Lawrence Guy
99 RDT Byron Cowart
55 RDE John Simon
51 MLB Ja'Whaun Bentley
58 ROLB Anfernee Jennings
27 LCB J.C. Jackson
21 SS Adrian Phillips
32 FS Devin McCourty
24 RCB Stephon Gilmore
35 DB Kyle Dugger

Patriots Special Teams:
6 K Nick Folk (FG, PAT)
7 K Jake Bailey (kickoffs)
7 P Jake Bailey
49 LS Joe Cardona
80 KR Gunner Olszewski
80 PR Gunner Olszewski

 

[TommyD4207]

From Letterman jackets and 'Homecoming' an indelible part of Patriots-Texans history:

One of my favorite games of the dynasty era. They lost the moment they walked off the bus in those jackets.

 

[jmt57]

Houston Texans are big men on campus with new letter jackets

The NFL's top team is turning back the clock

www.usatoday.com

This Houston Texans are totally going to have the best senior year ever.​

With an eye cast toward the good ol' days, the Houston Texans will wear matching letter jackets while traveling to New England for Monday night's game against the Patriots.​

The jackets were first suggested by Shaun Cody, who turned over the idea to his good friend Connor Barwin. It didn't take long for the entire team to buy into the concept. A rush order was placed and the jackets arrived in time for the team's big game.​

"I used to say before the season it feels like we're on a college team," Barwin told The Houston Chronicle. "Everybody gets along, we have so much fun. And this jacket, you feel like you're on a high school team where it's all about winning, it's all about being around a group of guys."​

The navy-on-navy jackets feature the Texans logo, each player's number and their respective position groups. Barwin said patches will be added to the jackets to celebrate team accomplishments, like winning the AFC South, AFC championship and Super Bowl.​

Other than a distinction for captains, individual accomplishments won't make the jacket. So if J.J. Watt wins the Pinewood derby and makes Webelos, he can't sew on his merit badge? That seems unfair.​

The Houston Texans still have a 10-photo slideshow celebrating the jackets on their website:

Team Letter Jackets

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
More December 10 Trivia​

December 10, 2011:
DE Jermaine Cunningham is placed on Injured Reserve
DL Eric Moore is signed to replace Cunningham
S Sterling Moore is released
DB Malcolm Williams moves from the practice squad to the active roster

Moore and Moore moves in season

LANDOVER, Md. — The season may be winding down for the Patriots, with just four games left before the playoffs. But they haven’t slowed down when it comes to making transactions. The team announced four roster moves yesterday, including …

www.bostonherald.com

The season may be winding down for the Patriots, with just four games left before the playoffs. But they haven’t slowed down when it comes to making transactions.​

The team announced four roster moves yesterday, including bringing back a familiar face and disruptive force. This runs their total of in-season transactions to roughly 110, compared to 61 last year.​

Prior to today’s game against the Redskins at 1 p.m., the Patriots welcomed back defensive end Eric Moore, a former UFL player who was signed in a similar situation last year. To make room on the roster, defensive end Jermaine Cunningham was placed on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury he suffered Friday.​

In addition, the Patriots released former starting safety Sterling Moore and they promoted special-teamer Malcolm Williams off the practice squad. Sterling Moore went from practice squad player to starter for three games to reserve to cut in a span of a month. The safety’s release was odd considering Patrick Chung, who appeared recovered from a foot injury and healthy enough to play, was later downgraded as out for today’s game.​

As for the 6-foot-4, 268-pound Eric Moore, he had 14 tackles and two sacks in five games at the end of last year. He was released on cut-down day and spent the season with the Virginia Destroyers of the UFL.​

The move ends a disappointing 2011 for Cunningham, a second-round pick last year who had just one tackle after falling behind in camp. He was a reserve for Andre Carter and Mark Anderson, and he hopes to return stronger in 2012.​

Roster downgrades​

Along with Chung being ruled out, the Patriots announced three more regulars as out for today’s game, including center Dan Connolly, linebacker Brandon Spikes and running back Shane Vereen.​

Ellis holds on​

Defensive end Shaun Ellis has done his best to put a good face on his struggles, maintaining his level of preparation and enjoying each day. But the veteran is no longer a major factor on defense, a step down for the former starter who is making more than $4 million.​

December 10, 2015:

Patriots re-sign CB Rashaan Melvin to practice squad

FOXBORO — The Patriots have re-signed cornerback Rashaan Melvin to the practice squad, replacing corner Chris Greenwood on the team’s 10-man unit. Melvin was released from the 53-man roster earlier in the week in order to make room for newly-acquired corner Leonard Johnson. Primarily a...

www.nbcsportsboston.com

The Patriots have re-signed cornerback Rashaan Melvin to the practice squad, replacing corner Chris Greenwood on the team's 10-man unit.​

Melvin was released from the 53-man roster earlier in the week in order to make room for newly-acquired corner Leonard Johnson.​

Primarily a special-teams contributor during his time on the Patriots active roster this season, Melvin successfully recovered a Stephen Gostkowski onside kick in last week's loss to Philadelphia. He played 45 defensive snaps for New England, most of those coming in a Week 10 win over the Giants when he subbed in for No. 3 corner Justin Coleman, who was dealing with a hand injury.​

December 10, 2021:
OT Yasir Durant is placed on the Reserve/Covid list




December 10, 2024:
WR KJ Osborn is waived
OL Cole Strange is activated off PUP
K John Parker Romo is signed to the practice squad
LB Keshawn Banks is released from the practice squad

Pats waive Osborn; mutual decision, per sources

The New England Patriots waived veteran wide receiver K.J. Osborn in a mutual decision after signing a one-year, $4 million deal in the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

www.espn.com

The New England Patriots waived veteran wide receiver K.J. Osborn on Tuesday. The move was a mutual decision, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.​

Osborn had signed a one-year, $4 million deal in the offseason as an unrestricted free agent after playing the first four years of his career with the Minnesota Vikings.​

He never emerged in New England, totaling seven catches for 57 yards and one touchdown.​

Osborn hasn't been active for games in recent weeks, with the team prioritizing the development of second-year receivers Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas and 2024 second-round pick Ja'Lynn Polk and 2024 fourth-round pick Javon Baker.​

In a corresponding move, the Patriots will activate offensive lineman Cole Strange from the physically unable to perform list.​

The Patriots (3-10) visit the Cardinals on Sunday.​

Losing playing time to Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker had to be incredibly humbling.

TBH at the time I liked the signing of Osborn, but obviously I was way off there. Washington claimed Osborn off waivers, and he appeared in one game for the Commandos in 2024, on the field for 19 snaps with no other stats. On November 24 the Falcons signed the 28-year old Osborn to their practice squad, but he has not yet worked his way onto 4-9 Atlanta's 53-man roster.