Today In Patriots History Dec 13, 1987: Grogan throws 4 TD, Pats rout Jete

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Dec 13, 1987:
Pats rout mistake-prone Jete
Steve Grogan throws four TDs​

Monday, December 13, 1987 at 1:00
Week 14, Game 13 at Sullivan Stadium
New England Patriots 42, New York Jete 20
Head Coaches: Raymond Berry, Joe Walton
QBs: Steve Grogan, Ken O'Brien
Odds: New England 4-point home favorites
TV: NBC; Marv Albert, Joe Namath
Partly cloudy, 43º, humidity 76%, wind 15 mph
Referee: Red Cashion; Time: 3:20
61,000 tickets distributed (sold out); 383 no-shows; attendance 60,617
Patriots improve to 6-7 one-game behind Indy/Miami/Buffalo in AFC East
Jete drop from second to last at 6-7 in AFC East


Don't let the final score fool you, the Patriots annihilated the Jete in what was supposed to be a close game between two teams fighting for a playoff spot. New England absolutely demolished the vistors, with the Pats holding a 42-6 lead midway through the third quarter.


Steve Grogan got things going right away on the opening possession with 14 and 23-yard passes to Irving Fryar, finishing the drive off with a 16-yard TD to Cedric Jones. The Jets responded with a 42-yard field goal, but on the second play of their next possession Garin Veris' strip sack was recovered by Ken Sims, giving New England the ball on the Jet 33 yard line. On 4th-and-7 at the 30 the Jets were guilty of pass intereference, and Grogan took advantage of the second chance to score on a keeper around the right end for a 14-3 lead. A few plays later Steve Nelson hit Mickey Shuler after a short reception on 3rd-and-14, and Larry McGrew recovered for another takeaway. Four plays later Grogan threw a 26-yard TD pass to Fryar, and with the second quarter barely underway the Patriots already held a 21-3 lead.


A 49-yard kickoff return gave the Jets good field position, but after having a first down on the Pats 12 yard line the defense stiffened, and the Jets had to settle for another field goal. A couple of penalties killed the Pats next drive, but another Garin Veris sack on third down forced the Jets to punt as well. A Jet penalty resulted in their having to punt again, and the do-over traveled just 25 yards - with another 15 yards tacked on for fair catch intereference. Together the two Jet miscues changed what would have been New England taking possession on their own 21, to starting on the NYJ 41 yard line. Four plays laster Grogan threw a 28-yard touchdown to Stephen Starring.


Nothing like a quick four-play, 51-second touchdown drive to end the half with a smile, right? The demolition was not yet complete though. Between a touchback and three consecutive incomplete Ken O'Brien passes, barely any time came off the clock. With another poor punt, this one for 24 yards, the Patriots had the ball on the Jet 49 yard line with 41 seconds left in the half. On first down Grogan rolled left and completed a 23-yard pass to Starring, who stepped out of bounds to stop the clock. On third-and-11 from the 17 with ten seconds to go it appeared the Patriots would have to settle for a field goal. Instead Grogan connected down the middle with Cedric Jones for another TD. The five-play drive took just 49 seconds, and the Patriots had scored 14 points in the final 1:14 of the half.


Boom. The loudmouthed New Yorkers who had trekked up I-95 full of confidence now looked at a scoreboard that read Patriots 35, Jete 6 at halftime.


The Patriots were not yet finished with their demolition. After the two teams exchanged punts at the start of the second half, the Jets made one final attempt to get back in the game. O'Brien threw the ball on every down of the next drive, and attempt number six was intercepted by Ronnie Lippett, who ran the ball back 38 yards, just short of a pick-six. On the next play Reggie Dupard ran around the left end seven yards for a touchdown.


That made it 42-6 with 9:31 still left to play in the third quarter. A complete and utter destruction of the Jete.


Gang Green did score a couple of garbage-time touchdowns to make the final score somewhat more respectable, but that just masked the reality of this being an epic beatdown. Even though he didn't throw very often, this was one of the finest games of Steve Grogan's career. The 34-year old veteran was an efficient 11-18 for 180 yards with four touchdowns, no turnovers, and a 134.3 passer rating. The defense sacked O'Brien four times and forced three turnovers, all of which had major consequences. The Jet possessions went FG - fumble - fumble - FG - punt - punt - end of half - punt - interception - turnover on downs - punt. The two final drives after the benches had been emptied yielded nearly half of the Jets total yardage, and 70% of their points.


Despite winning each of their final three games, the Pats finished one game behind the Colts, as well as one game behind Seattle for the wild card spot to miss the playoffs. The Jets lost each of their last four games to finish 6-9, fifth in the AFC East.

1:01 Highlight Video
1987 Week 14 New York Jets @ New England Patriots - highlights (ESPN)
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Steve Grogan, feasting upon the New York Jets' helpless... - UPI Archives

Steve Grogan, feasting upon the New York Jets' helpless secondary, moved the New England Patriots closer to the pack again in the bizarre AFC East....

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Steve Grogan, feasting upon the New York Jets' helpless secondary, moved the New England Patriots closer to the pack again in the bizarre AFC East.​

The 13-year veteran threw four touchdown passes in the first half Sunday and ran for another score, lifting New England to a 42-20 victory over the Jets.​

The triumph gave the Patriots a 6-7 record, tying them with New York and pulling them within a game of Indianapolis, Buffalo and Miami, who are tied for first place.​

Grogan, playing for the first time since injuring his neck and shoulder on Nov. 15, wore a protective neck collar.​

'He came out, put the hammer down and never let them up,' said wide receiver Cedric Jones, who caught two touchdowns passes. 'He was just the old Steve Grogan, going for the big plays.'​

In the first half, Grogan completed scoring passes of 16 and 17 yards to Jones, 28 yards to Stephen Starring and a 26-yard touchdown toss to Fryar. He also scrambled 2 yards for another score.​

New England scored 21 points as the result of New York turnovers. The Patriots scored twice after first-half fumbles and again early in the third quarter after an interception.​

A long-time nemesis of the Jets, Grogan has completed 25 touchdown passes against only 6 interceptions in his last 14 games against New York.​

He missed tying his club record of five touchdown passes, set in September 1978, in a 56-3 victory over the Jets. He also had passed for four touchdowns against New York on Oct. 29, 1978, in a 55-21 victory.​

New England linebacker Steve Nelson, a 14-year veteran playing in his last home game before retirement, suffered a sprained ligament in his left knee.​

PRO FOOTBALL : Grogan, Patriots Down Jets : He Throws Four Touchdown Passes in 42-20 Victory

When Steve Grogan is hurting, he knows he can get well against the New York Jets.

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https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/14/sports/sports-of-the-times-hess-needs-to-assess-jets.html

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New York Jets at New England Patriots - December 13th, 1987 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New York Jets 20 at New England Patriots 42 on December 13th, 1987 - Full team and player stats and box score

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December 13, 1987 - New York Jets at New England Patriots Box Score and Game Statistics

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Patriots Starting Offense:
86 WR Stanley Morgan
73 LT Danny Villa
62 LG Sean Farrell
64 C Trevor Matich
61 RG Ron Wooten
78 RT Bruce Armstrong
87 TE Lin Dawson
80 WR Irving Fryar
14 QB Steve Grogan
33 RB Tony Collins
21 FB Reggie Dupard

Patriots Starting Defense:
77 LDE Kenneth Sims
90 NT Toby Williams
60 RDE Garin Veris
56 LOLB Andre Tippett
57 LILB Steve Nelson
50 RILB Larry McGrew
54 ROLB Ed Williams
42 LCB Ronnie Lippett
28 SS Jim Bowman
31 FS Fred Marion
43 RCB Ernest Gibson

Patriots Special Teams:
1 K Tony Franklin
3 P Rich Camarillo
81 KR Stephen Starring
21 KR Reggie Dupard
31 PR Fred Marion
80 PR Irving Fryar

 

[upstater1]

The Patriots blew out the Jets a lot over the previous decade. I remember announcers talking about it being an annual event and they even had a nickname for it, "Super Sunday."

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Dec 13, 2009: NE 20, Carolina 10
Adalius benched in post-'Jetsons' aftermath
Randy Moss limited to one reception​

Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 1:02
Week 14, Game 13 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 20, Carolina Panthers 10
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, John Fox
QBs: Tom Brady, Matt Moore
Odds: New England 12½-point home favorites
TV: Fox; Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston; Tony Siragusa
Cloudy, rain, 40º, wind 4 mph, wind chill 37º
Referee: Terry McAulay; Time: 3:07; Paid Attendance 68,756
Patriots improve to 8-5 one-game ahead of Jets and Miami in AFC East
Panthers drop to 5-8, third in NFC South


First a bit of backdrop heading into this game. Two weeks earlier the Pats were humbled at undefeated New Orleans by the score of 38-17. ESPN and others in the national sports media blurted out that Bill Belichick had benched Tom Brady, when in reality he simply pulled him late in the game after he had taken a beating, and the outcome was no longer in doubt. Then the following week that Pats lost 22-21 at Miami, blowing a 21-10 second half lead in a game where they twice failed to come away with any points after having the ball inside the Dolphins six yard line. But the biggest news came from four days earlier. Randy Moss, Adalius Thomas, Gary Guyton and Derrick Burgess were all sent home after being a few minutes late for a team meeting, due to heavy traffic in a snowstorm. Thomas sounded off, telling reporters "you leave home, you have people there, cars sitting in the road, you’re sitting there and what do you do? It’s not The Jetsons. I can’t jump up and fly.”

As for the game itself, it was a pretty ho-hum affair. The Patriots controlled the ball (72 offensive plays to 56; 26 first downs to 14) and the clock (34:15 to 25:45) but failed to put away an inferior opponent, converting only three of their eleven third down opportunities. The Pats defense did force three turnovers, Wes Welker had ten receptions for 105 yards, and Laurence Maroney finished with 94 yards rushing on 22 carries, to go with a pair of catches for 17 yards. But a banged-up Tom Brady was a little bit off, going 19-32 for 192 yards with a TD pass to Ben Watson and one interception.


Randy Moss had what was at that point in time his worst game as a Patriot, with one reception on four targets for 16 yards, fumbling away his only catch, having another pass thrown his way intercepted, and being called for a false start. Two weeks later Moss would have another one-reception game at Buffalo.

For the Patriots, Not Exactly Their Best Effort

The coming weeks will tell us exactly what type of team we'll be watching. Hopefully it will be better than the one who started the game on Sunday.

www.patsfans.com

Coming off of two tough losses to New Orleans and Miami, fans expected the Patriots to come out this Sunday against the Carolina Panthers with the fire and intensity that would have lead to a blowout - much like we saw against Tennessee back in Week 6 when they annihilated them 59-0.​

Instead, for much of the first half all they did was take the field.​

It was the most lifeless team we've seen all season. Players were walking around in between plays, guys were giving up the football, and each time heads were hanging as they headed to the sideline.​

It was just ridiculous. We saw dropped passes, players not finishing routes, and a lack of intensity that was so baffling that it defied logic.​

I mean here was a hapless Panthers team that was without their starting quarterback, and was primed for a team of the Patriots stature to be completely humiliated in front of the home crowd. Good teams are supposed to really take it to 5-7 football teams. All New England ended up doing was escaping with a win, and looking like a football team that has far more questions heading down the stretch than they do solutions.​

Considering how banged up Tom Brady is, all things considered he played pretty well. According to published reports Brady fought through a cracked rib, along with a shoulder and finger injury. To be as accurate as he was with all he was dealing with was one of the few bright spots on Sunday.​

"I'm proud of the way we fought today," said Brady, who finished 19-of-32 for 192 yards on the afternoon. "It was a hard-fought win."​

They had a lot of things to fight through on Sunday, and the trouble started on their opening drive on just their fifth play from scrimmage. Facing a 4th-and-1 at the Carolina 40, Brady handed off to Sammy Morris, who lost a yard and the team turned it over on downs.​

The Panthers may not have taken advantage on their ensuing possession, but that's where the momentum began to swing in the wrong direction.​

The next drive stalled for New England's offense, but after stopping the Panthers yet again, they had the football at their own 22-yard line. After getting a first down Brady attempted a deep pass to Randy Moss down the middle of the field that went off his fingertips, and on the next play a simple out-route went wrong. Moss didn't come out of his route and break hard enough toward the sideline, and instead allowed Chris Gamble to get there before he did and picked it off.​

Then Carolina did what we were used to seeing from the Patriots. They went right at the New England defense on just their second play from scrimmage. Quarterback Matt Moore went deep to Steve Smith for a 41-yard touchdown, who appeared to beat Shawn Springs on the play to take a 7-0 lead.​

Without naming names, after the game Springs told the 5th Quarter that they were in a "Cover 3" which means someone else (it appeared to be Brandon Meriweather) was supposed to have the deep middle of the field.​

The Patriots went back out on offense and disaster seemed to hit almost immediately. On their third play from scrimmage, Wes Welker seemed to catch a pass and then lose it as he turned upfield and was hit and was recovered by Carolina. The replay overturned the call, and New England found themselves in good shape. Morris carried for 4 yards, and then Brady hit Welker for a 9-yard gain. But on the next play Brady hit Moss for a 16-yard completion and Moss lost it, and Carolina recovered the fumble.​

It got worse. They went through two series of three and out, and as the rain poured down at Gillette Stadium, the Foxboro faithful could clearly see what was going on. The silence that had been eerily noticeable for much of the early part of Sunday's game turned into loud boos which began to hit the players harder than the rain.​

Some players reacted, others didn't. But on their final possession before the half it was Kevin Faulk who got it started, with two spirited carries down inside the 20, the last of which was a 3-yard touchdown run to tie things up at 7-7.​

That touchdown woke up the fans who were battling the rain and up to that point hadn't had much to cheer about. Heading into halftime it looked like maybe they had finally grabbed the momentum - which considering their second half struggles was the one positive thing fans could have hoped for.​

It didn't start out that way. Their first offensive series of the second half got off to a promising start, with New England driving down the Carolina 25 yard line. Unfortunately it ended with a fumble by Morris following a 10-yard run, which caused the collective groans to again rain down from the stands.​

The Panthers ensuing drive stalled, and after a punt by Carolina pinned the Patriots at their own 4, something happened.​

On the second play from scrimmage Welker caught his 100th pass of the season on a 6 yard reception and got completely drilled by Charles Godfrey. However he immediately popped back up and unphased went back to the huddle, which was surprising considering how hard he was hit.​

"Either you're going to stay down or get up," said Welker after the game when asked how he was able to respond after taking such a big hit. "So, you might as well get on up."​

That he did, and from there it was he and Faulk who took over. Welker caught four more passes, and Faulk carried three times which set up runs by Maroney and an eventual touchdown reception by Ben Watson. That touchdown put them up 14-7 with 1:06 left to go in the third quarter, but more importantly there seemed to be a new life and energy on the field at Gillette Stadium.​

Welker Wakes Up Moribund Patriot Offense

Boring? Perhaps. But a win is a win.

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Style points counted for nothing on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. Once upon a time, the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers played one of the most scintillating Super Bowl games in history. Sunday's 20-10 win by the Patriots was just about at the opposite end of the exciting spectrum. The Panthers, paying only their second visit ever to the town of Foxborough and their first visit to Gillette Stadium (becoming the last NFL team to make their first visit here), were too inferior a team, as well as too banged up a team, to overcome the Patriots stumbling over their own feet for most of the game, especially on offense.​

It took another heroic effort from Wes Welker, who for all intents and purposes should be the number one Patriot receiver instead of this big fast guy from Marshall, to invigorate the Patriots and carry them to victory. Welker caught ten passes for 105 yards, half those receptions coming on a 96-yard drive in the third quarter which finally established the Patriots as the superior team on the afternoon. He overcame a monster hit from Charles Godfrey and literally killed the Panthers by himself after he himself nearly got killed. He continues to confound opposing defenses by getting open and making lots of yards after the catch, and on this day he singlehandedly transformed the Patriots from a sleepwalking team to a team which finally understood the urgency of winning this game.​

It has been a tumultuous few weeks for the Patriots, dealing with their first two-game losing streak since 2006 and facing their first three-game skid since 2002. Mixed in that dealing with the losing was the conduct of some of the star players, sent home early on Wednesday after being late for a team meeting. Adalius Thomas was the most vocal of the punished players, lashing out at Bill Belichick in what will go down as the "Jetsons Soliloquy", showing a great deal of disgust for being admonished for being late for a meeting he couldn't make on time thanks to bad weather and heavy traffic.​

Belichick answered back with a predictable response. He made Thomas a healthy scratch for Sunday's game, and one might postulate that this sort of designation for Thomas will carry through the rest of the season. The result on Sunday was perhaps not quite what Belichick thought would turn out: The defense did very well without Thomas, but the offense totally stunk out the joint until Welker decided that someone had to stand up and take the lead.​

3:05 Highlight Video
Panthers vs Patriots 2009 Week 14
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Carolina Panthers 10 at New England Patriots 20 on December 13th, 2009 - Full team and player stats and box score

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December 13, 2009 - Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots Box Score and Game Statistics

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Patriots Starting Offense:
83 WR Wes Welker
72 LT Matt Light
70 LG Logan Mankins
67 C Dan Koppen
63 RG Dan Connolly
77 RT Nick Kaczur
84 TE Ben Watson
11 WR Julian Edelman
81 WR Randy Moss
12 QB Tom Brady
33 RB Kevin Faulk

Patriots Starting Defense:
94 LDE Ty Warren
75 NT Vince Wilfork
97 RDE Jarvis Green
95 LOLB Tully Banta-Cain
58 LOLB Pierre Woods
51 LILB Jerod Mayo
59 RILB Gary Guyton
29 LCB Shawn Springs
31 SS Brandon Meriweather
36 FS James Sanders
23 RCB Leigh Bodden

Patriots Special Teams:
3 K Stephen Gostkowski
6 P Chris Hanson
47 LS Jake Ingram
39 KR Laurence Maroney
83 PR Wes Welker

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Dec 13, 2015: NE 27, Texans 6
Defense leads way with six sacks​

Sunday, December 13, 2015 at 8:31 (7:31 CST)
Week 14, Game 13 at NRG Stadium
New England Patriots 27, Houston Texans 6
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Bill O'Brien
QBs: Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer/TJ Yates
Odds: New England 3½-point road favorites
TV: NBC; Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth; Michele Tafoya
Retractable roof closed; cloudy, 54º outside
Referee: Jeff Triplette; Time: 3:00; Paid Attendance 71,908
Patriots improve to 11-2, top seed in AFC and clinch AFC East
Texans drop to 6-7, tied with Colts for first in AFC South


The Patriots stopped a two-game losing streak with a fine defensive effort to reclaim the top seed in the AFC with a 27-6 victory at Houston on Sunday Night Football. Jabaal Sheard had two sacks, three QB hits and two forced fumbles, and Akiem Hicks had two sacks, three QB hits and six tackles (two for a loss) to lead the defensive effort. New England limited Houston to just seven first downs, 102 net passing yards and 189 total yards on the evening. The Pats held a 124-yard advantage in total offense (313 yards to 189), limited Houston the 3-14 on third down, and held the ball for over ten more minutes (35:14 to 24:46).

With the victory the Patriots clinched the division title, marking the 17th time the Pats made the playoffs in the 22 years since Robert Kraft became owner. Tom Brady (22-30, 226 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int) reached 4,000 yards passing for the eighth time in his career, and Bill Belichick tied Don Shula for the most seasons with at least eleven wins (13 times) in NFL history. Rob Gronkowski became the first tight end in league history with five seasons of ten or more touchdowns, and extended his own franchise record for most 10-plus touchdown seasons for any Patriot player. Gronk also became the only tight end in NFL history to have three 1,000-yard and double-digit TD seasons.

Three players made their first start as a Patriot: safety Leonard Johnson, TE Asante Cleveland and LB Jonathan Bostic.

Patriots Regain AFC Playoff Driver Seat | PatsFans.com

Two early Christmas presents were delivered to the Patriots on Sunday afternoon. The Patriots then gave themselves, and their fans, another one.

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Two early Christmas presents were delivered to the Patriots on Sunday afternoon. The Patriots then gave themselves, and their fans, another one.​

Both Cincinnati and Denver, the two teams seeded ahead of the Patriots going into Sunday night’s game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium, lost at home earlier in the day. The Bengals wound up losing quarterback Andy Dalton likely for the season, and the game to division rival Pittsburgh, 33-20. Later in the afternoon, the Broncos ran up a 12-0 lead at home against Oakland, then totally gagged in the second half as the Raiders shocked the Broncos, 17-12. That put the Patriots in a position to regain the top AFC playoff seed despite having lost their last two games, especially that stinker at home last weekend against Philadelphia.​

NBC chose to flex this game for Sunday evening, which seemed to favor the Texans in this game. You have the injured Patriots against the resurgent Texans, who with a victory could claim first place in the AFC South thanks to Indianapolis losing earlier in the day at Jacksonville, 51-16. Defensive icon J.J. Watt broke his hand this week in practice, but that didn’t figure to matter Sunday night.​

To make matters worse for the Patriots, they would face a ton of ex-Patriots on the Houston side which would figure to do well against a team they know well. Head coach Bill O’Brien, coordinators George Godsey and Romeo Crennel, and linebackers coach Mike Vrabel would know how to scheme against their former boss. The starting quarterback for Houston is Tom Brady’s former understudy, Brian Hoyer. Oh, and their nose tackle is someone named Vince Wilfork.​

What most everyone overlooked in this sort analysis is that Bill Belichick perhaps knows them better than they know him. Belichick won the coaching battle hands down, and his players played a solid game when it was badly needed. New England walked away with a 27-6 victory, and returned to the top playoff seed in the conference and in full control of their own destiny towards still another home field advantage in the 2015 playoffs.​

The Patriots were able to win despite still more injuries. LeGarrette Blount, Dominique Easley and Devin McCourty all left the game early with injuries and did not return. The Patriots did welcome back Rob Gronkowski at tight end, and the big guy came through big time with four catches for 87 yards and a touchdown. His mere presence helped to set up an effective running game, which totaled 116 yards and an average of just under four yards per carry. The Patriots did rush more than they passed, which was a key factor in the win.​

The defense held Houston to only two field goals. Hoyer never got comfortable against his former team, though he would not suffer any interceptions. Hoyer was sacked five times and pressured all game long. The Patriots did a great job of taking star receiver DeAndre Hopkins out of the game; Logan Ryan was assigned to cover him instead of Malcolm Butler (he drew Nate Washington), and he kept Hopkins on ice until a meaningless 40-yard catch in the fourth quarter with the game lost at the time.​

Akeem Hicks and Jabaal Sheard each had two sacks. Sheard pressured Hoyer all game long, and was also effective against a Houston running attack minus Arian Foster. Houston ran the wildcat play five times and was stuffed every time. The defense kept Houston out of the end zone and allowed only two Nick Novak field goals.​

With the Win, Patriots Outlook Suddenly Much Brighter | PatsFans.com

The one good thing about this time of year is the fact that so much can happen and Sunday was a classic example of how long four weeks is in the NFL.

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Monday Observations, Patriots Defense Smothers Texans in Blowout | PatsFans.com

Both Denver and Cincinnati lost Sunday afternoon and the Patriots' win vaulted them right back to the top seed in the AFC at 11-2.

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Eight Things We Learned During the Patriots Win Over The Texans | PatsFans.com

The Patriots locked up a playoff berth and reclaimed the number one seed in the AFC with three games to go following their 27-6 victory over the Texans on

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Five Monday NFL Thoughts After an Interesting Weekend | PatsFans.com

Some thoughts coming off of an interesting weekend of football in the NFL.

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Brady on Gronkowski's Return: "There's Nobody I Trust More" | PatsFans.com

After last week's loss to the Eagles the Patriots were in need of a spark to get their offense headed back in the right direction and they got just that Sunday night.

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Ryan Allen Was Quietly a Difference Maker vs Houston Sunday Night | PatsFans.com

Punters are players who don't tend to get a lot of attention, but Ryan Allen is quietly having a terrific season and Sunday night was a prime example of how important he is to this football team.

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Punters are players who don’t tend to get a lot of attention, but Ryan Allen is quietly having a terrific season and Sunday night was another prime example of how important he is to this football team.​

Bill Belichick mentioned Allen’s impact Sunday night during his conference call with the New England media on Monday, albeit indirectly. One of the biggest areas that Allen impacted the game in Houston came down to the battle for field position, with the veteran punter putting the Texans in a difficult position to start quite a few of their drives. On Sunday night, Allen punted six times and had three of his kicks land inside the 20-yard line, including two that were at the five or closer.​

The result? The Texans had a tough time moving the football and by the time the game was over they mustered just six points as the defense was generally in a favorable position.​

While the defense gets the credit for the end result, Ryan’s contributions played a significant role in how it all happened. Houston had their moments after making several big plays in the passing game, but the Patriots didn’t get hurt because of where the Texans were when those plays occurred.​

3:45 Highlights
Patriots vs. Texans - Week 14 Highlights - NFL
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New England Patriots 27 at Houston Texans 6 on December 13th, 2015 - Full team and player stats and box score

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Patriots Starting Offense:
82 WR Keshawn Martin
76 LT Sebastian Vollmer
69 LG Shaq Mason
66 C Bryan Stork
63 RG Tre' Jackson
61 RT Marcus Cannon
87 TE Rob Gronkowski
19 WR Brandon LaFell
12 QB Tom Brady
29 RB LeGarrette Blount
44 TE Asante Cleveland

Patriots Starting Defense:
50 LDE Rob Ninkovich
97 LDT Alan Branch
90 RDT Malcolm Brown
95 RDE Chandler Jones
91 LLB Jamie Collins
51 MLB Jerod Mayo
58 RLB Jon Bostic
26 RCB Logan Ryan
21 LCB Malcolm Butler
32 FS Devin McCourty
34 SS Leonard Johnson

Patriots Special Teams:
3 K Stephen Gostkowski
6 P Ryan Allen
49 LS Joe Cardona
82 KR Keshawn Martin
82 PR Keshawn Martin

 

[jmt57]

Happy 58th birthday to Scott Zolak
Born Dec 13, 1967 in Pittsburgh
Pats 4th round draft pick in 1991, from Maryland
Played in 54 games (7 starts) for the Pats from 1991 to 1998

Scott Zolak Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats for Scott Zolak. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.

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[jmt57]

Happy 83rd birthday to Bob Cappadona
Born Dec 13, 1942 in Watertown, Mass.
Pats third round pick in the 1963 AFL 'Redshirt' Draft
Pats RB, 1966-1967; 27 games (4 starts)

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Checkout the latest stats for Bob Cappadona. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.

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Robert J. Cappadona (1977) - Varsity Club Hall of Fame - Northeastern University Athletics

Robert J. Cappadona, Class: 1966 Induction: 1977 Sport(s): Football - Robert J. Cappadona was elected to the Hall of Fame for outstanding achievements in football

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Robert Cappadona - Watertown Cable Access Corp.

When you consider Watertown High football, a few names come immediately to mind. One of those is Bob Cappadona. Bob graduated from WHS in 1961, having set most of the school’s rushing records. He capped his career with an amazing season in which he was the Massachusetts state-scoring champion with 160 points; named to the All Scholastic teams of the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, and the Boston Record American; captain of the statewide All-Scholastic Team; and named to the national All-American team. His number was retired by the high school. Not a bad career, especially when you realize that he also played track and baseball for all three of his years at Watertown High.

The glory hardly ended there. Bob went on to Notre Dame, and in his stint there was the university’s heavyweight boxing champion. In 1962 he transferred to Northeastern University, and became Northeastern’s leading rusher, setting the school yardage records for a single season and for his career (in which he exceeded two thousand yards). He played on the 1963 undefeated team and captained the squad his senior year in 1966. His efforts were rewarded with a slew of awards – he was on the All-ECAC team, was named an All-American, and won the national Swede Nelson award for sportsmanship.

In 1966 Bob joined the New England Patriots and was named the Patriots’ rookie of the year. He played for the Pats until 1968 when he went to the Buffalo Bills. In 1973, having retired from football, Bob established an insurance agency in Watertown Square, where he remains. He is married to his high school sweetheart and has two sons. He is a member of the Northeastern University Athletic Hall of Fame, and we are glad to make it two for two this evening.​

 

[jmt57]

Happy 31st birthday to Jermaine Eluemunor
Born Dec 13, 1994 in Chalk Farm, United Kingdom
Patriot G/T, 2019-2020; uniform #65, #72
22 games, 8 starts

Jermaine Eluemunor Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats for Jermaine Eluemunor. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Happy 27th birthday to DaMarcus Mitchell
Born Dec 13, 1998 in Thibodaux, Louisiana
Patriot DE, 2022; uniform #97
16 games (zero starts) with New England

To be honest I have no memory of DaMarcus.
Mitchell played in 16 games for the Pats, logging five snaps on defense and 310 special teams snaps.

DaMarcus Mitchell Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats for DaMarcus Mitchell. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Other December 13 News and Trivia​

Dec 13, 2008:
The day before a 49-26 victory over the Raiders, LB Pierre Woods is placed on Injured Reserve.
OL Dan Connolly is promoted from the practice squad to take Woods' place on the active roster.
Connolly would proceed to play in 85 games with 71 starts over the next seven seasons, and also start 11 postseason games for the Patriots. He retired following the 2014 season after winning super bowl XLIX 28-24 against Seattle.

​

Dec 13, 2012:
Pasquale 'Pat' Altieri passes away at the age of 76.
The Bridgeport native and Brown alum was a defensive back with the 1960 Boston Patriots, after serving in the Marines from 1958-1960. He was released after suffering a sprained ankle in September and never made it back on to the roster. He later returned to Bridgeport and operated the family printing business, The Altieri Press until 1996, then worked for the city of Bridgeprt until his retirement.




Dec 13, 2017:
Billy Hudson passes away at the age of 82.
The defensive tackle from Clemson played for the Patriots in 1961, after previously spending four seasons with the Montreal Alouettes and two with the San Diego Chargers.

Following a week 14 27-20 loss at Miami, New England made several transactions:
- OT Marcus Cannon was placed on Injured Reserve
- OLB/DE Jonathan Freeny and WR Bernard Reedy were released
- WR Kenny Britt and DT Ricky Jean-Francois were signed

Cannon had started the first seven games at right tackle, but missed the next five games before going to IR. LaAdrian Waddle took over for four games, then Cameron Fleming for the rest of the season. A bit of a downgrade there.

Freeny was in his second stint with the Pats, and only lasted one week. Reedy was just a guy who was constantly being cut, signed to the practice, rinse, lather, repeat.

Britt was a player I had high hopes for, after going over 1,000 yards receiving with the Rams in 2017. He signed a big contract with Cleveland, fizzled out, then was granted his request to be released midseason after his committment was questioned. Britt had only 18 catches in 18 games for the Browns , but didn't turn it around with the Pats. Britt had two receptions in three games in New England, was inactive for the playoffs, and released the following August, thus ending his NFL career at age 29. Since then he's been busy in the bedroom, married with seven kids.

Ricky Jean-Francois was originally a 7th round draft pick by the 49ers in 2009, from LSU. He played in six regular season games plus three playoff games for the Pats, and had a 10-year NFL career.

Dec 13, 2018:
Ol Mike Montler passes away at the age of 74

A 2nd round draft pick out of Colorado, Montler started 50 games at left guard and left tackle for the Patriots from 1969-1972. In an incredibly stupid trade, the Pats sent Montler, Jim Cheyunski and Halvor Hagen to Buffalo for three jags named Edgar Chandler, Jeff Lyman and Wayne Patrick. Montler played for six more seasons after escaping the Clive Rush/John Mazur era Patriots, anchoring "The Electric Company" in Buffalo at center when OJ Simpson became the first player to rush for over 2,000 yards.

Mike Montler (1944-2018) - Find a Grave Memorial

Professional Football Player. For ten seasons (1969 to 1978), he played at the center, guard and tackle positions in the American and National Football Leagues with the Boston/New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions. Born Michael Russell Montler, he attended St...

www.findagrave.com

For ten seasons (1969 to 1978), he played at the center, guard and tackle positions in the American and National Football Leagues with the Boston/New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions. Born Michael Russell Montler, he attended St. Mary's High School in Ohio and following graduation, he served with the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.​

Following his return home, he enrolled at the University of Colorado, where he played collegiate football and achieved All-American honors in 1968. Selected by the Patriots during the 2nd Round of the 1969 NFL Draft, he totaled 123 career regular season games.​

At the stature of 6 feet, five inches and weighing 250 pounds Montler, along with future Hall of Fame guard Joe DeLamielleure formed a highly effective Buffalo Bills' offensive line nicknamed "The Electric Company", which provided crucial blocking for running back O.J. Simpson who produced 2,003 rushing yards in 1973.​

In 1977, he joined the Broncos and served as center for quarterback Craig Morton. He experienced an AFC Championship and an appearance in the Super Bowl in 1978.​

Dec 13, 2019:
Released K Josh Gable from the practice squad

Gable was one of many kickers that cycled through Foxborough after Stephen Gostkowski was placed on IR on October 2: Mike Nugent, Younghoe Koo, Nick Folk, Kai Forbath and Gable were all signed and released, before Bill Belichick finally re-signed Folk and stuck with the veteran.




Dec 13, 2021:
Milt Graham passes away at the age of 83

The 6'6 tackle joined the Pats late in 1961, then played for two more sesons before retiring due to health reasons. Graham was drafted by both the NFL nad NBA, played six seasons in Canada, and later served in the FBI. Overall he played in 28 regular season games for the Patriots, plus two postseason games.

Today In Patriots History Post in thread 'July 28: Nick Kaczur'

Jul 28, 2024

Today in Patriots History
Milt Graham​

In memory of Milt Graham, on his 90th birthday
Born July 28, 1934 in Chatham, MA
Died Dec 13, 2021 at the age of 87 in Norwalk, CT
Patriot RT, 1961-1963; uniform #70

...​

• jmt57

From Football To The FBI, Longtime Fairfield County Resident Milton Graham Shares His Story

The way the story was shared in the news a couple of years back, you’d think Charles Tillman, known as one of the best cornerbacks in Chicago Bears history, was the first retired professional football player to become an FBI agent. But yo…

dailyvoice.com

From Football to the FBI

Milton Graham ’56 retired from professional football and became an FBI agent.

news.colgate.edu

Milton R. Graham (1984) - HALL OF HONOR - Colgate University Athletics

Milton R. Graham, Class: 1956 Induction: 1984 Sport(s): Football - Milt Graham established himself as a solid performer on the gridiron and hardwood during his collegiate

gocolgateraiders.com

Milton Russell Graham Obituary | M B Clark Inc Funeral Home | Lake Placid, NY

View Milton Russell Graham's complete obituary, share memories, and explore 3 tribute posts from the community.

mbclarkfuneralhome.com

After retiring from football in 1964 he joined the FBI as a special agent, where he worked for 20 years. He was particularly proud of the role he played in the mid 1960's, enforcing civil rights and working against the Ku Klux Klan in Bogalusa, Louisiana.​

He and his wife Gerrie became innkeepers in 1984 for 15 years at the award-winning Wedgewood Inn in Yarmouth Port, MA. Stemming from fond childhood memories in the Adirondack Mountains, Milt was an avid mountain climber throughout his life, having climbed many US peaks including Mt. Rainier, Mt. Whitney and Mt. Marcy, as well as numerous mountains overseas such as Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Elbrus in Russia, and other mountains in the Himalayas and South America. He was an active member of the Christian Science Churches in both Darien, CT and in Hyannis, MA.​

Born with an innate sense of right and wrong, Milt made it a point to help everyone he could, stand up to bullies wherever he found them, and love his family immensely.​

Dec 13, 2024:
DT Jaquelin Roy is placed on injured reserve with a foot injury.

I had high hopes for the 6'3, 305-pound LSU product at one time; he seemed like he would turn into a solid player. Roy was signed to the practice squad following a workout in September, and promoted to the 53-man roster in October. Roy had 17 tackles and two sacks in six games, including one start. He played 141 defensive snaps over that span, but missed three consecutive games from November into December because of a neck issue. Snakebit by the injury bug, Roy went on IR again on August 5, 2025.

Dec 13, 2025:
RB Terrell Jennings is placed on IR, and RB D'Ernest Johnson is signed to the active roster from the practice squad

Patriots Injury News - Terrell Jennings Heading to IR

www.patsfans.com

PATRIOTS NEWS - Patriots sign D'Ernest Johnson to 53-man roster

https://nesn.com/2025/12/patriots-mike-vrabel-announces-roster-move-to-solve-major-issue/ He was out of standard elevations.

www.patsfans.com

 

[jmt57]

Dec 13, 1970:
Lost 35-14 to the Vikings at Harvard Stadium
Pats first-ever game against Minnesota

Minnesota Vikings at Boston Patriots - December 13th, 1970 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Minnesota Vikings 35 at Boston Patriots 14 on December 13th, 1970 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

Dec 13, 1981:
Lost 19-10 to Buffalo at Schaefer Stadium
Similar to 1970, 1981 was a two-win Pats team

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots - December 13th, 1981 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Buffalo Bills 19 at New England Patriots 10 on December 13th, 1981 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

Dec 13, 1992:
Lost 27-20 to Kansas City
**** McPherson's turn to be head coach of a two-win Pats team, joining John Mazur and Ron Erhardt in that fraternity.
This was the Pats first-ever game at Arrowhead Stadium, even though the Chiefs moved out of Kansas City Municipal Stadium following the 1971 season. The two original AFL teams met 18 times from 1960 to 1970, but between scheduling quirks and a couple of strike seasons the Patriots and Chiefs only played each other four times over the next twenty years, and they were all in Foxborough.

New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs - December 13th, 1992 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 20 at Kansas City Chiefs 27 on December 13th, 1992 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

Dec 13, 1997:
Lost 24-21 in OT to Pittsburgh at Foxboro Stadium

Drew Bledsoe's interception with 2:10 left to play led to Kordell Stewart's touchdown pass with four seconds to play, and the Steelers converted a two-point conversion to force overtime. Pittsburgh won the toss and kicked a game-winning FG to snap a Pats three-game winning streak. Three weeks later the Stillers beat the Pats 7-6 in the divisional round.

Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots - December 13th, 1997 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Pittsburgh Steelers 24 at New England Patriots 21 on December 13th, 1997 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

Patriots lose in overtime to the Steelers

Dec 13, 1998:
Lost 32-18 to the St Louis Rams at the TWA Dome

This was the first time the Patriots were playing the Rams in St Louis, after their move from Los Angeles.
The 32 points allowed doesn't sound all that bad, yet it is surprisingly the most a Rams team has ever scored against the Patriots.
The Pats were seven-point favorites against the three-win Rams, and as a result they barely squeaked into the playoffs.
Robert Edwards had by far the best game of his career, rushing for 196 yards - to this day the fifth most in franchise history, and on only 24 carries (8.2 ypc) - but Drew Bledsoe was sacked four times and completed just 11-35 passes, for 176 yards.

The Patriots turned the ball over on an interception, a fumble, and twice on downs while also settling for four field goal attempts.

Rams 32, Patriots 18

The New England Patriots fall to 8-6 with a shocking 32-18 loss at the hands of the Saint Louis Rams at the Trans World Dome.​

​

The Patriots, playing without TE Ben Coates, saw the Rams shoot out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Saint Louis scored on their first possession of the game via a 48 yard field goal by kicker Jeff Wilkins (3-0).​

​

The Rams, with a little help from the Patriots offense, scored on their ensuing drive of the game. On second-and-nine from the Patriots 15, Drew Bledsoe was intercepted by LB Mike A. Jones. The pick set up a first-and-10 for the Rams at the New England 14. Two plays later, QB Tony Banks connected with WR Az-Zahir Hakim for a nine-yard TD score (10-0).​

​

New England crept back into the game with a 18-to-7 run and found themselves leading 18-17 in the third quarter. Leading the charge was kicker Adam Vinatieri who connected on four field goals from 17, 37, 41 and 55 yards.​

​

But the Patriots were given the knockout punch when Hakim executed the reverse to perfection, rushing 34 for the TD score. The two-point attempt was successful, giving the Rams a 25-18 lead.​

​

Then, with 41 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the Rams jumped out to a 32-18 lead (and final) when RB June Henley scored on a one-yard plunge.​

New England Patriots at St. Louis Rams - December 13th, 1998 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 18 at St. Louis Rams 32 on December 13th, 1998 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[neckroll#14]

The green swamp losers hadn't yet elevated to the J-E-T-E JETE, JETE, JETE when Grogan was kicking the **** out of them... That required another couple of decades of futility...