Today In Patriots History Dec 19, 2010: The Dan Connolly kickoff return game

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Dec 19, 2010: NE 31, GB 27
Dan Connolly's epic 71-yard return
Pats barely avoid major upset​

Sunday, December 19, 2010 at 8:30
Week 15, Game 14 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 31, Green Bay Packers 27
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Mike McCarthy
QBs: Tom Brady, Matt Flynn
Odds: New England 14½-point home favorites
TV: NBC. Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth; Andrea Kremer
Cloudy and cold, 32º, 8 mph wind from the north, wind chill 25º
Referee: Ed Hochuli; Time: 2:57; Paid Attendance 68,756
Patriots improve to 12-2, two games in front of NYJ in AFC East
Packers drop to 8-6, two games behind Chicago in NFC North


The Patriots had won their previous two games by a combined score of 81-10 - against a pair of playoff-bound teams - and had won five in a row. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was out with a concussion, and his replacement was a third year, 7th round draft pick that was making his first NFL start, with a career stat line of 7-19, zero TD, one interception. This game was supposed to be an easy win. The game began with a successful Green Bay onside kick, stunning the Pats. The Patriots found themselves down 17-7 in the first half, and 27-21 early in the fourth quarter.

Brandon Tate had returned two kickoffs for touchdowns earlier in the season. Mason Crosby kicked off to Tate once, but after that was kicking short to avoid the speedy 23-year old. The first attempt worked as planned, with Alge Crumpler returning a kick four yards to the 30. After Matt Flynn threw his second touchdown of the evening to put Green Bay up 17-7, Crosby kicked it away from Tate again.

The ball went to 313-pound Dan Connolly, who rumbled 71 yards to the four-yard line in what is believed to be the longest return by an offensive lineman in NFL history. The return set up a touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Aaron Hernandez just before halftime, pulling the Pats within three. Kyle Arrington's 36-yard pick-six gave the Pats a 21-17 lead early in the third quarter, but Green Bay came back on Flynn's third touchdown pass and regained the lead, 27-21 early in the fourth quarter.

After a Shayne Graham field goal cut the deficit to three, the Pats took the lead for good on a six-play drive that included a 16-yard pass to Deion Branch and four Danny Woodhead plays that gained 37 yards. The drive culminated with a second touchdown pass to AH, this one for ten yards.

Green Bay began the final possession of the game at their 43 with 4:22 remaining. A Brandon Meriweather interception was negated by an illegal use of the hands penalty on Tully Banta-Cain, and the Packers advanced to the 15 yard line with five seconds to play. TBC redeemed himself with a sack on Flynn, causing a fumble that was recovered by Vince Wilfork to end the game.

The Pats were fortunate to win this game. Green Bay controlled th ball by more than a two-to-one advantage, 40:48 to 19:12, had more than double the number of first downs (26 to 14), and outgained the Patriots by 120 yards (369 to 249). The difference was turnovers (two to zero in New England's favor) and the Connolly kickoff return setting up a TD.

This is also known in some circles as the Matt Flynn Game, when the unknown 7th round draft pick made his first NFL start as a sub for Aaron Rodgers. Flynn threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns, completing 65% of his passes and nearly pulling off a huge upset.

Flynn had another good game in his second NFL start a year later, and based on those two outings was able to sign a 3-year $26 million contract with $10 million guaranteed with Seattle in 2012 - serious money for that time. Flynn was expected to start for the Seahawks, but rookie Russell Wilson outperformed him in training camp - and Flynn returned to being a career backup.

Packers Nearly Pull Off Miracle Upset

The mother of all reverse locks almost happened.

www.patsfans.com

Best and Worst From Patriots vs. Packers

Here's a quick look back at the best and worst performances from Sunday night's win over the Green Bay Packers:

www.patsfans.com

Grogan's Grade: Week 14 - New England vs. Green Bay

Former Patriots Quarterback Steve Grogan breaks down the win over the Packers.

www.patsfans.com

Devin McCourty: Developing into a Star

New England Patriots 2010 first round pick rookie cornerback Devin McCourty has made an incredible impact on this 2010 Patriot team and is developing into one of the NFL's rising stars.

www.patsfans.com

Box Score, Halftime & Full Game Summaries, Team & Individual Stats, Drive Charts and Full Play-by-Play:

Viewer - Patriots

Media Archive Suite

patriots.1rmg.com

Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots - December 19th, 2010 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Green Bay Packers 27 at New England Patriots 31 on December 19th, 2010 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

December 19, 2010 - Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for December 19, 2010 - Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots boxscore and game statistics.

www.profootballarchives.com

Patriots Starting Offense:
84 WR Deion Branch
82 TE Alge Crumpler
72 LT Matt Light
70 LG Logan Mankins
67 C Dan Koppen
63 RG Dan Connolly
76 RT Sebastian Vollmer
87 TE Rob Gronkowski
83 WR Wes Welker
12 QB Tom Brady
42 RB Benjarvus Green-Ellis

Patriots Starting Defense:
75 LDE Vince Wilfork
92 NT Gerard Warren
98 RDE Eric Moore
95 LOLB Tully Banta-Cain
51 LILB Jerod Mayo
59 ROLB Gary Guyton
32 LCB Devin McCourty
31 SS Brandon Meriweather
36 FS James Sanders
27 RCB Kyle Arrington
25 DB Pat Chung

Patriots Special Teams:
5 K Shayne Graham
14 P Zoltan Mesko
48 LS Matt Katula
19 KR Brandon Tate
82 KR Alge Crumpler
63 KR Dan Connolly
11 PR Julian Edelman

 

[everlong]

Whenever that kickoff comes up in my reels feed I have to watch it. If you're compiling the top 10 patriots special teams moments that has to be one of them. The other 9 are probably all owned by Troy, Julien and Wes....but I'm sure I'm forgetting something epic which isn't.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1971: Huge Road Upset
Pats knock off #1 seed Colts
Plunkett-Vataha set record for longest TD​

Sunday, December 19, 1971 at 2:05
Week 14, Game 14 at Memorial Stadium
New England Patriots 21, Baltimore Colts 17
Head Coaches: John Mazur, Don McCafferty
QBs: Jim Plunkett, Johnny Unitas
Odds: Baltimore 14½-point home favorites
TV: NBC; Jim Simpson, Kyle Rote
Overcast, 39º, wind 12 mph
Referee: Ben Dreith; Time: 2:20; Paid Attendance 57,942
Patriots finish 6-8, tied with NYJ for third place in AFC East
Colts drop to 10-4, finish ½-game behind Miami, but make playoffs as a wildcard


The Patriots had nothing to play for, long since been eliminated from the postseason. Baltimore on the other hand had plenty at stake. A victory would give the Colts the #1 seed in the AFC and home field throughout the playoffs. A loss would drop them behind Miami, and they would have to play on the road the rest of the way as a wildcard. Baltimore owned the NFL's best defense, having allowed just 119 points (9.2ppg) through 13 games, and winning by a league-best average of 13.6 points. The Patriots on the other hand had the AFC's worst defense, allowing 308 points (23.7 ppg), and stood five games behind the Colts with a 5-8 record.


So the Colts should win easily, right? Instead the Patriots shocked Baltimore on the final game of the 1971 regular season, relegating the Colts to a wild card team going on the road rather than staying at home for the first round of the playoffs. The victory marked the first time the Patriots defeated an original NFL/non-AFL team in the regular season in franchise history.


John Outlaw intercepted a Johnny Unitas pass and took it back 60 yards for a score, giving the Pats a 14-3 halftime lead. Then in the fourth quarter Jim Plunkett hit Randy Vataha for their second touchdown of the game, an 88-yard bomb that left Baltimore fans speechless. The rookie wide receiver had his third 100-yard game of the season, and second two-touchdown game. The 88-yard touchdown pass was a new team record, one that would remain at the top of the record books for 14 years until Tony Eason connected with Craig James for a 90-yard score in 1985.


Eddie Hinton caught his second touchdown of the day from Unitas with 26 seconds left to play to make the final score a bit more respectable, but the Patriots recovered the onsides kick to hold on for a four-point upset victory. Plunkett outplayed Unitas in game between a rookie and one of the NFL's all-time greats: Plunkett finished 10-17 for 17 yards, 2 TD, no picks and a 132.0 passer rating against the vaunted Colts defense, while Unitas was 16-32, 165 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int and a 60.0 passer rating. The Colts won at Cleveland in the divisional round game, but then lost at Miami 21-0 in the 1971 AFCCG.


The 1971 Patriots were a glimmer of hope for Patriot fans, with three fantastic upset victories over the Raiders, Dolphins and Colts. Jim Plunkett would be named Rookie of the Year, and he and Randy Vataha had become fan favorites. With a 6-8 record, the Patriots had a four-game improvement over the previous season. Two days later Billy Sullivan gave head coach John Mazur a new contract - thankfully for just one season. The Pats would take a step backwards the following year, with Mazur quitting midseason after the worst defeat (52-0) in the 66-year history of the franchise. At least his departure did create an opening to hire Chuck Fairbanks, and result in some very good teams a few years later.

2:54 Highlight Video
1971 Patriots at Colts week 14
​

Patriots Post 21‐17 Upset And Colts Drop to Second

If the Colts had limited the Patriots to 13 points, they would have established an N.F.L. record for fewest points permitted in a 14‐game season.​

But with 10 completions in 17 attempts for 170 yards, Plunkett pierced the Colts’ zone defense. He found Vataha, his tiny Stanford buddy, in the end zone for a 2‐yard touchdown. When the Colts had closed to within 14‐10, he flung a bomb to Vataha, who caught it over his head, in a third‐and‐11 situation at the Pats’ 12.​

In between, John Outlaw, the Patriots’ right cornerback, intercepted a Unitas sideline pass and raced 61 yards for a touchdown.​

The Colts’ offense was with out Norm Bulaich, its leading runner with 743 yards. He was not in uniform because of what is described as a “severely stretched right hamstring muscle,” incurred in the victory over Miami a week ago. His availability is questionable for the playoff opener.​

By employing a primarily man‐to‐man defense, the Patriots forced Unitas to throwing longer than he prefers, or perhaps longer than his arm allows. He completed only four of his first 13 passes but then found Eddie Hinton in the end zone behind Outlaw for a 33‐yard touchdown, positioned by Bob Gladieux's fumbled punt.​

Unitas moved the Colts to a fourth‐and‐7 at the Patriots’ 13, but missed Toni Mitchell, a tight end, at the sideline. Plunkett then triggered the bomb to Vataha for a 21‐10 lead. Unitas then hit six of seven passes, with Hinton scoring on a 13‐yard play.​

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

Viewer - Patriots

Media Archive Suite

patriots.1rmg.com

New England Patriots at Baltimore Colts - December 19th, 1971 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 21 at Baltimore Colts 17 on December 19th, 1971 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

December 19, 1971 - New England Patriots at Baltimore Colts Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for December 19, 1971 - New England Patriots at Baltimore Colts boxscore and game statistics.

www.profootballarchives.com

Patriots Starting Offense:
18 WR Randy Vataha
64 LT Mike Montler
62 LG Halvor Hagen
56 C Jon Morris
60 RG Len St. Jean
77 RT Tom Neville
82 TE Tom Beer
10 WR Eric Crabtree
16 QB Jim Plunkett
30 RB Carl Garrett
35 RB Jim Nance

Patriots Starting Defense:
71 LDE Art May
85 RDT Julius Adams
76 RDT Dave Rowe
88 RDE Ron Berger
66 LLB Ed Weisacosky
50 MLB Jim Cheyunski
57 RLB Steve Kiner
41 LCB Larry Carwell
42 LS Don Webb
44 RS Johnny Outlaw
25 RCB Rickie Harris

Patriots Special Teams:
7 K Charlie Gogolak
21 P Tommy Janik
45 KR Hubie Bryant
40 KR Jack Maitland
45 PR Hubie Bryant
25 PR Rickie Harris

 

[TommyD4207]

Connolly with those wheels bouncing it to the outside, that was so good.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1982: Pats 16, Seattle 0
Defense forces six turnovers
Back-to-back shutout victories​

Sunday, December 19, 1982 at 4:00 (1:00 PST)
Week 15, Game 7 at the Seattle Kingdome
New England Patriots 16, Seattle Seahawks 0
Head Coaches: Ron Meyer, Mike McCormack
QBs: Steve Grogan, Jim Zorn
Odds: Seattle 4-point home favorites
TV: NBC; Jay Randolph, Gene Washington
68º indoors; Referee: **** Jorgensen; Time: 2:57
64,822 tickets distributed; 11,365 no-shows; actual attendance 53,547
Patriots improve to 4-3, one game behind Miami and NYJ in AFC East
Seahawks drop to 3-4, third place in AFC West behind LA Raiders and San Diego Chargers


This game came on the heels of the Snow Plow Game, though with it being indoors the outcome was not weather-related. The Patriot defense dominated, limiting Seattle to 53 yards rushing and just 171 total yards of offense, while forcing six turnovers. While the Pats found the end zone just once, they held more than a two-to-one advantage in first downs (25-12) and total yards (393-171). The Patriots ran over the Seattle defense to the tune of 249 yards, led by Tony Collins (103 yards) and Mark van Eeghen (12 carries for 82 yards and a 5-yard touchdown catch). Overall New England ran 30 more offensive plays (81 to 51) and had more than double the time of possession (42:02 to 17:58). The team's 60 rushing attempts is second most in team history, falling two short of the record 62 carries against Denver in 1976.

Jim Mora's defense pitched a second shutout in so many games, marking this as the only time in franchise history that the Patriots shut opponents out in consecutive games. The defense also set a team record with eight consecutive scoreless quarters (tied in 2021 and 2023) and ten consecutive quarters not allowing a touchdown (tied in 2019). Mike Haynes had two interceptions, Roland James and Rick Sanford both had a pick, Andre Tippett and Lester Williams both had fumble recoveries, and Williams also blocked a field goal attempt near the end of the first half to keep the Seahawks off the scoreboard, and led to a Pats TD.


Mora had been Seattle's defensive line coach from 1978 to 1981, so perhaps he knew a bit about the Seahawks' tendencies. After one season In Foxborough he left to become head coach of the USFL Philadelphia Stars, making it to the championship game in each of the league's three seasons, winning twice. After the league folded he returned to the NFL as head coach for the Saints from 1986 to 1996, and for the Colts from 1998 to 2001.

​

Steelers Fall Again, to Browns

SEATTLE (AP) - Steve Grogan hit Mark van Eeghen with a 5-yard touchdown pass, and John Smith kicked three field goals. It was the Patriots' second consecutive shutout. New England beat Miami, 3-0, in a snowstorm in Foxboro, Mass., last Sunday. The Patriots (4-3) picked off four Jim Zorn passes and recovered two Theotis Brown fumbles while making only one turnover themselves. The Seahawks dropped to 3-4.​

Mike Haynes had two of New England's interceptions, one in the first quarter and one in the final period. Lester Williams recovered a Brown fumble and blocked a Norm Johnson field-goal attempt.​

Tony Collins led New England's ball-control rushing attack with 103 yards on 32 carries and caught four Grogan passes for 21 yards. Grogan completed 14 of 20 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown. He was not intercepted. Zorn was 15 for 35 for 134 yards. Zorn was intercepted only four times in Seattle's first six games. New England, a 4-point underdog, led, 10-0, at halftime on Grogan's touchdown pass to van Eeghen nine seconds before intermission.​

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

Viewer - Patriots

Media Archive Suite

patriots.1rmg.com

New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks - December 19th, 1982 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 16 at Seattle Seahawks 0 on December 19th, 1982 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

December 19, 1982 - New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for December 19, 1982 - New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks boxscore and game statistics.

www.profootballarchives.com

Patriots Starting Offense:
86 WR Stanley Morgan
76 LT Brian Holloway
73 LG John Hannah
58 C Pete Brock
61 RG Ron Wooten
74 RT Shelby Jordan
80 TE Don Hasselbeck
88 WR Morris Bradshaw
14 QB Steve Grogan
33 RB Tony Collins
34 FB Mark van Eeghen

Patriots Starting Defense:
77 LDE Kenneth Sims
72 NT Lester Williams
85 RDE Julius Adams
50 LOLB Larry McGrew
57 LILB Steve Nelson
53 RILB Clayton Weishuhn
55 ROLB Don Blackmon
40 LCB Mike Haynes
38 SS Roland James
25 FS Rick Sanford
26 RCB Ray Clayborn

Patriots Special Teams:
1 K John Smith
3 P Rich Camarillo
27 KR Ricky Smith
27 PR Ricky Smith

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1993: Bill vs Bill I
Pats come from behind to win on
Leonard Russell's TD with 2:02 to go​

Sunday, December 19, 1993 at 1:00
Week 16, Game 14 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium
New England Patriots 20, Cleveland Browns 17
Head Coaches: Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick
QBs: Drew Bledsoe, Vinny Testaverde
Odds: Cleveland 3½-point home favorites
TV: NBC; Don Criqui, Beasley Reece
Cloudy, light flurries, 38º, wind 11 mph sw, wind chill 31º
51,073 tickets distributed; 2,455 no-shows; actual attendance 48,618
Patriots improve to 3-11, fifth place in AFC East
Browns drop to 6-6, four behind Houston and two behind Pittsburgh in AFC Central


The 1993 season was one of turmoil for the Browns. Bill Belichick benched fan and media favorite Bernie Kosar and replaced him with Vinny Testaverde, later inserted Kosar back into the starting role when Vinny was injured, then eventually released the insubordinate Kosar before the season was over.


As for the game, Drew Bledsoe threw 28 incomplete passes and an interception, yet the Pats still managed to win. At the two minute warning at the half, a short punt coupled with a 21-yard Ronnie Harris return gave the offense great field position. On 4th-and-one Bledsoe hit Kevin Turner for a six-yard toucdown, cutting Cleveland's lead to 14-10.


The second half opened with multiple punts, then the Patriots put together a six-minute, 14-play drive highlighted by an 18-yard pass to Vincent Brisby and a nine-yard scramble by Bledsoe. A nine-yard, third down completion to Michael Timpson was just short of a first down, and this time on 4th-and-one at the 15 Parcells opted for a field goal. Matt Bahr's kick was good, and the Browns lead was down to one.

On the next drive Rod Smith forced a fumble after a completed pass and it was recovered by Todd Collins to kill a Cleveland scoring threat. The Browns forced a three-and-out and a 24-yard Mike Saxon punt gave Cleveland the ball at their own 44. The Browns had a first-and-goal at the six yard line, but the defense stiffened, and now it was the Browns turn to settle for a short field goal, making the score 17-13 with ten minutes to play.


On a third-and-ten a deep Bledsoe pass was picked off at the Cleveland 24. On the first play of the next drive, Testaverde completed a 37-yard pass to Eric Metcalf, and after three more completions the Browns had the ball on the Pats 8-yard line. The Browns were backed up ten yards on a holding call, and on the next play Dion Lambert made a touchdown-saving interception in the end zone.


With 4:50 left in the game Bledsoe and the offense took over on the twenty yard line. A third-and-ten pass for Ray Crittenden was incomplete, but an offsides call gave the Pats a second chance. Bledsoe completed a nine-yard pass to Ben Coates, giving the Patriots a fresh set of downs. Then Kevin Turner burst off right tackle on a draw play for a gain of 49 yards, down to the Cleveland 22. Turner ran for nine more and caught a four-yard pass to give New England first-and-goal at the nine yard line. Bledsoe threw three straight incomplete passes, but CB Michael Johnson was flagged for defensive holding. On the next play Leonard Russell ran it in from four yards out, and with 2:02 left to play the Patriots led for the first time all day, 20-17.


On the first play after the kickoff, Maurice Hurst intercepted a Testaverde pass intended for Keenan McCardell, who had scored two touchdowns in the first half. Bledsoe completed an 18-yard pass to Coates on third down, and with that play the Patriots were able to take a couple of knees to run out the clock. After a 1-11 start the Patriots had won consecutive games, and finished Parcells' and Bledsoe's first season in New England on a four-game winning streak.

Patriots 20, Browns 17 - UPI Archives

Leonard Russell scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with 2:02 left in the game Sunday to bring New England to a 20-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns and give...

www.upi.com

54-second highlight video
1993 Patriots at Browns Week 16



2:30:10 Full Game
1993 Week 16 - New England at Cleveland
​

Box Score, Halftime & Full Game Summaries, Team & Individual Stats, Drive Charts and Full Play-by-Play:

Viewer - Patriots

Media Archive Suite

patriots.1rmg.com

New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns - December 19th, 1993 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 20 at Cleveland Browns 17 on December 19th, 1993 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

December 19, 1993 - New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for December 19, 1993 - New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns boxscore and game statistics.

www.profootballarchives.com

Patriots Starting Offense:
82 WR Vincent Brisby
78 LT Bruce Armstrong
69 LG Eugene Chung
65 C Mike Arthur
74 RG Rich Baldinger
77 RT Pat Harlow
85 TE Marv Cook
87 TE Ben Coates
11 QB Drew Bledsoe
32 HB Leonard Russell
34 FB Kevin Turner

Patriots Starting Defense:
93 LDE Mike Pitts
72 NT Tim Goad
76 RDE John Washington
56 LOLB Andre Tippett
59 LILB Vincent Brown
54 RILB Todd Collins
95 ROLB Dwayne Sabb
22 LCB Rod Smith
30 SS Corwin Brown
28 FS Dion Lambert
37 RCB Maurice Hurst

Patriots Special Teams:
3 K Matt Bahr
7 P Mike Saxon
84 KR Ronnie Harris
81 KR Ray Crittenden
84 PR Ronnie Harris

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1999: Eagles 24, NE 9
Bledsoe throws 4 picks
Pats now 1-5 since bye​

Sunday, December 19, 1999 at 1:03
Week 15, Game 14 at Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Eagles 24, New England Patriots 9
Head Coaches: Pete Carroll, Andy Reid
QBs: Drew Bledsoe, Koy Detmer
Odds: New England 3½-point road favorites
TV: CBS. Gus Johnson, Brent Jones; Beasley Reece
Mostly cloudy, 40º, wind 14 mph NE, wind chill 19º
Referee: Walt Coleman; time: 3:23; paid attendance 65, 4575
Patriots drop to 7-7, two games behind Buffalo and Miami for last wildcard spot
Eagles improve to 4-11, fifth in NFC East


The unrelenting death spiral of the 1999 season continued, as New England failed to score a touchdown and lost to a three-win team with a seventh round backup at quarterback. Drew Bledsoe threw zero touchdown passes and four interceptions. The only other time he had ever done that came in a 1994 13-6 loss at Cleveland to Bill Belichick's Browns. Third string QB Koy Detmer, a seventh round draft pick in 1997 who was playing due to injuries to Donovan McNabb and Doug Pederson, got the start. Detmer threw three touchdown passes, making one of only eight starts in his NFL career.


Tony Simmons fumbled away the opening kickoff, foreshadowing how this game was going to be played out. When it was all over the Pats had turned the ball over seven times (including the four Bledsoe picks), fumbled the ball five times, and allowed six sacks. Perhaps the weather had something to do with it, but with their home field in Foxborough, that is no excuse. Scoring opportunities were constantly blown, and four possessions lasted for two or fewer plays.


The uninspired loss, combined with wins by Miami over San Diego and Buffalo over Arizona put the Patriots two games behind the Dolphins and Bills with two games to go in the wild card race. The lackluster performance may have been nail in the coffin for Pete Carroll, who was fired two weeks later on January 3. The last half of the 1999 season was an underwhelming catastrophe, with the Patriots finishing with just two wins in their last eight games after a promising 6-2 start.

Pete Carroll Simply Hasn't Been Able to Sell His Plan | PatsFans.com

Pete Carroll is nothing if not courageous. He may not have succeeded in continuing the stunning, albeit all too brief legacy of Bill Parcells in New England. But Carroll will never be faulted for giving it the old college try.

www.patsfans.com

But life in the NFL is not fair at all, least of all for a head coach. The Patriot fans wanted a Super Bowl team every year. Carroll was the man who had to do it.​

And he had to do it while being compared to Parcells every step of the way. Carroll was the anti-Parcells, and the players loved it. Chris Slade signed a five-year deal soon after Carroll came on board, and is on record as saying he never would have stayed in New England had Parcells stayed. Free at last from the dominatrix head coach that Parcells was, the players smiled and looked forward to a more laid back approach and a more comfortable atmosphere around Foxborough.​

What is even less fair is that Carroll will leave the Patriots as a coach whose players quit on him, yet Carroll will have the highest win percentage of any coach in team history. Parcells had two bad and two good years to finish at even .500. Raymond Berry’s pitiful offense in the late ’80s tarnished his otherwise great record. Chuck Fairbanks had bad years in 1973 and 1975. Carroll outshines these men, albeit only in three years.​

But skeptics will say that because Carroll inherited a “Super Bowl team”, he was “supposed to win”. Given the injuries, the fallout of Parcells’ exit and the mere pressure of having to win with a “Super Bowl team”, it is a credit to Carroll that he did what he did.​

But in each of Carroll’s three years, the team always established set patterns. They’d break out of the starting blocks fast, lose to the Jets in midseason and flounder, and recover just in time to eke into the playoffs. And as the Patriots ebbed and flowed, so did the fan approval for Carroll.​

Patriots Have Ended Up With An Offensive Offense | PatsFans.com

When you think about it, the things that Drew Bledsoe, Terry Glenn, Shawn Jefferson and Ben Coates are capable of staggers the imagination.

www.patsfans.com

Bledsoe has been overwhelmed in a hail of blitz packages. Receivers aren’t running correct routes. When they do run correct routes, they take too long to develop. Bledsoe has been reduced to a scared rookie who holds on to the ball too long and takes way too many sacks. And when he does hurry his throw, it usually winds up in the hands of someone on the other team.​

Now that he has been healthy all season long, Terry Glenn has been exposed as a lazy and undedicated wide receiver who isn’t playing hard. OC Ernie Zampese has practically ignored Ben Coates all season long, and despite the age factor, there really is no rational reason why. Zampese doesn’t have much of a running game to start with, but what little he has hasn’t been used well or often enough to keep defenses honest and set up a good passing attack.​

It all adds up a one major disappointment after another. And it’s the predictability factor, plus his refusal to make correct adjustments to defensive blitz packages that warrants Zampese’s removal.​

Bledsoe is being killed by week after week of defenses blitzing on most every down. He is beginning to look like Jim Plunkett. Defenses are continually sending in more men that can be blocked, and all Bledsoe does is drop back seven steps and wait for them all to come and pound him into the ground.​

In defense of Zampese, the Patriot offensive line ought to be ashamed of themselves. Not just for their pathetic effort Sunday against Philadelphia, but for their total season-long decline in the one area that they did excel in, pass blocking. Paul Boudreau must be laughing himself silly, watching special teams guru Dante Scarnecchia try and manage these overgrown tubs of lard.​

2:02 Highlight Video
Patriots vs Eagles 1999 Week 15



2:41:12 Full Game
1999 Week 15 - New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles
​

Box Score, Halftime & Full Game Summaries, Team & Individual Stats, Drive Charts and Full Play-by-Play:

Viewer - Patriots

Media Archive Suite

patriots.1rmg.com

New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles - December 19th, 1999 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 9 at Philadelphia Eagles 24 on December 19th, 1999 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

December 19, 1999 - New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles Box Score and Game Statistics

The most complete, accurate and reliable reference source for December 19, 1999 - New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles boxscore and game statistics.

www.profootballarchives.com

Patriots Starting Offense:
84 WR Shawn Jefferson
78 LT Bruce Armstrong
63 LG Heath Irwin
65 C Damien Woody
68 RG Max Lane
77 RT Zefross Moss
87 TE Ben Coates
88 WR Terry Glenn
11 QB Drew Bledsoe
22 RB Terry Allen
30 FB Tony Carter

Patriots Starting Defense:
98 LDE Brandon Mitchell
90 LDT Chad Eaton
95 RDT Henry Thomas
55 RDE Willie McGinest
53 SLB Chris Slade
52 MLB Ted Johnson
54 WLB Tedy Bruschi
31 LCB Kato Serwanga
36 SS Lawyer Milloy
42 FS Chris Carter
34 RCB Tebucky Jones

Patriots Special Teams:
4 K Adam Vinatieri
10 P Lee Johnson
86 LS Mike Bartrum
81 KR Tony Simmons
35 KR Jerry Ellison
80 PR Troy Brown

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
2005: PatsFans.com
Message Board Restored
After DNS Attack​

December 19, 2005:
A worldwide panic was averted after the PatsFans forum once again became available, following a dastardly, evil Domain Name Service attack. @Ian restored our collective sanity, though he most likely still suffers from PTSD from this cowardly and repugnant act of terrorism. Sadly, all the noble and thoughtful forum posts that had previously been posted were lost forever into the mortuary of the interwebz - including the iconic cheerleader thread that was no more. Lily is nice, but not quite the same.

A note about what happened.....

The server we were on came under a Denial of Service Attack over the weekend, shutting down the NFLFans.com server that we share which caused a loss of our database. As you can see the posts appear underneath, however they're unreadable as we've been unable to restore them. Your member...

www.patsfans.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Other Dec 19 News & Trivia​

Dec 19, 1995:
Ahead of the week 17 game at Indianapolis, the 6-9 Patriots made three moves:
Released TE David Frisch.
Signed FB Rupert Grant and OLB/DE Sean Holcomb from the practice squad.

Frisch was a 6'7, 260 lb player in his third year in the NFL. Originally signed as an undrafted rookie by Cincinnati from Colorado State via Missouri and Iowa Central Community College, he had played in 27 games with two starts for the Bengals. The big blocking tight end played in two games for the Pats, his only stat being an eight-yard kickoff return on a squib kick. Frisch later played for Minnesota and Washington, totaling 41 games with three starts over five seasons.

Grant was a 6'1, 233 lb undrafted rookie from Howard. This was his second promotion of the year from the practice squad, appearing in seven games with the Pats. The following year he was placed on IR at the beginning of training camp and released a month later. Grant then played in the Arena Football League for multiple teams from 1999 to 2007.

Holcomb has no NFL stats. The only info I could find on him was that he was 6'3 from Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville), and he wore #60 with the Pats. He played professionaly for a couple more seasons, with British Columbia in the CFL and in the WFL. Apparently he later worked in pharmaceutical sales, then at age 33 his kids talked him into playing for something called the Odessa (Texas) Roughnecks in the 'Intense Football League' (IFL).

Roughnecks open inaugural season - May 7, 2004




Dec 19, 2015:
Waived/injured LB Eric Martin
Promoted FB Joey Iosefa from the practice squad

Martin spent most of 2015 on the practice squad, getting on the field for 73 special teams snaps in four games with the Pats. He had previously played two seasons for the Browns, appearing in 29 games as a core special teamer. The Pats released Martin the following spring, marking an end to his NFL career.

Iosefa was born in America Samoa and was a 7th round 2015 draft pick by Tampa Bay from Hawaii. He played in two games for the Pats with 15 carries for 51 yards and then went back to the practice squad. Joey was released as part of final roster cuts in 2016, and never caught on with another NFL team.

Dec 19, 2020:
On the day before their week 15 game at Miami, the Patriots made a couple of transactions.
DT Isaiah Mack was released, and LB Shilique Calhoun was activated from Injured Reserve and added to the roster.

Mack had played in 19 games over 1½ seasons for Tennessee. The Pats signed him on November 3 after being waived by the Titans. He played in two games for the Patriots, on the field for 22 defensive snaps and four ST snaps, with one tackle before spending the remainder of the season on the practice squad.

Calhoun and Julian Edelman had both been designated to return from IR three days earlier. Calhoun played in 25 games with one start over two seasons in New England, plus one postseason game, with two sacks, three forced fumbles and 27 tackles.

From 2018:

JC Jackson has the best passer rating allowed in the NFL

www.patsfans.com

Dec 19, 2022:
Former Patriot J.C. Jackson is arrested and booked at the Bristol County Jail and House of Correction in North Dartmouth, Mass, in relation to a "nonviolent family issue", according to a spokesperson at the Bristol County Sheriff's Office. Jackson was transported to the station by Fall River police after a probate court appearance. He had been placed on IR by the Chargers earlier in the season.

Jackson was a Pro Bowl corner in 2021 for the Pats, with eight interceptions and a league-best 23 passes defensed. That led to a five-year, $82 million free agency contract with the Chargers, which he never remotely came close to playing up to. As a rookie in 2018 Jackson started in the overtime AFCCG win over KC, and was part of the Super Bowl LIII championship defense that beat the Rams 13-3. Jackson had 25 interceptions in his first four seasons in New England, which ranks as the ninth most in franchise history.

Dec 19, 2023:
J.C. Jackson, who the Patriots had traded for after a Christian Gonzalez injury, is placed on the NFI list. Two days earlier Jackson was active but did not play in the Pats 27-17 loss to the Chiefs. Bill Belichick ambiguously said that Jackson 'wasn't available' after the game, but Jackson's agent stated that he was 'dealing with mental health issues'. Jackson would never play another game in the NFL, his once promising career over a month after turning 28.

In other new the Patriots claimed QB Nathan Rourke off waivers from Jacksonville, and signed RB Kevin Harris, CB William Hooper and RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.




Dec 19, 2024:
The Season of Mayo Misery continues, as Christian Barmore is placed on the Reserve/NFI list ahead of New England's week 16 game at Buffalo. The defensive tackle was experiencing "some recurring symptoms that required further evaluation" from blood clots, which had caused him to miss the first ten games of the seasons. At the time there was quite a bit of panic and conjecture that this could be a career-threatening problem.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Bob Windsor​

Happy 83rd birthday to Bob Windsor
Born December 19, 1942 in Washington, DC
Patriot tight end, 1972-1975; uniform #86
Acquired July 31, 1972 from 49ers for a 1974 first round pick (Wilbur Jackson)
Pats résumé: four seasons, 48 games (33 starts)


The name Bob Windsor will always bring a smile to old time fans of the Patriots. The tight end scored a touchdown on what may have been the greatest play by a Patriot in the 20th century.

On This Day: Bob Windsor lays his career on the line for the game-winning score - Patriots.com

“[Vikings safety] Paul Krause came up from safety and hit me, and I knew immediately my right leg was done, so I kept it in the air, spun and pushed off with my left leg and used my last breath to throw myself into the end zone, hoping I could get there.

“Windsor was not only hit, but he was twisting and dragging the guy and fighting to get to the goal line,” Hobson said.

“He gave it everything he had on that one play. You don’t see that kind of play very often.”

“None of us expected to have anybody at the airport, but when we walked through the terminal, there were hundreds, maybe even a thousand people waiting for us, cheering. It was just an explosion of emotion, especially when Bob Windsor was wheeled out. This guy had just made one of the great plays in New England Patriots history.”

The Minnesota victory gave the Patriots a level of credibility – internal and external – they had lacked to that point in their history.

“I think that win instilled in that core group of players the belief that we could beat anybody, any place, any time,” Vataha said.​

Windsor's Special Team - Washington Post

In a 1974 game against the Minnesota Vikings, Windsor was responsible for one of the most famous plays in Patriots history. A Boston Globe columnist called it one of the most memorable plays in his 35 years of covering sports in New England.

It was also one of the last plays of Windsor's career. New England trailed Minnesota, 14-10, with eight seconds left in the game and had the ball at the Vikings 10-yard line. Windsor caught a pass from Jim Plunkett at the Vikings 2, where he was hit by Hall of Fame safety Paul Krause and another player. Windsor managed to score -- dragging Krause into the end zone with him -- as time expired to give the Patriots a 17-14 victory.

But Krause's hit tore the ligaments in Windsor's knee. His season was over. He never recovered from the injury and retired after the following season.​

Bob Windsor's All-Pro Sports

4:10 Highlight Video
1974 Patriots at Vikings week 7
​

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Other December 19 Birthdays​

Happy 77th birthday to Dennis Coleman
Born Dec 19, 1948 in Aberdeen, Mississippi
Patriot LB, 1971; uniform #53
Claimed off waivers from Miami on Sept 1, 1971

Dennis Coleman was a sixth round draft pick by the Dolphins in '71, from Ole Miss. He played in nine games for the Patriots that year, and the rest of the season on the taxi squad. The Pats cut him early in the 1972 training camp.He re-signed with Miami and was later with the Colts, but never appeared in another NFL game.




Happy 45th birthday to Eddie Jackson
Born Dec 19, 1980 in Americus, Georgia
Patriot safety in 2007; uniform #29
Signed as a veteran free agent on March 19, 2007

Jackson began the 2007 season the PUP list due to a knee injury he had suffered the previous year with Miami. He was activated on November 7 and played in three games with three tackles, before being released on December 19. Eddie played in 42 NFL games over four seasons, with 41 tackles, five pass deflections and two fumble recoveries.

Eddie Jackson goes from NFL to 'Food Network Star' winner | Sporting News

Jackson was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Panthers in 2004. He spent 2005 and 2006 in Miami, but tore his ACL near the end of the '06 season and wasn't re-signed. The Patriots inked him to a two-year deal in 2007, but he broke his wrist. New England, too, chose to not bring Jackson back. He tried a comeback with the Redskins in 2008, but Jackson said he was never the same after the knee injury.​

At 28, his NFL career was over. It marked the end of his life as a professional athlete -- and the beginning of his life as a cook.​

Jackson eventually discovered where he could shine. He owns the Caribbean Grill food truck in Houston, focusing on island barbecue, and also has a private gym.​

Jackson has appeared on television for The Food Network since 2015.
Eddie Jackson
22 Things You Didn't Know About Eddie Jackson
Eddie Jackson Bio




Happy 67th birthday to Dino Mangiero
Born Dec 19, 1958 in New York City
Patriot NT in 1987; uniform #96

Dino was credited for playing in two games for the Pats, with a sack registered in a 14-7 victory over the Bills. Mangiero was in the NFL from 1980-87, mostly with the Chiefs; he caught on with the Pats at the tail end of his career. He later became a high school football head coach in New Jersey.




Other pro football players with ties to New England born on this date:

Sean Jones, 66 (1962)
Northeastern
Sean played on the offensive line his first two years at Northeastern, and then on he defensive line as a junior and senior. Jones also played basketball and lacrosse for the Huskies. He was drafted in the second round, 51st overall by the Raiders in 1984. Jones spent 13 seasons in the NFL, appearing in 201 games. He was a Pro Bowl DE for the Houston Oilers in 1993, and won a Super Bowl ring following the 1996 season with the Packers versus the Patriots. Jones had been working with a sports talk radio station in Houston until 2019.

John Johnson, 30 (1995)
Boston College
A third round draft pick in 2017, Johnson was a safety who played in 105 games for the Rams and Browns from 2017 to 2024.

Will Harris, 30 (1995)
Boston College
Safety was a 3rd round pick by Detroit in 2017; has played in 100 games and counting in seven seasons for the Lions, Saints and Commanders.

Alex Sidorik (1919-1980)
Born and raised in Hartford, went to Weaver HS in Hartford
After playing collegiately at Mississippi State, Sidorik spent three seasons in the NFL. After the war the tackle was drafted by the Boston Yanks; he played in Boston for one year, two more with Baltimore before calling it quits at the age of 30.
Alex Sidorik

Jason Spitz, 43 (1982)
Draft Pick Trade
Selected in the third round, 75th overall by Green Bay.
That pick was acquired along with the one used on Ellis Hobbs (3.84) and a 2005 sixth from Baltimore for the Pats' 2005 second round pick, OT Adam Terry.
The Patriots then traded 3.75 (Spitz) and their second round pick (52nd overall) to Green Bay in order to move up 16 spots to the second round, 36th overall - to select WR Chad Jackson. The Packers then used 2.52 on a reciver who had a much better career - Greg Jennings.
Spitz was a right guard who played in 75 games with 45 starts for the Packers and Jaguars, winning Super Bowl XLV with Green Bay 31-25 over Pittsburgh.

Nephi Sewell, 27 (1998)
Relative
The Saints linebacker is the nephew of DT Isaac Sopoaga, who finished his nine-year NFL career with the Patriots in 2013. He comes from a large football family: Nephi's brother Penei is a three-time Pro Bowl OT for Detroit; his brother Noah is a linebacker with the Bears; his cousin Kingsley Suamataia is the Chief's right tackle; and uncle Richard Brown played in 91 games at linebacker from 1987 to 1996.

Jim Gillette (1917-1990)
Defunct ancient Boston franchises
Gillette was an NFL halfback from 1940-1948, missing three seasons due to the war. Jim was part of the 1946 Boston Yanks team that played at Fenway Park.




Some other notable pro football players sharing this birth date include:

Bobby Layne, HoF
Reggie White, HoF
Randall McDaniel, HoF
Warren Sapp, HoF
Michael Bates, All-1990s Team
Paul Robinson
Jake Plummer
Dan Morgan
Santana Dotson












Elsewhere in the NFL on this date:

 

[Ian]

Today in Patriots History
2005: PatsFans.com
Message Board Restored
After DNS Attack​

December 19, 2005:
A worldwide panic was averted after the PatsFans forum once again became available, following a dastardly, evil Domain Name Service attack. @Ian restored our collective sanity, though he most likely still suffers from PTSD from this cowardly and repugnant act of terrorism. Sadly, all the noble and thoughtful forum posts that had previously been posted were lost forever into the mortuary of the interwebz - including the iconic cheerleader thread that was no more. Lily is nice, but not quite the same.

A note about what happened.....

The server we were on came under a Denial of Service Attack over the weekend, shutting down the NFLFans.com server that we share which caused a loss of our database. As you can see the posts appear underneath, however they're unreadable as we've been unable to restore them. Your member...

www.patsfans.com

That PTSD is real...and yes that absolutely sucked. I still remember that weekend like it was yesterday, watching the screen and the transfer, which failed more than once and required me to start over until it finally executed cleanly.

Needless to say, it will forever be burned into my memory.

 

[TB12TheGoat]

that game was so frustrating. the TOP was

GB: 40:48
NE: 19:12