Today In Patriots History Oct 7, 2012: Brady tops Manning again, this time as a Bronco

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
October 7, 2012: NE 31, Denver 21
Stevan Ridley rushes for career high 151 yards
Manning changes teams; Brady still beats him​

Sunday October 7, 2012 at 4:25
Week 5, Game 5 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 31, Denver Broncos 21
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, John Fox
QBs: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning
Odds: New England favored by 6
TV: CBS; Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
Patriots improve to 3-2, Denver drops to 2-3

​

Brady tops Manning, Patriots beat Broncos 31-21

Tom Brady won his latest showdown with Peyton Manning with the help of a career-high 151 yards rushing from Stevan Ridley and the New England Patriots beat the Denver Broncos 31-21 on Sunday.

www.deseret.com

In the 13th meeting between the star quarterbacks, and first since Manning joined the Denver Broncos, Brady directed four scoring marches of at least 80 yards and the Patriots won 31-21 on Sunday.​

Brady improved to 9-4 against Manning, who left the Indianapolis Colts after last season. Brady completed 23 of 31 passes for 223 yards and one touchdown and ran for another. Manning was 31 of 44 for 345 yards and three touchdowns but lost a fumble on a third-quarter sack.​

The fumble led to Stevan Ridley's 8-yard run that put the Patriots (3-2) ahead 31-7 with about five minutes left in the third quarter. Ridley led the Patriots with a career-high 151 yards rushing.​

Manning then threw touchdown passes of 2 yards to Eric Decker and 5 yards to Brandon Stokley but Denver (2-3) lost a fumble with 3:42 remaining.​

The Patriots set a franchise record with 35 first downs as they kept their offense rolling one week after gaining 580 yards, 247 on the ground, in a 52-28 rout of the Buffalo Bills. The Broncos sputtered after beating the Oakland Raiders 37-6.​

Brady Tops Manning, Patriots Beat Broncos 31-21

Tom Brady won his latest showdown with Peyton Manning with the help of a career-high 151 yards rushing from Stevan Ridley.

www.wbur.org

The Patriots led 17-7 at halftime and 31-7 after three quarters. Brady and his runners kept slicing through the Denver defense with a balanced attack. They went ahead to stay, 14-7, midway through the second quarter on a 14-play drive (seven pass plays and seven runs) capped by Shane Vereen's 1-yard run.​

Ridley had his third 100-yard rushing game of his career, all this season. Wes Welker, the NFL's leading receiver last year with 122 catches, had 13 for 104 yards.​

The Broncos wasted an excellent opportunity on their first series. Manning hit Demaryius Thomas with a 43-yard completion to the Patriots 10-yard line, but Sterling Moore stripped the ball and recovered the fumble. The Patriots went four-and-out on the ensuing possession then the Patriots scored on their next three possessions - 84 yards to Brady's 8-yard pass to Welker, 80 yards to Vereen's touchdown and 93 yards to Stephen Gostkowski's 23-yard field goal.​

Denver did tie the game 7-7 on Manning's 1-yard pass to Joel Dreessen but didn't reach the end zone again until Manning hit Decker to end a 90-yard march, cutting the lead to 31-14 with 1:08 left in the third.​

The Patriots even got key plays from their backup running backs. Brandon Bolden had a 24-yard gain on the series leading to Gostkowski's field goal. On that same drive, Danny Woodhead gained 25 yards on a pass from Brady on a third-and-14 play from the Broncos 11.​

Woodhead kept another drive going in the third quarter with a 19-yard rush on third-and-17 at the Patriots 43. That series ended with Brady's touchdown dive.​

Brady tops Manning, Patriots beat Broncos

Tom Brady won his latest showdown with Peyton Manning with the help of a career-high 151 yards rushing from Stevan Ridley and the Patriots beat the Denver Broncos, 31-21, on Sunday.

www.enterprisenews.com

Credit the Patriots with playing complementary football.​

En route to amassing a franchise-record 35 first downs, the offense produced 444 total yards, 251 of them on the ground; the defense recovered three fumbles, two of them forced by Rob Ninkovich.​

Dictating the tempo with their no-huddle offense (a preview of coming attractions), the Patriots struck first, driving 84 yards in 12 plays in less than five minutes to take a 7-0 lead with 3:08 remaining in the opening quarter when Tom Brady (23-for-31 for 223 yards and the one TD with no interceptions) and Wes Welker (13 receptions for 104 yards) teamed up on an 8-yard touchdown pass.​

The scoring play saw Brady freeze the Denver defense with a pump fake to his right before finding an open Welker to his left with Broncos cornerback Chris Harris in the general vicinity.​

New England Patriots run over Denver Broncos 31-21

It was no contest in the 13th meeting between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. New England scored two touchdowns within an 18-second span in the third quarter and held on for…

www.tauntongazette.com

New England scored two touchdowns within an 18-second span in the third quarter and held on for a decisive 31-21 victory over Denver before another sellout crowd at Gillette Stadium.​

The Patriots broke a franchise record for most first downs in a game (35) and had 444 yards of total offense. At one point in the game, New England controlled the ball 61 plays out of 86 combined with Denver.​

Welker caught 13 passes for 104 yards and scored a touchdown. It marked the 15th time in his career that Welker has caught 10 or more passes in a game — third most all-time.​

For the second straight game, the Patriots went over the 200-yard mark on the ground. Stevan Ridley went over the 100-yard mark for the third time this season with a career-best 151 yards on 28 carries. He also scored a touchdown.​

Patriots ride run game past Broncos

New England rushed for 251 yards on 54 carries to hold off Denver 31-21.

www.usatoday.com

It wasn't the call you'd expect on third-and-17. Yet when Tom Brady got the instructions on his headset from New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels during the third quarter on Sunday, it came with a message of assurance.​

"I think we can get this," McDaniels told Brady.​

McDaniels wasn't talking about some deep throw on a seam route to tight end Rob Gronkowski, or a crossing pattern to Wes Welker, or a 9-route to Brandon Lloyd.​

He called a running play, an outside zone run to Danny Woodhead. On third-and-17.​

It worked.​

Woodhead darted around left end, cut back inside and gained 19 yards to keep another long touchdown drive alive. Capped by Brady's 1-yard dive, this one chewed up 16 plays, to go with scoring marches of 12, 14 and another for 16 plays.​

5 takeaways from Patriots-Broncos

Through five games this season, and despite injuries to key players, the Patriots' offense appears to be in full bloom.

www.boston.com

Alfonzo Dennard makes a decent debut — Without checking the film, Dennard had a very successful outing in his first NFL game. The seventh-round pick out of Nebraska recorded a tackle and had a huge pass-defensed in the second quarter. Dennard had come on for Sterling Moore in the nickel package and on his first series was tested by Manning. He broke up a pass intended for Brandon Stokley and proceeded to contribute for the rest of the game.​

Rob Ninkovich re-introduced himself — Four tackles, two forced fumbles, a 6-yard sack, and another hit on the quarterback should tell you a lot about Ninkovich: never write him off. While Chandler Jones has deservedly gotten the majority of attention, offenses still have to be concerned with Ninkovich. He has 17 tackles and 2.5 sacks this season.​

Patriots Play Keep-Away for Victory Over Manning (Published 2012)

Peyton Manning faced off against Tom Brady for the first time as a member of the Broncos, but it was Brady’s Patriots that managed to suffocate Denver’s defense to win Sunday.

www.nytimes.com

Fumbles doom Broncos in 31-21 loss to Patriots

Fumbles doom Broncos in 31-21 loss to Patriots

www.denverpost.com

Game 5: Patriots 31, Broncos 21

Defensive end Rob Ninkovich and the Patriots took down old rival Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, 31-21, on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots improved to 3-2. Sunday’s game was the 13th time Peyton Manning and Tom Brady faced each other as starting quarterbacks. Patriots running...

www.boston.com

Jerod Mayo (bottom) and DE Rob Ninkovich sack Peyton Manning in the first quarter.



Mayo led the Pats with 13 tackles (5 solo), one sack, a tackle for a loss, and one QB hit.



Stevan Ridley had more than 100 yards by the end of the third quarter.



Brady connected with Wes Welker, an 8-yard strike in the first quarter that gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead.



Shane Vereen's TD midway through the second quarter gave the Pats a 14-7 lead.



Brady's one-yard dive with 5:00 to go in the third quarter upped the lead to 24-7.



18 seconds later Stevan Ridley's 8-yard run made it 31-7.



5:11 Highlight Video
Broncos vs Patriots 2012 Week 5




2:07:44 Full Game
2012 Week 5 Broncos @ Patriots
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Pats Media Dept Pre-Game Press Release

Week 5 Patriots Roster

Week 5 Pats - Broncos Injury Reports

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Denver Broncos at New England Patriots - October 7th, 2012 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Denver Broncos 21 at New England Patriots 31 on October 7th, 2012 - Full team and player stats and box score

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[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
October 7, 2007: Seau gets two picks, Bruschi two sacks
Watson has two TDs, 107 yards receiving; Morris 102 yards rushing
Patriots dominate Romeo Crennel's Browns, 34-17​

Sunday October 7, 2007 at 1:00
Week 5, Game 5 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 34, Cleveland Browns 17
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Romeo Crennel
QBs: Tom Brady, Derek Anderson
Odds: New England favored by 16½
TV: CBS; Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf
Patriots improve to 5-0, Cleveland drops to 2-3

Patriots beat Browns, 34-17

Team Belichick is Secretariat. The Browns, at least, played like pesky flies Sunday, making the Super Bowl triple-crowner swish its tail before losing a bookie barnburner.

www.sj-r.com

Team Belichick is Secretariat.​

The Browns, at least, played like pesky flies Sunday, making the Super Bowl triple-crowner swish its tail before losing a bookie barnburner.​

The Patriots were favored by 16 1/2. They covered, winning 34-17 only when Cleveland quarterback Derek Anderson missed three final end zone shots from the 10.​

Seau gives energy to Patriots' defense in latest win

www.enterprisenews.com

All this talk about their newfangled offense is all very well and good, but let's be honest here.​

While that offense has been grabbing the front page of the daily sports section, it's some good, old-fashioned defense that's provided the backbone to the New England Patriots' 5-0 start.​

On Sunday, it was an old-time football player that provided that old-fashioned defense with its backbone in the Patriots' latest romp, a 34-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns at Gillette Stadium.​

“Oh, it's been tremendous,” Coach Bill Belichick said, lauding the energy level 38-year-old linebacker Junior Seau brings to the game. “Junior adds a lot of energy to our defense, to our entire football team. I think a lot of people on the team, a lot of players, coaches, all of us respond to him.”​

Seau, Brady, Patriots Continue Having Fun

The Patriots have had plenty to celebrate this season. Junior Seau finally gave in to the temptation. Now he's ready to pay the price. In a move more suited to an 18-year-old college player than an 1…

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The Patriots have had plenty to celebrate this season. Junior Seau finally gave in to the temptation. Now he's ready to pay the price. In a move more suited to an 18-year-old college player than an 18-year veteran like Seau, he raised the ball high while returning an interception in Sunday's 34-17 win over the Cleveland Browns, New England's fifth one-sided win in five games this season.​

"It was a fun time and, obviously, I'm going to get reprimanded," Seau said.​

He had two of New England's three interceptions and Tom Brady threw for three touchdowns, tying an NFL record with at least three in each of his first five games. The Patriots became the fourth team to start a season with five wins by at least 17 points, although Sunday's margin was their smallest.​

Patriots...34 Browns...17

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- These Patriots are just having too much fun.

www.latimes.com

These Patriots are just having too much fun.​

Showboating, leaping into teammates’ arms and jumping over the goal line on a touchdown, New England made history with a 34-17 win over the Cleveland Browns, the latest victim of a powerhouse that seems to score at will.​

Tom Brady threw for three touchdowns, tying an NFL record with at least three in each of his first five games. Junior Seau grabbed two interceptions, and New England became the first team to start a season with five wins by at least 17 points.​

Patriots too much for Browns

FOXBORO — Junior Seau had two interceptions. Tedy Bruschi had two sacks. Benjamin Watson caught two touchdowns.

www.southcoasttoday.com

Junior Seau had two interceptions. Tedy Bruschi had two sacks. Benjamin Watson caught two touchdowns.​

And for the fifth week in a row, the Patriots were just too much for their opponent.​

Tom Brady threw three more touchdown passes and the Patriots posted a 34-17 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, becoming the fourth team to start a season with five wins by at least 17 points, although Sunday's margin was their smallest.​

Asante Samuel intercepts a pass intended for Joe Jurevicius in the first quarter.
On the next play Tom Brady threw a 34-yard TD to Donte' Stallworth, giving the Pats a 10-0 lead.​

They improved to 5-0 without a big contribution from Randy Moss, who entered the game as the NFL leader in yards receiving and total touchdowns. He had just three catches for 46 yards.​

He was double-teamed most of the time, so Brady went to other receivers, throwing touchdown passes of 7 and 25 yards to Watson and 34 yards to Donte' Stallworth.​

Undefeated Patriots remain unimpressed

FOXBORO – After five weeks, with a slate of opponents ranging from respectable to woeful, one thing has become perfectly clear: It is going to take something pretty special to beat the Patrio…

www.bostonherald.com

The Patriots never trailed for the fourth game as they moved to 5-0 for the third time in club history.​

It shouldn't be as easy when they visit Dallas on Sunday. But so far, they've been behind for just 12:36 this season — and they followed that 7-3 deficit against Buffalo with 35 straight points in a 38-7 win.​

The Browns (2-3) had shown promise after years of mediocrity. But they lost running back Jamal Lewis for the game with an injured right foot after he rushed for 11 yards on their first play. Wide receiver Joe Jurevicius hurt his knee. Coach Romeo Crennel gave no prognosis.​

Patriots romp in their ‘worst game of the year’ - The Boston Globe

New England side-stepped the Browns 34-17 thanks in part to four forced fumbles by the Patriots defense on a day when Patriots players were unhappy with their performance.

www.bostonglobe.com

The passing attack couldn't pick up the slack as Derek Anderson threw three interceptions in the first half, two on consecutive offensive plays by Cleveland, that led to 14 points.​

Twice in the fourth quarter, the Browns cut the deficit to 10 points. And twice the Patriots came right back with touchdowns of their own.​

Brady didn't have to be as brilliant as he was in his first four games, when he completed 79.2 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions. He was a mere 22-for-38 for 265 yards and no interceptions Sunday.​

Sammy Morris, filling in for injured Laurence Maroney for the second straight game, gained 102 yards on 21 carries, one week after rushing for 117 yards.​

More good news for the Patriots: Safety Rodney Harrison returned after a four-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances, reportedly by using human growth hormone.​

And, finally, cornerback Randall Gay stripped Kellen Winslow of a reception and returned the fumble 15 yards for a touchdown with 42 seconds left.​

Inside the NFL | The Patriots are 7-0, and everyone's taking notice - The Tufts Daily

Through seven weeks of the NFL season, it's impossible to ignore the New England Patriots.

www.tuftsdaily.com

Through seven weeks of the NFL season, it's impossible to ignore the New England Patriots.​

The Pats have not only won their first seven games - they've completely dominated. They have scored at least 34 points in every contest, and their closest final score was a 34-17 win over the Cleveland Browns.​

Their point differential of +159 is simply outrageous. Teams don't outscore their opponents by that much through seven games.​

If that isn't enough to impress you, then how about the fact that with 279 points through seven games, the Patriots have already outscored the entire seasons of last year's Browns, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders?​

The individual statistics are just as eye-popping. Tom Brady's ratio of 27 touchdowns to two interceptions is incredible. His 128.9 quarterback rating is better than Peyton Manning's was during his record year, and he's on pace to break Peyton's single-season touchdown record as well. His completion percentage of 72.5 is on pace to be the best in league history too.​

​

Why is Brady having a career year?​

A lot of his success can be attributed to a talented set of new receivers who were brought in by head coach Bill Belichick and Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli.​

At the end of last year, the Pats' two leading receivers were Reche Caldwell and Troy Brown. This year, the Patriots added a host of new players: Donte' Stallworth, who was the Philadelphia Eagles' top receiver but is nothing more than a deep threat on the Pats; Wes Welker, a bonafide playmaker who already has five touchdowns on the year; and most importantly, Randy Moss. With this changeover, Caldwell, their leading receiver in 2006, didn't even make the roster this year.​

4:39 Highlight Video
Patriots vs Browns 2007 Week 5 Highlights



2:15:33 Full Game
2007 Browns @ Patriots
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NFL Media Game Summary

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

Cleveland Browns at New England Patriots - October 7th, 2007 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Cleveland Browns 17 at New England Patriots 34 on October 7th, 2007 - Full team and player stats and box score

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[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
October 7, 1984: Stephen Starring rallies Pats
Raymond Clayborn makes game saving interception
Patriots overcome 16-3 2nd half deficit, win 17-16 at Cleveland​

Sunday October 7, 1984 at 1:00
Week 6, Game 6 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium
New England Patriots 17, Cleveland Browns 16
Head Coaches: Ron Meyer, Sam Rutigliano
QBs: Tony Eason, Paul McDonald
Odds: New England favored by 2½
TV: NBC; Todd Donoho, Reggie Rucker
Patriots improve to 4-2, Cleveland drops to 1-5


Despite the low score, this was an exciting game with a little bit of everything.

A Patriots comeback, a flea-flicker TD, a barefoot kicker, a missed go-ahead kick with just over 3:00 remaining, and a game saving last second interception.

Down 16-3 well into the third quarter, the Patriots rallied for two quick touchdowns to go up 17-16 with 14:00 remaining in the fourth quarter. With time winding down, Cleveland missed a field goal that would have given them the lead. The Browns got the ball back and drove down the field, but Raymond Clayborn ended Browns fans hopes that day in Cleveland, grabbing a clutch interception with just seconds remaining.


The Pats opened the scoring on a 45-yard field goal by Tony Franklin in the first quarter, then Matt Bahr kicked three field goals for the Browns to make it 9-3 Cleveland at halftime. The Browns scored again on a 16-yard pass to take a 16-3 lead before the Patriots woke up. Tony Eason connected with Stephen Starring on a 42-yard flea flicker to cut the score to 16-10. The final score came on a two-yard rush by Tony Collins, that was set up by another pass to Starring.

New England had trouble generating sustained drives, with Eason (14-21, 178 yards, no picks) being sacked five times. The Pats didn't help themselves by committing eleven penalties either. Mosi Tatupu rushed for 83 yards, Derrick Ramsey had six catches for 65 yards, and Starring had 77 yards on three receptions.

The Patriot defense limited Cleveland to 44 yards rushing on 24 carries, but left-handed QB Paul McDonald made up for that, throwing for 320 yards (23-37, 1 TD, 1 Int).

N.F.L.; DOLPHINS (6-0) ROUT STEELERS (Published 1984)

www.nytimes.com

Tony Eason threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Stephen Starring on a flea-flicker play and hit Starring with a 24-yard pass to set up Tony Collins' fourth- quarter touchdown run in as New England overcame a 16-3 deficit.​

Cleveland (1-5) had two chances to regain the lead in the final 3 minutes 12 seconds. But Matt Bahr, who had kicked three first-half field goals, hooked a 36-yard attempt just left of the goalpost, and Paul McDonald was intercepted by Raymond Clayborn near the New England goal line with seven seconds to play.​

5:22 Highlight Video
Browns '84: week 6 vs Patriots



2:15:21 Full Game
1984 Week 6 - New England at Cleveland
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Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:

New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns - October 7th, 1984 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 17 at Cleveland Browns 16 on October 7th, 1984 - Full team and player stats and box score

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[TheRainMaker]

The 2012 was among their best teams. Damn shame.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
October 7, 1979: Pats score twice in final 6 minutes
WR Don Westbrook fools Lions with option TD pass to Russ Francis
Patriots blow early lead, rally in 4th quarter to beat Detroit​

Sunday October 7, 1979 at 1:00
Week 6, Game 6 at Schaefer Stadium
New England Patriots 24, Detroit Lions 17
Head Coaches: Ron Erhardt, Monte Clark
QBs: Steve Grogan, Tom Owen; Scott Hunter
Odds: New England favored by 13
TV: CBS; **** Stockton, Roman Gabriel
Patriots improve to 4-2, Detroit drops to 1-5


The heavily favored Patriots dodged a bullet, rallying for a fourth quarter comeback over the Lions.

After a first quarter punt-fest, the Pats scored twice within 17 seconds at the start of the second quarter. New England started the drive at their 47 thanks to a short Detroit punt. Steve Grogan hit Sam Cunningham on a 9-yard screen pass to start things off. After a Detrot offside penalty Grogan eluded a pass rush and found Cunningham for a 14-yard gain. As the rain began to fall the Pats were faced with a 2nd-and-18. WR Don Westbrook took a handoff from RB Don Calhoun and threw a pass to TE Russ Francis - who had just been flagged for holding - who caught ball at the 21 and raced down to the two yard line. Two plays later Cunningham attempted to hurdle into the end zone, was stopped, and bulled in for the score on a nice second effort.

As John Smith got ready to kickoff the rain intensified. His high kick was short, bouncing at the 18 yard line. Detroit return man Leonard Thompson was hit and fumbled, with the ball squirting back toward the goal line. Rookie backup safety Rick Sanford scooped the ball up at the 12 and was tackled just short of the end zone at the two. On the next play Calhoun punched it in, giving the Patriots a 14-0 lead with 11:19 still left to play in the half.


On the ensuing possession Mike Haynes intercepted a pass and returned it to the 45, but the Pats were unable to capitalize and had to punt. Detroit was able to kick a field goal and the score was 14-3 at halftime.

In the second drive of the second half the Lions scored four plays after a Grogan pass bounced off Calhoun's chest and was picked off. A clipping penalty on the kickoff resulted in the Patriots starting their possession on their own 10 yard line. On 3rd-and-8 Grogan was hit while attempting to pass. The ball rolled into the end zone where it was recovered by Lions DL William Gay - and the Lions suddenly held a 17-14 lead.


Tom Owen replace Grogan at this point. He led the Pats to the Detroit 31 on his first drive, but John Smith's field goal attempt went wide right. The defense forced a quick three-and-out, and this drive went better. The Lions were flagged for a personal foul and the drive began on the 44 yard line. Nine plays later Owen hit Calhoun for a six-yard pass, and the Patriots regained the lead.

On the second play of the next drive Tim Fox intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards to the Detroit 45. The Patriots ground out runs by Calhoun, Cunningham and Mosi Tatupu, aided by a 15-yard penalty for a late hit on Owen. Smith converted on a 29-yard field goal with 1:13 left to play to clinch the win.


Sam Cunningham led the Patriots with 93 yards rushing on 20 carries and one touchdown, plus 31 yards on four receptions. Harold Jackson was the top receiver with three catches for 59 yards. The two teams combined for 24 penalties for 191 yards.

Steelers Win, 51?35, as Running Prevails Over Browns’ Passing (Published 1979)

www.nytimes.com

The Patriots saw a 14?0 lead in the second period turn into a 17?14 deficit after three quarters. Then they rallied late in the last period on a 6?yard touchdown pass from Tom Owen, who had relieved Steve Grogan, to Don Calhoun. John Smith booted a 29?yard field goal with 1:17 remaining for the final points. New England (4?2) scored two touchdowns within a 17?second span in the second period. The first was on a 1?yard plunge by Sam Cunningham, the second on a 2?yard run by Calhoun after a fumble recovery by Rick Sanford on the kickoff.​

1:15:03 Extended Highlights
10/7/1979 Detroit Lions at New England Patriots 1st half + late 4th quarter of CBS broadcast Week 6
​

NFL Media Game Summary, with Full Play-by-Play and Stats

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Detroit Lions at New England Patriots - October 7th, 1979 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Detroit Lions 17 at New England Patriots 24 on October 7th, 1979 - Full team and player stats and box score

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[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
October 7, 2001: Tom Brady's first loss
Dolphins outgain Pats by 2:1 margin, 296-149 yards
Patriots blown out 30-10 in Miami​

Sunday October 7, 2001 at 1:00
Week 4, Game 4 at Pro Player Stadium
Miami Dolphins 30, New England Patriots 10
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Dave Wannstedt
QBs: Tom Brady, Jay Fiedler
Odds: Miami favored by 9½
TV: CBS; Gus Johnson, Brent Jones
Patriots drop to 1-3, Miami improves to 3-1


After crushing the Colts for their first win of the season, the Patriots were brought back to earth in hot and humid Miami.

Patriots regress to stumbling ways in loss at Miami - The Boston Globe

Everything that seemed to work in the previous week’s win against the Colts went bad as the Patriots were blown out by the Dolphins 30-10.

www.bostonglobe.com

Game Recap: Patriots melt in Miami heat

So much for the new-and-improved Patriots. After rolling to its first victory of the season over Indianapolis in Week Three, New England crashed hard to earth after being throttled by the Miami Dolphins 30-10. The Patriots were outclassed in all areas — offense, defense and special teams and were blown out for one of the few times in the Bill Belichick era.​

​

"We got our butts kicked today," said Belichick in what may have been an understatement. "Miami played a really good football game. We gave away a lot of points. I thought they ran the ball well, made some big plays in the kicking game and their defense stifled us."​

​

All of the above was true, and there was nothing that backup quarterback Tom Brady — or any other quarterback — could do about it. Brady sensed earlier in the week that perhaps his team wasn't ready for the Dolphins based on its performance in practice and he talked with safety Lawyer Milloy about the subject following the game.​

​

"You can't practice poorly on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and expect to go out there and play well on Sunday," Brady said. "When you miss plays on Wednesdays you can't just think you can make it the next day. When you're missing plays in practice you shouldn't wonder why you're missing them in games."​

​

Milloy showed faith in the young quarterback by calling him a leader and saying Brady has the right to speak up whenever he doesn't feel things are running properly.​

2:06 Highlight Video
Patriots vs Dolphins 2001 Week 4



1:52:26 Full Game
2001 week 4 New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
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Pats Media Dept Pre-Game Press Release

NFL Media Game Summary, with complete stats and full play-by-play

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

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins - October 7th, 2001 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 10 at Miami Dolphins 30 on October 7th, 2001 - Full team and player stats and box score

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[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
October 7, 1973: Pats 24, Colts 16
Chuck Fairbanks' first victory as New England head coach
Patriots win despite 8 fumbles​

Sunday October 7, 1973 at 1:00
Week 4, Game 4 at Schaefer Stadium
New England Patriots 24, Baltimore Colts 16
Head Coaches: Chuck Fairbanks, Howard Schnellenberger
QBs: Jim Plunkett, Bert Jones
Odds: New England favored by 3
TV: NBC; Bill O’Donnell, Dave Kocourek
Patriots improve to 1-3, Baltimore drops to 1-3


After firing Mike Holvak in 1968, things got worse for the Patriots over the next four years. Since the AFL and NFL merged the Patriots were an embarrassing 16-30. The team was really bad in 1972, actually even worse than their 3-11 record would indicate. The Pats had a point differential of over minus 18 points per game, worst in franchise history.

After the craziness of the Clive Rush-John Mazur era, the Patriots needed a major change.

Foxboro Stadium History - 1973

After watching his beloved Patriots win 12 games in the three years since joining the NFL, Sullivan was determined to bring stability and a winning attitude to New England in 1973. To accomplish his goal, Sullivan searched for a major college coach that c

www.patriots.com

After watching his beloved Patriots win 12 games in the three years since joining the NFL, Billy Sullivan was determined to bring stability and a winning attitude to New England in 1973. To accomplish his goal, Sullivan searched for a major college coach that could run the entire Patriots operation. After the disastrous results of the past few seasons, he was convinced splitting the head coaching and general manager duties between two men was not the way to go. Instead he would find one strong man to be both, as he had with Holovak in the 1960s.​

Unfortunately, high profile coaches such as Joe Paterno of Penn State, John McKay of USC, Ara Parseghian of Notre Dame, and Darryl Royal of Texas all turned Sullivan down. Perplexed, Sullivan turned to his lifelong friend Frank Leahy, the former head coach at Boston College and Notre Dame. Leahy recommended Chuck Fairbanks of Oklahoma, and a new era in the history of the Patriots began.​

The roster was devoid of talent, which probably had a lot to do with why those other college coaches didn't want to consider taking the job. The Pats had the number one pick of the 1971 draft, and landed Jim Plunkett and Julius Adams - but due to stupid trades, nobody else. 1972 was similar, with no first round pick; fifth round pick Ron Bolton was the only notable player from that draft.

Fairbanks was hired on January 26, 1973 - a mere four days before the draft. Perhaps because evaluating college players was still a very informal process back then - relying on newspaper clippings and Street and Smith magazines - a college coach such as Fairbanks actually had the upper hand when it came to the draft.

Four days after being hired Fairbanks selected John Hannah with the #4 overall pick. The Pats also owned the #11 pick, compensation from the Fred Dryer fiasco a year earlier; that was used on Sam Cunningham.

That made Carl Garrett expendable, and he was traded to Chicago for the #19 overall pick - which was used on Darryl Stingley. Ray Hamilton was part of that draft as well, and Fairbanks also signed rookie castoffs Leon Gray, Mack Herron and Mel Lunsford.

The 1973 Patriots only won two more games than they had the previous year, but make no mistake - this was a vastly improved team. The point differential was reduced to minus-42. Take away two monster games by OJ Simpson, and the point differential was zero.



As for the game itself, the Patriots had eight fumbles - but recovered five, only turning the ball over three times. And one of those fumbles turned out to be a major positive.


It was 3-3 late in the first half when the Patriots took over after a punt on thir own 42. Josh Ashton ran up the middle for eight yards, then Darryl Stingley gained 13 on a double reverse. On the next play Jim Plunkett threw deep down the middle for Randy Vataha, which drew a pass interference penalty. John Tarver punched it in from the one to give the Patriots a 10-3 halftime lead.

Baltimore kicked a field goal on the opening possession of the second half to make it 10-6. The Patriots were forced to punt, but George Hoey hit Colts return man Bruce Laird, causing a fumble which backup RB Paul Gipson recovered. Three Josh Ashton runs gained 15 yards, then John Tarver ran for five - and fumbled, but recovered at the three. Tarver got the call again on the next play and held on this time, running to the left and scoring to give the Patriots a 17-6 lead after three quarters.

The fourth quarter began with the Patriots forcing a turnover on downs on 4th-and-one at their own six yard line. The Pats went three and out, giving Baltimore the ball back in good field position. The defense held the Colts to one yard and Baltimore had to settle for a field goal to make the score 17-9.

On the next possession the Patriots had a first down after an 18 yard completion to TE Bob Windsor. On the next play Mack Herron took a pitch wide left, and after gaining ten yards fumbled. The ball rolled forwards and OT Bob Reynolds knocked it forwards again, to the Baltimore 46 - where Randy Vataha scooped it up, and ran 46 yards for a touchdown.


Maybe Dave Casper and the Oakland Raiders saw this play, and used it five years later against the Chargers?


The Fumblerooski gave the Patriots a 24-9 lead with only 5:42 left to play. The defense forced a Baltimore punt, and the Pats took over on their own 11 yard line with 3:58 to go in the game. On 3rd-and-4 Mack Herron gained five yards for what seemed like a first down, but was hit and fumbled - recovered by the Colts. Two plays later Bert Jones threw a 22 yard TD pass and the lead was down to 24-16.

On the ensuing drive the Patriots got a first down after a face mask penalty with 2:00 to go. But two plays later Josh Ashton fumbled, and Baltimore recovered. On 4th and 11 Ron Bolton knocked down Jones' pass into the end zone. The Patriots took over and ran out the clock to get their first win of the season.

2:53 Highlight Video
1973 Colts at Patriots week 4



47:29 - This Week In Pro Football
TWIPF 1973 Week 4
(Pats-Colts starts at 12:19)
​

NFL Media Game Summary, complete game stats and full play-by-play

Box Score, Team and Individual Stats:

1973 New England Patriots Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Check out the 1973 New England Patriots Roster, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports and more on Pro-Football-Reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Other October 7 Games​

Sunday October 7, 1990 at 1:00
Week 5, Game 5 at Foxboro Stadium
Seattle Seahawks 33, New England Patriots 20
Head Coaches: Rod Rust, Chuck Knox
QBs: Marc Wilson, Dave Krieg
Odds: Seattle favored by 3
TV: NBC; Don Criqui, Bob Trumpy
Patriots drop to 1-4, Seattle improves to 2-3


The Patriots turned the ball over five times, to limp into their bye week with a 1-4 record as the disastrous 1990 nightmare continued. The Pats dug themselves into a 19-3 hole before scoring on a Brent Williams 45-yard fumble recovery, a 35-yard pass from marc Wilson to Hart Lee Dykes, and a 48-yard Jason Staurovsky field goal to take a 20-19 lead. But Seattle scored on a 45 yard Dave Krieg touchdown pass and Derrick Fenner's second 5-yard rushing touchdown of the game to make the final score 33-20.

Pitiful Patriots a popular opponent - UPI Archives

A team that can't seem to do anything right on the field or off, the New England Patriots are the leading contender for the title of Favorite Opponent in the...

www.upi.com

A team that can't seem to do anything right on the field or off, the New England Patriots are the leading contender for the title of Favorite Opponent in the NFL.​

​

The Seattle Seahawks had the pleasure of visiting the Patriots on Sunday and came away with the expected victory, a 33-20 triumph.​

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New England is 1-4 and has given up a league-high 152 points. In the three games since the Sept. 17 sexual harassment of a woman reporter in the locker room, New England has lost by margins of 24, 24 and 13 points and been out-scored 110-40 while the controversy boiled about owner Victor Kiam and team management's mishandling of the incident.​

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The Seahawks, like other New England opponents, would like to believe their abilities decided the outcome, rather than the Patriots' failings.​

New England's defensive secondary, which had Rod McSwain struggling to replace injured Roland James, was helpless against Krieg's medium-range tosses over the middle. The Patriots' linebacking corps was again without its injured leader and best player, Andre Tippett. But, even with him back, it doesn't mean New England would have been any more effective in controlling Seattle running back Derrick Fenner, who scored twice and gained 77 yards on 19 carries. In his last three games, he has eight touchdowns.​

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'Our mental preparation is killing us,' said rookie linebacker Chris Singleton. 'We're all hustling, we're all running, it's just the mental stuff and the mental breakdowns, the missed assignments.'​

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New England, which opened the season knowing that a .500 year would be an extraordinary feat, is certain not to lose this coming weekend, but that's only because it won't be playing, due to the NFL's new schedule.​

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New England lost all four pre-season games and so has lost eight of its first nine games under first-year coach Rod Rust, who inherited a losing team from Raymond Berry.​

2:56:19 Full Game:
1990 Week 5 - Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots





NFL Game Summary, with complete stats and full play-by-play

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:

Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots - October 7th, 1990 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Seattle Seahawks 33 at New England Patriots 20 on October 7th, 1990 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

Saturday October 7, 1961 at 8:00
Week 5, Game 5 at Boston University Field, later known as Nickerson Field
San Diego Chargers 38, Boston Patriots 27
Head Coaches: Lou Saban, Sid Gillman
QBs: Butch Songin, Babe Parilli; Jack Kemp
Odds: San Diego favored by 10
TV: Not televised
Patriots drop to 2-3, San Diego improves to 5-0


Lou Saban was fired after this game, finishing with a 7-12 record during his tenure with the Patriots. Billy Sullivan stated that "the decision was made by a majority vote of the team's board of directors, who just simply felt all the talent on our team had not been used and felt Mike Holovak was the man who would be able to use the talent we had to the extent that it is capable of performing".

While the Patriots did improve under Holovak, Saban went on to win the AFL championship with the Buffalo Bills in 1964 and 1965, and was named AFL coach of the year both times.


The Patriots were unable to stop Jack Kemp in this game, who threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns, That performance may have left a lasting impression on Saban, who signed Kemp to his Buffalo team that won those two championships.

Babe Parilli replaced an ineffective Butch Songin at quarterback, throwing touchdown passes to Jim Colclough and Gino Cappelletti for the Patriots. Gino had five catches for 86 yards, Billy Lott had 61 yards on six carries, and Larry Garron totaled 82 yards from scrimmage for the Pats.



AFL Media Summary, with complete stats and full play-by-play
Note the description used to describe a sack: "Songin spilled trying to pass, loss of 9"

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:

San Diego Chargers at Boston Patriots - October 7th, 1961 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

San Diego Chargers 38 at Boston Patriots 27 on October 7th, 1961 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
October 7 Birthdays​

Russ Hochstein, 47 (1977)
C/G for the Patriots from 2002-2008.
Played in 149 NFL games, 91 with the Patriots.
Three Super Bowl rings: 2002 with Tampa, 2003-2004 with the Patriots.

Behind the scenes with G/C Russ Hochstein

Clayton Weishuhn (1959-2022)
ILB for the Patriots, 1982-1986.
Pats 3rd round pick (#60 overall) in the 1982 draft, from Angelo State.
Very promising career cut short by injuries.

Clayton Weishuhn (2006) - Hall of Honor - Angelo State University Athletics

Clayton Weishuhn, Class: Induction: 2006 Sport(s): Football - Clayton Weishuhn was a three-time first team All-Lone Star Conference selection during his career

angelosports.com

Former Patriots LB Clayton Weishuhn Passed Away

Former Patriots linebacker Clayton Weishuhn dies at 62

Former NFL linebacker Clayton Weishuhn died in a car wreck near his hometown of Wall, Texas, on Friday, Charles Bryce of the San Angelo Standard-Times reports.

www.nbcsports.com

**** Jauron, 74 (1950)
Native of Swampscott MA was a safety for the Lions and Bengals, head coach for the Bears and Bills, and defensive coordinator for the Jaguars, Lions and Browns.