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http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/
January 01, 2006
Welcome to Gillette
Posted By: mreiss | Time: 10:18:48 AM
FOXBOROUGH -- Welcome to Gillette Stadium, where the current temperature is 26 degrees and the blue seats in the stadium are still covered with some snow from a light overnight dusting in the area.
A few things to pass along this morning:
* There should be word, by the end of the day, when the Patriots’ first playoff game will be played -- Saturday, Jan. 7 or Sunday, Jan. 8. We will plan on posting that as soon as it becomes available.
* Also, for those interested in Patriots history, we’ll have a complete list of those players and coaches from the 1985 AFC Championship team scheduled to be in attendance at today’s game. The ’85 team will be honored in a pre-game ceremony and the team is reminding fans to arrive in their seats early.
* Scouting personnel from the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers are listed on the press box seating chart. That is commonplace in the NFL for teams to send a scout to analyze possible future opponents, especially in the playoffs.
* Long snapper Lonie Paxton, as usual, was the first Patriots player to take the field this morning (10:20 a.m. ET).
Pre-game notes:
Should he play in today’s game against the Dolphins, defensive end Ty Warren will have appeared in all 16 regular season games in each of his first three seasons. A first-round pick in 2003, Warren currently has 31 consecutive regular-season starts, a streak that ranks behind only Willie McGinest’s 37.
“I take a lot of pride in it,†Warren said earlier this week. “I tried to take it upon myself to look at the older guys that were here when I got here, see what they were doing, how they took care of their bodies and went about their business, and that’s how I tried to model myself. There is a little bit of luck involved, too. But if you’re consistent and go about your business the way you need to go about it, that’s when you’re successful.â€
Warren's 73 tackles this season (coaches tabulations) are a career high.
++++
Kicker Adam Vinatieri totaled 100 points or more in each of his first nine seasons, but he has 93 points entering today’s game. Vinatieri and Denver’s Jason Elam are the only kickers in NFL history to total 100 points or more in each of their first nine seasons.
“More than a credit to the individual player I think it’s a credit to the team; to be able to score a bunch of points means your team is doing a pretty good job,†said Vinatieri, the 10-year veteran who is 18-of-23 on field goal attempts this season. “It would be great to have it, but if it doesn’t happen, that’s OK too. It’s a small, little individual goal. Team goals are most important.â€
Vinatieri's previous low in field goal attempts was 29, in 1997. He is 39-of-40 on extra points.
+++
When running back/fullback Heath Evans was signed by the Patriots on Nov. 1, the team was navigating through choppy waters. The Patriots had come back to beat the Bills to improve to 5-4, but running back Corey Dillon was still hobbled, Kevin Faulk was out, and Patrick Pass had just suffered a hamstring injury.
As of today’s game against the Dolphins, Evans will have been with the Patriots for two months. Over that time, the fifth-year veteran has been impressed by the Patriots’ approach.
“To me, it’s driven home the fact to keep your eye on the prize,†he said. “In this league, from week to week, it changes so much. The thing around here that I never saw in Seattle (2001-2004) and I didn't see initially in Miami (six games in 2005) was a collective mindset that was all geared toward the same thing. It was unique to see a 53-man roster all focused on the same things, putting themselves aside. Thatâ™s huge this day and age.â€
+++
More to come throughout the day. Happy New Year.
--Mike
January 01, 2006
Welcome to Gillette
Posted By: mreiss | Time: 10:18:48 AM
FOXBOROUGH -- Welcome to Gillette Stadium, where the current temperature is 26 degrees and the blue seats in the stadium are still covered with some snow from a light overnight dusting in the area.
A few things to pass along this morning:
* There should be word, by the end of the day, when the Patriots’ first playoff game will be played -- Saturday, Jan. 7 or Sunday, Jan. 8. We will plan on posting that as soon as it becomes available.
* Also, for those interested in Patriots history, we’ll have a complete list of those players and coaches from the 1985 AFC Championship team scheduled to be in attendance at today’s game. The ’85 team will be honored in a pre-game ceremony and the team is reminding fans to arrive in their seats early.
* Scouting personnel from the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers are listed on the press box seating chart. That is commonplace in the NFL for teams to send a scout to analyze possible future opponents, especially in the playoffs.
* Long snapper Lonie Paxton, as usual, was the first Patriots player to take the field this morning (10:20 a.m. ET).
Pre-game notes:
Should he play in today’s game against the Dolphins, defensive end Ty Warren will have appeared in all 16 regular season games in each of his first three seasons. A first-round pick in 2003, Warren currently has 31 consecutive regular-season starts, a streak that ranks behind only Willie McGinest’s 37.
“I take a lot of pride in it,†Warren said earlier this week. “I tried to take it upon myself to look at the older guys that were here when I got here, see what they were doing, how they took care of their bodies and went about their business, and that’s how I tried to model myself. There is a little bit of luck involved, too. But if you’re consistent and go about your business the way you need to go about it, that’s when you’re successful.â€
Warren's 73 tackles this season (coaches tabulations) are a career high.
++++
Kicker Adam Vinatieri totaled 100 points or more in each of his first nine seasons, but he has 93 points entering today’s game. Vinatieri and Denver’s Jason Elam are the only kickers in NFL history to total 100 points or more in each of their first nine seasons.
“More than a credit to the individual player I think it’s a credit to the team; to be able to score a bunch of points means your team is doing a pretty good job,†said Vinatieri, the 10-year veteran who is 18-of-23 on field goal attempts this season. “It would be great to have it, but if it doesn’t happen, that’s OK too. It’s a small, little individual goal. Team goals are most important.â€
Vinatieri's previous low in field goal attempts was 29, in 1997. He is 39-of-40 on extra points.
+++
When running back/fullback Heath Evans was signed by the Patriots on Nov. 1, the team was navigating through choppy waters. The Patriots had come back to beat the Bills to improve to 5-4, but running back Corey Dillon was still hobbled, Kevin Faulk was out, and Patrick Pass had just suffered a hamstring injury.
As of today’s game against the Dolphins, Evans will have been with the Patriots for two months. Over that time, the fifth-year veteran has been impressed by the Patriots’ approach.
“To me, it’s driven home the fact to keep your eye on the prize,†he said. “In this league, from week to week, it changes so much. The thing around here that I never saw in Seattle (2001-2004) and I didn't see initially in Miami (six games in 2005) was a collective mindset that was all geared toward the same thing. It was unique to see a 53-man roster all focused on the same things, putting themselves aside. Thatâ™s huge this day and age.â€
+++
More to come throughout the day. Happy New Year.
--Mike
