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Today In Patriots History Sept 20, 2015: TB12 slams Rex Ryan w/466 yard, 3 TD 40-burger

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Today in Patriots History
2015: TB12 throws for 466 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Second most passing yards of Brady's career
Pats jump out to 37-13 lead, win 40-32



Sunday Sept 20, 2015 at 1:02
Week 2, Game 2 at Ralph Wilson Stadium
New England Patriots 40, Buffalo Bills 32
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Rex Ryan
QBs: Tom Brady, Tyrod Taylor
Odds: New England 1-point road favorites
Sunny, 62°, 57% humidity, 7 mph wind; paid attendance 70,858; time 3:38
TV: CBS; Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon
Patriots improve to 2-0; Bills drop to 1-1



Tom Brady threw for 466 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Rex Ryan had no answer for Buffalo's pass defense, with Julian Edelman catching 11 passes for 97 yards and two TDs, and Rob Gronkowski catching seven passes for 113 yards and a TD. Even Aaron Dobson contributed, with seven receptions (on eight targets) for 87 yards and five first downs.

The Pats defense came up with eight sacks, led by Chandler Jones (3) and Jamie Collins (2½), plus interceptions by Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon.

The biggest negative to this game was Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick twice deciding to go for it on 4th and one near midfield - with deep, low probability passes. Both of those turnovers on downs gave the Bills good field position, leading to Buffalo touchdowns. Ryan Allen punted only once the entire game, after the first series.








Tom Brady was a buzzkill in Buffalo once again.​

In silencing a raucous crowd and exposing Bills coach Rex Ryan's brash talk for bluster, Brady threw three touchdowns and 466 yards passing -- the second-most of his career and most by any player against Buffalo -- in leading the New England Patriots to a 40-32 win Sunday.​

It was an all-too-familiar performance from a quarterback who has feasted on the Bills during a 15-year run of dominance. Brady improved to 24-3 against Buffalo, while the Patriots are now 27-3 in the past 30 games against their AFC East rivals.​

Julian Edelman had 11 catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Rob Gronkowski scored his fourth TD of the season -- and 10th against Buffalo -- on a 2-yard catch. And don't forget running back Dion Lewis, who had 40 yards rushing and a touchdown, and added six catches for 98 yards.​



Julian Edelman's 22-yard TD put the Patriots up 34-13 with 3:24 to play in the 3rd quarter​



Patriots 40, Bills 32 - Reuters
New England is also now 10-4 against teams coached by Rex Ryan, who led the New York Jets before taking over in Buffalo during the offseason.​

Penalty flags flew frequently in this game. The teams combined for 25 penalties for 259 yards. Buffalo had 14 of those penalties for 140 yards.​

Stephen Gostkowski sealed the win with a 25-yard field goal after the Bills had cut the Patriots' 24-point lead down to 37-32 late in the fourth quarter.​

Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor struggled for much of his second career start, but rallied Buffalo to three touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. He finished with 242 yards passing and touchdowns to tight end Charles Clay and wide receivers Robert Woods and Sammy Watkins. Taylor also rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted three times and sacked eight times.​


Buffalo unraveled on both sides of the ball, looking nothing like the team coming off a 27-14 season-opening win over Indianapolis.​

The Bills offense managed 127 yards on its first 10 possessions - and 80 of those came on a game-opening drive capped by rookie Karlos Williams scoring on a 2-yard run.​

Discipline was also a big problem. The Bills were penalized 14 times for 140 yards.​

Brady took the air out of what began as a raucous environment at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Bills fans were buzzing all week in a bid to set a record for loudest outdoor stadium. They even raised enough money to have a Guinness World Record official on hand to measure the decibel level. The results were not revealed and fans began heading for the exits in the final minute of the third quarter, after Gostkowski hit a 50-yard field goal to up New England's lead to 37-13.​


In-game adjustments helped Patriots find their footing: The Bills offense marched down the field in the first five minutes of the game with a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, and their defense followed up by forcing the Patriots offense to go three-and-out.​

Ralph Wilson Stadium was rocking, and it looked like the Bills might roll over the Patriots.​

Then, the two teams had their second drive, and given an opportunity to adjust, the Patriots found their footing. One of the bigger adjustments was on the defensive line, where the Patriots went with three big-bodied defensive tackles in Sealver Siliga, Alan Branch and Malcom Brown to help plug up the holes in the running game.​


Aaron Dobson is alive and well: With veteran wide receiver Brandon LaFell on the physically unable to perform list, the Patriots were without a big-bodied pass-catcher at wide receiver.​

Aaron Dobson proved that the Patriots might have one after all. He finished the game with seven catches for 87 yards, tied for the second-most receptions on the team against the Bills. This was the first time he’s recorded a reception since Week 6 of the 2014 season, when he had one catch against the Bills.​

Dobson has a long way to go before he justifies the second-round pick the team used on him back in 2013, but Sunday was an important first step in the process.​


Through two games, the Bills have committed 25 penalties for 253 total yards - and that doesn't include the penalties that opponents have declined. These have run the gamut from simple procedure penalties to head-scratchingly stupid personal fouls, and several of those set the Bills back in the first half of this one. Even Ryan admitted post-game that a flag thrown on the Bills' sideline occurred when a ref with "rabbit ears" (Rex's actual words) heard someone (probably Ryan) mouth off. If this team is truly built in Ryan's image, which was written about ad nauseam this offseason, then we might have to deal with a fired-up team doing dumb things to draw flags at less-than-ideal times for another 14 (or more) games. It's one of many things the team needs to clean up, and quickly.​










4:09 NFL Highlight Video -- Patriots vs. Bills | Week 2 Highlights | NFL

2:39:08 Full Game -- 2015 Bills @ Patriots

Patriots Pre-Game Press Release

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats, and Full Play-by-Play:
National Football League Game Summary


Patriots Post-Game Notes
 
Today in Patriots History
1970: The Bob Gladieux game
Defense forces three turnovers and gets eight sacks
Pats upset Miami in week one at Harvard Stadium, 27-14



Sunday Sept 20, 2015 at 1:00
Week 1, Game 1 at Harvard Stadium
Boston Patriots 27, Miami Dolphins 14
Head Coaches: Clive Rush, Don Shula
QBs: Mike Taliaferro, Bob Griese
Odds: Miami 7-point road favorites
Fair, 70°, 64% relative humidity, 11 mph wind; attendance 32,607; time 2:22
TV: none; NBC only broadcast Pats road games; Radio: WBZ; Bob Starr play-by-play, Gil Santos commentary
Patriots start out 1-0; Dolphins 0-1



Clive Rush's team came in better prepared and out-executed Don Shula's club. Go figure.


This game has been forgotten even though it was a rare Clive Rush victory, plus an upset win over Shula to boot. It turned out to be Rush's last win as a head coach; he would quit midseason after losing the next six games.

This was The Bob Gladieux Game.


After an 0-4 preseason which was most noteworthy for having a fire in the stands during a game against Washington at Alumni Stadium, the Patriots made some roster cuts a few days prior to the season opener. Among those released were Johnny Outlaw and Bob Gladieux.

Gladieux and a friend of his decided to go to the game, and had downed more than one beer as part of the typical pre-game tailgaiting routine. While his buddy went from their seats to the concessions to grab a couple more brewskies, the public address announcer paged Gladieux, to report to the locker room. Rush was in a contract dispute with two other players, who refused to sign the lowball contracts he was offering, so he cut them on the spot - disregarding the impeccably bad timing, with the season opener about to kick off.

Both players were quickly signed to contracts, and as his friend returned to their seats with two beers, he astonishingly heard the PA announcement of 'tackle by Bob Gladieux' on the opening kickoff.



Along with the eight sacks and three turnovers, the Pats defense limited Miami's tandem of Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick to 77 yards on 21 carries. The dominant running game was instead that of the Patriots, led by Jim Nance (89 yards on 20 carries with one TD, plus 28 yards on three catches) and Carl Garrett (6.3 ypc, 88 yards, one TD).

The Patriots scored 24 unanswered points, erasing a 14-3 deficit. A 24-yard touchdown pass from Mike Taliaferro to Ron Sellers in the fourth quarter sealed the victory.

The defense simply overwhelmed the Fins. Ron Berger (3 sacks) and Mike Ballou (6 solo tackles plus 3 assists) arguably had the best game of their NFL careers. Safety Daryl Johnson excelled in coverage with an interception, a sack, four tackles and four incomplete passes thrown his way, while corner Art McMahon added four solo tackles and two assists, with five incompletions to receivers he was covering. J.R. Williamson had one of his three career interceptions, and Jim Cheyunski, Bull Bramlett, Jim Lee Hunt and Ike Lassiter each had sacks. The Dolphins lost a combined total of 80 yards on the eight sacks, with much of that coming in the fourth quarter.

Johnson's pick set up a Carl Garrett touchdown run two plays later, then Jim Lee Hunt's forced fumble and recovery off a Larry Csonka rush led to a Jim Nance TD two plays later. That six-play sequence resulted in 14 points, but the Patriots were not done. Williamson intercepted Griese on the ensuing drive, and after Taliaferro completed passes to Bake Turner and Ron Sellers, Gino Cappelletti kicked a field goal with 17 seconds to go in the half. In three minutes and 23 seconds the Patriots had turned a 14-3 deficit into a 20-14 halftime lead, stunning Shula and the Dolphins.

Back-to-back sacks by Berger and Lassiter led to a 28-yard punt return by Sid Blanks when Miami went for the block; two plays later Taliaferro hit Sellers for a 24-yard TD for the final score with 5:52 left to play. Another sack, for a loss of 15 on 3rd-and-ten sealed the victory.


Unfortunately the good times were short lived. The Patriots lost the next nine in a row and Rush did not make it to season's end. The Dolphins were headed in the opposite direction, making the playoffs with a 10-4 record.

But for one brief moment, Clive Rush, Mike Taliaferro, Ron Sellers, Jim Nance and Jim Cheyunski got the best of their future hall of fame counterparts, Don Shula, Bob Griese, Paul Warfield, Larry Csonka and Nick Buoniconti.





Trailing by 11 points, the Boston Patriots converted three Miami errors into 17 points in the final 3 minutes 19 seconds of the first half today and went on to a 27-14 victory over the Dolphins.​

A crowd of 32,607 at Harvard Stadium saw Carl Garrett score on a 10-yard run, Jim Nance on a 1-yard dive, and Gino Cappelletti on a 22-yard field goal in the Boston scoring rush. Daryl Johnson's interception, Jim Hunt's fumble recovery and John Williamson's interception set up the burst.​

Miami had taken a 14-3 lead on Bob Griese's 5-yard bootleg touchdown and Jim Kiick's 5-yard scoring run.​



3:02 Highlight Video
1970 Dolphins at Patriots week 1





Box Score, Team & Individual Stats, Full Play-by-Play:
National Football League Game Summary


 
Today in Patriots History
1998: Pats come from behind in 4th quarter,
beat Oilers on Bledsoe's 51-yard TD to Terry Glenn



Sunday Sept 20, 1998 at 1:02
Week 3, Game 3 at Foxboro Stadium
New England Patriots 27, Tennesee Oilers 16
Head Coaches: Pete Carroll, Jeff Fisher
QBs: Drew Bledsoe, Steve McNair
Odds: New England 6½-point home favorites
Hazy, warm, humid, 79°, 90% humidity, 8 mph wind; attendance 59,973 (plus 319 no-shows); time 2:50
TV: CBS; Gus Johnson, Steve Tasker
Patriots improve to 2-1; Oilers drop to 1-2



Trivia: this was the one and only game between the Patriots and the "Tennessee Oilers". The franchise was known as the Houston Oilers from 1960 to 1996, and Tennessee Titans from 1999 forward.


The Patriots scored twice in a span of 18 seconds late in the fourth quarter to come from behind for the win. Tennessee had outplayed New England up to that point, but the defense came up strong late. The Patriot defense limited the Oilers to a three-and-out and two interceptions on their final three possessions, with Lawyer Milloy's 30-yard pick-six hammering a nail in the coffin. Just moments earlier The Patriots had taken the lead on a 51-yard catch-and-run from Drew Bledsoe to Terry Glenn to take the lead.


The 1998 season had a rarity we will likely never see again: four teams from one division made the playoffs. The Jets won the AFC East with a 12-4 record, while Miami (10-6), Buffalo (10-6) and New England (9-7) were the AFC's three wild cards. The Colts (3-13) were the only team in the division that did not advance to the postseason.





Troy Brown makes a special teams tackle on Derrick Mason. The Oilers had moved from Houston to Memphis a year
earlier, but inexplicably retained the old name of Oilers and the logo of an oil derrick after moving to Tennessee.



Drew Bledsoe challenged receiver Terry Glenn to come through. Breaking loose for a go-ahead 51-yard touchdown should take care of that.​

Glenn caught a short pass from Bledsoe and turned it into a 51-yard touchdown--one of two touchdowns the New England Patriots scored in an 18-second span in the final five minutes of a 27-16 victory over the Tennessee Oilers on Sunday.​

Before the game, I went to him and told him, ‘It’s time for you to have a big game,’ ” Bledsoe said. “I knew he was going to be there.”​

Glenn struggled through an injury-plagued 1997 season after catching 90 passes as a rookie first-round draft pick in 1996. With 4:25 left, Bledsoe caught Tennessee (1-2) in a blitz and connected with Glenn on a slant pattern at the Oiler 40-yard line. Seconds later, Glenn was in the end zone and New England (2-1) had its first lead at 20-16.​

Knowing him, when the game was on the line like that, I knew they’d go to him sooner or later.” said Oiler running back Eddie George, a teammate of Glenn’s at Ohio State. “And the nightmare happened.”​

It got worse for the Oilers 18 seconds later when Lawyer Milloy broke Steve McNair’s streak of 100 passes without an interception by returning one 30 yards for a touchdown and a 27-16 Patriot lead with 4:07 left.​

This game hurts bad,” McNair said. “They shouldn’t have beat us. We had the game.”​

Tennessee used a conservative offense to keep the ball 13 minutes longer than New England. George, after being held to a career-low 11 yards rushing last week, had 100 yards in 23 carries as well as a 22-yard touchdown reception.​



1:38 Highlight Video
1998 Oilers at Patriots Week 3



2:17 NFL Prime Time with Chris Berman
Oilers vs Patriots 1998 Week 3



2:02:55 Full Game
1998 - Wk. 03 Oilers vs. Patriots





Box Score, Team & Individual Stats, and Full Play-by-Play:
National Football League Game Summary


 
Today in Patriots History
1964: Pats get revenge from '63 title game
upset Chargers on the road, 33-28



Sunday Sept 20, 1964 at 1:00 PT, 4:00 ET
Week 2, Game 2 at Balboa Stadium
Boston Patriots 33, San Diego Chargers 28
Head Coaches: Mike Holovak, Sid Gillman
QBs: Babe Parilli; John Hadl, Tobin Rote
Odds: San Diego 9½-point home favorites
68°, 73% humidity, 3 mph wind; attendance 20,568; time 2:55
TV: ABC; Charlie Jones, Paul Christman
Patriots improve to 2-0; Chargers drop to 1-1



The 1964 Patriots were coming off a traumatic championship loss. These same San Diego Chargers had humiliated the Pats 51-10 nine months earlier. How would the Pats, who averaged just 10 points per game in an 0-5 preseason, respond?


The schedule makers didn't give the team any favors, beginning the season with two games on the west coast. In week one the Pats were seven point underdogs, beating Oakland by three. But the Raiders were not in the same class as the defending champion Chargers, who were favored by 9½ in this game.


If there was any hangover from the previous season, it was on the other side of the field. The Patriots scored first and never relinquished the lead. Gino Cappelletti was Mr. Everything, scoring 21 points on one touchdown reception, four field goals and three extra points. The defense forced five turnovers, shut down the guy that killed them in the championship game, and won convincingly. San Diego scored twice late to make the final score respectable, but make no mistake: the Patriots dominated and exacted revenge in this game.


Keith Lincoln had torched the Patriots for 329 yards from scrimmage plus a 25-yard TD pass when San Diego crushed Boston 51-10 in the 1963 title game. The Pats defense focused on him on this day, limiting him to 24 yards (2.4 ypc) while also rendering all-world receiver Lance Alworth to 67 yards.


Larry Garron rushed for 93 yards on 22 carries for the Patriots, and Babe Parilli threw touchdown passes to Garron, Cappelletti and Art Graham.


The 1964 Patriots finished at 10-3-1, the best record in the first 16 years of the franchise - but in an era before wild cards, missed the playoffs despite owning the league's second best record. The Pats lost to Buffalo in the last game of the season, and the Bills defeated San Diego 20-7 for the first of their franchise's two championships (1964, 1965).




Babe Parilli threw three touchdown passes and Gino Cappelletti scored a club record of 21 points today to pace the Boston Patriots to an upset 33-28 American Football League victory over the San Diego Chargers.​

The Patriots’ triumph kept them tied for first in the Eastern Division while the Chargers remained ahead in the West.​



2:31 Highlight Video, sponsored by Hood Milk/Ice Cream
9/20/1964 Boston Patriots at San Diego Chargers highlights, American Football League, Week 2





Box Score, Team & Individual Stats and full play-by-play:
American Football League Summary


 
Today in Patriots History
Antonio Brown released;
Parcells, Edelman enshrined to Hall of Fame;
and other September 20 news


Sept 20, 1971:
DE Art May, QB Brian Dowling, LB Dennis Coleman, DE Jay Dixon, OT Layne McDowell and G Sam Adams are signed to the taxi squad.


May was a rookie from Tuskegee who had been a fifth round pick by Cincinnati. he ended up playing 11 games with five starts for the 1971 Pats, and after failing to make New England's roster in '72 and '73 played in the WFL for two seasons.

Dowling played in 25 games as a backup with the Pats in '72 and '73, bouncing between the NFL, ACFL, WFL and CFL from 1969 to 1978.



Coleman played in nine games for the Patriots in 1971.

Dixon was a local (born in Norwood; Xaverian Brothers High School; Boston University) who had been a sixth round pick by the Browns that year; his only pro football experience was in the Atlantic Coast Football League.



The Patriots drafted McDowell in the 10th round in '71 out of Iowa, but he too never saw any playing time in the NFL, though he did play in the CFL.


Sam Adams was by far the best of this group. He didn't see any action until the following year, then in '73 replaced Bob Reynolds at left tackle. The next year the Patriots acquired Leon Gray, and Adams moved over to right guard - where he started for the next eight seasons. Sam was part of that fantastic offensive line that included Gray, John Hannah, Bill Lenkaitis and Tom Neville/Shelby Jordan that dominated opponents in the seventies, and set an NFL team record for rushing yardage that stood for an incredible 41 years.





Sept 20, 2007:
The NFL announces that it had received and destroyed notes and video tapes they had confiscated, a week after having fined Bill Belichick $500,000, the Patriots $250,000 and stolen a first round draft pick. League officials reportedly smashed the tapes with a hammer and shredded the documents. The league said the materials were destroyed to "ensure a level playing field" and prevent leaks.

If Roger Goodell and company thought that would put an end to the 'spygate' talk, they were mistaken. All that did was ignite conspiracy theories and fuel more stories speculation on an almost daily basis, for months. It was figuratively gasoline on an already blazing fire.

Ironically or not, the leak led directly back to Goodell himself. His wife, Jane Skinner, worked for Fox News - the same organization that broadcast the leaked tape (Jay Glazer on a Fox pre-game show).







Sept 20, 2015:
Patriots waive WR Jonathan Krause

The wide receiver from Vanderbilt had been on the Pats practice squad in 2014, but was inactive in the week one victory over Pittsburgh. Most of his four-year NFL career was on various team's practice squads, plus playing briefly for Philadelphia in 2015.




Sept 20, 2017:
CB Jomal Wiltz is released from the practice squad, and S Robert Nelson Jr and OL Jason King are signed to the practice squad

Nelson played in 20 NFL games for the Browns, Texans and Jets, but never saw any playing time for the Patriots. King had two stints on the Pats practice squad in 2017; neither he nor Wiltz ever had any playing time in an NFL game.





Sept 20, 2019:
Patriots release WR Antonio Brown after just one game

AB generated a 623-page thread in 2019:


Text messages sent by Brown to a woman alleging sexual misconduct were viewed by some in the organization to have crossed the line, a source told ESPN. The text messages -- which were reported by Sports Illustrated on Thursday and included a picture of the woman's children, which her lawyers called intimidating -- were significant in that they were sent while Brown was a member of the Patriots, the source said.​

Up to that point, the issues surrounding Brown were all from before he had signed with the team on Sept. 9.​

Brown has been accused of sexually assaulting his former trainer, Britney Taylor, according to a civil lawsuit she filed Sept. 10. A source previously told ESPN's Jeff Darlington that Brown declined to sign a $2 million-plus agreement with Taylor in a proposed settlement.​

In addition to the lawsuit, Brown faces the allegation of sexual misconduct by a female artist who was working at his western Pennsylvania home in 2017. That allegation was part of a Sports Illustrated report published Monday that detailed domestic incidents involving Brown, a charity auction theft and multiple unpaid debts.​

On Thursday, the lawyer for the artist reached out to the NFL after Brown apparently sent what were described as threatening text messages to her client. The sides spoke Friday morning, with the woman's attorneys saying in a statement that the league "pledged to conduct a thorough investigation under its Personal Conduct Policy." According to that statement, the league also contacted the Patriots, who then directed Brown to have no further contact with the woman.​

Brown, 31, made his debut with the Patriots on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, totaling four catches for 56 yards and one touchdown. The Patriots had agreed to pay Brown a $9 million signing bonus, which was divided into two parts: $5 million that was due to be paid Monday and $4 million that was due Jan. 15. Brown, however, is unlikely to get any of the bonus because of a representation warranty clause that calls for a player to disclose any situations that might prevent continued availability.​

New England is 2-0 this season, winning those games by a combined 76-3.​

Without Brown, the Patriots have Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, Phillip Dorsett and undrafted Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski on the wide receiver depth chart, with special-teams captain Matthew Slater a niche/emergency option.​



On the same day the Pats also signed LB Scooby Wright to the practice squad, and released DE Gerri Green from the practice squad.

Wright played in 13 games with Arizona in 2016-2017, but never got beyond the practice squad with the Patriots. He had also previously played in the Alliance of American Football before Bill Polian's genius organization went bankrupt, and later played in the XFL and USFL from 2020 to 2024. Green was a 6'4, 252 edge rusher from Mississippi State wh was part of various NFL practice squads from 2019 to 2023, getting on the field for one game with the Bears in 2022.






Sept 20, 2022:
Scotty Washington is signed to the practice squad, and Jalen Wydermyer is released from the practice squad.




Sept 20, 2024:
Joe Giles reverts to the practice squad, after being a PS elevation the previous day.




Saturday September 20, 2025 at 4:00 pm:
Julian Edelman and Bill Parcells enshrined into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame












 
Today in Patriots History
Sam Adams



In memory of Sam Adams, who would have turned 77 today
Born September 20, 1948 in Jasper, Texas
Died October 10, 2015 in Houston, Texas at the age of 67
Patriot right guard, 1972-1980; uniform #61

Claimed off waivers from Dallas on August 31, 1971
Pats résumé: nine seasons, 119 games (105 starts), plus two postseason games;
All-Decade Team of the 1970s; 35th Anniversary Team



Originally signed by LA as an undrafted rookie out of Prarie View A&M in 1970, Sam Adams spent his rookie season on the Rams taxi squad. Signed by New England after the fourth of six preseason games, he spent all of '71 and the first half of '72 on the Pats taxi squad as well, before being signed to the active roster for six games. The following year Adams replaced Bob Reynolds at left tackle, playing in 12 games with eight starts.


The Patriots also had the good fortune of picking up Miami castoff Leon Gray in '73, and the following season he and Adams switched positions: Gray became the starting left tackle, and Adams the starting right guard. Chuck Fairbanks' lineup tweak was the right move, as an offensive line of Leon Gray-John Hannah-Bill Lenkaitis-Sam Adams-Shelby Jordan simply overwhelmed opposing defenses. That group provided the muscle that led to the Patriots setting a team record for most rushing yardage in a single season that stood for 41 years - despite the fact there was not a single player to rush for more than 768 yards.


A group of writers, broadcasters and team officials gathered today at Gillette Stadium and selected Patriots All-Decade Teams for the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.​

Here is the 1970s All-Decade Team:​

OFFENSE
OTs: Leon Gray, Tom Neville​
Gs: John Hannah, Sam Adams​
C: Bill Lenkaitis​
TE: Russ Francis​
WRs: Stanley Morgan, Randy Vataha​
QB: Steve Grogan​
RBs: Sam Cunningham, Andy Johnson​

DEFENSE
DEs: Julius Adams, Tony McGee​
NT: Ray Hamilton​
OLBs: Steve Zabel, Steve King​
ILBs: Steve Nelson, Sam Hunt​
CBs: Raymond Clayborn, Mike Haynes​
S: Tim Fox, Prentice McCray​

SPECIAL TEAMS/COACHING
K: John Smith​
P: Mike Patrick​
Returner: Mack Herron​
Special teams: Most Tatupu​
Head coach: Chuck Fairbanks​




Former New England Patriots G Sam Adams passes away








1972 Patriots Media Guide



1980 Patriots Media Guide



In 1979 Sam Adams became the 16th player in franchise history to play in over 100 games for the Patriots













 
Today in Patriots History
Jonathan Jones



Happy 32nd birthday to Jonathan Jones
Born September 20, 1993 in Carrolton, Georgia
Patriot cornerback, 2016-2024; uniform #31
Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent from Auburn on May 6, 2016
Pats résumé: nine seasons, 132 games (71 starts), plus eight postseason games; two-time Super Bowl champion



Jonathan Jones was projected to be a fourth or fifth round draft pick, but went undrafted in the 2016 NFL draft due to his 5'9 height - despite an impressive combine, being a top performer in the 40-yard dash.


Jones performed well in camp and preseason and made the roster as a rookie over veterans EJ Biggers, Brock Vereen, fellow rookies V'Angelo Bentley and Cre'Von LeBlanc, and 2015 draftee Darryl Roberts. Jones and Justin Coleman began the season as backups to returning starters Logan Ryan and Malcolm Butler, and 2nd round draft pick Cyrus Jones.

Despite the addition of Eric Rowe via a trade on September 14, Bill Belichick retained Jones on the roster. As a rookie Jones was used primarily on special teams (307 ST snaps, 64 defensive snaps), while earning his first ring in the SB victory over Atlanta. The following year Stephon Gilmore replaced Ryan, Cyrus Jones and Justin Coleman were shown the door, and after Eric Rowe was injured early Jonathan Jones and Johnson Bademosi got reps as a third corner.



From there on Jones was a fixture on defense peaking with 894 defensive snaps (89%) in 2022, when he started every game. That season Jones had four interceptions, including a game against the Colts when he had a pick-six and a blocked punt. Jones also excelled in the 37-31 2018 AFCCG versus the Chiefs, when he limited Tyreek Hill to just one catch.

Jonathan Jones Pick-Six | Patriots vs Colts


By 2024 Jones was 31 and appeared to be regressing. Opponents completed over 71% of passes to players he was covering, including seven touchdowns and a passer rating of 138.1. While much of that can be blamed on Jerod Mayo and Demarcus Covington, Jones just didn't look the same. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Alex Austin for the final three games, and signed early in free agency with Washington.

Jones' final stat line as a member of the Patriots reads 11 interceptions, 57 pass deflections, 10 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 438 tackles and one touchdown in 132 regular season games over nine years. In addition he had 20 tackles, two passes defensed and a sack in eight playoff games. The Patriots went 7-1 in Jones' eight playoff games, winning super bowls over the Falcons and Rams.





Jonathan Jones 2023-2025 Highlights
















2024 Patriots Media Guide











 
Today in Patriots History
Denny 'Nuts' Wirgowski



In memory of Dennis Wirgowski, who would have turned 78 today
Born September 20, 1947 in Bay City, Michigan
Died January 25, 2014 in Kawkawlin, Michigan at the age of 66
Patriot defensive lineman, 1970-1972; uniform #85, #70

Boston Patriots ninth round (212th overall) selection in the 1970 NFL draft, from Purdue
Pats résumé: three seasons, 37 games (26 starts)



Dennis Wirgowski had the misfortune of being coached and mis-used by Clive Rush, John Mazur and Phil Bengston.

A larger than life personality loved by everybody who knew him, much sadder was how his life ended.






Although he liked to claim otherwise, Dennis Wirgowski didn't really buy lunch for everybody on Saturdays at Bell Bar.​

But he did provide the entertainment.​


Patrons of the Columbus Avenue tavern always knew they could enjoy a meat-and-crackers snack – courtesy of the establishment – and heaping helpings of stories of Elmer Engel, Big Ten football or life in the NFL, compliments of the Bay City legend they call "Nuts."​

"He's been telling everybody he'll buy them lunch at the Bell for 40 years," said friend Ron Earl. "That's just Nuts being Nuts."​

Wirgowski, the former Bay City Central star who played parts of six seasons in the NFL, died at his home Saturday at the age of 66, as confirmed by his wife, Bethany.​


The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Wirgowski created a Bay City legacy as a big, strong, fast and mean football player at Central. As a two-way end, he led the Wolves to a 9-0 record and the Class A state championship under Engel in 1965. He was presented the very first Golden Helmet Award from Coca-Cola and The Bay City Times.​

Wirgowski earned high school All-American honors then took his talents to Purdue University as a defensive end. In 1970, he was a ninth-round draft pick of the Boston Patriots of the NFL. He saw game action in three seasons with the Patriots and one with the Philadelphia Eagles, chasing down the likes O.J. Simpson and Bob Griese.​





Following his NFL career, he returned to Bay City. Wirgowski owned The Backstreets bar for a time and worked for 28 years at Stevens Worldwide Van Lines.​

"He's been all around the world, he's played in the NFL," said longtime friend Monte Oswald, the former boxing champion who has a place alongside Wirgowski in the Bay County Sports Hall of Fame. "He could have gone anywhere, and what did he do? He came back to Bay City, and life is good."​


The Bay City legend became a visible fixture about town. He was a daily visitor of the Dow Bay Area Family Y, where he could always be found reading the paper while walking on the same treadmill every day. And, on Saturdays, he would hold court at Bell Bar, sipping a beer or a Bloody Mary, eating the free snacks and regaling anybody in earshot with a story.​

"He had a rough edge to him, but he loved people," said Ron Earl, who was 12 when he first became friends with Wirgowski. "He was tough, he was confident, but he cared about people.​




Denny attended Purdue University during that time he was drafted by the NFL playing for the Boston Patriots, later playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. He retired from the NFL and was working for Steven Van Lines as a warehouse manager. Nuts had a smile that you could never forget and the personality that made friends the minute he said “Hey Nuts” to get your attention.​

He enjoyed living on the water, watching the birds, going to football games and being out of doors playing with his dogs Coco, Barkley and Zoe.​




Lasting impressions were Dennis Wirgowski's specialty.​

He easily could make them with his off-the-wall stories, his goofball antics or his cornball humor.​

Or the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Bay City Central, Purdue University and New England Patriots football star could make them the hard way.​

"I talked to an Arthur Hill player who said nobody on their team wanted anything to do with Wirgowski -- and the guy who got stuck dealing with him had an unforgettable experience," said Walt Kanicki, the Hall of Fame trainer for Central athletics.​

Wirgowski, who was known equally for his ferocity on the field as for his fun off of it, died at his Kawkawlin home Saturday at the age of 66.​




Wirgowski was a catalyst on the 1965 Central football team that delivered the first 9-0 season under coach Elmer Engel and captured the Class A state championship. He earned high school all-American honors then took his skills to Purdue.​

He excelled at defensive end for three 8-2 seasons for Purdue, including the Big Ten championship campaign in 1967.​

"He had a great sense of humor and he liked to pull pranks in the lockerroom," said Leroy Keyes, a two-time all-American who teamed with Wirgowski at the West Lafayette, Ind. university. "He and I would get in little fights on the field during practice and I'd always say 'I don't understand why you defensive guys are trying to hurt your star running back.' He always got a kick out of that and we had fun with it.​

"The last time I saw him was at a bowl game, and we hugged and talked about the old days."​




Wirgowski was a ninth-round selection in the 1970 NFL draft, going to the then-Boston Patriots. He played in New England from 1970-73 before spending time with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns.​

"That was a real down time with the team, the place was in utter chaos," said center Jon Morris, a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame. "Dennis got shuffled around by the coaches to numerous spots. I don't think he ever got the opportunity to show what he could do. And he could play. He was no Deacon Jones, but he was a pretty good player."​


Morris said Wirgowski was one of the favorites among the players because of his lively and humorous persona. And that persona came in handy during one strange and eventful week of practice.​

"(Head coach Clive Rush) wanted to show me I was nobody special, so he tells Wirgowski he's playing center," Morris said. "Wirgo says 'Are you nuts? I don't know how to snap the ball to the quarterback, let alone anything else.' But for four days in practice, he was at center and I was at guard trying to tell him what to do."




Wirgowski, who was inducted into the Bay County Sports Hall of Fame in 1992, had cemented his status as a Bay City legend long before he made it to the top of his profession. As a star football and basketball player at Central, he did things on the field of play that few had seen before.

"There were so many things that guy could do better than anybody else because he was so gifted," said Kanicki, who helped Wirgowski rehab a knee injury suffered in college. "They wrote a column about him in Parade magazine where they called him Superman – and that's about what he was."


Kanicki recalled Wirgowski putting his size, speed and strength to good use in the championship-clinching 14-12 win over Pontiac Central in the final game of the 1965 season.​

"We were playing for all the marbles and it was a nip-and-tuck game. Somebody needed to make a play," he said. "Elmer called for a crossing pass and Dennis came across the field – running right toward me on the sideline – and I saw two or three defenders hit him. But he just shook them off, caught the ball and made a first down. And that was the play of the game."​


Joe Auman, the left halfback who scored the winning touchdown in that game, said Wirgowski was a skilled receiver who never complained when he was called upon to block in Central's ground-oriented offense. But he wasn't afraid to speak up when needed.​

"On one of those days where Engel threw some psychology at us, he gave us some choice words then just walked off the field – and we just stood there," Auman said. "Dennis was the one who jumped to the front and said 'I don't care if we're 6-0 or 8-0 or what, we've got to get this together.' So he was a leader when he needed to be and he was a team player every time else."​


Regardless of high school, college or NFL, Wirgowski's impression-making talents were always complemented by his impression-making personality.​

"To say he had a different mindset, that's the understatement of the year," laughed Kanicki. "But when the chips were down, he was there. I'm trying to think of anybody better who played for Elmer. He ranks up there with all the outstanding Central ballplayers we've ever had here."​





1972 Patriots Media Guide






 
Winning by only 8 in that game still irks me
 
Boston Patriots Near Forgotten Heroes Live with CTE - Neurologic Rehabilitation Institute

Several other former Patriot players have been diagnosed with CTE. Aaron Hernandez most recently, Junior Seau, Mosi Tatupu and Kevin Turner also played for the Patriots. These men or their relatives are part of the group of 5,000 retired football players involved in a class action lawsuit against the NFL.​

Other retired players from the 1970’s like Jon Morris, a former team captain and a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame, awaits the findings of baseline examinations. Morris played 11 seasons with the Patriots and snapped the ball to at least two quarterbacks, Jim Plunkett and Joe Kapp, who suffer from neurological disorders.​

Marty Schottenheimer, now 74 and a coach with an outstanding history, reports that he is struggling with Alzheimer’s. Bill Johnson, who played defensive back with Schottenheimer, lives with Alzheimer’s and has pledged his brain for research.​

The heroes of 1960’s and 70’s played football in a time when salaries were low and players relied on off-season work to make ends meet. Little was known about concussion and players were coached to lead with their heads. Concussion awareness in that era was low allowing players to be returned to the game often after a violent collision.​

Billy Johnson suffered a subdural hematoma attempting to take down Larry Csonka, a Dolphin’s running back in 1970. Johnson has no memory of the game but he participated in the next practice and played in the next game. He contemplates committing suicide as he lives with cognitive deficits and memory loss.​

John “Bull” Bramlett was known as “The Meanest Man in Football” joined the Patriots in 1969, He helped the team develop a reputation and earned much recognition for his ferocity of the field. He died at 73 from the complications of Alzheimer’s.​

Bill Lenkaitis studied dentistry in the off-seasons; joining the Patriots in 1971 he earned a spot on the Patriots All-Decade team. By his late 60’s he lost interest in his dental practice and according to his wife he was showing the signs associated with CTE. Lenkaitis died in 2016 from Glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, but the toll of concussions was showing long before that.​

Dennis Wirgowski played football in high school and college and excelled in other sports, he joined the Patriots in 1970 and was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1973. As he aged he lost the athleticism that had marked his life and following an orthopedic injury was confined to a wheelchair. He spoke with his football friends about his increasing depression and began to collect articles about former football players who committed suicide. On January 25, 2014 he killed himself with a borrowed shotgun.

Many of these heroes of football are now out of sight as they live with disability or have died. It is important that we understand how multiple concussions changed their lives as we look for ways to increase concussion awareness and build greater safety into the game.​
 
Today in Patriots History
The first R. Moss
Caught TD in Jim Plunkett's 1st game



Happy 79th birthday to Roland Moss
Born September 20, 1946 in St. Matthews, South Carolina; hometown Passaic, New Jersey
Patriot tight end, 1971; uniform #86
Signed as a veteran free agent approximately July 1, 1971
Pats résumé: one season, 14 games (6 starts)



Roland Moss big claim to fame is catching Jim Plunkett's second NFL touchdown pass. In the 1971 season-opening upset victory over the Oakland Raiders, Moss had two receptions, including a 20-yard third quarter score that put the Patriots up 14-6.

Moss started each of the first games that year for the Pats, highlighted by a three-reception, 49-yard week five game against Miami. Two weeks later he was replaced in the starting lineup by Tom Beer, and Moss had zero receptions the rest of the way. He finished the season with nine receptions for 124 yards and one TD, and never caught on with another team after being released the following spring.


Moss had been a running back in college at Toledo before John Mazur - who had multiple options at running back, but was thin at tight end - converted him to TE.




Roland Moss lettered in football during the 1966, 1967, and 1968 seasons. He currently stands 4th in rushing attempts (655). He is 10th total career rushing yards (2,241) and 4th rushing touchdowns (32). Roland is also ranked in several UT season categories, 6th in rushing attempts with 267 (1968) and 12th in rushing yards with 1,145 (1968). In 1967, Moss was a vital member of the Mid-American Conference champion Rockets, who finished with a 9-1 mark. He rushed for 887 yards on 213 carries and scored 13 touchdowns during that season. Moss was the recipient of the 1965 Cohen Trophy, an award given to the outstanding freshman player. He was awarded the Nicholson Trophy in 1968, which is given to the player who contributes the most toward the success of the team. That same year, he was chosen as an All-MAC tailback. Moss finished 11th in the country in rushing his senior year (1968). Moss carried the ball 267 times that year for 1,181 yards and 13 touchdowns, helping the Rockets to another winning record, 5-4-1. Also during the '68 season, he ranked second nationally in scoring. Moss was the team's rushing and scoring leader in two of his three seasons at UT. He had 887 yards and 16 touchdowns in 1967 and 1,181 yards and 14 TDs in 1968.​

Besides his great ability as a rusher, Moss was also a talented receiver, catching 20 passes for 164 yards during the 1968 season. He was drafted in the seventh round by the NFL's Baltimore Colts and played with them for one-and-a-half years. He then went to San Diego and completed his four year professional career with a two-year stint with New England. While with the Patriots, he started at tight end and caught All-Star quarterback Jim Plunkett's first professional touchdown pass, a 15-yarder against Oakland.​


Note the offseason commentary in the 1971 Patriots Media Guide regarding running backs and tight ends:






Sept 26, 1971: Roland Moss with one of his nine receptions as a Patriot.
It was also a rare completed pass by Jim Plunkett that day, who went 6-17 for 113 yards,
with one TD and two interceptions in a 34-7 loss to Detroit at Schaefer Stadium.






 
Today in Patriots History
2020: One Yard Short
Seattle 35, New England 30



Sunday Sept 20, 2020 at 8:22 EDT, 5:22 PDT
Week 2, Game 2 at Lumen Field
Seattle Seahawks 35, New England Patriots 30
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll
QBs: Cam Newton, Russell Wilson
Odds: Seattle 4-point home favorites
Sunny, 70°, 57% humidity, 5 mph wind; paid attendance: zero; time 3:07
TV: NBC SNF; Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth
Patriots drop to 1-1; Seahawks improve to 2-0



Patriots come up 1 yard short: After spending much of the second half trying to come back from being down two scores, the Patriots almost did it in the final minute when they drove to the Seattle 1-yard line with 3 seconds left. The Patriots went back to their huge goal-line package, which had worked so well in these first two games, but it didn't work when rookie Michael Onwenu allowed penetration, and that started the ball rolling on the 1-yard loss by Cam Newton.​



TURNING POINT

The Patriots had the ball and were threatening to take the lead midway through the fourth quarter when they had 2nd and 2 from their own 35-yard line.​

They proceeded to lose 6 yards on the next two plays. The first, a screen to Damiere Byrd, was a good play but N'Keal Harry failed at his block for a 2-yard loss.​

The next play really never had a chance as LT Isaiah Wynn couldn't get out to block Jamal Adams. A better option may have been for Newton to keep it when Bruce Irvin stayed flat to the line of scrimmage. This is the type of play that you would like to see Newton have the ability to check out of — perhaps a stepback screen to Edelman after he comes in motion.​

A touchdown on this drive would have put all the pressure on the Seahawks. The Patriots never got to that point because they never took the lead in the second half.​

SECOND GUESS

Everyone will second guess the play on the goal line because it didn't work. I'll go with another one: the Patriots' decision to basically play one linebacker (Ja'Whaun Bentley) all game. Not sure I saw Anfernee Jennings on the field ever. Maybe Brandon Copeland a few times. The Patriots decided to go heavy on the defensive backs, and the Seahawks absolutely ran them over when they wanted to. The Seahawks totally controlled the game — it would have been worse if Greg Olsen didn't gift a pick-six to the Patriots on the third play of the game.​

The Seahawks had one play for less than 2 yards in the first quarter. Patriots had three on their first drive.​










YouTube Videos:

5:04 - Cam Newton GOES OFF w/ 397 Passing Yards & 3 TDs | NFL 2020 Highlights

1:10 - Patriots vs. Seahawks Final Play | NFL Week 2

5:12 - Patriots vs. Seahawks INSANE Ending | NFL 2020

13:51 - Patriots vs. Seahawks Week 2 Highlights | NFL 2020





Patriots Pre-Game Press Release

National Football League Game Summary



Patriots Post-Game Notes
 
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