Today In Patriots History September 21, 1997: Drew Bledsoe > Rick Mirer; Patriots go to 4-0

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1997: Patriots go to 4-0 for first time in 23 years
Drew Bledsoe bests Rick Mirer in 31-3 victory​

Sunday Sept 21, 1997 at 1:00
Week 4, Game 4 at Foxboro Stadium
New England Patriots 31, Chicago Bears 3
Head Coaches: Pete Carroll, Dave Wannstedt
QBs: Drew Bledsoe, Rick Mirer
Odds: Patriots favored by 13
Pats improve to 4-0, Bears drop to 0-4


For third time in team history, and first since 1974, the Patriots started the 1997 season 4-0 with a convincing 31-3 victory over the Chicago Bears.

The battle between the two top draft picks of the 1993 draft was not even remotely close. Drew Bledsoe carved up the Chicago defense, going 24-37 for 301 yards, with first half touchdown passes to Vincent Brisby and Troy Brown. Troy caught six passes for 124 yards while the defense got five sacks, two from DT Henry Thomas and two from safety Larry Whigham.

Rick Mirer was 17-25 but threw for only 154 yards, with two interceptions and five sacks. Curtis Martin took the first play of a fourth quarter drive 70 yards to the house, to put the Pats up 24-3. That allowed Scott Zolak to enter the game, and he finished an 8-play drive with a 20 yard TD to Lovett Purnell for the final score.

Overall the Pats held a more than 2:1 advantage over the Bears in first downs (23-9), net passing yards (315-120) and total yards (402-199).

The Patriots proceeded to win the AFC East but cooled off after this game, going .500 the rest of the year to finish 10-6. The Pats would defeat Miami in the playoffs but then lose 7-6 at Pittsburgh in the divisional round, in what was Pete Carroll's best season in New England.

Patriots Are 4-0 With a Soft Touch

The defense was exceptional, Drew Bledsoe was efficient and New England stayed unbeaten.

www.latimes.com

The defense was exceptional, Drew Bledsoe was efficient and New England stayed unbeaten. Now the Patriots will start playing good teams.​

The Patriots knocked off another patsy on Sunday, defeating the wounded and winless Chicago Bears, 31-3, although it was only 17-3 halfway through the fourth quarter.​

New England has outscored its opponents, 130-40. But its first three were San Diego, Indianapolis and the New York Jets, and the combined record of their four foes was 2-10 before Sunday.​

“I don’t think there is a team that can match up with us man-to-man,” Bledsoe said after throwing for 301 yards and two touchdowns. “But we haven’t played the elite teams in the NFL yet.”​

The easy stretch ends after an open week when they play the Broncos in Denver. And the Patriots face Green Bay three weeks later.​

"Being in the NFL and being undefeated going into the bye week is pretty sweet," said Pete Carroll, who has yet to lose since becoming coach of the Patriots last February.​

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The Patriots are 4-0 for the first time since 1974. The Bears are 0-4 for the third time in their 78 years.​

The Patriots gained 402 yards and held the Bears to 199, the same total New England’s Curtis Martin ran for the previous week. “They are obviously a well-balanced team,” Chicago Coach Dave Wannstedt said. “They are probably a little underrated from a defensive standpoint.”​

The Bears concentrated on stopping Martin and pressuring Bledsoe, but that exposed them to quick passes.​

New England struggled on the ground until Martin broke loose for a 70-yard touchdown run with 7:44 left, making the score 24-3.​

Rick Mirer, drafted second behind Bledsoe in 1993, started at quarterback in place of Erik Kramer for the Bears, but the change didn’t amount to much. Mirer was 17 of 25 for 154 yards with two interceptions.​

Patriots keep rolling

FOXBORO -- The defense was exceptional, Drew Bledsoe was efficient and New England stayed unbeaten. Now the Patriots will start playing good teams. The Patriots knocked off another patsy Sunday, be…

www.southcoasttoday.com

The Patriots are the only team that hasn't lost to the Bears since Chicago beat them in the 1986 Super Bowl.​

"This year has been the most discouraging year I've had as a pro athlete," Bears linebacker Bryan Cox said.​

The Patriots wasted some excellent chances against the team that had allowed the most points in the NFL. And they struggled on the ground until Curtis Martin broke loose for a 70-yard touchdown run with 7:44 left, making the score 24-3.​

Bledsoe's touchdown plays covered 7 yards to Brisby in the first quarter and 52 to Brown in the second, with Brown running the last 43 yards. The quarterback was 24-of-37.​

The Bears ran only three plays inside New England territory -- one was an interception by Ty Law -- until the third-quarter drive that ended with Jeff Jaeger's 38-yard field goal that made the score 14-3.​

Early in the fourth quarter the Patriots had a first-and-goal at the 3, but settled for Adam Vinatieri's 27-yard field goal, tying Tony Franklin's team record of 14 consecutive successful kicks.​

The Patriots wasted a scoring chance on the first series of the third quarter when Shawn Jefferson caught an 11-yard pass, then fumbled at the Chicago 3, where Barry Minter recovered.​

Backup quarterback Scott Zolak's 20-yard pass to Lovett Purnell gave New England its final touchdown with 1:02 left.​

The Patriots lost yardage on each of their first five rushes and got their first gain, 4 yards by Martin, with 3:06 left in the half.​

For the second straight week, the Patriots scored on their first possession, then struggled.​

Starting from the Chicago 39, Bledsoe threw the first of six consecutive completions -- a 10-yarder to Jefferson. After an apparent 7-yard touchdown pass to Terry Glenn was nullified by a holding penalty, Bledsoe connected with Brisby for 10 yards before the 7-yard scoring pass to Brisby.​

Then Chicago forced three punts and came up with an interception on the Patriots' next four possessions before Brown scored with 1:35 left in the half.​

2:43 Highlight Video
1997 Bears at Patriots Week 4



21:49 1997 Season Highlights
1997 New England Patriots Team Season Highlights "Meeting The Challenge"
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Box Score, Team & Individual Stats, and Full Play-by-Play:

Chicago Bears at New England Patriots - September 21st, 1997 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Chicago Bears 3 at New England Patriots 31 on September 21st, 1997 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
2008: The Wildcat Game
Ronnie Brown torches the Patriots​

Sunday Sept 21, 2008 at 1:00
Week 3, Game 3 at Gillette Stadium
Miami Dolphins 38, New England Patriots 13
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Tony Sparano
QBs: Matt Cassel, Chad Pennington
Odds: Patriots favored by 12½
Pats drop to 2-1; Dolphins improve to 1-2


This game is actually the most famous September 21 game in the franchise's history, but its memory still to this day leaves me with such a sour taste that I refuse to make it the lead for today's entry. It was bad enough that Patriots fans were still attempting to come to grips with Tom Brady being lost for the season, but then this happened? WTF? It was a proverbial twisting of the knife on an open wound.


The Dolphins confused the Patriots and shocked the NFL by utilizing a college style wildcat offense. Ronnie Brown scored three touchdowns in the first half, to propel the Fins to a 21-6 halftime lead. In the third quarter the left handed RB caught the Pats by surprise by running to his left and tossing a 19 yard touchdown to TE Anthony Fasano.

The Patriots responded with a quick drive capped by a touchdown pass from Matt Cassel to Jabar Gaffney, cutting the deficit to 28-13. Brown capped his amazing day six plays later with a 62 yard TD run on 3rd and one. That gave the Dolphins a 25 point lead on the first play of the fourth quarter, and the game was basically over.

Wildcat strikes: Inside story of how '08 Dolphins perplexed Patriots

It's been 10 years since one of the most unorthodox game plans in NFL history, when the Dolphins created a gimmick offense to beat the mighty Patriots.

www.espn.com

Into the Wildcat

A decade ago, the Miami Dolphins put a running back at quarterback and a quarterback at wide receiver. The protagonists of one of the weirdest (and most successful) offensive experiments the NFL has ever seen tell us the story.

www.theringer.com

‘They had no answers’: 10 years later, shock of Dolphins’ Wildcat win over Patriots still lingers | The Athletic

4:47 Highlight Video
Ronnie Brown Five Touchdown Masterpiece vs Patriots (2008 Week 3) - INTRODUCING THE WILDCAT!
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Box Score, Team & Individual Stats, and Full Play-by-Play:

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots - September 21st, 2008 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Miami Dolphins 38 at New England Patriots 13 on September 21st, 2008 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[Pape]

the full game, 1997 Pats v Bears...

 

[FCB02062]

That 97 team should've done better than 10-6 and a division round road game exit... underachieved bigly

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
2003: The Jets Suck
Patriots 23, Jets 16​

Sunday Sept 21, 2003 at 1:00
Week 3, Game 3 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 23, New York Jets 16
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Herm Edwards
QBs: Tom Brady, Vinny Testaverde
Odds: Patriots favored by 6
Pats improve to 2-1; Jets fall to 0-3


The big news from this game was not a victory, but rather more major injuries - which would become a theme for the 2003 season. Ted Washington fractured his leg, coming one week after Rosevelt Colvin broke his hip and two weeks after Ted Johnson broke his foot.

The Pats scored a pair of touchdowns in a two and a half minute span midway through the second half. Tom Brady scored on a sneak to cap off an 8-play, 73-yard drive near the end of the third quarter. On the first play of the fourth quarter Asante Samuel jumped the rout on a pass intended for Wayne Chrebet, and returned it 55 yards for a pick-six. The Pats rushed for 147 yards while the makeshift defense limited the Jets to a miniscule 1-13 on third down.

Herm Edwards' post-game press conference was a doubling down of his previous year's infamous "play to win the game" diatribe. All sizzle and no steak. I will readily admit that there was plenty of schadenfreude on my part with the Jete ineptness.

Patriots Hold On Despite Injuries

New England Patriot players are going down as quickly as the New York Jets' season.

www.latimes.com

New England Patriot players are going down as quickly as the New York Jets’ season.​

​

For the third straight game, the Patriots lost a key defender and the Jets lost a close game as New England won, 23-16, Sunday.​

Tom Brady never missed a play after hurting his right elbow with 5:45 left in the second quarter. He ran for a one-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to break a 9-9 tie.​

But in the first quarter, nose tackle Ted Washington fractured his leg and wide receiver David Patten hurt his right leg. Neither returned.​

The Patriots (2-1) already were without two starting linebackers -- Ted Johnson, who broke his left foot in the first game, and Rosevelt Colvin, who broke his left hip in the second and is expected to miss the season.​

And they released safety Lawyer Milloy before the first game.​

Cornerback Ty Law injured his ankle late in the first half but returned.​

The Patriots broke a home losing streak against the Jets at five.​

The Patriots won at the Meadowlands, 44-7, in the second game last year, then lost at home, 30-7, in the 15th game and missed the playoffs on the final weekend.​

PRO FOOTBALL; Jets Have Nothing to Show but Near Misses (Published 2003)

New England Patriots defeat New York Jets, 23-16; photos (M)

www.nytimes.com

Once the play-calling calculus was complete in his head, Jets Coach Herman Edwards could reach just one conclusion. He had to try a fake field goal in the second quarter against the Patriots today, just as he had to go for it on fourth down last week against the Dolphins, because the Jets are scrounging for touchdowns like down-on-their luck prospectors.​

This was desperation disguised as gambling, and it could be seen as folly precipitated by frustration. Edwards called for punter Dan Stryzinski, the holder on field goals, to pass to center Kevin Mawae on fourth down from the Patriots' 16-yard line. The ball was just out of Mawae's reach, and though the decision not to kick a field goal did not cause the Jets' 23-16 loss to New England, it was indicative of just how deep Edwards has to dig to find something to spark his players as their season swirls into the abyss.​

Edwards was furious at the suggestion that, amid all the ineptitude on both sides of the ball, this play might be held up as the one that cost the Jets the game. His biting defense of his decision revealed his distress with an offense that seems to step into quicksand as soon as it gets deep into an opponent's territory.​

''I'm tired of the field-goal team running out there every time we get in the red zone to kick another field goal,'' Edwards said. ''You're not going to win in this league kicking field goals. We don't have the Doomsday defense to say, 'We're going to shut these guys out.' We've got to score touchdowns.''​

In their 0-3 start, the Jets have scored just three touchdowns, one a game, a measly ration that has put their season on the brink before the first quarter of the schedule has been completed. With the surprising Dallas Cowboys of Bill Parcells coming to the Meadowlands next week, the Jets face the possibility of going into their bye week without a victory. Even for a team that is comfortable dealing with long odds after last year's stunning turnaround from a 2-5 start to win the American Football Conference East, the chances this season are dwindling already. Just five teams since 1970 have started 0-3 and made the playoffs.​

The most excruciating lost opportunity was in the third quarter, when Chester McGlockton knocked the ball away from Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as he prepared to pass. James Reed recovered the ball and returned it to the Patriots' 13. To that point, the game had been an exchange of field goals, and the Patriots led, 9-6.​

But the Jets' first two plays netted just 1 yard, and on third-and-9 from the 12, Curtis Conway dropped a perfect pass in the end zone, so the Jets had to settle for their third field goal.​

When cornerback Ray Mickens was called for pass interference on the Patriots' next drive, New England had a first-and-goal at the 1. They then gave the Jets a lesson in capitalizing on chances. With the Jets' defensive line pushed off the play, Brady scrambled for a touchdown and a 16-9 lead the Patriots would not relinquish.​

On the next possession, Testaverde was intercepted by the rookie cornerback Asante Samuel, who returned the ball 55 yards for a touchdown that gave the Patriots a 23-9 lead with nearly the entire fourth quarter to play.​

1:53 Highlight Video
2003 Patriots at Jets Week 16



2:23:01 Full Game
2003 Week 3 - N.Y. Jets at New England
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Official NFL Media Game Summary

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

New York Jets at New England Patriots - September 21st, 2003 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New York Jets 16 at New England Patriots 23 on September 21st, 2003 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1980: Pats win in 68-point comeback shootout
Patriots 37, Seahawks 31​

Sunday Sept 21, 1980 at 4:00
Week 3, Game 3 at the Kingdome
New England Patriots 37, Seattle Seahawks 31
Head Coaches: Ron Erhardt, Jack Patera
QBs: Steve Grogan, Jim Zorn
Odds: Seattle favored by 2; over/under 47
Pats improve to 2-1; Seahawks drop to 1-2


This game was a microcosm of the 1980 Patriots. That team could certainly score points (they would finish the season ranked second in points scored), but were average at best on defense.


Stanley Morgan scored twice in the second quarter, on touchdown passes of 68 and 40 yards from Steve Grogan. John Smith also kicked a pair of early field goals, yet the Pats led by only three at the half. Horace Ivory scored on a 20 yard run to put the Patriots up 27-17 entering the fourth quarter, but Seattle was not finished. With a pair of Jim Zorn touchdown passes (31 yards to hall of famer Steve Largent, 21 yards to Sam McCullum), the Seahawks led 31-30. Grogan's third touchdown pass on the day, good for 16 yards to TE Don Hasselbeck, gave the Patriots a 4th quarter 37-31 comeback victory.


This game was the first of what would be a five-game winning streak for the Patriots. The team finished with a very respectable 10-6 record, but missed the playoffs, one game behind Buffalo. In 1980 the AFC was the dominant conference, with just four teams with losing records - compared to 8 of 14 in the NFC. Oakland would go on to easily defeat Philly by the score of 27-10 in Super Bowl 15.

1:08 Highlight Video
9/21/1980 New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks highlights, National Football League Week 3



2:55:25 Full Game
1980 - Patriots at Seahawks (Week 3) - Enhanced NBC Broadcast - 1080p/60fps
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[PATSYLICIOUS]

Petes first year, defending afc champs. They started out on fire but hit a major slump midseason. Probably should have beaten pitt in rd 2 but denver would’ve waxed us like they always did . Funny how even under brady /bb we still struggled with denver. Wtf

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
2014: Gostkowski saves feeble offense
Patriots 16, Raiders 9​

Sunday Sept 21, 2014 at 1:00
[URL='https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201409210nwe.htm]Week 3, Game 3 at Gillette Stadium[/URL]
New England Patriots 16, Oakland Raiders 9
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Dennis Allen
QBs: Tom Brady, Derek Carr
Odds: Patriots favored by 14
Pats improve to 2-1; Raiders drop to 0-3


The Pats had trouble finishing drives, settling for three Stephen Gostkowski field goals, which nearly caused a huge upset. As a result Oakland had a first down on the six yard line with 1:02 to play. On the next play Rob Ninkovich knocked away a pass intended for Denarius Moore. The ball bounced away from Logan Ryan and then Vince Wilfork finally caught it, securing the victory.

Julian Edelman had ten receptions for 84 yards, and Tom Brady (24-37, 234 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int) became the third quarterback to win 150 regular season games.

5 Takeaways from the Patriots-Raiders

If the Patriots' performance against the Oakland Raiders is to be considered anything close to the team's best effort, there needs to be a careful rethinking of the roster, particularly on offense.

www.boston.com

The Patriots had all of the offseason, training camp, preseason, and two regular season games to prepare for Sunday. That means they not only had the means to get on the same page as far as plays go, timing, and chemistry, but also had extensive time to determine which players could put them in the best position to operate at a high level, something akin to last year’s seventh ranked offense and 10th ranked passing offense. (News flash: They’re not anywhere near that now.)​

Despite this opportunity, one player coming back from a serious knee injury garnered six targets (three receptions), while underutilized players like Danny Amendola, Kenbrell Thompkins, and Tim Wright languished. Between those three, Brady targeted the group three times (one each), resulting in two completions for 26 yards.​

Amendola hasn’t had a reception since Miami in Week 1. It’s starting to get weird the way in which Brady eyeballs Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman while ignoring everybody else. I think we all understand that feeding both Edelman and Gronk is a good thing, but balance for the offense — which was discussed at length this week — should be the priority because it benefits the offense as a whole. Based on their snaps, the team believes Amendola, Thompkins and even Wright can help contribute to fixing the offense’s woes. Brady just needs to get them the ball, something he has acknowledged now on multiple occasions.​

4:50 Highlight Video
Patriots vs Raiders | 2014 Week 3 Patriots Highlights



1:57:30 Full Game
2014 Week 3 - Raiders @ Patriots
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Box Score, Team & Individual Stats, and Full Play-by-Play:

Oakland Raiders at New England Patriots - September 21st, 2014 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Oakland Raiders 9 at New England Patriots 16 on September 21st, 2014 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Other September 21 Games​

Sept 21, 1987 at 9:00 (MNF)
Week 2, Game 2 at Giants Stadium
Jets 43, Patriots 24
Head Coaches: Raymond Berry, Joe Walton
QBs: Tony Eason, Ken O'Brien
Odds: Patriots favored by 2
Pats drop to 1-1; Jets improve to 2-0

In the third quarter Al Toon scored on a 58 yard pass, and Johnny Hector rushed for two touchdowns to lead the Jets. Tony Eason was sacked five times while passing for only 186 yards on 34 attempts for the Pats. Andre Tippett scored on a 29 yard fumble return, but the Patriot offense could not get anything going until it was too late. The Jets controlled the ball for 37:08 and were able to run 15 more offensive plays; New York outgained New England in total yards 408-193.

A week later NFL games were canceled due to the player strike. That would be followed by three infamous replacement player games. The Pats finished 8-7 - the canceled week was never made up - missing the playoffs, one game behind Indianapolis.




Sept 21, 1986 at 1:00
Week 3, Game 3 at Sullivan Stadium
Seahawks 38, Patriots 31
Head Coaches: Raymond Berry, Chuck Knox
QBs: Tony Eason, Dave Krieg
Odds: New England favored by 6
Pats drop to 2-1; Seattle improves to 3-0


Tony Eason set a franchise single game record with 422 yards passing, but Seattle scored 17 points in the final three minutes for a wild comeback win. Stanley Morgan had seven receptions for 161 yards and three touchdowns and Irving Fryar had six catches for 100 yards. The Pats outgained Seattle 506 yards to 303, with a 24-12 edge in first downs - while running 78 offensive plays to Seattle's 52 - and still found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

LA Times Recap:

Dave Krieg’s second touchdown bomb to Ray Butler, a 67-yard play with 1:14 left, capped the Seahawks’ 17-point explosion in the final three minutes and gave them a 38-31 NFL victory Sunday.​

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The Seahawks scored their final two touchdowns within 58 seconds of each other.​

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The first was Paul Moyer’s recovery in the end zone of a blocked punt for the touchdown that tied the score, 31-31, with 2:12 left. The second was Butler’s second touchdown catch of the day.​

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The Seahawks (2-1) tied the score on their second blocked punt of the game.​

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Morgan, who began the day as the NFL reception leader with 15, caught 7 passes for 161 yards. It gave him, for the first time in his 10-year career, three consecutive games with more than 100 receiving yards.​

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The Patriots fought back, moving from their own 20 to a first down at the Seattle 39 with 20 seconds to go. Eason completed a pass over the middle to Cedric Jones for a 19-yard gain. Jones lateraled to Craig James, who gained three more yards. But he fumbled and Eugene Robinson recovered with seven seconds left. Seattle ran out the clock.​

Sept 21, 1981 at 9:00 (MNF)
Week 3, Game 3 at Schaefer Stadium
Cowboys 35, Patriots 21
Head Coaches: Ron Erhardt, Tom Landry
QBs: Matt Cavanaugh, Danny White
Odds: Dallas favored by 2
Pats drop to 0-3; Cowboys improve to 3-0

This game may be most notable for being the final Monday Night Football game in Foxboro for 15 years.

When the Dallas Cowboys came to Foxborough in September 1981 on a Monday night, the town’s board of selectmen preemptively attempted to have kickoff moved up to 8 p.m. before ceding to the Patriots’ (and presumably ABC’s) wishes to keep it at 9 p.m. The scene surrounding the Cowboys’ 35-21 win was another brawl-addled mess, including a stabbing and an assault on a police officer.​

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Foxboro decided that “Monday Night Football” would not return to the town, and for 14 years — a span covering the entirety of Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett’s career — ABC obliged.​

Mosi Tatupu's 38 yard run gave the Patriots a 21-17 lead in the third quarter. Dallas would score five times after that (three field goals, a safety and a 1-yard TD pass) the rest of the way while shutting the Pats out for the final score. Matt Cavanaugh went 14-26 for 235 yards, but threw four interceptions (and no touchdowns). The Pats turned the ball over seven times in total, with just one takeaway; if not for Dallas settling for five field goal attempts (with one miss) the final score should have been much worse.

Highlights:


Full Game:
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Sept 21, 1975 at 1:00
Week 1, Game 1 at Schaefer Stadium
Oilers 7, Patriots 0
Head Coaches: Chuck Fairbanks, Bum Phillips
QBs: Neil Graff, Dan Pastorini

Unfortunately this would not be the last time Fairbanks would lose to Bum and Dan. It was also the first time that Steve Grogan would get on the field. He went 2-6 for 21 yards with an interception, and one rush for ten yards

9/21/75: Patriots Lose on Fumble, 7-0 | New York Times
By the time the rain began the Oilers had their winning touchdown, scored by Willie Germany in the fifth minute. Germany, the strong safety, recovered a fumble by Mack Herron that bounced into his hands while he was going full tilt, and he raced 48 yards into the New England end zone. “I was running for my life,” he said.

This play was about all that happened. The two teams sloshed around in the water, which collected on the artificial turf, and the defenses were way ahead of the offenses.

Because Jim Plunkett, the Patriots' peerless passer, is out with a shoulder separation, Neil Graff played quarterback for New England. Graff, whose past record showed one pass attempt and one completion in regular season play, did all right in the estimate of his coach. But he could not make the big play, which is the mark of Plunkett.

Graff completed 10 of 18 pass attempts for 95 yards but none was for long yardage. Houston's Dan Pastorini, an established long passer, completed only 6 of 16 for 53 yards.

Rookie linebacker Robert Brazile, playing on the outside, covered everything that came his way, which most often was Leon McQuay, the former Giant who had little success running the sweeps. McQuay was in the game because Mack Herron, the regular halfback, suffered a hip injury early, after he had fumbled the ball that Germany recovered for the afternoon's only significant play.




Sept 21, 1969 at 1:00
Week 2, Game 2 at Alumni Stadium
Chiefs 31, Patriots 0
Head Coaches: Clive Rush, Hank Stram
QBs: Mike Taliaferro, Len Dawson
Pats drop to 0-2; Chiefs go to 2-0

Three years earlier the Patriots and Chiefs were equals, vying to represent the American Football Game in an exhibition game that would later become known as the first Super Bowl. 32 months later this matchup had deteriorated to the equivalent of Ohio State playing Slippery Rock.

KC had more than FOUR TIMES as many first downs (25-6) and total yards (395-82) -- let that last stat sink in for a moment -- and ran 70 offensive plays compared to 38 for the Pats. Mike Taliaferro passed for 78 yards but was sacked three times for losses totaling 38 yards - giving the Patriot offense a net of 39 yards passing for the game.


The Patriots lost the first seven games of the 1969 season, but managed to finish 4-10. Kansas City went 11-3, then matriculated the ball down the field against Minnesota to win Super Bowl IV.

4:53 Highlight Video
1969 Chiefs at Patriots week 1 week 2 AFL
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Friday, Sept 21, 1962
Week 3, Game 3 at Nickerson Field
Patriots 41, Broncos 16
Head Coaches: Mike Holovak, Jack Faulkner
QBs: Babe Parilli,Tom Yewcic; Frank Tripucka, George Shaw
Patriots improve to 2-1; Denver drops to 2-1

Gino Cappelletti scored 17 points on a touchdown catch, five extra points and a field goal to lead the Pats to victory at Boston University. Denver outgained the Patriots but the Boston defense forced five turnovers, with Fred Bruney (33 yards) and Ron Hall (47 yards) both scoring on second half pick-sixes.

Halfback Claude King had the game of his life. An 18th round draft pick by the Bears in 1960, King played professional football for just two seasons. On this day he ran for a 71 yard touchdown, and had two catches for 40 yards.