Today In Patriots History September 30, 2001: Pats beat Colts, Manning 44-13 in Tom Brady's first start

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
2001: Tom Brady gets his first NFL start
Peyton throwns three Interceptions, two pick-sixes
Pats get first win of season, 44-13​

Sunday Sept 30, 2001 at 1:00
Week 3, Game 3 at Foxboro Stadium
New England Patriots 44, Indianapolis Colts 13
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Jim Mora
QBs: Tom Brady; Peyton Manning, Mark Rypien
Odds: Indianapolis favored by 11½
Patriots improve to 1-2, Colts drop to 2-1


Peyton Manning ended up watching the final minutes from the bench, wondering what the hell just happened, in Tom Brady's first NFL start. Manning threw for 196 yards and three interceptions - including a 78-yard pick-six by Otis Smith in the last two minutes of the half - as the Patriots jumped out to a 20-0 halftime lead over the heavily favored Colts.

Any thoughts of an Indy comeback were extinguished early in the fourth quarter. After the Colts finally scored a touchdown to make it 23-7 with a minute to go in the third quarter, Brady quickly responded on a five-play scoring drive. On 3rd-and-11 Tom connected on a 17 yard pass to David Patten, and on the next play hit Antowain Smith for a gain of 38 yards. That set up Kevin Faulk's 8-yard run to make it 30-7.

Two plays later Ty Law intercepted a pass thrown to TE Ken Dilger and ran it back 23 yards for a second New England touchdown within a span of 70 seconds. That made the score 37-7, and the celebration could commence.

New England 44, Indianapolis 13 - UPI Archives

Otis Smith and Ty Law returned interceptions thrown by Peyton Manning for touchdowns Sunday and the New England Patriots coasted to a 44-13 victory for their...

www.upi.com

Otis Smith and Ty Law returned interceptions thrown by Peyton Manning for touchdowns Sunday and the New England Patriots coasted to a 44-13 victory for their sixth straight home win over the Indianapolis Colts.​

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Indianapolis has lost nine of its last 11 games at Foxboro Stadium, an antiquated facility that the Patriots will abandon at the end of the season for a new home across the street.​

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"I'm not going to miss this place," Manning said. "We were just outplayed."​

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The Colts failed to put up a fight even though the Patriots played without quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who is expected to miss significant time due to internal bleeding in his chest cavity.​

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Tom Brady made his first NFL start in Bledsoe's place and completed 13 of 23 passes for 168 yards without an interception.​

Patriots Turn Up the Defense

The New England Patriots were subdued after their first victory of the season.

www.latimes.com

The division upset was a big win for New England (1-2) against a team with offensive stars like Manning, Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison.​

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“It was almost a must-win situation,” Patriot cornerback Ty Law said. “From the first whistle, we went out there to hit them and smack them in the mouth.”​

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Law returned an interception for a 23-yard touchdown and Otis Smith brought another back 78 yards for a score as Manning threw three to bring his total to seven in three games. He also threw his seventh touchdown pass, a 17-yarder to Marcus Pollard that made it 37-13.​

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For New England, Adam Vinatieri kicked three field goals and Antowain Smith rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns, outplaying James, who was held to 55 yards on 17 carries.​

The Patriots scored 13 points in the last 5:50 of the second quarter and led, 20-0, at halftime against the Colts (2-1), who averaged 33 first-half points in their previous two games.​

N.F.L. WEEK 3: YESTERDAY; Patriots Rout the Colts At Their Own Game (Published 2001)

New England Patriots defeat Indianapolis Colts, 44-13; Pittsburgh Steelers defeat Buffalo Bills, 20-3; Cleveland Browns defeat Jacksonville Jaguars, 23-14 (M)

www.nytimes.com

New England did it without Drew Bledsoe, expected to miss at least two more games because of internal bleeding in his chest following a tackle last week. He was replaced by Tom Brady, who went 13 for 23 for 168 yards.​

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The fact that Indianapolis had the fourth worst run defense in the league didn’t hurt. It gave up 177 yards rushing after going into the game with an average of 141.5.​

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The Colts finally scored on Manning’s 10-yard run in the final minute of the third quarter, making it 23-7, but the Patriots kept rolling.​

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They came back with a 62-yard drive in which a 38-yard completion to Antowain Smith, the longest reception of his career, set up Kevin Faulk’s eight-yard scoring run and a 30-7 lead.​

James came into the game as the NFL’s rushing leader with an average of 123 yards, but his franchise record of five straight games with at least 100 yards was snapped.​

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“People will probably be surprised,” Otis Smith said, “but the key is we weren’t surprised.”​

Patriots breathe life into season by handcuffing Colts - The Boston Globe

New England’s defense stifled Colts QB Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady, making his first start for the injured Drew Bledsoe, led the Patriots to a 44-13 rout for their first win.

www.bostonglobe.com

Photo Gallery - Patriots.com

7:00 Highlight Video
Tom Brady’s First Start & Win with the 2001 New England Patriots



15:07 Extended Highlights
Tom Brady's FIRST Start! (Colts vs. Patriots, 2001)



3:05:38 Full Game
First Ever Brady vs. Manning Matchup! Week 3, 2001 FULL GAME

Pats Media Dept Pre-Game Press Release

NFL Media Game Summary

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

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots - September 30th, 2001 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Indianapolis Colts 13 at New England Patriots 44 on September 30th, 2001 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
2018: Pats squish undefeated Dolphins
Defense limits Miami to 172 yards
Patriots rout Dolphins, 38-7​

Sunday Sept 30, 2018 at 1:00
Week 4, Game 4 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 38, Miami Dolphins 7
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Adam Gase
QBs: Tom Brady; Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler
Odds: New England favored by 6½
Patriots improve to 2-2, Dolphins drop to 3-1


Key Stats:
First Downs: Patriots 26, Dolphins 11
Rushing Yards: Pats 175, Dolphins 56
Total Yardage: Pats 449, Dolphins 172
Third Down: Patriots 10-15, Dolphins 3-11
Time of Possession: Pats 36:22, Dolphins 23:38

Patriots 38-7 Dolphins (Sep 30, 2018) Game Recap - ESPN

Expert recap and game analysis of the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins NFL game from September 30, 2018 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

Tom Brady threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns and the New England Patriots handed Miami its first loss of the season in a 38-7 rout on Sunday.​

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Brady improved to 15-1 as a starter against Miami.​

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New England showed the kind of consistency on both sides of the ball that had been missing in back-to-back losses to Jacksonville and Detroit. Since 2002, the Patriots are 8-0 after back-to-back losses.​

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In its two losses, New England's offense struggled to find its rhythm and sustain drives on third down.​

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It did both Sunday, taking advantage of a Dolphins defense that couldn't seem to match the Patriots' speed.​

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Running back James White finished with a rushing and receiving touchdown. Rookie running back Sony Michel also rushed 25 times for 112 yards and his first career touchdown. It was perfect timing after Rex Burkhead went on injured reserve last week with a neck injury.​

Patriots 38, Dolphins 7

Miami struggled in every phase and looked very much like the team that has lost 10 straight road games to New England.​

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Ryan Tannehill finished 11 for 20 for 100 yards and an interception. He was pulled in the fourth quarter in favor of Brock Osweiler. Osweiler connected with Frank Gore for a 6-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter for Miami's lone score.​

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Miami was just 3 of 11 on third down and managed only 172 total yards. The Dolphins also had two turnovers and were whistled for 10 penalties, totaling 89 yards​

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Miami had a strong start on defense, intercepting Brady on New England's second offensive series.​

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But following a quick Dolphins' punt, the Patriots bounced back with a 55-yard TD pass from Brady to Cordarrelle Patterson to take a 10-0 lead.​

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The 55-yard pass was New England's longest play of the season. Patterson caught the pass over his shoulder along the sideline and stutter-stepped past safety T.J. McDonald to find a clear path to the end zone.​

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Then about midway through the second quarter, Tannehill fumbled a snap to begin a series that was recovered by Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy on the Dolphins 2 . White ran it in for a touchdown on the next play to make it 17-0 .​

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The Patriots then ended the half with a 15-play, 85-yard drive capped by an acrobatic touchdown grab in the end zone by Phillip Dorsett.​

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Dorsett, who had no catches in last week's loss to Detroit, finished with four catches for 55 yards.​

Patriots stop skid, hand Dolphins 1st loss in 38-7 rout

Brady shines, Patriots ends losing skid and hand Dolphins 1st loss of season

www.boston.com

Patriots receiver Josh Gordon made his debut Sunday, marking his first playing time in New England since his trade from the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 17.​

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Gordon made his first reception at the 7:27 mark of the first quarter, hauling in a 13-yard grab.​

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New England dealt for the embattled receiver about 48 hours after the Browns announced their intention to cut ties with him, saying they had “reached a point where we feel it’s best to part ways and move forward.”​

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He finished with two catches for 32 yards.​

Cordarrelle Patterson became the 70th different player to catch a touchdown pass from Brady.​

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It tied Brady with Vinny Testaverde for the most players with a touchdown reception from a single quarterback in NFL history.​

Patriots stop skid, hand Dolphins 1st loss in 38-7 rout

Tom Brady passed for 274 yards and three touchdowns as the Patriots handed Miami its first loss of the season in a 38-7 rout.

apnews.com

Tom Brady, Patriots destroy Dolphins 38-7 in bounce-back performance

New England ended a two-game losing streak by dominating the AFC East-leading Dolphins Sunday.

www.masslive.com

Game Observations: Defense dominates Dolphins

Dolphins get smacked by Patriots 38-7

Miami Dolphins get smacked by New England Patriots 38-0 on Sunday.

dolphinswire.usatoday.com

Game Observations: Defense dominates Dolphins

Photos: Patriots 38, Dolphins 7

Visit the post for more.

www.orlandosentinel.com

6:53 Highlight Video
Dolphins vs. Patriots Week 4 Highlights | NFL 2018
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Pats Media Dept Pre-Game Release

Roster and Depth Chart

Starting Lineups and Rosters

NFL Media Game Summary

Pats Media Dept Post-Game Notes

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

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots - September 30th, 2018 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Miami Dolphins 7 at New England Patriots 38 on September 30th, 2018 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[signbabybrady]

Patten instantly became one of my favorites that day

 

[jmt57]

Patten instantly became one of my favorites that day

And even more so when the Pats played the Colts again three weeks later.
- 29 yard touchdown run
- 91 yard touchdown reception
- 60 yard TD pass to Troy Brown
- a second touchdown catch

Not bad for an undrafted WR from Western Carolina with four touchdowns in four years, dumped by the Giants and Browns.

 

[signbabybrady]

And even more so when the Pats played the Colts again three weeks later.
- 29 yard touchdown run
- 91 yard touchdown reception
- 60 yard TD pass to Troy Brown
- a second touchdown catch

Not bad for an undrafted WR from Western Carolina with four touchdowns in four years, dumped by the Giants and Browns.

I confused the 2 games. I guess I should have read closer.

This was the Cox game. Defensive identity was formed that day.

 

[h0c2000]

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
2012: Pats overcome 14-point deficit
Score five straight touchdowns
Crush Bills, 52-28​

Sunday Sept 30, 2012 at 1:00
Week 4, Game 4 at Ralph Wilson Stadium
New England Patriots 52, Buffalo Bills 28
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Chan Gailey
QBs: Tom Brady, Ryan Fitzpatrick
Odds: New England favored by 4½
Patriots improve to 2-2, Bills drop to 2-2


The Patriots became the first team since the 1950 Giants to score at least 45 points after trailing at halftime. They also became the second NFL team with a 300-yard passer (Tom Brady, 340 yards), two 100-yard rushers (Brandon Bolden, 137; Stevan Ridley, 106), and two 100-yard receivers (Wes Welker, 129, Rob Gronkowski, 104).

Brady Leads Pats To 52-28 Rout Of Bills

The Patriots overcame a sloppy first half to avoid their first three-game skid in 10 years.

www.wbur.org

Once Tom Brady started connecting with his favorite receivers, there was nothing wrong with the New England Patriots.​

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Brady led six straight touchdown drives in the second half to lead New England to a 52-28 rout of the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Patriots (2-2) overcame a sloppy first half and a 21-7 third-quarter deficit to avoid their first three-game skid in 10 years.​

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Brady finished 22 of 36 for 340 yards and three touchdowns, plus one rushing.​

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Cornerback Devin McCourty had two interceptions in keying a defense that forced six turnovers and had three sacks.​

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Two familiar star receivers — Wes Welker and tight end Rob Gronkowski — played key roles in helping the Patriots finish with 580 yards offense, 358 coming in the second half.​

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Welker had nine catches for 129 yards, and Gronkowski had five for 104 yards and a touchdown as both players bounced back from first-half fumbles.​

Game Recap: Patriots 52, Bills 28

The comeback began immediately after Ryan Fitzpatrick hit Donald Jones for a 68-yard touchdown pass on the Bills first possession of the second half.​

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Brady responded with an eight-play, 80-yard drive by hitting Danny Woodhead for a 17-yard touchdown. After tying the game with a 4-yard run, Brady capped a five-play 63-yard drive by hitting Gronkowski with a 28-yard touchdown pass.​

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The Patriots scored 35 points in a span of 12:41 in building a 42-21 lead on Brandon Bolden's 7-yard run.​

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New England improved to 17-1 in its past 18 meetings against Buffalo, and 22-2 dating to the 2000 season. The Patriots lost their last trip to Orchard Park, 34-31 after blowing a 21-0 lead.​

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This time it was the Bills turn to unravel.​

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After Jones' scored, nothing else went right. Buffalo combined for two first downs and 31 yards on its next four drives, two of which ended with turnovers.​

Patriots 52-28 Bills (Sep 30, 2012) Game Recap - ESPN

Expert recap and game analysis of the New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills NFL game from September 30, 2012 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

The Bills' offense sagged despite the return of its two top running backs. Fred Jackson had 29 yards rushing and 50 receiving in his first game back since spraining his right knee in a season-opening loss. Spiller had 33 yards rushing and 5 receiving after hurting his left shoulder in at Cleveland last weekend.​

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Both also fumbled, with Spiller's coming on a goal-line plunge late in the first quarter.​

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It was a dreadful outing for Mario Williams -- who signed a six-year, $100 million contract in March -- and the Bills' high-priced defensive line.​

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Buffalo managed one sack. Otherwise, the defense gave up the second most yards in franchise history, and most points since a 56-10 loss to New England on Nov. 18, 2007.​

The game had additional significance to the Patriots, as it featured the return of the NFL's regular officials after they reached a new eight-year agreement on Thursday. It came after Belichick was fined $50,000 by the NFL for grabbing an official's arm to question whether Justin Tucker's 27-yard field goal would be reviewed following a 31-30 loss at Baltimore last weekend.​

Patriots roar back from 14-point deficit, stun Bills, 52-28

If you turned off your television in disgust at about 3 o’clock Sunday, well . . . what you missed. The Patriots’ offense — which rewrote the record books in 2007 and came close to doing it again in 2011 — outdid itself in the final 26 minutes against the Buffalo Bills. After a wasteful, sloppy...

www.nbcsportsboston.com

The explosion started with a surgical 8-play, 80-yard drive that took 2 minutes and 58 seconds and was capped by a 17-yard Brady-to-Danny Woodhead pass -- made possible by some nifty scrambling from Brady which enabled Woodhead to break free in the secondary -- that cut Buffalo's lead to 21-14. The New England defense forced a three-and-out, its first of the game, on Buffalo's next possession, and that opened the floodgates:​

-- A four-yard scramble by Brady with 3:53 left in the third quarter, capping an 8-play, 85-yard drive that tied the game at 21-21.​

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-- A 28-yard TD pass from Brady to Gronkowski on the first play of the fourth quarter, completing a 5-yard, 63-yard that put New England ahead to stay, 28-21.​

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-- A two-yard scoring run by Ridley that finished a 42-yard drive started when Brandon Spikes forced his second fumble of the game, a drop by Fred Jackson that was recovered by Tavon Wilson.​

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-- A seven-yard TD run by Bolden that made it 42-21 after the second interception of the game by Devin McCourty -- yes, the much-maligned Devin McCourty -- had given New England possession on the Buffalo 12.​

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Five possessions. Five touchdowns. Fifteen minutes of action.​

Game 4: Patriots 52, Bills 28

Running back Stevan Ridley (22) and the Patriots had plenty to celebrate after Ridley’s second touchdown run gave the Patriots a 35-21lead in the fourth quarter. The Patriots went on to crush the Bills 52-28 and even their record at 2-2. Rookie Brandon Bolden rushed 16 times for 137 yards and a...

www.boston.com

Jerod Mayo with an interception on a pass tipped by Vince Wilfork.



Rookie Brandon Bolden rushed 16 times for a career high 137 yards and a touchdown.



Devin McCourty's interceptions sparked the comeback.



Gronk had a 41-yard catch, and 104 yards with a TD for the game.



Tom Brady tied the score at 21-21 in the third quarter on a 4-yard run.
Brady moved into 10th place on the NFL’s all-time completion list and 11th for career passing yards.



Brandon Lloyd’s score gave the Patriots a 49-28 lead.


4:07 Highlight Video
Patriots vs Bills 2012 Week 4



31:46 Extended Video
2012 - Patriots @ Bills Week 4
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Pats Media Dept Pre-Game Press Release

Pats Roster and Depth Chart

Rosters and Starting Lineup 'Flip Card'

NFL Media Game Summary

Pats Media Dept Post-Game Notes

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

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills - September 30th, 2012 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 52 at Buffalo Bills 28 on September 30th, 2012 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1984: Pats stop Jets, 28-21
Eason throws for 354 yards, 3 touchdowns, no picks
Offensive line neuters Jete "Sack Exchange"​

Sunday Sept 30, 1984 at 1:00
Week 5, Game 5 at Giants Stadium
New England Patriots 28, New York Jets 21
Head Coaches: Ron Meyer, Joe Walton
QBs: Tony Eason, Pat Ryan
Odds: New York Jets favored by 1½
Patriots improve to 3-2, Jets drop to 3-2


New England's offenive line completely silenced Mark Gastineau and the much ballyhooed Jet 'Sack Exchange' in East Rutherford. Tony Eason went 28-42 for 354 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and zero sacks.

Meanwhile the much less hyped Patriot defense was the unit making life miserable for an opposing quarterback. The Pats sacked Pat Ryan six times while simultaneously shutting down Freeman McNeil, limiting the All Pro running back to 36 yards rushing on 13 carries.

Lin Dawson had six receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown for the Patriots, and Derrick Ramsey had five catches for 81 yards. Fred Marion had an interception and a sack, Andre Tippett had two sacks, and Doug Rogers, Kenneth Sims, Don Blackmon and Toby Williams combined for three more sacks.

PATRIOTS TOP JETS; GIANTS TROUNCED (Published 1984)

www.nytimes.com

Freeman McNeil, who has had three games of more than 100 yards rushing this season, produced his second disappointing game in amassing only 36 yards on 13 carries. And the offensive line, failing to create holes for the slithery runner, allowed Pat Ryan to be sacked six times.​

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Still, Ryan stood and took it. He completed 20 of 31 passes for 297 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was intercepted once.​

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That interception was perhaps the game's pivotal play, for it led to the Patriots' tie-breaking touchdown drive.​

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On the first drive of the third quarter, Ryan led the Jets to the Patriots' 18-yard line. The key play was a 43- yard completion to Wesley Walker, who caught 4 passes for 76 yards, as Ryan continued to be able to find Walker more often than Richard Todd had in previous seasons.​

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But the drive ended when Ryan's pass was intercepted by Fred Marion on the 2 as Ryan was trying to reach Mickey Shuler in the end zone. Marion returned the ball 26 yards, and Eason began a march that ended on a 4-yard scoring pass to Bo Robinson. Eason had 136 yards passing in the quarter.​

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On the Patriots' next drive, Eason continued to pick on Davlin Mullen, who was forced to play the left corner because of Bobby Jackson's pregame hamstring injury. On the first play, Mullen committed his second penalty of the game. The drive culminated with a 43-yard pass to Stanley Morgan, his first touchdown of the season after his return from a hamstring injury suffered in an exhibition game.​

20:25 NFL Week 5 Highlights
Pats - Jets game begins at 9:46
1984 NFL Week 5
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NFL Media Game Summary

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:

New England Patriots at New York Jets - September 30th, 1984 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 28 at New York Jets 21 on September 30th, 1984 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1990: Pats turn the ball over four times
Jets rush for 224 yards
The disastrous 1990 season continues​

Sunday Sept 30, 1990 at 4:00
Week 4, Game 4 at Foxboro Stadium
New York Jets 37, New England Patriots 13
Head Coaches: Rod Rust, Bruce Coslet
QBs: Marc Wilson, Ken O'Brien
Odds: Even Pick'em
Patriots drop to 1-3, Jets improve to 2-2

NY Jets 37, Patriots 13 - UPI Archives

The New England Patriots battled all week to resolve problems in the locker room and owner's box, but the real disaster was on the field Sunday....

www.upi.com

The New England Patriots battled all week to resolve problems in the locker room and owner's box, but the real disaster was on the field Sunday.​

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New England, dogged by the controversy stemming from the sexual harassment of a reporter in the team's locker room, suffered its second straight rout, a 37-13 loss to the New York Jets.​

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Patriots rookie head coach Rod Rust acknowledged the turmoil but said his team's real problems were on the field.​

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'I would tell you right now that in no way do I consider (the controversy) any sort of excuse. We're supposed to go out and play football.'​

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The loss, which dropped New England to 1-3, followed a 41-7 drubbing last week by the Cincinnati Bengals.​

Patriots Having Trouble on the Field, Too : AFC: O'Brien passes for 282 yards to lead the Jets to 37-13 victory over a team trying block out the turmoil over sexual harassment charges.

The black cloud over the New England Patriots got even darker Sunday.

www.latimes.com

The black cloud over the New England Patriots got even darker Sunday.​

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But there was one bizarre bright spot for the Patriots: fewer than one-third of the 36,724 spectators who filed into the stadium were still there to see the dismal ending.​

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For the Jets, Ken O’Brien completed 19 of 29 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown, Brad Baxter rushed for two touchdowns, Blair Thomas had his first 100-yard game, and Rob Moore caught nine passes for 175 yards, including a 69-yard score. Pat Leahy added field goals of 18, 24 and 46 yards.​

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It was easy for the Jets (2-2) to forget last Monday night’s 30-7 loss to Buffalo. It was impossible for the Patriots (1-3) to forget the uproar stemming from the incident 13 days earlier involving Boston Herald reporter Lisa Olson.​

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The woes of New England mounted early as the Jets scored on their first possession. Baxter’s one-yard run capped an 11-play, 54-yard drive.​

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Baxter added a 28-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, making the score 31-6 after Michael Mayes’ first NFL interception.​

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Four plays after Kyle Clifton intercepted a pass, Leahy kicked his 18-yard field goal, increasing the margin to 34-6 with 1:36 left in the third quarter.​

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After the first of Jason Staurovsky’s two field goals, a 46-yarder, cut New York’s lead to 7-3, O’Brien and Moore hooked up on the 69-yard scoring play.​

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Staurovsky’s 40-yard field goal made the score 14-6 with 5:48 left in the second quarter. Leahy answered that with a 24-yarder.​

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The Jets got the ball back 1:22 before halftime. O’Brien threw a 36-yard completion to Moore, taking the ball to the Patriots’ 11. Three plays later, Freeman McNeil’s four-yard scoring run built the halftime lead to 24-6.​

15:07 Season "Highlights" Video
1990 New England Patriots
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Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:

New York Jets at New England Patriots - September 30th, 1990 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New York Jets 37 at New England Patriots 13 on September 30th, 1990 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
1973: Run defense comes up short
Mercury Morris sets Dolphins record with 197 yards rushing
Miami 44, New England 23​

Sunday Sept 30, 1973 at 1:00
Week 3, Game 3 at the Orange Bowl
Miami Dolphins 44, New England Patriots 23
Head Coaches: Chuck Fairbanks, Don Shula
QBs: Bob Griese, Jim Plunkett
Odds: Dolphins favored by 20½
Patriots drop to 0-3, Dolphins improve to 2-1


Things began well, with Mack Herron returning the opening kickoff down to the Miami 21-yard line - but the play was brought back on a penalty. The Pats got close, but Sam Cunningham fumbled just short of the goal line. After a scoreless first quarter, Miami was up 6-0 on a pair of Garo Yepremian field goals. Then Mercury Morris went wild, scoring on 24 and 70 yard rushes to make it 20-0.

The upset-minded Patriots weren't done yet though. A pair of John Tarver (66 yards rushing, 29 receiving) touchdown runs cut the Miami lead to seven, 23-16 after three quarters. Then Morris scored his third touchdown of the day 1:35 into the fourth quarter to give the Dolphins a two-touchdown lead. Two and a half minutes later Bob Griese found Paul Warfield for a 17-yard TD, and a 31-17 lead.

Jim Plunkett threw a nine-yard TD to cut the deficit to 14, but there was now only 6:21 left to play. Former Patriot Nick Buoniconti sealed the Miami win with a 13-yard fumble return for a touchdown with 1:56 left on the clock to make the final score 44-23.

With over 18,000 no-shows in Miami, the only people paying attention at that point were the gamblers. The extra point made it a 21-point lead - in a game where the Dolphins were favored to win by 20½.

Dolphins and Morris Romp (Published 1973)

www.nytimes.com

Mercury Morris crashed out of Don Shula's doghouse yesterday. The fleet running back for the Miami Dolphins made up for a handful of mistakes he committed two weeks ago by scoring three touchdowns and setting a Dolphin single game record of 197 yards gained as Miami rolled over the New England Patriots, 44?23, in Miami.​

Morris, racing for scores on runs of 70, 35 and 24 yards, needed only 15 carries to establish the club record. Two weeks ago against San Francisco, he fumbled twice and dropped two perfectly thrown passes. He also was unimpressive last week in loss to Oakland.​

“I had a lot of people in front of me, that's why I had such an outstanding day,” explained the runner who gained 1,000 yards last season. “All three runs came on a basic play. It was nothing new. Everybody executed the way they should have.”​

Shula praised Morris for “thinking goal all the way” each time he broke into the clear, and decided that “our running offense came back to approach last year's.”​

3:40 Highlight Video
1973 Patriots at Dolphins week 3
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NFL Media Game Summary

Box Score, Team & Individual Stats:

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins - September 30th, 1973 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 23 at Miami Dolphins 44 on September 30th, 1973 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Happy 81st birthday to Ron Berger
Pats DT/DE, 1969-1972; uniform #88​

Ron Berger was undrafted out of division 2 Wayne (Nebraska) State, and was originally signed in 1968 by the Rams. After being let go as part of final roster cuts, the Pats picked him up in early September of 1969. He spent the latter half of the 1969 season on injured reserve with a blown out knee, but returned to become a starting defensive tackle the following year. In 1970 he led the team with nine sacks, playing next to Houston Antwine.

Berger played in 41 games with 23 starts over four seasons in New England.

Julius Adams replaced Berger in the starting lineup in 1972, and the following year the Pats traded Berger to Buffalo for MLB Ken Lee - who failed to make the Pats roster. Berger was dealing with knee injuries and never played in the NFL after that either. He finished his career with 14 sacks and three fumble recoveries as a member of the Patriots.

Ron Berger (88) and John Bramlett (57) combine to stop Buffalo RB Greg Jones in a November 1, 1970 game at Harvard Stadium.​