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Today In Patriots History September 5, 1993: Drew Bledsoe's first game with Patriots

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Today in Patriots History
Bill Parcells's first game as Pats' Head Coach
Drew Bledsoe's first game as Patriots' QB



On September 5th, 1993 Bill Parcells made his regular season debut as head coach of the New England Patriots, with rookie quarterback Drew Bledsoe also making his first start in an NFL game.


Sun Sept 5, 1993 at 1:00
Week 1, Game 1 at Rich Stadium
Buffalo Bills 38, New England Patriots 14
Head Coaches: Bill Parcells, Marv Levy
QBs: Drew Bledsoe, Jim Kelly
Odds: Buffalo favored by 14



This game was actually much closer than the final score would indicate. After Drew Bledsoe threw his second touchdown pass of the game to Greg McMurty, the Pats trailed by just three points midway through the third quarter. The crowd of nearly 80,000 fans in Orchard Park were stunned, expecting reserves to be playing late in the game. After all, the Patriots were coming off a two-win season and had won as many games in the last four years combined (14) as they had lost the previous season. The Bills on the other hand ruled the AFC, with five consecutive playoff appearances and three straight conference championships. This was just supposed to be a warmup game, something along the lines of Ohio State hosting the Akron Zips for their home opener.

Buffalo had some extra incentive for this game: three years earlier Parcells' New York Giants defeated the Bills in Super Bowl 25 in Tampa, 20-19. That was the game made famous by Whitney Houston's rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, and made infamous by the final play of the game, Scott Norwood's "Wide Right". The Bills were 6½ point favorites, but Parcells and DC Bill Belichick were able to neutralize a Buffalo team that was, quite frankly, more talented.

The Patriots held their own in this game, controlling the clock (33:13 time of possession), converting nine 3rd-and-4th down opportunities. Bledsoe did a nice job of spreading the ball around to six different players, but the Pats turned the ball over three times, while forcing just one interception by Jim Kelly - who thre four touchdown passes, including two in the fourth quarter. Two of those turnovers were fumbles that directly led to Buffalo touchdowns. The Bills then added another TD late on a 47-yard punt return for the final score.



Jim Kelly threw four touchdown passes Sunday, three of them going to Andre Reed, helping the Buffalo Bills spoil Bill Parcells' New England coaching debut with a 38-14 victory over the Patriots.​

New England trailed by only seven points going into the final quarter, but Kelly hit Reed with two touchdown passes in the final period and Russell Copeland returned a punt 47 yards for a score to blow open the game.​

Kelly completed 13 of 22 passes for 167 yards as the Bills embarked on their bid to reach the Super Bowl for the fourth consecutive year.​

The victory was Buffalo's sixth straight on opening day and the Bills' sixth straight over the Patriots at Rich Stadium.​

New England's Drew Bledsoe, the top overall pick in the NFL draft this year, went 14 for 30 for 148 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The Patriots dropped their season-opener for just the third time in 10 years.​

Parcells was coaching his first game at New England after having won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants. He spent two years out of coaching before taking the Patriots' job.​

Kelly threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Bill Brooks to give Buffalo a 10-0 lead in the first period and hit Reed with a 41-yarder with 2:07 to play int he half to put the Bills in front at intermission, 17-7.​

Then, after New England cut the deficit to a touchdown, Kelly found Reed with fourth-quarter touchdown throws of 22 and 14 yards.​

The Bills' first points of the day came on a 28-yard field goal by Steve Christie early in the second quarter.​

New England scored on two touchdown passes from Bledsoe -- one of 54 yards to Ben Coates in the second period and another of 2 yards to Greg McMurtry midway through the third period.​

Buffalo capitalized on a key fumble recovery in the second quarter to get its offense going. With the Bills leading, 3-0, Cornelius Bennett returned a fumble 49 yards to the New England 25, setting up Buffalo's first touchdown of the game.​

Then, with New England having gained momentum with its third-quarter touchdown, the Bills began to put the game away with a 75-yard drive that ended four seconds deep in the final period.​

Kelly completed a 20-yard throw to Reed on 3rd-and-3 which carried to the Patriots' 33-yard line and moments later he hit Reed again with the 22-yard scoring pass that gave the Bills a 14-point cushion.​

The Patriots promptly fumbled the ball away on their own 31, setting up the second Kelly-to-Reed touchdown pass of the quarter.​



Box Score and Stats:




30:46 Highlight Video
1993-09-05 New England Patriots vs Buffalo Bills



1:54:35 Full Game
1993 WK 1 New England Patriots vs Buffalo Bills
 
Only a QB as tough as Drew Bledsoe could handle the beating his body took for 7 years here.
 
Today in Patriots History
September 5 News



Sept 5, 2024:



Sept 5, 2020:
As the team cut down to their final 53-man roster, there were some eyebrow-raising decisions, most notably their current situation at kicker. The club cut both of their place kickers on Saturday, with both 5th-round pick Justin Rohrwasser and Nick Folk each jettisoned from the roster.​

Should Rohrwasser clear waivers, he could be added to the practice squad. From there, it would be hard not to believe that despite being in limbo as the team continues putting their roster together, Folk may be the player who we’ll see during the early portion of the season. His return will likely coincide with an eventual roster move to open up a spot for him.​

Meanwhile, this year’s group of receivers won’t wow anyone on paper but it’s interesting that Damiere Byrd’s solid play ultimately earned him an opportunity. This is now a young group behind Julian Edelman, who is now the elder statesman at 34-years old. But after that, it’s Byrd (27), followed by second-year receivers Jakobi Meyers (23), N’Keal Harry (22) and Gunner Olszewski (23) who round out the five receivers in this year’s receiving corps.​

Another area to watch is going to be the linebacker group, who will likely be a work in progress this season. With the departure of Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy via free agency, as well as Dont’a Hightower opting out for 2020, it’s a good opportunity for some new players who will find themselves with plenty of reps this season to establish themselves.​

This year’s group includes Ja’Whaun Bentley, Shilique Calhoun, Anfernee Jennings, Brandon Copeland and Josh Uche. Bentley is certainly an interesting player given the promise he’s shown in the past and he’s clearly earned the respect of his teammates after recently having earned his way up to starting 2020 as one of eight team captains for the Patriots this season.​

The secondary is a terrific group, with experienced players Stephon Gilmore and Jason McCourty anchoring this unit, while J.C. Jackson, Jonathan Jones and Justin Bethel round out this bunch. Jackson will be a player to keep an eye on as he improved a lot over the course of last season and many believe this could be a big year for him.​

That covers 16 players, here are the remaining 37 names as we rundown the other positions:​

Quarterbacks (3): Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer.​

Running backs (4): Sony Michel, James White, Rex Burkhead and Damien Harris.​

Fullback (1): Jakob Johnson​

Offensive line (10): Joe Thuney, Isaiah Wynn, Shaq Mason, David Andrews, Korey Cunningham, Mike Onwenu, Yodney Cajuste, Hjalte Froholdt, Justin Herron and Jermaine Eluemunor.​

Tight Ends (3): Dalton Keene, Devin Asiasi, Ryan Izzo​

Defensive Line (8): Adam Butler, Lawrence Guy, Deatrich Wise, Beau Allen, Derek Rivers, Chase Winovich, John Simon and Byron Cowart.​

Safety (5): Devin McCourty, Terrence Brooks, Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips, Joejuan Williams and Cody Davis.​

Special Teams (3): Joe Cardona, Matthew Slater, Jake Bailey​

The Patriots also released veteran running back Lamar Miller on Saturday as part of moves to reduce the roster to 53 players.​





Sept 5, 2017:



Sept 5, 2016:
Rounding out the roster on the practice squad are receivers Devin Street and Devin Lucien, offensive linemen Chris Barker and Clay DeBord, linebacker Rufus Johnson, defensive linemen Geneo Grissom and Woodrow Hamilton and running back Bishop Sankey.​

Meanwhile New England lost any chance they had at bringing back a few players after three who were waived on Saturday ended up being claimed by other teams. Kamu Grugier-Hill was claimed by Philadelphia, while Chicago grabbed promising defensive back Cre’Von LeBlanc and Darryl Roberts landed with the division rival New York Jets.​

Just as the Patriots made their final roster cuts to trim the roster down to the maximum 53 players, the team added another team's castaway at a position of relative need. Former Tennessee Titans running back Bishop Sankey signed with the Patriots practice squad on Sunday.​

Sankey, a former second-round pick out of Washington in 2014, has failed to live up to the hype of being the first running back taken off the board in his draft year. He's managed just 12 starts in two seasons with the Titans, averaging 3.8 yards on 199 career carries.​

Should he push for a spot on the Patriots roster, Sankey could back up LeGarrette Blount for early-down duties in the Patriots backfield. The Patriots cut running backs Tyler Gaffney and Joey Iosefa as part of their final cutdowns.​



Sept 5, 2015:
Veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne, who signed a one-year contract with the New England Patriots on Aug. 25, was released by the team Saturday.​

Coach Bill Belichick called it a mutual decision.​

Wayne asked for his release from the team and the Patriots granted it. He would be willing to sign with another team but only in the right situation, a source said.​

Wayne's one-year contract with the Patriots had a maximum value of $2.8 million and included a $450,000 signing bonus. The 36-year-old said he picked the Patriots over other options for one primary reason: "I just want to win, point-blank."​

Wayne also seemed upbeat after Thursday's preseason finale.​

"I'm still trying to find my swag, but I'm starting to catch on," he said.​

Asked whether he felt like he would be up to speed on Sept. 10 for the season opener, Wayne said, "I don't have a choice. It's going to be here regardless if I'm ready or not."​

Wayne played the first 14 seasons of his career with the Indianapolis Colts, who decided not to re-sign him in 2015. The six-time Pro Bowler has 14,345 career receiving yards with 82 touchdowns as a primary target of Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.​


The Patriots are also likely to be without wide receiver Brandon LaFell for the first part of the season.​

LaFell has been placed on the physically unable to perform list, a source told ESPN's Field Yates. LaFell will be eligible to play in Week 7.​

Running back Jonas Gray joined Wayne as one of 11 players the Patriots released Saturday.​

Gray’s eventful 2014 campaign with the team included a historic four-touchdown game and being inactive for Super Bowl XLIX. He appeared in eight games for the Patriots last season.​

The other veteran players cut by the Patriots on Saturday were tight end Asante Cleveland, linebacker Darius Fleming, cornerback Robert McClain, defensive lineman Zach Moore and wide receiver Jalen Saunders. Cornerback Daxton Swanson, defensive back Justin Coleman, linebacker Xzavier ****son and safety Brandon King were also released.​



Sept 5, 2013:
The Patriots have released offensive lineman Braxston Cave and tight end Matthew Mulligan. Cave had been claimed off waivers Sunday after being released by Cleveland. He was a third-team All-American at Notre Dame.​

Mulligan, a Bangor, Maine, native who played at the University of Maine and has spent four years in the NFL (three with the Jets, last season with St. Louis), was signed as a free agent Tuesday. He has 20 starts among his 50 NFL appearances, catching 14 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown.​

Mulligan had been signed to the 53-man roster on Tuesday, so this was a quick stay for him. He was considered a strong blocker who could help until Rob Gronkowski returns. The Patriots now have Gronkowski, Michael Hoomanawanui and Zach Sudfeld at tight end.​

Cave, the former Notre Dame product, had been claimed on waivers from the Browns on Sunday. He could be a candidate to return to the team's practice squad if another team doesn't claim him and he has interest in staying in New England.​

Also, the Patriots officially signed offensive tackle Jordan Devey to the practice squad after his original contract with the team was not approved.​



Sept 5, 2012:
The New England Patriots placed tight end Visanthe Shaincoe on injured reserve with the designation that he can return this season.​

Tight end Michael Hoomanawanui, previously of the St. Louis Rams, was signed to the open roster spot.​

Hoomanawanui, a 2010 fifth-round pick, played under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in St. Louis last season and caught eight passes for 83 yards.​

CSNNE.com first reported the Shiancoe move and also noted that tight end Kellen Winslow, who recently worked out for the Patriots, failed his physical.​

In practice squad moves Wednesday, the Patriots signed wide receiver Kerry Taylor and offensive lineman Jeremiah Warren, and released fullback Eric Kettani and wide receiver Sam Kirkland.​



Sept 5, 2011:
The New England Patriots announced today the signing of eight players to the practice squad. Signed today were: LB Markell Carter, RB Eric Kettani, OL Matt Kopa, DE Aaron Lavarias, OL Nick McDonald, WR Kerry Taylor, S Ross Ventrone and OL Thomas Welch.​



Sept 5, 2010:
After surviving the plethora of cuts made the day before, second-year linebacker Tyrone McKenzie was released on Sunday.​

The move comes as surprise considering that McKenzie was drafted in the third-round and was coming off a torn ACL that cost him the 2009 season.​

He stayed with the team last year following surgery to take part in meetings so he would be ready to step in and perform this season, but was slow to pick up the defense and had somewhat of a disappointing camp.​

By the end of preseason, Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, Gary Guyton and rookie free agent Dane Fletcher all had moved ahead of him on the depth chart.​

McKenzie entered New England with high expectations after recording 116 tackles and seven interceptions as a junior at the University of South Florida in 2008.​

In other news, the Patriots claimed offensive tackle Steve Maneri from Houston off of waivers. Maneri is a rookie who played tight end most of his career at Temple.​
 
Today in Patriots History
Older September 5 News



Sept 5, 2009:
The Patriots have informed receiver/safety Ray Ventrone that he has been released, according to a league source. Also, the team plans to place rookie offensive lineman George Bussey (knee) on season-ending injured reserve, according to his agent.​

Ventrone, a fourth-year player, has made various contributions to the team since 2005 — some coming behind the scenes in practice, others on game day as a strong special teams player. He appeared in 17 regular-season games with the Patriots, 15 of which came last year.​

Bussey, the team’s fifth-round draft choice out of Louisville, played in the team’s final preseason game against the Giants on Thursday. It was his lone action of the preseason and he lined up at right guard and right tackle. Bussey has had swelling in his knee, according to his agent Cary Fabrikant, and will now undergo surgery. Bussey remains under contract with the Patriots and compete for a roster spot in 2010.​

The Patriots announced that second-year linebacker Shawn Crable (groin) has been placed on season-ending injured reserve.​

RB Chris Taylor (shoulder) has also been placed on IR. The team also confirmed earlier news that rookie OL George Bussey (knee) has been placed on IR.​

The Patriots released the following players today:​
DL Titus Adams, OL Wesley Britt, CB Herana-Daze Jones, LB Paris Lenon, CB Jamar Love, WR Terrence Nunn, OL Ryan O’Callaghan, DL Darryl Richard, TE Alex Smith, S/WR Ray Ventrone.​

The team, which started the day with 66 players, is now at the 53-man roster limit.​

The Patriots were involved in two trades involving tight ends, acquiring TE Michael Matthews from the New York Giants for an undisclosed draft pick, while acquiring an undisclosed draft pick from the New Orleans Saints in exchange for veteran TE David Thomas.​

Matthews, 6-4, 270 pounds, originally joined the Giants as a rookie free agent out of Georgia Tech. He has played in 32 regular season games with 10 starts and has played in five postseason games. Matthews has eight receptions for 54 yards during his two NFL seasons.​

The Saints have filled their tight end void by trading a seventh-round draft choice in 2011 for the New England Patriots' David Thomas. Note: That's 2011, not 2010, so it won't affect the Saints' draft for another two years.​

Thomas, 26, was drafted in the third round out of Texas in 2006. He has served mostly as a blocking specilaist for the Patriots, catching 21 passes for 261 yards and one touchdown in his three-year career. His 2007 season was almost completely wiped out by a foot injury.​

He did prove he could fill in as a receiving tight end in 2006, when he started at Jacksonville in December, catching five passes for 83 yards and a diving touchdown catch that was voted as the team's best catch of the year.​

Thomas also caught 10 passes for 88 yards for the Longhorns in the 2006 Rose Bowl to help lead Texas to the national championshiop.​
 
Dreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew! That was really the ignition point of my football fandom. Especially that end of season game vs the Dolphins that ended on that long bomb to Timpson. I got so excited!
 
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