Today in Patriots History

[jmt57]

December 19

Happy 76th Birthday to Bob Windsor
Born December 19, 1942 in Washington DC
Patriot TE from 1972 to 1975, uniform #86
His name recently resurfaced thanks to the Patriots playing the Vikings a few weeks ago.
Windsor's name will forever bring a smile to the face of any older Patriot fan, with what to that group will always be considered one of the greatest plays in Pats history (at least of the 20th century).
Another Pats-Vikings game 1974..Bob Windsor's gutsy move
On This Day: Bob Windsor lays his career on the line for the game-winning score
Bob Windsor | Lost Laurel


Happy 70th Birthday to Dennis Coleman
Born Dec 19, 1948 in Aberdeen, Mississippi
Patriot LB in 1971, uniform #53
Coleman was selected by the Dolphins in the sixth round of the '71 draft out of Ole Miss. He played in nine games for the Pats in '71, and then played in the CFL for Calgary in '72-'73.
https://www.justsportsstats.com/footballstatsindex.php?player_id=colemden001


Happy 38th Birthday to Eddie Jackson
Born Dec 19, 1980 in Americus, Georgia
Patriot S in 2007, uniform #29
Eddie Jackson goes from NFL to 'Food Network Star' winner

Jackson was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Panthers in 2004. He spent 2005 and 2006 in Miami, but tore his ACL near the end of the '06 season and wasn't re-signed. The Patriots inked him to a two-year deal in 2007, but he broke his wrist. New England, too, chose to not bring Jackson back. He tried a comeback with the Redskins in 2008, but Jackson said he was never the same after the knee injury.

At 28, his NFL career was over. It marked the end of his life as a professional athlete -- and the beginning of his life as a cook.

Jackson eventually discovered where he could shine. He owns the Caribbean Grill food truck in Houston, focusing on island barbecue, and also has a private gym.​

Jackson has appeared on television for The Food Network since 2015.
Eddie Jackson
22 Things You Didn't Know About Eddie Jackson
Eddie Jackson Bio


Happy 60th Birthday to Dino Mangiero
Born Dec 19, 1958 in New York City
Patriot NT in 1987, was credited for playing in two games for the Pats, with a sack registered in a 14-7 victory over the Bills. Mangiero was in the NFL from 1980-87, mostly with the Chiefs; he caught on with the Pats at the tail end of his career. He later became a high school football head coach in New Jersey.



Other pro football players with ties to New England born today:

Alex Sidorik, Dec 19, 1919 - April 12, 1980
Born and raised in Hartford, went to Weaver HS in Hartford.
After playing collegiately at Mississippi State, Sidorik spent three seasons in the NFL. After the war the tackle was drafted by the Boston Yanks; he played in Boston for one year, two more with Baltimore before calling it quits at the age of 30.
Alex Sidorik

Sean Jones, Dec 19, 1962
Played on the offensive line his first two years at Northeastern, and then on he defensive line as a junior and senior. Jones also played basketball and lacrosse for the Huskies. He was drafted in the second round, 51st overall by the Raiders in 1984. Jones spent 13 seasons in the NFL, appearing in 201 games. He was a Pro Bowl DE for the Houston oilers in 1993, and won a Super Bowl ring following the 1996 season with the Packers versus the Patriots. Jones had been working with a sports talk radio station in Houston until this past summer.

John Johnson, Dec 19, 1995
The safety for the LA rams is an alum of Boston College.



December 19, 1971 at Memorial Stadium
New England Patriots 21, Baltimore Colts 17

December 19, 1982 at the Kingdome
New England Patriots 16, Seattle Seahawks 0

December 19, 1993 at Municipal Stadium
New England Patriots 20, Cleveland Browns 17

December 19, 1999 at Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Eagles 24, New England Patriots 9

December 19, 2010 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 31, Green Bay Packers 27

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History: December 20​

December 20, 1964:
Buffalo Bills 24, Boston Patriots 14 at Fenway Park

The final regular season game of the 1964 season was essentially a playoff game as the 10-2-1 Patriots hosted the 11-2 Bills. The winner would advance to the AFL championship game, while the season would be over for the loser; the concept of wild card spots and expanded playoffs was many years away.

In the first quarter Tony Romeo caught a 37-yard touchdown pass from Babe Parilli. Although the Pats did not convert the extra point they were down by only one point, 7-6. In the second quarter Jack Kemp – who had earlier thrown a 57-yard touchdown pass to Elbert Dubenion – scored from one yard out, and Pete Gogolak’s 12-yard field goal made it 17-6 Bills at the half.

In the 4th quarter Kemp scored on another one-yard run, putting the Patriots down by 18. Parilli hit Romeo again on a 15-yard touchdown and the Pats converted the 2-point conversion to close the gap to ten points. Buffalo held on to win the game, and then defeated San Diego by the score of 20-7 for their first AFL title.

The Bills limited the Patriots to just 33 yards rushing on 11 attempts, so the Pats had to air it out. Parilli went 19-for-39 for 294 yards, with 2 touchdowns and also two picks. Jim Colclough averaged 22.3 yards per catch, with six receptions for 134 yards. The Pats picked Kemp off three times (twice by Ron Hall, once by Don Webb), but Buffalo burned time off the clock with a methodical running game (94 yards on 41 carries) once they had the lead.

Gino Cappelletti was named the AP and UPI Player of the Year, and also earned his third (of five) trips to the AFL All-Star Game. Cappelletti led the league with 155 points scored in 1964. To this day it is the 11th most points scored by a player in a single season. Every single one of those ranked ahead of him played a 16-game season rather than the 14-game season that was played back then. It was the third time in four years he led the AFL in scoring; the one other time he finished second. In 1964 Gino led the team in receptions, receiving yards, and shared the lead for most touchdown receptions.

Parilli was a first-team All Pro and All Star, and led the league in passing yardage (3,465), touchdown passes (31), game-winning drives (3), and comebacks (3).

Larry Garron made his third All Star game (ie, Pro Bowl), amassing 935 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns. Garron led the Pats in rushing attempts, rushing yardage, and shared the lead for touchdown receptions.



December 20, 1970:
Cincinnati Bengals 45, New England Patriots 7 at Riverfront Stadium

The Joe Kapp Era mercifully came to an end in the Queen City on this day. Kapp went 7-for-21-for 101 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. For the Bengals Sam Wyche was 7-for-14 for just 91 yards, but he threw two touchdowns and no picks. The future head coach of the Bengals and Bucs also rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown. The Pats finished the season with a 2-12 record, worst in the league; Clive Rush and John Mazur both went 1-6 on the season as the team’s head coach.



December 20, 1981:
Baltimore Colts 23, New England Patriots 21 at Memorial Stadium

The Pats lost their ninth consecutive game, and in doing so they won the first overall pick in the upcoming draft by losing to the Colts. Of course they used that pick on Kenneth Sims rather than someone like Chip Banks or Mike Munchak so it wasn’t that big of a ‘win’; at least they nailed it when they grabbed Andre Tippett in the second round.

Bert Jones threw three touchdown passes as the Colts matched the Patriots with a final record of 2-14. Tom Owen got the start at QB in what would turn out to be his final NFL game, and threw a touchdown pass to Don Westbrook. Westbrook also caught a TD pass from Matt Cavanaugh. Those two scoring plays represent 67% of the touchdowns of Westbrook's NFL career.



December 20, 1987:
New England Patriots 13, Buffalo Bills 7 at Rich Stadium

Steve Grogan tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass to Cedric Jones in the 1st quarter and Reggie Dupard ripped a 36-yard run for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter. After that the Pats defense did the rest, limiting Buffalo to just 148 total yards of offense. Garon Veris, Andre Tippett, Toby Williams and Brent Williams combined for five sacks, and Fred Marion had an interception to keep the 7-7 Pats playoff hopes alive.



December 20, 1992:
Cincinnati Bengals 20, New England Patriots 10 at Riverfront Stadium

The two teams entered the game with a combined record of 6-22. Jeff Carlson inadvertently did his part to insure that the Patriots would get the number one pick in the 1993 draft. The lefty from Weber State went 7-20 for 60 yards (3.0 yards per attempt), no touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 4.2 passer rating.

Let me say that passer rating one more time.

4.2

Jon Vaughan provided the lone Patriot highlight of the afternoon with a 100-yard kickoff return for the Pats only touchdown. The second-year running back from Michigan also had 58 yards rushing on 14 carries, and caught both Carlson passes thrown his way for nine yards. Cincinnati RB Harold Green had by far the best day of his NFL career, rushing for 190 yards.



December 20, 1998:
New England Patriots 24, San Francisco 49ers 21 at Foxboro Stadium

Scott Zolak made his first start in three years, subbing for an injured Drew Bledsoe while skeptics expected the worst. Zo led the Patriots to two scoring drives in the final eight minutes to silence his critics. Robert Edwards (101 yards rushing, 52 yards receiving, two touchdowns) scored on a 5-yard run to tie the score, then Adam Vinatieri kicked a game-winning 35-yard field goal with six seconds left to play. Zolak's numbers (205 yards, two touchdowns) were nothing special, but he did get the W over Steve Young.

Credit the New England defense, who shut San Fran out in the second half. SF had one drive last for 7:45, but the defense stiffened and forced a punt. On the next drive Willie Clay picked Young off and returned the ball to the 49. That set up the drive that culminated in Edwards' second touchdown, tying the score at 21. The Patriot defense forced two more three-and-outs, with their fifth sack of the game pinning SF back on their own 10 yard line. Troy Brown returned the punt 14 yards to start the drive on the Niner 41 yard line. Edwards ran the ball on four straight plays, down to the 17 yard line, to set up Vinatieri's kick.

Overall the Patriot defense had five sacks, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery, holding San Francisco scoreless on their last five possessions. SF had just five yards of offense on the final three drives.

Jerry Rice led the Niners with five catches on six receptions for 115 yards, including a 75-yard TD early on. Steve Mariucci's 49ers settled for a wild card as a result of the loss; after defeating Green Bay, they lost to NFC champion Atlanta in the division round.

With the victory the Patriots improved to 9-6, clinching a playoff berth for Pete Carroll's club.



December 20, 2003:
New England Patriots 21, New York Jets 16 at Giants Stadium

On Saturday night the Pats won their 11th straight game, to give them the best record in the NFL. The Patriots struggled somewhat against the Jet defense, but New England's defense was dominant. The Pats D intercepted five passes off Chad Pennington, and also racked up four sacks on the Jet quarterback.

On the second play of the game Tedy Bruschi picked off Pennington, and on the next play Tom Brady threw a 35-yard touchdown to David Givens. Then early in the second quarter Willie McGinest had a 15-yard pick-six to put the Patriots up 14-7.

Bethel Johnson ran the kickoff to open the second half back to the 40 yard line. Seven plays later Brady connected with Givens again, this time for a 5-yard TD to give the Pats a 21-10 lead.

Ty Law intercepted a pass intended for Santana Moss in the end zone to kill the next drive; that would become a recurring theme throughout this game. The Jets scored on their next possession though to pull within five points. After forcing the Pats to punt Rodney Harrison picked off another pass intended for Moss, but the Jets got the ball back near midfield after an interception. A 7-yard sack by Richard Seymour and McGinest forced a three-and-out though to end that drive. Antowain Smith (18 carries for 121 yards) chewed up nearly four minutes off the clock on the ensuing drive, and then Eugene Wilson intercepted yet another Pennington pass intended for Moss to seal the victory.



December 20, 2004:
Miami Dolphins 29, New England Patriots 28 at Pro Player Stadium

The 2-11 Dolphins shocked the 12-1 Pats, who were favored by 10, on Monday Night Football. The loss put the Patriots one game behind 13-1 Pittsburgh in the AFC playoff race. It was just the second loss in the last 29 games for New England. It was also the first time in 32 games that the Patriots lost after leading at halftime.

The Pats were up 28-17 with 3:59 left to play after Tom Brady's 2-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Graham. Miami came back with a quick 68-yard scoring drive, making it 28-24 with 2:01 to play. Jason Taylor pressured Brady on third down, and TB12 threw an ill-advised pass as Taylor hit his arm rather than take the sack. Brendan Ayanbadejo picked the pass off, and Miami had the ball at the Patriot 21 yard line. On 4th and 10 with 1:23 to go, A.J. Feeley connected with Derrius Thompson, who was being covered by Troy Brown, for the winning score.

Brady finished with four interceptions and no touchdowns. The only other time that has ever happened in his career was the 2003 'They Hate Their Coach Game'. In both instances Brady and the Patriots recovered, going on to win the Super Bowl.

On a side note, Bill Belichick saw more of a certain Miami player that he would make a point of acquiring. Wes Welker returned a punt 71 yards to the 2-yard line to set up Miami's first touchdown. Welker had 226 return yards on the day (averaged 27.8 yards on five kickoffs, and two punt returns for 87 yards). Earlier in the season Welker stepped in to take over kicking duties (3 kickoffs, 1-1 PAT, 1-1 FG) against the Patriots when Olindo Mare was injured, in addition to returning five kickoffs and five punts.



December 20, 2009:
New England Patriots 17, Buffalo Bills 10 at Ralph Wilson Stadium

A week after Carolina Panther defenders accused Randy Moss of 'quitting', Moss came back with five receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots racked up six sacks (including three by Tully Banta-Cain) on Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards. The Pats limited Buffalo to 2-12 on third down, and were up 17-3 before the Bills scored with three minutes left. Laurence Maroney had 81 yards rushing and one touchdown for the Pats.



December 20, 2015:
New England Patriots 33, Tennessee Titans 16 at Gillette Stadium

Tom Brady completed 23 of 35 passes for 267 yards as the Pats improved to 12-2. James White filled in for an injured Dion Lewis and caught seven passes for 71 yards, including a 30-yard catch-and-run TD.

The Pats scored on their first drive on a 5-yard TD pass to Rob Gronkowski. Early in the second quarter a Chandler Jones strip sack resulted in another score when Akiem Hicks recovered the fumble for a touchdown, and a 14-0 lead.

After a Tennessee field goal, Keshawn Martin returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards. Two plays later Brady found James White (7 receptions, 71 yards) for a nice 30-yard catch and run for another TD. Stephen Gostkowski added a field goal and the Pats led 24-3 at the half.

 

[jmt57]

December 20, Part II

Patriot Birthdays​

David Pool, 52: born December 20, 1966, from Cincinnati
Pats CB, 1991-1992; uniform #27
New England Patriots
David Pool | ArenaFan.com

Odell Lawson (Dec 20, 1948 - Feb 14, 2008)
Pats 7th round selection (160th overall) of the 1970 draft, from Langston
Patriot KR/RB, 1970-1971; uniform #32
Odell Lawson Foundation, Inc. - Helping, Caring, Sharing, Giving

Jerry Ellison, 47; born December 20, 1971 in Augusta GA
Patriot RB, 1999; uniform #35
BUCPOWER.COM

Tim Hauck, 52; born December 20, 1966 in Butte MT
Patriot S, 1990; uniform #40
Tim Hauck

Woodrow Hamilton, 26; born December 20, 1992 in Raleigh MS
Patriot DT, 2016; uniform #74
Why DT Woodrow Hamilton was promoted from Patriots practice squad

Eric Naposki, 52; born December 20, 1966 in New York
Patriot LB, 1998-1999; uniform #91
Former NFL player Naposki convicted of murder

Alfred Sykes (Dec 20, 1947 - Feb 4, 1974)
Pats 14th round selection (339th overall) of the 1971 draft, from Florida A&M
Patriot WR, 1971; uniform #13

Tom Gibson, 55; born December 20, 1963 in San Fernando
Pats 5th round selection (116th overall) of the 1987 draft, from Northern Arizona
Tom Gibson | ArenaFan.com

Rich Gannon, 53; born December 20, 1965 in Philadelphia
Pats 4th round selection (98th overall) of the 1987 draft, from Delaware
VIKINGS' GANNON NOT PASSED OVER

One other pro football player with New England connections:

Henry Zehrer (Dec 20, 1905 - March 16, 1955)
Born and raised in New Britain, Zehrer was a fullback and wingback for the 1926 Hartford Blues.






Also born today:
Hall of Fame safety Jack Christiansen
Hall of Fame WR Bob Hayes
Six-time Pro Bowl G Nate Newton
Paralyzed G Mike Utley
WR Roy Williams
S Malcolm Jenkins
WR Martavis Bryant
RB LenDale White

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History: December 21​

December 21, 1975:
Baltimore Colts 34, New England Patriots 21 at Memorial Stadium

The Pats finished a rough season on a sour note, losing to the AFC East champions by 13 in Baltimore. Allen Carter took the opening kickoff back 99 yards for a touchdown, and a 7-yard pass from rookie Steve Grogan to Sam Cunningham gave New England a 14-10 lead.

The Patriots were overmatched by Bill Belichick mentor Ted Marchibroda's Colt team in the second half. The Baltimore defense intercepted five Grogan passes, including a 30-yard pick six for the final score. Andy Johnson had 147 yards from scrimmage and 103 yards receiving for the Patriots, both of which were career highs.

For more on the 1975 Patriots, check out Foxboro Stadium History - 1975.



December 21, 1980:
New England Patriots 38, New Orleans Saints 27 at the Louisiana Superdome

The Patriots averaged over six yards per carry, rushing for 240 yards and two touchdowns to down the Saints. Don Calhoun (16 carries, 113 yards) and Vagas Ferguson (15-82) ran for most of that yardage, with Calhoun and Mosi Tatupu scoring on touchdown runs. Matt Cavanaugh threw three touchdown passes (one to Russ Francis and two to Andy Johnson), and Stanley Morgan had four receptions for 63 yards.

Cavanaugh threw second quarter touchdowns to Francis (39 yards) and Johnson (11 yards) to overcome an early 10-0 deficit, and head into halftime with a 17-13 lead. Archie Manning's 23-yard touchdown pass to Wes Chandler put New Orleans up early in the fourth quarter though. The Patriots responded with a 22-yard touchdown run by Calhoun to retake the lead, and then Tatupu's 4-yard score sealed the victory. The Patriot offense was dominant, with 473 yards of total offense and having to punt only three times.

The victory gave the Patriots a 10-6 record, but they missed the playoffs by one game. Five teams in each conference made the playoffs at that time (3 division winners, 2 wild cards). Five AFC teams had 11-5 records that season, including AFC East champions Buffalo. The Raiders were an 11-5 wild card team, and led by former Patriot Jim Plunkett. They went on to become the first NFL wild card team to win the Super Bowl, defeating the Eagles 27-10.



December 21, 1996:
New England Patriots 23, New York Giants 22 at Giants Stadium

The Patriots scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to erase a 22-0 deficit and beat the Giants in East Rutherford. The victory gave the Pats the AFC East division title by one game over Buffalo. New England would go on to defeat the Steelers and Jaguars in the playoffs, before losing to Green Bay in New Orleans in Super Bowl 31.

The Giants owned the first half, scoring on a safety, a one yard run, two field goals and a Jason Sehorn 23-yard pick-six. Bill Parcells' first return to the Meadowlands did not start well. Drew Bledsoe was just 12-20 for 64 yards and two interceptions in the first half, and was called for intentional grounding in the end zone for the safety.

The Patriots finally put points on the board in the third quarter on a 40-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri. That drive began at the 4-yard line and included 31 and 29 yard pass completions to Terry Glenn. The wide receiver set an NFL record in this game for most receptions by a rookie in a season with 90 (later broken by Anquan Boldin in 2003).

In the fourth quarter Bledsoe hit Glenn (8 receptions, 124 yards) for a 26 yard score to make it 22-10. Then Dave Meggett ran a punt back 60 yards for a TD and the Pats were down by only five. With time winding down Troy Brown (7 receptions on 7 targets for 75 yards) caught a third-and-13 pass while on his back to give the Patriots a first down at the 29. Then on 4th and 7 Bledsoe connected with Ben Coates for a 13-yard game winning TD with 1:23 left to play.



December 21, 2008:
New England Patriots 47, Arizona Cardinals 7 at Gillette Stadium

The Patriots crushed the Cardinals on a snowy field, making them wish they never left the warmth and comfort of Arizona. The New England defense harassed Kurt Warner, limiting him to 6-18 and 30 yards passing in what was arguably his worst game ever. The Pats held Arizona - who entered the game as the NFL's second highest scoring offense - to 186 yards, and 3-13 on third down. Their only score came late in the fourth quarter after the Patriots were up 47-0.

New England's offense was equally dominant, piling up 514 yards and scoring on nine of the first ten possessions. Matt Cassel went 20-36 for 345 yards and three touchdowns. In a bit of irony Cassel started and got the win while the player he backed up in college, Matt Leinart, came off the bench to relieve Warner when the game was out of hand. Leinart went 6-14 for 138 yards with one TD and one pick.

Running backs Sammy Morris (15 carries for 88 yards, 45 yards receiving) and LaMont Jordan (78 yards rushing, 2 TD) got plenty of work, with New England running the ball 42 times for 183 yards. Jabar Gaffney had five receptions for 90 yards, Randy Moss had a 76 yard TD to open up the 2nd half, and Stephen Gostkowski kicked four field goals. The Pats improved to 10-5 with the win to keep their slim playoff hope alive, while Arizona dropped to 8-7.

​

December 21, 2014:
New England Patriots 17, New York Jets 16 at MetLife Stadium

This was a defensive battle that began with a scoreless first quarter. Tom Brady hit Rob Gronkowski on a 3-yard TD to open up scoring, but the Jets held a 10-7 lead at the half.

Near the end of the third quarter Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 24-yard field goal after a Patriot drive stalled in the red zone, to cut the Jet lead to 13-10. Two plays later Jamie Collins intercepted an underthrown Geno Smith pass. That gave the Pats the ball back at the Jet 38 yard line. A pair of passes to Brandon LaFell and an 11-yard run by Brady set up a one-yard touchdown run by Jonas Gray.

After a Nick Folk field goal cut the lead to one, a Brady pass intended for LaFell was picked off. That gave the Jets the ball at the New England 30 yard line, with 7:18 to play. On 3rd & 4 Dont'a Hightower sacked Smith for a loss of ten yards, and then Vince Wilfork blocked Folk's 52-yard field goal attempt. The Patriots chewed up the final 5:16 on passes to Danny Amendola (8 catches, 63 yards) and runs by Brandon Bolden (5 carries for 29 yards on the final drive).

With the win Bill Belichick broke a tie with Curly Lambeau for fourth place in overall career NFL victories by a head coach with 230. The victory was also the 250th in 368 total games for Robert Kraft, tying him with Chicago legend George Halas for the fastest an owner has reached that milestone.

Happy Birthdays​

Tom Beer (December 21, 1944)
Patriot TE, 1970-1972
Uniform #82 and #68
Beer played in all 42 games over three seasons with the Patriots. The tight end had 25 receptions for 381 yards and three touchdowns. The Pats acquired Beer when they traded Jim Whalen in a typical SMH-trade of the Patriots of that era. In an even more typical of that era decision, the Pats decided to convert him to guard ... and then after putting on 30 pounds for that switch to the offensive line, the team decided to then convert him back to tight end.

Prior to joining the Pats Beer had played with Denver for three seasons. Those two teams were among the worst pro football clubs at that time. Beer went on to write his memoirs of playing for a pair of losing franchises in his book, Sunday's Fools: Stomped, Tromped, Kicked and Chewed in the NFL. Condolences to any player that had to play for Clive Rush and John Mazur.


Kony Ealy (December 21, 1991)
Patriot DE, 2017 off season
Uniform #94
See what happens when you don't buy in to the Patriot Way? You get banished and have to play for the Jets, and then the Raiders. The good news is that this failed attempt at improving the roster only cost the Pats a handful of spots in the 2018 draft (from 64th to 72nd overall).


Fred Sheehan (12/21/1902-9/2/1984)
Sheehan was far too old to ever be a Patriot, but he was a New England native that played pro football who was born today. Born and raised in Abington, he was a lineman on the 1925 Providence Steamrollers.



Other semi-notable pro football players born December 21:
1930: Johnny Olszewski, RB 1953-1962
1947: Nate Wright, Viking CB 1969-1980
1969: Leon Searcy, Pitt/Jax RT 1992-1999
1969: Chuck Smith, Falcon DE 1992-2000
1973: Mike Alstott, Bucs FB 1996-2006
1976: R.W. McQuarters, PR/CB 1998-2008
1989: Mark Ingram, Saints RB 2011-present
1990: Michael Brockers, Rams DT 2012-present
1992: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, GB/Wash S 2014-present

​

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History: December 22​

December 22, 1985 at Sullivan Stadium
New England Patriots 34, Cincinnati Bengals 23
- Patriots improve to 11-5, third in the AFC East
- Three AFC teams finish 11-5; in the tiebreaker the Broncos miss the playoffs, the Pats are #5, and travel the following week to face the #4 Jets.
- Bengals drop to 7-9 and miss the playoffs, one game behind the 8-8 Browns, who lost their week 16 (no byes then) game to the Jets.

The Patriots led 20-6 at halftime on a 50-yard touchdown from Tony Eason (8-15-145-1-1) to Stanley Morgan (4 catches for 121 yards), a nine-yard run by Tony Collins (10 carries, 57 yards), and two Tony Franklin field goals. Cincy closed the gap to four points on a 33-yard touchdown from Boomer Esiason (18-39, 270, 2 TD, 1 INT) to Eddie Brown, and Jim Breech's third field goal on the day. Craig James (25 carries for 142 yards) scored on an 11-yard run, but Esiason responded with an eight-yard TD pass to Cris Collinsworth. Robert Weathers then scored on a 42-yard run to seal the victory for the Patriots. On defense Ronnie Lippett began what would be a stellar playoff run with a 58 yard interception return.

Dec. 22, 1985: New England Patriots fans gave their team a spirited sendoff into the playoffs. Brian Holloway fought his way to the dressing room at Sullivan Stadium after the 34-23 win over the Cincinnati Bengals put the Pats into the playoffs.

Dec. 22, 1985: Following a crucial 34-23 Patriots victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, which assured the Patriots of a playoff berth, thousands of fans spilled onto the field, pushed over the goal posts and carried them away.

The game is most notable in Patriot history for what happened off the field after the clock reached all zeros.

Fans recuperating from electric shock thru goal post

Thousands of fans poured onto the field and tore down the goal posts Sunday, carrying part of one of them out of Sullivan Stadium.

The celebrants took the post through an exit tunnel behind the north end zone, across a parking lot to nearby Route 1 where 600 marched down the highway tying up traffic in both directions.

When police arrived, shortly before 4:30 p.m., the fans moved from the northbound lanes to the southbound lanes, where they stuck the goal post in a steel barrel.

The barrel tipped over and the metal post struck a power line carrying 20,000 volts along the side of the road, police said.

Two fans were thrown through the air and landed on the opposite side of Route 1, said state trooper David Rea. Two other people fell to the ground and a fifth was thrown into the middle of the street, Rea said.

'It was just mass confusion,' said Rea. 'There were bodies all over the place and several hundred drunk people trying to tell state troopers what to do.'​

The Patriots would go on to defeat the Jets, Raiders and Dolphins - all on the road - to win the franchise's first AFC championship, and first trip to the Super Bowl. It may not sound like anything special now given all the success the team has had this century, but that was a very special, magical time for Patriot fans back then.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History: December 22​

Monday December 22, 1986 at the Orange Bowl
New England Patriots 34, Miami Dolphins 27
- Pats improve to 11-5, win the AFC East
- Miami drops to 8-8, 3rd in the AFC East
PATRIOTS UPSET DOLPHINS, MAKING JETS WILD CARD

In a stunning finish that affected the playoff fortunes of three teams, the New England Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins tonight, 34-27, in the final game of the National Football League regular season.

The triumph gave the Patriots their first Eastern Division title in eight years, forced the Jets into the American Conference wild-card game next Sunday and eliminated the Cincinnati Bengals from playoff contention.

The margin of victory was a 30-yard touchdown pass from Steve Grogan, an unlikely hero, to Stanley Morgan with 44 seconds remaining.

That pass ended the race between the Jets, who had finished the season Sunday with a fifth straight loss, and the Patriots, who would have been eliminated had they lost to the Dolphins in the Orange Bowl, where New England has lost so many other games over the years.

For the Dolphins, it was their final game in the Orange Bowl, where they have compiled a record of 110-38-3 since 1966. Under Shula here since 1970, they were 101-22-1.​

December 22, 1991 at Riverfront Stadium
Cincinnati Bengals 29, New England Patriots 7
- **** MacPherson's Patriots finish 6-10, a five-game improvement from 1990.
- After starting 1-11 the Bengals win twice late, to finish with a 3-13 record.
The Pats grabbed an early lead on a 60-yard touchdown pass from Hugh Millen to Michael Timpson (7 receptions for 150 yards). Cincy scored the final 29 points, fittingly culminating when Millen was sacked in the end zone for a safety.


Monday December 22, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium
New England Patriots 14, Miami Dolphins 12
- Patriots improve to 10-6 and win the AFC East
- Dolphins drop to 9-7 and become a wild card
- Pats hosted Miami the following week in the playoffs, winning again, 17-3
This game is an interesting historical artifact, considering what happened later (Miami's enhanced audio tapes, and a year after that 'spygate').
10 most damaging plays/sequences in Miami Dolphins history

The Patriots and Dolphins played in the regular-season finale in 1997, a 14-12 New England victory leading to a rematch in Foxboro seven days later. By the time the wild-card game rolled around, New England’s defense smothered Dan Marino, sacking him four times, forcing him to fumble twice and holding him without a touchdown pass for the first time in his playoff career.

However, no play was as indicative of how tuned in the Patriots were to Miami’s offense than a third-quarter play, when Marino called an audible and various New England defenders signaled to each other. Marino dropped back and throw to his left, where Todd Collins stood in anticipation. Collins grabbed the pass and ran 40 yards for a back-breaking touchdown.

For the first time, Marino was being asked about his effectiveness as an NFL quarterback, and longtime offensive coordinator Gary Stevens was axed by Jimmy Johnson. Stevens, bluntly describing the limitations of the talent he had been working with, intoned upon his departure: “You can't make chicken salad out of chicken s---. Name me a great player we have besides Danny. You can't.”​

This Loss May Signal Change for Dolphins

Forty-six was the special signal barked by Marino before a third-quarter snap in the Miami Dolphins' 17-3 NFL wild-card playoff loss to the New England Patriots.

Forty-six was an audible informing his teammates he was changing the play to a slant pass.

Forty-six was a secret number that was no secret.

The Patriots had long since deciphered it, understood it, even practiced against it.

Linebacker Todd Collins heard it, motioned to his team, repositioned himself to make the interception, and did.

"Threw it right to me," Collins explained.

Collins carried the interception 40 yards for a touchdown, giving the Patriots an insurmountable 14-0 lead in a football game that was more like a Cold War.

The Patriots were the spies. The Dolphins were the suckers.

"We kind of knew what Marino was doing on that play," Patriot safety Willie Clay said. "But then, a lot of times we knew what they were doing."

The frequent Patriot blitzing led to frequent Marino audibles, most of which the Patriots understood thanks to teammate Keith Byars.

A former Dolphin.

"Just doing my duty," Byars said with a smile that could not hide his distaste for Dolphin Coach Jimmy Johnson, who released him last season. "Hey, we didn't know everything. They did occasionally huddle, didn't they?"

Johnson was not humored.

"It was so bad out there, they were laughing at our players," he said. "They knew every signal, every audible . . . everything we were doing."​

December 22, 2001 at Foxboro Stadium
New England Patriots 20, Miami Dolphins 13
Patriots improve to 10-5, finish 11-5 to win the AFC East
Dolphins drop to 9-5, finish 11-5 and 2nd in the AFC East
Patriots roll past Dolphins to brink of playoffs - The Boston Globe

An early turnover by the Dolphins changed the flow of the game in New England’s favor.

After stopping the Patriots on their second possession, the Dolphins set up shop at their 33. Fiedler found Jed Weaver for a 19-yard gain but Weaver lost the ball when Jones delivered a tremendous hit. Otis Smith recovered the fumble - Miami’s 33d turnover of the season. The Dolphins challenged the ruling but to no avail.

On the ensuing drive, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis thought it was time to “go in for the kill” as he likes to say. In a season of trick plays, Weis saved the best for the Dolphins.

Kevin Faulk, a former high school quarterback, took a direct snap, rolled right, and spotted a wide-open Brady on the left. The ball floated for what seemed like an eternity, but the Dolphins could do nothing but watch. Brady hauled it in and tiptoed out of bounds at the 20 after a 23-yard gain.​

Dolphins vs. Patriots - Play-By-Play - December 22, 2001 - ESPN


December 22, 2002 at Gillette Stadium
New York Jets 30, New England Patriots 17
Jets improve to 8-7; Patriots drop to 8-7
Chad Pennington hits Wayne Chrebet on a 15-yard 4th quarter TD as the Jets score the final 13 points to win.
Jets vs. Patriots - Game Summary - December 22, 2002 - ESPN


December 22, 2013 at M&T Bank Stadium
New England Patriots 41, Baltimore Ravens 7

Patriots drill Ravens 41-7

And very little went right for Baltimore on Sunday. Most of the focus will deservedly be on the offense, which extended their touchdown-less streak to seven quarters before Joe Flacco scored on a one-yard plunge in the fourth quarter.

Flacco was 22-of-38 for 260 yards and two interceptions on a day when he and his receivers seemed largely out of sync. The running game succeeded in fits and starts, but passing became the order of the day once the Ravens fell behind and they could never sustain momentum until the game was way out of reach. It didn’t help that the Patriots also came up with four sacks on a very strong defensive day across the board that was capped off with a pair of defensive scores off turnovers by Tyrod Taylor in garbage time.

The loss makes the Bengals AFC North champions and it gives a reprieve to the Dolphins after Miami lost earlier in the day in similarly one-sided fashion against the Bills. With the Dolphins, Steelers and Chargers also in the mix for the final playoff spot, the Ravens will still need to beat the Bengals even with the division on the table.

The Patriots didn’t put up many fireworks on offense Sunday, but they ground out 142 rushing yards on 34 carries to make their early lead stand up. They clinched the AFC East when the Dolphins lost and the win keeps them ahead of the Bengals in the race for the No. 2 seed and a bye into the divisional round of the playoffs. If they beat the Bills next week, that spot will be theirs and they can try to get cornerback Kyle Arrington, safety Devin McCourty and running back Shane Vereen healthy after injuries on Sunday.

​

Happy Birthdays​

Keith Lee: Dec 22, 1957
Patriot CB 1981-84, 68 games; uniform #22

George Adams: Dec 22, 1962
Patriot FB 1990-91, 18 games; uniform #33


John Mahoney (Dec 22, 1900 - Nov 28, 1971)
Western Mass native was a back and end for the 1923 Buffalo All-Americans.

Jamie Kurisko: Dec 22, 1963
TE for the 1987 Jets went to Southern Connecticut State.

Tyler 'Dirty Red' Matakevich: Dec 22, 1992
ILB for the Steelers went to St Joseph's High School in Trumbull CT.


Other pro football players born today include:

Hall of Fame punter Ray Guy
DE Everson Griffen
WR Dennis Northcutt
CB Jerry Holmes

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History: December 23​

December 23, 2012 at EverBank Field
New England Patriots 23, Jacksonville Jaguars 16
Pats improve to 11-4; Jags drop to 2-13
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Mike Mularkey
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Chad Henne

The Pats were favored by 14½, the largest spread of the week, but got people thinking upset early. A week after falling behind 31-3 against the Niners, the Patriots came out flat again. Tom Brady threw two first quarter interceptions and Jacksonville led 10-0 less than ten minutes into the game. Over the course of the game the Jags had the ball inside the Pats 25 yard line seven times - but could only come away with one touchdown and three field goals.

Just before the half the Pats put together a nice drive to tie the score at 13. Brady was 7-8 on the drive with four consecutive completions to Wes Welker, with a 14 yard TD to Danny Woodhead for the score. The defense came through in the second half with a critical 3rd down sack by Dont'a Hightower; that was followed on 4th down with Chandler Jones tipping a Henne pass that was picked off by Patrick Chung. Marquice Cole also had an interception to thwart a Jacksonville drive.

- Welker had ten receptions for 88 yards. That gave him the NFL record for most games with double-digit receptions in NFL history (18), breaking a tie with Jerry Rice and Andre Johnson.
- Brady threw a touchdown pass in a game for the 47th consecutive time, tying Johnny Unitas for second on the all-time list. Drew Brees held the record at that time with 54.
- Jacksonville outgained the Patriots in total yardage, 436-349 - but lost the ball three times on turnovers, once on downs, and once on a missed field goal.
- Stevan Ridley was the game's leading rusher with 84 yards on 18 carries.


December 23, 2007 at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots 28, Miami Dolphins 7
Pats improve to 15-0; Dolphins drop to 1-14
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Cam Cameron
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Cleo Lemon

The Pats became the first team to ever go 15-0 in the regular season, a week after Miami won their first game of the year. Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes, including two to Randy Moss. The Pats tied their own NFL record of 18 consecutive regular season wins, set in 2003-04. The team also broke the NFL record of 70 touchdowns in one season by the 1984 Dolphins, reaching 71 to go up 28-0 in the second quarter.

Laurence Maroney had a career high 156 yards on 14 carries; that came just a week after Maroney had a season high 104 yards in the 20-10 win over the Jets. Maroney's 59 yard run made the score 21-0 with 10:04 to go in the second quarter, and Jabar Gaffney's 48 yard touchdown reception with 3:33 left in the half made the score 28-0.


December 23, 1995 at the RCA Dome
Indianapolis Colts 10, New England Patriots 7
Pats drop to 6-10; Colts improve to 9-7
Head Coaches: Bill Parcells, Ted Marchibroda
Quarterbacks: Drew Bledsoe, Jim Harbaugh

The Colts swept the series thanks to some horrible fourth quarter plays by Bledsoe. After Indy missed a field goal with 10:22 to play, the Pats gave the ball right back on a 3-and-out (two incomplete passes and a Curtis Martin run for no gain). The Colts got the ball back near midfield, and aided by a 15-yard Chris Slade facemask penalty, drove to the 12 yard line. Cary Blanchard kicked a chip shot field goal to give Indy the lead, but there was still 5:51 left to play.

The Patriots drove to the 15 yard line but on 3rd and ten Bledsoe was sacked and fumbled. The Pats recovered but lost 17 yards on the play, and Matt Bahr's 50 yard field goal attempt was no good.

On the ensuing drive LaMont Warren broke free for a 42 yard run, giving Indy a first down on the New England 10. The game appeared to be over, but on the very next play Warren fumbled, and Myron Guyton recovered to give the Pats some hope with 59 seconds remaining. On second down Bledsoe threw an interception - yet the game was not over yet. The Patriots used all three of their timeouts on the ensuing drive to save time on the clock. After a Colts punt into the endzone the Patriots had the ball with twenty seconds to play - and on the first play Bledsoe immediately threw his third interception on the day.


December 23, 1990 at Giants Stadium
New York Jets 42, New England Patriots 14
Pats drop to 1-14; Jets improve to 5-10
Head Coaches: Rod Rust, Bruce Coslet
Quarterbacks: Tommy Hodson, Marc Wilson; Ken O'Brien

On a rainy day in front of just 32,250 (46,641 ticket holders stayed away), the Jets breezed to an easy win. The Pats could not stop the run as four Jets each averaged over five yards per carry; on the day NYJ rushed for 239 yards. The Patriot pass defense was no better, allowing 15 of the 16 pass attempts to be completed.

Hodson departed early with an ankle injury, and Wilson finished the drive with a 24-yard TD pass to Irving Fryar, to tie the score 7-7. The Patriot defense then gave up scoring drives of 73 and 76 yards just 3:46 apart, and the rout was on.

With the win the Jets broke a five game losing streak, while the Patriots lost their 13th straight in what was the franchise's worst season ever.

'It's depressing, it's demoralizing,' Patriots running back John Stephens said. 'The best thing that can happen is for the season to end. It can't get any worse than it is.'

New England's newly named Director of Football Operations, Sam Jankovich, said of his new charges: 'What they have to do is get their season over with.

'Evidently, it's a team that's demoralized,' Jankovich said. 'One of the most important things this team has to deal with now is attitude. It's bleak.'​

Read more: Jets 42, Patriots 7

Today's Patriot Birthdays​

Derrick Ramsey, 62 (12/23/56)
Patriot TE, 1983-1985; uniform #88
46 games, 118 receptions, 1412 yards, 14 TD

Alge Crumpler, 41 (12/23/77)
Patriot TE, 2010; uniform #82
16 games, 2 touchdowns, 1 drop

Kevin Kasper, 41 (12/23/77)
Patriot KR/WR, 2004; uniform #10

Raymont Harris, 48 (12/23/70)
Patriot FB, 2000; uniform #29

Anthony Ladd, 45 (12/23/73)
Patriot WR, 1998; uniform #18

Tommie Draheim, 30 (12/23/98)
Patriot C, 2012 (practice squad); uniform #66


Other New-England Related Birthdays

Tajae Sharpe, 24 (12/23/94)
Titans WR 2016-18, went to UMass

Josh Samuda, 30 (12/23/88)
G with Miami and Minn 2012-14, went to UMass

P.J. Alexander, 40 (12/23/78)
G for Denv & Atl 2004-07, born in Springfield

Bill Pritchard (12/23/01-4/10/78)
FB with the 1927 Providence Steam Roller

Waddy McPhee (12/23/99 - 1/20/80)
HB with the 1926 Providence Steam Roller


Hall of Fame Players Born Today

Jack Ham, 1948; 8x Pro Bowl Steeler LB, 1971-82
Willie Wood, 1936; 5x All Pro Packer S, 1960-71
Paul Hornung, 1935; Packer 1957-66 HB won 5 championships



Others Born Today Include:
Jon Geisler, Dolphin LT 1979-88
Jim Harbaugh, QB 1987-2000
Bernard Pollard, PITA 2006-14

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

'It's depressing, it's demoralizing,' Patriots running back John Stephens said. 'The best thing that can happen is for the season to end. It can't get any worse than it is.'

New England's newly named Director of Football Operations, Sam Jankovich, said of his new charges: 'What they have to do is get their season over with.

'Evidently, it's a team that's demoralized,' Jankovich said. 'One of the most important things this team has to deal with now is attitude. It's bleak.'

Meanwhile, I agree with John Madden who said:

"Inch for inch, Doug Flutie in his prime was the best QB of his generation."

...well, maybe minus the "inch" nonsense.

 

[jmt57]

Today In Patriots History: January 1​

January 1, 2006: The Doug Flutie Drop Kick Game
Miami Dolphins 28, New England Patriots 26 at Gillette Stadium

The Patriots dropped to 10-6 in a meaningless season finale. Tom Brady played for just three first quarter drives and Corey Dillon was a healthy scratch as the AFC East champs simply wanted to be healthy for their next game versus Jacksonville.

Rookie Matt Cassel got his most playing time since high school, going 11-20 for 168 yards and two touchdown passes. Fellow rookie Bam Childress made his first NFL catch, and the wide receiver also gave up a TD while playing corner.

The season highlight came with 6:10 left to play. Cassel had just thrown a 9-yard TD pass to Tim Dwight on a drive that began with Dwight's 29-yard kickoff return, and included a 30-yard pass to Ben Watson. The score cut the lead to 25-19, but Miami called a timeout when Doug Flutie came on the field for the extra point.

Flutie stepped back several yards behind the line of scrimmage and booted a drop kick through the uprights for an extra point. While a bewildered Miami defense watched in confusion, Flutie was mobbed by his teammates and congratulated by a smiling Bill Belichick. It was the last successful drop kick in NFL history, and the first since 1941.

Andre' Davis led the Pats with two receptions for 46 yards, and Ben Watson and Deion Branch joined Dwight with touchdown receptions. Adam Vinatieri's two field goals gave him an even 100 points on the season. It was the lowest point total of his ten seasons with the Patriots; he would sign with the Colts in the following off-season.

The victory was the sixth straight for Miami, who finished 9-7 under Nick Saban. That six-game winning streak is the longest the Dolphins have had since 1992 (matched again in 2016, with the recently fired Adam Gase). The last time the Fins had more was a seven-game streak in 1985.





January 1, 2012:
New England Patriots 49, Buffalo Bills 21 at Gillette Stadium

The Patriots picked off Ryan Fitzpatrick four times as they scored 49 unanswered points to defeat the Bills. The victory clinched the number one seed in the AFC playoffs for New England.

The Patriots finished the season 13-3, winning their final eight games in a row. It was the third straight game that the Pats fell behind early before coming back to win.

Rob Gronkowski had eight receptions on ten targets for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Gronk set an NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end in a single season, with 1,327. He also had 18 touchdowns, second most in Patriot franchise history. The final yardage came on a 22-yard completion from Brian Hoyer with 1:30 left, a play that Belichick called to give him a shot at the record.

Buffalo scored on their first three possessions while the Pats went 3-and-out twice to take a 21-0 lead. The Patriot defense held the Bills scoreless the rest of the way, forcing four interceptions, three punts, a turnover on downs and a missed field goal. Buffalo was able to convert just one of seven third down opportunities, though they did go 2-3 on fourth down. The Pats responded by scoring on seven of their next eight drives before an end of game kneel down.

Sterling Moore had two interceptions, including a 21-yard pick-six. Devin McCourty had another pick, and Antwaun Molden had an interception and six tackles. On the other side of the ball Aaron Hernandez had seven catches for 138 yards, including a 39-yard TD that closed the deficit to 21-14. Stevan Ridley led Patriot running backs with 81 yards rushing.



January 1, 2017:
New England Patriots 35, Miami Dolphins 14 at Hard Rock Stadium

The Patriots jumped out to a 20-0 lead and trounced the Dolphins, to finish 14-2. Tom Brady threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, good for a 130.4 passer rating. That gave TB12 61,582 career passing yards, surpassing Dan Marino for fourth place on the NFL all-time list.

Brady finished the season with 28 touchdowns and two interceptions, the best TD:INT differential in NFL history. It was his 51st game with at least three touchdown passes and no picks, tying him with Peyton Manning for the most in that category.

The Patriots dominated early, jumping out to a 20-0 lead. At that point the Pats had 17 first downs to just one for Miami, and a 238-30 advantage in total yards.

Miami finished the season 10-6 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2008, and just second time since 2001. The loss was just the second in eleven games for the Dolphins. It was the first time in four years that the Patriots won in Miami.

Michael Floyd scored his only touchdown with the Patriots in the first quarter, catching a pass and bulling his way into the end zone for a 14 yard score. That was preceded by a TD pass to Martellus Bennett, for a 14-0 lead. Stephen Gostkowski added two field goals before Miami finally scored with 28 seconds to play in the half.

The Dolphins closed to 20-14 in the third quarter. Brady found Julian Edelman (8 receptions for 151 yards) for a short completion, and JE11 took it 77 yards for a touchdown. After both teams punted twice, Miami drove deep into New England territory. Devin McCourty forced a fumble and Shea McClellin returned it 69 yards to flip momentum and field position. A few plays later LeGarrette Blount ran it in for the final score of 35-14.

Happy Birthday​

Happy 70th Birthday to John Tarver
Born Jan 1, 1949 in Bakersfield CA
Pats 7th round (166th overall) selection of the 1972 draft, from Colorado
Patriot RB from 1972-74; uniform #36
31 games w/Pats, with 754 yards from scrimmage and 8 touchdowns.

New England Patriots

(From the 1974 Patriots Media Guide)

Launched collegiate career at Bakersfield Jr. College before switching to Univ. of Colorado ... rushed for nearly 2000 yards in Jr. College, added 1327 more in two varsity seasons at Colorado ... known as the "Battering Buffalo at Colorado where he was voted the "most unheralded senior" ... played tailback in '70, fullback in '71 and managed 14 touchdowns ... Patriots second choice in the seventh round of the 1972 draft ... added to College All-Star roster and played well at Chicago ... road the cab squad for a portion of his rookie year, did a good job in the eight games he played in '72 ... broken scapula sidelined him for five games during 1973, seven as a starter ... still came through as club's second best rusher last season.​

 

[italian pat patriot]

while the Patriots lost their 13th straight in what was the franchise's worst season ever.​

'It's depressing, it's demoralizing,' Patriots running back John Stephens said. 'The best thing that can happen is for the season to end. It can't get any worse than it is.'

New England's newly named Director of Football Operations, Sam Jankovich, said of his new charges: 'What they have to do is get their season over with.

'Evidently, it's a team that's demoralized,' Jankovich said. 'One of the most important things this team has to deal with now is attitude. It's bleak.'​

What a difference from "yesterday" to "today"...we hv to appreciate this good period really a LOT...

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History: January 5​

January 5, 1997 at Foxboro Stadium
Division Round Playoff Game
New England Patriots 28, Pittsburgh Steelers 3
With Steelers in a Fog, Patriots Roll Along | Washington Post
A Souper Sunday: The Steelers were in a fog against the Patriots, who beat them at their own game | Sports Illustrated
A real-life horror Story: The Fog Bowl | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette




January 5, 1986 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Division Round Playoff Game
New England Patriots 27, Los Angeles Raiders 20
Raiders Give the Game to the Patriots, 27-20; 3 Interceptions and 3 Fumbles Result in Loss | LA Times
Ah Yes, The '85 Pats: They Were Never Dull | Hartford Courant
History Lesson: The Time Matt Millen Punched The Patriots' General Manager In The Head | Deadspin

January 5, 1964 at Balboa Stadium
1963 AFL Championship Game
San Diego Chargers 51, Boston Patriots 10
Remembering the 1963 Championship Game | The San Diego Union-Tribune
1963 Boston Patriots | Fenway Park Diaries
The World Champion Chargers and the 1963 AFL Season | Remember the AFL
After his team routed the Patriots, San Diego head coach Sid Gillman challenged the NFL Champion Chicago Bears to a game. When the Bears refused, Gillman had the Chargers’ championship rings engraved “World Champions.”

Today's Birthdays​

Happy 26th Birthday to Phillip Dorsett
Born January 5, 1993 in Fort Lauderdale
Patriot WR, 2017-present; uniform #13
Traded from Colts to Pats on Sept 2, 2017 for QB Jacoby Brissett
31 games, 44 receptions, 484 yards, 11.0 ypc, 3 TD


Happy 78th Birthday to Dave Watson
January 5, 1941 in Eufaula, Alabama
Patriot G, 1963-64; uniform #67 and #62
Pats 11th round (87th overall) selection of the 1963 AFL draft, from Georgia Tech


Happy 64th Birthday to Bill Currier
Born January 5, 1955 in Glen Burnie, MD
Patriot SS, 1980; uniform #28
Spent nine years in the NFL, mostly with the Giants


Happy 50th Birthday to David Dixon
Born January 5, 1969 in New Zealand
Pats 9th round (232nd overall) selection of the 1992 draft, from Arizona State
Was a training camp cut, and spent '92 and '93 on the practice squads for Minnesota and Dallas. Went on to play 154 games at RG for the Vikings. Was the second Maori (indigenous Polynesian people) to play in the NFL.


Others with New England Connections:
FB Casey Cramer (1/5/82) went to Dartmouth; played five seasons with Carolina, Tennessee and Miami.

DT Don Colo (1/5/25); born and raised in East Bridgewater MA, was named to three Pro Bowls and won two championships with the Browns.

QB/TB Paul Governali (1/5/21) played for the 1946-47 Boston Yanks.

Bob Priestly (1/5/20) played E for the Eagles in 1942. Born in Everett, went to Melrose High School.

Other notable football players born today:
Warrick Dunn (1/5/75); RB had 15,306 yards from scrimmage and 64 TD
Ray Crockett (1/5/67); CB won two SB rings and had 36 picks over 14 seasons
Rick Tuten (1/5/65); Punter for 11 seasons, won SB ring with Rams
Joe Cribbs (1/5/58); RB went to three Pro Bowls with Bills
Mercury Morris (1/5/47), Miami RB, drug dealer and Pats Hater
Sam Wyche (1/5/45); innovative HC introduced the hurry up offense as a mid-game strategy; nearly beat SF in SB 23
EJ Holub (1/53/38); 5-time Pro Bowl LB for Chiefs
Jim Otto (1/5/1938); Hall of Fame center for the Raiders
Chuck Noll (1/5/32-6/13/14); after playing seven season for coach Paul Brown in Cleveland, Noll went on to win four Super Bowls with the Steelers

Today in Pro Football History​

2002 Wild Card Game: Forty Niners 39, Giants 38
The Giants led 38-14 with just over 17 minutes left to play, but lost.
Today in Pro Football History: Jan 5, 2014

The special teams had been a cause of concern throughout the season, and 41-year-old long snapper Trey Junkin was signed out of retirement five days before the game when long snapper Dan O’Leary was injured – a seemingly minor personnel change that would have a significant impact on the game’s outcome.

....

It seemed as though the visitors would prevail when they lined up for a field goal attempt of 41 yards with six seconds left on the clock.

But Junkin snapped the ball too low and holder Matt Allen couldn’t handle it. The desperate Allen rolled out and threw toward G Rich Seubert, who was in the act of being pulled down by San Francisco LB Chike Okeafor. The ball fell to the ground with no time left, but the Giants were looking for a flag for pass interference. After the officials conferred, a flag was indeed thrown – against the Giants for having an ineligible receiver downfield.

San Francisco came away with an astonishing 39-38 win. Coming back from a 24-point deficit, it was the biggest comeback in NFC playoff history (and, at the time, the second-biggest in NFL history), and was punctuated in bizarre fashion.

.....

The next day, the NFL acknowledged that the officials had blown the call on the game-ending broken field goal attempt. There should have been an offsetting pass interference penalty on the 49ers, which would have allowed the Giants another chance at kicking the field goal (while Seubert had reported in as an eligible receiver, another guard, Tam Hopkins, was illegally downfield on the play).

​

 

[italian pat patriot]

6 january 1986...i remember i was shocked but so happy...what a win...first memories of a great Patriot team...

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History: January 6​

January 6, 2002 at Ericsson Stadium:
2001 Season Week 17 Game
New England Patriots 38, Carolina Panthers 6

The Patriots completed a worst-to-first turnaround with an easy blowout victory on a drizzly day in Charlotte. With the victory the Pats clinched the AFC East title for the first time since the 1997 season. A few hours later the Jets defeated the Raiders, elevating New England to the number two seed.

On Carolina's first drive Ty Law intercepted a pass intended for Steve Smith 46 yards for a touchdown to give the Pats a 10-0 lead. On the first play from scrimmage on the ensuing drive Otis Smith picked off a Chris Weinke pass and it looked like a rout early. However that drive stalled with a fumble on the one-yard line.

Footing was less than perfect on the field, and neither team was able to generate much offense on the next several possessions. After New England's first drive of the second half stalled, Ken Walter's punt pinned Carolina on their own one yard line.

The Panthers went three and out, then Todd Sauerbrun out-kicked the coverage with a 61-yard punt to the Patriot 32. Troy Brown caught the ball and raced up the middle of the field 68 yards for a touchdown, and the Patriots led 17-3. On their next drive Tom Brady hit Brown on completions of 9 and 17 yards, then Antowain Smith ran for a 32-yard score to make it 24-6.

Brown had six receptions to give him 101 catches on the season. At the time it was the most in franchise history, eclipsing Ben Coates' mark of 96 set in 1994. For Smith it was his 12th rushing touchdown of the season, and 13th TD overall. At that time it was the third most in club history, tying Steve Grogan (12 in '76) and bested only by Curtis Martin (14 in '95 and '96).

The fourth quarter was anti-climatic but plenty of fun for a less than half-filled stadium that was primarily Patriot fans. Backup Riddick Parker recovered a Weinke fumble deep in Carolina territory. Three plays later Jermaine Wiggins, who earlier had a 31-yard reception, caught a 5-yard touchdown pass.

Five minutes later 36 year old Otis Smith, the oldest starting NFL corner that season, picked off Weinke again and took it 76 yards to the house for the final score. For the day the Patriot defense forced six turnovers, held Carolina without a touchdown, and limited the Panthers to a combined 4-15 on third and fourth down.

Patriots clinch AFC East with blowout in Carolina - The Boston Globe
Patriots vs. Panthers - Game Recap - January 6, 2002 - ESPN
Panthers fire Seifert

Today's Birthdays​

Pierre Woods, January 6, 1982
Patriot LB, 2006-2010
Uniform #58 & #49
The Pats signed the 6'5 Woods as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan following the 2006 draft. He was primarily a special teams standout, appearing in 54 games, with eight starts.


Asante Samuel, January 6, 1981
Patriot CB, 2003-2007
Uniform #22
Pats 4th round (120th overall) selection in the 2003 draft, from Central Florida.
Samuel had ten interceptions for the Patriots in 2006, and was an All Pro corner in 2007. After five seasons in New England he played for Philadelphia for four years, and Atlanta for two. Samuel had 22 interceptions and three touchdowns for the Pats, but he is most well known for a play he didn't make. On the play right before the Eli to Tyree pass in Super Bowl 42, an off target Manning pass should have been a game ending pick. Instead it went through Samuel's hands, and the rest is bitter history.

Bo Scaife, January 6, 1981
Patriot TE, 2012 off season.
Scaife spent seven years with Tennessee, catching 251 passes and 12 touchdowns. After playing under the franchise tag in 2009 and 2010, he signed with the Bengals as a free agent. The 6th round pick of the 2005 draft suffered a preseason shoulder injury soon after, spent the year on injured reserve, and was released. The Patriots signed Scaife on June 7, 2012 but released him 11 days later, ending his NFL career.


Fred Sturt, January 6, 1951
Patriot G, 1976-1978
Uniform #63
Sturt played in 29 games over three seasons with the Patriots. His best years came after that, when he started with the Saints. Sturt played in 95 NFL games between 1974 and 1981. The Bowling Green grad was a backup and special teamer in two playoff games: with George Allen's 1974 Redskins, and with the 1976 Patriots. He was going to rejoin Chuck Fairbanks and block for Herschel Walker in the USFL, but blew out his knee in a practice. After retiring Sturt returned to his hometown of Toledo as a salesman for Yark Automotive Group.


Harold Jackson, January 6, 1946
Patriot WR, 1978-1981
Uniform #29
Jackson was 32 years old when Chuck Fairbanks traded for the receiver from the Los Angeles Rams. He had been named to five pro bowls, twice led the NFL in receiving yards, once in receptions, and once in touchdown receptions. In a 1973 game against Dallas he caught seven passes for 238 yards and four touchdowns.

Jackson teamed with Stanley Morgan and Russ Francis to form a potent receiving corps to perfectly complement the Patriots record setting rushing attack. In each of his first three seasons Jackson averaged over 20 yards per reception, catching 18 touchdown passes during that span. He never missed a game with the Patriots, and at the time his 3162 receiving yards with the Pats ranked fourth in team history. Jackson finished his NFL career with 579 receptions for 10,372 yards and 76 touchdowns, despite playing in an era that was not nearly as conducive to the passing game as today.

After retiring Jackson called Raymond Berry to congratulate him on getting the job as the Pats new head coach. One thing led to another, and Berry ended up making Jackson the team's wide receiver coach. He has remained in coaching since, most recently as head coach at Jackson State.

Roger LaLonde, January 6, 1942
Pats 8th round (61st overall) selection of the 1964 draft, from Muskingum University.
The defensive tackle from Ohio's Division 3 Fighting Muskies never played for the Patriots, signing instead with Detroit. LaLonde spent one season each with the Lions and Giants before playing two years in the CFL. In his final year of pro football LaLonde went out as a champion, part of the Grey Cup winning Hamilton Tiger-Cats.


Others pro football players with New England area connections:

Willie Clark, January 6, 1972
Clark was born in New Haven, but moved often as a child of parents in the military. He was a running back at Notre Dame, then converted to defensive back in the NFL. Clark spent five years in the NFL with the Chargers and Eagles; playing in 63 regular and postseason games. He is now the Director of Student Services for the School District of Manatee County Florida, after previously serving as the Principal of Palmetto High School.


Howie Long, January 6, 1960
The Hall of Fame defensive end for the Raiders was born on this day in Somerville. Long grew up in Charlestown, and went to Milford High School. The longtime NFL television studio analyst was also in the middle of this epic 1978 fracas instigated by Patrick Sullivan.

Bill Anderson, January 6, 1921
Bob Masterson, January 6, 1915
Both played for the 1945 Boston Yanks.


Aside from Howie Long, there are several other notable current and former NFL players born today.
Jameis Winston (1994), Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB.
Derrick Morgan (1991), Tennessee Titans DE.
Ndamukong Suh (1987), Lions/Dolphins/Rams DT.
James Farrior (1975); LB played 15 seasons with Jets and Steelers.
Keenan McCardell (1970); WR caught 63 touchdown passes.
Donnell Woolford (1966); CB had 36 interceptions, mostly with Chicago.
Charles Haley (1964); Hall of Fame OLB/DE won five Super Bowl rings with the 49ers and Cowboys.
Sean Landeta (1962); punter won two SB rings and appeared in 18 playoff games over 21 NFL seasons.
Sonny Randle (1936-2017); split end was named to four Pro Bowls with the St. Louis Cardinals in the sixties.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

epic 1978 fracas instigated by Patrick Sullivan.

It was January 5, 1986 - that's right, the day before Howie's birthday

The arrogance and entitlement of the Raiders is on display in the pregame report:


Pat Sullivan was right - we'd taken enough crap from that Raider organization over the years.

I just can't resist posting this one. Remember?



When Mosi threw back the flea-flicker, I said "GOOD CALL. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS."

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History: January 7​

January 7, 2007 at Gillette Stadium
2006 AFC Wild Card Game
New England Patriots 37, New York Jets 16
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Eric Mangini
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Chad Pennington
3rd Down: Patriots 11-16, Jets 3-11
Turnovers: Patriots 1, Jets 2

Patriots beat Jets 37-16 in AFC Wild Card | Reuters
Patriots ground Jets 37-16
Patriots 37, Jets 16 - Boston.com


January 7, 2006 at Gillette Stadium
2005 AFC Wild Card Game
New England Patriots 28, Jacksonville Jaguars 3
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Jack Del Rio
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Byron Leftwich
3rd Down: Patriots 7-14, Jaguars 1-4
Turnovers: Patriots 0, Jaguars 2
Patriots Make It A Perfect 10; Brady Has 3 TD Passes for Two-Time Defending Champs: Patriots 28, Jaguars 3 | WaPo
Patriots still have it going on / Brady, McGinest make 10th straight playoff win look easy
Patriots too strong for Jaguars as playoff streak builds - The Boston Globe

Today's Birthdays​

Bob Scarpitto was born Jan 7, 1939 in Rahway, New York
Patriot Punter and Flanker in 1968; uniform #46
Led the league in '68 with longest punt (87 yards) and punts blocked (2)


Al Marshall was born Jan 7, 1951 in Monroe, Louisiana
Patriot WR in 1974; uniform #88
Played last four games of '74 with one catch, a 17-yard TD vs the Raiders

Local Guy:
Ivan Caesar was born Jan 7, 1967
Went to Dorchester High School and Boston College
LB played 14 games for the Vikings in 1991.



Other NFL Birthdays
1/7/1997 - QB Lamar Jackson
1/7/1986 - Steeler LG Ramon Foster
1/7/1979 - SF RB Kevan Barlow
1/7/1973 - Chi/Sea WR Bobby Engram
1/7/1969 - PR/WR Todd Kinchen
1/7/1962 - LB & HC Ron Rivera
1/7/1960 - OL & NFL analyst Brian Baldinger
1/7/1958 - Atl/Hous CB-PR-KR Kenny Johnson
1/7/1948 - Cle/Phi/Was DE Joe Jones

1/7/1946 - Atl LB Greg Brezina
1/7/1930 - QB Eddie LeBaron had 13 4th quarter comebacks with Washington and Dallas, and was named to four Pro Bowls - despite having a career record of 28-54-3.
Eddie LeBaron, the diminutive 'Little General' of 1950s Redskins, dies at 85 | WaPo
Obituary: Eddie LeBaron, 85, starred at UOP and in NFL

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

1/7/1930 - QB Eddie LeBaron had 13 4th quarter comebacks with Washington and Dallas, and was named to four Pro Bowls - despite having a career record of 28-54-3.
Eddie LeBaron, the diminutive 'Little General' of 1950s Redskins, dies at 85 | WaPo
Obituary: Eddie LeBaron, 85, starred at UOP and in NFL

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History: January 10
John Harbaugh Loses His Mind
Impetus for Deflategate Witch Hunt is Conceived​

January 10, 2015:
New England Patriots 35, Baltimore Ravens 31 at Gillette Stadium
2014 Division Round Playoffs

The Patriots twice came back from 14 point deficits to defeat the Ravens. This was the game that Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh cried foul over Patriot 'trick' formations, that was the impetus for the botched frame job a week later that became the witch hunt known as deflategate.

Baltimore limited the Pats to 14 yards rushing, but Tom Brady set franchise postseason records for completions (33) and yards passing (367). Despite the points allowed the Patriot defense did its part with four interceptions off Joe Flacco.

With the score 28-14 the Pats deployed an unusual formation, keeping only four offensive linemen on the field. TE Michael Hoomanawanui lined up in the traditional left tackle position. The Patriots put two players to the right side of the line of scrimmage, which meant the inside player (Shane Vereen) was ineligible to receive a pass - and Hoomanawanui, who was at the end of the line on the other side - was an eligible receiver.

Hooman caught passes for 16 and 14 yards, with the Baltimore defense in disarray. Harbaugh went ballistic - yet did not call a timeout to gather his team on how to defend the formation. Rob Gronkowski caught a 5-yard TD, and the Pats had cut the Baltimore lead to 28-21.

The Ravens seemed unfocused and went three-and-out on the next series. The Pats had the ball and Brady connected on short passes to Julian Edelman for 9 yards, and Vereen for 10. On the third play of the drive Brady passed to Edelman behind the line of scrimmage. The former college quarterback then hit Danny Amendola for a 51 yard touchdown, and the score was tied.

Harbaugh was absolutely fit to be tied as well. I thought he would have a stroke.

Baltimore settled down somewhat and a Justin Tucker field goal put the Ravens back up by three with just over ten minutes to play. Brady completed eight out of nine passes on the following drive, as well as gaining a first down on a quarterback sneak. The winning points came on a 23 yard touchdown to Brandon LaFell. Duron Harmon's interception with 1:46 to play sealed the victory.



January 10, 2004:
New England Patriots 17, Tennessee Titans 14 at Gillette Stadium
Division Round of the 2003 Playoffs
Coldest Game in Patriot Franchise History

The Pats advanced to the AFC Championship game for the third time in four years in a game that is most remembered for its frigid temperature. Adam Vinatieri’s 46-yard field goal with 4:11 remaining was the game winner on a Saturday night where temperatures hovered around zero with a wind chill of 14 below. Due to the conditions the Pats lifted their ban on bringing blankets and sleeping bags into the stadium, and free coffee and hot chocolate was made available in the parking lot. There were reports of beer freezing in the stadium before fans could finish drinking their beverage, though that may just be an urban legend.

It was New England’s 13th consecutive win, and they improved to 9-0 at home for the season. The win was Tom Brady’s 14th when tied or coming from behind in the 4th quarter in just 47 career starts, and his fifth of the 2003 season. Brady improved his record to 14-1 in games decided by seven or fewer points, and 35-12 for his career overall.

On the first drive Brady completed a pass across the middle to Kevin Faulk for a 19-yard gain, then burnt an early timeout when he was confused by Tennessee’s defensive coverage. The decision to call a timeout proved to be a good one; on the ensuing play Brady found Bethel Johnson open over the top for a 41-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead just four minutes into the game.

After Tennessee tied the score on a 5-yard run by Chris Brown the Pats drive appeared to stall. On a 3rd-and-13 Brady hit Johnson, who then cut back looking for a running lane; Brady threw a key block on the Titans safety and Johnson gained 14 yards on the play for a first down. Later in the drive Brady made a first down on a naked bootleg on a 3rd-and-3; two plays later Antowain Smith scored to give the Pats a 14-7 halftime lead. The score would have been closer if not for Richard Seymour’s block of a field goal late in the half.

Tennessee tied the score on an 11-yard pass from Steve McNair to Derrick Mason to make it 14-14 heading into the 4th quarter. Brady hit Troy Brown on a 4th-and-3 from the Tennessee 33 to get the ball close enough for Vinatieri’s clutch field goal, but there was plenty of time left. McNair drove the Titans to the New England 33 but two penalties left them out of field goal range. McNair threw a pass on 4th-and-12 to Drew Bennett who somehow was wide open at the 10-yard-line – but the ball bounced off his hands and fell incomplete.

The Pats defense harassed McNair all night. Willie McGinest had seven tackles and three sacks; Mike Vrabel had a sack; Rodney Harrison had an interception that led to a touchdown, five tackles, and several hits on McNair; and Tedy Bruschi had nine tackles.



January 10, 2010:
Baltimore Ravens 33, New England Patriots 10 at Gillette Stadium
2009 Wild Card Playoff Game

A week after losing Wes Welker to a knee injury a week earlier, the Pats came out flat and were run over by the Ravens. Ray Rice rushed for an 83-yard touchdown on Baltimore’s first offensive play, and things went downhill from there. Tom Brady threw two touchdowns, but also threw three picks and lost a fumble on one of three times he was sacked. About the best thing that can be said about this fiasco was that it was the final game of Adalius Thomas’ NFL career.




January 10, 1962:
Clarence Weathers was born in Greenville, South Carolina.
Patriot WR, 1983-1984
Uniform #82

Weathers came to visit his brother Robert, who was a running back with the Pats in 1983. Offensive Coordinator Lew Erber saw his athletic ability and signed him as a free agent, even though he hadn’t played any organized football since dropping out of Delaware State as a freshman. Weathers was with the Pats in 1983 and 1984, but was slowed down by foot and knee injuries. In two years with the Patriots he appeared in 25 games, with 27 catches for 494 yards and 5 touchdowns. He ended up playing nine years in the NFL, primarily with the Browns, mostly as a backup receiver and special teams player.



January 10, 1986:
Mike Rivera was born in Shawnee, Kansas.
Patriot LB, 2012
Uniform #52

The linebacker from the University of Kansas spent parts of 2011 and 2012 on the New England practice squad. He played in the first two games of 2012 for the Pats, was released, and signed with Miami. The Pats re-signed Rivera in October, and he ended up playing ten games that year with one start for the Patriots. Rivera also played in the two 2012-13 postseason games for New England. He was part of cuts at the end of the 2013 training camp, ending his pro football career.

​

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History​

January 11, 2014 at Gillette Stadium
2013 Division Round Playoff Game
New England Patriots 43, Indianapolis Colts 22

Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Chuck Pagano
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Andrew Luck

Patriots improve to 13-4, advance to AFCCG at Denver
Colts drop to 12-6, eliminated from playoffs

Key Stats I:
Interceptions: Luck 4, Brady 0

Key Stat II:
Patriots Rushing: 46 attempts, 234 yards, six touchdowns
Colts Rushing: 21 attempts, 69 yards, zero touchdowns

Key Stat III:
Time of Possession: Patriots 35:00, Colts 25:00

Doesn't-matter-even-if-they-know-the-play-call Stat:
LeGarrette Blount took 27 snaps on offense.
Of those 27 snaps he ran the ball 24 times (89%).
Despite this tipping of their hand, Blount rushed for 166 yards (6.9 yards per carry), and four touchdowns.

Colts run out of playoffs by Patriots, 43-22 | IndyStar
Run-heavy Patriots end the Colts season with a 43-22 win | Fox59 Indianapolis
Patriots RB LeGarrette Blount broke a few franchise records | CBS Sports
LeGarrette Blount runs for 4 TDs as Patriots clobber Colts | ESPN (AP report)
Rapid Reaction: New England Patriots 43, Indianapolis Colts 22 | ESPN (Mike Reiss)

Happy Birthdays​

John Sanders was born Jan 11, 1950 in Chicago
Patriot CB/FS, 1974-76; uniform #25
Played in 30 games with 24 starts; had five picks as a rookie in '74.
New England Patriots

(From the 1977 Patriots Media Guide)
Was a world history teacher at Kansas City when Patriots signed him as free agent on 4-3-74 ... backup safety at outset of 1974 season but became starting cornerback after four games ... switched to free safety and started all 14 games in '75 ... great sense of timing and nose for the ball ... led club in fumble recovering (4), blocked extra points (2) and blocked punts (1) ... third leading tackler (94) ... achilles injury in second game of 1976 season forced him to the sidelines for the balance of the campaign.​

Jordan Devey was born Jan 11, 1988 in Utah
Patriot OL, 2013-14; uniform #65
Played in 7 games with 4 starts, and received a SB ring.
Patriots re-sign FB James Develin, add OT Jordan Devey to practice squad
Patriots Trade Jordan Devey To San Francisco For TE Asante Cleveland
Ex-Pat Jordan Devey - he of the tuba - returns with KC
Jordan Devey


Darren Anderson was born Jan 11, 1969 in Cincinnati
Patriot DB, 1992; uniform #25
Pats 4th round (93rd overall) selection of the 1992 draft, from Toledo
Played only one game with Pats, then traded to Tampa Bay
Appeared in 74 NFL games from '92-'98, mostly with Chiefs
https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-anderson-6645a542
Detroit Lions move quickly in adding two scouts


Dana Cottrell was born Jan 11, 1974 in Boston
Patriot LB, 1998; uniform #45
Played in the final three games of the '98 season (including playoff loss to Jax).
Grew up locally; went to Billerica High School.
Dana R. Cottrell | Logan Circle Partners


Two others also with New England area connections:

Ryan Griffin was born Jan 11, 1990 in Londonderry NH
Went to Londonderry HS and UConn
TE for Houston Texans, 2013-present.

Jack Triggs, Jan 11 1903 - Feb 16, 1951
Brockton native went to Providence and was a FB for the Providence Steam Roller.

 

[jmt57]

Today In Patriots History
Squish the Fish Game​

January 12, 1986 at the Orange Bowl
1985 AFC Championship Game
New England Patriots 31, Miami Dolphins 14
- Odds: Dolphins were favored by 5½
- Patriots win AFC, improve to 14-5 and advance to Super Bowl 20
- Dolphins drop to 13-5 and are denied a return to SB, and rematch with Bears. Miami was the only team to defeat Chicago that season, keeping the Fins 1972 17-0 season intact.
- Dolphins have not been AFC champs since 1984; they are now 6-9 in the playoffs since.
Head Coaches: Raymond Berry, Don Shula
Quarterbacks: Tony Eason, Dan Marino

Key Stat I
Turnovers: Miami 6, New England 2
(Fumble recoveries by Julius Adams, Greg Hawthorne, Garin Veris and Lester Williams; interceptions by Raymond Clayborn and Fred Marion)

Key Stat II
Pats Rushing: 59 for 255 yards
Miami Rushing: 3 for 68 yards
[Key Stat 2-B, Time of Possession: Pats 39:51, Dolphins 20:09; Pats +19:42 TOP!]

Squish the Fish: 1985 Patriots run one of the greatest in NFL history | Boston.com
Don't forget 'Squishing the fish'
Raymond Clayborn remembers Patriots teammates in Hall of Fame induction – Boston Herald



January 12, 1997 at Foxboro Stadium
1996 AFC Championship Game
New England Patriots 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 6
- Odds: Patriots were favored by 7½
- Patriots win AFC, advance to Super Bowl 31 in New Orleans vs Green Bay.
- Jaguars had upset Buffalo and then #1 seed Denver to advance to AFCCG in just their second season; the Jaguars finished with a record of 11-8.
Head Coaches: Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin
Quarterbacks: Drew Bledsoe, Mark Brunell

Key Stat: Turnovers
Jaguars 4 (Brunell had two picks, one fumble lost); Patriots 2.
As a result Pats were able to overcome their being 2-13 on third down.
Jags limited Curtis Martin to 59 yards rushing on 19 carries.

Patriots' Defense Freezes Out Upstart Jaguars, 20-6 | Washington Post

Jaguars vs. Patriots - Game Summary - January 12, 1997 - ESPN

Memorable Moments: 1996 AFC Championship | Patriots.com Video





January 12, 2008 at Gillette Stadium
2007 Division Round Game
New England Patriots 31, Jacksonville Jaguars 20
- Odds: Patriots were favored by 13½
- Patriots improve to 17-0; next is AFCCG vs San Diego
- Jacksonville finishes season with a 12-6 record
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Jack Del Rio
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, David Garrard

Key Stat: Incomplete Passes (2)
Brady was 26-28 for 262 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int, 1 sack (-4 yards) and a 141.4 passer rating.

Patriots claw past Jaguars to open playoffs - The Boston Globe
Still Perfect, and Passing Game Almost Is
Jaguars vs. Patriots - Game Recap - January 12, 2008 - ESPN
Official Site of the National Football League | NFL.com

Happy Birthdays​

Dan Klecko turns 38, born Jan 12 1981 in New Jersey
Pats 4th round (117th overall) pick in the 2003 draft, out of Temple
Patriot DT 2003-05; uniform #90
Dan Klecko Following In His Father's Footsteps
Dan Klecko savors gift of grabbing passes from Tom Brady and Peyton Manning | Fox Sports
Dan Klecko | Peter Grandich and Company


Jarvis Green turns 40, born Jan 12 1979 in Louisiana
Pats 4th round (126th overall) pick in the 2002 draft, from LSU
Patriot DE 2002-09; uniform #97
Ranks 12th all-time in franchise history with 28 sacks
At the time he ranked 7th (now 13th) all time for pats with 24 tackles for a loss.

Former Patriot Jarvis Green brings business to Boston
Jarvis Green recalls Bill Belichick's blunt post-draft advice | boston.com
'Don't call me Bubba': How former NFL player Jarvis Green learned shrimping from scratch | Sporting News
Ex-Pats' Jarvis Green hopes to supply the country with shrimp from the Gulf | Providence Journal
Former Patriot Jarvis Green Dives Into The Shrimp Business | Metro West



Neil Graff turns 69, born Jan 12 1950 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Patriot QB 1974-75; uniform #15
South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame - Neil Graff
Eide Bailly | Neil H. Graff, Financial Advisor
Whatever Happened To: Former NFL Quarterback Neil Graff | Argus Leader
Sioux Falls family suing children's hospital for treatment of autistic son | Argus Leader

 

[jmt57]

Today In Patriots History
Pats Advance to AFCCG​

January 13, 2013 at Gillette Stadium
2012 Division Round Playoff Game
New England Patriots 41, Houston Texans 28
- Pats improve to 14-4; Texans finish 13-5
- Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Gary Kubiak
- Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Matt Schaub
- Odds: Patriots favored by 9½

This was a rematch of the Letterman Jacket Game from six weeks earlier. The Pats held a slim 17-13 halftime lead, then broke the game open in the third quarter. New England went 69 yards on seven plays on the opening drive of the second half, upping the lead to 24-13 on an 8-yard Stevan Ridley run.

Two possessions later the Texans once again drove to the Patriot 37, but Schaub was intercepted by Rob Ninkovich at the 31. Less than three minutes later the Patriots scored on Brandon Lloyd's 5-yard touchdown catch, making the score 31-13. This was Brady's 40th career touchdown pass in the postseason, making him only the third player with so many in the postseason.

On their next drive, very early in the 4th quarter, Houston went for it on 4th-and-1 from their own 33 but Schaub's long pass fell incomplete. On the very next play Brady hit Shane Vereen on a 33-yard touchdown pass, Vereen's third touchdown of the game, putting the game away with a 38-13 lead.

Houston did come back to trim the lead to 38-28 with 5:11 remaining, but Ninkovich recovered the onside kick. The Pats held the ball for nearly four minutes before Stephen Gostkowski connected on a 38 yard field goal for the final score.

With the victory Tom Brady became the winningest quarterback in NFL playoff history with his 17th postseason win, breaking a tie with Joe Montana. The game was also the 450th victory (regular season and playoffs) in Pats franchise history. The win put the Patriots into the AFCCG for the ninth time in franchise history, and a rematch of the 2011 title game (as well as a rematch of Week 3) with the Baltimore Ravens.

Tom Brady wins QB-record 17th playoff game as Pats advance | ESPN



January 13, 2018 at Gillette Stadium
2017 Division Round Playoff Game
New England Patriots 35, Tennessee Titans 14
- Pats improve to 14-4; Titans finish 10-8
- Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Mike Mularkey
- Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Marcus Mariota
- Odds: Patriots favored by 13½

The Patriot defense sacked Mariota eight times, setting a franchise playoff record. Tennessee RB Derrick Henry had rushed for 156 yards the previous week against KC, but the Pats limited him to just 28 yards on 12 carries. Tom Brady passed for 337 yards and three touchdowns; it was his 10th career postseason game with at least three TD passes, moving him past Joe Montana for the most in NFL history. Danny Amendola led the Patriots with 11 catches for 112 yards.

Patriots beat Titans 35-14 to head back to AFC title game | ESPN
Patriots 35, Titans 14: New England wins in rout to advance to 7th straight AFC title game | weei.com
Patriots beat Titans 35-14 to head back to AFC championship game - LA Times
Patriots 35, Titans 14: Tom Brady dices Tennessee defense | tennesseean.com



January 13, 2019 at Gillette Stadium
2018 Division Round Playoff Game
New England Patriots 41, Los Angeles Chargers 28
- Pats improve to 12-5; Chargers finish 13-5
- Head Coaches: Bill Belichick, Anthony Lynn
- Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Philip Rivers
- Odds: Patriots favored by 4½

5 Takeaways from the Patriots' eye-opening obliteration of the Chargers | Boston.com
Patriots Dominate Chargers to Reach A.F.C. Championship Game | New York Times
The biggest takeaways from the Patriots’ 41-28 win over Chargers | Washington Post