{"id":37705,"date":"2021-09-05T05:00:12","date_gmt":"2021-09-05T09:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=37705"},"modified":"2021-09-05T11:30:43","modified_gmt":"2021-09-05T15:30:43","slug":"patriots-news-september-5-david-pattens-passing-afc-east-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2021\/09\/05\/patriots-news-september-5-david-pattens-passing-afc-east-notes\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots News September 5, David Patten\u2019s Passing, AFC East Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning, here is your <\/span>Sunday Patriots news 9-5<\/b>, and AFC East Notes.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the storm that ravaged Louisiana and parts of the Northeast, we hope that everyone is safe this weekend, and our thoughts go out to those impacted by the storm.<\/span><\/p>\n

Have you checked out our team news feature for all 32 teams yet? It is a great resource to keep up with what is going on all across the NFL.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

David Patten\u2019s Passing, A Sad Day For the Patriots:<\/b><\/h3>\n

First of all, our thoughts go out to the family of David Patten, who died far too young at 47 in a motorcycle accident in South Carolina. He was very popular with his teammates on the Patriots and was widely considered an excellent football and an even better man by those who knew him best.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Patten was a great example of how the NFL Draft isn\u2019t an exact science, it can measure a player\u2019s height, weight and how fast he can run certain drills or how high he can jump, but in Patten\u2019s case, much like his QB with the Patriots, it doesn\u2019t measure the size of a player\u2019s heart, determination, and a heavy dose of optimism that can fuel his fire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1996 after he had graduated from Western Carolina, Patten went undrafted by the NFL and had taken a temp job unloading 75lb sacks of coffee beans. But undaunted by his circumstances, he kept telling his co-workers that he was going to play in the NFL. And while they didn\u2019t say anything openly, they probably thought to themselves\u2026\u201dYeah, right kid, keep moving.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But five years later, Patten, that unheralded and unwanted free agent, had five years of NFL experience and was with the Patriots, joining them for that magical 2001 season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was in late October of that year that an inkling of what to was unfold first began to appear. The Patriots began the season 1-3, Drew Bledsoe was seriously injured in a vicious, but clean hit by Mo Lewis and the 4th string QB from the year before was just finding his footing in the NFL.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Patriots traveled to Indianapolis to take on Peyton Manning and the Colts. And Patten had a day for the record books, doing something that hadn\u2019t been done since 1979 by Walter Payton. He ran for a touchdown, caught a touchdown pass (actually two), and passed for a touchdown.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Colts took the opening drive and drove to the Patriots 28-yard line, a blocked field goal was returned 35 yards to the Colts 29. On the Patriots\u2019 first play from scrimmage, Patten carried the ball 29 yards for a touchdown.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the second quarter, the Patriots would once again have a one-play scoring drive. Taking over at their 9-yard line, Tom Brady hit Patten who went 91 yards for another touchdown. But Patten wasn\u2019t done with the single-play drive heroics on that day. After the Colts went three and out on the ensuing drive, they punted and the Patriots took over at their own 40-yard line with 7:21 left in the half. On the first play from scrimmage, Patten hit Troy Brown with a 60-yard touchdown pass blowing the game open at 21-3.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Three touches, 180 yards, and three touchdowns. How is that for a first-half? Early in the 4th quarter, Patten added a second touchdown receiving, a six-yarder from Brady putting the finishing touches on a 38-17 win.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Patten finished that 2001 season with 51 catches for 749 yards and four touchdowns but he indelibly left his mark during the Patriots\u2019 three-game playoff run to the Super Bowl. In the driving snow against the Raiders Patten caught 8 passes for 107 yards including a key fourth-down conversion in overtime where Patten slipped on the snow, but caught a six-yard pass at the Raiders 22, converting a 4th and 4, helping to set up Adam Vinatieri\u2019s game-winning FG.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The next week in Pittsburgh, Brady had gone down with an ankle injury late in the first half with the Patriots driving and having the ball on the Pittsburgh 40-yard line. Bledsoe came in and Patten accounted for 36 of the 40 yards catching passes of 15, 10, and then 11 yards for a touchdown giving the Patriots a 14-3 lead at the half.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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David Patten makes a leaping catch in the end zone during Super Bowl XXXVI against the Rams. Twitter<\/p><\/div>\n

Then in the Super Bowl Patten caught a leaping 8-yard touchdown pass from Brady against the Rams, once again giving the Patriots a 14-3 lead at the half.\u00a0 Patten was a part of all three of the Patriots\u2019 early Super Bowl victories. In 2004, Patten caught 44 passes for 800 yards and seven touchdowns averaging 18.2 yards per reception.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He retired in 2010 and went back to Western Carolina to finish his degree in social work and began his own ministry. And he was coaching the Catamounts for the past nine years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“You reflect now and say, ‘Hey, your career wasn’t that bad for a kid, undersized out of Columbia, South Carolina, and a small I-AA school,” Patten said at the time of his retirement. “Undrafted. Working in a coffee bean factory. Electrician work. Landscaper.’ Who would have thought 12 years in the National Football League? Three championships. So many memories. Now I can sit back and reflect on it and pass this on to my kids.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Heartfelt condolences flowed from former teammates as well as from the Giants, where Patten started his NFL career as well as the Patriots.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Patriots Owner Robert Kraft –<\/b>
\n<\/b>\u201cI am heartbroken by the news of David\u2019s passing. He was a devout Christian who followed his passion following his football career and founded his own ministry. David transitioned from an undersized and understated wide receiver to a powerful and passionate preacher. In New England, he will always be remembered as a three-time Super Bowl Champion. His touchdown reception in the AFC Championship game at Pittsburgh propelled the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXVI and I\u2019ll never forget his remarkable catch in the back of the end zone in that game. It was our only offensive touchdown in the Super Bowl and secured our first championship in franchise history. Our sincerest sympathies are with his wife, Galiena, his family and all who are mourning David\u2019s tragic and untimely death.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Head Coach Bill Belichick –<\/b>
\n<\/b>\u201cIt breaks my heart to hear of David\u2019s tragic passing at such a young age. I am grateful to have coached David.\u00a0 He is an essential person and player in Patriots history, without whom we would not have been Super Bowl champions.\u00a0 I especially appreciate David for his professional journey.\u00a0 As much as anyone, David epitomized the unheralded, self-made player who defied enormous odds to not only earn a job in the NFL but to become a key player on multiple championship teams. I can speak for anyone who had the pleasure to be around David that his work ethic, positive energy and character were elite. My deepest condolences are with his family and loved ones.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

His 12-year NFL career was not bad for a young man who was unloading coffee beans while waiting for a chance to show he could play in the league. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Quick Hitters For the Pats, and the NFL:<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Tom Brady: <\/b>The Bucs QB was filmed this week stating the the protections for offensive players that the league has put in place, are bad for the game and caused by mistakes from offensive players.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA quarterback should only throw the ball to certain places, because your receiver is in danger of getting hit,\u201d Brady said. \u201cFor example, when I used to play against Ray Lewis, I wouldn\u2019t throw the ball to the middle of the field because he would . . . hit them and knock them out of the game. And now, every hard hit is a penalty on the defense. So I feel like they penalize defensive players for offensive mistakes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe quarterback messes up, doesn\u2019t see the blitzer, or the line screws up,\u201d Brady said. \u201cI don\u2019t know what happened, the quarterback or the lineman on offense. The defensive player comes in and hits him hard and they throw a flag on the defense.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt shouldn\u2019t be the responsibility of your opponent to protect you,\u201d Brady said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt creates really bad habits for platers, because you feel like I can basically do anything,\u201d Brady said. \u201cI can run and not slide. I can throw my receiver into any coverage and not have any repercussion for it. The only thing they\u2019re gonna do, they\u2019re actually gonna blame the defensive player for making a good, solid hit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Brady called it a \u201cdisservice to the sport,\u201d which could and should raise some eyebrows around the league. \u201cIt actually deteriorates because you\u2019re not teaching the players the reasons and the fundamentals of what the sport should be,\u201d Brady said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The reaction from certain fans in Western PA and Western NY should be interesting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben Mason: <\/b>The Patriots were rumored to be in on drafting the FB\/TE from Michigan during this year\u2019s NFL Draft. The Ravens took the Connecticut native in the 5th round but released him during roster cutdowns. Despite limited touches in college, he scored 10 touchdowns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

NFL Network\u2019s Ian Rapoport (Rap Sheet) wrote the following: \u201cThe #Patriots are signing fullback Ben Mason, a source said, as the former #Ravens fifth-rounder lands on the NE practice squad <\/span>with a quick elevation likely<\/b>.\u201d(emphasis mine)<\/span><\/p>\n

Could this mean as the fourth tight end or is this an ominous sign for FB Jakob Johnson? We shall see how it all plays out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jahlani Tavai: <\/b>The Patriots signed the linebacker to their practice squad after he was cut loose by the Lions. He too was the subject of draft rumors to New England in 2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt Patricia and the Detroit Lions perhaps reached a bit for Tavai at #43 overall but he struggled badly in 2020. The 6\u20192, 250-pound off-the-ball linebacker will have a chance to start with a clean slate here in New England…and reunite with Patricia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Malcolm Perry: <\/b>The Patriots claimed the former Navy QB after he was released by Miami adding him to the roster. Miami had hoped he could become a receiver\/running back for them but it didn\u2019t work out. It will be interesting to see if the Patriots try to turn him into \u201ca slash\u201d type of player.\u00a0 If he was only from Army\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

I tweeted this to Bob Socci, who sent me this hilarious reply.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

#GoNavy<\/a> #BeatArmy<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/KBnr6RGpZV<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Bob Socci (@BobSocci) September 2, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n