2000 Season Summary
Coming off of the team's 8-8 finish in 1999, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft made what turned out to be one of the most pivotal decisions in franchise history.
Immediately after the season ended, Kraft fired head coach Pete Carroll and began the process of bringing in Bill Belichick, who would later become the team's next head coach on January 27, 2000. Belichick, who had been expected to succeed Bill Parcells with the Jets in New York, resigned in a dramatic speech in front of the New York media.
However, the Jets still retained his rights, which initially prevented him from officially taking over the job in New England. The process instead dragged on until Parcells and Kraft finally privately agreed on a deal that saw New England give up its first-round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, and a fourth and seventh-round pick in the 2001 Draft in exchange for Belichick to finally become free to take over as head coach of the Patriots. New England also received a fifth-Round Pick in the 2001 NFL Draft and a seventh-Round Pick in the 2002 NFL Draft.
Notable Offseason Moments and Articles
Jan 3, 2000
Pete Carroll Fired
Pete Carroll Fired On January 3rd
Ian Logue · January 03, 2000
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"I must say up front, he's someone I have great respect for. I think he's a great coach, and I think he came into a difficult situation, but this is a business of accountability," said Kraft during his press conference. "Two years ago we won the division, last year we barely made the playoffs, and this year we're 8-8 with a fifth place schedule. We need a momentum change."
"Is it solely Pete Carroll's Fault? No. I think we have to re-assess the whole organization. We have to look for whatever we can do to put ourselves in the best position to get into the playoffs and compete for a championship, and I commit to do that."
Patriots owner Robert Kraft said after firing head coach Pete Carroll that Carroll was brought into a difficult situation, and Kraft took partial responsibility for the young head coach's firing.
Read the Full Original Article ↗
Jan 4, 2000
Belichick Resigns in NY
Belichick Resigns As Jets Head Coach
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Bill Belichick resigns from the Jets in the epic note left on a napkin.
Jan 27, 2000
Belichick Finally Hired
Belichick Officially Hired By Patriots
Ian Logue · January 27, 2000
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"I'm tremendously excited to be here and to be a part of the New England Patriots organization," said Belichick. "This is a first-class operation. I had an outstanding experience in 1996 when I was here with the Patriots and with Robert [Kraft]. I'm thrilled to be part of this organization, and to be able to have the opportunity to lead this team. The opportunity to be in coaching was something that I wasn't sure that I would have as late as 24 hours ago this year. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to have this chance to coach in the 2000 season."
"I'm thankful that things have worked out the way they have. It was quite an ordeal, but it's behind me, and it's in the past. I'm focused on the future, I'm focused on the Patriots Football team and the players. I'm trying to get with the staff, the organization, and trying to move as quickly as we can to make up for the time that has been lost between now and the end of the season, where other teams have had a chance to move along."
Robert Kraft said following the signing of Bill Belichick that he believes he's got the right person to lead his team after parting ways with Pete Carroll earlier this month.
"He's a man who has intimate knowledge of our team, he has intimate knowledge of our AFC East division," said Kraft. "He understands our competition better than anyone I know. He also is a man who is respected throughout the NFL. People devise defensive schemes based on what he has done as we saw with the Tennessee Titans playing Indianapolis. But most importantly I like him a lot, and I believe he's the most capable person at this point in time to help us win next year. We want to win next year, and I believe we have the man that's going to help us to do that."
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Feb 9, 2000
Ben Coates Cut
Patriots Cut TE Coates
Ian Logue · February 09, 2000
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With the signing of Lawyer Milloy nearing and the squeeze of the salary cap, New England needed to free up some of its cap money. Unfortunately for Coates he became the surprising casualty.
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Feb 11, 2000
Milloy Extended
Patriots Give Milloy $35-Million Deal
Ian Logue · February 11, 2000
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"I think the Patriots have done a good job keeping our core players," said Milloy. "With those players you're able to nurture some of your young guys. When you sign Ted Johnson, Ty Law, Willie McGinest and others, you have the make-up of the team. After that you fill in where needed. I'm not going to take the brunt of this situation on my shoulders. It was just my time, it was something I worked for the last 4 years. I put myself in this position, it's a wonderful position for myself and my family, this is just the next step for me. As far as football is concerned, I just plan to keep going out there and doing what I've been doing."
Bill Belichick seemed excited that the Patriots had locked down Milloy after the veteran safety agreed to a 7-year deal.
"I think it's pretty well documented that all the qualities that Lawyer has as a person and a football player are ones that I greatly admire," said Belichick. "You can pretty much pick out just about any of them and have quite a number of compliments and examples of Lawyer fulfilling them. He is a player that came into the league four years ago. I had the privilege of coaching him in '96, and we had a great year going to the Super Bowl. I think he plays the game the way I believe it should be played."
"I know that this is a big commitment by the organization to Lawyer, and it's one that I think is very deserving. The way the system is set up now, there are only so many players that you can make this type of commitment to, you just can't do it to everybody, that's just the way it's set up. He's the type of player that I want to commit to, I'm proud to commit to, and I think the world of him and I'm happy to be back with him."
Read the Full Original Article ↗
Monday News and Notes 2/10: Coates Upset Following Release, “Nobody in the organization even bothered to call me”
Ian Logue · February 10, 2000
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"You have to expect these things," Coates told the Boston Globe. "It's a business. That's what you learn. This will give me a chance to start my career again someplace else. It's good for them. Now they have the highest-paid secondary in football."
"After nine years this is the way they thank me, real professional. Nobody in the organization even bothered to call me. When Drew and I were combining for all of those passes, we helped to build this organization to where it is. They asked me to cut my salary, I said no."
After nine seasons with the team, Coates expressed his disappointment with the team's decision.
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Feb 29, 2000
Troy Brown Extended
Patriots Extend Troy Brown
Ian Logue · February 29, 2000
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"[The Patriots] stepped up to the plate pretty good. I mean they paid me alot of money to do what I do playing football, so I'm just thankful to be back here. I think they feel like they can get some good things out of me, and I'll do good things for our organization."
After signing a five year deal worth $15 million, Brown is glad he won't have to go somewhere else to start over. Most of all he's just happy that the team stepped up and made an effort to keep him here in New England.
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Glenn Seeking Extension
Ian Logue · April 06, 2000
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Whether or not Terry Glenn is worth the new deal he and his agent, James Gould, appear to be seeking seems to be the point many people in New England are pondering at this moment.
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Vinatieri on Belichick's First Team Meeting: "You Could Just Feel the Atmosphere"
Ian Logue · April 07, 2000
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Absolutely. Everybody gave him the due respect that he deserves. You could just feel the atmosphere, everyone was serious about getting back to work. It was really good, and I’m looking forward to it.
Vinatieri when asked if there was any truth to Ty Law's report of the room was quiet as Bill Belichick came into the room to address his new team.
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May 1, 2000
Bobby Grier Fired
No Surprise In Belichick's Firing Of Grier
Ian Logue · May 01, 2000
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Scott Pioli will most likely replace Bobby Grier in time, and now there will be no controversy over who will be making the personnel decisions when the draft rolls around next year.
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May 30, 2000
First minicamp practice
Belichick Has Patriots Class Back in Session
Ian Logue · May 31, 2000
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"The players have new coaches and in some cases new teammates, as well as a new system to get adjusted to. Coaches have new players to get used to working with, but there is a lot of transition for everyone that is involved here. I don't think anybody in the entire organization that's on the field is doing what they did last year without some adjustments to it."
"I told the players back on March 15th that the evaluation process had started. It's a very encompassing evaluation, it's not just one play, one day, or one thing. It's a continued evaluation, and clearly mini-camp is an extension of that. They're getting a lot of information, and I've told them what they need to do in this camp is to work both on and off the field. Just going out there and giving good effort on the field really won't be enough because we've given them so much material that they'll need to spend extra time either in between practices, or at night on their own at some point to keep up with it, otherwise they'll fall behind. We're not going to be here for a long time. We're trying to be quick on and off [the field] and utilize our time well, so it's going to take some effort on their part. The ones who put it in will be further ahead than the ones that don't."
Class was in session Tuesday morning with new head coach Bill Belichick doing the teaching as the Patriots kicked off their first minicamp under Belichick.
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Coates Disappointed Following Release
"Nobody in the organization even bothered to call me."
Ben Coates following his release by the team.
Difficult Decisions in First Offseason For Belichick
Belichick faced plenty of challenges after taking over as head coach. The team was close to the salary cap, which led the new head coach and his staff having to make some difficult decisions.
As a result, they began turning over players, which included the team parting ways with some notable names along the way.
Armstrong Initially Released, Brought Back
One of those names included long-time offensive lineman Bruce Armstrong, whom they didn't re-sign. Reports initially indicated that Armstrong was headed to the Browns, with his agent, John Geletka, even dropping an interesting bomb with the veteran seemingly taking a swipe at his former QB, Drew Bledsoe.
“There’s a good possibility – a very strong possibility – that Bruce will be signing with the Browns," Geletka told the Cleveland Chronicle-Telegram. "We’ve had several conversations with the Browns. Bruce would love to come to Cleveland. He has a great relationship with coach Chris Palmer and thinks Tim Couch is a super quarterback who has a stronger arm and is more mobile than New England’s Drew Bledsoe.”
Despite that, Armstrong ultimately didn't land in Cleveland. He eventually signed a one-year deal on July 17, 2000, keeping him in New England. Finishing his career with the Patriots was important to him, and Armstrong admitted that it played a role in his coming back.
"It's something that I think about," he said via Dan Pires of The New Bedford Standard-Times. "Anytime you have an opportunity to do something to leave a mark, you've got to take advantage of it as an offensive lineman. There's very few statistics that I'll be able to leave my fingerprints on. Everything else you guys will be able to kind of put a stamp on what my effectiveness was and what I really did when I was here. Having the longevity record, that's something that you can't take away."
The long-time veteran lineman went on to play 16 games in his final season, setting a franchise record of 212 games played, finishing 1 ahead of Julius Adams. He then retired at the end of that season.
An Unhappy Ending For Coates
Meanwhile, the story didn't quite end the same way for tight end Ben Coates. Coates found himself released on February 9, 2000, and he was extremely upset following being informed of the news.
“After nine years this is the way they thank me, real professional," said Coates. "Nobody in the organization even bothered to call me. When Drew and I were combining for all of those passes, we helped to build this organization to where it is. They asked me to cut my salary, I said no.”
Coates was also frustrated because his release came during the team's negotiations to extend safety Lawyer Milloy, who they did ultimately reach an agreement with. However, at the time, Milloy was looking to set the market at safety. With a deal looming, Coates let it be known he wasn't happy. "It’s good for them," said Coates. "Now they have the highest-paid secondary in football.”
Coates would go on to sign with the Ravens that offseason, with the tight end catching 9 passes for 84 yards during that 2000 season. He was also reunited with former Patriots teammate Sam Gash, and the two ended up with a Super Bowl ring that season after Baltimore defeated the Giants 34-7. Coates caught 3 passes for 30 yards in that game and retired after that season.
Troy Brown's Deal Was Rocky
Complicating things further was the fact that the team was also in negotiations with Troy Brown on an extension. They initially offered him a five-year deal averaging a reported $1.5 million but Brown declined. He also had concerns after the team increased the offer to $2.5 million per season. However, he reportedly declined that one due to its structure following the departures of both Armstrong and Coates, saying he didn't want to sign a contract that was "backlogged" having seen what happened to his two former teammates.
Brown eventually signed an extension, noting that Kansas City attempted to match New England's offer but Brown decided to stay in Foxboro.
“They were in the ballpark, but all things being even it was better for me to stay in a situation where they were familiar with me,” said Brown. “The fans are familiar with me and I didn’t have to go win over anyone else. So the best situation was to stay in New England instead of going somewhere else.”
Patriots Had Competition For Bruschi
The team also quietly re-signed linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who was a free agent that offseason. Bruschi ultimately agreed to a 2-year deal on March 23, 2000.
There were doubts among fans on whether they'd be able to keep him after Bruschi received interest from the Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks, and Green Bay Packers prior to his decision to remain with the Patriots. Chris Slade also restructured his deal to help make room to keep Bruschi in Foxboro.
Armstrong Cements His Legacy
"There's very few statistics that I'll be able to leave my fingerprints on."
Bruce Armstrong after agreeing to a 1-year deal to return to New England on trying to set the franchise record for games played.
Notable Acquisitions / Losses
The Patriots made some acquisitions that offseason, with the club signing some notable names in free agent Cowboys tight end Eric Bjornson, Seattle offensive tackle Grant Williams, Jets defensive end Bobby Hamilton, and cornerback Otis Smith. They also saw wideout Shawn Jefferson move on to Atlanta, along with guard Heath Irwin leaving for Miami. Running back Lamont Warren was also among players released that offseason.
Bjornson Released Midseason
Bjornson, who the club had signed that offseason with the hopes that he'd be a viable replacement for Coates, didn't make it through the season. He was released on November 15, 2000 after having totaled just 20 catches for 152 yards with 2 touchdowns.
“It just didn’t work out,” said Belichick on Bjornson’s release. “Eric works hard, very hard. He’s a dilligent worker and prepares well. We envisioned a role for him offensively, and it just didn’t work out.”
“I admire his work ethic, the way he prepared, the way he tried to get himself ready to play. We had every intention of trying to make the situation work out and it just didn’t go the way that we hoped it would.”
Belichick added that both Rod Rutledge and Chris Eitzmann had simply taken advantage of their opportunities on the field, and that had to do with his decision to release Bjornson.
“Rod’s gotten a better opportunity the last few weeks, and he’s taken advantage of that opportunity,” said Belichick. “Chris Eitzmann [has also].”
“I just felt like at this point it was better for all parties just to move forward and that’s the direction we’re moving in.”
Long Time Lineman Rucci Released Midseason
Also released midseason was long-time offensive lineman, Todd Rucci. Rucci was released on October 31, 2000, with the decision coming after the emergence of guards Joe Andruzzi, Sale Isia and center Damien Woody having solidified the interior part of the offensive line.
“If you’re not strong up the middle it’s hard to do anything,” said Belichick. “It’s hard to pass protect, it’s hard to throw the ball because there’s arms and people in the way. It’s hard to run the ball because you’re not running north and south, you’re not running toward the goal line, you’re always running laterally. If you don’t have strength in the middle of your line on both sides of the ball it creates problems. There’s just no way to get around it.”
Former Falcons wideout Chris Calloway, who also joined the team that offseason, finished with 5 receptions for 95 yards.
One additional interesting note from free agency that offseason was the fact the Patriots pursued Arizona runningback Adrian Murrell, but he reportedly declined the Patriots' invitation to visit, feeling that the team was only going to go with “mediocre” players and wasn’t going to improve very much.
Stachelski Doesn't Make it Out of Camp
Fifth-round draft pick Dave Stachelski didn't last long, with the former Boise State tight end failing to make it out of training camp that summer. The rookie was hampered by injuries and was said to be "homesick," which led the club to move on from him.
He would go on to join the Saints in New Orleans later that year and finally made his first NFL reception (1 catch, 5 yards) in 2001. That would be his final season in the National Football League.
Following his departure and subsequent short career, former Patriots personnel executive Scott Pioli reportedly kept a framed photo of Stachelski on his desk to help him stay humble, given how poorly that selection panned out.
Club Parted Ways With Long-time WR Brisby
The Patriots also released long-time veteran receiver Vincent Brisby on August 15, 2000. Brisby was reportedly released in favor of newcomer Chris Calloway, with Tony Simmons also a player who was expected to compete for the role.
Brisby would later join the Jets before retiring after that season. He was also part of the New England Patriots 1993 Draft Class (2nd Round - 56th Overall).
Message Sent By Belichick
“If it wasn’t apparent before, I think that it’s become very apparent here in recent weeks that if there’s a feeling that the team can in some way be improved through a personnel move, that move is going to be made. So I think that everybody has to understand that they’re competing for a job all the time.”
Drew Bledsoe following the midseason release of TE Eric Bjornson
2000 Season is a Rough First Season Under Belichick
The 2000 season got off to a rough start for Bill Belichick's football team, with the team starting out 0-4 during that September. Overall, they finished 5-11 and lost 9 of their 11 games by 8 points or less, with 7 of those losses being decided by a touchdown or less.
Season Week-by-Week Recap:
*Click a tab for game summaries, highlights, article links
Week 1 · Sep 3, 2000
vs Buccaneers
L
16-21
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F |
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| NE | 3 | 7 | 0 | 6 |
16 |
| TB | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 |
21 |
View Recap & Highlights
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Things kicked off with a 21-16 loss at Foxboro Stadium against the Buccaneers, in a game the Patriots certainly could have won. The Patriots actually were the first to get on the board, with Drew Bledsoe and the offense ending up with terrific field position after special teams ace Larry Whigham forced a fumble on the kickoff, which was recovered by Kato Serwanga and gave the offense the football at the Buccaneers' 28-yard line. New England ended up with a 30-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri to take a 3-0 lead with 12:19 left in the opening quarter.
After the Patriots went three-and-out following a Tampa Bay touchdown, New England's defense forced a punt and Troy Brown returned the kick 66 yards for a touchdown to take a 10-7 lead with 7:25 remaining in the half. But the Buccaneers later added a touchdown
on a crazy fake-spike play from quarterback Sean King to wideout Reidel Anthony, which completely fooled the defense. That gave the Bucs a 14-10 edge after Adam Vinatieri came up short on a 55-yard field goal attempt before the half.
"We obviously blew it," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick
said of that play after the game. "There is no explanation. We blew it."
Things then fell apart in the third quarter after Kevin Faulk lost a fumble deep in their own territory, and Mike Alstott ran the football in four plays later to put Tampa Bay up 21-10.
The Patriots fought hard until the end, with Bledsoe hitting Glenn on a 39-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 21-16 with 3:01 left to go in the game, but they came up short on the two-point conversion.
They had one final gasp on their final drive with 1:53 remaining in regulation, but couldn't complete the come-from-behind win despite driving down to the Buccaneers' 22 yard line. The game ended after three-straight incompletions to Chris Calloway, Kevin Faulk, and Glenn in what would be Belichick's first loss as head coach in New England.
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Week 2 · Sep 11, 2000
@ Jets
L
19-20
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F |
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| NE | 3 | 9 | 0 | 7 |
19 |
| NYJ | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
20 |
View Recap & Highlights & Articles
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In his first game against the Jets since becoming the head coach of the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick's team came up short, 20-19 on Monday Night Football in New York.
Despite making six trips inside the red zone, the biggest problem that night was the fact the Patriots couldn't score a touchdown. Instead, they relied on kicker Adam Vinatieri, who hit 4 field goals and played a key role in the fact New England built a 12-7 lead. But Vinatieri missed a 29-yard attempt on the Patriots' first drive to open the third quarter, and that lone miss ultimately would go on to cost them.
Bledsoe, who was under constant duress and was sacked six times in that game, finally got the team in the end zone early in the fourth quarter, with a 14 play, 72 yard drive that ended with a 6-yard pass to tight end Eric Bjornson to put them up 19-7.
However, the Jets would answer on their ensuing drive, driving 85 yards on 10 plays, which included New York converting a 4th-and-7 with a 9-yard completion from Testaverde to wideout Richie Anderson. Three plays later, Testaverde hit Wayne Chrebet for a 2-yard touchdown, which cut the Patriots' lead to 19-14.
New England then had a chance to put the game away, but their drive stalled after Bledsoe was dropped for an 8-yard loss on 3rd-and-4 from New York's 36-yard line, knocking them out of field goal range and forcing them to punt.
Testaverde then hit a 44-yard strike to Dedric Ward, who split the defense against Ty Law and Otis Smith and picked up 44-yards, getting the football down to the Patriots' 28-yard line. One play later, Testaverde hit Wayne Chrebet for a 28-yard touchdown, with Chrebet snatching the ball away from Antonio Langham, who nearly had the interception. That gave the Jets a 20-19 lead after they failed on the two-point attempt, but it ultimately ended up being the game-winner.
+ 3 Highlights
Week 3 · Sep 17, 2000
vs Vikings
L
13-21
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F |
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| NE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
13 |
| MIN | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
21 |
View Recap & Highlights
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The Patriots came up short for the third straight game, losing a tough one against the Minnesota Vikings in a 21-13 outcome that dropped them to 0-3 on the season.
A disappointed crowd at Foxboro Stadium saw New England fall behind 21-7, with the Patriots again unable to pull off another last-minute win for the third straight week.
Bill Belichick devised a good game plan against the athletic Daunte Culpepper, but despite those efforts, the young QB managed to rush for 59 yards on 12 carries. Culpepper also completed 17-of-28 (60.1%) for 177 yards with two touchdowns, along with one interception.
Meanwhile, the Vikings' defense made life difficult on Bledsoe, who they sacked three times and also picked off once. Bledsoe finished 21-of-35 (60%) for 190 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT.
The Patriots had their moments moving the football, but converted just 2-of-5 in the red zone as their troubles continued in the red area. Adam Vinatieri also missed a 44-yard field goal, and points ended up being at a premium for the rest of the afternoon.
New England did manage to score 7 points in the opening quarter thanks to a 31 yard pass interference penalty by the Vikings that helped set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Kevin Faulk. But their next points didn't come until early in the fourth quarter after Bledsoe hit Terry Glenn for an 8-yard touchdown. After the Patriots failed to convert the two point conversion, the Patriots found themselves down 21-13 with 11:11 left to go in the contest.
But the Patriots just couldn't get anything going. The Vikings sacked Bledsoe on a 3rd-and-9 from the Vikings' 48 yard line to end New England's next possession, forcing a punt, and then got him again on a 4th-and-7 from the Vikings 14-yard line with 1:00 left in regulation. That sealed the victory for Minnesota, with New England finding itself in the exact same spot Belichick's football team has been in over what's been a disappointing September so far in his first season as Patriots head coach.
"I haven't lost any confidence in this football team," Belichick told reporters after the game. "It's just unfortunate that we're not able to play more consistently."
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Week 4 · Sep 24, 2000
@ Dolphins
L
3-10
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F |
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| NE | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
3 |
| MIA | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
10 |
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The Patriots fell short down in Miami on Sunday, losing another tough one 10-3 to drop to 0-4 on the 2000 season.
Down 10-3 with 3:52 remaining the Patriots began their final drive at the 50yd line. After two runs by Kevin Faulk left them with a 4th-and-1 at the Dolphin 41-yard line, New England found themselves in a tough situation with their only option being to go for it on fourth down.
Bledsoe took the snap, faked the hand-off up the middle and found Terry Glenn on a 28-yard pass play that gave them a first down at the Miami 13 yard line with two-minutes left in the game. Three plays later, and after a neutral zone infraction, New England found themselves with a 4th-and-2 play at the Miami 5-yard line. Bledsoe again dropped back, and attempted to hit Eric Bjornson on a fade pattern in the corner of the endzone.
However, Bjornson got tangled up with Dolphins defensive back Patrick Surtain on what many felt was pass interference, but no call was made and Miami knelt down and ran out the clock to end the game.
Following the game Belichick had to face the media for the fourth straight week on the wrong end of a frustrating defeat.
"There's no big secret in what happened today," said Belichick. "It was a tough Division game and Miami did a little bit better job of taking advantage of their opportunities then we did and that's pretty much the story."
"We had a couple of costly plays in the first half that hurt us and led to some points, and we had our opportunities down around the goal line but we weren't able to capitalize on them. It's frustrating."
Drew Bledsoe was sacked only twice in the game, but took quite a beating from a relentless Miami defense that held New England to their lowest point total since 1995 when they lost 37-3 at home against the Denver Broncos. Overall, Bledsoe finished the day 16-of-33 for 161-yards passing with no touchdowns. His one meaningless interception came on a Hail-Mary pass at the end of the first half. So far through the first four weeks, Bledsoe has done a great job thus far in making good decisions with the football, but still appears out of sync with his receivers as several passes went just out of reach during Sunday's game.
Running back Kevin Faulk also struggled in Sunday's game. He carried the ball 21 times for a mere 46-yards rushing. But the bigger issue was the fact he fumbled the ball at the goal line in what had appeared to be a touchdown run that would have given the Patriots the lead midway through the second quarter. Miami Dolphin Brian Walker put a big hit on Faulk and knocked the ball loose, and Zach Thomas recovered it.
+ 2 Highlights
Week 5 · Oct 1, 2000
@ Broncos
W
28-19
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F |
|---|
| NE | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
28 |
| DEN | 0 | 3 | 8 | 8 |
19 |
View Recap & Highlights
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The Patriots walked out of Mile High Stadium for the final time with a surprising victory, with New England beating Denver 28-19 on Sunday.
The victory gave them their first win of the season, ending a skid of four-straight losses.
Willie McGinest got things started early. On the Broncos’ fourth offensive play, McGinest burst in from the right side and blasted Brian Griese. Griese coughed up the ball, and McGinest pounced on it at the Denver 29. The Patriots had come out with fire in their bellies anyway, but the McGinest play poured gas on the Patriots’ fire.
Drew Bledsoe took it from there, going the distance in four plays.
Right from the start, Charlie Weis showed some savvy and called for a quick toss left to Terry Glenn with the Broncos showing blitz. It was a one-step-bang play, and Glenn got 14 yards. Weis would call this play often today, and Glenn would get decent yards every time.
Bledsoe cashed in at the 11 by rolling right and hitting an open Troy Brown at the two, and he leaned into the end zone to put the Pats up 7-0. The play was well-designed, and no one was within five yards of Brown when he caught the ball.
The Patriots got the ball back, and then drove 76 yards for their second touchdown. Again, Weis began it with a quick toss left to Glenn for 14 yards. Chris Calloway made a tough catch for 12, then Bledsoe found Troy Brown open in the secondary for 15 yards. Brown caught the ball, slipped by a tackler and scampered another 30 yards for the score. It was 14-0 Pats, and Joe Patriot Fan had to check his favorite beverage to make sure no one slipped anything in it.
The third Patriot touchdown was a thing of beauty. Late in the first half, and facing third and 5 at the Bronco 12, Bledsoe called a timeout. He took the snap, rolled right, and saw that J.R. Redmond had beaten Bill Romanowski in the right flat. Bledsoe laid it in there, and Redmond caught a perfect toss for the score. Again, this play had Weis written all over it, as the Pats lined up Redmond in a slot and went with an empty backfield. For a change, the Patriots went with offensive trickery and it was working.
Griese, meanwhile, could do nothing with the Patriot defense. The Bronco quarterback did engineer a nice drive in the second quarter thanks to some great grabs by McCaffrey, and the Broncos marched from their own 10 to the Patriot 3 in 18 plays. But the drive stalled at the three, and they had to settle for a Joe Nedney chip shot.
The Patriot defense came up huge in the third quarter. After Bledsoe threw an interception to Terrell Buckley, the Broncos drove 36 yards to the Patriot 2. On fourth down and goal, Mike Shanahan elected to go for it, but a Griese pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage by Ted Johnson. On the play, Otis Smith had primary receiver Rod Smith blanketed perfectly. The Broncos got nothing out of Buckley’s pick, and the Patriots were even more buoyant.
Things got a little hairy after the Patriots took over. Bledsoe was nearly nailed for a safety on third and 8 at the 12, but with fourth down at the one, Lee Johnson stepped out of the end zone to make it 21-5 Pats. On the ensuing free kick, Deltha O’Neal ran the punt back 84 yards for a score despite Chris Floyd being clipped on the play. Suddenly it was 21-11 after a missed two-point conversion.
With the crowd back into the game, Bledsoe led the Patriots on their most important and impressive drive of this season. The Patriots took over at the 23, and parlayed a costly holding call on Ray Crockett (which nullified a sack of Bledsoe) and a 39-yard reception by Brown (again, largely on yards after the catch) into a nine-yard toss to Glenn to put the game nearly out of reach. Watching the Patriots answer those eight quick points with this kind of a touchdown drive on the road was nothing short of inspiring to all who claim allegiance to this team.
The Patriots literally sat on the lead for the rest of the game, and tried to eat up as much clock as possible. Except for a blown Hail Mary play which resulted in a late touchdown pass to Travis McGriff, the Pats pretty much shut down Denver the rest of the way. The Pats gave Griese anything he wanted over the middle and short, and the offense forced the Broncos to burn their timeouts with five minutes to go.
+ 2 Highlights
Week 6 · Oct 8, 2000
vs Colts
W
24-16
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F |
|---|
| NE | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
24 |
| IND | 0 | 10 | 3 | 3 |
16 |
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A Hail-Mary at the end of the half helped spark a 24-16 win over the Colts, with the Patriots improving to 2-4 on the season.
Down 10-3 with :10 seconds remaining in the first half after Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt kicked a 33-yard field goal. But on the ensuing kick-off, Tony Simmons picked up the ball and returned it 39 yards getting the Patriots close enough to attempt a Hail Mary play before the half came to a close. Second-year quarterback Michael Bishop came into the game to attempt the long throw and threw it high and deep to the corner of the end zone, where by some miracle Tony Simmons outleaped two Colts defenders to come down with the football. The stadium erupted and New England went into the locker room knotted 10-10 at the half.
“That’s a play that is a little bit a flip of the coin,” said Belichick of the Hail Mary. “But fortunately somebody was smiling on us today and we were able to come up with a big one. That was a big swing right there at the end of the half.”
Drew Bledsoe had another productive day, finishing 15-of-23 for 142 yards passing and throwing two second half touchdowns in their win over Indianapolis.
“It’s a very big win,” said Bledsoe after the game. “When you’re 1-4, they’re all big, but to play a good team like the Colts and beat them, and beat them somewhat convincingly, it is a big win.”
“This win is huge for us, because we haven’t won at home yet this year and that’s disheartening, you have got to be able to win your home games in this league if you want to be competitive at all.”
The Colts opened the second half with a grueling 22-play, 65-yard drive in which they held the ball for over 10-minutes, wearing the Patriots defense down. But after making it all the way to the New England 5-yard line, Colts receiver Marvin Harrison was called for an offensive pass interference penalty, setting up a 2nd-and-15 at the Patriots 15-yard line. The Patriots’ defense then forced two incompletions by Manning and the Colts were held to a field goal.
New England took the lead on their next possession on an 11-play, 77-yard drive which resulted in a touchdown pass to Eric Bjornson, giving the Patriots a 17-13 edge with 14:56 remaining in the game. The Colts appeared to be rattled and confused, and despite all the time Manning spent in between drives looking at photos of all the different fronts, he seemed unable to figure out the different looks Belichick was throwing at him.
On the next possession Manning was picked off by Ty Law, giving the Patriots the ball at their own 39-yard line. Bledsoe hit Terry Glenn for passes of 14, 16, and 9 yards which helped set up a 1st-and-10 at the Colts 30. But following a short loss by runningback Kevin Faulk and an incompletion, New England lined up for a field goal attempt which would have given them a seven point lead over the Colts. But after getting out onto the field quickly and lining up before the Colts were ready, Lee Johnson stood up after catching the snap and threw to a wide open Eric Bjornson who had remained uncovered on the play. Bjornson picked up the first down and gave the Patriots the ball at the Colts 4-yard line.
On the next play Bledsoe found Terry Glenn in the back of the endzone for a touchdown, and New England found themselves with a commanding 24-13 lead.
Indianapolis would add a field goal late in the game, but that was as close as they’d get.
+ 2 Highlights
Week 7 · Oct 15, 2000
vs Jets
L
17-34
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F |
|---|
| NE | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
17 |
| NYJ | 14 | 10 | 7 | 3 |
34 |
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There was a lot of focus coming into the Patriots second meeting against the Jets, but it didn't quite pay off as New England's two-game winning streak came to an end after a 34-17 loss at Foxboro Stadium.
“The point that I’ve tried to emphasize to our team is that we just have to be on red alert every play,” said Belichick during his press conference on Wednesday. “There just isn’t time to be not securing the football, late on the snap count, late on a coverage, losing contain on a running play or a quarterback, things like that. They’ll make you pay for it.”
Coming into the game, the Patriots hadn’t allowed a 100yd rusher all season. A big part of that had to do with Eaton, who during the first six games had 26 tackles and did a great job clogging the middle.
But unfortunately, Eaton missed the game after suffering a knee injury in practice on Thursday, and his absence was something New England's defense couldn't overcome. On Sunday, Curtis Martin had his way. The former Patriots RB carried the football 34 times for 143 yards and 3 touchdowns.
“It was our poorest performance of the year,” said Belichick after the game. “We just really didn’t give ourselves a chance to win that game at all. We got outplayed, outcoached, pretty much in every phase of the game and I don’t think really there is a whole lot to say. They just did a better job than we did today all the way around.”
The Patriots committed two turnovers in a matter of just their first five offensive plays. Their first came on their opening drive when running back Kevin Faulk caught a pass on 3rd-and-2, but was wrapped up by the Jets defense and lost the football on the way down. New York linebacker Brian Cox recovered the football, and nine plays later, the Jets were in the end zone on a 2-yard run by Curtis Martin, giving the Jets a 7-0 advantage.
Their second turnover came just two plays later when Drew Bledsoe’s pass was knocked down, and Victor Green picked off the football and ran it back 21 yards for another Jets touchdown. The Jets at that point had a quick 14-0 lead, and this time the Patriots were the ones who were taken out of their game plan.
“We did things that we hadn’t done all year,” said Bledsoe after the game. “We turned the ball over, especially early in the game, and spotted them 14 points. From there on, we tried to continue to run the ball some, but we were fairly ineffective there. Then late in the game, when we get into a one-dimensional ball game where we’re throwing all the time, that’s hard for us right now to protect in those situations to work the ball downfield.”
The Patriots actually had pulled within 4 after Tony Simmons hauled in a 46-yard pass, which set up 1st-and-goal at the Jets’ 9-yard line. Running back Kevin Faulk ran the ball in for the touchdown on the next play, cutting the Jets’ lead to just 14-10.
But the Jets put together a 14-play, 75-yard drive on their next possession, which culminated in a 4-yard touchdown run by Martin, and New England never recovered.
“It’s one game, it’s one step back,” said Bledsoe. “We’re 2-5 now, so we’re really at the bottom of the pile looking up at everybody. This is a key game for us to try and get back into the mix, but it doesn’t change the fact that we have to come back this week.”
+ 2 Highlights
Week 8 · Oct 22, 2000
@ Colts
L
23-30
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F |
|---|
| NE | 7 | 6 | 10 | 0 |
23 |
| IND | 7 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
30 |
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After manhandling the Indianapolis Colts for three quarters with an incredible edge in time of possession, the Patriots went up in flames in the fourth quarter and succumbed, 30-23. The Patriots led, 23-14 with ten minutes to go in the game, but Peyton Manning led the Colts on two late touchdown drives to win the game.
The Patriots discovered a running attack today, as rookie J.R. Redmond gained 93 yards rushing and New England actually held the football for 39:01 compared to just 20:59 for the Colts.
But the Colts eventually managed to stop the draw plays the Patriots kept running all day, and in the fourth quarter that also spelled doom for the beleaguered Patriots.
Redmond caught a screen pass in the first quarter and rumbled 19 yards for the first Patriot touchdown. The Patriots would venture into the red zone on the next four possessions, but came away with only field goals in three of them.
Meanwhile, Edgerrin James rushed for 124 yards on 20 carries as Chad Eaton again missed Sunday's contest, and their defense couldn't stop Indianapolis' ground game when it counted.
Drew Bledsoe scored on a one-yard sneak for the other Patriot touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the Patriots up 23-14.
+ 2 Highlights
Key Bye Week Change: Offensive Line in Focus
Releasing Rucci Was A Tough Decision
Ian Logue · November 01, 2000
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"Todd's really done a good job for this organization," said Belichick. "He was here in '96 when I was here. I know him pretty well. It was a very difficult decision to make, and basically, the clock had run out. We had to make a decision as to whether we would either activate him or not activate him, and putting him back on injured reserve really wasn't a legitimate option. So that was a decision that we made, and it was a tough one."
Long-time offensive lineman Todd Rucci was released on October 31, 2000, with the Patriots opting to make changes to solidify the interior of their offensive line.
Read the Full Original Article ↗
Patriots In the Middle of "Changing of the Guards" On Offense
Ian Logue · November 01, 2000
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"If you're not strong up the middle, it's hard to do anything," said Belichick. "It's hard to pass protect, it's hard to throw the ball because there's arms and people in the way. It's hard to run the ball because you're not running north and south, you're not running toward the goal line, you're always running laterally. If you don't have strength in the middle of your line on both sides of the ball it creates problems. There's just no way to get around it."
"I think that's the strength of our center and our guards right now is their ability to anchor the line of scrimmage, to not get pushed back and power rushed. Sometimes there's some pressure in a gap and that kind of thing, but I think we've done a much better job of staying firm on the line of scrimmage, which then gives the quarterback an opportunity to step up and throw the ball. It keeps the running back from having a guy getting knocked back into the running lane you're attempting to go in right off the bat, and then having to make a real quick cut one way or the other. What you'd like is some type of firmness on the line of scrimmage so the back can either get up into the hole, or the quarterback can step up and throw. I think that's also made our tackles' job easier because the quarterback can step up."
Belichick said that center Damien Woody, along guards with Joe Andruzzi, and Sale Isia have been solid so far this season on the interior part of New England's offensive line, and he's very pleased with their performances. That played a role in the release of long-time veteran guard, Todd Rucci, who was released on October 31, 2000.
Read the Full Original Article ↗
Week 10 · Nov 5, 2000
vs Bills
L
13-16
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | OT | F |
|---|
| NE | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
0 | 13 |
| BUF | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 |
3 | 16 |
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Coming off their bye, New England lost a tough one to the Bills in a game where they also lost starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe to a thumb injury.
On New England’s third offensive play of the game Bledsoe jammed his right thumb on the helmet of linebacker Sam Rogers on the follow through. Bledsoe called a timeout and went to the sidelines to practice throwing, but had difficulty with his accuracy and left after the next series.
“My feeling was after throwing on the sidelines that I wasn’t able to throw accurately enough to be effective for our team, compounded by the fact that each time I took a snap the way I was getting hit would only aggravate it,” said Bledsoe after the game. “So I felt the best chance for us to win was to go with John [Friesz]. He’s an experienced veteran quarterback. He came in and made a couple of nice plays that barely got broken up with the exception of one play probably, played pretty well and gave us a chance to win.”
Bledsoe spent the remainder of the game wearing a cast on his right hand, and said after the game that he had his hand x-rayed but wouldn’t reveal any details.
John Friesz replaced Bledsoe on New England’s third offensive series, and had a difficult time moving the team down the field. He was even booed by the fans in the 4th quarter who were hoping to get a look at second-year quarterback Michael Bishop who was listed as the team’s emergency quarterback.
“It is not the first time I’ve been booed,” said Friesz after the game. “I understand, Michael [Bishop] is a real exciting player. I wasn’t doing a lot of good things out there.”
“Sporadically, things would happen for us. But overall, it wasn’t. It didn’t surprise me, it wasn’t something that offended me, or bothered me or affected me or anything of that nature.”
Friesz finished the afternoon 11-of-21 for 66 yards passing, but threw an ill-advised interception in the endzone while trying to force a pass into J.R. Redmond who was double covered on the play. New England went from having 1st and goal at the 1-yard line, to squandering a crucial scoring opportunity with the turnover.
“It is inexcusable,” said Friesz on the interception. “It is a situation that’s partly why I’m supposed to be here. I’m a veteran, I’m supposed to know better and I screwed up. Throw it out of the back of the end zone and go back and go on to the next play.”
New England went into the locker room at halftime down 10-3, but knotted the game at 10-10 after a 17-yard pass to Troy Brown set up 1st-and-goal at the Buffalo 1-yard line. J.R. Redmond finally ran it in on 4th down and the Patriots found themselves back in the game with 9:00 remaining in the contest.
The Patriots finally took a 13-10 lead following Adam Vinatieri’s 43-yard field goal with 2:03 left in the game, but New England still had to stop Bills quarterback Doug Flutie who had been held in check throughout most of the game.
Flutie went right to work on that final drive, and drove the Bills 46-yards on 10 plays which set up Bills kicker Steve Christie’s 48-yard field goal which barely squeaked over the crossbar, and sent the game into overtime.
New England elected to take the ball in overtime instead of the wind, and were unable to get a first down on their possession. They were forced to punt the ball away to Buffalo, and the Bills began their drive on their own 35-yard line.
Following a 22-yard pass interference call against Patriots cornerback Ty Law that moved the ball to New England’s 43-yard line, Flutie then completed a 6-yard pass to tight end Jay Riemersma, running back Shawn Bryson ran for 5 and 15 yards, and Antowain Smith also rushed for 4 yards.
Steve Christie then came onto the field and kicked a 32-yard field goal which was the game winner, his second in two weeks.
“Obviously this is a disappointing outcome for us this afternoon,” said Belichick. “Defensively we had a couple of breakdowns at the wrong time, a couple of plays that we should have played a lot better considering the amount of time we spent preparing for them.”
+ 2 Highlights
Week 11 · Nov 12, 2000
@ Browns
L
11-19
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F |
|---|
| NE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
11 |
| CLE | 3 | 10 | 3 | 3 |
19 |
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The Patriots may have fooled the Browns by starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe on Sunday, but unfortunately their plan backfired, and the result was a 19-11 loss.
Bledsoe had been listed as “questionable” coming into Sunday’s game, but after reportedly throwing in the locker room before the game he felt like he was throwing the ball with enough accuracy to be effective and ended up starting the game.
“I think in looking at him before the game that he was good enough to play,” said Belichick. “Again I’m sure he was less than 100%. I’m not saying his throwing was perfect by any means, but he was able to throw the ball and had pretty good velocity on it.”
Bledsoe played the entire game and finished 21-of-35 for 212-yards and a touchdown. He was, however, involved in four turnovers including three fumbles and one interception, two of which were lost inside Cleveland’s 10 yard line. Both Belichick and Bledsoe said after the game that the injured thumb was not a factor, but it was obvious that there was a problem and that Bledsoe was definitely not 100%.
“I don’t think that the injury was really a big a factor in the turnovers,” said Belichick. “There was a couple he wasn’t even involved in.”
“I don’t feel good about [the team] playing like that at all. That’s not the way we need to play, that’s not the way we want to play, and we won’t do very well playing like that, that’s obvious.”
The Patriots went into the locker room at half time down 13-3 after Browns quarterback Doug Pederson found Aaron Shea on a 9-yard touchdown pass to give Cleveland a 10-point edge. The touchdown was their first in nearly 15 quarters.
After Cleveland converted two more field goals, New England cut the lead to eight after Bledsoe went to the two-minute offense and took them on a 12-play, 73-yard drive that culminated in a 2 yard touchdown pass to tight end Rod Rutledge. The Patriots converted the two-point conversion, but after both teams exchanged punts New England simply ran out of time.
Bledsoe says he feels like he’s healthy enough to play, and that fans can continue to expect to see him in the line-up.
“I feel like I’m healthy enough to play and play effectively,” said Bledsoe. “So unless something further happens you can expect to see me on the field.”
The loss drops New England to 2-8 on the season, and the victory for the Browns surpassed their win total of last season when they went 2-14. Belichick was disappointed in how his team played but credited Cleveland’s effort.
“It was a game today that we didn’t play well in,” said Belichick. “Cleveland did a good job. Turnovers were a big factor in the game and led to a lot of points. Some of the opportunities that we had we didn’t take advantage of, and they hit some field goals and got enough points to win the game.”
“I’m just disappointed in the way overall we executed. We just didn’t play the type of football we need to play against a team like Cleveland that’s sound and didn’t make a lot of mistakes and executed a good solid game plan.”
New England will now return home to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Foxboro next Sunday.
GAME NOTES: New England still remains the only team in the NFL without a 100-yard rusher or 300-yard passer this season………Max Lane will be evaluated when the team returns to Foxboro, he hurt his knee during Sunday’s loss…….Rookie running back J.R. Redmond injured his ribs, he’ll also be evaluated…….Second-year quarterback Michael Bishop was inactive for Sunday’s game, and for the first time this season, rookie quarterback Tom Brady was the third-string quarterback. Said Belichick, “We just thought that given what we were at the quarterback situation, if it got down to that, Tom has looked a little better at running the offense, and that’s what we would need to do, so he would have been the third guy.”
+ 2 Highlights
Week 12 · Nov 19, 2000
vs Bengals
W
16-13
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F |
|---|
| NE | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
16 |
| CIN | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 |
13 |
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Prior to Sunday's game, the Boston Globe reports that Bill Belichick paid practice squad offensive lineman Rob Gatrell $200 to go after Lawyer Milloy in practice on Thursday leading up to their match-up against Cincinnati at Foxboro Stadium.
The Globe reported that Milloy was chosen because he was considered "the most emotional, toughest, and meanest player on defense." Milloy went after Gatrell and led to a brawl that involved nearly 30 players on both sides of the football, with multiple squabbles erupting throughout the session.
It apparently got the team fired up, and the Patriots ended their second four game skid by beating the Bengals 16-13 to improve to 3-8 on the season.
It was an ugly game, with the Patriots unable to do much offensively during a good portion of the contest. Their first points of the afternoon actually came following a big hit by Lawyer Milloy on Bengals running back Brandon Bennett, with Bennett losing the football. Otis Smith recovered it, and returned it back to the Cincinnati 29 yard line.
After an incompletion to Patrick Pass, Drew Bledsoe found Troy Brown twice for completions of 6 and 15 yards, followed by Patrick Pass picking up 7 yards to put the football at the one yard line. Tony Carter ran it in from 1-yard out, and the Patriots found themseleves with a 7-0 lead with 1:57 left to go in the first quarter.
The Bengals then got their running game going early in the second quarter, driving 79 yards on 11 plays, running the football on 8 of those plays. Quarterback Scott Mitchell then hit Peter Warrick for a 13-yard touchdown, knotting the score at 7-7 with 6:00 left to go in the half.
But the Patriots came right back on the next series. Bledsoe connected on a 20 yard pass to Troy Brown on a 3rd-and-11 play, and then followed that up with a 34 yard throw to Terry Glenn. That put them at Cincinnati's 14 yard line. The drive later ended with a 38-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri, putting them back up 10-7 with 1:59 left to go in the half.
Unfortunately, the defense couldn't keep the Bengals from getting points before the half. Mitchell ended up leading the offense on a 12 play, 56 yard drive that saw Cincinnati hit a 28 yard field goal as the clock expired, sending both teams into halftime knotted at 10-10.
The Patriots then fell behind in the third quarter after Bledsoe was picked off on the team's first offensive series on a pass to wideout Tony Simmons. The Bengals capitalized and ended up hitting a 45-yard field goal, which put them up 13-10. However, on Cincinnati's next offensive possession, Milloy again came up with the big play. He picked off Mitchell deep in Bengals territory, giving New England the football at Cincinnati's 26 yard line. That ultimately saw Vinatieri tie things back up at 13-13 with a 21-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter.
On their final possession, the Patriots put together the game-winning drive after the offense started at its own 15 yard line. They drove 81 yards on 12 plays, with Bledsoe kneeling on the football with 0:24 left to go at the Bengals 4-yard line. That left the home crowd frustrated that they didn't go for the touchdown, but Vinatieri would go on to hit the game-winner with a 22-yard field goal to give them the 16-13 win.
"I think the difference today as opposed to other days was that we made the plays when we needed them," Brown told the Boston Globe after the game. "I think we all went into the game feeling we needed to make a big play, and we made enough to win."
+ 3 Highlights
Week 13 · Nov 23, 2000
@ Lions
L
9-34
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F |
|---|
| NE | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
9 |
| DET | 3 | 3 | 7 | 21 |
34 |
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Coming off a quick turnaround on Thanksgiving, the hope was that New England could build momentum following their last-second win over Cincinnati.
Things started off that way, after the Patriots took an early lead following a field goal by Adam Vinatieri on their first offensive series. They then kicked another following a sack by Kato Serwanga, which caused Lions QB Charlie Batch to lose the football to give New England possession at Detroit's 32 yard line.
That gave New England a 6-3 edge, with the two teams eventually heading into the locker room knotted at 6-6.
The Patriots then took the lead in the third quarter after the offense opened with a 10 play, 60 yard drive that ended with Vinatieri drilling a 43 yard field goal to put them up 9-6. However Detroit would then begin a 28-point run that started with the Lions answering with an 8-play, 46 yard drive that resulted in a 1 yard touchdown pass from Charlie Batch to tight end David Sloan, putting Detroit up 13-9 with 3:45 left to go in the third quarter.
From there, things fell apart. After forcing a Patriots punt, the Lions put together another scoring drive, this time going 70-yards on 9 plays, which was aided by a roughing the passer penalty by Lawyer Milloy on Batch that saw the QB briefly leave the game. That gave the Lions the football at the New England 26 yard line.
Batch would come back in to finish the drive, with the Lions seemingly playing some inspired football from that point forward. The offense ultimately finished things off with a 1 yard touchdown run by James Stewart, and the Lions were up 20-9.
Detroit's defense then came up with a big play after picking off Bledsoe on a throw to Troy Brown, with Marquise Walker coming up with the interception. New England offensive lineman Joe Andruzzi briefly knocked the turnover lose from Walker, but the defensive back maintained possession.
Three plays later, the Lions were back in the end zone after Batch took it in on his own, and Detroit was suddenly up 27-9 with 8:55 left to go in the game.
However, the real dagger came on New England's next possession. After driving from their own 12 yard line, Bledsoe and the offense were knocking on the door at the Lions' 7-yard line. But facing 3rd-and-6, Bledsoe made an ill-advised pass to Terry Glenn that Bryant Westbrook picked off and returned 101 yards for the touchdown, making the score 34-9 with 4:13 left to go in the game.
Tom Brady, who had also quietly been elevated as the back-up QB against the Bengals, entered the contest on the next offensive series.
That was Brady's second visit to Detroit that year and his second time seeing action, with Brady having also faced the Lions during that preseason.
Unfortunately, the outcome wasn't what he or his team were hoping for. At 3-9, they'll now have 10 days off before having to face the Chiefs at Foxboro Stadium on Monday Night Football on December 4th.
+ 4 Highlights
Week 14 · Dec 4, 2000
vs Chiefs
W
30-24
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F |
|---|
| NE | 10 | 10 | 7 | 3 |
30 |
| KC | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
24 |
View Recap & Highlights & Articles
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Coming off their 34-9 beating on Thanksgiving in Detroit, the Patriots were hoping to rebound in the spotlight of Monday Night Football in front of the home crowd at Foxboro Stadium.
Fortunately, Bill Belichick's club was able to do just that.
Having had 10 days off to prepare for their showdown against the Chiefs, New England's offense came out with a new wrinkle. Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis and quarterback Drew Bledsoe orchestrated a no-huddle attack that saw them click for the majority of the evening.
Things started off with a 47 yard kickoff return by Curtis Jackson, setting the Patriots up near midfield at the Chiefs' 47-yard line to begin the drive. That led to a 48-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri to give New England an early 3-0 lead.
The Chiefs answered with a field goal, but on the ensuing drive, things started to click. Bledsoe orchestrated a 15 play, 67-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Kevin Faulk, who leaped over the middle of the line into the end zone for the score. That put New England up 10-3.
However, New England's defense allowed a big play early in the second quarter, with wide receiver Derrick Alexander slipping past Lawyer Milloy and Ty Law for an 81-yard touchdown from Chiefs QB Elvis Grbac. That play knotted things up at 10-10 with 8:39 left to go in the half.
However, New England took control from there. After Faulk returned a punt 35-yards to set New England up at the Chiefs 32, Bledsoe finished things off with a 17-yard touchdown to Troy Brown to put them up 17-10. They followed that up on their next series with a 6 play, 41-yard drive that ended with a 53-yard field goal as time expired, giving them a 20-10 lead at halftime.
In the second half, New England caught a break early in the third quarter after Grbac lost the handle on the football and Ted Johnson came up with the turnover at New England's 37-yard line. Bledsoe and the offense then marched 63 yards on 8 plays, with the QB rolling to his right and finding tight end Jermaine Wiggins for a 1-yard touchdown. That increased the Patriots' lead to 27-10 with 7:09 remaining in the third quarter.
New England's defense came up big again on the next drive. After the Chiefs had made their way down to the Patriots' 27-yard line thanks to a defensive pass interference on Tebucky Jones, Otis Smith came up with an interception at the 4-yard line that he returned 56 yards the other way to the Chiefs 40.
Unfortunately, Vinatieri would miss the 37-yard field goal, but Smith's turnover still loomed large because it kept the Chiefs from getting back into the game.
That turnover ended up being huge because the Chiefs later put together a 12 play, 73-yard drive that ended in a touchdown from Grbac to Tony Gonzalez, which saw the Chiefs pull to within 10 at 27-17 early in the fourth quarter.
Fortunately, New England's defense came up with another big play after Smith forced another fumble by Grbac. Patriots safety Tony George picked up the football and returned it 24 yards to the Chiefs 11-yard line.
That helped set up a 27-yard field goal by Vinatieri, giving the Patriots a 30-17 edge.
Meanwhile, Faulk, who has spent much of this season in Belichick's doghouse due to turnovers, lost the handle on the football with just over 4 minutes left in the game on New England's side of the field. The Chiefs took advantage, scoring two plays later on a 19-yard touchdown pass to reciever Kevin Lockett. That saw the Chiefs pull to within six at 30-24 with 3:58 left to play.
Running back Harold Shaw replaced Faulk on the next series, but fortunately, the Patriots ended up holding on to the win thanks to Jones, who made a huge tackle that saw time run out on Kansas City's final possession, ending the Chiefs' comeback bid.
+ 2 Highlights
Week 15 · Dec 10, 2000
@ Bears
L
17-24
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F |
|---|
| NE | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 |
17 |
| CHI | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
24 |
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One week removed from another turnover, Kevin Faulk saw J.R. Redmond get the start at running back in Chicago.
But it would be Bears running back James Allen who would be the story, with Allen carrying 37 times for 97 yards along with a touchdown, as well as hauling in 3 passes for 27 yards and a touchdown.
That performance but Allen over 1,000 yards for the season, but it would be his two touchdowns that helped play a key role in the Bears 24-17 win over the Patriots.
What's even more frustrating is the fact that Sunday saw the Patriots go from being in the lead to finding themselves again on the wrong end of things after their loss in the Windy City.
The Patriots got off to a 10-3 lead, with Bledsoe putting together a 12 play 83 yard drive that ended with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Terry Glenn to put them on top 7-3 with 12:13 left to go in the first half, and defensive tackle Chad Eaton later forced a fumble in Chicago territory to set up a 40-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri.
But following that field goal, the Bears got a 30 yard kickoff return that gave them good field position, and they put together a 10-play, 66 yard drive that ended with a 9 yard pass from Shane Matthews to receiver Eddie Kennison, which knotted things at 10-10 heading into the locker room at half time.
The Bears then took the lead at the start of the third quarter following a 7 play, 64-yard drive that ended with Allen running it in for a 16-yard touchdown, which put Chicago up 17-10. The Bears scored again two possessions later after Matthews put together another solid drive, this time marching 56 yards on 11 plays, with Allen ending up with a six-yard touchdown reception to put Chicago firmly in control at 24-10 with 14:56 left to go in the game.
However, New England's offense managed to answer. Bledsoe led them on a 13 play, 73 yard drive that ended in a 7 yard touchdown pass to Troy Brown, and just like that, the Patriots were down by just seven points with 10:53 still left to play.
Unfortunately, while the defense managed to do its part, New England's offense couldn't quite get things together and the final possession of the game was certainly frustrating. After marching down to the Bears' 31 yard line, Bledsoe connected with Brown on a 3rd-and-1 for a 10 yard gain, which would have given New England a first down at the Bears 21 yard line.
With New England out of timeouts, they couldn't get down to stop the clock. To make matters worse, Jackson was called for an illegal motion penalty, which saw a 10 second runoff, and that ended the game.
That sequence ended up seeing a bit of drama as the clock initially stopped at 0:10 with the penalty, and the officials convened for quite a while before finally revealing the outcome.
When the officials finally announced the illegal motion and the ten second run off, it sent Bears fans into a frenzy after Chicago officially won the football game.
The loss drops New England to 4-10, with a trip to Buffalo now up next for the Patriots.
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Week 16 · Dec 17, 2000
@ Bills
W
13-10
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | OT | F |
|---|
| NE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
3 | 13 |
| BUF | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
0 | 10 |
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Sunday's AFC East showdown against the Bills was a windy cold, frigid game for the Patriots out in Buffalo, but New England ended up coming out on the right end of a 13-10 overtime win to notch their fifth victory of the season.
It was a fairly dramatic victory, with Chad Eaton coming up with two blocked field goals on Sunday, including one on a 30-yard attempt by Bills kicker Steve Christie in overtime. That helped set up New England's game-winning drive, and what turned out to be a game-winning kick by Adam Vinatieri.
With the wind gusting over 50 mph and the field frozen over, the conditions certainly were not ideal. As Vinatieri took the field in overtime after the offense had gotten the football down to Bills' 6-yard line, the veteran kicker and his teammates tried to clear a spot on the turf to place the football ahead of his game-winning field goal. Joining that effort was quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who had previously engineered a potential game-winning kick at the end of regulation.
Unfortunately, Vinatieri missed that 27-yard attempt short, but he wouldn't be denied on the 24-yard kick to win it.
In a game where Bledsoe had dueled things out against Doug Flutie, Sunday's ending was a terrific footnote for a Patriots team that hasn't exactly had too many bright spots this season.
He finished the afternoon just 13-of-24 for 156 yards, but he did just enough to make sure New England left Buffalo with the victory.
The Patriots got on the board first, with Bledsoe and the offense putting together an 11-play, 49-yard drive on their third possession to take the early 3-0 lead thanks to a 22-yard field goal by Vinatieri. Buffalo would later answer with a field goal of their own midway through the second quarter, and the two teams entered the locker room at halftime knotted at 3-3.
But in the third quarter, the Patriots got some help from their special teams when Eaton came up with a block on a 23 yard field goal attempt by Christie. It would be both a sign of things to come, but also prove to be important later in the game given that points were at a premium on Sunday.
Still, the Bills ended up being the first ones to find the end zone after New England went 3-and-out while being pinned inside its own 5 yard line. The ensuing punt gave the Bills the ball at midfield, and Flutie and the offense then went 55 yards on 4 plays, one of which included Flutie scampering up the field on a 32 yard run to get them down to the one yard line. One play later, Flutie hit tight end Sheldon Jackson for a 1-yard touchdown, putting Buffalo up 10-3 with 11:31 left to go in regulation.
However, a 27 yard punt by Chris Mohr ended up giving the Patriots good field position at the Bills' 37-yard line. Five plays later, Kevin Faulk took the football in from 13 yards out, which tied things up at 10-10 with 4:45 left in regulation.
From there, the Patriots had a shot at the end to win it, but while he might not have hit the first one, Vinatieri got one more try in overtime and notched the game-winner.
The Patriots will finish things off next Sunday at home against the Dolphins.
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Week 17 · Dec 24, 2000
vs Dolphins
L
24-27
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | F |
|---|
| NE | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 |
24 |
| MIA | 3 | 14 | 0 | 10 |
27 |
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Sunday's Christmas Eve AFC East Showdown against the Dolphins nearly had a gift at the end, but like much of the regular season, the Patriots were ultimately denied as they ended up on the wrong end of a 27-24 loss to Miami.
The victory for the Dolphins clinched the AFC East, while the loss officially caps off a 5-11 finish for the New England Patriots.
For a team that had spent much of the season shooting itself in the foot, Sunday's bizarre finish added yet another footnote to an even crazier - and frustrating - season.
The Patriots had the lead three times on Sunday, but they snatched defeat from the hands of victory. Leading 24-17, New England nearly delivered the knockout blow but saw a sequence that will likely be one that will haunt them this offseason.
Bledsoe threw a strike to tight end Jermaine Wiggins, who was in the open field and picked up 59 yards before Derrick Rodgers caught up to Wiggins and punched the ball out from behind, with the football bouncing into the end zone and being recovered by the Dolphins.
Instead of a potential touchdown or, at the very least, a first-and-goal for the Patriots, it was instead a touchback for the Dolphins.
While kicker Olindo Mare would miss the 28 yard field goal attempt on the ensuing drive, it didn't matter, because the damage was done. The Dolphins would score a touchdown on their next drive after Jay Fiedler engineered an 11-play, 65 yard drive that ended with Lamar Smith running it in from one-yard out, and that knotted the score at 24-24.
Following that touchdown drive by Miami, which tied things up at 24-24, Bledsoe's bad luck continued. He was picked off by Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas on Miami's side of the field, with the offense again squandering points and handing the football back to the Dolphins.
Instead of a potential game-winning kick for Vinatieri, the Dolphins ended up being the ones who nailed a 49-yard field goal to ultimately win the football game.
The Patriots certainly had their chances. After falling behind 3-0 early in the first quarter, Bledsoe and the offense put together a 9 play, 49 yard drive that ended in running back Allen Carter running the football in from one-yard out to put New England up 7-3.
They later extended that lead to 14-3 after Kevin Faulk broke off a 52-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. But after New England's defense forced a punt on Miami's next possession, Bledsoe was picked off deep in his own end, giving the Dolphins the football at the Patriots' 12-yard line.
Three plays later, Feidler hit tight end Hunter Goodwin for a 9-yard touchdown, cutting New England's lead to 14-10.
Then, as the Patriots again found themselves backed up deep in their own end, the Dolphins blocked Lee Johnson's punt, giving Miami the football at the Patriots' 9 yard line. After seemingly forcing an incompletion on a 3rd-and-3, Lawyer Milloy was called for pass interference, giving Miami a new set of downs at the 1-yard line. Lamar Smith punched it in from one yard out, giving Miami a 17-14 lead with 2:13 left in the second quarter.
New England would then take the lead on the next possession, with the offense marching 80 yards on 10 plays, with Bledsoe hitting Glenn for a 16-yard touchodwn ot put them up 21-17.
Mare missed a 47-yard field goal on Miami's first drive of the second half, and New England scored its final points with a 33-yard field goal by Vinatieri on the ensuing possession before Wiggins' fumble set up Miami's game-tying field goal.
Still, the Patriots somehow ended up with a chance after Miami's ensuing kickoff saw New England end up with the football at their own 40. With 0:07 left to go in the game, Bledsoe ran what seemed to be the final play, which ended up with the quarterback being called for an illegal forward pass and fumble that initially ended the football game.
However, 35 minutes later, with many players already in the shower and getting ready to leave, both teams were called back out onto the field after the officials instead ruled it was an incompletion, which left 0:03 left on the clock.
As the players came back out, the stadium was essentially empty and only a handful of fans witnessed the strange ending of what was already a long and crazy season. Michael Bishop got the call to make the final Hail Mary throw, which Terry Glenn couldn't quite come up with - not that it mattered given that the football only reached the 30-yard line.
That sealed yet another loss in a game that the Patriots could have - and should have - won.
They'll now head into the offseason with plenty of questions, and changes, likely ahead.
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