2004 New England Patriots season
Encyclopedia
The 2004
New England Patriots
season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League
and 45th season overall. They finished with their second straight 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXIX
, their third Super Bowl victory in four years.
Following a Super Bowl win in 2003
, the Patriots looked to improve their running game in the offseason. Replacing Antowain Smith
was longtime but disgruntled Cincinnati Bengals
running back Corey Dillon
, who was acquired in a trade days before the 2004 NFL Draft
; Dillon would rush for a career-high 1,635 yards in 2004. Winning their first six games of the season, the Patriots set the NFL record for consecutive regular season victories (18), which was later broken by the 2006
–2008
Patriots (21), and consecutive regular season and playoff victories (21) before losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers
on October 31. In that game, Pro Bowl
cornerback Ty Law
was lost for the season with a foot injury. Combined with the loss of other starting cornerback Tyrone Poole
two weeks earlier, the Patriots were forced to complete the regular season and playoffs by using second-year cornerback Asante Samuel
, undrafted free agent Randall Gay
, and longtime Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown
at cornerback, among others.
With a 14–2 record and the second seed in the AFC
playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts
at home in the playoffs for the second-straight year, holding the Colts' top offense to three points. The Patriots then defeated the top-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers
on the road, 41–27, in the AFC Championship Game. Prior to the Patriots' matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles
in Super Bowl XXXIX
, Eagles wide receiver Freddie Mitchell
said he did not know the names of the Patriots' defensive backs, which was taken as a sign of disrepsect by the Patriots' "replacement" secondary. The Patriots would go on to defeat the Eagles 24–21 in their second straight Super Bowl victory and third championship in four seasons, leading to some labeling the Patriots of the era a sports dynasty
.
on July 29, they had the NFL maximum of 80 players signed to their roster. The Patriots received seven roster exemptions for the NFL Europe allocations of Rohan Davey
, Jamil Soriano, Chas Gessner
, Lawrence Flugence, Scott Farley, Buck Rasmussen, and David Pruce. Additionally, the Patriots allocated safety Jason Perry
and cornerback Michael Hall to NFL Europe and received roster exemptions for them, but those players were waived before the start of training camp. Finally, rookie Benjamin Watson
had not yet signed a contract by the start of camp and did not count against the roster limit.
answered with touchdowns to David Patten
and Daniel Graham
in the third. A botched punt return by Deion Branch
helped set up a Brandon Stokley
touchdown from Peyton Manning
in the fourth quarter. In the game's final minute, the score still 27–24 Patriots, Manning drove the Colts to the Patriots redzone, but was sacked well outside the 30 by Willie McGinest
. Mike Vanderjagt
came on for a 48-yard field goal try; he taunted the Patriots bench by rubbing his fingers in a "money" motion, having connected on 42 straight field goals, but he missed wide left on this try, securing the Patriots win.
had his first big game for the Patriots as he rushed for 158 yards in a 23–12 New England win. The win proved costly as Deion Branch
was lost for seven games when he was injured in a late-second-quarter trick play that turned into a turnover.
the Patriots carried a winning streak that had reached 17 games (regular season and playoff). The Patriots took a 10–3 lead late in the first quarter but Terrence McGee
ran back the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for the tying touchdown. A Patriots endzone fumble then set up a 41-yard Drew Bledsoe
touchdown to Eric Moulds
. The Patriots tied the game on a David Patten
touchdown catch at the end of the half, then after a fourth quarter Daniel Graham
score the Patriots iced the game when Bledsoe was strip-sacked and Richard Seymour
ran the ball 68 yards for the score, a 31–17 Patriots final.
Massacre," the Patriots' 21-game winning streak crashed to a halt at the hands of Pittsburgh's rookie phenom Ben Roethlisberger
, who threw touchdowns to Plaxico Burress
before a Deshea Townsend
intercepetion return put the score at 21–3 Steelers after one quarter. Ty Law
of the Patriots was lost for the season in this game (and in fact would not play for the Patriots again as he would go to the New York Jets
after the season). The Steelers rushed for 221 yards (led by Duce Staley
's 125 and Jerome Bettis
' 65 and a score) and won 34–20, continuing a winning streak of their own that began in Week Three but which would end at the hands of the Patriots in the postseason.
. Receiver Troy Brown
was pressed into service as a defensive back and wound up playing all three sides of the ball; he caught three passes from Tom Brady
and defended three Rams passes, then in the third quarter the Patriots set up for a short field goal, but the ball was snapped to Adam Vinatieri
who threw it to Brown at the left corner of the endzone. The touchdown put the Patriots up 26–14 and they rolled to a 40–22 win; ironically Vinatieri had a better quarterback rating (122.9) than Brady (103.4) or the Rams' Marc Bulger
(103.7).
's recovered fumble for another score.
, even though he had more yards passing than Brady did in the game. The Patriots limited Manning to 238 passing yards with 1 interception and no touchdowns, and Edgerrin James to just 39 rushing yards. The Patriots also held possession of the ball for 37:43, including 21:26 in the second half and recording three long scoring drives that each took over 7 minutes off the clock. New England running back Corey Dillon
, playing in his first career playoff game after suffering through 7 losing seasons as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals
, rushed for 144 yards and caught 5 passes for 17 yards.
Both teams defenses dominated early, as the first five possessions of the game ended in punts. But after that, the Patriots put together a 16-play, 78 yards scoring drive that took 9:07 off the clock. They lost a touchdown when Dillons' 1-yard score was overturned by a penalty, but Adam Vinatieri
kicked a 24-yard field goal to give them a 3–0 lead. The next time New England got the ball, a 42-yard run by Dillon set up another Vinatieri field goal, increasing the Patriots lead to 6–0. The Colts responded with a drive to New England's 39-yard line, but linebacker Tedy Bruschi
ended it by forcing and recovering a fumble from running back Dominic Rhodes
. After a Patriots punt, Manning led the Colts 67 yards to a Mike Vanderjagt
field goal, cutting the score to 6–3 going into halftime.
But the Patriots dominated the second half, holding the ball for nearly all the time in regulation with two long drives. After an exchange of punts, they drove 87 yards in 15 plays on a drive that consumed 8:16 and ended with Brady's 5-yard touchdown pass to David Givens
. At the end of the Colts next drive, Hunter Smith
's 54-yard punt pinned New England back at their own 6-yard line. But it didn't stop them. The Patriots stormed down the field on a 14-play, 94-yard drive that ate up another 7:24. Dillon rushed for 35 yards and caught a pass for 9 on the drive, including a 27-yard run on third down and 8, while Brady finished it with a 1-yard touchdown run, gving the Patriots a 20–3 lead with just over 7 minutes left in the game. Then two plays after the ensuing kickoff, safety Rodney Harrison
stripped the ball from Reggie Wayne
and Bruschi recovered it, allowing his team to take more time off the clock. Indianapolis responded with a drive to the Patriots 20-yard line, but Harrison intercepted Manning's pass in the end zone with 10 seconds left, as overjoyed fans taunted Manning with a sustained chant of "Cut that meat!" in reference to a commercial their now-defeated rival had filmed.
his first loss as a starter after a 14-game winning streak, the longest by a rookie quarterback in NFL history, as the Steelers became the second NFL team ever to record a 15–1 record and fail to reach the Super Bowl. The Patriots converted four Pittsburgh turnovers into 24 points, while committing no turnovers themselves. The Patriots' win also prevented an all-Pennsylvania
Super Bowl from being played.
The Steelers never recovered from their poor performance in the first quarter. Patriots defensive back Eugene Wilson intercepted Roethlisberger's first pass of the game on his own 48-yard line, setting up Adam Vinatieri
's 48-yard field goal to take a 3–0 lead. Pittsburgh responded with a drive to the Patriots 39-yard line. But then running back Jerome Bettis
lost a fumble while being tackled by Rosevelt Colvin
and linebacker Mike Vrabel
recovered it. On the next play, Tom Brady
threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to receiver Deion Branch
.
With 1:28 left in the first quarter, the Steelers cut their deficit to 10–3 with Jeff Reed's 23-yard field goal. But after an exchange of punts, Branch caught a 45-yard reception on Pittsburgh's 14-yard line. Two plays later, Brady threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to David Givens
. Then on the Steelers ensuing drive, safety Rodney Harrison
intercepted a pass from Roethlisberger and returned it 87 yards for a touchdown, giving the Patriots a 24–3 halftime lead.
In the second half, the teams scored three consecutive touchdowns. New England was forced to punt on the opening drive of the third quarter, and Antwaan Randle El
returned the ball 9 yards to the Steelers 44-yard line. Then on the Steelers ensuing possession, he caught two passes for 46 yards as they drove 56 yards in five plays. Bettis finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, cutting their deficit to 24–10. New England responded by moving the ball 69 yards in seven plays and scoring with Corey Dillon
's 25-yard touchdown run. But Pittsburgh stormed right back, driving 60 yards in ten plays and scoring with Roethlisberger's 30-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward
. Then after forcing a punt, Randle El returned the ball 22 yards to the Steelers 49-yard line. On their ensuing drive, Ward's 26-yard reception on the last play of the third quarter set up Reed's second field goal, making the score 31–20 with 13:32 left in the game.
However, the Patriots took over the rest of the quarter. They responded with a 49-yard drive that took 5:26 off the clock and ended with Vinatieri's 31-yard field goal. Then two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Wilson intercepted another pass from Roethlisberger at New England's 45-yard line. The Patriots subsequently marched down the field on another long scoring drive, taking 5:06 off the clock. Branch capped it off with a 23-yard touchdown run on a reverse play, giving the Patriots a 41–20 lead. The Steelers responded with Roethlisberger's 7-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress
on their next drive, but by then there was only 1:31 left in the game.
Brady completed 14 of 21 passes for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dillon rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown. Branch caught 4 passes for 116 yards, rushed for 37 yards, and scored two touchdowns. Roethlisberger threw for 226 yards and 2 touchdowns, and rushed for 45 yards, but was intercepted 3 times. Ward caught 5 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown.
fumbled while being sacked by New England linebacker Willie McGinest
, and the Patriots recovered the ball at Philadelphia's 34 yard line. Fortunately for the Eagles, coach Andy Reid
's instant replay
challenge overruled the fumble; officials ruled that McNabb had been down by contact before the ball came out of his hands. Later in the quarter after each team had punted twice, McNabb completed a 30-yard pass to Terrell Owens
, with a roughing the passer penalty adding 9 yards, moving the ball inside the Patriots 20 yard line. However, linebacker Mike Vrabel
sacked McNabb for a 16-yard loss on the next play. On the following play, the Eagles once again appeared to turn the ball over: McNabb's pass was intercepted in the end zone by Patriots defensive back Asante Samuel
, but it was nullified by an illegal contact penalty on linebacker Roman Phifer
, moving the ball back inside the 20 and giving the Eagles a first down. However, McNabb's second chance was wasted as he threw an interception to safety Rodney Harrison
on the next play.
The Eagles defense then forced New England to a three-and-out on their ensuing possession, and Philadelphia got great field position by receiving the punt at the Patriots 45 yard line. But once again, they gave up another turnover: tight end L.J. Smith
lost a fumble while being tackled by defensive back Randall Gay
, and Samuel recovered the ball at the 38.
The Eagles defense once again forced New England to punt, and got the ball back at their own 19 yard line. Aided by a pair of completions from McNabb to receiver Todd Pinkston
for gains of 17 and 40 yards, the Eagles drove 81 yards in 9 plays and scored on McNabb's 6-yard touchdown pass to Smith, taking a 7–0 lead with 9:55 left in the second quarter. It was the first time New England trailed during the entire postseason. On their ensuing drive, the Patriots moved the ball to the Eagles 4-yard line, mainly on plays by Corey Dillon
, who caught two screen pass
es for 29 yards and rushed for 25. But quarterback Tom Brady
fumbled the ball on a fake handoff and Philadelphia defender Darwin Walker
recovered it. However, the Eagles could not take advantage of the turnover and had to punt after 3 plays. Eagles punter Dirk Johnson
's punt went just 29 yards, giving the Patriots the ball at Philadelphia's 37 yard line. The Patriots then drove 37 yards to score on Brady's 4-yard pass to receiver David Givens
with 1:10 remaining in the period, tying the game 7–7 by halftime. It was only the second halftime tie in Super Bowl history and the first time both of the game's first 2 quarters ended tied.
On the opening drive of the second half, Patriots receiver Deion Branch
caught 4 passes for 71 yards on a drive that ended with Brady's 2-yard pass to Vrabel, who lined up at the tight end spot on the play. The Eagles later tied the game with 3:39 left in the third period with a 74-yard, 10-play drive that was capped by McNabb's 10-yard touchdown pass to running back Brian Westbrook
. For the first time in Super Bowl history, the game was tied going into the fourth quarter.
Early in the final period, the Patriots put together a 9-play, 66-yard scoring drive that was keyed by 3 plays from running back Kevin Faulk
, who caught 2 passes for 27 combined yards and rushed once for 12. Dillon capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to give the Patriots a 21–14 lead. Then after forcing another Eagles punt, Branch's 19-yard reception and a roughing-the-passer penalty on Philadelphia defensive lineman Corey Simon
set up kicker Adam Vinatieri
's 22-yard field goal with 8:43 left in the game to increase the score 24–14.
The Eagles responded by advancing to the New England 36-yard line on their next drive, but it ended with no points after linebacker Tedy Bruschi
intercepted a pass from McNabb at the Patriots 24-yard line. After forcing New England to punt, Philadelphia got the ball back at their own 21-yard line with 5:40 left in the game.
The Eagles then drove 79 yards in 13 plays to cut their deficit to 24–21 with McNabb's 30-yard touchdown pass to receiver Greg Lewis. However, the drive consumed 3:52 of the clock, and only 1:55 remained in the game by the time Lewis scored. Because of this, many sportswriters later criticized the Eagles for not immediately going to a no-huddle offense at the start of the possession. (Two days after the game, some Eagles players revealed that McNabb was so sick that he had trouble calling the plays.)
The Eagles failed to recover their ensuing onside kick attempt. The Patriots then played it safe by running the ball 3 times and forcing Philadelphia to use all of its timeouts. New England punter Josh Miller
then pinned the Eagles back at their own 4-yard line with just 46 seconds left in the game. Philadelphia then tried one last desperate drive to win or tie the game. But on first down, McNabb was pressured into making a rushed pass to Westbrook at the line of scrimmage. Instead of dropping the pass to stop the clock, Westbrook made the mistake of catching the ball and was immediately tackled for no gain, keeping the clock running and forcing the Eagles to run back to the line of scrimmage for their next play with no huddle. On second down, McNabb threw an incomplete pass intended for Owens. Finally on third down, McNabb threw a pass that went just over the outstretched fingertips of Smith and into the arms of Harrison for an interception with 9 seconds left, sealing the victory for the Patriots.
and special teamer Larry Izzo
were both named as starters to the 2005 Pro Bowl
. Quarterback Tom Brady
and defensive end Richard Seymour
were elected as reserves; Seymour did not play in the game due to injury. Additionally, running back Corey Dillon
and linebacker Tedy Bruschi
were named as injury replacements, however, Dillon did not participate in the game due to injury.
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and 45th season overall. They finished with their second straight 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
, their third Super Bowl victory in four years.
Following a Super Bowl win in 2003
2003 New England Patriots season
The 2003 New England Patriots season was the 34th season for the team in the National Football League and 44th season overall. They finished with a league-best 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVIII....
, the Patriots looked to improve their running game in the offseason. Replacing Antowain Smith
Antowain Smith
Antowain Drurell Smith is a former American Football running back in the National Football League who played nine NFL seasons, most notably with the New England Patriots. At 6'2", , Smith's powerful running style made him an effective runner between the tackles...
was longtime but disgruntled Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
running back Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon
Corey James Dillon is a former American football running back. He played his ten-season career for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, wearing jersey number 28 for both teams. Dillon played college football the University of Washington where he wore the number 4.-High school...
, who was acquired in a trade days before the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
; Dillon would rush for a career-high 1,635 yards in 2004. Winning their first six games of the season, the Patriots set the NFL record for consecutive regular season victories (18), which was later broken by the 2006
2006 New England Patriots season
The 2006 New England Patriots season was the 37th season for the team in the National Football League and 47th season overall. They finished with a 12–4 record and a division title before losing to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs....
–2008
2008 New England Patriots season
The 2008 New England Patriots season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team...
Patriots (21), and consecutive regular season and playoff victories (21) before losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
on October 31. In that game, Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
cornerback Ty Law
Ty Law
Tajuan "Ty" Law is a retired football cornerback of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 23rd overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
was lost for the season with a foot injury. Combined with the loss of other starting cornerback Tyrone Poole
Tyrone Poole
Tyrone Poole is a retired American professional football player who played 13 seasons as a cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers 22nd overall of the 1995 NFL Draft...
two weeks earlier, the Patriots were forced to complete the regular season and playoffs by using second-year cornerback Asante Samuel
Asante Samuel
Asante T. Samuel is an American football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, undrafted free agent Randall Gay
Randall Gay
Randall "Blue" Jerome Gay, Jr. is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Louisiana State...
, and longtime Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown
Troy Brown
Troy Fitzgerald Brown is a former NFL wide receiver, cornerback and punt returner in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall...
at cornerback, among others.
With a 14–2 record and the second seed in the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
at home in the playoffs for the second-straight year, holding the Colts' top offense to three points. The Patriots then defeated the top-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
on the road, 41–27, in the AFC Championship Game. Prior to the Patriots' matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
, Eagles wide receiver Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Lee Mitchell, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League for four seasons. A four-sport athlete at Kathleen High School, Mitchell committed to the University of California, Los Angeles to play football for the Bruins...
said he did not know the names of the Patriots' defensive backs, which was taken as a sign of disrepsect by the Patriots' "replacement" secondary. The Patriots would go on to defeat the Eagles 24–21 in their second straight Super Bowl victory and third championship in four seasons, leading to some labeling the Patriots of the era a sports dynasty
Dynasty (sports)
A sports dynasty is a team that dominates their sport or league for multiple seasons or years. Such dominance is often only realized in retrospect...
.
2004 NFL Draft
| Round | Overall | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | Vince Wilfork Vince Wilfork -2004–06 seasons:The Patriots drafted Wilfork with the 21st overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. In his rookie 2004 season with the Patriots, he compiled two sacks, 42 tackles, and three deflected passes... |
Defensive tackle | Miami (FL) Miami Hurricanes football The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships... |
| 1 | 32 | Benjamin Watson Benjamin Watson Benjamin Watson is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 32nd overall in the 2004 NFL draft. He played college football at Georgia.-Early years:Watson attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, South... |
Tight end Tight end The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be... |
Georgia Georgia Bulldogs football The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54... |
| 2 | 63 | Marquise Hill Marquise Hill Marquise Hill was an American football defensive end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft... |
Defensive end Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
LSU LSU Tigers football The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as... |
| 3 | 95 | Guss Scott Guss Scott Guss T'Mar Scott is a former American college and professional football player was a safety in the National Football League for two seasons during the early 2000s... |
Safety | Florida Florida Gators football The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference... |
| 4 | 128 | Dexter Reid Dexter Reid Dexter Devon Reid Jr. is an American football safety. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft after playing his college football at the University of North Carolina... |
Safety | North Carolina |
| 4 | 128 | Cedric Cobbs Cedric Cobbs Cedric Cobbs is an American football running back for the Arkansas Twisters of the af2.-NFL career:... |
Running back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
Arkansas Arkansas Razorbacks football The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
| 5 | 164 | P. K. Sam P. K. Sam Philip Kenwood "P. K." Sam, II is a professional gridiron football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft... |
Wide receiver Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... |
Florida State Florida State Seminoles football The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
| 7 | 233 | Christian Morton Christian Morton Christian John Morton is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft... |
Cornerback Cornerback A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position... |
Florida State |
Staff
| New England Patriots 2004 staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
|
|||||
Opening training camp roster
At the time of the first public training camp practice at Gillette StadiumGillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
on July 29, they had the NFL maximum of 80 players signed to their roster. The Patriots received seven roster exemptions for the NFL Europe allocations of Rohan Davey
Rohan Davey
Rohan St. Patrick Davey is a Jamaican-born American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.-High school years:...
, Jamil Soriano, Chas Gessner
Chas Gessner
Charles Louis "Chas" Gessner is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2003...
, Lawrence Flugence, Scott Farley, Buck Rasmussen, and David Pruce. Additionally, the Patriots allocated safety Jason Perry
Jason Perry (American football)
Jason Perry is a former American football safety in the National Football League . He played in the NFL from 1999 to 2002.Perry was born in Passaic, New Jersey and attended Paterson Catholic High School.-References:...
and cornerback Michael Hall to NFL Europe and received roster exemptions for them, but those players were waived before the start of training camp. Finally, rookie Benjamin Watson
Benjamin Watson
Benjamin Watson is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 32nd overall in the 2004 NFL draft. He played college football at Georgia.-Early years:Watson attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, South...
had not yet signed a contract by the start of camp and did not count against the roster limit.
| New England Patriots 2004 opening training camp roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Joe Andruzzi Joseph Dominick Andruzzi is a former American football offensive guard. In May 2007 he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.-College career:... G Wilbert Brown Wilbert Lemon Brown is a former American football guard and center in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, and New England Patriots... G Brandon Gorin Brandon Michael Gorin is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.... T Bob Hallen Robert Joseph Hallen is a former American football player. He played high school football at Mentor High School where he was honorable mention all-state his senior season. He was a four year starter at Kent State University while starting 44 consecutive games... G/C Russ Hochstein Russ Hochstein is an American football guard for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft... G/C Adrian Klemm Adrian William Klemm is a former National Football League offensive lineman, who played for the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers. He is perhaps best known for being drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft, the same draft in which they selected Tom... T Dan Koppen Daniel Koppen is an American football center for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft... C Gene Mruczkowski Gene Vincent Mruczkowski is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Purdue.... G/C Stephen Neal Stephen Matthew Neal is a former American football guard who played his entire career for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He is a former national champion amateur and collegiate wrestler at Cal State-Bakersfield... G Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Tully Banta-Cain Tully Banta-Cain is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at California.Banta-Cain earned two Super Bowl rings during his first stint with the Patriots... OLB Tedy Bruschi Tedy Lacap Bruschi is a former professional American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft... ILB Don Davis (American football) Donald Earl Davis Jr. is a former American football player and the current Team Chaplain for the New England Patriots.-High school years:... ILB Larry Izzo Lawrence Alexander Izzo is a retired American football Linebacker and special teamer and current assistant special teams coach for the New York Giants. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 1996... ILB Ted Johnson Ted Curtis Johnson is a former American football player in the National Football League. He grew up in Carlsbad, California where he graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1991. From there he attended the University of Colorado and was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 1995 NFL... ILB Justin Kurpeikis Justin William Kurpeikis is an American football player whose played for four NFL teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and the Hamburg Sea Devils of Germany.... ILB Roman Phifer Roman Zubinsky Phifer is a former American football linebacker of the National Football League. He is currently the assistant linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Phifer's documentary film Blood Equity was released in November, 2009.Phifer played for the New... ILB Mike Vrabel Michael George "Mike" Vrabel is an assistant coach at Ohio State. He is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League. Vrabel spent 14 seasons in the NFL, having played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs... OLB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
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Reserve Lists
 Tom Ashworth Thomas F. Ashworth is an American football offensive lineman who is currently a free agent. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Francisco 49ers out of the University of Colorado at Boulder... OT (Active/PUP) Matt Chatham Matt Chatham is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He played college football at South Dakota.-High school years:... ILB (Active/NF-Inj.) Cedric Cobbs Cedric Cobbs is an American football running back for the Arkansas Twisters of the af2.-NFL career:... RB (Active/PUP) R Rosevelt Colvin Rosevelt Colvin, III is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft, he played college football at Purdue.... OLB (Active/PUP) Kevin Faulk Kevin Troy Faulk is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at LSU.As of 2010, Faulk is the longest-tenured current member of the Patriots,... RB (Active/PUP) Christian Fauria Christian Ashley Fauria is a retired American football tight end.-Early life:Fauria attended Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, California and lettered in football, track, and once in basketball... TE (Active/PUP) Jarvis Green Jarvis Green is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft... DE (Active/PUP) Matt Light Matthew Charles Light is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.-Early years:Light was born in Greenville, Ohio... OT (Active/NF-Inj.) Willie McGinest William Lee "Willie" McGinest, Jr. is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League.-Early life and career:... OLB/DE (Active/PUP) Jim Miller (quarterback) James Donald Miller is a former NFL quarterback, last under contract with the New York Giants. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 1994 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, 178th overall. Miller attended Waterford Kettering High School and graduated in 1989... QB (Active/NF-Ill.) Lonie Paxton Leonidas E. "Lonie" Paxton III born March 13, 1978 in Orange, California) is an American football long snapper for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2000... LS (Active/PUP) Unsigned Draft Picks
Notations
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Preseason
| Week | Kickoff | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | TV | NFL.com Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:00 pm EDT North American Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... |
August 13, 2004 | Philadelphia Eagles 2004 Philadelphia Eagles season -Regular season:-Playoffs:-Week 1: vs. New York Giants:The highly-anticipated Eagles' season began with a convincing rout of the division-rival New York Giants in a game that was not as close as the 31–17 score. New York scored the first points when Ron Dayne finished a first quarter drive with a... |
W 24–6 | 1–0 | Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution... |
WCVB WCVB-TV WCVB-TV, channel 5, is a television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Hearst Television and affiliated with the ABC Television Network. WCVB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located in Needham, Massachusetts. WCVB is also one of six Boston television stations seen in Canada by... |
Recap |
| 2 | 7:30 pm EDT | August 21, 2004 | Cincinnati Bengals 2004 Cincinnati Bengals season The 2004 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 37th year in professional football and its 35th with the National Football League.-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-References:* * *... |
L 3–31 | 1–1 | Paul Brown Stadium Paul Brown Stadium Paul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown. The stadium is located on approximately of land and... |
WCVB | Recap |
| 3 | 8:00 pm EDT | August 28, 2004 | Carolina Panthers 2004 Carolina Panthers season -Regular season:-References:... |
L 17–20 | 1–2 | Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East... |
CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
Recap |
| 4 | 6:45 pm EDT | September 2, 2004 | Jacksonville Jaguars 2004 Jacksonville Jaguars season The 2004 season brought about Jack Del Rio's second year as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Byron Leftwich's first full year as a starter... |
L 0–31 | 1–3 | Gillette Stadium | WCVB | Recap |
Regular season
| Week | Kickoff | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | TV | NFL.com Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:00 pm EDT North American Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... |
September 9, 2004 | Indianapolis Colts 2004 Indianapolis Colts season The 2004 Indianapolis Colts season was the 52nd season for the team in the National Football League and 21st in Indianapolis. The 2004 Colts season began with the team trying to maintain or improve on their 12–4 record from 2003, and advance farther into the playoffs... |
W 27–24 | 1–0 | Gillette Stadium | ABC Monday Night Football Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series... |
Recap |
| 2 | 4:15 pm EDT | September 19, 2004 | Arizona Cardinals 2004 Arizona Cardinals season The 2004 Arizona Cardinals season was the 85th season the team was in the National Football League. The team managed to improve upon their previous output of 4-12. However, the team failed to make the playoffs for the sixth straight season.-NFL Draft:... |
W 23–12 | 2–0 | Sun Devil Stadium Sun Devil Stadium Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass... |
CBS | Recap |
| 3 | Bye Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing... |
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| 4 | 1:00 pm EDT | October 3, 2004 | Buffalo Bills 2004 Buffalo Bills season The 2004 Buffalo Bills season was their 45th in the league. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 6–10, finishing 9–7. However, this was the fifth straight season in which the team missed the playoffs.... |
W 31–17 | 3–0 | Ralph Wilson Stadium Ralph Wilson Stadium Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL... |
CBS | Recap |
| 5 | 1:00 pm EDT | October 10, 2004 | Miami Dolphins 2004 Miami Dolphins season The 2004 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 39th as a member of the National Football League. The Dolphins were unable to improve upon their previous season's output of 10–6, instead only going 4–12 after starting the season 0–6... |
W 24–10 | 4–0 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 6 | 1:00 pm EDT | October 17, 2004 | Seattle Seahawks 2004 Seattle Seahawks season The 2004 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 29th season with the National Football League. Seahawks Stadium was renamed Qwest Field when Qwest bought the naming rights on June 2, 2004.-2004 NFL Draft:-Regular season:-Playoffs:-External links:... |
W 30–20 | 5–0 | Gillette Stadium | Fox NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
Recap |
| 7 | 4:05 pm EDT | October 24, 2004 | New York Jets 2004 New York Jets season The 2004 New York Jets season saw the team try to improve on its 6–10 2003 record. The Jets started the season by winning their first five games, which was a franchise record. They ultimately finished 10–6, and clinched the fifth seed in the playoffs, reaching the postseason for the third time in... |
W 13–7 | 6–0 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 8 | 4:15 pm EST | October 31, 2004 | Pittsburgh Steelers 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers looked to rebound after a disappointing 6–10 season the year before, which saw the team go through the entire season without winning consecutive games.... |
L 20–34 | 6–1 | Heinz Field Heinz Field Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively... |
CBS | Recap |
| 9 | 4:15 pm EST | November 7, 2004 | St. Louis Rams 2004 St. Louis Rams season The 2004 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 67th year with the National Football League and the 10th season in St. Louis.-Schedule:-Playoffs:... |
W 40–22 | 7–1 | Edward Jones Dome Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome (more formally known as the Edward Jones Dome at America's Center, and previously known as The Trans World Dome (from 1995–2001) is a multi-purpose stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, and home of the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. It was... |
CBS | Recap |
| 10 | 8:30 pm EST | November 14, 2004 | Buffalo Bills 2004 Buffalo Bills season The 2004 Buffalo Bills season was their 45th in the league. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 6–10, finishing 9–7. However, this was the fifth straight season in which the team missed the playoffs.... |
W 29–6 | 8–1 | Gillette Stadium | ESPN ESPN Sunday Night Football ESPN Sunday Night Football is the ESPN cable network's weekly television broadcasts of Sunday evening National Football League games. The first ESPN Sunday night broadcast occurred on November 8, 1987, while the last one aired on January 1, 2006.... |
Recap |
| 11 | 9:00 pm EST | November 22, 2004 | Kansas City Chiefs 2004 Kansas City Chiefs season The 2004 Kansas City Chiefs season proved not to be as successful as the team's previous season. Though the Chiefs finished the regular season with the most yards and the second highest amount of points, they also had a losing record of 7–9 and no playoff appearance.-Schedule:-Standings:... |
W 27–19 | 9–1 | Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs.... |
ABC Monday Night Football Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series... |
Recap |
| 12 | 4:15 pm EST | November 28, 2004 | Baltimore Ravens 2004 Baltimore Ravens season The 2004 Baltimore Ravens season was the team's ninth season in the NFL. They were unable to improve upon their previous output of 10–6 and a playoff appearance, instead going 9–7 and missing the playoffs.-Schedule:-References:... |
W 24–3 | 10–1 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 13 | 1:00 pm EST | December 5, 2004 | Cleveland Browns 2004 Cleveland Browns season The 2004 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 52nd season with the National Football League.- Schedule :-End of Butch Davis era:On November 30, Butch Davis resigned as Head Coach and General Manager of the team. He was succeeded by offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie. Robiskie promoted tight end... |
W 42–15 | 11–1 | Cleveland Browns Stadium Cleveland Browns Stadium -See also:* List of current National Football League stadiums* Chronology of home stadiums for current National Football League teams* List of American football stadiums by capacity* List of U.S. stadiums by capacity* List of North American stadiums by capacity... |
CBS | Recap |
| 14 | 1:00 pm EST | December 12, 2004 | Cincinnati Bengals 2004 Cincinnati Bengals season The 2004 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 37th year in professional football and its 35th with the National Football League.-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-References:* * *... |
W 35–28 | 12–1 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 15 | 9:00 pm EST | December 20, 2004 | Miami Dolphins 2004 Miami Dolphins season The 2004 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 39th as a member of the National Football League. The Dolphins were unable to improve upon their previous season's output of 10–6, instead only going 4–12 after starting the season 0–6... |
L 28–29 | 12–2 | Pro Player Stadium Dolphin Stadium Sun Life Stadium is an American football stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins National Football League team, and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. It... |
ABC | Recap |
| 16 | 4:15 pm EST | December 26, 2004 | New York Jets 2004 New York Jets season The 2004 New York Jets season saw the team try to improve on its 6–10 2003 record. The Jets started the season by winning their first five games, which was a franchise record. They ultimately finished 10–6, and clinched the fifth seed in the playoffs, reaching the postseason for the third time in... |
W 23–7 | 13–2 | Giants Stadium Giants Stadium Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to... |
CBS | Recap |
| 17 | 1:00 pm EST | January 2, 2005 | San Francisco 49ers 2004 San Francisco 49ers season The San Francisco 49ers started their 2004 season hoping to improve upon their disappointing 7-9 output from the previous season. However, the season was a complete disaster, as the 49ers were the worst team in football in 2004. The 49ers managed only two victories, both coming against... |
W 21–7 | 14–2 | Gillette Stadium | Fox | Recap |
Week 1 roster
| New England Patriots 2004 Week 1 roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
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Offensive Linemen
Joe Andruzzi Joseph Dominick Andruzzi is a former American football offensive guard. In May 2007 he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.-College career:... G Tom Ashworth Thomas F. Ashworth is an American football offensive lineman who is currently a free agent. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Francisco 49ers out of the University of Colorado at Boulder... T Brandon Gorin Brandon Michael Gorin is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.... T Russ Hochstein Russ Hochstein is an American football guard for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft... G/C Adrian Klemm Adrian William Klemm is a former National Football League offensive lineman, who played for the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers. He is perhaps best known for being drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft, the same draft in which they selected Tom... T Dan Koppen Daniel Koppen is an American football center for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft... C Matt Light Matthew Charles Light is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.-Early years:Light was born in Greenville, Ohio... T Gene Mruczkowski Gene Vincent Mruczkowski is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Purdue.... G/C Stephen Neal Stephen Matthew Neal is a former American football guard who played his entire career for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He is a former national champion amateur and collegiate wrestler at Cal State-Bakersfield... G Defensive Linemen
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Linebackers
Tully Banta-Cain Tully Banta-Cain is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at California.Banta-Cain earned two Super Bowl rings during his first stint with the Patriots... OLB Tedy Bruschi Tedy Lacap Bruschi is a former professional American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft... ILB Rosevelt Colvin Rosevelt Colvin, III is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft, he played college football at Purdue.... OLB Don Davis (American football) Donald Earl Davis Jr. is a former American football player and the current Team Chaplain for the New England Patriots.-High school years:... ILB Larry Izzo Lawrence Alexander Izzo is a retired American football Linebacker and special teamer and current assistant special teams coach for the New York Giants. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 1996... ILB Ted Johnson Ted Curtis Johnson is a former American football player in the National Football League. He grew up in Carlsbad, California where he graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1991. From there he attended the University of Colorado and was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 1995 NFL... ILB Willie McGinest William Lee "Willie" McGinest, Jr. is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League.-Early life and career:... OLB/DE Roman Phifer Roman Zubinsky Phifer is a former American football linebacker of the National Football League. He is currently the assistant linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Phifer's documentary film Blood Equity was released in November, 2009.Phifer played for the New... ILB Mike Vrabel Michael George "Mike" Vrabel is an assistant coach at Ohio State. He is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League. Vrabel spent 14 seasons in the NFL, having played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs... OLB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
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Reserve Lists
Rodney Bailey Rodney Dwayne Bailey is a former American football defensive end who most recently played for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and completed his degree in only 3.5 years.-Early years:... DE (IR) Wilbert Brown Wilbert Lemon Brown is a former American football guard and center in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, and New England Patriots... G (Did Not Report) Matt Chatham Matt Chatham is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He played college football at South Dakota.-High school years:... ILB (NF-Inj.) Cedric Cobbs Cedric Cobbs is an American football running back for the Arkansas Twisters of the af2.-NFL career:... RB (PUP) R Zeron Flemister Zeron D. Flemister is an American football player who is currently a free agent tight end of the National Football League. As a senior at the University of Iowa, he played in and started seven games before playing in three postseason all-star games... TE (IR) Guss Scott Guss T'Mar Scott is a former American college and professional football player was a safety in the National Football League for two seasons during the early 2000s... FS (IR) R Practice Squad
Notations
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Week 1: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Opening the NFL season on a Thursday night for the first time ever, the Patriots fell behind their arch-enemy 17–13 at the half. Tom BradyTom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
answered with touchdowns to David Patten
David Patten
David Patten is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Albany Firebirds as a street free agent in 1996. He played college football at Western Carolina....
and Daniel Graham
Daniel Graham
Daniel Lawrence Grahamhttp://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GrahDa00.htm is an American football tight end for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
in the third. A botched punt return by Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
helped set up a Brandon Stokley
Brandon Stokley
Brandon Stokley is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
touchdown from Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
in the fourth quarter. In the game's final minute, the score still 27–24 Patriots, Manning drove the Colts to the Patriots redzone, but was sacked well outside the 30 by Willie McGinest
Willie McGinest
William Lee "Willie" McGinest, Jr. is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League.-Early life and career:...
. Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
came on for a 48-yard field goal try; he taunted the Patriots bench by rubbing his fingers in a "money" motion, having connected on 42 straight field goals, but he missed wide left on this try, securing the Patriots win.
Week 2: at Arizona Cardinals
Corey DillonCorey Dillon
Corey James Dillon is a former American football running back. He played his ten-season career for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, wearing jersey number 28 for both teams. Dillon played college football the University of Washington where he wore the number 4.-High school...
had his first big game for the Patriots as he rushed for 158 yards in a 23–12 New England win. The win proved costly as Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
was lost for seven games when he was injured in a late-second-quarter trick play that turned into a turnover.
Week 4: at Buffalo Bills
A year after being crushed 31–0 in Ralph Wilson StadiumRalph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL...
the Patriots carried a winning streak that had reached 17 games (regular season and playoff). The Patriots took a 10–3 lead late in the first quarter but Terrence McGee
Terrence McGee
Terrence Dewayne McGee is an American football cornerback and kick returner who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by Bills in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
ran back the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for the tying touchdown. A Patriots endzone fumble then set up a 41-yard Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
touchdown to Eric Moulds
Eric Moulds
Eric Shannon Moulds is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 24th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi State...
. The Patriots tied the game on a David Patten
David Patten
David Patten is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Albany Firebirds as a street free agent in 1996. He played college football at Western Carolina....
touchdown catch at the end of the half, then after a fourth quarter Daniel Graham
Daniel Graham
Daniel Lawrence Grahamhttp://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GrahDa00.htm is an American football tight end for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
score the Patriots iced the game when Bledsoe was strip-sacked and Richard Seymour
Richard Seymour
Richard Vershaun Seymour is an American football defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots sixth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft...
ran the ball 68 yards for the score, a 31–17 Patriots final.
Week 5: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 6: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 7: vs. New York Jets
Week 8: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Known in Patriot circles as "The HalloweenHalloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
Massacre," the Patriots' 21-game winning streak crashed to a halt at the hands of Pittsburgh's rookie phenom Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
, who threw touchdowns to Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
before a Deshea Townsend
Deshea Townsend
Trevor Deshea Townsend is a former defensive back in the National Football League, and is currently a defensive backs coach for the Arizona Cardinals and most recently a player for the Indianapolis Colts...
intercepetion return put the score at 21–3 Steelers after one quarter. Ty Law
Ty Law
Tajuan "Ty" Law is a retired football cornerback of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 23rd overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
of the Patriots was lost for the season in this game (and in fact would not play for the Patriots again as he would go to the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
after the season). The Steelers rushed for 221 yards (led by Duce Staley
Duce Staley
Duce Staley is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at University of South Carolina...
's 125 and Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
' 65 and a score) and won 34–20, continuing a winning streak of their own that began in Week Three but which would end at the hands of the Patriots in the postseason.
Week 9: at St. Louis Rams
This was the first meeting between the two clubs since Super Bowl XXXVISuper Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game played on February 3, 2002 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 2001 regular season. The American Football Conference champion New England Patriots won their first Super...
. Receiver Troy Brown
Troy Brown
Troy Fitzgerald Brown is a former NFL wide receiver, cornerback and punt returner in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall...
was pressed into service as a defensive back and wound up playing all three sides of the ball; he caught three passes from Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
and defended three Rams passes, then in the third quarter the Patriots set up for a short field goal, but the ball was snapped to Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
who threw it to Brown at the left corner of the endzone. The touchdown put the Patriots up 26–14 and they rolled to a 40–22 win; ironically Vinatieri had a better quarterback rating (122.9) than Brady (103.4) or the Rams' Marc Bulger
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger [] is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
(103.7).
Week 10: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 11: at Kansas City Chiefs
Week 12: vs. Baltimore Ravens
A sloppy first half between two strong defensive teams turned into a Patriot rout in the 2nd half. Corey Dillon ran for a short TD, and a Tedy Bruschi sack of Kyle Boller led to Jarvis GreenJarvis Green
Jarvis Green is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
's recovered fumble for another score.
Week 13: at Cleveland Browns
Week 14: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 15: at Miami Dolphins
One of the most stunning upsets of the 2004 season took place in Miami, as the Dolphins rallied from an 11-point deficit to defeat New England. After a Dolphin TD made the score 28–23, Tom Brady threw an interception and Miami scored to go ahead 29–28 on a pass from A.J. Feely to Derrius Thompson. Another Brady interception sealed the Patriots' loss; as a result of this defeat, New England would end up as the AFC's No. 2 playoff seed, behind the 15–1 Pittsburgh Steelers.Week 16: at New York Jets
Week 17: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Standings breakdown
| W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 203 | 105 |
| Away | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 | 234 | 155 |
| AFC East AFC East The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets... Opponents |
5 | 1 | 0 | .833 | 148 | 76 |
| AFC American Football Conference The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.... Opponents |
10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | 323 | 199 |
| NFC National Football Conference The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,... Opponents |
4 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 114 | 61 |
| By Stadium Type | ||||||
| Indoors | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 40 | 22 |
| Outdoors | 13 | 2 | 0 | .867 | 397 | 238 |
Postseason schedule
| Week | Kickoff | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | TV | NFL.com Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | Bye Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing... |
|||||||
| Divisional | 4:30 pm EST North American Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... |
January 16, 2005 | Indianapolis Colts 2004 Indianapolis Colts season The 2004 Indianapolis Colts season was the 52nd season for the team in the National Football League and 21st in Indianapolis. The 2004 Colts season began with the team trying to maintain or improve on their 12–4 record from 2003, and advance farther into the playoffs... (3) |
W 20–3 | 1–0 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| AFC Championship | 6:30 pm EST | January 23, 2005 | Pittsburgh Steelers 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers looked to rebound after a disappointing 6–10 season the year before, which saw the team go through the entire season without winning consecutive games.... (1) |
W 41–27 | 2–0 | Heinz Field | CBS | Recap |
| Super Bowl XXXIX Super Bowl XXXIX Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season... |
6:30 pm EST | February 6, 2005 | Philadelphia Eagles 2004 Philadelphia Eagles season -Regular season:-Playoffs:-Week 1: vs. New York Giants:The highly-anticipated Eagles' season began with a convincing rout of the division-rival New York Giants in a game that was not as close as the 31–17 score. New York scored the first points when Ron Dayne finished a first quarter drive with a... (1) |
W 24–21 | 3–0 | ALLTEL Stadium | Fox | Recap |
Divisional Round vs. Indianapolis Colts
In a snowstorm, the Patriots dismantled the league's highest scoring team by forcing three turnovers and holding them to just 276 yards and 3 points, their lowest point total since their opening game of the 2003 season. Peyton Manning suffered his seventh loss in FoxboroughFoxborough, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile . There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile...
, even though he had more yards passing than Brady did in the game. The Patriots limited Manning to 238 passing yards with 1 interception and no touchdowns, and Edgerrin James to just 39 rushing yards. The Patriots also held possession of the ball for 37:43, including 21:26 in the second half and recording three long scoring drives that each took over 7 minutes off the clock. New England running back Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon
Corey James Dillon is a former American football running back. He played his ten-season career for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, wearing jersey number 28 for both teams. Dillon played college football the University of Washington where he wore the number 4.-High school...
, playing in his first career playoff game after suffering through 7 losing seasons as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, rushed for 144 yards and caught 5 passes for 17 yards.
Both teams defenses dominated early, as the first five possessions of the game ended in punts. But after that, the Patriots put together a 16-play, 78 yards scoring drive that took 9:07 off the clock. They lost a touchdown when Dillons' 1-yard score was overturned by a penalty, but Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
kicked a 24-yard field goal to give them a 3–0 lead. The next time New England got the ball, a 42-yard run by Dillon set up another Vinatieri field goal, increasing the Patriots lead to 6–0. The Colts responded with a drive to New England's 39-yard line, but linebacker Tedy Bruschi
Tedy Bruschi
Tedy Lacap Bruschi is a former professional American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
ended it by forcing and recovering a fumble from running back Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
. After a Patriots punt, Manning led the Colts 67 yards to a Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt
Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...
field goal, cutting the score to 6–3 going into halftime.
But the Patriots dominated the second half, holding the ball for nearly all the time in regulation with two long drives. After an exchange of punts, they drove 87 yards in 15 plays on a drive that consumed 8:16 and ended with Brady's 5-yard touchdown pass to David Givens
David Givens
David Lamar Givens is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. At the end of the Colts next drive, Hunter Smith
Hunter Smith
Hunter Dwight Smith is an American football punter, currently a free agent and most recently for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
's 54-yard punt pinned New England back at their own 6-yard line. But it didn't stop them. The Patriots stormed down the field on a 14-play, 94-yard drive that ate up another 7:24. Dillon rushed for 35 yards and caught a pass for 9 on the drive, including a 27-yard run on third down and 8, while Brady finished it with a 1-yard touchdown run, gving the Patriots a 20–3 lead with just over 7 minutes left in the game. Then two plays after the ensuing kickoff, safety Rodney Harrison
Rodney Harrison
Rodney Scott Harrison is a retired professional football player of the National Football League. Harrison played safety for the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots...
stripped the ball from Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
and Bruschi recovered it, allowing his team to take more time off the clock. Indianapolis responded with a drive to the Patriots 20-yard line, but Harrison intercepted Manning's pass in the end zone with 10 seconds left, as overjoyed fans taunted Manning with a sustained chant of "Cut that meat!" in reference to a commercial their now-defeated rival had filmed.
- Scoring
- NE – field goal Vinatieri 24 NE 3–0
- NE – field goal Vinatieri 31 NE 6–0
- IND – field goal Vanderjagt 23 NE 6–3
- NE – Givens 5 pass from Brady (Vinatieri kick) NE 13–3
- NE – Brady 1 run (Vinatieri kick) NE 20–3
AFC Championship at Pittsburgh Steelers
The game-time temperature of 11 °F (-11.7 °C) made it the second-coldest game ever in Pittsburgh and the coldest ever in Steel City playoff annals. However, it was the Patriots that handed Ben RoethlisbergerBen Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
his first loss as a starter after a 14-game winning streak, the longest by a rookie quarterback in NFL history, as the Steelers became the second NFL team ever to record a 15–1 record and fail to reach the Super Bowl. The Patriots converted four Pittsburgh turnovers into 24 points, while committing no turnovers themselves. The Patriots' win also prevented an all-Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Super Bowl from being played.
The Steelers never recovered from their poor performance in the first quarter. Patriots defensive back Eugene Wilson intercepted Roethlisberger's first pass of the game on his own 48-yard line, setting up Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
's 48-yard field goal to take a 3–0 lead. Pittsburgh responded with a drive to the Patriots 39-yard line. But then running back Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
lost a fumble while being tackled by Rosevelt Colvin
Rosevelt Colvin
Rosevelt Colvin, III is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft, he played college football at Purdue....
and linebacker Mike Vrabel
Mike Vrabel
Michael George "Mike" Vrabel is an assistant coach at Ohio State. He is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League. Vrabel spent 14 seasons in the NFL, having played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs...
recovered it. On the next play, Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to receiver Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
.
With 1:28 left in the first quarter, the Steelers cut their deficit to 10–3 with Jeff Reed's 23-yard field goal. But after an exchange of punts, Branch caught a 45-yard reception on Pittsburgh's 14-yard line. Two plays later, Brady threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to David Givens
David Givens
David Lamar Givens is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. Then on the Steelers ensuing drive, safety Rodney Harrison
Rodney Harrison
Rodney Scott Harrison is a retired professional football player of the National Football League. Harrison played safety for the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots...
intercepted a pass from Roethlisberger and returned it 87 yards for a touchdown, giving the Patriots a 24–3 halftime lead.
In the second half, the teams scored three consecutive touchdowns. New England was forced to punt on the opening drive of the third quarter, and Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball draft selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1997...
returned the ball 9 yards to the Steelers 44-yard line. Then on the Steelers ensuing possession, he caught two passes for 46 yards as they drove 56 yards in five plays. Bettis finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, cutting their deficit to 24–10. New England responded by moving the ball 69 yards in seven plays and scoring with Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon
Corey James Dillon is a former American football running back. He played his ten-season career for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, wearing jersey number 28 for both teams. Dillon played college football the University of Washington where he wore the number 4.-High school...
's 25-yard touchdown run. But Pittsburgh stormed right back, driving 60 yards in ten plays and scoring with Roethlisberger's 30-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward
Hines Ward
Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...
. Then after forcing a punt, Randle El returned the ball 22 yards to the Steelers 49-yard line. On their ensuing drive, Ward's 26-yard reception on the last play of the third quarter set up Reed's second field goal, making the score 31–20 with 13:32 left in the game.
However, the Patriots took over the rest of the quarter. They responded with a 49-yard drive that took 5:26 off the clock and ended with Vinatieri's 31-yard field goal. Then two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Wilson intercepted another pass from Roethlisberger at New England's 45-yard line. The Patriots subsequently marched down the field on another long scoring drive, taking 5:06 off the clock. Branch capped it off with a 23-yard touchdown run on a reverse play, giving the Patriots a 41–20 lead. The Steelers responded with Roethlisberger's 7-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
on their next drive, but by then there was only 1:31 left in the game.
Brady completed 14 of 21 passes for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dillon rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown. Branch caught 4 passes for 116 yards, rushed for 37 yards, and scored two touchdowns. Roethlisberger threw for 226 yards and 2 touchdowns, and rushed for 45 yards, but was intercepted 3 times. Ward caught 5 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown.
- Scoring
- NE – field goal Vinatieri 48 NE 3–0
- NE – Branch 60 pass from Brady (Vinatieri kick) NE 10–0
- PIT – field goal Reed 43 NE 10–3
- NE – Givens 9 pass from Brady (Vinatieri kick) NE 17–3
- NE – Harrison 87 interception return (Vinatieri kick) NE 24–3
- PIT – Bettis 5 run (Reed kick) NE 24–10
- NE – Dillon 25 run (Vinatieri kick) NE 31–10
- PIT – Ward 30 pass from Roethlisberger (Reed kick) NE 31–17
- PIT – field goal Reed 20 NE 31–20
- NE – field goal Vinatieri 31 NE 34–20
- NE – Branch 23 run (Vinatieri kick) NE 41–20
- PIT – Burress 7 pass from Roethlisberger (Reed kick) NE 41–27
Super Bowl XXXIX at Philadelphia Eagles
On the first drive of the game, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabbDonovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
fumbled while being sacked by New England linebacker Willie McGinest
Willie McGinest
William Lee "Willie" McGinest, Jr. is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League.-Early life and career:...
, and the Patriots recovered the ball at Philadelphia's 34 yard line. Fortunately for the Eagles, coach Andy Reid
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter "Andy" Reid is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, a post he has held since 1999. Since 2001, he has also been the team's executive vice president of football operations...
's instant replay
Instant replay
Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
challenge overruled the fumble; officials ruled that McNabb had been down by contact before the ball came out of his hands. Later in the quarter after each team had punted twice, McNabb completed a 30-yard pass to Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
, with a roughing the passer penalty adding 9 yards, moving the ball inside the Patriots 20 yard line. However, linebacker Mike Vrabel
Mike Vrabel
Michael George "Mike" Vrabel is an assistant coach at Ohio State. He is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League. Vrabel spent 14 seasons in the NFL, having played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs...
sacked McNabb for a 16-yard loss on the next play. On the following play, the Eagles once again appeared to turn the ball over: McNabb's pass was intercepted in the end zone by Patriots defensive back Asante Samuel
Asante Samuel
Asante T. Samuel is an American football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, but it was nullified by an illegal contact penalty on linebacker Roman Phifer
Roman Phifer
Roman Zubinsky Phifer is a former American football linebacker of the National Football League. He is currently the assistant linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Phifer's documentary film Blood Equity was released in November, 2009.Phifer played for the New...
, moving the ball back inside the 20 and giving the Eagles a first down. However, McNabb's second chance was wasted as he threw an interception to safety Rodney Harrison
Rodney Harrison
Rodney Scott Harrison is a retired professional football player of the National Football League. Harrison played safety for the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots...
on the next play.
The Eagles defense then forced New England to a three-and-out on their ensuing possession, and Philadelphia got great field position by receiving the punt at the Patriots 45 yard line. But once again, they gave up another turnover: tight end L.J. Smith
L.J. Smith
John Smith III , commonly known as L.J., which stands for "Little John", is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
lost a fumble while being tackled by defensive back Randall Gay
Randall Gay
Randall "Blue" Jerome Gay, Jr. is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Louisiana State...
, and Samuel recovered the ball at the 38.
The Eagles defense once again forced New England to punt, and got the ball back at their own 19 yard line. Aided by a pair of completions from McNabb to receiver Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles where he caught 184 passes for 2,816 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Eagles went to the playoffs every year that he started, including an appearance in...
for gains of 17 and 40 yards, the Eagles drove 81 yards in 9 plays and scored on McNabb's 6-yard touchdown pass to Smith, taking a 7–0 lead with 9:55 left in the second quarter. It was the first time New England trailed during the entire postseason. On their ensuing drive, the Patriots moved the ball to the Eagles 4-yard line, mainly on plays by Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon
Corey James Dillon is a former American football running back. He played his ten-season career for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, wearing jersey number 28 for both teams. Dillon played college football the University of Washington where he wore the number 4.-High school...
, who caught two screen pass
Screen pass
A screen pass is a type of play in American football. During a screen pass, a number of things happen concurrently in order to fool the defense into thinking a long pass is being thrown, when in fact the pass is merely a short one, just beyond the defensive linemen. Screens are usually deployed...
es for 29 yards and rushed for 25. But quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
fumbled the ball on a fake handoff and Philadelphia defender Darwin Walker
Darwin Walker
Darwin Jamar Walker is an American football defensive tackle in National Football League who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
recovered it. However, the Eagles could not take advantage of the turnover and had to punt after 3 plays. Eagles punter Dirk Johnson
Dirk Johnson
Dirk Johnson is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1998...
's punt went just 29 yards, giving the Patriots the ball at Philadelphia's 37 yard line. The Patriots then drove 37 yards to score on Brady's 4-yard pass to receiver David Givens
David Givens
David Lamar Givens is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
with 1:10 remaining in the period, tying the game 7–7 by halftime. It was only the second halftime tie in Super Bowl history and the first time both of the game's first 2 quarters ended tied.
On the opening drive of the second half, Patriots receiver Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
caught 4 passes for 71 yards on a drive that ended with Brady's 2-yard pass to Vrabel, who lined up at the tight end spot on the play. The Eagles later tied the game with 3:39 left in the third period with a 74-yard, 10-play drive that was capped by McNabb's 10-yard touchdown pass to running back Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
. For the first time in Super Bowl history, the game was tied going into the fourth quarter.
Early in the final period, the Patriots put together a 9-play, 66-yard scoring drive that was keyed by 3 plays from running back Kevin Faulk
Kevin Faulk
Kevin Troy Faulk is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at LSU.As of 2010, Faulk is the longest-tenured current member of the Patriots,...
, who caught 2 passes for 27 combined yards and rushed once for 12. Dillon capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to give the Patriots a 21–14 lead. Then after forcing another Eagles punt, Branch's 19-yard reception and a roughing-the-passer penalty on Philadelphia defensive lineman Corey Simon
Corey Simon
Corey Jermaine Simon is a retired American football defensive tackle of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles sixth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
set up kicker Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
's 22-yard field goal with 8:43 left in the game to increase the score 24–14.
The Eagles responded by advancing to the New England 36-yard line on their next drive, but it ended with no points after linebacker Tedy Bruschi
Tedy Bruschi
Tedy Lacap Bruschi is a former professional American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
intercepted a pass from McNabb at the Patriots 24-yard line. After forcing New England to punt, Philadelphia got the ball back at their own 21-yard line with 5:40 left in the game.
The Eagles then drove 79 yards in 13 plays to cut their deficit to 24–21 with McNabb's 30-yard touchdown pass to receiver Greg Lewis. However, the drive consumed 3:52 of the clock, and only 1:55 remained in the game by the time Lewis scored. Because of this, many sportswriters later criticized the Eagles for not immediately going to a no-huddle offense at the start of the possession. (Two days after the game, some Eagles players revealed that McNabb was so sick that he had trouble calling the plays.)
The Eagles failed to recover their ensuing onside kick attempt. The Patriots then played it safe by running the ball 3 times and forcing Philadelphia to use all of its timeouts. New England punter Josh Miller
Josh Miller
Josh Miller is a former American football punter and current football analyst.He was signed by the Baltimore Stallions of the Canadian Football League as an undrafted free agent in 1994...
then pinned the Eagles back at their own 4-yard line with just 46 seconds left in the game. Philadelphia then tried one last desperate drive to win or tie the game. But on first down, McNabb was pressured into making a rushed pass to Westbrook at the line of scrimmage. Instead of dropping the pass to stop the clock, Westbrook made the mistake of catching the ball and was immediately tackled for no gain, keeping the clock running and forcing the Eagles to run back to the line of scrimmage for their next play with no huddle. On second down, McNabb threw an incomplete pass intended for Owens. Finally on third down, McNabb threw a pass that went just over the outstretched fingertips of Smith and into the arms of Harrison for an interception with 9 seconds left, sealing the victory for the Patriots.
- Scoring
- PHI – TD: L.J. Smith 6 yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick) 7–0 PHI
- NE – TD: David Givens 4 yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick) 7–7 tie
- NE – TD: Mike Vrabel 2 yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick) 14–7 NE
- PHI – TD: Brian Westbrook 10 yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick) 14–14 tie
- NE – TD: Corey Dillon 2 yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick) 21–14 NE
- NE – FG: Adam Vinatieri 22 yards 24–14 NE
- PHI – TD: Greg Lewis 30 yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick) 24–21 NE
Final roster
| New England Patriots 2004 final roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Joe Andruzzi Joseph Dominick Andruzzi is a former American football offensive guard. In May 2007 he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.-College career:... G Brandon Gorin Brandon Michael Gorin is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.... T Russ Hochstein Russ Hochstein is an American football guard for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft... G/C Dan Koppen Daniel Koppen is an American football center for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft... C Matt Light Matthew Charles Light is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.-Early years:Light was born in Greenville, Ohio... T Gene Mruczkowski Gene Vincent Mruczkowski is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Purdue.... G/C Stephen Neal Stephen Matthew Neal is a former American football guard who played his entire career for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He is a former national champion amateur and collegiate wrestler at Cal State-Bakersfield... G Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Tully Banta-Cain Tully Banta-Cain is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at California.Banta-Cain earned two Super Bowl rings during his first stint with the Patriots... OLB Tedy Bruschi Tedy Lacap Bruschi is a former professional American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft... ILB Matt Chatham Matt Chatham is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He played college football at South Dakota.-High school years:... ILB Rosevelt Colvin Rosevelt Colvin, III is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft, he played college football at Purdue.... OLB Don Davis (American football) Donald Earl Davis Jr. is a former American football player and the current Team Chaplain for the New England Patriots.-High school years:... ILB Larry Izzo Lawrence Alexander Izzo is a retired American football Linebacker and special teamer and current assistant special teams coach for the New York Giants. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 1996... ILB Ted Johnson Ted Curtis Johnson is a former American football player in the National Football League. He grew up in Carlsbad, California where he graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1991. From there he attended the University of Colorado and was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 1995 NFL... ILB Willie McGinest William Lee "Willie" McGinest, Jr. is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League.-Early life and career:... OLB/DE Roman Phifer Roman Zubinsky Phifer is a former American football linebacker of the National Football League. He is currently the assistant linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Phifer's documentary film Blood Equity was released in November, 2009.Phifer played for the New... ILB Mike Vrabel Michael George "Mike" Vrabel is an assistant coach at Ohio State. He is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League. Vrabel spent 14 seasons in the NFL, having played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs... OLB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
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Reserve Lists
Tom Ashworth Thomas F. Ashworth is an American football offensive lineman who is currently a free agent. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Francisco 49ers out of the University of Colorado at Boulder... OT (IR) Rodney Bailey Rodney Dwayne Bailey is a former American football defensive end who most recently played for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and completed his degree in only 3.5 years.-Early years:... DE (IR) Zeron Flemister Zeron D. Flemister is an American football player who is currently a free agent tight end of the National Football League. As a senior at the University of Iowa, he played in and started seven games before playing in three postseason all-star games... TE (IR) Dan Klecko Dan Klecko is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Temple.... NT/FB (IR) Adrian Klemm Adrian William Klemm is a former National Football League offensive lineman, who played for the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers. He is perhaps best known for being drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft, the same draft in which they selected Tom... OT (IR) Ty Law Tajuan "Ty" Law is a retired football cornerback of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 23rd overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan.... CB (IR) Tyrone Poole Tyrone Poole is a retired American professional football player who played 13 seasons as a cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers 22nd overall of the 1995 NFL Draft... CB (IR) P. K. Sam Philip Kenwood "P. K." Sam, II is a professional gridiron football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft... WR (IR) R Guss Scott Guss T'Mar Scott is a former American college and professional football player was a safety in the National Football League for two seasons during the early 2000s... FS (IR) R Benjamin Watson Benjamin Watson is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 32nd overall in the 2004 NFL draft. He played college football at Georgia.-Early years:Watson attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, South... TE (IR) R Practice Squad
Notations
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Awards and honors
| Recipient | Award(s) |
|---|---|
| Tom Brady Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,... |
2004 Sporting News Sportsman of the Year |
| Deion Branch Deion Branch Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks... |
Super Bowl XXXIX Super Bowl XXXIX Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season... MVP |
| Troy Brown Troy Brown Troy Fitzgerald Brown is a former NFL wide receiver, cornerback and punt returner in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall... |
2004 New England Patriots 12th Player Award |
| Rosevelt Colvin Rosevelt Colvin Rosevelt Colvin, III is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft, he played college football at Purdue.... |
2004 New England Patriots Ed Block Courage Award |
| Corey Dillon Corey Dillon Corey James Dillon is a former American football running back. He played his ten-season career for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, wearing jersey number 28 for both teams. Dillon played college football the University of Washington where he wore the number 4.-High school... |
December: AFC Offensive Player of the Month |
| Ty Warren Ty Warren Ty'ron "Ty" Markeith Warren is an American football defensive tackle for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft... |
2004 New England Patriots Ron Burton Ron Burton Ronald E. "Ron" Burton became a college All-American running back at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, a member of the Northwestern Hall of Fame, and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.... Community Service Award |
| Adam Vinatieri Adam Vinatieri Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,... |
November: AFC Special Teams Player of the Month Week 9: AFC Special Teams Player of the Week AFC Championship: NFL Special Teams Player of the Week |
Pro Bowl selections
Patriots kicker Adam VinatieriAdam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
and special teamer Larry Izzo
Larry Izzo
Lawrence Alexander Izzo is a retired American football Linebacker and special teamer and current assistant special teams coach for the New York Giants. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
were both named as starters to the 2005 Pro Bowl
2005 Pro Bowl
The 2005 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played February 13, 2005 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 38 - NFC 27. The most valuable player was Peyton Manning of the Colts. The game holds the record as the latest Pro Bowl played during the calendar year.-Game summary:The game...
. Quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
and defensive end Richard Seymour
Richard Seymour
Richard Vershaun Seymour is an American football defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots sixth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft...
were elected as reserves; Seymour did not play in the game due to injury. Additionally, running back Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon
Corey James Dillon is a former American football running back. He played his ten-season career for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, wearing jersey number 28 for both teams. Dillon played college football the University of Washington where he wore the number 4.-High school...
and linebacker Tedy Bruschi
Tedy Bruschi
Tedy Lacap Bruschi is a former professional American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
were named as injury replacements, however, Dillon did not participate in the game due to injury.