2007 New England Patriots season
Encyclopedia
The 2007
New England Patriots
season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League
and 48th season overall. They finished with a perfect 16–0 regular season record but lost to the New York Giants
in Super Bowl XLII
.
The Patriots entered the offseason following a close loss to the rival Indianapolis Colts
in the AFC Championship. After having lost their two starting wide receivers in the previous offseason, the Patriots added Donté Stallworth in free agency and traded for Wes Welker
and Randy Moss
in the spring; Welker would lead the NFL in receptions in 2007 while Moss would set an NFL record with 23 touchdown catches. The season began with controversy, when in Week 2 head coach Bill Belichick
and the Patriots were penalized by the NFL for their involvement in the videotaping of opponents' defensive signals from an unauthorized location in their Week 1 game against the New York Jets
, referred to in the press as Spygate. Despite the media scrutiny, the Patriots continued to gain momentum, winning mid-season games by scores such as 52–7 and 56–10, as quarterback Tom Brady
iterated the team's desire to blow out and "kill teams." The Patriots set the record for most points in a season with 589, shattering the previous record
by 33 points.
The Patriots clinched the AFC East after their eleventh game (in Week 12), the fourth time since the NFL introduced the 16-game schedule in 1978
that a team had clinched a division title by the eleventh game. In the season finale, the Patriots looked to finish the regular season with the first 16–0 record in NFL history, and did so successfully. In that game, Brady and Moss connected on two touchdown passes, with Moss setting his 23 catch record and Brady setting an NFL record with 50 touchdown passes on the season. It was the first undefeated regular season in the NFL since the 1972 Miami Dolphins
finished 14–0. Brady earned his first NFL MVP award, while the Patriots' offense broke numerous records, including those for points scored and point differential.
With the first seed in the AFC
playoffs
, the Patriots defeated both the Jacksonville Jaguars
and San Diego Chargers
in order to advance to Super Bowl XLII
; according to the Elias Sports Bureau
, this made them the first professional team since 1884 in any of the four major American sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey) to win the first 18 games of their season. Facing the prospect of a perfect 19–0 season with a victory over the underdog New York Giants
, analysts saw the 2007 Patriots as being the greatest team in NFL history.
Despite being the overwhelming favorites in the game, the Patriots had to protect a four point lead on a Giants drive late in the fourth quarter. A dramatic pass
from Eli Manning
to David Tyree
put the Giants deep in Patriots territory, and a Manning touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress
gave the Giants a lead with seconds left. The Patriots could not score again and came out on the losing end of what is considered one of the greatest upsets in sports history. The loss left the 1972 Dolphins as the only undefeated champions in NFL history. The Patriots ended the season at 18–1, becoming one of only three teams to go 18–1 along with the 1984 San Francisco 49ers
and the 1985 Chicago Bears
, both of whom won their respective Super Bowls.
and his friend, Ashley Blazio, fell off a jet ski
in Lake Pontchartrain
, north of New Orleans
. Neither of them wore personal flotation
or tracking devices. According to Hill's agent, who spoke with Blazio, Hill "ended up saving her life, keeping her calm until she could grab onto a buoy." Blazio was rescued and sent to Tulane Medical Center
. Coast Guard
units searched the area. Hill's body was found by the Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
around 2:15 PM CDT on May 28.
Hill's funeral, paid for by the team, was attended by many members of the Patriots
team and staff, as well as by Hill's former coach Nick Saban
.
For the 2007 season, all members of the Patriots wore a black No. 91 decal on the backs of their helmets. A friend of Hill's since high school, fellow Patriots defensive lineman Jarvis Green
supported Hill's fiancée Inell Benn and son Ma’Shy financially following Hill's death. Green also wore Hill's old shoulder pads for the Patriots' October 14 game against the Cowboys, which Benn attended.
's 2007 coaching staff remained generally unchanged. Wide receivers coach Brian Daboll
left to become the quarterbacks coach for the New York Jets
and was replaced by Director of Pro Personnel Nick Caserio
. Former Duke University
offensive coordinator
and quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien
was also hired as an offensive assistant. A former special teams contributor for the Patriots, linebacker
Don Davis
retired and joined the coaching staff as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. Offensive coaching assistant Mike Judge also joined Harvard University
as a wide receivers coach.
starters for the Patriots: tight end
Daniel Graham
signed with the Denver Broncos
, and linebacker
Tully Banta-Cain
signed with the San Francisco 49ers
, while running back
Corey Dillon
, the Patriots' leading rusher in 2006, asked to be released; the Patriots released him on March 2. Safety Tebucky Jones
was also released early in the offseason. Another departure came when punter
Todd Sauerbrun
signed with the Denver Broncos. When Sauerbrun was signed by the Patriots in December 2006, he agreed to a right of first refusal
, meaning that the Patriots could match any offer by any other team made in the subsequent offseason. When the unrestricted free agent signing period came, the Broncos tendered Sauerbrun, and the Patriots exercised their right and matched the offer. However, the Broncos argued that the Patriots had not filed the proper documents required for that right, and ordered a hearing before an NFL special master
. The Broncos won this hearing and Sauerbrun was allowed to sign with the Broncos. After spending all of training camp with the team, veteran punter Josh Miller
was released on August 16.
to the Miami Dolphins
for wide receiver Wes Welker
. A restricted free agent
, Welker signed a five-year contract with the Patriots to complete the trade.
During the second day of the draft, the Patriots added yet another wide receiver, this time trading a fourth-round draft pick (which the Patriots acquired the day before from the San Francisco 49ers
with the 49ers' 2008 first-round pick in exchange for the Patriots' original 2007 first-round pick) to the Oakland Raiders
for Randy Moss
, who agreed to take a pay cut of over $
6 million.
The offseason also brought the arrival of seven unrestricted free agents to the Patriots. On offense, the Patriots added running back Sammy Morris
, tight end
Kyle Brady
, as well as wide receivers Donté Stallworth and Kelley Washington
. On defense, they added linebacker Pro Bowl
linebacker Adalius Thomas
and cornerback
s Tory James
and Eddie Jackson.
Free agents or potential free agents Heath Evans
, Billy Yates, Larry Izzo
, Rashad Baker
, Gene Mruczkowski
, Junior Seau
, Randall Gay
, Troy Brown
, and Vinny Testaverde
were all re-signed. Defensive end Ty Warren
also received a long-term contract extension.
The Patriots used their non-exclusive franchise tag
on cornerback Asante Samuel
; Samuel signed it on August 28, with the stipulation that the team would not use it again on him when he became a free agent again after the season, after the two sides failed to reach a long-term contract agreement with the team by the July 16 deadline.
During the preseason, on August 7, the Patriots traded an undisclosed pick in the 2008 NFL Draft
to the Chicago Bears
for cornerback Dante Wesley
, but since Wesley was cut, the Bears did not receive that pick.
during the 2006 season for Doug Gabriel
. They also traded Patrick Cobbs
to the Pittsburgh Steelers
and Ross Tucker
to the Cleveland Browns
prior to the 2006 season for late-round conditional draft picks, but neither players made their respective rosters, so the Patriots received no compensation.
on July 27, they had the NFL maximum of 80 players signed to their roster. First-round pick Brandon Meriweather
, who was not signed until after training camp began, did not count against that limit until his signing. Asante Samuel
also did not count against the limit, as he had not signed yet signed his franchise tag tender and was not in training camp. Finally, the Patriots received five total roster exemptions for the NFL Europa allocations of Brian Barthelmes
, Danny Baugher
, and Tom Malone
(one for each player, plus two bonus exemptions because of the time Baugher and Malone spent on practice squads in 2007).
and the Patriots traveled to Giants Stadium to face his former defensive coordinator in Jets head coach Eric Mangini
to open the season. The Jets reached Patriots territory on their opening possession, but were forced to punt. The Patriots then began a 12-play, 91-yard drive that ended in a 11-yard Wes Welker
touchdown reception to give the Patriots a 7–0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Kelley Washington
forced a fumble on Jets returner Justin Miller after a 26-yard return, but tight end Chris Baker recovered the ball at the Jets' 33-yard line to retain possession. The Jets went three-and-out, but the Patriots punted back to the Jets despite a 19-yard Donté Stallworth catch to begin their next series. Three plays later, Jets quarterback Chad Pennington
was sacked by linebacker Mike Vrabel
and defensive lineman Ty Warren
, forcing a Jets punt on the final play of the first quarter.
Starting from their own 42-yard line after the punt, the Patriots reached the Jets' 25-yard line, where kicker Stephen Gostkowski
lined up for a 42-yard field goal attempt. However, the snap was fumbled by holder Matt Cassel
, and recovered by Cassel to turn the ball over on downs. The Jets responded with a 10-play, 66-yard drive, tying the game at 7–7 on a 7-yard pass from Pennington to wide receiver Laveranues Coles
. Several plays into the Patriots' ensuing drive, before and after the two-minute warning, wide receiver Randy Moss
caught passes of 33- and 22-yards from quarterback Tom Brady
to put the Patriots in the Jets' red zone. Brady then connected with tight end Benjamin Watson
on a 5-yard touchdown pass that was reviewed by the booth but upheld, giving the Patriots a 14–7 lead going into halftime.
Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs
returned the opening kickoff of the second half 108 yards for a touchdown and a new NFL record for the longest kickoff return in the league's history; at the time, it also tied the existing record for longest play in NFL history (a record broken a few weeks later by Antonio Cromartie
). Nine plays into the Jets' next drive, Pennington was sacked by defensive lineman Jarvis Green
and was injured; Kellen Clemens
entered the game but the Jets were forced to punt two plays later. Four plays later, Brady hit Moss for a 51-yard touchdown reception that extended the Patriots' lead to 28–7. However, the Jets came back with a 9-play, 70-yard drive that was capped off with Coles' second touchdown grab of the day, this one from one yard out, to cut the Patriots' lead to 28–14. The Patriots received the ensuing kickoff with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter and would not surrender the ball until there was just under seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, ending the 17-play drive with a 22-yard Gostkowski field goal that extended the Patriots' lead to 31–14. The Jets then went three-and-out, and punter Ben Graham's 36-yard punt gave the Patriots the ball at their own 47-yard line. On a 1st-and-goal from the Jets' 1-yard line, fullback Heath Evans
could not score; the Patriots challenged that the ball did in fact break the plane of the goal line but the play was upheld. On the next play, following the two-minute warning, Evans did in fact score on a 1-yard run, increasing the Patriots' lead to 38–14. The Jets' next drive stalled on a Vrabel strip-sack of Clemens that the Jets recovered, but ended on a failed fourth down conversion from the Jets' 38-yard line. The Patriots then kneeled down once to end the game and give them their first victory of the season.
On September 13, Belichick was officially fined $500,000, while the Patriots were also fined $250,000, and forfeited their first round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft
. If the Patriots had missed the playoffs, they would have instead forfeited their second and third round selections in the 2008 draft. Goodell said that he fined the Patriots as a team because Belichick is effectively the team's general manager
as well as head coach, and exercises so much control over the Patriots' on-field operations that "his actions and decisions are properly attributed to the club." Goodell considered suspending Belichick, but decided that taking away draft picks would be more severe in the long run.
Belichick later issued a statement in which he apologized for what he called a "mistake" in his interpretation of the rules. However, he denied ever using videotape to gain an advantage while a game was underway.
intercepted a Philip Rivers
pass, but it did not translate into points for the Patriots as Gostkowski then missed a 41-yard field goal attempt on the Patriots' resulting series. After a Chargers three-and-out, the Patriots capped off a 10-play, 75-yard drive with a 23-yard Moss touchdown reception, putting the Patriots ahead 14–0. Colvin then added a sack and forced fumble to his game statistics, as he strip-sacked Rivers after the Chargers reached the Patriots' 34-yard line and defensive lineman Vince Wilfork
recovered the fumble for the Patriots' second forced turnover of the game.
On the Patriots' next drive, which spanned into the second quarter, Brady was strip-sacked by linebacker Shawne Merriman
at the Chargers' 29-yard line, but Brady recovered his own fumble to retain possession for the Patriots. Six plays later, a 24-yard Gostkowski field goal extended the Patriots' lead to 17–0. After a Chargers three-and-out, the Patriots were pushed back to their 10-yard line after another Merriman sack of Brady. The Patriots would punt back to the Chargers, but on a 3rd-and-1 from the Patriots' 37-yard line, Rivers was intercepted by linebacker Adalius Thomas
, who returned it 65 yards for a touchdown, giving the Patriots a 24–0 lead. The Chargers were unable to get past midfield on their next drive and punted, giving the Patriots the ball at their own 20-yard line with just under three minutes to play in the first half. A 25-yard defensive pass interference penalty on Chargers safety Marlon McCree
would help the Patriots reach the Chargers' 26-yard line, but Brady was intercepted by safety Clinton Hart
at the Chargers' 10-yard line. The Chargers then ran one play to end the half.
Receiving the kickoff to begin the second half, the Chargers embarked on a 16-play, 72-yard drive, reaching Patriots territory on a 22-yard third down reception by tight end Antonio Gates
. Ten plays later, fullback Lorenzo Neal
caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Rivers to put the Chargers on the scoreboard at 24–7. The Patriots responded by going 75 yards on seven plays, taking a 31–7 lead on a 24-yard Moss touchdown reception, his second of the night. Three plays later, Rivers was intercepted by Patriots safety James Sanders at the Patriots' 38-yard line, but the play was nullified by a 37-yard defensive pass interference penalty on Hobbs. Rivers completions of 19 yards to wide receiver Malcom Floyd
and 12 yards to running back Michael Turner helped put the Chargers in the Patriots' red zone, where Rivers completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Gates on the second play of the fourth quarter to cut the Patriots' lead to 31–14..
On the ensuing kickoff, Chargers wide receiver Kassim Osgood
forced a fumble of Hobbs after a 31-yard return that was recovered by Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer
at the Patriots' 31-yard line. However, Rivers was sacked twice for losses of 10 yards each on the next two plays, the second of which was a strip-sack by Colvin that was recovered by offensive lineman Kris Dielman
; the Chargers punted on 4th-and-30. Starting from their own 9-yard line with more than 13 minutes remaining in the game, the Patriots did not surrender the ball back to the Chargers until there was less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter. This 15-play, 91-yard drive culminated in a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Sammy Morris
, extending the Patriots' lead to 38–14. The Chargers could not convert a first down on their next possession, giving the ball back to the Patriots to end the game.
, faced off against the Patriots in Foxboro. On the opening drive of the game, Wilfork was penalized for roughing the passer for a late hit on Bills quarterback J. P. Losman. Two plays later, Hobbs sacked Losman, causing a fumble at the Bills' 35-yard line that set-up a 24-yard Gostkowski field goal. Trent Edwards
replaced Losman at quarterback for the Bills on their next possession. Losman was later diagnosed with a sprained MCL
. The Bills took the lead on a 12-play drive finished off with an 8-yard Marshawn Lynch
touchdown run, but these points proved to be the only of the game for the Bills. Early in the second quarter, the Patriots drove to the Bills' 29-yard line, but on fourth down, opted not to punt; the gamble did not pay off and the Patriots turned the ball over on downs. After a Bills three-and-out, the Patriots again drove deep into Bills' territory, this time to the Bills' 3-yard line, but a Brady fumble on a rushing attempt kept the Patriots from scoring. The Patriots challenged the ruling but it was upheld. The Bills could not advance past their own 1-yard line on their next possession, with punter Brian Moorman
booming a 75-yard kick that was returned 29 yards by Welker. Starting in Bills' territory, Brady culminated a six-play drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Watson. Another Bills punt gave the Patriots the ball in Bills territory again, setting up another six-play drive that ended in a 3-yard touchdown catch by Moss.
After the teams exchanged three-and-outs to begin the second half, the Patriots embarked on a nine-play, 89-yard drive that ended on a 4-yard Jabar Gaffney
touchdown reception that gave the Patriots a 24–7 lead. After another punt, the Patriots advanced into Bills territory on a 26-yard pass to Welker that was kept alive when Welker lateraled to Moss for another 11 yards. Morris then ran in for a 4-yard touchdown. The Bills were able to pin the Patriots at their own 2-yard line on their next punt, but that only proved to be the beginning of a 10-play, 98-yard drive that came to a close when Brady connected with Moss on a 45-yard touchdown pass, extending the Patriots' lead to 38–7. The catch made Moss the first player in NFL history to have three games with at least 100 receiving yards to start a season. After an exchange of punts, the Bills began their ensuing drive with Edwards throwing an interception to cornerback Asante Samuel
, which was returned 42 yards to the Bills' 12-yard line. However, the Patriots could not generate any points off the turnover, with an Evans run on fourth down from the Bills' 8-yard line coming up short of the first down. The game would end on the Bills' next drive, sending the Patriots to a 3–0 start.
at the Bengals' 35-yard line. The Bengals capitalized on the turnover, with Carson Palmer
ending a five-play drive on a 1-yard touchdown pass to T. J. Houshmandzadeh
. The Patriots responded by going on a 12-yard, 62-yard drive, finishing it with a 7-yard Moss touchdown reception, putting the Patriots ahead 17–7. The Bengals managed to reach the Patriots' 20-yard line on their next possession, but a Samuel interception at the 2-yard line kept the Bengals from scoring at the end of the first half.
The Bengals reached midfield on the opening drive of the third quarter before punting. From their own 19-yard line, the Patriots moved deep in Bengals territory after a 15-yard penalty was tacked onto a 16-yard Moss catch. A few plays later, Morris ran for his second touchdown of the night; the 7-yard run opened the Patriots lead to 24–7. The Bengals, though, continued to threaten the Patriots offensively, moving to the Patriots' 22-yard line before linebacker Tedy Bruschi
tipped a third-down pass to force a 40-yard Shayne Graham
field goal. The Patriots next drive spanned into the fourth quarter but a Morris run on third down from the Bengals' 13-yard line was stopped for a loss, setting up a 36-yard Gostkowski field goal. Yet again, the Bengals moved into Patriots territory on their ensuing drive, but the Patriots defense prevented another touchdown and forced a 48-yard field goal, making the score 27–13. On the Patriots' next drive, a 23-yard Stallworth catch put the Patriots in Bengals territory, setting up a 14-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Moss. Down 34–13, the Bengals continued to move the ball with a 17-yard Houshmandzadeh catch on the next play, but Palmer's next pass attempt was intercepted by Randall Gay
at the Patriots' 47-yard line. The Patriots then ran out the clock to end the game and bring their record to 4–0.
. The Patriots opened the game with a 14-play, 78-yard drive culminating in a Gostkowski 20-yard field goal. After a 65-yard drive brought them to the Patriots' 1-yard line, the Browns failed to score on two downs before quarterback Derek Anderson
threw an interception to linebacker Junior Seau
on third down. Following a Patriots three-and-out, a Samuel interception on the first play of the Browns' next drive gave the Patriots the ball at the Browns' 34-yard line. Brady quickly turned the turnover into points, throwing a 34-yard touchdown pass to Stallworth to give the Patriots a 10–0 lead. The Browns would then punt on their next drive. On the first drive of the second quarter, the Patriots would move into Browns territory but were forced to punt, giving the Browns the ball at their own 12-yard line. After a 36-yard punt by Scott Player
, the Patriots began their ensuing drive from their own 49-yard line. They would advance to the Browns' 4-yard line, but a Morris run for a loss forced a 25-yard Gostkowski field goal, giving the Patriots a 13–0 lead. The Browns' next drive showed promise after Anderson moved the team from their own 10-yard line to the 46-yard line, but following the two-minute warning a false start penalty and then an interception by Seau, his second of the game, ended the advance. With good field position, Brady moved the 25 necessary yards in three plays, taking a 20–0 lead on a 7-yard Watson touchdown reception. A Bruschi sack then forced the Browns to take a knee to end the half.
In the second half, both teams exchanged punts before the Browns began an 8-play, 56-yard drive that got them on the scoreboard, with Phil Dawson
kicking a 42-yard field goal. Neither team could advance past midfield until the closing minutes of the quarter. The Browns would then score their first touchdown of the day, on a 21-yard strike from Anderson to wide receiver Tim Carter. The Patriots would respond with their own touchdown drive, taking a 27–10 lead on a 25-yard touchdown catch by Watson. After an exchange of punts gave the Browns the ball at the Patriots' 35-yard line, Anderson threw his second touchdown pass of the day, this one good for 14 yards to tight end Kellen Winslow II
to pull the Browns to within 10 points. The Patriots were able to hold the ball for the next five minutes, but could not score, with a Brady pass to Vrabel falling incomplete on fourth down from the Browns' 4-yard line. However, this meant the Browns had to begin their next drive from that spot, and on the first play, Winslow fumbled a 15-yard catch, which was recovered by Gay and returned for a touchdown. The Browns reached the Patriots' 10-yard line on the final possession of the game, but could not score, ending the game at 34–17, giving the Patriots their fifth win of the season. With three touchdown passes on the day, Brady tied Steve Young's 1998
record of five consecutive three-touchdown games to start the season.
, the Patriots faced the Cowboys, the NFC's only remaining unbeaten team. The Patriots' first drive of the game spanned 74 yards and ended in a 6-yard touchdown catch by Moss from Brady. After three punts, the Patriots' lead increased to 14–0 after another Brady touchdown pass, this one from 35 yards out to Welker. In the second quarter, the Cowboys got on the scoreboard when they culminated a 64-yard, 10-play drive with a 38-yard field goal by Nick Folk
. On their ensuing possession, the Patriots advanced 12 yards before Brady was strip-sacked by defensive end Greg Ellis; defensive end Jason Hatcher
recovered the ball and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown, cutting the Patriots' lead to 14–10. The Patriots responded with a 12-play, 72-yard drive that ended on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Welker, his second of the day. The Cowboys then moved the ball 84 yards, keeping pace with the Patriots when Tony Romo
threw to Terrell Owens
for a 12-yard touchdown grab of his own, giving the game a 21–17 score at halftime.
In the third quarter, after a Patriots punt, an 8-yard touchdown catch from Romo to wide receiver Patrick Crayton
put the Patriots behind 24–21. However, the Patriots offense continued to move the ball too, with a 77-yard drive ending on a one-yard touchdown reception by Kyle Brady
. Following a Cowboys punt that gave the Patriots the ball in Cowboys territory, the Patriots appeared to extend their lead on a 43-yard Moss touchdown catch, but the play was reversed as Moss was found not have caught the ball. A roughing the passer penalty was called on the play, though, setting up a 45-yard Gostkowski field goal to make the score 31–24. The Cowboys would punt early in the fourth quarter. Four plays later, Brady threw his fifth touchdown pass of the day, a franchise record. Stallworth's 69-yard catch gave the Patriots a 38–24 lead, but the Cowboys quickly responded with a 72-yard kickoff returnby Tyson Thompson
. The Cowboys turned that return into three points on a 23-yard field goal by Folk. The Patriots then ate more clock, moving 61 yards in just over six minutes, adding to their lead on a 22-yard Gostkowski field goal. Romo was intercepted by Seau on the next play, allowing the Patriots to run out more clock before Kyle Eckel
ran in for a 1-yard touchdown. Romo then kneeled to end the game with a 48–27 final.
fumbled to give the Patriots the ball on the Dolphins' 28-yard line, the Patriots took a 14–0 lead with a 2-yard touchdown reception by Kyle Brady. The Dolphins cut the lead in half with a 4-yard Lemon touchdown run to end a 79-yard drive early in the second quarter, but Willie Andrews
returned the ensuing kickoff 74 yards to give the Patriots another 14-point lead. Following a Dolphins punt, a 36-yard Welker reception set-up a 35-yard Moss touchdown catch. After another Dolphins punt, Brady connected with Moss on a 50-yard touchdown strike, giving the Patriots a 35–7 lead. An exchange of punts left the Dolphins with the ball at their own 1-yard line, but a 49-yard punt by Brandon Fields
and a holding penalty on Kelley Washington
gave the Patriots the ball at their own 29-yard line. Still, Brady led the Patriots on another scoring drive, ending this one on a 14-yard Welker catch to give the Patriots a 42–7 lead going into halftime. The 42 points scored in the half were a franchise record.
In the second half, the Dolphins drove to the Patriots' 19-yard line on a drive that spanned more than nine minutes, but a Gay interception retained the Patriots' 42–7 lead, one that remained for the duration of the third quarter. Following a Patriots punt, the Dolphins began a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended on a 1-yard Patrick Cobbs
touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, cutting their deficit to 28 points. The Patriots replaced Brady with backup Cassel on the next drive, but after Cassel threw an interception to defensive end Jason Taylor
which Taylor returned for a touchdown, Brady returned for the Patriots' next possession. That drive spanned 59 yards and ended with a 16-yard Welker touchdown catch, Brady's sixth touchdown pass of the game, a Patriots record. On their penultimate drive of the game, the Dolphins drove 75 yards and ended the game's scoring with a 7-yard Jesse Chatman
touchdown run. The Patriots ran the clock to within two minutes before punting; Lemon ended the game with a 12-yard sack by Seau near midfield. With their 49–28 win, the Patriots began a season 7–0 for the first time in team history.
list, defensive end Richard Seymour
was activated for the game, but did not start. Following a Redskins punt, in their first possession of the game, the Patriots drove 90 yards over more than 7 minutes, finishing the drive with a 3-yard Brady rushing touchdown, continuing a season-long opening drive scoring streak. The teams exchanged punts into the second quarter, before a 67-yard Patriots drive was capped off with a 2-yard touchdown reception by Vrabel, his second for the season and the tenth of his career (including playoffs). On the Redskins' ensuing possession, Warren recovered a Vrabel strip-sack of Jason Campbell
at the Redskins' 21-yard line, setting up a 36-yard Gostkowski field goal. The Redskins turned the ball over again on their next possession on a Samuel interception, only to regain it on the next play after Brady was strip-sacked by Phillip Daniels
at the Patriots' 40-yard line. The string of turnovers continued as the Redskins drove 20 yards before another Vrabel strip-sack of Campbell was again recovered by Warren. With less than 2 minutes remaining in the first half, the Patriots drove 73 yards, and on a fake spike play from the Redskins' 6-yard line, increased their lead to 24–0 on a touchdown catch by Moss from Brady. That touchdown pass was Brady's 29th of the season, eclipsing his career high set in 2004
and 2002
.
On the opening drive of the second half, an 85-yard Patriots drive ended in another Brady touchdown run, this one from 2 yards out. The Redskins committed their fourth turnover of the game on their next possession, as Vrabel strip-sacked Campbell for the third time in the game; this time Colvin recovered the fumble and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown to increase the Patriots' lead to 38–0. The Redskins managed to reach the Patriots' 13-yard line on their next drive, but on fourth down, the Redskins could not convert and turned the ball over again. The Patriots began their next drive where they left off, going 88 yards on a 14-play drive that spanned into the fourth quarter. It was finished on a 2-yard touchdown reception by Welker that grew the Patriots lead to 45–0. Following a Redskins punt, on the Patriots' next series, Cassel replaced Brady. A 21-yard pass from Cassel to Gaffney gave the Patriots their 33rd first down of the game, a new single-game franchise record. Two plays later, Cassel ran it in for a touchdown from 15 yards out, and the first rushing touchdown of his career, increasing the Patriots' lead to 52–0; the touchdown was the longest rushing touchdown by a Patriots quarterback in more than 20 years. The Redskins then drove 63 yards and scored their only points of the game on a 15-yard Chris Cooley touchdown reception. Third-string quarterback Matt Gutierrez
replaced Cassel on the next possession, a three-and-out. The Redskins then punted back to the Patriots to end the game. The Patriots' 52–7 win gave them a 8–0 record heading into a Week 9 matchup against the 7–0 Colts.
1/2. " On the game's opening series, the Colts drove 52 yards on 14 plays but left the field without scoring after former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri
missed a 50-yard field goal, his first-ever miss in the RCA Dome. On the ensuing drive, the Patriots failed to make a first down, the first opening drive of the season in which they failed to score. With the ball on their own 9-yard line, the Colts moved to the Patriots' 3-yard line after two Joseph Addai
rushes for 33 yards and a 37-yard defensive pass interference
penalty on Asante Samuel. After two plays gaining no yards, the Colts were again forced to kick a field goal, this one good from 21 yards out, for the only points of the first quarter for either team.
After nine plays from scrimmage in the first quarter, the Patriots took a 7–3 lead early in the second quarter on a 4-yard touchdown catch by Moss. After a Gostkowski touchback on the next kickoff, the Colts again drove inside the Patriots' 10-yard line on 34 receiving yards by Addai on three catches as well as a 40-yard defensive pass interference call against Hobbs. The Patriots' red-zone defense, that had entered the game ranked last in the NFL, held the Colts to 1 yard on three plays and a 25-yard Vinatieri field goal to make the game 7–6. On the next series, the Patriots drove to the Colts' 23-yard line before a 15-yard personal foul penalty on Matt Light
preceded a Brady interception (the third of the season), this one caught by Antoine Bethea
at the Colts' 2-yard line. With 1:46 remaining in the first half, the Colts moved the ball to their 27-yard line, and with 28 seconds remaining, Peyton Manning
threw a screen pass
to Addai, who proceeded to run 73 yards for the touchdown, giving the Colts a 13–7 lead at halftime.
For their first two drives of the third quarter, the Patriots were unable to gain a first down and were forced to punt. The Colts fared similarly, with Manning throwing an interception to Rodney Harrison
on his first play of the half. On their third possession of the quarter, facing a 3rd and 7 from the Colts' 41-yard line, Brady scrambled 19 yards for the first down. After catches of 12 and 9 yards from Moss and Kevin Faulk
, respectively, the Patriots reached the Colts' 14-yard line but settled for a 34-yard Gostkowski field goal after Laurence Maroney
ran for a 2-yard loss on 3rd and 1. A field goal was, once again, the only points of a quarter for either team; the third quarter ended with the Colts leading 13–10.
After a Colts punt and a Moss 14-yard catch on the first play of the 4th quarter, the Patriots had possession at the Colts' 42-yard line. On the next play, Brady was intercepted again by linebacker Gary Brackett
, who returned it for 28 yards; after another 15-yard penalty from Light, the Colts took possession at the Patriots 32-yard line. Despite Vrabel sacking Manning on the first play of the Colts' drive, a 17-yard Dallas Clark
reception helped set up a 1-yard Manning touchdown run to increase the Colts' lead to 20–10 with 9:42 remaining in the game. Starting from their own 27-yard line, Brady attempted passes to Moss on the first six plays of the drive. The second attempt was completed for 15 yards, while the fourth attempt went for 55 yards and put the Patriots on the Colts' 3-yard line. On the fifth attempt, Moss was penalized 10 yards for offensive pass interference in the end zone. After an incompletion to Moss, Brady hit Welker for 10 yards and then again for 3 yards and a touchdown to cut the Colts' lead to 20–17 with 7:59 remaining. This touchdown also set the Patriots' record for touchdown passes in a single season, breaking Babe Parilli
's record of 31. After two offensive line penalties by the Colts pushed them back 15 yards, Colvin strip-sacked Manning at the Colts' 22-yard line, though Colts offensive tackle Charlie Johnson
recovered the fumble. After Wes Welker returned the subsequent Colts punt 23 yards to the Patriots' 49-yard line, a 5-yard pass to Moss and a 33-yard pass to Stallworth set up a 13-yard touchdown pass by Faulk to put the Colts behind 24–20 with 3:15 remaining. That pass made this Brady's ninth consecutive game with at least three touchdown passes, breaking Peyton Manning's record of eight. After a Reggie Wayne
24-yard reception brought the Colts to their own 48-yard line, Green strip-sacked Manning three plays later; Colvin's recovery of that fumble gave the Patriots the ball, and set up a situation where a first down would allow them to win the game. Unlike a similar situation in the 2006 AFC Championship, where the Patriots were forced to punt, the Patriots converted on 3rd and 6 with a 10-yard pass to Welker. Brady took three knees to end the game, leaving the 9–0 Patriots the only remaining undefeated team as they headed into their bye week.
's franchise record of 12 touchdown passes in a single season. On the ensuing drive, a Green strip-sack of Losman was recovered by the Bills, and two plays later, Roscoe Parrish
caught a 47-yard touchdown pass for the only Bills touchdown of the game. The Patriots' next drive went for 72 yards and ended in a 16-yard Moss touchdown reception on the first play of the second quarter. A Bills punt on their next possession gave the Patriots the ball at their own 16-yard line. Aided by catches of 25, 15, 11, and 10 yards by Watson, Welker, Stallworth, and Faulk respectively, the Patriots drove 84 yards in under 7 minutes, capping off the drive with a 6-yard touchdown reception to Moss. That touchdown gave Brady the most career touchdown passes in Patriots franchise history, breaking Steve Grogan
's record of 182. Another Bills punt led to the Patriots' fifth possession and fifth touchdown of the half, this time a 17-yard Moss touchdown catch ended another 72-yard drive. Moss' fourth touchdown of the half tied an NFL record for touchdowns for a single player before halftime, and set the Patriots' franchise record for touchdowns by a player in a game. Adalius Thomas also had 2.5 sacks in the half, setting a single-game career high.
The Patriots began the second half where they left off in the first, driving 73 yards in more than 6 minutes for another touchdown, this one a 3-yard reception by Watson. The Bills responded with a 29-yard Terrence McGee
kickoff return that led to a 52-yard Rian Lindell
field goal to cut the Patriots lead to 42–10. The Patriots' next series, their seventh of the game, also ended in their seventh touchdown of the game, setting a Patriots franchise single-season touchdown record (1961
and 1980
, 52). A Welker screen pass went 24 yards to put the Patriots in the Bills' red zone, and a 1-yard Eckel touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter gave the Patriots a 49–10 lead. On the second play of the Bills' next drive, Sanders forced a fumble by running back Dwayne Wright
after a 5-yard reception, which Hobbs recovered and returned 35 yards for the Patriots' eighth and final touchdown of the game. The Patriots' 56 points tied a franchise record, and were the most points scored by a road team in the NFL since 1973. Their 46-point scoring margin was also the second-largest in team history. The Patriots' 56–10 win brought their record to 10–0, the tenth time since 1970
a team started a season 10–0.
Due to Buffalo's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars
earlier in the day, the Patriots entered the game against the 5–5 Eagles as AFC East champions for the fifth consecutive season. Their clinch in the 11th game of the season was tied for the earliest in NFL history.
On the first possession of the game, Eagles quarterback A. J. Feeley, starting in place of an injured Donovan McNabb
, threw an interception to Samuel, who returned it for a touchdown. On the ensuing drive, the Eagles responded with a 14-play drive capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Brian Westbrook
; thus, before the Patriots offense had its first possession, the game was tied 7–7. On that possession, Brady threw seven passes, was sacked once, and scrambled for 12 yards, before Evans had a 1-yard touchdown run (the first called run of the game for the Patriots). The Eagles tied the game again on their next possession when wide receiver Greg Lewis caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Feeley. After a successful onside kick
attempt by the Eagles led to a three-and-out drive, the Patriots started at their own 20-yard line and moved the ball all the way to the Eagles' 11-yard line before the drive stalled and Gostkowski converted a 23-yard field goal. The Eagles responded with another touchdown pass from Feeley to Lewis, this one from 18 yards out, to end a 68-yard drive. With less than 3 minutes to go in the first half the Patriots were trailing the Eagles, 21–17. The Patriots then converted three third downs on their last possession of the half, and Gaffney caught a 19-yard touchdown pass to give the Patriots a halftime lead, 24–21.
After an exchange of punts to begin the second half, Maroney saw his first carries of the game on a drive that appeared to end in a 4-yard Moss touchdown pass before the catch was nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty. The next three plays were incomplete passes by Brady, and on fourth down, Gostkowski missed a 32-yard field goal to keep the score at 24–21 in favor of the Patriots. The Eagles responded with a 10-play, 78-yard drive, retaking the lead on an 8-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Brown. After an unsuccessful fourth down conversion attempt from the Eagles' 33-yard line, the Patriots defense held the Eagles to a three-and-out, forcing a punt. On a third down in the middle of the Patriots' next drive, Welker, who finished with 13 catches on the night, caught a 16-yard pass that moved the ball into the Eagles' red zone. With 7:24 left in the game, Maroney put the Patriots ahead 31–28 with a 4-yard touchdown run. The Eagles moved the ball to the Patriots' 29-yard line on their next drive, but on 2nd and 4, Feeley was intercepted by Samuel in the end zone with 2:49 remaining in the game. The Patriots, unable to run out the clock, punted, giving the Eagles the ball back with 18 seconds remaining. Feeley's last pass attempt was intercepted by Sanders to seal the Patriots' eleventh win of the season.
completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Mason
after a 70-yard drive. In the second quarter, Baltimore increased its lead when kicker Matt Stover
converted a 29-yard field goal to cap a 12-play, 55-yard drive. On the ensuing drive, the Patriots responded with a 9-play, 60-yard drive that included two more Stallworth receptions and two more Ravens penalties and ended in a 1-yard Evans touchdown run. Two possessions later, with 56 seconds remaining the first half, Brady threw his fifth interception of the season, this one to safety Ed Reed
, who proceeded to fumble on the return. Watson recovered the fumble and the Patriots went into halftime in a 10–10 tie.
On the opening drive of the second half, the Ravens drove 73 yards and regained the lead on a 17-yard run by Willis McGahee
, his sixth rush of the 8-play drive. The Patriots answered on their next possession with an 11-play, 72-yard drive that included a dump-off pass to Maroney for 36 yards. A 3-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Moss tied the game again at 17–17. In the first minute of the fourth quarter, Baltimore got the lead again, 24–17, as Boller completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Wilcox
after an 8-play, 56-yard drive. The Patriots went 3-and-out on their next drive, and a 33-yard Yamon Figurs
punt return coupled with a 5-yard Pierre Woods
penalty gave the Ravens the ball at the Patriots' 26-yard line with less than 13 minutes remaining in the game. After two McGahee runs for 1 yard and a false start penalty gave the Ravens a 3rd and 14 situation, Boller was intercepted at the Patriots' 1-yard line by Sanders to hold the Ravens scoreless on the drive. Sanders' 42-yard return gave the Patriots the ball at their own 43-yard line, and another Maroney dump-off pass for 43 yards brought the Patriots to the Ravens' 24-yard line. The Patriots then failed to make the first down, and Gostkowski kicked another field goal, this one from 38 yards out, to cut the Ravens' lead to 24–20. The Patriots defense, which gave up almost 60 first half rushing yards to McGahee, held McGahee to 1 yard on the Ravens' next drive and forced a 3-and-out. The Patriots' ensuing drive brought them to the Ravens' 31-yard line before a 10-yard Dan Koppen
penalty and incompletion forced another punt. With less than 6 minutes remaining, the Patriots defense again prevented the Ravens offense from completing a first down and got the ball back with 3:30 left in the game.
Starting from their own 27-yard line, the Patriots got to midfield on the second play of their drive with a 23-yard Watson reception. An incompletion and 9-yard Faulk catch brought 3rd and 1, where Brady rushed for 2 yards and the first down. After the two-minute warning, another 9-yard Faulk catch on 3rd and 10 gave the Patriots a 4th and 1 from the Ravens' 30-yard line with 1:48 remaining. Brady attempted another sneak and was stopped short of the first, but the play was nullified by a timeout called by Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan
just before the snap. A false start penalty by Russ Hochstein
on the Patriots' next attempt set up a 4th and 6. Brady scrambled for the first down and Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle
was penalized 5 yards for illegal contact to give the Patriots a fresh set of downs from the Ravens' 18-yard line with 1:38 left on the clock. A 5-yard Faulk rush and two incompletions gave the Patriots another fourth down situation. Brady's throw to Watson in the end zone fell incomplete, but the Patriots again received a fresh set of downs after Ravens defensive back Jamaine Winborne
was called for defensive holding. On 1st and goal from the Ravens' 8-yard line with 55 seconds remaining, the Patriots took their first lead since the first quarter on a Gaffney touchdown reception that was upheld by official review. After the play, Ravens linebacker Bart Scott
received two 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalties after throwing an official's flag into the stands, and Reed was flagged for being offsides on the extra point, setting up a Patriots kickoff from the Ravens' 35-yard line. After a Gostkowski touchback on the kickoff, the Ravens completed two passes, bringing them to their own 45-yard line with 8 seconds remaining. Boller threw a Hail Mary pass
that was caught by wide receiver Mark Clayton at the Patriots' 3-yard line, but he was tackled shy of the end zone as time expired.
The Patriots became the sixth team in NFL history to begin a season 12–0, in a game that was the most-watched program in the history of cable television.
kickoff return gave the Patriots the ball at their own 48-yard line to begin a 9-play drive that ended in a 4-yard Moss touchdown catch to give the Patriots the lead. Moss' touchdown catch was his 18th of the season, surpassing Curtis Martin
for the Patriots' record for touchdowns by a single player in a season. After a Steelers three-and-out the Patriots, on their first offensive play of the second quarter, increased their lead to 14–3 on a 63-yard play action pass from Brady to Moss. A 30-yard Willie Parker
run on the Steelers' ensuing series set up a 32-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger
to Najeh Davenport
. After a Patriots drive in which a muffed punt recovery by Pittsburgh led to a missed 48-yard field goal attempt by Gostkowski, the Steelers mounted a 12-play drive that lasted almost 6 minutes before a 44-yard Reed field goal cut the Patriots' lead to 14–13. With 2:29 left in the half, a 32-yard Gaffney reception helped the Patriots drive to the Steelers' 24-yard line; after two Brady incompletions Gostkowski kicked a 42-yard Gostkowski field goal, giving the Patriots a 17–13 lead at halftime.
On the Patriots' first drive of the second half, on 1st and 10 from their own 44-yard line, after a Brady lateral pass
to Moss fell short, Moss picked it up and threw it back to Brady, who then found Gaffney deep for a 56-yard touchdown. After another Steelers three-and-out, the Patriots' second possession of the half also went for a touchdown, as a 2-yard Welker reception capped a 10-play drive that included one run, a 4-yard Brady scramble. In the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, the Steelers moved the ball to the Patriots' 1-yard line, but failed to score on 3rd and goal and 4th and goal. The Patriots took the ball at their own 1-yard line and then began a 6-minute, 12 play drive, passing on every down. Using a no-huddle offense, Welker caught five straight passes to bring the Patriots to the Steelers' 36-yard line. Brady completed four more passes to set up first-and-goal from the Steelers' 10-yard line, but his next three passes were all incomplete, leading to a 28-yard Gostkowski field goal. The Steelers' next possession, a 13-play drive, ended in another failed fourth down conversion. After a Patriots punt, the Steelers ran the ball three times to give the Patriots their 13th win of the season; with the win, the Patriots also clinched a first-round playoff bye.
, who returned it for a touchdown. Clemens was hit by Seymour and suffered an ankle injury on the play and did not return to the game. Wilson also became the Patriots' 21st player to score a touchdown on the season, tying an NFL record set by the Denver Broncos
in 2000
and Los Angeles Rams in 1987
. On their ensuing possession, the Jets gained 49 yards on an option play
to running back Leon Washington
, but then failed a fourth down conversion from the Patriots' 17-yard line. With 6:36 remaining in the first quarter, the Patriots began a drive that ended 17 plays later, in the 2nd quarter, on a 26-yard Gostkowski field goal. After a Jets punt, the Patriots moved the ball to their own 40-yard line when a Chris Hanson
punt attempt was blocked by David Bowens
and returned for a touchdown to cut the Patriots' lead to 10–7. On the Jets' next possession, Washington blocked a Graham punt attempt to give the Patriots the ball at the Jets' 3-yard line. A 1-yard Maroney touchdown run a play later gave the Patriots a 17–7 lead going into halftime. Gostkowski's extra point, his 67th of the season, broke Uwe von Schamann
's single-season record of 66 with the Miami Dolphins
in 1984
.
A Jets punt gave the Patriots the ball at their own 9-yard line early in the third quarter. After two Maroney rushes for a total of 5 yards, a Brady pass on third down intended to Moss was intercepted by Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis
. The Jets moved into the red zone, but were driven back on a Thomas Jones run for a 1-yard loss and a delay of game penalty. On third down, Pennington completed a 10-yard pass to Baker, who then fumbled. Wilson recovered it for the Patriots, but a subsequent exchange of punts kept the third quarter scoreless. Another Hanson punt began the fourth quarter, giving the Jets the ball from their own 15-yard line. The Jets then embarked upon a 17-play drive where Pennington completed 10 passes on 12 attempts, none for more than 14 yards. The drive ended at the Patriots' 15-yard line, where the Jets cut the Patriots' lead to 17–10 on a 33-yard Mike Nugent
field goal. The Patriots' ensuing drive began with two incompletions intended for Moss. On third down, Brady completed a 16-yard pass to Moss, and then a 46-yard pass to Moss to give the Patriots the ball at the Jets' 14-yard line. A 4-yard Maroney run, incompletion, and sack for a loss of 6 yards set up a 33-yard Gostkowski field goal. The Jets' next possession ended in a 35-yard missed Nugent field goal, and the Jets failed to score on their final drive to give the Patriots a 20–10 win. It gave the Patriots a 14–0 record, tying them with the 1972 Miami Dolphins
for the best record to start a season. The win also clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs for the Patriots.
was active; he saw action early in the game, returning a Dolphins punt on their first drive 10 yards. The Patriots' second first down of their first possession was their 349th of the season, breaking their 1994
franchise record. Six plays later, Brady connected with Moss for an 11-yard touchdown and a 7–0 Patriots lead. After three punts, the Patriots' third drive of the game began on the final play of the first quarter, a 51-yard Maroney rush to give the Patriots the ball at the Dolphins' 28-yard line. After a successful third-down conversion, Brady threw his second touchdown pass of the game to Moss from a yard out to give the Patriots a 14–0 lead. The Dolphins' punted again on their next drive, and the Patriots opened up a 21-point lead with a 59-yard Maroney touchdown run while also setting the franchise record for net yards on a season, breaking the record of 5,965 set in 1978
. After the Dolphins' fourth three-and-out of the game, a 38-yard Brandon Fields
punt was muffed by Troy Brown and recovered by the Dolphins, who punted again three plays later. After moving the ball from their own 20-yard line to the Dolphins' 48-yard line, Brady completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Gaffney on the Patriots' 71st touchdown of the season, breaking the NFL record of 70 set by the 1984
Dolphins. The Dolphins drove the Patriots' 4-yard line with 21 seconds remaining in the half, but Tedy Bruschi
batted down a Lemon pass on fourth down intended for Justin Peelle
to preserve the Patriots' 28–0 lead heading into halftime.
On the opening drive of the second half, Welker caught his 101st pass of the season, tying the Patriots individual franchise record Brown set in 2001
. On the next play, Brady was intercepted by Jason Allen the end zone on a pass intended for Moss. After a 22-yard Chatman rush began the Dolphins' ensuing drive, the Dolphins punted for the seventh time three plays later. On third down from their own 28-yard line, Brady threw his second interception of the game, this time picked off by linebacker Derrick Pope
on a pass also intended for Moss. The Dolphins moved the ball on their next drive from their own 46-yard line to the Patriots' 1-yard line, where Lemon scrambled out of bounds short of the end zone on 4th and goal. The Dolphins challenged the ruling, which was upheld after review. The play gave the Patriots the ball from their own 1-yard line, where a three-and-out set-up a 64-yard Hanson punt from the end zone, his longest of the season. A 22-yard Lorenzo Booker
rush on the Dolphins' next possession helped bring the Dolphins' to the Patriots 21-yard line, where Lemon connected with Greg Camarillo
to cut the Patriots lead to 28–7. The Patriots committed their fourth turnover of the game when Brady was strip-sacked by Joey Porter
to give the Dolphins the ball at their own 28-yard line. Four punts and a scoreless fourth quarter later, the Patriots picked up their 15th win of the season.
The Patriots' 15th win matched the win totals of the 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers
, 1998 Minnesota Vikings
, 1985 Chicago Bears
, and 1984
San Francisco 49ers
, while their 15–0 regular season start was a first in NFL history. The Patriots' 6–0 record against division opponents was a franchise first. The win also marked the Patriots' 18th straight regular season victory since their December 2006 loss to the Dolphins, tying the Patriots' 2003
–2004
NFL record.
, not available on some cable providers, the NFL arranged a three-way simulcast of the game with CBS and NBC, the first time an NFL game was broadcast on three networks, and the first national simulcast of any NFL game since Super Bowl I
. The New York and Boston television markets both had a fourth channel, a local TV station in each respective market covering the game. In the week leading up to the game, the NFL Network aired a record 65.5 hours of game-specific coverage, including a six-hour pregame special which matched the longest NFL pregame show, including for a Super Bowl, on a single network.
On the second play of the game, the 10–5 Giants moved into the Patriots' red zone on a 52-yard completion from Eli Manning
to Plaxico Burress
. Three plays later, The Giants took the lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Jacobs
. The Patriots responded with a pair of 14-yard completions to Moss and Welker; Welker's catch, his 102nd of the season, set a Patriots franchise record. The Patriots then converted a fourth down, and on their next fourth down, they made a 37-yard Gostkowski field goal. The Patriots would regain the ball at midfield following a Giants three-and-out. Completions to Stallworth and Welker put the Patriots in the Giants' red zone, where Brady completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Moss, taking a 10–7 lead on the first play of the second quarter. On the play, three records were affected: the Patriots 560th point surpassed the 1998 Minnesota Vikings’s
record of 556 points in a season; the touchdown pass was Brady’s 49th, tying Peyton Manning’s 2004
record; and Moss recorded his 22nd touchdown catch of the season, tying Jerry Rice
's 1987
record.
As a result of a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after the touchdown, the Patriots’ kicked off from the 15-yard line. Giants wide receiver Domenik Hixon
received it from the Giants' 26-yard line and proceeded to run for a 74-yard touchdown return, retaking the lead for the Giants. Starting from their own 33-yard line, the Patriots moved into Giants territory on a 13-yard Maroney rush and 8-yard Faulk reception. Brady's 8 passing yards on the play gave him 4,557 for the season, breaking Drew Bledsoe
's 1994
franchise record of 4,555 yards. After the drive stalled, Gostkowski’s recorded his second field goal for the game, making the score 14–13 in favor of the Giants. Following a Giants punt, the Patriots mounted a drive that resulted in Gostkowski’s third field goal of the night, from 37 yards, after a 3rd down end zone pass to Moss ricocheted off of linebacker Gerris Wilkinson’s
helmet. With 1:54 remaining the half and the Giants trailing 16–14, Manning completed five of his first seven passes to move from the Giants' 15-yard line to the Patriots' 3-yard line. On second down with 18 seconds remaining, Manning threw his second touchdown pass of the game, this time to Boss, to take a 21–16 lead at the half.
After the Patriots began the second half with a three-and-out, the Giants increased their lead to 12 points on a 19-yard touchdown catch by Burress from Manning. Facing their largest deficit of the season, the Patriots drove to the Giants' 16-yard line with several Brady completions. A pass interference call against the Giants’ Wilkinson gave the Patriots the ball at the Giants' 1-yard line. After an illegal formation penalty moved the Patriots back 5 yards, a 6-yard Maroney touchdown run cut the Giants' lead to 28–23. Three consecutive drives resulted in punts, and the Patriots gained possession of the ball with less than 12 minutes remaining in the game.
On the second play of the drive, Brady attempted a deep pass to Moss, which was underthrown and dropped. On the next play, Brady attempted another deep pass to Moss, who caught this one for 65 yards, setting two more NFL records: Moss set the record for most touchdown receptions in a season (23) and Brady set one for touchdown passes (50). The touchdown, Brady’s last of the game, also brought Brady’s touchdown-to-interception margin to +42; Peyton Manning held the previous record, +39 during the 2003–2004 season. The Patriots converted the subsequent two-point attempt on a Maroney rush to take a 31–28 lead with 11:15 remaining. On the Giants' ensuing drive, Hobbs intercepted a Manning pass intended for Burress at the Patriots' 48-yard line. After driving to the red zone, a 5-yard catch by Moss marked his 1,493rd reception yard for the season, breaking Stanley Morgan’s
1986
franchise record of 1,491 yards. On the subsequent play, Maroney scored his second touchdown of the game on a 5-yard run to give the Patriots a 38–28 lead. With 4:36 left in the game, the Giants drove the ball to the Patriots' 4-yard line, and two plays later, Manning completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Burress, Manning’s fourth for the game. After the Patriots’ Vrabel recovered the Giants' onside kickoff, the Patriots kneeled three times to end the game.
The Patriots' joined the 14–0 1972 Miami Dolphins
, 11–0 1942 Chicago Bears
, and 13–0 1934 Chicago Bears
as the fourth team to record an undefeated regular season in the NFL (the 1948 Cleveland Browns
were 14–0 in the All-America Football Conference
.) The Pats also set a record for most regular season wins in a single season. The victory was the Patriots’ 19th consecutive regular season victory, breaking their own record set during the 2003–2004 season. Finally, the Patriots finished the season with a +315 point differential, breaking the 1942 Bears' record of +292.
had exclusive rights to broadcast the Patriots-Giants game, and in the weeks before the game, the network increasingly promoted the game via television commercials on other stations. It was clear the game was one of the most anticipated of the season, and could therefore serve as an important promotion for the NFL Network, which had tried unsuccessfully over the previous year to expand its viewership by becoming included as an "extended basic service" on the major American cable TV providers such as Comcast
and Time Warner
.
Political pressure from the Northeast to make the game more widely viewable preceded the decision to simulcast the game on CBS
and NBC
. Arlen Specter
, the Pennsylvania
senator who was the Republican ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee
, and Patrick Leahy
of Vermont
, the Committee's head, wrote the league a letter threatening to reconsider the antitrust
exemption currently enjoyed by the NFL under United States law. Senator John Kerry
of Massachusetts
had pressured the league and cable companies to settle their dispute so "no die-hard Pats fans will be shut out from watching their team take aim at football history."
In the end, 15.7 million viewers watched the game on CBS, 13.2 million on NBC, 4.5 million on the NFL Network, and 1.2 million on New York, Boston and Manchester, New Hampshire
television stations. The game was the most watched program on television since the 2007 Academy Awards
and the most watched regular season NFL game in more than 12 years.
Playing in his first playoff game as a Patriot, Randy Moss
, who led the NFL in receiving yards, had one reception. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady
set the NFL record for completion percentage in a single game (92.9%) with 26 of 28 completions for 263 yards and 3 touchdowns, while running back Laurence Maroney
added 162 total yards (122 on the ground). Overall, New England gained 401 yards and didn't punt the ball until 31 seconds remained in the fourth quarter.
Jacksonville took the opening kickoff and went 80 yards in 9 plays, featuring two receptions by Marcedes Lewis
for 57 yards, on the way to David Garrard
's 9-yard touchdown pass to Matt Jones
. The Patriots then went on a 74-yard drive and scored with Tom Brady
's 3-yard touchdown pass to Benjamin Watson
. On Jacksonville's next possession, New England lineman Ty Warren
forced a fumble while sacking Garrard, and linebacker Mike Vrabel
recovered it at the Jaguars 29-yard line. Several plays later, Maroney scored a 1-yard touchdown run to give New England a 14–7 lead.
Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew
muffed the ensuing kickoff and was downed at his own 5-yard line. The Jaguars then moved the ball 95 yards in 11 plays without even facing a third down and scoring with Garrard's 6-yard touchdown pass to Ernest Wilford
. For the third time in a row, New England drove deep into Jacksonville territory. But this time the drive stalled at the 17-yard line and ended with no points when Stephen Gostkowski
missed a 35-yard field goal with 53 seconds left in the first half.
On the opening drive of the second half, Brady completed 7 of 8 passes for 54 yards on an 82-yard drive. On the last play, he took a snap in shotgun formation with Kevin Faulk
to his right, Brady jumped in the air with his arms raised to make it look like a play used by the Patriots before where Faulk took the direct snap. The Jaguars defense followed Faulk, leaving Wes Welker
open in the end zone, and Brady threw him the ball for a touchdown to give the Patriots a 21–14 lead. Jacksonville responded with a drive to the New England 21-yard line, but receiver Dennis Northcutt
dropped a pass on third down, forcing them to settle for a Josh Scobee
39-yard field goal, cutting the score to 21–17. On New England's next drive, Jacksonville's Derek Landri
was assessed a roughing-the-passer penalty, turning Welker's 6-yard catch into a 21-yard gain. Maroney gained 40 yards with his next two carries, and following two more Welker receptions, Brady threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Watson giving New England a 28–17 lead.
An unnecessary roughness penalty and a 25-yard reception by Reggie Williams
on the Jacksonville's next drive set up a 25-yard field goal by Scobee, which cut the Jaguars deficit to one touchdown, 28–20. On the second play after the kickoff, Brady completed a 52-yard strike to Donté Stallworth, setting up Gostkowski's second field goal attempt to put New England back up by two scores, 31–20.
Then, with 3:46 left in the game, Pats safety Rodney Harrison
, intercepted a pass from Garrard at the Patriots' 31-yard line, ending any hope of a Jacksonville comeback. Harrison's interception was his 7th career postseason pick, a Patriots record. This was also his fourth consecutive postseason game with an interception, tying an NFL record held by Aeneas Williams
.
With this win, the Patriots advanced to the AFC title game for the second year in a row and extended their perfect record to 17–0, matching the final record of the 1972 Miami Dolphins
.
Despite 3 interceptions from Tom Brady
, the Patriots still managed to defeat San Diego, holding them to four field goals while Laurence Maroney
rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown for the second game in a row. With this win, the Patriots became the first NFL team to start with a 18–0 record and advanced to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in seven years.
With just over 5 minutes left in the first quarter, Chargers defensive back Quentin Jammer
intercepted a pass from Brady on the Patriots 40-yard line, setting up a 26-yard field goal by Nate Kaeding
. New England responded by driving 65 yards and scoring with a 1-yard Maroney touchdown run to take a 7–3 lead.
Kaeding kicked a 23-yard field goal in the second quarter to cut the score to 7–6, but after a punt, Patriots defensive back Asante Samuel
intercepted a pass from Philip Rivers
and returned it 10 yards to the Chargers 24-yard line. One play later, Brady's 12-yard touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney
increased their lead to 14–6. Later on, a 26-yard run by Darren Sproles
moved the ball to the New England 34-yard line. But once again, the Patriots defense kept San Diego out of the end zone, stopping them on 3rd and 1 and forcing them to settle for another Kaeding field goal, making the score 14–9 at halftime.
On the opening drive of the second half, Brady threw his second interception of the game, this one to Drayton Florence
at the New England 49-yard line. San Diego then moved the ball to the 4-yard line, but on 3rd and 1, linebacker Junior Seau
tackled Michael Turner for a 2-yard loss and the Chargers had to settle for Kaeding's fourth field goal. New England responded with a drive to the San Diego 2-yard line, with Maroney gaining 39 yards on four running plays, but Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie
ended the drive by intercepting Brady in the end zone.
On their first drive of the fourth quarter, New England moved the ball 67 yards and scored with Brady's 6-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker
, making the score 21–12. Following a Chargers punt, the Patriots ended the game with a 15-play drive that took the final 9:13 off the game clock.
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
threw two touchdown passes, including the winning drive that culminated with a 17-yard touchdown to Plaxico Burress
with 39 seconds remaining. The game marked the first time that a previously undefeated team had lost in a National Football League
championship game since the 1942
Chicago Bears
as the Patriots fell to 18–1 on the season.
After calling tails to win the coin toss
, the Giants started the game with the longest opening drive in Super Bowl history, a 16-play, 77-yard march that consumed 9 minutes, 59 seconds and featured four third-down conversions, the most ever on a Super Bowl opening drive. But New England halted the drive at their own 14-yard line, forcing the Giants to settle for a 32-yard field goal from Lawrence Tynes
that gave New York a 3–0 lead.
New England then responded with its own scoring drive as Laurence Maroney
returned the kickoff 43 yards to the Patriots' 44-yard line, after which he rushed twice for 15 yards. Quarterback Tom Brady
then completed three passes for 23 yards, but after two incomplete passes, New England was faced with 3rd-and-10 on the Giants' 17. However, on that play, New York linebacker Antonio Pierce
committed pass interference by striking the helmet of tight end Benjamin Watson
in the end zone, giving New England 1st-and-goal at the 1. This set up a Maroney 1-yard touchdown run two plays later, the first play of the second quarter, for a 7–3 lead. The two teams each only had one drive in the entire opening quarter, a Super Bowl record.
On the Giants first drive of the second quarter, on 3rd-and-7, receiver Amani Toomer
caught in a deep pass from Manning along the left sideline while dragging his feet in-bounds for a 38-yard gain, moving the ball to the Patriots' 19. But three plays later, Manning threw a pass that bounced out of the arms of rookie receiver Steve Smith
and into the hands of cornerback Ellis Hobbs
for an interception.
The Patriots' ensuing drive resulted in a three-and-out as on 3rd-and-1 James Butler and Michael Strahan
tackled Maroney for a two-yard loss and New England was forced to punt.
Then on the Giants' next drive, rookie running back Ahmad Bradshaw
fumbled a Manning hand-off and it looked as though Patriots' linebacker Pierre Woods
had recovered the ball at the Giants' 30. But after the officials picked through the pile, it was determined that Bradshaw had made the recovery. The Giants maintained possession and wound up punting. New England's next drive ended with consecutive Giants' sacks, the first by linebacker Kawika Mitchell
, the second by tackle Justin Tuck
.
On the Giants' following drive, New York moved the ball to the New England 25, but linebacker Adalius Thomas
sacked Manning and forced a fumble. Smith recovered the ball, however Bradshaw was penalized for illegally batting the ball forward before the recovery. The penalty pushed the Giants out of field goal range, and following an incompletion, they were forced to punt.
After the punt, two 18-yard receptions by Moss and Donté Stallworth moved the ball to the Giants' 44. But with 22 seconds left before halftime, Brady fumbled while being sacked by Tuck and defensive end Osi Umenyiora
recovered the ball. The game then went to halftime with the Patriots leading 7–3.
On the first drive of the second half, New England had a 4th-and-2 and chose to punt. However, after the play had been run, Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick
challenged that New York had too many players on the field and replay confirmed that was the case as Giants linebacker Chase Blackburn
was unable to get to the sidelines as the ball was being snapped. Therefore, referee Mike Carey reversed the play, and the Giants were penalized 5 yards for having too many players on the field, giving the Patriots a first down. The Patriots then drove to the Giants' 25, but Strahan sacked Brady for a 6-yard loss on third down. Then on 4th-and-13, with the ball on the Giants' 31, Belichick decided against a long field goal attempt by Stephen Gostkowski
and tried to pick up a first down instead. Brady's pass to Jabar Gaffney
was incomplete as it went out of the back of the end zone and the Giants took over on downs.
On the Giants' first drive of the fourth quarter, Manning completed a 45-yard pass to rookie tight end Kevin Boss
. Following three runs by Bradshaw and a 17-yard reception by Smith on third down, Manning finished the 7-play, 80-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to David Tyree
, giving New York a 10–7 lead with 11:10 left in the game.
After consecutive three-and-outs by the Patriots and Giants, New England got the ball at its own 20 with 7:54 to play. Brady then completed a 5-yard pass to Wes Welker
and a 10-yard pass to Moss, followed by a 9-yard run by Maroney to give the Patriots a first down at their own 44. Brady followed with a 13-yard pass to Welker, a four-yard completion to Kevin Faulk
, and then a 10-yard pass to Welker for a first down at the Giants' 29. After that, Brady found Moss for an 11-yard completion and Faulk for a 12-yard completion and New England now had 1st-and-goal from the Giants' 6. Following two incomplete passes, New York cornerback Corey Webster
slipped while backing into coverage, leaving Moss wide open in the end zone where Brady found him for a touchdown to give New England a 14–10 lead with 2:42 left in the game.
On the ensuing kickoff, Ray Ventrone tackled Domenik Hixon
after a 14-yard return, giving New York the ball on their own 17 with 2:39 left and three timeouts remaining. Following two receptions by Toomer for 20 yards, Brandon Jacobs
kept the drive going with a 2-yard run on 4th-and-1. On the next series of downs, Patriots' cornerback Asante Samuel
nearly caught a possibly game-ending interception on a ball intended for Tyree, but the ball slipped through his fingertips. On the next play, the Giants faced 3rd-and-5 from their own 44 with 1:15 remaining. Manning spun out of the grasp of lineman Jarvis Green
, righted himself, and threw a 32-yard completion to Tyree
, who made a leaping catch while covered by Rodney Harrison
and maintained possession by pinning the ball against his helmet with one hand as he fell to the ground. Two plays later, on 3rd-and-11, Manning found a wide-open Smith for a 12-yard gain to the New England 13. On the next play, the Giants sent four receivers into the pattern while the Patriots sent six pass rushers after Manning and flipped four pass defenders to the right side of the field – resulting in Patriots' cornerback Ellis Hobbs
being isolated on the left side to cover Giants' wide receiver Plaxico Burress
one-on-one. Hobbs bit on a fake slant inside (a "slant-and-go" or "SluGo" route) and Manning lofted a pass to the end zone where Burress caught the ball for a touchdown to complete the 12-play, 83-yard drive and give Giants a 17–14 lead with 35 seconds left.
New England began its next possession on its own 26 with 29 seconds remaining and three timeouts, but the Giants' defense didn't allow a single yard—forcing an incompletion on first down, a 10-yard sack by rookie lineman Jay Alford
on second down, and then two deep incomplete attempts to Moss, the first that was broken up by Webster, and the second of which, on 4th-and-20, was broken up by Giants' safety Gibril Wilson
and caused a turnover on downs with one second remaining. After the incompletion, the game clock briefly read zero (one second was re-added), and coaches, players, reporters, and fans crowded the field as if the game had ended. Belichick hugged Giants' Coach Tom Coughlin
at midfield, then an official explained to both coaches that the final second had to be run. The Patriots' defense took the field, and Belichick left for the locker room, not staying for the final play. This early departure was later criticized by some sportswriters.
The officials cleared the field, and restarted the clock. Manning took a knee, allowing the clock to expire, and consequently sealed the historic Super Bowl XLII championship for the Giants, while also ending the Patriots' prospects of a 19–0 season.
, the most since 1985
. Quarterback Tom Brady
, offensive tackle Matt Light
, guard Logan Mankins
, wide receiver Randy Moss
, cornerback Asante Samuel
, linebacker Mike Vrabel
, and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork
were all named as starters, while center Dan Koppen
was named as a reserve.
Of those eight, five—Brady, Light, Moss, Samuel, and Vrabel—were selected to the NFL's All-Pro
first team with Moss being a unanimous selection, and Brady receiving all but one-half vote (the other half was given to Brett Favre). Wilfork, Mankins, Koppen, and wide receiver Wes Welker
were named to the second team.
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
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 38th 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 48th season overall. They finished with a perfect 16–0 regular season record but lost to the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
.
The Patriots entered the offseason following a close loss to the rival 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 ....
in the AFC Championship. After having lost their two starting wide receivers in the previous offseason, the Patriots added Donté Stallworth in free agency and traded for Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
and Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
in the spring; Welker would lead the NFL in receptions in 2007 while Moss would set an NFL record with 23 touchdown catches. The season began with controversy, when in Week 2 head coach Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
and the Patriots were penalized by the NFL for their involvement in the videotaping of opponents' defensive signals from an unauthorized location in their Week 1 game against 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...
, referred to in the press as Spygate. Despite the media scrutiny, the Patriots continued to gain momentum, winning mid-season games by scores such as 52–7 and 56–10, as 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,...
iterated the team's desire to blow out and "kill teams." The Patriots set the record for most points in a season with 589, shattering the previous record
1998 Minnesota Vikings season
1998 was the 38th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The 1998 Minnesota Vikings became only the third team in NFL history to win 15 games during the regular season. That year, the Vikings high powered offense scored 556 points...
by 33 points.
The Patriots clinched the AFC East after their eleventh game (in Week 12), the fourth time since the NFL introduced the 16-game schedule in 1978
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
that a team had clinched a division title by the eleventh game. In the season finale, the Patriots looked to finish the regular season with the first 16–0 record in NFL history, and did so successfully. In that game, Brady and Moss connected on two touchdown passes, with Moss setting his 23 catch record and Brady setting an NFL record with 50 touchdown passes on the season. It was the first undefeated regular season in the NFL since the 1972 Miami Dolphins
1972 Miami Dolphins season
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only National Football League team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season. The undefeated campaign was led by coach Don Shula and notable players Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, and Larry Csonka...
finished 14–0. Brady earned his first NFL MVP award, while the Patriots' offense broke numerous records, including those for points scored and point differential.
With the first 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
NFL playoffs, 2007–08
The National Football League playoffs for the 2007 season began on January 5, 2008 and led up to Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.-NFC: Seattle Seahawks 35, Washington Redskins 14:...
, the Patriots defeated both the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in order to advance to Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
; according to the Elias Sports Bureau
Elias Sports Bureau
The Elias Sports Bureau is an American company that provides historical research and statistical services in the field of professional sports.In 1913, Al Munro Elias and his brother Walter established the Al Munro Elias Bureau in New York City...
, this made them the first professional team since 1884 in any of the four major American sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey) to win the first 18 games of their season. Facing the prospect of a perfect 19–0 season with a victory over the underdog New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, analysts saw the 2007 Patriots as being the greatest team in NFL history.
Despite being the overwhelming favorites in the game, the Patriots had to protect a four point lead on a Giants drive late in the fourth quarter. A dramatic pass
Eli Manning pass to David Tyree
Eli Manning's pass to David Tyree was an American football play involving the two aforementioned New York Giants players in the final two minutes of Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008. It was instrumental in the Giants' 17–14 upset victory over the New England Patriots...
from Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
to David Tyree
David Tyree
David Mikel Tyree is a retired American football wide receiver and special teams player. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse University. Tyree has also played for the Baltimore Ravens...
put the Giants deep in Patriots territory, and a Manning 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...
gave the Giants a lead with seconds left. The Patriots could not score again and came out on the losing end of what is considered one of the greatest upsets in sports history. The loss left the 1972 Dolphins as the only undefeated champions in NFL history. The Patriots ended the season at 18–1, becoming one of only three teams to go 18–1 along with the 1984 San Francisco 49ers
1984 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1984 San Francisco 49ers season was their 39th season in the National Football League. The season was highlighted by their second Super Bowl victory. The franchise had their best season ever with a record of 15 wins and only 1 loss...
and the 1985 Chicago Bears
1985 Chicago Bears season
The 1985 Chicago Bears season was their 66th regular season and 16th post-season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 15-1 record, earning them the top seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The Bears defeated their three post season opponents by a combined score of 91-10 en...
, both of whom won their respective Super Bowls.
Death of Marquise Hill
On the evening of May 27, 2007, 24-year old defensive end Marquise HillMarquise 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...
and his friend, Ashley Blazio, fell off a jet ski
Jet ski
Jet Ski is the brand name of a personal watercraft manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The name is sometimes mistakenly used by those unfamiliar with the personal watercraft industry to refer to any type of personal watercraft; however, the name is a valid trademark registered with the...
in Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish estuary located in southeastern Louisiana. It is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. As an estuary, Pontchartrain is not a true lake.It covers an area of with...
, north of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. Neither of them wore personal flotation
Personal flotation device
A personal flotation device is a device designed to assist a wearer, either conscious or unconscious, to keep afloat.Devices designed and approved by authorities for use by...
or tracking devices. According to Hill's agent, who spoke with Blazio, Hill "ended up saving her life, keeping her calm until she could grab onto a buoy." Blazio was rescued and sent to Tulane Medical Center
Tulane Medical Center
The Tulane Medical Center is a hospital located in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Tulane Medical Center has centers covering nearly all major specialties of medicine, and is the primary teaching hospital for the Tulane University School of Medicine...
. Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
units searched the area. Hill's body was found by the Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
around 2:15 PM CDT on May 28.
Hill's funeral, paid for by the team, was attended by many members of the 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...
team and staff, as well as by Hill's former coach Nick Saban
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo...
.
For the 2007 season, all members of the Patriots wore a black No. 91 decal on the backs of their helmets. A friend of Hill's since high school, fellow Patriots defensive lineman Jarvis Green
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...
supported Hill's fiancée Inell Benn and son Ma’Shy financially following Hill's death. Green also wore Hill's old shoulder pads for the Patriots' October 14 game against the Cowboys, which Benn attended.
Staff changes
Unlike previous offseasons, head coach Bill BelichickBill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
's 2007 coaching staff remained generally unchanged. Wide receivers coach Brian Daboll
Brian Daboll
Brian Daboll is the current American football offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.-Early years:...
left to become the quarterbacks coach for 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...
and was replaced by Director of Pro Personnel Nick Caserio
Nick Caserio
Nick Caserio is an American football executive, currently serving as director of player personnel for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
. Former Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
and quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien
Bill O'Brien (American football)
Bill O'Brien is currently American football offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League.-Playing career:After graduating from St...
was also hired as an offensive assistant. A former special teams contributor for the Patriots, linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Don Davis
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:...
retired and joined the coaching staff as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. Offensive coaching assistant Mike Judge also joined Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
as a wide receivers coach.
Departures
Free agency saw the departure of two 20062006 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....
starters for the Patriots: 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...
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...
signed with the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Tully Banta-Cain
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...
signed with the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, while 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...
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...
, the Patriots' leading rusher in 2006, asked to be released; the Patriots released him on March 2. Safety Tebucky Jones
Tebucky Jones
Tebucky Shermain Jones is a former American football safety in the National Football League. His career began when he was drafted out of Syracuse University in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He is best known for his role on the 2001 Patriots team that won...
was also released early in the offseason. Another departure came when punter
Punter (football position)
A punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a...
Todd Sauerbrun
Todd Sauerbrun
Todd Scott Sauerbrun is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1995 NFL Draft...
signed with the Denver Broncos. When Sauerbrun was signed by the Patriots in December 2006, he agreed to a right of first refusal
Right of first refusal
Right of first refusal is a contractual right that gives its holder the option to enter a business transaction with the owner of something, according to specified terms, before the owner is entitled to enter into that transaction with a third party...
, meaning that the Patriots could match any offer by any other team made in the subsequent offseason. When the unrestricted free agent signing period came, the Broncos tendered Sauerbrun, and the Patriots exercised their right and matched the offer. However, the Broncos argued that the Patriots had not filed the proper documents required for that right, and ordered a hearing before an NFL special master
Special master
In law, a special master is an authority appointed by a judge to make sure that judicial orders are actually followed.In England, at common law, there were "Masters in Chancery," who acted in aid of the Equity Courts. There were also "Masters in Lunacy," who conducted inquiries of the same nature...
. The Broncos won this hearing and Sauerbrun was allowed to sign with the Broncos. After spending all of training camp with the team, veteran 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...
was released on August 16.
Arrivals
In the first week of free agency, the Patriots traded their second- and seventh-round picks in the 2007 NFL Draft2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for wide receiver Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
. A restricted free agent
Restricted free agent
A restricted free agent is a professional athlete who plays in the KHL, NFL, NHL, or NBA. Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain or change employment status with their athletic club teams.- NFL :...
, Welker signed a five-year contract with the Patriots to complete the trade.
During the second day of the draft, the Patriots added yet another wide receiver, this time trading a fourth-round draft pick (which the Patriots acquired the day before from the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
with the 49ers' 2008 first-round pick in exchange for the Patriots' original 2007 first-round pick) to the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, who agreed to take a pay cut of over $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
6 million.
The offseason also brought the arrival of seven unrestricted free agents to the Patriots. On offense, the Patriots added running back Sammy Morris
Sammy Morris
Samuel "Sammy" Morris III is an American football running back who is a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
, 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...
Kyle Brady
Kyle Brady
Kyle James Brady is a former professional American football player. He played tight end for 13 seasons in the National Football League for the New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots. He was the Jets' first round draft choice in the 1995 NFL Draft...
, as well as wide receivers Donté Stallworth and Kelley Washington
Kelley Washington
James Kelley Washington is an American football wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
. On defense, they added linebacker 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...
linebacker Adalius Thomas
Adalius Thomas
Adalius Donquail Thomas is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Mississippi.-Early years:...
and 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...
s Tory James
Tory James
Tory James is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League.James attended Archbishop Shaw High School before going to college at Louisiana State University, and was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
and Eddie Jackson.
Heath Evans
Bryan Heath Evans is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
, Billy Yates, 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...
, Rashad Baker
Rashad Baker
Rashad Steward Baker is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as a undrafted free agent in 2004...
, Gene Mruczkowski
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....
, Junior Seau
Junior Seau
Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker".A ten-time All-Pro and...
, 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...
, 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...
, and Vinny Testaverde
Vinny Testaverde
Vincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
were all re-signed. Defensive end 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...
also received a long-term contract extension.
The Patriots used their non-exclusive franchise tag
Franchise Tag
In the National Football League, the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has access each year to only one franchise tag and one...
on 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...
; Samuel signed it on August 28, with the stipulation that the team would not use it again on him when he became a free agent again after the season, after the two sides failed to reach a long-term contract agreement with the team by the July 16 deadline.
During the preseason, on August 7, the Patriots traded an undisclosed pick in the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
to the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
for cornerback Dante Wesley
Dante Wesley
Dante Julius Wesley is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
, but since Wesley was cut, the Bears did not receive that pick.
2007 NFL Draft
The Patriots traded their original fifth-round pick (#165 overall) to the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
during the 2006 season for Doug Gabriel
Doug Gabriel
Douglas Gabriel is an American football wide receiver currently playing for the Orlando Predators an Arena Football League team in Orlando Florida. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
. They also traded Patrick Cobbs
Patrick Cobbs
Patrick Cobbs is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He most recently was a member of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
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...
and Ross Tucker
Ross Tucker
Ross Finch Tucker is a former American football offensive lineman, and currently an online journalist for ESPN....
to the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
prior to the 2006 season for late-round conditional draft picks, but neither players made their respective rosters, so the Patriots received no compensation.
| Round | Overall | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Brandon Meriweather Brandon Meriweather Brandon Meriweather is an American football safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 24th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:Meriweather's mother gave birth to him when... |
Safety | 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... |
| 4 | 127 | Kareem Brown Kareem Brown Kareem Alexander Brown is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft and played college football at the University of Miami.... |
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... |
Miami (FL) |
| 5 | 171 | Clint Oldenburg Clint Oldenburg Clint Steven Oldenburg is an American football offensive tackle for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado State.Oldenburg has also been a member of the New... |
Offensive tackle | Colorado State Colorado State University Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and... |
| 6 | 180 | Justin Rogers Justin Rogers Justin Rogers is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft... |
Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
SMU |
| 6 | 202 | Mike Richardson Mike I. Richardson Michael Isaiah Richardson is an American football cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2007 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... |
Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish football Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an... |
| 6 | 208 | Justise Hairston Justise Hairston Justise Hairston is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft... |
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... |
Central Connecticut State Central Connecticut State University Central Connecticut State University is a state university in New Britain, Connecticut, United States.The school was moved to its present campus in 1922... |
| 6 | 209 | Corey Hilliard Corey Hilliard Corey Hilliard is an American football offensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma State.Hilliard has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts... |
Offensive guard Guard (American football) In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team.... |
Oklahoma State |
| 7 | 211 | Oscar Lua Oscar Lua Oscar Lua is former American football linebacker. He was originally drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early years:... |
Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
USC |
| 7 | 247 | Mike Elgin Mike Elgin Mike Elgin is an American football offensive lineman who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa.... |
Center Center (American football) Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense... |
Iowa Iowa Hawkeyes football The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
| compensatory selection |
| Round | Overall | Team | Received |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | to San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
Received San Francisco's fourth-round pick (110 overall) in 2007 and first-round pick in 2008 |
| 3 | 91 | to Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
Received Oakland's seventh-round pick (211 overall) in 2007 and third-round pick in 2008 |
| 4 | 110 | from San Francisco 49ers to Oakland Raiders |
Received Randy Moss Randy Moss Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft... |
Staff
| New England Patriots 2007 staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
|
|||||
Opening training camp roster
As of the Patriots' first 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 27, they had the NFL maximum of 80 players signed to their roster. First-round pick Brandon Meriweather
Brandon Meriweather
Brandon Meriweather is an American football safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 24th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:Meriweather's mother gave birth to him when...
, who was not signed until after training camp began, did not count against that limit until his signing. 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...
also did not count against the limit, as he had not signed yet signed his franchise tag tender and was not in training camp. Finally, the Patriots received five total roster exemptions for the NFL Europa allocations of Brian Barthelmes
Brian Barthelmes
Brian Barthelmes is an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. Barthelmes was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots after the 2006 NFL Draft. Barthelmes was released on August 16, 2007.He now fronts the indie folk band "Tallahassee."...
, Danny Baugher
Danny Baugher
Erle Daniel Baugher, IV [] is an American football punter for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
, and Tom Malone
Tom Malone (American football)
Thomas Malone is an American football punter for the Sacramento Mountain Lions. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
(one for each player, plus two bonus exemptions because of the time Baugher and Malone spent on practice squads in 2007).
| New England Patriots 2007 opening training camp roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Brian Barthelmes Brian Barthelmes is an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. Barthelmes was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots after the 2006 NFL Draft. Barthelmes was released on August 16, 2007.He now fronts the indie folk band "Tallahassee."... G/C Wesley Britt Wesley Britt is a free agent American football offensive tackle formerly of the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft... T Mike Elgin Mike Elgin is an American football offensive lineman who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa.... C/G R Corey Hilliard Corey Hilliard is an American football offensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma State.Hilliard has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts... T R 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 Nick Kaczur Nicholas Jesse Kaczur is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft... 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 Logan Mankins -2005–06 seasons:Mankins was drafted with the final pick of the first round, 32nd overall, in the 2005 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Despite playing his entire collegiate career as a tackle, Mankins was moved to left guard by the Patriots, where he immediately stepped into the starting... G 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 Ryan O'Callaghan Ryan O'Callaghan is an American football offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft... T Clint Oldenburg Clint Steven Oldenburg is an American football offensive tackle for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado State.Oldenburg has also been a member of the New... T R Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
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/DE 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 Oscar Lua Oscar Lua is former American football linebacker. He was originally drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early years:... ILB Corey Mays Corey Lemard Mays is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Notre Dame... ILB Justin Rogers Justin Rogers is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft... OLB R Junior Seau Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker".A ten-time All-Pro and... ILB Adalius Thomas Adalius Donquail Thomas is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Mississippi.-Early years:... 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 Pierre Woods -New England Patriots:Woods was signed by the New England Patriots after going undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, Woods saw action in eight games and finished fourth on the team with 11 special teams tackles In 2007 he played in all 16 regular-season games for the first time in... OLB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
Reserve Lists
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... WR (Active/PUP)  Justise Hairston Justise Hairston is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft... RB (Active/PUP) R Chad Jackson -New England Patriots:On the first day of the 2006 NFL Draft, the Patriots traded draft picks with the Green Bay Packers to move up sixteen places in the second round to select Jackson, giving up a third-round pick acquired in a trade... WR (Active/PUP) Mel Mitchell Mel Mitchell III is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft... FS (Active/PUP) 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... DE (Active/PUP) David Thomas (American football) John David Thomas is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft... TE (Active/PUP) Unrestricted FAs
Unsigned Draft Picks
Notations
|
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Preseason
| Week | Kickoff | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | TV | NFL.com Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:30 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 10, 2007 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the 32nd season for the club in the National Football League. On December 16, 2007, they cliched the NFC South division title, and returned to the playoffs after missing it in 2006.... |
L 10–13 | 0–1 | Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events... |
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 | 8:00 PM EDT | August 17, 2007 | Tennessee Titans 2007 Tennessee Titans season The 2007 Tennessee Titans season was the 48th season for the team in the National Football League, and their eleventh in Tennessee. They entered the season in an attempt to improve on their 8–8 record from 2006, along with attempting to make the playoffs for the first time since... |
L 24–27 | 0–2 | 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 | Recap |
| 3 | 8:00 PM EDT | August 24, 2007 | Carolina Panthers 2007 Carolina Panthers season The 2007 Carolina Panthers season was the 13th season for the team in the National Football League. They failed to improve upon their 8–8 record in 2006, finishing 7–9.-Staff:-Roster:-Preseason:-Regular season:-Week 1: at St. Louis Rams:... |
W 24–7 | 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 | 7:30 PM EDT | August 30, 2007 | New York Giants 2007 New York Giants season The 2007 New York Giants season was the 83rd season for the New York Giants in the National Football League. The Giants finished the regular season 10–6 and in second place in the NFC East, improving upon their 8–8 record in 2006 in which they finished third in their division... |
W 27–20 | 2–2 | Gillette Stadium | WCVB | Recap |
Regular season
| Week | Kickoff | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | TV | NFL.com Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:00 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, 2007 | New York Jets 2007 New York Jets season The 2007 New York Jets season was the 38th NFL season and 48th overall season for the football team. This season was the second under head coach Eric Mangini. The team attempted to improve upon their 10–6 record from 2006, but finished the season with a 4–12 record.-Free agents heading into the... |
W 38–14 | 1–0 | 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 |
| 2 | 8:15 PM EDT | September 16, 2007 | San Diego Chargers 2007 San Diego Chargers season The 2007 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to equal their 2006 regular season success and avoid another early departure in the playoffs. After a disappointing start under new head coach Norv Turner , they finished the regular season strong, with six straight wins, an overall... |
W 38–14 | 2–0 | Gillette Stadium | NBC NBC Sunday Night Football NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color... |
Recap |
| 3 | 1:00 PM EDT | September 23, 2007 | Buffalo Bills 2007 Buffalo Bills season The 2007 Buffalo Bills season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and their 48th season overall. They finished their 2007 season with a record of 7–9 and tied their 7–9 record in 2006 but failed to qualify for the playoffs, and continues a playoff appearance drought... |
W 38–7 | 3–0 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 4 | 8:30 PM EDT | October 1, 2007 | Cincinnati Bengals 2007 Cincinnati Bengals season The 2007 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and their 40th overall season. The team attempted to improve upon their 8–8 record in 2006 and were looking to return to the playoffs after narrowly missing them... |
W 34–13 | 4–0 | 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... |
ESPN 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 |
| 5 | 1:00 PM EDT | October 7, 2007 | Cleveland Browns 2007 Cleveland Browns season The 2007 Cleveland Browns season began with the Browns attempting to improve upon their 4–12 record from the 2006 season, in which the team finished in fourth place in the AFC North. The Browns also attempted to overcome the many injuries that plagued the team throughout the 2006 season... |
W 34–17 | 5–0 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 6 | 4:15 PM EDT | October 14, 2007 | Dallas Cowboys 2007 Dallas Cowboys season The 2007 Dallas Cowboys season was the 48th season for the team in the National Football League. The Cowboys finished the regular season tied for the best record in the NFC , and earned a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs... |
W 48–27 | 6–0 | Texas Stadium Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675... |
CBS | Recap |
| 7 | 1:00 PM EDT | October 21, 2007 | Miami Dolphins 2007 Miami Dolphins season The 2007 Miami Dolphins season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 42nd season overall. The team nearly went winless for the season, but on December 16, the third to last game of the regular season, they beat the Baltimore Ravens, giving them a final record of 1–15... |
W 49–28 | 7–0 | Dolphin 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... |
CBS | Recap |
| 8 | 4:15 PM EDT | October 28, 2007 | Washington Redskins 2007 Washington Redskins season The 2007 Washington Redskins season was the team's 75th season, and saw the team achieve a record of 9-7 and a playoff appearance. This was an improvement over the 2006 season in which they went 5-11 and finished last in the NFC East.... |
W 52–7 | 8–0 | 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 |
| 9 | 4:15 PM EST | November 4, 2007 | Indianapolis Colts 2007 Indianapolis Colts season The 2007 Indianapolis Colts season was the 55th season for the team in the National Football League and 24th in Indianapolis. The 2007 Indianapolis Colts improved upon their 12–4 record from 2006 as well as winning their 5th straight AFC South Championship. They finished the season 13–3 and lost to... |
W 24–20 | 9–0 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
CBS | Recap |
| 10 | 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... |
|||||||
| 11 | 8:15 PM EST | November 18, 2007 | Buffalo Bills 2007 Buffalo Bills season The 2007 Buffalo Bills season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and their 48th season overall. They finished their 2007 season with a record of 7–9 and tied their 7–9 record in 2006 but failed to qualify for the playoffs, and continues a playoff appearance drought... |
W 56–10 | 10–0 | 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... |
NBC | Recap |
| 12 | 8:15 PM EST | November 25, 2007 | Philadelphia Eagles 2007 Philadelphia Eagles season The 2007 Philadelphia Eagles season marked the 75th anniversary of the Eagles franchise. The team compiled an 8–8 record and a last-place finish in the NFC East.... |
W 31–28 | 11–0 | Gillette Stadium | NBC | Recap |
| 13 | 8:30 PM EST | December 3, 2007 | Baltimore Ravens 2007 Baltimore Ravens season -Game summary:The Ravens began their 2007 campaign on the road against their AFC North foe, the Cincinnati Bengals, in the first game of a Monday Night Football doubleheader. In the first quarter, Baltimore lost two fumbles early on, with the Bengals turning the second fumble into QB Carson... |
W 27–24 | 12–0 | M&T Bank Stadium M&T Bank Stadium M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. Served by the Hamburg Street station of... |
ESPN | Recap |
| 14 | 4:15 PM EST | December 9, 2007 | Pittsburgh Steelers 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the 75th season of the Steelers franchise. The season saw the team improve upon their 8–8 record from 2006, finish with a record of 10–6, and win the AFC North Division... |
W 34–13 | 13–0 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 15 | 1:00 PM EST | December 16, 2007 | New York Jets 2007 New York Jets season The 2007 New York Jets season was the 38th NFL season and 48th overall season for the football team. This season was the second under head coach Eric Mangini. The team attempted to improve upon their 10–6 record from 2006, but finished the season with a 4–12 record.-Free agents heading into the... |
W 20–10 | 14–0 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 16 | 4:15 PM EST | December 23, 2007 | Miami Dolphins 2007 Miami Dolphins season The 2007 Miami Dolphins season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 42nd season overall. The team nearly went winless for the season, but on December 16, the third to last game of the regular season, they beat the Baltimore Ravens, giving them a final record of 1–15... |
W 28–7 | 15–0 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 17 | 8:15 PM EST | December 29, 2007 | New York Giants 2007 New York Giants season The 2007 New York Giants season was the 83rd season for the New York Giants in the National Football League. The Giants finished the regular season 10–6 and in second place in the NFC East, improving upon their 8–8 record in 2006 in which they finished third in their division... |
W 38–35 | 16–0 | Giants Stadium | NFLN Run to the Playoffs Thursday Night Football is the brand name used by NFL Network for its schedule of live regular season telecasts of National Football League games on Thursday nights. Also included in the package are some Saturday specials.... |
Recap |
- Simulcast on WCVB-TVWCVB-TVWCVB-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...
and WMUR-TVWMUR-TVWMUR-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the state of New Hampshire that is licensed to Manchester. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 9 from a transmitter on the south peak of Mount Uncanoonuc in Goffstown. Owned by Hearst Television, the station has studios...
. - Simulcast on CBS, NBC, WMUR-TVWMUR-TVWMUR-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the state of New Hampshire that is licensed to Manchester. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 9 from a transmitter on the south peak of Mount Uncanoonuc in Goffstown. Owned by Hearst Television, the station has studios...
, WWOR-TVWWOR-TVWWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
, and WCVB-TVWCVB-TVWCVB-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...
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Week 1 roster
| New England Patriots 2007 Week 1 roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
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Offensive Linemen
Wesley Britt Wesley Britt is a free agent American football offensive tackle formerly of the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft... 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 Nick Kaczur Nicholas Jesse Kaczur is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft... 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 Logan Mankins -2005–06 seasons:Mankins was drafted with the final pick of the first round, 32nd overall, in the 2005 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Despite playing his entire collegiate career as a tackle, Mankins was moved to left guard by the Patriots, where he immediately stepped into the starting... G 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 Ryan O'Callaghan Ryan O'Callaghan is an American football offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft... T Defensive Linemen
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Linebackers
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/DE David Herron David Leon Herron, Jr. is an American football linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played football at Warren G... ILB UR 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 Corey Mays Corey Lemard Mays is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Notre Dame... ILB Junior Seau Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker".A ten-time All-Pro and... ILB Adalius Thomas Adalius Donquail Thomas is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Mississippi.-Early years:... 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 Pierre Woods -New England Patriots:Woods was signed by the New England Patriots after going undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, Woods saw action in eight games and finished fourth on the team with 11 special teams tackles In 2007 he played in all 16 regular-season games for the first time in... OLB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
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Reserve Lists
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... WR (PUP) Justise Hairston Justise Hairston is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft... RB (IR) R 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... SS (Susp.) Chad Jackson -New England Patriots:On the first day of the 2006 NFL Draft, the Patriots traded draft picks with the Green Bay Packers to move up sixteen places in the second round to select Jackson, giving up a third-round pick acquired in a trade... WR (PUP) Oscar Lua Oscar Lua is former American football linebacker. He was originally drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early years:... ILB (IR) R Mike I. Richardson Michael Isaiah Richardson is an American football cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft... CB (IR) R Chad Scott Chad Oliver Scott was an American football cornerback who retired in 2008. He was a surprise number 1 draft choice for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who picked him 24th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft... CB (IR) 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... DE (PUP) Practice Squad
Notations
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Week 1: at New York Jets
In the Patriots' fourth matchup with the Jets in 20 games, head coach Bill BelichickBill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
and the Patriots traveled to Giants Stadium to face his former defensive coordinator in Jets head coach Eric Mangini
Eric Mangini
Eric Mangini is the former head coach of the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets of the National Football League and current NFL analyst for ESPN.-College:...
to open the season. The Jets reached Patriots territory on their opening possession, but were forced to punt. The Patriots then began a 12-play, 91-yard drive that ended in a 11-yard Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
touchdown reception to give the Patriots a 7–0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Kelley Washington
Kelley Washington
James Kelley Washington is an American football wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
forced a fumble on Jets returner Justin Miller after a 26-yard return, but tight end Chris Baker recovered the ball at the Jets' 33-yard line to retain possession. The Jets went three-and-out, but the Patriots punted back to the Jets despite a 19-yard Donté Stallworth catch to begin their next series. Three plays later, Jets quarterback Chad Pennington
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
was sacked by 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...
and defensive lineman 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...
, forcing a Jets punt on the final play of the first quarter.
Starting from their own 42-yard line after the punt, the Patriots reached the Jets' 25-yard line, where kicker Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
lined up for a 42-yard field goal attempt. However, the snap was fumbled by holder Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, and recovered by Cassel to turn the ball over on downs. The Jets responded with a 10-play, 66-yard drive, tying the game at 7–7 on a 7-yard pass from Pennington to wide receiver Laveranues Coles
Laveranues Coles
Laveranues Leon Coles is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State University....
. Several plays into the Patriots' ensuing drive, before and after the two-minute warning, wide receiver Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
caught passes of 33- and 22-yards from 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,...
to put the Patriots in the Jets' red zone. Brady then connected with tight end 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...
on a 5-yard touchdown pass that was reviewed by the booth but upheld, giving the Patriots a 14–7 lead going into halftime.
Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs
Ellis Hobbs
Ellis Hobbs III is a former American football cornerback who played for six seasons in the National Football League. He played college football for Iowa State. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft and played for them from 2005–2008...
returned the opening kickoff of the second half 108 yards for a touchdown and a new NFL record for the longest kickoff return in the league's history; at the time, it also tied the existing record for longest play in NFL history (a record broken a few weeks later by Antonio Cromartie
Antonio Cromartie
Antonio Cromartie is an American football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers 19th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft...
). Nine plays into the Jets' next drive, Pennington was sacked by defensive lineman Jarvis Green
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...
and was injured; Kellen Clemens
Kellen Clemens
Kellen Clemens is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
entered the game but the Jets were forced to punt two plays later. Four plays later, Brady hit Moss for a 51-yard touchdown reception that extended the Patriots' lead to 28–7. However, the Jets came back with a 9-play, 70-yard drive that was capped off with Coles' second touchdown grab of the day, this one from one yard out, to cut the Patriots' lead to 28–14. The Patriots received the ensuing kickoff with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter and would not surrender the ball until there was just under seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, ending the 17-play drive with a 22-yard Gostkowski field goal that extended the Patriots' lead to 31–14. The Jets then went three-and-out, and punter Ben Graham's 36-yard punt gave the Patriots the ball at their own 47-yard line. On a 1st-and-goal from the Jets' 1-yard line, fullback Heath Evans
Heath Evans
Bryan Heath Evans is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
could not score; the Patriots challenged that the ball did in fact break the plane of the goal line but the play was upheld. On the next play, following the two-minute warning, Evans did in fact score on a 1-yard run, increasing the Patriots' lead to 38–14. The Jets' next drive stalled on a Vrabel strip-sack of Clemens that the Jets recovered, but ended on a failed fourth down conversion from the Jets' 38-yard line. The Patriots then kneeled down once to end the game and give them their first victory of the season.
Videotaping incident
On September 10, Bill Belichick was accused by the Jets of authorizing his staff to film the Jets' defensive signals from an on-field location, a violation of league rules. The Jets confiscated the video camera used by video assistant Matt Estrella to film the signals during the game and filed a complaint to the league office, detailing the accusations.On September 13, Belichick was officially fined $500,000, while the Patriots were also fined $250,000, and forfeited their first round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. If the Patriots had missed the playoffs, they would have instead forfeited their second and third round selections in the 2008 draft. Goodell said that he fined the Patriots as a team because Belichick is effectively the team's general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
as well as head coach, and exercises so much control over the Patriots' on-field operations that "his actions and decisions are properly attributed to the club." Goodell considered suspending Belichick, but decided that taking away draft picks would be more severe in the long run.
Belichick later issued a statement in which he apologized for what he called a "mistake" in his interpretation of the rules. However, he denied ever using videotape to gain an advantage while a game was underway.
Week 2: vs. San Diego Chargers
The Patriots' home opener was a rematch from the 2006 divisional playoffs, against the Chargers on Sunday Night Football. For the second consecutive week, the game began with a touchdown on the Patriots' first series: this time, Brady hit Watson for a 7-yard touchdown pass to give the Patriots a 7–0 lead. On the first play of the ensuing Chargers possession, their first, linebacker Rosevelt ColvinRosevelt 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....
intercepted a Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
pass, but it did not translate into points for the Patriots as Gostkowski then missed a 41-yard field goal attempt on the Patriots' resulting series. After a Chargers three-and-out, the Patriots capped off a 10-play, 75-yard drive with a 23-yard Moss touchdown reception, putting the Patriots ahead 14–0. Colvin then added a sack and forced fumble to his game statistics, as he strip-sacked Rivers after the Chargers reached the Patriots' 34-yard line and defensive lineman 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...
recovered the fumble for the Patriots' second forced turnover of the game.
On the Patriots' next drive, which spanned into the second quarter, Brady was strip-sacked by linebacker Shawne Merriman
Shawne Merriman
Shawne DeAndre Merriman is an American football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted 12th overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2005 NFL Draft. On November 2, 2010, the Chargers waived Merriman...
at the Chargers' 29-yard line, but Brady recovered his own fumble to retain possession for the Patriots. Six plays later, a 24-yard Gostkowski field goal extended the Patriots' lead to 17–0. After a Chargers three-and-out, the Patriots were pushed back to their 10-yard line after another Merriman sack of Brady. The Patriots would punt back to the Chargers, but on a 3rd-and-1 from the Patriots' 37-yard line, Rivers was intercepted by linebacker Adalius Thomas
Adalius Thomas
Adalius Donquail Thomas is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Mississippi.-Early years:...
, who returned it 65 yards for a touchdown, giving the Patriots a 24–0 lead. The Chargers were unable to get past midfield on their next drive and punted, giving the Patriots the ball at their own 20-yard line with just under three minutes to play in the first half. A 25-yard defensive pass interference penalty on Chargers safety Marlon McCree
Marlon McCree
Marlon Tarron McCree is an American football safety who is currently a free agent, as well as a mentor and coach. He was drafted by the Jaguars in the Seventh round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
would help the Patriots reach the Chargers' 26-yard line, but Brady was intercepted by safety Clinton Hart
Clinton Hart
Clinton Glenn Hart is an American football safety for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tallahassee Thunder as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He attended College of Central Florida.Hart has been a member of the Tampa Bay Storm, Philadelphia Eagles and San...
at the Chargers' 10-yard line. The Chargers then ran one play to end the half.
Receiving the kickoff to begin the second half, the Chargers embarked on a 16-play, 72-yard drive, reaching Patriots territory on a 22-yard third down reception by tight end Antonio Gates
Antonio Gates
Antonio Gates is an American football tight end for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003 after playing college basketball at Kent State University...
. Ten plays later, fullback Lorenzo Neal
Lorenzo Neal
Lorenzo LaVonne Neal is an American football fullback who played in the NFL from 1993–2009. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL Draft...
caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Rivers to put the Chargers on the scoreboard at 24–7. The Patriots responded by going 75 yards on seven plays, taking a 31–7 lead on a 24-yard Moss touchdown reception, his second of the night. Three plays later, Rivers was intercepted by Patriots safety James Sanders at the Patriots' 38-yard line, but the play was nullified by a 37-yard defensive pass interference penalty on Hobbs. Rivers completions of 19 yards to wide receiver Malcom Floyd
Malcom Floyd
Malcom Floyd is an American football wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Wyoming...
and 12 yards to running back Michael Turner helped put the Chargers in the Patriots' red zone, where Rivers completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Gates on the second play of the fourth quarter to cut the Patriots' lead to 31–14..
On the ensuing kickoff, Chargers wide receiver Kassim Osgood
Kassim Osgood
Kassim A. Osgood is an American football wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2003...
forced a fumble of Hobbs after a 31-yard return that was recovered by Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer
Quentin Jammer
Quentin Tremaine Jammer is an American football player who currently plays cornerback for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL.- Early years :...
at the Patriots' 31-yard line. However, Rivers was sacked twice for losses of 10 yards each on the next two plays, the second of which was a strip-sack by Colvin that was recovered by offensive lineman Kris Dielman
Kris Dielman
Kristopher M. Dielman is an American football guard who currently plays for the San Diego Chargers.-High school and college career:...
; the Chargers punted on 4th-and-30. Starting from their own 9-yard line with more than 13 minutes remaining in the game, the Patriots did not surrender the ball back to the Chargers until there was less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter. This 15-play, 91-yard drive culminated in a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Sammy Morris
Sammy Morris
Samuel "Sammy" Morris III is an American football running back who is a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
, extending the Patriots' lead to 38–14. The Chargers could not convert a first down on their next possession, giving the ball back to the Patriots to end the game.
Week 3 vs. Buffalo Bills
The 0–2 Bills, who had not beaten the Patriots since Week 1 of the 2003 season2003 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....
, faced off against the Patriots in Foxboro. On the opening drive of the game, Wilfork was penalized for roughing the passer for a late hit on Bills quarterback J. P. Losman. Two plays later, Hobbs sacked Losman, causing a fumble at the Bills' 35-yard line that set-up a 24-yard Gostkowski field goal. Trent Edwards
Trent Edwards
Trent Edwards is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
replaced Losman at quarterback for the Bills on their next possession. Losman was later diagnosed with a sprained MCL
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
. The Bills took the lead on a 12-play drive finished off with an 8-yard Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
touchdown run, but these points proved to be the only of the game for the Bills. Early in the second quarter, the Patriots drove to the Bills' 29-yard line, but on fourth down, opted not to punt; the gamble did not pay off and the Patriots turned the ball over on downs. After a Bills three-and-out, the Patriots again drove deep into Bills' territory, this time to the Bills' 3-yard line, but a Brady fumble on a rushing attempt kept the Patriots from scoring. The Patriots challenged the ruling but it was upheld. The Bills could not advance past their own 1-yard line on their next possession, with punter Brian Moorman
Brian Moorman
Brian Donald Moorman is an American football punter who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played collegiately at Pittsburg State.Moorman is a two-time Pro Bowl selection for...
booming a 75-yard kick that was returned 29 yards by Welker. Starting in Bills' territory, Brady culminated a six-play drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Watson. Another Bills punt gave the Patriots the ball in Bills territory again, setting up another six-play drive that ended in a 3-yard touchdown catch by Moss.
After the teams exchanged three-and-outs to begin the second half, the Patriots embarked on a nine-play, 89-yard drive that ended on a 4-yard Jabar Gaffney
Jabar Gaffney
Derrick Jabar Gaffney is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
touchdown reception that gave the Patriots a 24–7 lead. After another punt, the Patriots advanced into Bills territory on a 26-yard pass to Welker that was kept alive when Welker lateraled to Moss for another 11 yards. Morris then ran in for a 4-yard touchdown. The Bills were able to pin the Patriots at their own 2-yard line on their next punt, but that only proved to be the beginning of a 10-play, 98-yard drive that came to a close when Brady connected with Moss on a 45-yard touchdown pass, extending the Patriots' lead to 38–7. The catch made Moss the first player in NFL history to have three games with at least 100 receiving yards to start a season. After an exchange of punts, the Bills began their ensuing drive with Edwards throwing an interception to 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...
, which was returned 42 yards to the Bills' 12-yard line. However, the Patriots could not generate any points off the turnover, with an Evans run on fourth down from the Bills' 8-yard line coming up short of the first down. The game would end on the Bills' next drive, sending the Patriots to a 3–0 start.
Week 4: at Cincinnati Bengals
Coming off a divisional win at home over the Bills, the Patriots traveled to Paul Brown Stadium for a matchup with the Bengals. On the game's opening drive, the Patriots drove 66 yards on 11 plays, stalling at the Bengals' 13-yard line before Gostkowski hit a 31-yard field goal. The Bengals' next drive would span five plays but only one yard, ending in a punt. After an exchange of punts, the Patriots began a drive from their own 35-yard line, but quickly advanced into Bengals territory on a 49-yard Morris run. Three plays later, Brady hit Vrabel on a 1-yard touchdown pass to extend the Patriots lead to 10–0. After a Bengals punt on the first play of the second quarter, the Patriots had the ball but found themselves in a 3rd-and-23 situation, when Brady was intercepted by Leon HallLeon Hall
Leon Lastarza Hall is an American football defensive back who plays for the Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football at the University of Michigan. Hall was drafted by the Bengals with the 18th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft...
at the Bengals' 35-yard line. The Bengals capitalized on the turnover, with Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
ending a five-play drive on a 1-yard touchdown pass to T. J. Houshmandzadeh
T. J. Houshmandzadeh
T. J. Houshmandzadeh, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon State. Houshmandzadeh is of mixed...
. The Patriots responded by going on a 12-yard, 62-yard drive, finishing it with a 7-yard Moss touchdown reception, putting the Patriots ahead 17–7. The Bengals managed to reach the Patriots' 20-yard line on their next possession, but a Samuel interception at the 2-yard line kept the Bengals from scoring at the end of the first half.
The Bengals reached midfield on the opening drive of the third quarter before punting. From their own 19-yard line, the Patriots moved deep in Bengals territory after a 15-yard penalty was tacked onto a 16-yard Moss catch. A few plays later, Morris ran for his second touchdown of the night; the 7-yard run opened the Patriots lead to 24–7. The Bengals, though, continued to threaten the Patriots offensively, moving to the Patriots' 22-yard line before 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...
tipped a third-down pass to force a 40-yard Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
field goal. The Patriots next drive spanned into the fourth quarter but a Morris run on third down from the Bengals' 13-yard line was stopped for a loss, setting up a 36-yard Gostkowski field goal. Yet again, the Bengals moved into Patriots territory on their ensuing drive, but the Patriots defense prevented another touchdown and forced a 48-yard field goal, making the score 27–13. On the Patriots' next drive, a 23-yard Stallworth catch put the Patriots in Bengals territory, setting up a 14-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Moss. Down 34–13, the Bengals continued to move the ball with a 17-yard Houshmandzadeh catch on the next play, but Palmer's next pass attempt was intercepted by 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...
at the Patriots' 47-yard line. The Patriots then ran out the clock to end the game and bring their record to 4–0.
Week 5: vs. Cleveland Browns
Returning the Foxboro, the Patriots faced off against the Browns, coached by their former defensive coordinator Romeo CrennelRomeo Crennel
Romeo Crennel is the former head coach of the Cleveland Browns and current defensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. Before becoming the head coach of the Browns, Crennel won three Super Bowls in four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the New England...
. The Patriots opened the game with a 14-play, 78-yard drive culminating in a Gostkowski 20-yard field goal. After a 65-yard drive brought them to the Patriots' 1-yard line, the Browns failed to score on two downs before quarterback Derek Anderson
Derek Anderson (American football)
Derek Matthew Anderson is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
threw an interception to linebacker Junior Seau
Junior Seau
Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker".A ten-time All-Pro and...
on third down. Following a Patriots three-and-out, a Samuel interception on the first play of the Browns' next drive gave the Patriots the ball at the Browns' 34-yard line. Brady quickly turned the turnover into points, throwing a 34-yard touchdown pass to Stallworth to give the Patriots a 10–0 lead. The Browns would then punt on their next drive. On the first drive of the second quarter, the Patriots would move into Browns territory but were forced to punt, giving the Browns the ball at their own 12-yard line. After a 36-yard punt by Scott Player
Scott Player
Scott Darwin Player is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Birmingham Barracudas as a street free agent in 1995...
, the Patriots began their ensuing drive from their own 49-yard line. They would advance to the Browns' 4-yard line, but a Morris run for a loss forced a 25-yard Gostkowski field goal, giving the Patriots a 13–0 lead. The Browns' next drive showed promise after Anderson moved the team from their own 10-yard line to the 46-yard line, but following the two-minute warning a false start penalty and then an interception by Seau, his second of the game, ended the advance. With good field position, Brady moved the 25 necessary yards in three plays, taking a 20–0 lead on a 7-yard Watson touchdown reception. A Bruschi sack then forced the Browns to take a knee to end the half.
In the second half, both teams exchanged punts before the Browns began an 8-play, 56-yard drive that got them on the scoreboard, with Phil Dawson
Phil Dawson
Philip Drury Dawson is an American football placekicker for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He holds the franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010...
kicking a 42-yard field goal. Neither team could advance past midfield until the closing minutes of the quarter. The Browns would then score their first touchdown of the day, on a 21-yard strike from Anderson to wide receiver Tim Carter. The Patriots would respond with their own touchdown drive, taking a 27–10 lead on a 25-yard touchdown catch by Watson. After an exchange of punts gave the Browns the ball at the Patriots' 35-yard line, Anderson threw his second touchdown pass of the day, this one good for 14 yards to tight end Kellen Winslow II
Kellen Winslow II
Kellen Boswell Winslow, II is an American football tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns sixth overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
to pull the Browns to within 10 points. The Patriots were able to hold the ball for the next five minutes, but could not score, with a Brady pass to Vrabel falling incomplete on fourth down from the Browns' 4-yard line. However, this meant the Browns had to begin their next drive from that spot, and on the first play, Winslow fumbled a 15-yard catch, which was recovered by Gay and returned for a touchdown. The Browns reached the Patriots' 10-yard line on the final possession of the game, but could not score, ending the game at 34–17, giving the Patriots their fifth win of the season. With three touchdown passes on the day, Brady tied Steve Young's 1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
record of five consecutive three-touchdown games to start the season.
Week 6: at Dallas Cowboys
In what was, at the time, the most-watched NFL regular season game since 19961996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
, the Patriots faced the Cowboys, the NFC's only remaining unbeaten team. The Patriots' first drive of the game spanned 74 yards and ended in a 6-yard touchdown catch by Moss from Brady. After three punts, the Patriots' lead increased to 14–0 after another Brady touchdown pass, this one from 35 yards out to Welker. In the second quarter, the Cowboys got on the scoreboard when they culminated a 64-yard, 10-play drive with a 38-yard field goal by Nick Folk
Nick Folk
Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Folk is an American football kicker who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
. On their ensuing possession, the Patriots advanced 12 yards before Brady was strip-sacked by defensive end Greg Ellis; defensive end Jason Hatcher
Jason Hatcher
Jason Dewayne Hatcher is an American football defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. He played college football at Grambling State University, and was drafted in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft....
recovered the ball and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown, cutting the Patriots' lead to 14–10. The Patriots responded with a 12-play, 72-yard drive that ended on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Welker, his second of the day. The Cowboys then moved the ball 84 yards, keeping pace with the Patriots when Tony Romo
Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo is a professional American football quarterback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005...
threw 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...
for a 12-yard touchdown grab of his own, giving the game a 21–17 score at halftime.
In the third quarter, after a Patriots punt, an 8-yard touchdown catch from Romo to wide receiver Patrick Crayton
Patrick Crayton
Patrick Jamel Crayton is an American football wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was a originally drafted in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys...
put the Patriots behind 24–21. However, the Patriots offense continued to move the ball too, with a 77-yard drive ending on a one-yard touchdown reception by Kyle Brady
Kyle Brady
Kyle James Brady is a former professional American football player. He played tight end for 13 seasons in the National Football League for the New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots. He was the Jets' first round draft choice in the 1995 NFL Draft...
. Following a Cowboys punt that gave the Patriots the ball in Cowboys territory, the Patriots appeared to extend their lead on a 43-yard Moss touchdown catch, but the play was reversed as Moss was found not have caught the ball. A roughing the passer penalty was called on the play, though, setting up a 45-yard Gostkowski field goal to make the score 31–24. The Cowboys would punt early in the fourth quarter. Four plays later, Brady threw his fifth touchdown pass of the day, a franchise record. Stallworth's 69-yard catch gave the Patriots a 38–24 lead, but the Cowboys quickly responded with a 72-yard kickoff returnby Tyson Thompson
Tyson Thompson
Tyson Calvin Thompson is a gridiron football running back who is currently a member of the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at San Jose State.-Early years:Thompson played high school...
. The Cowboys turned that return into three points on a 23-yard field goal by Folk. The Patriots then ate more clock, moving 61 yards in just over six minutes, adding to their lead on a 22-yard Gostkowski field goal. Romo was intercepted by Seau on the next play, allowing the Patriots to run out more clock before Kyle Eckel
Kyle Eckel
Kyle Eckel is an American football fullback in the National Football League, who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
ran in for a 1-yard touchdown. Romo then kneeled to end the game with a 48–27 final.
Week 7: at Miami Dolphins
A week after facing the undefeated Cowboys, the Patriots squared off against the winless Dolphins. The Patriots took the opening drive of the game 80 yards and capped it off with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Stallworth. After Dolphins quarterback Cleo LemonCleo Lemon
Cleo "Cleonardo" Lemon, Jr. is a Canadian football quarterback in the Canadian Football League who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
fumbled to give the Patriots the ball on the Dolphins' 28-yard line, the Patriots took a 14–0 lead with a 2-yard touchdown reception by Kyle Brady. The Dolphins cut the lead in half with a 4-yard Lemon touchdown run to end a 79-yard drive early in the second quarter, but Willie Andrews
Willie Andrews
Willie Thedric Andrews is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
returned the ensuing kickoff 74 yards to give the Patriots another 14-point lead. Following a Dolphins punt, a 36-yard Welker reception set-up a 35-yard Moss touchdown catch. After another Dolphins punt, Brady connected with Moss on a 50-yard touchdown strike, giving the Patriots a 35–7 lead. An exchange of punts left the Dolphins with the ball at their own 1-yard line, but a 49-yard punt by Brandon Fields
Brandon Fields
Brandon David Fields is an American football punter for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dolphins in the seventh round in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.-Early years:Fields attended St. John's Jesuit High School in Toledo,...
and a holding penalty on Kelley Washington
Kelley Washington
James Kelley Washington is an American football wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
gave the Patriots the ball at their own 29-yard line. Still, Brady led the Patriots on another scoring drive, ending this one on a 14-yard Welker catch to give the Patriots a 42–7 lead going into halftime. The 42 points scored in the half were a franchise record.
In the second half, the Dolphins drove to the Patriots' 19-yard line on a drive that spanned more than nine minutes, but a Gay interception retained the Patriots' 42–7 lead, one that remained for the duration of the third quarter. Following a Patriots punt, the Dolphins began a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended on a 1-yard Patrick Cobbs
Patrick Cobbs
Patrick Cobbs is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He most recently was a member of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, cutting their deficit to 28 points. The Patriots replaced Brady with backup Cassel on the next drive, but after Cassel threw an interception to defensive end Jason Taylor
Jason Taylor (American football)
Jason Paul Taylor is an American football linebacker who currently plays for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft...
which Taylor returned for a touchdown, Brady returned for the Patriots' next possession. That drive spanned 59 yards and ended with a 16-yard Welker touchdown catch, Brady's sixth touchdown pass of the game, a Patriots record. On their penultimate drive of the game, the Dolphins drove 75 yards and ended the game's scoring with a 7-yard Jesse Chatman
Jesse Chatman
Jesse Percee Chatman is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
touchdown run. The Patriots ran the clock to within two minutes before punting; Lemon ended the game with a 12-yard sack by Seau near midfield. With their 49–28 win, the Patriots began a season 7–0 for the first time in team history.
Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins
At home for the first time in three weeks, the Patriots, looking to remain unbeaten, faced off against the 4–2 Redskins. After spending the first seven weeks of the season on the Physically Unable to PerformPhysically Unable to Perform
Players can be labeled Physically Unable to Perform in the National Football League if they suffer from football-related injuries during the preseason...
list, 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...
was activated for the game, but did not start. Following a Redskins punt, in their first possession of the game, the Patriots drove 90 yards over more than 7 minutes, finishing the drive with a 3-yard Brady rushing touchdown, continuing a season-long opening drive scoring streak. The teams exchanged punts into the second quarter, before a 67-yard Patriots drive was capped off with a 2-yard touchdown reception by Vrabel, his second for the season and the tenth of his career (including playoffs). On the Redskins' ensuing possession, Warren recovered a Vrabel strip-sack of Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
at the Redskins' 21-yard line, setting up a 36-yard Gostkowski field goal. The Redskins turned the ball over again on their next possession on a Samuel interception, only to regain it on the next play after Brady was strip-sacked by Phillip Daniels
Phillip Daniels
Phillip Bernard Daniels is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
at the Patriots' 40-yard line. The string of turnovers continued as the Redskins drove 20 yards before another Vrabel strip-sack of Campbell was again recovered by Warren. With less than 2 minutes remaining in the first half, the Patriots drove 73 yards, and on a fake spike play from the Redskins' 6-yard line, increased their lead to 24–0 on a touchdown catch by Moss from Brady. That touchdown pass was Brady's 29th of the season, eclipsing his career high set in 2004
2004 New England Patriots season
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...
and 2002
2002 New England Patriots season
The 2002 New England Patriots season was the 33rd season for the team in the National Football League and 43rd season overall. They finished with a 9–7 record, good enough for second in the division but not a playoff berth....
.
On the opening drive of the second half, an 85-yard Patriots drive ended in another Brady touchdown run, this one from 2 yards out. The Redskins committed their fourth turnover of the game on their next possession, as Vrabel strip-sacked Campbell for the third time in the game; this time Colvin recovered the fumble and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown to increase the Patriots' lead to 38–0. The Redskins managed to reach the Patriots' 13-yard line on their next drive, but on fourth down, the Redskins could not convert and turned the ball over again. The Patriots began their next drive where they left off, going 88 yards on a 14-play drive that spanned into the fourth quarter. It was finished on a 2-yard touchdown reception by Welker that grew the Patriots lead to 45–0. Following a Redskins punt, on the Patriots' next series, Cassel replaced Brady. A 21-yard pass from Cassel to Gaffney gave the Patriots their 33rd first down of the game, a new single-game franchise record. Two plays later, Cassel ran it in for a touchdown from 15 yards out, and the first rushing touchdown of his career, increasing the Patriots' lead to 52–0; the touchdown was the longest rushing touchdown by a Patriots quarterback in more than 20 years. The Redskins then drove 63 yards and scored their only points of the game on a 15-yard Chris Cooley touchdown reception. Third-string quarterback Matt Gutierrez
Matt Gutierrez
Matthew Paul Gutierrez is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
replaced Cassel on the next possession, a three-and-out. The Redskins then punted back to the Patriots to end the game. The Patriots' 52–7 win gave them a 8–0 record heading into a Week 9 matchup against the 7–0 Colts.
Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts
For the second time in four weeks, a Patriots game set TV rating records: their game against the 7–0 Colts was the most-watched Sunday afternoon NFL regular season game since 1987, when network records began. The game was also notable for being the latest in a NFL season that two undefeated teams have ever faced off against each other. After playing four of their last six games in Foxboro, the Patriots traveled to Indianapolis to face the Colts in a re-match of the 2006–07 AFC Championship game in a game some members of the media dubbed "Super Bowl XLISuper Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
1/2. " On the game's opening series, the Colts drove 52 yards on 14 plays but left the field without scoring after former Patriots 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,...
missed a 50-yard field goal, his first-ever miss in the RCA Dome. On the ensuing drive, the Patriots failed to make a first down, the first opening drive of the season in which they failed to score. With the ball on their own 9-yard line, the Colts moved to the Patriots' 3-yard line after two Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai, Jr. is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University.-Early years:Addai's family hails from Ghana in West Africa...
rushes for 33 yards and a 37-yard defensive pass interference
Pass interference
In American and Canadian gridiron football, pass interference is a penalty that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may include tripping, pushing, pulling, or cutting in front of the receiver or...
penalty on Asante Samuel. After two plays gaining no yards, the Colts were again forced to kick a field goal, this one good from 21 yards out, for the only points of the first quarter for either team.
After nine plays from scrimmage in the first quarter, the Patriots took a 7–3 lead early in the second quarter on a 4-yard touchdown catch by Moss. After a Gostkowski touchback on the next kickoff, the Colts again drove inside the Patriots' 10-yard line on 34 receiving yards by Addai on three catches as well as a 40-yard defensive pass interference call against Hobbs. The Patriots' red-zone defense, that had entered the game ranked last in the NFL, held the Colts to 1 yard on three plays and a 25-yard Vinatieri field goal to make the game 7–6. On the next series, the Patriots drove to the Colts' 23-yard line before a 15-yard personal foul penalty on Matt Light
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...
preceded a Brady interception (the third of the season), this one caught by Antoine Bethea
Antoine Bethea
Antoine Bethea is a professional American football safety for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Colts...
at the Colts' 2-yard line. With 1:46 remaining in the first half, the Colts moved the ball to their 27-yard line, and with 28 seconds remaining, 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...
threw a 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...
to Addai, who proceeded to run 73 yards for the touchdown, giving the Colts a 13–7 lead at halftime.
For their first two drives of the third quarter, the Patriots were unable to gain a first down and were forced to punt. The Colts fared similarly, with Manning throwing an interception to 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 his first play of the half. On their third possession of the quarter, facing a 3rd and 7 from the Colts' 41-yard line, Brady scrambled 19 yards for the first down. After catches of 12 and 9 yards from Moss and 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,...
, respectively, the Patriots reached the Colts' 14-yard line but settled for a 34-yard Gostkowski field goal after Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney is an American football running back who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota.-Early years:Maroney attended Normandy Senior High School in St...
ran for a 2-yard loss on 3rd and 1. A field goal was, once again, the only points of a quarter for either team; the third quarter ended with the Colts leading 13–10.
After a Colts punt and a Moss 14-yard catch on the first play of the 4th quarter, the Patriots had possession at the Colts' 42-yard line. On the next play, Brady was intercepted again by linebacker Gary Brackett
Gary Brackett
Gary Lawrence Brackett is an American football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Rutgers.-Early years:Brackett attended Glassboro High School in Glassboro, New Jersey....
, who returned it for 28 yards; after another 15-yard penalty from Light, the Colts took possession at the Patriots 32-yard line. Despite Vrabel sacking Manning on the first play of the Colts' drive, a 17-yard Dallas Clark
Dallas Clark
Dallas Dean Clark is an American football tight end for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts 24th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Iowa...
reception helped set up a 1-yard Manning touchdown run to increase the Colts' lead to 20–10 with 9:42 remaining in the game. Starting from their own 27-yard line, Brady attempted passes to Moss on the first six plays of the drive. The second attempt was completed for 15 yards, while the fourth attempt went for 55 yards and put the Patriots on the Colts' 3-yard line. On the fifth attempt, Moss was penalized 10 yards for offensive pass interference in the end zone. After an incompletion to Moss, Brady hit Welker for 10 yards and then again for 3 yards and a touchdown to cut the Colts' lead to 20–17 with 7:59 remaining. This touchdown also set the Patriots' record for touchdown passes in a single season, breaking Babe Parilli
Babe Parilli
-Biography:Parilli was born in the Pittsburgh industrial suburb of Rochester, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Kentucky as an All-American starting quarterback for the Wildcats under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant....
's record of 31. After two offensive line penalties by the Colts pushed them back 15 yards, Colvin strip-sacked Manning at the Colts' 22-yard line, though Colts offensive tackle Charlie Johnson
Charlie Johnson (offensive tackle)
Charlie Johnson is an American football offensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
recovered the fumble. After Wes Welker returned the subsequent Colts punt 23 yards to the Patriots' 49-yard line, a 5-yard pass to Moss and a 33-yard pass to Stallworth set up a 13-yard touchdown pass by Faulk to put the Colts behind 24–20 with 3:15 remaining. That pass made this Brady's ninth consecutive game with at least three touchdown passes, breaking Peyton Manning's record of eight. After a 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...
24-yard reception brought the Colts to their own 48-yard line, Green strip-sacked Manning three plays later; Colvin's recovery of that fumble gave the Patriots the ball, and set up a situation where a first down would allow them to win the game. Unlike a similar situation in the 2006 AFC Championship, where the Patriots were forced to punt, the Patriots converted on 3rd and 6 with a 10-yard pass to Welker. Brady took three knees to end the game, leaving the 9–0 Patriots the only remaining undefeated team as they headed into their bye week.
Week 11: at Buffalo Bills
Following their bye week, the Patriots traveled to Buffalo to play the Bills, who had won 5 of 7 since their 38–7 Week 3 loss to the Patriots. On the first drive of the game, Gay intercepted Losman to give the Patriots the ball at the Bills' 21-yard line. Two plays later, Maroney ran it in from 6 yards out for a Patriots touchdown. After a Bills punt, the Patriots increased their lead to 14–0 after a 43-yard touchdown reception by Moss from Brady. The touchdown, Moss' 13th on the season, broke Stanley MorganStanley Morgan
Stanley Douglas Morgan is a former NFL wide receiver who played for the New England Patriots. Morgan was selected out of the University of Tennessee in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft . He also played one season for the Indianapolis Colts in 1990...
's franchise record of 12 touchdown passes in a single season. On the ensuing drive, a Green strip-sack of Losman was recovered by the Bills, and two plays later, Roscoe Parrish
Roscoe Parrish
Roscoe Parrish is an American football wide receiver and punt returner who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bills in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
caught a 47-yard touchdown pass for the only Bills touchdown of the game. The Patriots' next drive went for 72 yards and ended in a 16-yard Moss touchdown reception on the first play of the second quarter. A Bills punt on their next possession gave the Patriots the ball at their own 16-yard line. Aided by catches of 25, 15, 11, and 10 yards by Watson, Welker, Stallworth, and Faulk respectively, the Patriots drove 84 yards in under 7 minutes, capping off the drive with a 6-yard touchdown reception to Moss. That touchdown gave Brady the most career touchdown passes in Patriots franchise history, breaking Steve Grogan
Steve Grogan
Steve James Grogan is a former American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Grogan played for the Patriots for his entire NFL career, from 1975 to 1990.-High school and college:...
's record of 182. Another Bills punt led to the Patriots' fifth possession and fifth touchdown of the half, this time a 17-yard Moss touchdown catch ended another 72-yard drive. Moss' fourth touchdown of the half tied an NFL record for touchdowns for a single player before halftime, and set the Patriots' franchise record for touchdowns by a player in a game. Adalius Thomas also had 2.5 sacks in the half, setting a single-game career high.
The Patriots began the second half where they left off in the first, driving 73 yards in more than 6 minutes for another touchdown, this one a 3-yard reception by Watson. The Bills responded with a 29-yard 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...
kickoff return that led to a 52-yard Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell is an American football placekicker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2000...
field goal to cut the Patriots lead to 42–10. The Patriots' next series, their seventh of the game, also ended in their seventh touchdown of the game, setting a Patriots franchise single-season touchdown record (1961
1961 Boston Patriots season
The Boston Patriots finished the American Football League's 1961 season with a record of nine wins and four losses and one tie, and placed second in the AFL's Eastern division.-Staff:-Season summary:...
and 1980
1980 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots finished the National Football League's 1980 season with a record of ten wins and six losses, and finished second in the AFC East division....
, 52). A Welker screen pass went 24 yards to put the Patriots in the Bills' red zone, and a 1-yard Eckel touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter gave the Patriots a 49–10 lead. On the second play of the Bills' next drive, Sanders forced a fumble by running back Dwayne Wright
Dwayne Wright
-Buffalo Bills:Wright was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He was signed to a contract on July 25. He was waived on August 30, 2008.He worked out for the Detroit Lions on September 17, but was not signed.-New York Giants:...
after a 5-yard reception, which Hobbs recovered and returned 35 yards for the Patriots' eighth and final touchdown of the game. The Patriots' 56 points tied a franchise record, and were the most points scored by a road team in the NFL since 1973. Their 46-point scoring margin was also the second-largest in team history. The Patriots' 56–10 win brought their record to 10–0, the tenth time since 1970
1970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
a team started a season 10–0.
Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
earlier in the day, the Patriots entered the game against the 5–5 Eagles as AFC East champions for the fifth consecutive season. Their clinch in the 11th game of the season was tied for the earliest in NFL history.
On the first possession of the game, Eagles quarterback A. J. Feeley, starting in place of an injured Donovan McNabb
Donovan 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...
, threw an interception to Samuel, who returned it for a touchdown. On the ensuing drive, the Eagles responded with a 14-play drive capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by 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...
; thus, before the Patriots offense had its first possession, the game was tied 7–7. On that possession, Brady threw seven passes, was sacked once, and scrambled for 12 yards, before Evans had a 1-yard touchdown run (the first called run of the game for the Patriots). The Eagles tied the game again on their next possession when wide receiver Greg Lewis caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Feeley. After a successful onside kick
Onside kick
In American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
attempt by the Eagles led to a three-and-out drive, the Patriots started at their own 20-yard line and moved the ball all the way to the Eagles' 11-yard line before the drive stalled and Gostkowski converted a 23-yard field goal. The Eagles responded with another touchdown pass from Feeley to Lewis, this one from 18 yards out, to end a 68-yard drive. With less than 3 minutes to go in the first half the Patriots were trailing the Eagles, 21–17. The Patriots then converted three third downs on their last possession of the half, and Gaffney caught a 19-yard touchdown pass to give the Patriots a halftime lead, 24–21.
After an exchange of punts to begin the second half, Maroney saw his first carries of the game on a drive that appeared to end in a 4-yard Moss touchdown pass before the catch was nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty. The next three plays were incomplete passes by Brady, and on fourth down, Gostkowski missed a 32-yard field goal to keep the score at 24–21 in favor of the Patriots. The Eagles responded with a 10-play, 78-yard drive, retaking the lead on an 8-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Brown. After an unsuccessful fourth down conversion attempt from the Eagles' 33-yard line, the Patriots defense held the Eagles to a three-and-out, forcing a punt. On a third down in the middle of the Patriots' next drive, Welker, who finished with 13 catches on the night, caught a 16-yard pass that moved the ball into the Eagles' red zone. With 7:24 left in the game, Maroney put the Patriots ahead 31–28 with a 4-yard touchdown run. The Eagles moved the ball to the Patriots' 29-yard line on their next drive, but on 2nd and 4, Feeley was intercepted by Samuel in the end zone with 2:49 remaining in the game. The Patriots, unable to run out the clock, punted, giving the Eagles the ball back with 18 seconds remaining. Feeley's last pass attempt was intercepted by Sanders to seal the Patriots' eleventh win of the season.
Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens
For their third night game in as many weeks, the Patriots flew to M&T Bank Stadium to face the 4–7 Ravens. On the first drive of the game, a 42-yard Stallworth reception and three Ravens penalties helped set up a 1st and goal from the Ravens' 3-yard line. The Patriots next four plays gained a net of zero yards, and Gostkowksi kicked a 21-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 3–0 lead. After an exchange of punts, the Ravens took the lead with Kyle BollerKyle Boller
Kyle Bryan Boller is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at The University of California.Boller has also played for the St...
completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Mason
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.Mason has also played for the Baltimore Ravens where he...
after a 70-yard drive. In the second quarter, Baltimore increased its lead when kicker Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
converted a 29-yard field goal to cap a 12-play, 55-yard drive. On the ensuing drive, the Patriots responded with a 9-play, 60-yard drive that included two more Stallworth receptions and two more Ravens penalties and ended in a 1-yard Evans touchdown run. Two possessions later, with 56 seconds remaining the first half, Brady threw his fifth interception of the season, this one to safety Ed Reed
Ed Reed
Edward Earl Reed Jr. is an American football free safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens 24th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
, who proceeded to fumble on the return. Watson recovered the fumble and the Patriots went into halftime in a 10–10 tie.
On the opening drive of the second half, the Ravens drove 73 yards and regained the lead on a 17-yard run by Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, his sixth rush of the 8-play drive. The Patriots answered on their next possession with an 11-play, 72-yard drive that included a dump-off pass to Maroney for 36 yards. A 3-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Moss tied the game again at 17–17. In the first minute of the fourth quarter, Baltimore got the lead again, 24–17, as Boller completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Wilcox
Daniel Wilcox
Daniel Wilcox is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He has played for the Baltimore Ravens, the New York Jets and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has played in the National Football League since 2001...
after an 8-play, 56-yard drive. The Patriots went 3-and-out on their next drive, and a 33-yard Yamon Figurs
Yamon Figurs
Yamon Figurs is an American football wide receiver and return specialist who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
punt return coupled with a 5-yard Pierre Woods
Pierre Woods
-New England Patriots:Woods was signed by the New England Patriots after going undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, Woods saw action in eight games and finished fourth on the team with 11 special teams tackles In 2007 he played in all 16 regular-season games for the first time in...
penalty gave the Ravens the ball at the Patriots' 26-yard line with less than 13 minutes remaining in the game. After two McGahee runs for 1 yard and a false start penalty gave the Ravens a 3rd and 14 situation, Boller was intercepted at the Patriots' 1-yard line by Sanders to hold the Ravens scoreless on the drive. Sanders' 42-yard return gave the Patriots the ball at their own 43-yard line, and another Maroney dump-off pass for 43 yards brought the Patriots to the Ravens' 24-yard line. The Patriots then failed to make the first down, and Gostkowski kicked another field goal, this one from 38 yards out, to cut the Ravens' lead to 24–20. The Patriots defense, which gave up almost 60 first half rushing yards to McGahee, held McGahee to 1 yard on the Ravens' next drive and forced a 3-and-out. The Patriots' ensuing drive brought them to the Ravens' 31-yard line before a 10-yard Dan Koppen
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...
penalty and incompletion forced another punt. With less than 6 minutes remaining, the Patriots defense again prevented the Ravens offense from completing a first down and got the ball back with 3:30 left in the game.
Starting from their own 27-yard line, the Patriots got to midfield on the second play of their drive with a 23-yard Watson reception. An incompletion and 9-yard Faulk catch brought 3rd and 1, where Brady rushed for 2 yards and the first down. After the two-minute warning, another 9-yard Faulk catch on 3rd and 10 gave the Patriots a 4th and 1 from the Ravens' 30-yard line with 1:48 remaining. Brady attempted another sneak and was stopped short of the first, but the play was nullified by a timeout called by Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan is an American football head coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League . After serving as an assistant coach for twenty-two years, Ryan attained his first head coaching job in the NFL with the Jets in 2009...
just before the snap. A false start penalty by Russ Hochstein
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...
on the Patriots' next attempt set up a 4th and 6. Brady scrambled for the first down and Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle
Samari Rolle
Samari Toure Rolle is a retired American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
was penalized 5 yards for illegal contact to give the Patriots a fresh set of downs from the Ravens' 18-yard line with 1:38 left on the clock. A 5-yard Faulk rush and two incompletions gave the Patriots another fourth down situation. Brady's throw to Watson in the end zone fell incomplete, but the Patriots again received a fresh set of downs after Ravens defensive back Jamaine Winborne
Jamaine Winborne
Jamaine Winborne is a professional American football cornerback free agent. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2004...
was called for defensive holding. On 1st and goal from the Ravens' 8-yard line with 55 seconds remaining, the Patriots took their first lead since the first quarter on a Gaffney touchdown reception that was upheld by official review. After the play, Ravens linebacker Bart Scott
Bart Scott
Bartholomew Edward Scott is an American football linebacker for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
received two 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalties after throwing an official's flag into the stands, and Reed was flagged for being offsides on the extra point, setting up a Patriots kickoff from the Ravens' 35-yard line. After a Gostkowski touchback on the kickoff, the Ravens completed two passes, bringing them to their own 45-yard line with 8 seconds remaining. Boller threw a Hail Mary pass
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
that was caught by wide receiver Mark Clayton at the Patriots' 3-yard line, but he was tackled shy of the end zone as time expired.
The Patriots became the sixth team in NFL history to begin a season 12–0, in a game that was the most-watched program in the history of cable television.
Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Beginning a stretch of three straight home games, the Patriots faced off against the 9–3 Steelers in their first afternoon game in five weeks. Before the game, Steelers safety Anthony Smith guaranteed a win for the Steelers. After going three-and-out on their first drive, the Patriots fell behind 3–0 early on a 23-yard Jeff Reed field goal to cap an 8-minute, 15-play Steelers possession. A 39-yard Chad JacksonChad Jackson
-New England Patriots:On the first day of the 2006 NFL Draft, the Patriots traded draft picks with the Green Bay Packers to move up sixteen places in the second round to select Jackson, giving up a third-round pick acquired in a trade...
kickoff return gave the Patriots the ball at their own 48-yard line to begin a 9-play drive that ended in a 4-yard Moss touchdown catch to give the Patriots the lead. Moss' touchdown catch was his 18th of the season, surpassing Curtis Martin
Curtis Martin
Curtis James Martin, Jr. is a former American football running back. He is an alumnus of Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh...
for the Patriots' record for touchdowns by a single player in a season. After a Steelers three-and-out the Patriots, on their first offensive play of the second quarter, increased their lead to 14–3 on a 63-yard play action pass from Brady to Moss. A 30-yard Willie Parker
Willie Parker
"Fast" Willie Everette Parker Jr. is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at North Carolina...
run on the Steelers' ensuing series set up a 32-yard touchdown pass from 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...
to Najeh Davenport
Najeh Davenport
Najeh Trenadious Monté Davenport is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. After a Patriots drive in which a muffed punt recovery by Pittsburgh led to a missed 48-yard field goal attempt by Gostkowski, the Steelers mounted a 12-play drive that lasted almost 6 minutes before a 44-yard Reed field goal cut the Patriots' lead to 14–13. With 2:29 left in the half, a 32-yard Gaffney reception helped the Patriots drive to the Steelers' 24-yard line; after two Brady incompletions Gostkowski kicked a 42-yard Gostkowski field goal, giving the Patriots a 17–13 lead at halftime.
On the Patriots' first drive of the second half, on 1st and 10 from their own 44-yard line, after a Brady lateral pass
Lateral pass
In American football, a lateral pass or lateral, officially backward pass , occurs when the ball carrier throws the football to any teammate behind him or directly next to him...
to Moss fell short, Moss picked it up and threw it back to Brady, who then found Gaffney deep for a 56-yard touchdown. After another Steelers three-and-out, the Patriots' second possession of the half also went for a touchdown, as a 2-yard Welker reception capped a 10-play drive that included one run, a 4-yard Brady scramble. In the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, the Steelers moved the ball to the Patriots' 1-yard line, but failed to score on 3rd and goal and 4th and goal. The Patriots took the ball at their own 1-yard line and then began a 6-minute, 12 play drive, passing on every down. Using a no-huddle offense, Welker caught five straight passes to bring the Patriots to the Steelers' 36-yard line. Brady completed four more passes to set up first-and-goal from the Steelers' 10-yard line, but his next three passes were all incomplete, leading to a 28-yard Gostkowski field goal. The Steelers' next possession, a 13-play drive, ended in another failed fourth down conversion. After a Patriots punt, the Steelers ran the ball three times to give the Patriots their 13th win of the season; with the win, the Patriots also clinched a first-round playoff bye.
Week 15: vs. New York Jets
Coming off their win over the Steelers, the Patriots stayed at home for an AFC East rematch with the 3–10 Jets. The Patriots punted on their first drive of the game, giving the Jets the ball at their own 3-yard line. After a 1-yard Thomas Jones run, Jets quarterback Clemens threw an interception to Eugene WilsonBruce Nelson (American football)
Bruce Edward Nelson is a former American football guard and center of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. His NFL career was limited to two seasons because of hip injuries. He played college football at Iowa...
, who returned it for a touchdown. Clemens was hit by Seymour and suffered an ankle injury on the play and did not return to the game. Wilson also became the Patriots' 21st player to score a touchdown on the season, tying an NFL record set by the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 2000
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
and Los Angeles Rams in 1987
1987 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1987 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 50th year with the National Football League and the 42nd season in Los Angeles.-Regular season:...
. On their ensuing possession, the Jets gained 49 yards on an option play
Option offense
The option offense is a generic term that is used to describe a wide variety of offensive systems in American football. Option offenses are characterized as such due to the predominance of option running plays employed in these schemes. Option offenses have traditionally relied heavily upon running...
to running back Leon Washington
Leon Washington
Leon Washington is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State. He is married to Charity Washington with whom he has a son...
, but then failed a fourth down conversion from the Patriots' 17-yard line. With 6:36 remaining in the first quarter, the Patriots began a drive that ended 17 plays later, in the 2nd quarter, on a 26-yard Gostkowski field goal. After a Jets punt, the Patriots moved the ball to their own 40-yard line when a Chris Hanson
Chris Hanson
Christopher David Hanson is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 1999...
punt attempt was blocked by David Bowens
David Bowens
David Walter Bowens is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
and returned for a touchdown to cut the Patriots' lead to 10–7. On the Jets' next possession, Washington blocked a Graham punt attempt to give the Patriots the ball at the Jets' 3-yard line. A 1-yard Maroney touchdown run a play later gave the Patriots a 17–7 lead going into halftime. Gostkowski's extra point, his 67th of the season, broke Uwe von Schamann
Uwe von Schamann
Uwe Detlef Walter von Schamann is a former professional American football placekicker. He played for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League, from 1979 to 1984.-Early life:...
's single-season record of 66 with the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
.
A Jets punt gave the Patriots the ball at their own 9-yard line early in the third quarter. After two Maroney rushes for a total of 5 yards, a Brady pass on third down intended to Moss was intercepted by Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis
Darrelle Revis
Though Revis was not the first defensive back drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft , he was the first cornerback taken that year...
. The Jets moved into the red zone, but were driven back on a Thomas Jones run for a 1-yard loss and a delay of game penalty. On third down, Pennington completed a 10-yard pass to Baker, who then fumbled. Wilson recovered it for the Patriots, but a subsequent exchange of punts kept the third quarter scoreless. Another Hanson punt began the fourth quarter, giving the Jets the ball from their own 15-yard line. The Jets then embarked upon a 17-play drive where Pennington completed 10 passes on 12 attempts, none for more than 14 yards. The drive ended at the Patriots' 15-yard line, where the Jets cut the Patriots' lead to 17–10 on a 33-yard Mike Nugent
Mike Nugent
Mike Nugent is an American football placekicker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
field goal. The Patriots' ensuing drive began with two incompletions intended for Moss. On third down, Brady completed a 16-yard pass to Moss, and then a 46-yard pass to Moss to give the Patriots the ball at the Jets' 14-yard line. A 4-yard Maroney run, incompletion, and sack for a loss of 6 yards set up a 33-yard Gostkowski field goal. The Jets' next possession ended in a 35-yard missed Nugent field goal, and the Jets failed to score on their final drive to give the Patriots a 20–10 win. It gave the Patriots a 14–0 record, tying them with the 1972 Miami Dolphins
1972 Miami Dolphins season
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only National Football League team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season. The undefeated campaign was led by coach Don Shula and notable players Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, and Larry Csonka...
for the best record to start a season. The win also clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs for the Patriots.
Week 16: vs. Miami Dolphins
Playing their third consecutive home game, the Patriots tried to improve their record to 15–0 against the 1–13 Dolphins. For the first time of the season, 15-year wide receiver Troy BrownTroy 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 active; he saw action early in the game, returning a Dolphins punt on their first drive 10 yards. The Patriots' second first down of their first possession was their 349th of the season, breaking their 1994
1994 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots finished the National Football League's 1994 season with a record of ten wins and six losses, and finished tied for first in the AFC East division....
franchise record. Six plays later, Brady connected with Moss for an 11-yard touchdown and a 7–0 Patriots lead. After three punts, the Patriots' third drive of the game began on the final play of the first quarter, a 51-yard Maroney rush to give the Patriots the ball at the Dolphins' 28-yard line. After a successful third-down conversion, Brady threw his second touchdown pass of the game to Moss from a yard out to give the Patriots a 14–0 lead. The Dolphins' punted again on their next drive, and the Patriots opened up a 21-point lead with a 59-yard Maroney touchdown run while also setting the franchise record for net yards on a season, breaking the record of 5,965 set in 1978
1978 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots finished the National Football League's 1978 season with a record of eleven wins and five losses, and finished tied for first in the AFC East division.-Staff:-Regular season:...
. After the Dolphins' fourth three-and-out of the game, a 38-yard Brandon Fields
Brandon Fields
Brandon David Fields is an American football punter for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dolphins in the seventh round in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.-Early years:Fields attended St. John's Jesuit High School in Toledo,...
punt was muffed by Troy Brown and recovered by the Dolphins, who punted again three plays later. After moving the ball from their own 20-yard line to the Dolphins' 48-yard line, Brady completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Gaffney on the Patriots' 71st touchdown of the season, breaking the NFL record of 70 set by the 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
Dolphins. The Dolphins drove the Patriots' 4-yard line with 21 seconds remaining in the half, but 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...
batted down a Lemon pass on fourth down intended for Justin Peelle
Justin Peelle
Justin Morris Peelle is an American football tight end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
to preserve the Patriots' 28–0 lead heading into halftime.
On the opening drive of the second half, Welker caught his 101st pass of the season, tying the Patriots individual franchise record Brown set in 2001
2001 New England Patriots season
The 2001 New England Patriots season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League and 42nd season overall. They finished with an 11–5 record and a division title before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVI....
. On the next play, Brady was intercepted by Jason Allen the end zone on a pass intended for Moss. After a 22-yard Chatman rush began the Dolphins' ensuing drive, the Dolphins punted for the seventh time three plays later. On third down from their own 28-yard line, Brady threw his second interception of the game, this time picked off by linebacker Derrick Pope
Derrick Pope
Derrick Trayon Pope is a professional American and Canadian football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
on a pass also intended for Moss. The Dolphins moved the ball on their next drive from their own 46-yard line to the Patriots' 1-yard line, where Lemon scrambled out of bounds short of the end zone on 4th and goal. The Dolphins challenged the ruling, which was upheld after review. The play gave the Patriots the ball from their own 1-yard line, where a three-and-out set-up a 64-yard Hanson punt from the end zone, his longest of the season. A 22-yard Lorenzo Booker
Lorenzo Booker
Lorenzo Booker is an American football running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
rush on the Dolphins' next possession helped bring the Dolphins' to the Patriots 21-yard line, where Lemon connected with Greg Camarillo
Greg Camarillo
Greg Camarillo is an American football wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.He played college football at Stanford. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2005....
to cut the Patriots lead to 28–7. The Patriots committed their fourth turnover of the game when Brady was strip-sacked by Joey Porter
Joey Porter
Joseph "Joey" Eugene Porter is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado State.A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Porter earned a...
to give the Dolphins the ball at their own 28-yard line. Four punts and a scoreless fourth quarter later, the Patriots picked up their 15th win of the season.
The Patriots' 15th win matched the win totals of the 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....
, 1998 Minnesota Vikings
1998 Minnesota Vikings season
1998 was the 38th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The 1998 Minnesota Vikings became only the third team in NFL history to win 15 games during the regular season. That year, the Vikings high powered offense scored 556 points...
, 1985 Chicago Bears
1985 Chicago Bears season
The 1985 Chicago Bears season was their 66th regular season and 16th post-season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 15-1 record, earning them the top seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The Bears defeated their three post season opponents by a combined score of 91-10 en...
, and 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, while their 15–0 regular season start was a first in NFL history. The Patriots' 6–0 record against division opponents was a franchise first. The win also marked the Patriots' 18th straight regular season victory since their December 2006 loss to the Dolphins, tying the Patriots' 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....
–2004
2004 New England Patriots season
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...
NFL record.
Week 17: at New York Giants
In their final regular season game, the 15–0 Patriots traveled to Giants Stadium, trying to win a record 16th game of the season. With the game scheduled to air on NFL NetworkNFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
, not available on some cable providers, the NFL arranged a three-way simulcast of the game with CBS and NBC, the first time an NFL game was broadcast on three networks, and the first national simulcast of any NFL game since Super Bowl I
Super Bowl I
The First AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later known as Super Bowl I and referred to in some contemporary reports as the Supergame, was played on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.The National Football League ...
. The New York and Boston television markets both had a fourth channel, a local TV station in each respective market covering the game. In the week leading up to the game, the NFL Network aired a record 65.5 hours of game-specific coverage, including a six-hour pregame special which matched the longest NFL pregame show, including for a Super Bowl, on a single network.
On the second play of the game, the 10–5 Giants moved into the Patriots' red zone on a 52-yard completion from Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
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...
. Three plays later, The Giants took the lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Jacobs
Brandon Jacobs
-New York Giants:Going into the 2006 season Jacobs stated that he studied film of famed power running back Eddie George in an effort to refine his running style. George, like Jacobs, was a large, power running back. In the 2006 season, Jacobs carried the ball 96 times for 423 yards and nine...
. The Patriots responded with a pair of 14-yard completions to Moss and Welker; Welker's catch, his 102nd of the season, set a Patriots franchise record. The Patriots then converted a fourth down, and on their next fourth down, they made a 37-yard Gostkowski field goal. The Patriots would regain the ball at midfield following a Giants three-and-out. Completions to Stallworth and Welker put the Patriots in the Giants' red zone, where Brady completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Moss, taking a 10–7 lead on the first play of the second quarter. On the play, three records were affected: the Patriots 560th point surpassed the 1998 Minnesota Vikings’s
1998 Minnesota Vikings season
1998 was the 38th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The 1998 Minnesota Vikings became only the third team in NFL history to win 15 games during the regular season. That year, the Vikings high powered offense scored 556 points...
record of 556 points in a season; the touchdown pass was Brady’s 49th, tying Peyton Manning’s 2004
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...
record; and Moss recorded his 22nd touchdown catch of the season, tying Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
's 1987
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
record.
As a result of a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after the touchdown, the Patriots’ kicked off from the 15-yard line. Giants wide receiver Domenik Hixon
Domenik Hixon
Domenik Hixon is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Akron.-Early years:Hixon was born to an African American...
received it from the Giants' 26-yard line and proceeded to run for a 74-yard touchdown return, retaking the lead for the Giants. Starting from their own 33-yard line, the Patriots moved into Giants territory on a 13-yard Maroney rush and 8-yard Faulk reception. Brady's 8 passing yards on the play gave him 4,557 for the season, breaking 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...
's 1994
1994 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots finished the National Football League's 1994 season with a record of ten wins and six losses, and finished tied for first in the AFC East division....
franchise record of 4,555 yards. After the drive stalled, Gostkowski’s recorded his second field goal for the game, making the score 14–13 in favor of the Giants. Following a Giants punt, the Patriots mounted a drive that resulted in Gostkowski’s third field goal of the night, from 37 yards, after a 3rd down end zone pass to Moss ricocheted off of linebacker Gerris Wilkinson’s
Gerris Wilkinson
Gerris Vernard Bowers Wilkinson is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
helmet. With 1:54 remaining the half and the Giants trailing 16–14, Manning completed five of his first seven passes to move from the Giants' 15-yard line to the Patriots' 3-yard line. On second down with 18 seconds remaining, Manning threw his second touchdown pass of the game, this time to Boss, to take a 21–16 lead at the half.
After the Patriots began the second half with a three-and-out, the Giants increased their lead to 12 points on a 19-yard touchdown catch by Burress from Manning. Facing their largest deficit of the season, the Patriots drove to the Giants' 16-yard line with several Brady completions. A pass interference call against the Giants’ Wilkinson gave the Patriots the ball at the Giants' 1-yard line. After an illegal formation penalty moved the Patriots back 5 yards, a 6-yard Maroney touchdown run cut the Giants' lead to 28–23. Three consecutive drives resulted in punts, and the Patriots gained possession of the ball with less than 12 minutes remaining in the game.
Stanley Morgan
Stanley Douglas Morgan is a former NFL wide receiver who played for the New England Patriots. Morgan was selected out of the University of Tennessee in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft . He also played one season for the Indianapolis Colts in 1990...
1986
1986 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots finished the National Football League's 1986 season with a record of eleven wins and five losses, and finished first in the AFC East division.-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:...
franchise record of 1,491 yards. On the subsequent play, Maroney scored his second touchdown of the game on a 5-yard run to give the Patriots a 38–28 lead. With 4:36 left in the game, the Giants drove the ball to the Patriots' 4-yard line, and two plays later, Manning completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Burress, Manning’s fourth for the game. After the Patriots’ Vrabel recovered the Giants' onside kickoff, the Patriots kneeled three times to end the game.
The Patriots' joined the 14–0 1972 Miami Dolphins
1972 Miami Dolphins season
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only National Football League team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season. The undefeated campaign was led by coach Don Shula and notable players Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, and Larry Csonka...
, 11–0 1942 Chicago Bears
1942 Chicago Bears season
The 1942 Chicago Bears season was their 23rd regular season and 7th postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 11-0 record under head coach George Halas and temporary co-coaches Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos...
, and 13–0 1934 Chicago Bears
1934 Chicago Bears season
The 1934 Chicago Bears season was their 15th regular season and 3rd postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted an unprecedented 13-0 record in the second year of George Halas's second tenure...
as the fourth team to record an undefeated regular season in the NFL (the 1948 Cleveland Browns
1948 Cleveland Browns season
The 1948 Cleveland Browns season was the team's third season with the All-America Football Conference. It was also a perfect season, recognized as such by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, although the NFL, as the AAFC's former rival, does not recognize it...
were 14–0 in the All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
.) The Pats also set a record for most regular season wins in a single season. The victory was the Patriots’ 19th consecutive regular season victory, breaking their own record set during the 2003–2004 season. Finally, the Patriots finished the season with a +315 point differential, breaking the 1942 Bears' record of +292.
Network television coverage
The NFL NetworkNFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
had exclusive rights to broadcast the Patriots-Giants game, and in the weeks before the game, the network increasingly promoted the game via television commercials on other stations. It was clear the game was one of the most anticipated of the season, and could therefore serve as an important promotion for the NFL Network, which had tried unsuccessfully over the previous year to expand its viewership by becoming included as an "extended basic service" on the major American cable TV providers such as Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
and Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
.
Political pressure from the Northeast to make the game more widely viewable preceded the decision to simulcast the game on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009...
, the 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...
senator who was the Republican ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
, and Patrick Leahy
Patrick Leahy
Patrick Joseph Leahy is the senior United States Senator from Vermont and member of the Democratic Party. He is the first and only elected Democratic United States Senator in Vermont's history. He is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leahy is the second most senior U.S. Senator,...
of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, the Committee's head, wrote the league a letter threatening to reconsider the antitrust
Competition law
Competition law, known in the United States as antitrust law, is law that promotes or maintains market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies....
exemption currently enjoyed by the NFL under United States law. Senator John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
had pressured the league and cable companies to settle their dispute so "no die-hard Pats fans will be shut out from watching their team take aim at football history."
In the end, 15.7 million viewers watched the game on CBS, 13.2 million on NBC, 4.5 million on the NFL Network, and 1.2 million on New York, Boston and Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
television stations. The game was the most watched program on television since the 2007 Academy Awards
79th Academy Awards
The 79th Academy Awards ceremony , honored the best films of 2006 and took place on February 25, 2007 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on ABC. Ellen DeGeneres hosted the ceremony for the first time. The producer was Laura Ziskin. The announcers were Don LaFontaine and Gina Tuttle.The nominees were...
and the most watched regular season NFL game in more than 12 years.
Standings breakdown
| W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 275 | 103 |
| Away | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 314 | 171 |
| AFC East Opponents | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 229 | 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 |
12 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 420 | 177 |
| 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 | 169 | 97 |
| By Stadium Type | ||||||
| Indoors | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 72 | 47 |
| Outdoors | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 517 | 227 |
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 | 8:00 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 12, 2008 | Jacksonville Jaguars 2007 Jacksonville Jaguars season -Final roster:-Schedule:The Jacksonville Jaguars pre-season schedule was announced on April 11, 2007.-Schedule:-Week 1: vs. Tennessee Titans:-Week 2: vs. Atlanta Falcons:-Week 3: at Denver Broncos:-Week 5: at Kansas City Chiefs:... (5) |
W 31–20 | 1–0 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| AFC Championship | 3:00 PM EST | January 20, 2008 | San Diego Chargers 2007 San Diego Chargers season The 2007 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to equal their 2006 regular season success and avoid another early departure in the playoffs. After a disappointing start under new head coach Norv Turner , they finished the regular season strong, with six straight wins, an overall... (3) |
W 21–12 | 2–0 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| Super Bowl XLII Super Bowl XLII Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season... |
6:30 PM EST | February 3, 2008 | New York Giants 2007 New York Giants season The 2007 New York Giants season was the 83rd season for the New York Giants in the National Football League. The Giants finished the regular season 10–6 and in second place in the NFC East, improving upon their 8–8 record in 2006 in which they finished third in their division... (5) |
L 14–17 | 2–1 | University of Phoenix Stadium University of Phoenix Stadium University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl... |
Fox | Recap |
Divisional Round vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, who led the NFL in receiving yards, had one reception. Patriots 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,...
set the NFL record for completion percentage in a single game (92.9%) with 26 of 28 completions for 263 yards and 3 touchdowns, while running back Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney is an American football running back who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota.-Early years:Maroney attended Normandy Senior High School in St...
added 162 total yards (122 on the ground). Overall, New England gained 401 yards and didn't punt the ball until 31 seconds remained in the fourth quarter.
Jacksonville took the opening kickoff and went 80 yards in 9 plays, featuring two receptions by Marcedes Lewis
Marcedes Lewis
Marcedes Alexis Lewis is an American football tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted from UCLA as the 28th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft...
for 57 yards, on the way to David Garrard
David Garrard
David Douglas Garrard is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.Garrard played college football at East Carolina. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and served as the team's starting quarterback from 2007 to 2010...
's 9-yard touchdown pass to Matt Jones
Matt Jones (American football)
Matthew Jones is a former American football wide receiver . He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, and retired officially in November 2010. He played college football at Arkansas....
. The Patriots then went on a 74-yard drive and scored with 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,...
's 3-yard touchdown pass to 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...
. On Jacksonville's next possession, New England lineman 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...
forced a fumble while sacking Garrard, 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 at the Jaguars 29-yard line. Several plays later, Maroney scored a 1-yard touchdown run to give New England a 14–7 lead.
Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew
Maurice Jones-Drew
Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew is a professional American football player who currently plays running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He was drafted in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
muffed the ensuing kickoff and was downed at his own 5-yard line. The Jaguars then moved the ball 95 yards in 11 plays without even facing a third down and scoring with Garrard's 6-yard touchdown pass to Ernest Wilford
Ernest Wilford
Ernest Lee Wilford, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
. For the third time in a row, New England drove deep into Jacksonville territory. But this time the drive stalled at the 17-yard line and ended with no points when Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
missed a 35-yard field goal with 53 seconds left in the first half.
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,...
to his right, Brady jumped in the air with his arms raised to make it look like a play used by the Patriots before where Faulk took the direct snap. The Jaguars defense followed Faulk, leaving Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
open in the end zone, and Brady threw him the ball for a touchdown to give the Patriots a 21–14 lead. Jacksonville responded with a drive to the New England 21-yard line, but receiver Dennis Northcutt
Dennis Northcutt
Dennis LaMont Northcutt is an American football wide receiver and punt returner who last played for the Detroit Lions...
dropped a pass on third down, forcing them to settle for a Josh Scobee
Josh Scobee
Joshua Taylor Scobee is an American football placekicker, who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He began his college football career as kicker for the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs, setting several school records...
39-yard field goal, cutting the score to 21–17. On New England's next drive, Jacksonville's Derek Landri
Derek Landri
Derek Landri is an American football defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
was assessed a roughing-the-passer penalty, turning Welker's 6-yard catch into a 21-yard gain. Maroney gained 40 yards with his next two carries, and following two more Welker receptions, Brady threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Watson giving New England a 28–17 lead.
An unnecessary roughness penalty and a 25-yard reception by Reggie Williams
Reggie Williams (wide receiver)
Reginald "Reggie" Williams, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currenly a free agent. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
on the Jacksonville's next drive set up a 25-yard field goal by Scobee, which cut the Jaguars deficit to one touchdown, 28–20. On the second play after the kickoff, Brady completed a 52-yard strike to Donté Stallworth, setting up Gostkowski's second field goal attempt to put New England back up by two scores, 31–20.
Then, with 3:46 left in the game, Pats 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 Garrard at the Patriots' 31-yard line, ending any hope of a Jacksonville comeback. Harrison's interception was his 7th career postseason pick, a Patriots record. This was also his fourth consecutive postseason game with an interception, tying an NFL record held by Aeneas Williams
Aeneas Williams
Aeneas Demetrius Williams is a former American football cornerback and free safety, who played with the Arizona Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams. Williams attended Fortier High School, where he played football on a team with three future NFL players. Although he was admitted to Dartmouth College,...
.
With this win, the Patriots advanced to the AFC title game for the second year in a row and extended their perfect record to 17–0, matching the final record of the 1972 Miami Dolphins
1972 Miami Dolphins season
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only National Football League team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season. The undefeated campaign was led by coach Don Shula and notable players Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, and Larry Csonka...
.
- Scoring
- 1st Quarter
- JAX – Matt JonesMatt Jones (American football)Matthew Jones is a former American football wide receiver . He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, and retired officially in November 2010. He played college football at Arkansas....
8 yard pass from David GarrardDavid GarrardDavid Douglas Garrard is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.Garrard played college football at East Carolina. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and served as the team's starting quarterback from 2007 to 2010...
(Josh ScobeeJosh ScobeeJoshua Taylor Scobee is an American football placekicker, who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He began his college football career as kicker for the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs, setting several school records...
kick), 10:50. Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:10. - NE – Benjamin WatsonBenjamin WatsonBenjamin 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...
3 yard pass from Tom BradyTom BradyThomas 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,...
(Stephen GostkowskiStephen GostkowskiStephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
kick), 5:01. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:49.
- JAX – Matt Jones
- 2nd Quarter
- NE – Laurence MaroneyLaurence MaroneyLaurence Maroney is an American football running back who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota.-Early years:Maroney attended Normandy Senior High School in St...
1 yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 14:57. Patriots 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 3:33. - JAX – Ernest WilfordErnest WilfordErnest Lee Wilford, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
6 yard pass from David Garrard (Josh Scobee kick), 7:46. Tied 14–14. Drive: 11 plays, 95 yards, 7:11.
- NE – Laurence Maroney
- 3rd Quarter
- NE – Wes WelkerWes Welker-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
6 yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 8:49. Patriots 21–14. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 6:11. - JAX – Josh Scobee 39 yard field goal, 4:04. Patriots 21–17. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 4:45.
- NE – Ben Watson 9 yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:49. Patriots 28–17. Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 3:15.
- NE – Wes Welker
- 4th Quarter
- JAX – Josh Scobee 25 yard field goal, 9:44. Patriots 28–20.
- NE – Stephen Gostkowski 35 yard field goal, 6:39. Patriots 31–20. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 3:05.
- 1st Quarter
AFC Championship Game vs. San Diego Chargers
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,...
, the Patriots still managed to defeat San Diego, holding them to four field goals while Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney is an American football running back who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota.-Early years:Maroney attended Normandy Senior High School in St...
rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown for the second game in a row. With this win, the Patriots became the first NFL team to start with a 18–0 record and advanced to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in seven years.
With just over 5 minutes left in the first quarter, Chargers defensive back Quentin Jammer
Quentin Jammer
Quentin Tremaine Jammer is an American football player who currently plays cornerback for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL.- Early years :...
intercepted a pass from Brady on the Patriots 40-yard line, setting up a 26-yard field goal by Nate Kaeding
Nate Kaeding
Nathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
. New England responded by driving 65 yards and scoring with a 1-yard Maroney touchdown run to take a 7–3 lead.
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...
intercepted a pass from Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
and returned it 10 yards to the Chargers 24-yard line. One play later, Brady's 12-yard touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney
Jabar Gaffney
Derrick Jabar Gaffney is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
increased their lead to 14–6. Later on, a 26-yard run by Darren Sproles
Darren Sproles
Darren Lee Sproles is an American football running back of the NFL who plays for the New Orleans Saints. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
moved the ball to the New England 34-yard line. But once again, the Patriots defense kept San Diego out of the end zone, stopping them on 3rd and 1 and forcing them to settle for another Kaeding field goal, making the score 14–9 at halftime.
On the opening drive of the second half, Brady threw his second interception of the game, this one to Drayton Florence
Drayton Florence
Drayton Florence, Jr. is an American football cornerback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
at the New England 49-yard line. San Diego then moved the ball to the 4-yard line, but on 3rd and 1, linebacker Junior Seau
Junior Seau
Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker".A ten-time All-Pro and...
tackled Michael Turner for a 2-yard loss and the Chargers had to settle for Kaeding's fourth field goal. New England responded with a drive to the San Diego 2-yard line, with Maroney gaining 39 yards on four running plays, but Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie
Antonio Cromartie
Antonio Cromartie is an American football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers 19th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft...
ended the drive by intercepting Brady in the end zone.
On their first drive of the fourth quarter, New England moved the ball 67 yards and scored with Brady's 6-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
, making the score 21–12. Following a Chargers punt, the Patriots ended the game with a 15-play drive that took the final 9:13 off the game clock.
- Scoring
- SD – Nate KaedingNate KaedingNathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
26 yard field goal, 2:55. Chargers 3–0.
- NE – Laurence MaroneyLaurence MaroneyLaurence Maroney is an American football running back who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota.-Early years:Maroney attended Normandy Senior High School in St...
1 yard run (Stephen GostkowskiStephen GostkowskiStephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
kick), 13:48. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:07. - SD – Nate Kaeding 23 yard field goal, 9:14. Patriots 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:34.
- NE – Jabar GaffneyJabar GaffneyDerrick Jabar Gaffney is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
12 yard pass from Tom BradyTom BradyThomas 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,...
(Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:51. Patriots 14–6. Drive: 2 plays, 24 yards, 0:45. - SD – Nate Kaeding 40 yard field goal, 0:08. Patriots 14–9. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 1:38.
- SD – Nate Kaeding 24 yard field goal, 8:36. Patriots 14–12. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 3:56.
- NE – Wes WelkerWes Welker-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
6 yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:15. Patriots 21–12.
Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
After scoring a combined 73 points in their regular season meeting, the teams scored a mere 10 points by the end of the third quarter, with the Patriots leading 7 to 3. The Patriots' record-setting offense gave up five sacks and one lost fumble, while the Giants' offense managed only five first downs in the second and third quarters. Yet in the fourth quarter, quarterback Eli ManningEli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
threw two touchdown passes, including the winning drive that culminated with a 17-yard touchdown 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...
with 39 seconds remaining. The game marked the first time that a previously undefeated team had lost in a 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...
championship game since the 1942
1942 NFL season
The 1942 NFL season was the 23rd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, many players left for service in World War II, thus depleting the rosters of all the teams....
Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as the Patriots fell to 18–1 on the season.
After calling tails to win the coin toss
Coin flipping
Coin flipping or coin tossing or heads or tails is the practice of throwing a coin in the air to choose between two alternatives, sometimes to resolve a dispute between two parties...
, the Giants started the game with the longest opening drive in Super Bowl history, a 16-play, 77-yard march that consumed 9 minutes, 59 seconds and featured four third-down conversions, the most ever on a Super Bowl opening drive. But New England halted the drive at their own 14-yard line, forcing the Giants to settle for a 32-yard field goal from Lawrence Tynes
Lawrence Tynes
Lawrence James Henry Tynes is an American football placekicker for the New York Giants. He was originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2001.-Early years:...
that gave New York a 3–0 lead.
New England then responded with its own scoring drive as Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney is an American football running back who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota.-Early years:Maroney attended Normandy Senior High School in St...
returned the kickoff 43 yards to the Patriots' 44-yard line, after which he rushed twice for 15 yards. 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,...
then completed three passes for 23 yards, but after two incomplete passes, New England was faced with 3rd-and-10 on the Giants' 17. However, on that play, New York linebacker Antonio Pierce
Antonio Pierce
Antonio Durran Pierce is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football at Arizona....
committed pass interference by striking the helmet of tight end 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...
in the end zone, giving New England 1st-and-goal at the 1. This set up a Maroney 1-yard touchdown run two plays later, the first play of the second quarter, for a 7–3 lead. The two teams each only had one drive in the entire opening quarter, a Super Bowl record.
On the Giants first drive of the second quarter, on 3rd-and-7, receiver Amani Toomer
Amani Toomer
Amani Toomer is a retired American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan, where he was a fan favorite.Toomer has also been a member of the Kansas...
caught in a deep pass from Manning along the left sideline while dragging his feet in-bounds for a 38-yard gain, moving the ball to the Patriots' 19. But three plays later, Manning threw a pass that bounced out of the arms of rookie receiver Steve Smith
Steve Smith (New York Giants)
Steve Smith is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
and into the hands of cornerback Ellis Hobbs
Ellis Hobbs
Ellis Hobbs III is a former American football cornerback who played for six seasons in the National Football League. He played college football for Iowa State. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft and played for them from 2005–2008...
for an interception.
The Patriots' ensuing drive resulted in a three-and-out as on 3rd-and-1 James Butler and Michael Strahan
Michael Strahan
Michael Anthony Strahan is a former National Football League defensive end who played his entire career for the New York Giants; a career where he set the record for the most sacks in a single season and won a Super Bowl in his final year. He is currently a football analyst on Fox NFL Sunday, and...
tackled Maroney for a two-yard loss and New England was forced to punt.
Then on the Giants' next drive, rookie running back Ahmad Bradshaw
Ahmad Bradshaw
Ahmad Bradshaw is an American football running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the New York Giants...
fumbled a Manning hand-off and it looked as though Patriots' linebacker Pierre Woods
Pierre Woods
-New England Patriots:Woods was signed by the New England Patriots after going undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, Woods saw action in eight games and finished fourth on the team with 11 special teams tackles In 2007 he played in all 16 regular-season games for the first time in...
had recovered the ball at the Giants' 30. But after the officials picked through the pile, it was determined that Bradshaw had made the recovery. The Giants maintained possession and wound up punting. New England's next drive ended with consecutive Giants' sacks, the first by linebacker Kawika Mitchell
Kawika Mitchell
Kawika Uilani Mitchell is an American football linebacker who currently is a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round in the 2003 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, and New Orleans Saints...
, the second by tackle Justin Tuck
Justin Tuck
Justin Lee Tuck is an American football defensive end for the National Football League's New York Giants.A former standout defensive end for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Tuck currently plays in the National Football League for the New York Giants. His cousin Adalius Thomas was also a former...
.
On the Giants' following drive, New York moved the ball to the New England 25, but linebacker Adalius Thomas
Adalius Thomas
Adalius Donquail Thomas is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Mississippi.-Early years:...
sacked Manning and forced a fumble. Smith recovered the ball, however Bradshaw was penalized for illegally batting the ball forward before the recovery. The penalty pushed the Giants out of field goal range, and following an incompletion, they were forced to punt.
After the punt, two 18-yard receptions by Moss and Donté Stallworth moved the ball to the Giants' 44. But with 22 seconds left before halftime, Brady fumbled while being sacked by Tuck and defensive end Osi Umenyiora
Osi Umenyiora
-2003:Umenyiora was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the New York Giants out of Troy State University, now Troy University. He was number 72. As a rookie in 2003, he played in 13 games with one start.-2005:...
recovered the ball. The game then went to halftime with the Patriots leading 7–3.
On the first drive of the second half, New England had a 4th-and-2 and chose to punt. However, after the play had been run, Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
challenged that New York had too many players on the field and replay confirmed that was the case as Giants linebacker Chase Blackburn
Chase Blackburn
Chase Blackburn is an American football linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football for Akron....
was unable to get to the sidelines as the ball was being snapped. Therefore, referee Mike Carey reversed the play, and the Giants were penalized 5 yards for having too many players on the field, giving the Patriots a first down. The Patriots then drove to the Giants' 25, but Strahan sacked Brady for a 6-yard loss on third down. Then on 4th-and-13, with the ball on the Giants' 31, Belichick decided against a long field goal attempt by Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
and tried to pick up a first down instead. Brady's pass to Jabar Gaffney
Jabar Gaffney
Derrick Jabar Gaffney is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
was incomplete as it went out of the back of the end zone and the Giants took over on downs.
On the Giants' first drive of the fourth quarter, Manning completed a 45-yard pass to rookie tight end Kevin Boss
Kevin Boss
Kevin Boss is an American football tight end for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League...
. Following three runs by Bradshaw and a 17-yard reception by Smith on third down, Manning finished the 7-play, 80-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to David Tyree
David Tyree
David Mikel Tyree is a retired American football wide receiver and special teams player. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse University. Tyree has also played for the Baltimore Ravens...
, giving New York a 10–7 lead with 11:10 left in the game.
After consecutive three-and-outs by the Patriots and Giants, New England got the ball at its own 20 with 7:54 to play. Brady then completed a 5-yard pass to Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
and a 10-yard pass to Moss, followed by a 9-yard run by Maroney to give the Patriots a first down at their own 44. Brady followed with a 13-yard pass to Welker, a four-yard completion to 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,...
, and then a 10-yard pass to Welker for a first down at the Giants' 29. After that, Brady found Moss for an 11-yard completion and Faulk for a 12-yard completion and New England now had 1st-and-goal from the Giants' 6. Following two incomplete passes, New York cornerback Corey Webster
Corey Webster
Corey Jonas Webster is an American football cornerback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State University.-High school career:Webster attended St. James High...
slipped while backing into coverage, leaving Moss wide open in the end zone where Brady found him for a touchdown to give New England a 14–10 lead with 2:42 left in the game.
On the ensuing kickoff, Ray Ventrone tackled Domenik Hixon
Domenik Hixon
Domenik Hixon is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Akron.-Early years:Hixon was born to an African American...
after a 14-yard return, giving New York the ball on their own 17 with 2:39 left and three timeouts remaining. Following two receptions by Toomer for 20 yards, Brandon Jacobs
Brandon Jacobs
-New York Giants:Going into the 2006 season Jacobs stated that he studied film of famed power running back Eddie George in an effort to refine his running style. George, like Jacobs, was a large, power running back. In the 2006 season, Jacobs carried the ball 96 times for 423 yards and nine...
kept the drive going with a 2-yard run on 4th-and-1. On the next series of downs, Patriots' 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...
nearly caught a possibly game-ending interception on a ball intended for Tyree, but the ball slipped through his fingertips. On the next play, the Giants faced 3rd-and-5 from their own 44 with 1:15 remaining. Manning spun out of the grasp of lineman Jarvis Green
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...
, righted himself, and threw a 32-yard completion to Tyree
Eli Manning pass to David Tyree
Eli Manning's pass to David Tyree was an American football play involving the two aforementioned New York Giants players in the final two minutes of Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008. It was instrumental in the Giants' 17–14 upset victory over the New England Patriots...
, who made a leaping catch while covered by 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...
and maintained possession by pinning the ball against his helmet with one hand as he fell to the ground. Two plays later, on 3rd-and-11, Manning found a wide-open Smith for a 12-yard gain to the New England 13. On the next play, the Giants sent four receivers into the pattern while the Patriots sent six pass rushers after Manning and flipped four pass defenders to the right side of the field – resulting in Patriots' cornerback Ellis Hobbs
Ellis Hobbs
Ellis Hobbs III is a former American football cornerback who played for six seasons in the National Football League. He played college football for Iowa State. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft and played for them from 2005–2008...
being isolated on the left side to cover Giants' wide receiver 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...
one-on-one. Hobbs bit on a fake slant inside (a "slant-and-go" or "SluGo" route) and Manning lofted a pass to the end zone where Burress caught the ball for a touchdown to complete the 12-play, 83-yard drive and give Giants a 17–14 lead with 35 seconds left.
New England began its next possession on its own 26 with 29 seconds remaining and three timeouts, but the Giants' defense didn't allow a single yard—forcing an incompletion on first down, a 10-yard sack by rookie lineman Jay Alford
Jay Alford
Jason Jamaal Alford is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State....
on second down, and then two deep incomplete attempts to Moss, the first that was broken up by Webster, and the second of which, on 4th-and-20, was broken up by Giants' safety Gibril Wilson
Gibril Wilson
Gibril Donald Wilson is an American football safety for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee.Wilson earned a Super Bowl ring with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII...
and caused a turnover on downs with one second remaining. After the incompletion, the game clock briefly read zero (one second was re-added), and coaches, players, reporters, and fans crowded the field as if the game had ended. Belichick hugged Giants' Coach Tom Coughlin
Tom Coughlin
Thomas Richard Coughlin is an American football coach who is currently head coach for the New York Giants of the National Football League . Coughlin has led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII. Coughlin was also the inaugural head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving from 1995–2002 and...
at midfield, then an official explained to both coaches that the final second had to be run. The Patriots' defense took the field, and Belichick left for the locker room, not staying for the final play. This early departure was later criticized by some sportswriters.
The officials cleared the field, and restarted the clock. Manning took a knee, allowing the clock to expire, and consequently sealed the historic Super Bowl XLII championship for the Giants, while also ending the Patriots' prospects of a 19–0 season.
- Scoring
- 1st Quarter
- NYG – Lawrence TynesLawrence TynesLawrence James Henry Tynes is an American football placekicker for the New York Giants. He was originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2001.-Early years:...
32-yard field goal, 5:01. Giants 3–0. Drive: 16 plays, 63 yards, 9:59.
- NYG – Lawrence Tynes
- 2nd Quarter
- NE – Laurence MaroneyLaurence MaroneyLaurence Maroney is an American football running back who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota.-Early years:Maroney attended Normandy Senior High School in St...
1-yard run (Stephen GostkowskiStephen GostkowskiStephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
kick), 14:57. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 5:04
- NE – Laurence Maroney
- 3rd Quarter
- No scoring.
- 4th Quarter
- NYG – David TyreeDavid TyreeDavid Mikel Tyree is a retired American football wide receiver and special teams player. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse University. Tyree has also played for the Baltimore Ravens...
5-yard pass from Eli ManningEli ManningEli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
(Lawrence Tynes kick), 11:05. Giants 10–7 Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:47 - NE – Randy MossRandy MossRandy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
6-yard pass from Tom BradyTom BradyThomas 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,...
(Stephen Gostkowski kick), 2:42. Patriots 14–10 Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards in 5:15 - NYG – Plaxico BurressPlaxico BurressPlaxico 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...
13-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 0:35. Giants 17–14 Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards in 2:07
- NYG – David Tyree
- 1st Quarter
Final roster
| New England Patriots 2007 final roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Wesley Britt Wesley Britt is a free agent American football offensive tackle formerly of the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft... 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 Nick Kaczur Nicholas Jesse Kaczur is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft... 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 Logan Mankins -2005–06 seasons:Mankins was drafted with the final pick of the first round, 32nd overall, in the 2005 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Despite playing his entire collegiate career as a tackle, Mankins was moved to left guard by the Patriots, where he immediately stepped into the starting... G 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 Ryan O'Callaghan Ryan O'Callaghan is an American football offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft... T Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
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 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 Junior Seau Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker".A ten-time All-Pro and... ILB Adalius Thomas Adalius Donquail Thomas is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Mississippi.-Early years:... OLB/DE 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 Pierre Woods -New England Patriots:Woods was signed by the New England Patriots after going undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, Woods saw action in eight games and finished fourth on the team with 11 special teams tackles In 2007 he played in all 16 regular-season games for the first time in... OLB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
Reserve Lists
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 (IR) Oscar Lua Oscar Lua is former American football linebacker. He was originally drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early years:... ILB (IR) R Mel Mitchell Mel Mitchell III is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft... FS (IR) Sammy Morris Samuel "Sammy" Morris III is an American football running back who is a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft... RB (IR) Mike I. Richardson Michael Isaiah Richardson is an American football cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft... CB (IR) R Chad Scott Chad Oliver Scott was an American football cornerback who retired in 2008. He was a surprise number 1 draft choice for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who picked him 24th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft... CB (IR) David Thomas (American football) John David Thomas is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft... TE (IR) Mike Wright Michael Wright is an American football defensive end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was originally signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Cincinnati.... NT/DE (IR) Practice Squad
Notations
|
|||||
Awards and honors
Bill Belichick, and numerous players, were the recipients of awards for their performances in the 2007 regular season:| Recipient | Award(s) |
|---|---|
| Bill Belichick Bill Belichick William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991... |
Week 6: Motorola Motorola Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009... NFL Coach of the Week Week 17: Motorola NFL Coach of the Week 2007 Associated Press Associated Press The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists... NFL Coach of the Year NFL Coach of the Year Award The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the NFL head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disposal. Currently, the most widely recognized award is presented by the... |
| 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,... |
Week 3: AFC Offensive Player of the Week September: AFC Offensive Player of the Month Week 6: AFC Offensive Player of the Week Week 6: FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week Week 7: AFC Offensive Player of the Week Week 7: FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week October: AFC Offensive Player of the Month Week 11: FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week Week 14: AFC Offensive Player of the Week Week 17: AFC Offensive Player of the Week 2007 Sporting News The Sporting News Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"... Sportsman of the Year 2007 Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year Associated Press Athlete of the Year The first Athlete of the Year award in the United States was initiated by the Associated Press in 1931. At a time when women in sports were never given the same recognition as men, the AP offered a male and a female athlete of the year award to either a professional or amateur athlete... 2007 Associated Press NFL MVP 2007 Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year |
| Ellis Hobbs Ellis Hobbs Ellis Hobbs III is a former American football cornerback who played for six seasons in the National Football League. He played college football for Iowa State. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft and played for them from 2005–2008... |
Week 1: AFC Special Teams Player of the Week |
| Randy Moss Randy Moss Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft... |
Week 9: AFC Offensive Player of the Week Week 11: AFC Offensive Player of the Week November: AFC Offensive Player of the Month |
| Stephen Neal 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... |
2007 New England Patriots Ed Block Courage Award |
| 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... |
Week 12: AFC Defensive Player of the Week |
| 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... |
Week 8: AFC Defensive Player of the Week Week 8: GMC NFL Defensive Player of the Week |
| 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... |
2007 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 |
| Wes Welker Wes Welker -San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:... |
2007 New England Patriots 12th Player Award |
- Brady received 49 of 50 votes; Brett FavreBrett FavreBrett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
received the other vote. - Patriots players received 49 of 50 votes: Brady earned 35.5, Randy Moss 12.5, and Wes Welker 1 (the remaining vote went to Brett Favre).
Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections
Eight Patriots were elected to the 2008 Pro Bowl2008 Pro Bowl
The 2008 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by Fox and began shortly after 11:40am local time . The NFC won, 42–30, despite a 17-point first half AFC...
, the most since 1985
1985 New England Patriots season
The 1985 New England Patriots season was the 16th season for the team in the National Football League and 26th season overall. The Patriots had a record of eleven wins and five losses, and finished tied for second in the AFC East division. They lost in Super Bowl XX to the Chicago Bears...
. 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,...
, offensive tackle Matt Light
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...
, guard Logan Mankins
Logan Mankins
-2005–06 seasons:Mankins was drafted with the final pick of the first round, 32nd overall, in the 2005 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Despite playing his entire collegiate career as a tackle, Mankins was moved to left guard by the Patriots, where he immediately stepped into the starting...
, wide receiver Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, 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...
, 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...
, and defensive tackle 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...
were all named as starters, while center Dan Koppen
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...
was named as a reserve.
Of those eight, five—Brady, Light, Moss, Samuel, and Vrabel—were selected to the NFL's All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
first team with Moss being a unanimous selection, and Brady receiving all but one-half vote (the other half was given to Brett Favre). Wilfork, Mankins, Koppen, and wide receiver Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
were named to the second team.