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Sunday, November 04, 2007

Pats-Colts postgame notes

Courtesy of the New England Patriots

GAME NOTES—PATRIOTS at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Week 9 – November 4, 2007

BRADY SETS SINGLE-SEASON FRANCHISE TOUCHDOWN PASS MARK

With three touchdown passes against the Colts today, Tom Brady raised his season total to 33 touchdown passes, setting a new franchise record and passing Vito “Babe” Parilli’s previous record of 31 touchdown passes in 1964. Brady tied the record with a 4-yard scoring strike to Randy Moss in the second quarter and set a new record with his 32nd scoring pass of the season, a 3-yard strike to Wes Welker in the fourth quarter. He added his 33rd touchdown pass of the season on a 13-yard score to Kevin Faulk in the fourth quarter. Parilli threw his 31 touchdown passes for the Boston Patriots during the 14-game American Football League season. Brady reached 33 passes in the ninth game of the season.

BRADY SETS NFL RECORD FOR MOST CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH 3+ TOUCHDOWN PASSES

Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes today, setting an NFL record with his ninth straight game with three or more touchdown passes. He broke the old record of eight consecutive games, set by Peyton Manning in 2004. Through nine games this season, Brady has totaled 32 touchdown passes and just four interceptions.

BRADY LEADS 25th CAREER COMEBACK

Tom Brady led the Patriots to a 24-20 victory following a 20-10 fourth-quarter deficit, marking the 25th time in his career that he has led the Patriots to a win following a fourth-quarter deficit or tie. He accomplished the feat for the 19th time in the regular season and has also done it six times in the playoffs (including three times in the Super Bowl. Against Indianapolis, the Patriots trailed 20-10 following an Indianapolis touchdown with 9:42 left in the game. Brady then led the team on a seven-play, 73-yard scoring drive to make the score 20-17 on a 3-yard touchdown catch by Wes Welker with 7:59 left and on the Patriots’ next drive led a three-play, 51-yard drive that ended in a 13-yard touchdown catch by Kevin Faulk that gave the Patriots a 24-20 lead with 3:15 remaining in the game. The comeback against the Colts marked the Patriots’ fourth fourth-quarter comeback from a deficit of 10 or more points with Brady at the helm and the first one that was won in regulation time. The last time Brady led a comeback of 10 or more points was on Dec. 29, 2002, when the Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins 27-24 in overtime after trailing 24-13 with 4:59 remaining in regulation. Brady’s other comebacks of 10 or more points in the fourth quarter came on Nov. 10, 2002 at Chicago (a 33-30 win following a 30-19 deficit with 5:16 remaining in regulation) and in the 2001 divisional playoffs against Oakland on Jan. 19, 2002 (a 16-13 overtime win following a 13-3 deficit entering the fourth quarter).

MOSS TIES SINGLE-SEASON FRANCHISE RECEIVING TD RECORD

Randy Moss hauled in a 4-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the second quarter to give the Patriots a 7-3 lead. The touchdown was Moss’s 12th receiving touchdown of the season, tying the Patriots’ single-season franchise record also achieved by Stanley Morgan in 1979. Moss’s 12 touchdown catches are the fifth highest total of his 10-year career, trailing his career-best 17 scoring grabs in 1998 and 2003, his 15 touchdown catches in 2000 and his 13 scoring receptions in 2004. On the same touchdown pass where Moss tied the franchise touchdown reception record, Tom Brady tied Babe Parilli’s 1964 mark with his 31st touchdown toss of the year.

100-YARD GAME FOR MOSS

Randy Moss had 145 receiving yards on nine receptions, marking his sixth game this season with at least 100 receiving yards. The 100-yard receiving game was the 52nd of his career, a total that ranks third all-time behind Jerry Rice (76) and Marvin Harrison (59). Stanley Morgan holds the Patriots single-season record with nine 100-yard receiving games in 1986.

MAKING HISTORY

In the 88-year history of the NFL, there have been six games that have matched up undefeated teams with five or more victories. The Patriots have taken part in three of those games and have won all three, including two this season. The 5-0 Patriots beat the 5-0 Dallas Cowboys 48-27 on Oct. 14 and the 8-0 Patriots defeated the 7-0 Colts 24-20 today. Additionally, the 5-0 Patriots beat the 5-0 New York Jets 13-7 on Oct. 24, 2004.

NFL GAMES IN WHICH BOTH TEAMS WERE UNBEATEN WITH 5+ WINS

Date Teams Result

11/13/21 Buffalo All-Americans (6-0) vs. Akron Pros (7-0) at BUF 0, AKR 0

11/04/23 Canton Bulldogs (5-0) vs. Chicago Cardinals (5-0) CAN 7, at CHI 3

10/28/73 Minnesota Vikings (6-0) vs. Los Angeles Rams (6-0) at MIN 10, LA 9

10/24/04 New England Patriots (5-0) vs. New York Jets (5-0) at NE 13, NYJ 7

10/14/07 New England Patriots (5-0) vs. Dallas Cowboys (5-0) NE 48, at DAL 27

11/04/07 New England Patriots (8-0) at Indianapolis Colts (7-0) NE 24, at IND 20

GREEN MACHINE

Jarvis Green strip-sacked Peyton Manning with 2:30 remaining in the game on third-and-nine at the Colts’ 49-yard line with New England holding a 24-20 lead. Rosevelt Colvin recovered the fumble, giving the Patriots possession at the Indianapolis 46-yard line and ending Indianapolis’ bid for a potential go-ahead score. The sack was Green’s fourth of the season and raised his career total to 22.5 sacks. It was his first forced fumble of the season and was the seventh forced fumble of his career. Last season, Green tied Mike Vrabel for the team lead with three strip sacks.

FAULK SCORES FIRST TOUCHDOWN OF THE SEASON

Kevin Faulk scored his first touchdown of the season on a 13-yard reception from Tom Brady that gave the Patriots a 24-20 lead with 3:15 remaining in the game. The touchdown was the 24th of Faulk’s career and was his 11th career touchdown reception. He has also scored 11 rushing touchdowns and two touchdowns on kickoff returns.

WELKER CATCHES SEVENTH TOUCHDOWN PASS OF THE SEASON

Wes Welker caught his seventh touchdown pass of the season, a 3-yard scoring grab from Tom Brady in the fourth quarter to cut the Indianapolis lead to 20-17. Welker, who had just one touchdown reception entering the 2007 season, has now caught six touchdown passes in his last four games. Welker entered the game tied for second in the NFL with a team-high 56 receptions this season.

SEYMOUR TIPS FIELD GOAL TRY

Richard Seymour tipped Adam Vinatieri’s 50-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter, getting his fingertips on the ball and forcing Vinatieri’s first career miss in the RCA Dome. In his seven-year career, Seymour has blocked five career field goals in the regular season and one in the playoffs. Heading into today’s game, Vinatieri was 55-for-57 on indoor field goal attempts in the regular season, with his only two misses coming at Houston’s Reliant Stadium on Nov. 23, 2003 while playing for the Patriots against the Houston Texans.

MOSS CATCHES 55-YARD PASS

Randy Moss hauled in a 55-yard pass in the fourth quarter that gave the Patriots a first-and-goal at the Colts’ 3-yard line. The catch was Moss’s longest of the season and his longest since Oct. 2, 2005, when he grabbed a 79-yard pass while playing for the Oakland Raiders against the Dallas Cowboys. Moss’s 55-yard grab was the second longest by a Patriots player this season, trailing only Donte Stallworth’s 69-yard touchdown reception at Dallas on Oct. 14.

VRABEL RAISES SEASON TOTAL TO 8.5 SACKS

Mike Vrabel sacked Peyton Manning for a 4-yard loss in the third quarter. The sack raised Vrabel’s season total to 8.5 sacks, a mark that leads the team. Entering this week’s games, Vrabel’s 7.5 sacks led all NFL linebackers and ranked second overall in the AFC and fifth overall in the NFL. Last season, Rosevelt Colvin led the Patriots with 8.5 sacks. Vrabel’s single-season career high is 9.5 sacks, achieved in 2003 with the Patriots. Following his sack of Manning, Vrabel had 47.0 career sacks, a mark that ranks sixth among all active NFL linebackers.

HARRISON HAS FIRST INTERCEPTION OF THE SEASON

Rodney Harrison intercepted a Peyton Manning pass in the third quarter, giving the Patriots possession at the Indianapolis 30-yard line. The interception was Harrison’s first of the season and was the 33rd of his career. Harrison’s last interception came on Oct. 30, 2006 at Minnesota. Harrison, who also has 30.5 career sacks, is the only player in NFL history with at least 30 career sacks and at least 30 career interceptions.

DEFENSE BEARS DOWN

The Patriots defense clamped down and held the Colts to a field goal on two occasions in the first half after long pass interference penalties gave the Colts a first-and-goal from inside the 10-yard line. In the first quarter, a 37-yard penalty gave Indianapolis a first-and-goal from the 9-yard line, but Asante Samuel’s pass deflection in the end zone on third down kept Indianapolis out of the end zone and forced a 21-yard field goal by the Colts. In the second quarter, a 40-yard penalty gave the Colts a first-and-goal from the six-yard line, but Randall Gay stuffed Dallas Clark on third down for a 2-yard loss on a pass play that once again kept the Colts out of the end zone and forced a 25-yard field goal.

QUICK HITS

Ø Tom Brady improved his career record as a starter(including playoffs) to… 27-5 in games decided by four points or fewer, 31-2 on artificial turf and 11-1 in games played indoors.

Ø Rosevelt Colvin sacked Peyton Manning on third down in the fourth quarter, causing a fumble (the Colts recovered) and forcing an Indianapolis punt on the ensuing play.

Ø Richard Seymour stuffed the Colts’ Kenton Keith for a 5-yard loss in the first quarter.

Ø Adalius Thomas hit Joseph Addai in the backfield for a 3-yard loss in the second quarter.

Ø Ty Warren and Tedy Bruschi combined to stop Addai for a 1-yard loss in the third quarter, helping force a punt two plays later.

Ø Jarvis Green stuffed Addai in the backfield for a 9-yard loss on a rushing attempt in the third quarter.

Ø Joseph Addai’s 73-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter was the longest play allowed by the Patriots this season. Previously, the longest play New England had allowed in 2007 was a 36-yard reception by Cleveland’s Braylon Edwards on Oct. 7. Addai’s play was the longest given up by the Patriots since Denver’s Javon Walker had an 83-yard catch on Sept. 24, 2006.

Ø The Patriots did not score in today’s first quarter. Entering the game, the Patriots had scored points in 30 of 32 quarters of football.

Ø Tom Brady’s 19-yard scramble in the third quarter was the second longest run of his career, trailing only his 22-yard scamper against Cincinnati on Oct. 1, 2006.

Ø The Patriots were penalized a total of 146 yards on 10 penalties, setting a new single-game franchise record for penalty yards. The previous record was 139 penalty yards against Buffalo on Nov. 6, 1983.

WELKER’S 35-YARD PUNT RETURN

Wes Welker’s 35-yard punt return in the third quarter was the longest by a Patriots player this season and the longest since Chad Jackson returned a punt 39 yards at Tennessee on Dec. 31, 2006. For Welker, it was his longest punt return since bringing one back 47 yards while playing for Miami in the 2006 regular-season opener on Sept. 7, 2006 at Pittsburgh.

INTERCEPTION-FREE STREAK BROKEN

Tom Brady threw an interception to Indianapolis’ Antoine Bethea in the second quarter, ending a streak of 175 pass attempts without an interception. His 175 passes without a pick are the longest streak of Brady’s career and are four shy of the franchise record of 179 passes without an interception, achieved by Drew Bledsoe in 1995. During Brady’s 175-pass streak without an interception, he threw 20 touchdown passes. Prior to Bethea’s interception, the last time Brady had thrown a pick was on Oct. 1, when Cincinnati’s Leon Hall picked off one of his passes in the second quarter.

GOSTKOWSKI’S SUCCESS STREAK

Stephen Gostkowski converted a 34-yard field goal in the third quarter, cutting the Colts’ lead to 13-10. Following that field goal, Gostkowski was 11-for-12 on the season (91.7 percent) and had made 32 of his last 35 field goal tries (91.4 percent) since Nov. 5, 2006. That streak includes a perfect 8-for-8 performance in the 2006 playoffs.

SCORING STREAK BROKEN

The Patriots were held to a punt on their first offensive possession of the game, marking the first time this season they were held off of the scoreboard on their opening drive. Entering today’s game, the Patriots had scored on their opening drive in each of the season’s first eight games, totaling five touchdowns and three field goals.

BRADY IS SOLID INDOORS

Tom Brady improved to 9-0 record as a starter in regular-season games played indoors. He is also 2-1 in the playoffs in such games, with his only loss coming in last season’s AFC Championship Game.

TOM BRADY’S RECORD AS A STARTER IN INDOOR GAMES
Regular Season (9-0)

10/21/01…........ at Indianapolis…..................... W…............ 38-17

11/04/01…........ at Atlanta…........................... W…............ 24-10

11/28/02…........ at Detroit…............................ W…............ 20-12

11/23/03…........ at Houston….......................... W…............ 23-20 OT

11/30/03…........ at Indianapolis…..................... W…............ 38-34

11/07/04…........ at St. Louis….......................... W…............ 40-22

10/09/05…........ at Atlanta…........................... W…............ 31-28

10/30/06…........ at Minnesota…....................... W…............ 31-7

11/04/07….......... at Indianapolis…..................... W…............ 24-20

Playoffs (2-1)

02/03/02…........ $ St. Louis….......................... W…............ 20-17