Sunday, November 23, 2008

Pats-Dolphins Postgame Notes

Courtesy: The New England Patriots

GAME NOTES
Patriots at Dolphins - November 23, 2008

PATRIOTS HAVE SECOND HIGHEST NET YARDAGE OUTPUT IN TEAM HISTORY
The Patriots totaled 530 net yards of offense in their 48-28 win over Miami, recording the second highest offensive yardage output in team history and the most since gaining a team-record 597 total net yards against the New York Jets on Sept. 9, 1979.

PATRIOTS RECORDS / TOTAL NET YARDS IN GAME
Date Opp. Total Net Yards Passing Rushing
09/09/79 N.Y. Jets 597 365 232
11/23/08 at Miami 530 408 122
10/29/78 N.Y. Jets 529 289 240
12/18/65 Houston Oilers 526 336 190
11/13/08 N.Y. Jets 511 386 125
11/18/07 Buffalo 510 383 127
09/21/86 Seattle 506 386 120

PATRIOTS IMPROVE TO 17-1 FOLLOWING LOSSES SINCE 2003
The Patriots bounced back from last week’s loss to the Jets defeat the Dolphins today, improving their record following losses to 17-1 (.944) since the beginning of the 2003 season. Over the last five-plus seasons (2003-08), the Patriots have only lost back-to-back games on one occasion (Nov. 5 and Nov. 12, 2006).

CASSEL BECOMES FIFTH PLAYER IN NFL HISTORY TO HAVE BACK-TO-BACK 400-YARD PASSING GAMES
Matt Cassel threw for 415 yards today, marking the fifth time in NFL history a quarterback has totaled 400 or more passing yards in back-to-back games. Cassel threw for 400 yards against the New York Jets on Nov. 13. Cassel is the first player to achieve the feat since Tennessee’s Billy Volek did it in 2004 (426 yards on 12/13/04 and 492 yards on 12/19/04). In addition to Volek, the other NFL passers to have achieved the feat are San Diego’s Dan Fouts in 1982 (444 yards on 12/11/82 and 435 yards on 12/20/82), Miami’s Dan Marino in 1984 (470 yards on 12/2/84 and 404 yards on 12/9/84) and the New York Giants’ Phil Simms in 1985 (432 yards on 10/6/85 and 513 yards on 10/13/85).

CASSEL BECOMES SECOND PATRIOTS PLAYER TO PASS FOR 400 YARDS TWICE
Matt Cassel joined Drew Bledsoe as the only Patriots quarterbacks to pass for 400 yards or more in two or more games. Cassel has two career 400-yard passing games (last week against the Jets and today against the Dolphins). Bledsoe had four 400-yard passing games with the Patriots (two in 1994, one in 1996 and one in 1998). The other Patriots players to achieve the feat are Tom Brady (1), Tony Eason (1), Steve Grogan (1) and Tom Ramsey (1).

ALL-TIME PATRIOTS 400-YARD PASSING GAMES
Player Date Opp. Yards A-C-TD-INT
Drew Bledsoe 11/13/94* MIN 426 70-45-3-0
Drew Bledsoe 11/23/98 MIA 423 54-28-2-2
Drew Bledsoe 09/04/94 at MIA 421 51-32-4-2
Drew Bledsoe 11/03/96 MIA 419 41-30-3-2
Matt Cassel 11/23/08 at MIA 415 43-30-3-1
Tony Eason 09/21/86 SEA 414 45-26-3-0
Tom Brady 09/22/02* KC 410 54-39-4-1
Tom Ramsey 11/29/87* PHI 402 53-34-3-2
Steve Grogan 10/12/86 NYJ 401 42-23-3-0
Matt Cassel 11/13/08* NYJ 400 51-30-3-0

CASSEL’S 415 PASSING YARDS ARE FIFTH-MOST IN TEAM HISTORY
Matt Cassel’s 415 passing yards against the Dolphins today are the fifth-highest single-game total in team history, trailing only four performances by Drew Bledsoe. Cassel’s 415 yards trail only Bledsoe’s franchise-record 426 passing yards against Minnesota on Nov. 13, 1994, in addition to Bledsoe’s totals of 423 yards (11/23/98), 421 yards (9/4/94) and 419 yards (11/3/96). Cassel’s 415 passing yards against the Dolphins are the most for a Patriots player in exactly 10 years, dating back to Bledsoe’s 423 yard performance against the Dolphins at Foxboro Stadium on Nov. 23, 1998.

FAULK JOINS EXCLUSIVE CLUB OF 2,000-YARD RUSHERS AND 3,000-YARD RECEIVERS THIS DECADE
On his second reception of the day - a 6-yard catch on the Patriots’ opening drive - Kevin Faulk joined an exclusive club of players who have totaled at least 2,000 rushing yards and at least 3,000 receiving yards this decade. Following that catch, Faulk had totaled 2,717 rushing yards and 3,004 receiving yards since 2000. The only other NFL players to have at least 2,000 rushing yards and at least 3,000 receiving yards in the 2000s are Tiki Barber, Marshall Faulk, LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook and Michael Pittman.

KEVIN FAULK TOTALS 105 SCRIMMAGE YARDS AND A TOUCHDOWN
Kevin Faulk had a 21-yard touchdown run on the final play of the third quarter to give the Patriots a 31-21 lead. Faulk totaled 105 yards from scrimmage in the game (53 rushing, 52 receiving). The score was Faulk’s third rushing touchdown of the season (he had two against San Francisco on Oct. 5). Faulk also has a touchdown reception this year, bringing his total to four touchdowns this year. Faulk’s 21-yard scoring run was the longest Patriots touchdown run since Laurence Maroney had a 59-yard scoring run against Miami on Dec. 23, 2007. The 21-yard scamper was Faulk’s longest rush since Oct. 12, 2003, when he had a 23-yard rush against the New York Giants.

MOSS CATCHES THREE TOUCHDOWN PASSES, MOVING INTO 3RD PLACE ON THE NFL’S ALL-TIME LIST
Randy Moss caught three touchdown passes—a 25-yard touchdown pass from Matt Cassel in the second quarter to give the Patriots a 17-14 lead, an 8-yard scoring grab in the third quarter to give the Patriots a 24-21 lead and a 29-yard scoring pass in the fourth quarter to give the Patriots 38-28. The catches marked his 130th, 131st and 132nd career touchdown receptions, tying and then moving past Cris Carter for third place on the NFL’s all-time touchdown receptions list. Terrell Owens ranks second all-time with 136 touchdown catches, and Jerry Rice is the league’s all-time leader with 197 career scoring catches. Moss entered today’s game as the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions per touchdown, scoring on one of every 6.36 catches (129 touchdowns on 820 receptions entering today). Moss’s eight touchdown catches this season lead the team and are tied for the 10th highest single-season touchdown reception total in team history.

NFL ALL-TIME LEADERS / RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS
Player Years Team(s) TDs
Jerry Rice 1985-2004 SF/OAK/SEA 197
Terrell Owens 1996-2008 SF/PHI/DAL 136
Randy Moss 1998-2008 MIN/OAK/NE 132
Cris Carter 1987-2002 PHI/MIN/MIA 130
Marvin Harrison 1996-2008 IND 127
Tim Brown 1988-2004 LA(A)/OAK/TB 100
Steve Largent 1976-1989 SEA 100

MOSS HAS FIFTH CAREER THREE-PLUS TOUCHDOWN GAME; 31st CAREER TWO-PLUS TOUCHDOWN CATCH GAME
Randy Moss had three touchdown catches, marking the fifth time in his career he has had three or more touchdowns in a game. It marked the second time Moss has had three or more touchdown receptions as a Patriot, joining his four-touchdown catch performance at Buffalo on Nov. 18, 2007. Moss’s three scoring catches tie the second highest single-game total in team history, trailing only his franchise-record four touchdown catches against Buffalo (11/18/07). Today’s game marked the 31st time in Moss’s career that he had totaled two or more touchdown catches in a game. Moss’s career total of 31 games with two or more scoring grabs trails only Jerry Rice’s NFL record of 43 such games. Terrell Owens ranks third with a career total of 30 games with two or more touchdown receptions (including today’s games). Moss is playing in his second career game in Miami, and in his first game here on Oct. 21, 2007, he also caught two touchdown passes. Today’s scoring catches brought Moss’s Patriots totals to 30 scoring catches in 27 games since joining New England prior to last season.

MOSS HAS 100-YARD RECEIVING GAME
Randy Moss had 125 yards on eight catches, marking his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season, his 13th 100-yard receiving game as a Patriot and the 59th 100-yard receiving game of his career. Moss’s 59 100-yard receiving games are tied for second in NFL history with Marvin Harrison, trailing only Jerry Rice’s NFL-record 76 100-yard receiving games.

GREEN-ELLIS SCORES FIFTH TOUCHDOWN OF SEASON
BenJarvus Green-Ellis scored his fifth rushing touchdown of the season on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter. His five rushing scores lead the team (Sammy Morris, 4). Green-Ellis has had a rushing touchdown in five of the last six games. He has played in seven contests since being signed from the practice squad on Oct. 11.

WELKER HAULS IN CAREER-LONG 64-YARD CATCH
Wes Welker caught a 64-yard pass from Matt Cassel in the third quarter that was the key play on a drive that ended in a 21-yard touchdown run by Kevin Faulk and a 31-21 Patriots lead. The 64-yard reception was the longest of Welker’s career, topping a 47-yard catch on Nov. 13, 2005, while playing for the Miami Dolphins against the Patriots at Dolphin Stadium.

WELKER HAS THIRD STRAIGHT 100-YARD RECEIVING GAME
Wes Welker totaled 120 yards on eight receptions, setting a season-high for receiving yards and marking his third consecutive game with 100 or more receiving yards. Welker had totaled four 100-yard receiving games in 71 career games prior to his current streak of three straight 100-yard games. Welker now has a total of seven career 100-yard receiving games - four in 2007 and three so far in 2008. The Patriots record for most consecutive 100-yard receiving games is four, achieved by Randy Moss in 2007 and Stanley Morgan from 1985-86.

CASSEL SCORES
Matt Cassel scored on an 8-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter to give the Patriots a 10-7 lead. The scoring run was Cassel’s second of the season and was the third of his career. His other touchdown this season came on a 13-yard scoring run against Buffalo on Nov. 9. Entering today’s game, Cassel had 185 rushing yards on 51 carries this season, marking the highest single-season rushing total by a Patriots quarterback since 1979, when Steve Grogan had 368 yards on 64 carries. On Nov. 13 against the New York Jets, Cassel had 62 rushing yards on eight carries, marking the highest single-game rushing total by a Patriots quarterback in 30 years.

MERIWEATHER HAS FOURTH INTERCEPTION OF SEASON
Brandon Meriweather intercepted a Chad Pennington pass in the fourth quarter, snaring his team-leading fourth interception of the season. Deltha O’Neal ranks second on the team with three interceptions. Meriweather’s interception was also the fourth of his career since being selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft.

SCORING FIRST STREAK
The Patriots scored first in today’s game and have now won 23 straight games when scoring first. The Patriots scored first against the Dolphins today on a 30-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski giving New England a 3-0 first-quarter lead. The last time New England lost a game in which it scored first was on Nov. 12, 2006 against the New York Jets.

GOSTKOWSKI SETS CAREER HIGH FOR TOUCHBACKS
Stephen Gostkowski boomed a second-quarter kickoff out of the back of the end zone for a touchback. The touchback was his career-best 16th of the season, topping his previous career high of 15 touchbacks, set in 2007. Gostkowski’s 15 touchbacks entering today’s game ranked third in the NFL behind Carolina’s Rhys Lloyd (19) and Denver’s Matt Prater (17). According to STATS LLC, Gostkowski’s 16 touchbacks this season are the most by a Patriots player since their single-season touchbacks records begin in 1991.

QUICK HITS
· The Patriots led 17-14 at halftime of today’s game and have now won 39 consecutive regular-season games when leading at halftime, setting a post-merger NFL record (1970-present). New England has not lost when holding a halftime lead since a Dec. 20, 2004 game at Miami. The Patriots have won 69 of their last 70 games when leading at halftime, a streak that dates back to October 2001.
· Richard Seymour sacked Chad Pennington for a 4-yard loss on third down in the third quarter. The sack was Seymour’s team-high seventh of the season. His single-season career-high is 8.0 sacks, recorded in 2003.
· Rookie linebacker Vince Redd made his NFL debut today, seeing his first career game action on a first-quarter punt return. Redd was signed to the Patriots’ active roster from their practice squad on Saturday, Nov. 22.
· Matt Cassel completed his first five passes of the game for 56 yards, driving the Patriots into position for a 30-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski to give the Patriots a 3-0 lead
· Randy Moss made a skillful one-handed reception along the sidelines for a 22-yard gain in the first quarter to extend a touchdown drive that ended in an 8-yard touchdown run by Matt Cassel.
· Matt Cassel plowed up the middle for a 6-yard gain on fourth-and-one from the Dolphins’ 43-yard line in the first quarter to extend a drive that ended in his 8-yard touchdown run.
· The Patriots lost the opening coin toss today and won a game for the first time this season when losing the coin toss. New England entered this week’s game with an 0-4 record this season when losing the coin toss and a 6-0 record when winning the coin toss.
· Jerod Mayo tackled Ronnie Brown for a 1-yard gain on third-and-three in the second quarter on a direct snap play out of the Dolphins’ “Wildcat” formation, forcing a Miami punt on the next play.

EVEN STEPHEN
Stephen Gostkowski hit both of his field goal tries, nailing a 30-yard field goal in the first quarter to give the Patriots a 3-0 lead and a another 30-yarder in the fourth quarter to put the Patriots up 41-28. Gostkowski improved to 26-for-28 (92.9 percent) for the season. His 26 field goals are the highest single-season total of Gostkowski’s three-year career, topping his 21 successful field goals in 2007 (21-for-24, 87.5 percent). His 26 field goals this season are the most for a Patriots kicker since Adam Vinatieri made 31 field goals in 2004. Gostkowski was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October, 2008. He is the Patriots’ all-time leader in field goal percentage, having converted 85.9 percent of his kicks (67-for-78) since being selected in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft.

WELKER EXTENDS NFL RECORD
Wes Welker had eight receptions for 120 yards, extending his NFL record for most consecutive games with six or more receptions to begin a season. Welker has had at least six catches in each of New England’s 11 games this year, topping the previous mark of eight straight games with six or more catches to begin the season (Jimmy Smith, 2001). Dating back to last season, Welker has had six or more receptions in 12 straight regular-season games and 15 straight games including playoffs. The NFL record for more regular-season games with six or more catches is 16, achieved by Marvin Harrison from 2002-03.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Pats-Bills Postgame notes

Courtesy: The New England Patriots

GAME NOTES
Patriots vs. Bills - November 9, 2008

WELKER SETS NFL RECORD WITH NINTH STRAIGHT GAME WITH 6+ CATCHES TO BEGIN SEASON
On a 12-yard reception in the third quarter - his sixth catch of the day - Wes Welker became the first player in NFL history to have six or more receptions in each of the first nine games of a season. Welker topped the previous league record of eight games, achieved by Jacksonville’s Jimmy Smith in 2001. Dating back to last season (and including the playoffs), Welker has had six or more receptions in 13 straight games. The NFL record for most consecutive games with six or more receptions is 16, achieved by Marvin Harrison of the Colts from 2002-03.

WELKER SETS SEASON HIGHS FOR RECEPTIONS, YARDS
Wes Welker ended the game with a season-high 10 receptions for a season-best 107 yards. The game was his first 100-yard receiving game of the season and was the fifth of in his career. Welker’s four previous 100-yard games all came last season with the Patriots. His career high of 149 receiving yards came against Philadelphia on Nov. 25, 2007. The game was Welker’s fourth career contest with 10 or more receptions. He turned the trick three times last year and had a career-high 13 catches, also against Philadelphia on Nov. 25, 2007. Welker’s 10 receptions were the most for a Patriots player since he had 11 catches against the New York Giants in the 2007 regular-season finale on Dec. 29, 2007.

GREEN-ELLIS TOPS 100 RUSHING YARDS
Rookie running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis topped the 100-yard rushing mark, totaling 26 rushes for 105 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was his fourth of the season and his fourth in as many weeks. Since being signed to the Patriots active roster on Oct. 11, Green-Ellis has scored touchdowns in four of five games, becoming the first Patriots rookie to score touchdowns in as many as four of his first five career games since running back Robert Edwards scored in each of his first six career games in 1998. The Patriots’ franchise record for consecutive games with a rushing touchdown is held by Curtis Martin, who scored a rushing touchdown in seven straight games in 1996. The 100-yard game was the first of Green-Ellis’s five-game NFL career. Green-Ellis, who was originally signed by the Patriots in the offseason as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Mississippi, was signed to New England’s active roster on Oct. 11.

PATRIOTS TIE MOST PLAYS IN A SINGLE DRIVE IN TEAM HISTORY
The Patriots tied the longest drive in team history (in terms of number of plays) when they embarked on a 19-play, 92-yard drive in the fourth quarter, chewing up 9:08 of clock time and protecting what was then a 13-3 lead. The drive ended in a 1-yard touchdown by BenJarvus Green-Ellis that made the score 20-3. The 19-play drive against Buffalo tied a 19-play drive against the New York Jets on Sept. 15, 2002 as the longest drive in team history in terms of number of plays.

FEATS, RECORDS AND MILESTONES
· The Patriots improved to 16-1 (.941) in games following a loss since the beginning of the 2003 season. Over the last five-and-a-half seasons (2003-08), the Patriots have only lost back-to-back games on one occasion (Nov. 5 and Nov. 12, 2006).
· The Patriots had a 100-yard rusher (BenJarvus Green-Ellis) and a 100-yard receiver (Wes Welker) in the same game for the first time since Oct. 7, 2007, when Sammy Morris (102 rushing yards) and Benjamin Watson (107 receiving yards) for New England against Cleveland.
· The Patriots’ victory over the Bills was New England’s 50th win at Gillette Stadium since the facility opened in 2002 (including playoffs). New England is now 50-10 (.833) all-time at Gillette Stadium, the best home record in the league since the facility opened in 2002.
· Today’s game was the 156th straight home sellout for the Patriots, a streak that is now in its 15th year and includes every preseason, regular-season and playoff game since the 1994 regular-season opener, which was Robert Kraft’s first regular-season game as Patriots owner.

PATRIOTS DEFEAT BILLS FOR 10th STRAIGHT TIME
The Patriots beat the Bills for the 10th consecutive time, extending a streak that dates back to 2003. The last time the Bills beat the Patriots was on Sept. 7, 2003. New England’s 10 straight wins over the Bills ties the longest current winning streak by one NFL team over another (San Diego has beaten Oakland 10 straight times and Pittsburgh has defeated Cleveland 10 straight times). The 10 straight wins over Buffalo ties the second longest streak over an opponent (they also beat San Diego 10 straight times from 1973-2001). The Patriots franchise record for most wins over a single opponent is 11, achieved against the Bills from 1983-87.

CASSEL SCORES SECOND CAREER TOUCHDOWN
Matt Cassel gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead on a 13-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to cap off a 7-play, 71-yard drive on the Patriots’ first offensive possession of the game. The touchdown was the second of Cassel’s career - he also scored on a 15-yard run against Washington on Oct. 28, 2007. Cassel’s 15-yard scoring run last year was the longest touchdown run by a Patriots quarterback in at least the last 20 years, and his 13-yard touchdown run against Buffalo today ties a 13-yard touchdown by Drew Bledsoe on Oct. 15, 2000 as the second longest touchdown run by a Patriots signal caller in at least 20 years. Steve Grogan holds the Patriots record for longest touchdown run by a quarterback with a 41-yard touchdown run in 1976.

MOSS MOVES UP ALL-TIME LIST
Randy Moss moved up three spots on the NFL’s all-time receptions list today, taking sole possession of 17th place in league history after entering the day in the 20th spot. Moss’s third catch of the day, a 6-yard grab in the first quarter, was the 815th reception of his career and moved him past Henry Ellard (814) and Keyshawn Johnson (814) and into a tie with Shannon Sharpe (815) for 17th place all-time. His fourth catch of the day, a 9-yard catch in the second quarter, was the 816th of his career and moved him past Sharpe into sole possession of 17th place all-time. Moss ended the day with five receptions, bringing his career total to 817. Steve Largent ranks 16th in league history with 819 career receptions.
HOBBS INTERCEPTION
Ellis Hobbs intercepted a Trent Edwards pass in the first quarter and returned it four yards to the Bills’ 34-yard line, setting up a 32-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski that gave the Patriots a 10-0 lead. The interception was Hobbs’s second of the season and was the eighth of his regular-season career. Hobbs also has two career playoff interceptions, bringing his overall career total to 10. Hobbs’s other interception this season came in the season opener against Kansas City and also led to a New England field goal.

O’NEAL INTERCEPTION
Deltha O’Neal intercepted a Trent Edwards pass in the third quarter and returned it two yards to the Patriots’ 41-yard line. The interception was O’Neal’s third of the season, tying him with Brandon Meriweather for the team lead. The interception was the 34th of O’Neal’s nine-year NFL career. He had 15 interceptions with Denver from 2000-03 and had 16 picks with Cincinnati from 2004-07. O’Neal was signed by the Patriots as a free agent on Sept. 1, 2008.

SEYMOUR SACK
Richard Seymour sacked Trent Edwards for a six-yard loss on third down on Buffalo’s first possession of the game, forcing a Bills punt on the next play. The sack was Seymour’s fifth of the season (tying him with Adalius Thomas for the team lead) and raised his career sack total to 36.0, tying Garin Veris for 11th on the Patriots’ all-time sacks list.

GOSTKOWSKI IMPROVES TO 21-FOR-23 ON THE SEASON
Stephen Gostkowski was 2-for-3 on field goals, hitting a 32-yard field goal in the second quarter to give the Patriots a 10-0 lead and nailing a 29-yarder in the third quarter to give New England a 13-3 advantage. He also missed a 49-yard try in the second quarter. Following his 2-for-3 performance his accuracy rate was 91.3 percent this season (21-for-23). He has hit 28 of his last 30 field goals (93.3 percent) dating back to last season, and his career accuracy rate of 84.9 percent (62-for-73) is the best in Patriots history. Gostkowski, who was the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October, entered this week’s games leading the AFC in field goal percentage (95.0, minimum 12 attempts), field goals (19) and points (72).

QUICK HITS
· Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour combined to tackle Buffalo running back Marshawn Lynch for a 3-yard loss on third-and-goal from the Patriots’ 4-yard line in the second quarter, forcing a Buffalo field goal on the next play.
· Ty Warren sacked Trent Edwards for a 6-yard sack in the fourth quarter, setting up a third-and-11 that the Bills did not convert. The sack was Warren’s second of the season and raised his career total to 19.5 sacks.
· Wes Welker’s 27-yard reception from Matt Cassel in the second quarter tied his longest catch of the season. Welker also had a 27-yard grab from Cassel against Denver on Oct. 20.

PUNT, PASS AND KICK WINNERS
The 2008 NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick New England Patriots team championships were held on the Gillette Stadium field this morning. At halftime, the eight first place team champions were honored and the participants exhibited their passing skills. Below is a list of the first place winners and their hometowns.

2008 PATRIOTS PUNT, PASS AND KICK WINNERS
8/9 year olds: Mikaya Bowerfind (Cumberland, R.I.) & Cooper Chiasson (Dixfield, Maine)
10/11 year olds: Katie Day (E. Kingston, N.H.) & Evan Delaney (Hadley, Mass.)
12/13 year olds: Elisa Formiglio (Bozrah, Conn.) & Michael Caswell (Falmouth, Maine)
14/15 year olds: Anna Grant (Stratham, N.H.) & Mason Powers (Kensington, Conn.)

Monday, November 03, 2008

Pats-Colts Post game notes

Courtesy of The New England Patriots

GAME NOTES

Patriots at Colts - November 2, 2008

PATRIOTS OWN BEST 100-GAME STRETCH IN NFL HISTORY
Entering tonight’s game, the Patriots had won 82 of their last 100 games (including playoffs). New England’s 81-18 record in those 100 games was the best record by any team over any 100-game stretch in NFL history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Three teams (Green Bay, Pittsburgh and San Francisco) are tied for the second best 100-game stretch, with each having gone 79-21 over various 100-game spans. The Patriots’ most recent 100-game stretch leading into tonight’s game began with a 31-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 14, 2003.

WELKER TIES RECORD FOR MOST GAMES WITH SIX OR MORE CATCHES TO OPEN SEASON
On a 10-yard reception in the fourth quarter - his sixth catch of the game - Wes Welker tied the NFL record for most games with six or more receptions to begin a season. Welker has had six or more receptions in each of the Patriots’ eight games this season and ties the NFL record established by Jacksonville’s Jimmy Smith in 2001.

EVEN STEPHEN
Stephen Gostkowski hit three field goals—a 29-yard field goal in the second quarter to cut the Colts’ lead to 7-3 and a 35-yard kick later in the quarter to cut the lead to 7-6 and a 25-yarder in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 15. The kicks raised Gostkowski to 19-for-20 (95 percent) on field goals this season. Following his boots against the Colts, Gostkowski had nailed 26 of his last 27 kicks (96.3 percent) dating back to last season. Gostkowski is the Patriots’ all-time leader in field goal percentage, hitting 60-of-70 kicks (85.7 percent) since being selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft.

GREEN-ELLIS SCORES FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WEEK
Rookie running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis gave the Patriots a 12-7 lead on a 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The scoring run was Green-Ellis’s third of the season, the third of his career and his third in as many weeks, having also scored against Denver on Oct. 29 and against St. Louis on Oct. 26. Green-Ellis, who was originally signed by the Patriots in the offseason as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Mississippi, was signed to New England’s active roster on Oct. 11. He has now scored a touchdown in three of his four professional games.

QUICK HITS
·    Kelley Washington tackled Colts punt returner Marvin Harrison at the Indianapolis 9-yard line in the first quarter after just a 2-yard punt return, helping the Patriots to net 62 yards on a 64-yard Chris Hanson punt.

·    Mike Vrabel tripped up Joseph Addai in the backfield for a 1-yard loss on third down in the second quarter, forcing a Colts punt on the next play.

·    Kevin Faulk completed a pass to Wes Welker for a 2-yard loss in the second quarter. The completion was the second of Faulk’s career, and came on his fourth career passing attempt (and his first since 2003). Faulk’s only career completion prior to tonight’s game came on a 23-yard completion to Tom Brady in 2001.

·    The Patriots were called for a false start penalty in the third quarter, breaking a streak of seven penalty-free quarters. Prior to the third-quarter false start, the last time the Patriots were penalized was in the third quarter against Denver on Oct. 20. Last week against St. Louis, the Patriots played the first penalty-free game in franchise history.

·    Richard Seymour and Mike Vrabel combined to stop Joseph Addai for a 2-yard loss on first-and-goal in the third quarter.

·    The Patriots outgained the Colts in total net yardage, 342-301.

·    The Patriots outrushed the Colts 140-47.

·    Jerod Mayo, the NFL’s defensive rookie of the month for October, led the Patriots with 11 tackles (8 solo).

SWAT TEAM
·    Terrence Wheatley knocked down a Peyton Manning pass intended for Marvin Harrison on third down on the Colts’ first possession of the game, forcing an Indianapolis three-and-out as the Colts punted on the next play.

FAULK BREAKS 3,000-YARD RECEIVNG MARK
On an 11-yard reception in the second quarter, Kevin Faulk recorded his 3,000th receiving yard, becoming the 14th player in Patriots history to break the 3,000 receiving yard mark. Following his 11-yard catch against the Colts, Faulk had 3,003 career receiving yards - a total that ranks 14th in team history. Faulk is the Patriots’ all-time leader in receptions by a running back, and his 343 receptions entering tonight’s game ranked fifth in team history.