TEAM NOTES
- Patriots improve to 4-0 road record.Â
- RB Damien Harris scores in his fifth straight game.Â
- WR Jakobi Meyers returns first NFL punts following injury to Gunner Olszewski.
- J.C. Jackson returns interception 88-yards for a touchdown.Â
- Jackson has fourth two-pick game.
- Jackson reaches five picks for third straight season.
PATRIOTS ARE PERFECT ON THE ROAD IN 2021
The Patriots improved to a perfect 4-0 road record in 2021. The Patriots have finished undefeated on the road twice before (2007 and 2016). Since the start of the 1994 season when Robert Kraft purchased the team, the Patriots have the best regular season road record in the NFL. New England
BEST ROAD RECORDS SINCE 1994
Team W L T Pct
New England 136 84 0 .618
Pittsburgh 122 96 1 .559
PATRIOTS GO OVER .500 FOR FIRST TIME IN 2021
After a 2-4 start to the season, the Patriots are now over .500 for the first time with a 5-4 record.Â
PATRIOTS EXTEND NFL RECORD TO 95 STRAIGHT GAMES SCORING IN FIRST HALF
The Patriots have gone 95 straight games (regular season and postseason) scoring in the first half, to extend an NFL record, following RB Damien Harris' 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The Patriots also own the second-longest streak at 82 games with a first half score (2006-11). The last time the Patriots failed to score in the first half was a 16-0 loss at home against Buffalo on Oct. 2, 2016.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
DAMIEN HARRIS HAS A RUSHING TOUCHDOWN IN FIFTH STRAIGHT GAME
RB Damien Harris scored a rushing touchdown in his fifth straight game when he scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter. His five-game scoring streak is tied for the third-longest streak for consecutive games with a rushing touchdown in team history and the longest streak since LeGarrette Blount had a streak of five straight games in 2016.
Most Consecutive Games with a Rushing Touchdown
7 Curtis Martin (10/13/96-11/24/96)
6 Stevan Ridley (10/28/12-12/11/11)
Laurence Maroney (10/18/09-11/30/09)
Robert Edwards (97/98-10/19/98)
5 Damien Harris (10/10/21- present)
LeGarrette Blount (12/04/16-1/1/17)
LeGarrette Blount (10/9/16-11/13/16)
Stevan Ridley (10/13/13-11/18/13)
BenJarvus Green-Ellis (9/16/10-10/31/10)
Curtis Martin (10/23/95-11/19/95)
Horace Ivory (10/22/78-11/19/78)
RB RHAMONDRE SETEVENSON AND QB MAC JONES CONNECT ON A 41-YARD PASS PLAY
RB Rhamondre Stevenson and QB Mac Jones connected on a short pass that resulted in a 41-yard gain to help set up the Patriots first score of the day when RB Damien Harris scored on a 3-yard touchdown run. Stevenson led the team with 62 yards rushing on 10 attempts for a 6.2-yard average.
JAKOBI MEYERS PRESSED INTO ACTION AS RETURNER
WR Jakobi Meyers returned his first NFL punt in the second quarter for 7 yards after he was pressed into return duty following an injury to Gunner Olszewski. It was the first punt return since his one return in college against Marshall as a junior.
MATT JUDON NEARING CAREER-HIGH AFTER REGISTERING HIS 9TH SACK OF THE SEASON
LB Matt Judon registered his 9th sack of the season when dropped Sam Darnold for a 10-yard loss in the fourth quarter. He had a career-high of 9 ½ sacks in 2019 with Baltimore.
J.C. JACKSON RETURNS PICK 88 YARDS FOR A TOUCHDOWN
CB J.C. Jackson returned a third quarter interception 88 yards for a touchdown for his first career score. It is the second straight week that the Patriots have scored on an interception return following Adrian Phillips' pick six at the LA Chargers. It is also the sixth-longest return in team history. Jackson's previous longest return was 30 yards vs. Denver on Oct. 18, 2020.
LONGEST INTERCEPTION RETURN IN TEAM HISTORY
Player Yards Date
Jimmy Hitchcock 100T vs. Miami, Nov. 23, 1997
Rick Sanford 99T at Chicago, Dec. 5, 1982
Bob Suci 91T at Houston, Nov. 1, 1963
Darius Butler 91T at Houston, Jan. 3, 2010
Victor Green 90T at N.J. Jets,, Sept. 15, 2002
J.C. Jackson 88T at Carolina, Nov. 7, 2021
JACKSON HAS FOURTH GAME WITH TWO PICKS
Jackson had his second interception of the game when he picked off Sam Darnold in the end zone in the fourth quarter. It is his fourth game with two interceptions and second two-pick game of the 2021 season. He had two interceptions at the New York Jets on Sept. 19. He also had two interceptions at Buffalo on Sept. 29, 2019G and at Cincinnati on Dec. 15, 2019.
JACKSON NOW HAS 22 INTERCEPTIONS THROUGH FIRST FOUR SEASONS
Jackson now has 22 interceptions through his first four NFL seasons, tying Mike Haynes for the most through a player's first four seasons with the Patriots.
JACKSON NOW HAS FIVE PICKS IN 2021; THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR HE REACHES FIVE PICKS
Jackson now has 5 interceptions in 2021. He was the only player to have at least 5 interceptions in each of the last two seasons with 9 in 2020 and 5 in 2019. He joins Ron Bolton (6 in 1973, 7 in 1974 and 5 in 1975) and Mike Haynes (8 in 1976, 5 in 1977 and 6 in 1978) as the only Patriots players with five or more picks in three consecutive seasons.
JACKSON LEADS THE NFL IN PICKS SINCE ENTERING THE NFL IN 2018
Since Jackson entered the NFL in 2018, he leads all NFL players with 22 interceptions.
MOST INTERCEPTIONS SINCE 2018
Player Team Interceptions
J.C. Jackson New England 22
Xavien Howard Miami 20
JAMIE COLLINS RECORDS FIRST PICK OF THE 2021 SEASON
LB Jamie Collins intercepted a Sam Darnold pass in the third quarter for his 12th career pick and first of the 2021 season. Nine of the 12 interceptions have come as a member of the Patriots.
MAC JONES IS FIRST ROOKIE QB TO WIN FIRST FOUR ROAD GAMES SINCE DAK PRESCOTT IN 2016
Mac Jones improved to a 4-0 road record to start his career. He is the first rookie quarterback to win his first four road games since Dak Prescott in 2016. The most consecutive road wins to start a season by a rookie QB is six by Roethlisberger (2004) and Prescott.
BRANDON BOLDEN TIES CAREER-HIGH FOR RECEPTIONS AND SETS MARK FOR YARDS
Brandon Bolden entered this week with 20 receptions for 162 yards. He needed two receptions to set a new single-season career high ark. He had 21 receptions in 2019 with the Patriots. He needed 19 receiving yards to move past his career high of 180 receiving yards in 2015 with the Patriots. Bolden caught two passes to tie his career high and his 27 yards gives him 189 for a new single-season high
OLSZEWSKI HAS TWO BIG RETURNS
WR Gunner Olszewski had returns of 17 and 18 yards in the first half. He now has 18 returns for 248 yards and a 13.8-yard average. In 2020, he led the NFL with a 17.3-yard punt return average. The last time a player has averaged 10+ yards per return with at least 20 returns in consecutive seasons was Darren Sproles (2, 2014-15) and Ted Ginn (6, 2010-15)
LINEUP NOTES
- WR Kristian Wilkerson saw action in his second career NFL game after being elevated to the active roster from the practice squad. He played in his first NFL game at the New York Jets on Nov. 9, 2020.
- LB Brandon King returned to the lineup after missing the Chargers game due to injury.
- RB Brandon Bolden made his first start of the 2021 season. It was his first starts since Nov. 17, 2019, at Philadelphia.
