G LOGAN MANKINS MAKES HIS DEBUTG Logan Mankins, who reported to the Patriots earlier in the week, made his 2010 debut with a start at left guard. Mankins has now started all 81 regular-season games that he has played.
TE AARON HERNANDEZ RECORDS FIRST TWO NFL TOUCHDOWNSRookie TE Aaron Hernandez registered his first two NFL touchdowns. He scored his first NFL touchdown on a 2-yard score in the second quarter and then had a 1-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
HERNANDEZ MAKES BIG PLAYSHernandez had a 22-yard reception late in the second quarter and now has a reception of 20 or more yards in seven of eight games.
HERNANDEZ ON GOOD PACEHernandez led the team with five receptions for 48 yards against Cleveland and now has 34 receptions in 2010 to go along with his 436 receiving yards. The Patriots franchise records for rookie tight ends are 37 receptions (by Greg Baty in 1986) and 636 receiving yards (by Russ Francis in 1975).
WELKER EXTENDS STREAKWes Welker extended his streak to 71 straight regular-season games with at least one reception. He has caught at least one pass in each of his 57 games with the Patriots, including three postseason games. The last time that Welker did not catch a pass in a game was December 24, 2005 when he was with the Dolphins. He has caught at least one pass in 54 consecutive regular-season games as a member of the Patriots. The Patriots' record for most consecutive games with at least one pass is 63 by TE Ben Coates (12-17-92) to (12-15-96).
WELKER FORCED TO KICKWelker was pressed into service as a kicker for the second time in his career and was successful on an extra point attempt and handled a kickoff both in the fourth quarter. Welker was filling in for the injured Stephen Gostkowski (thigh). While with Miami in 2004, he was pressed into action in a game at New England (10/10/04) and converted one extra point, a 29-yard field goal and also handled kickoff duties.
MAYO AIMS FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT GAME WITH 10-PLUS TACKLES
- LB Jerod Mayo had his fifth -straight game with 10-plus tackles after finishing with 10 tackles against Cleveland. Mayo became the first Patriots player to go five consecutive games with 10-plus tackles since
- LB Ted Johnson had 10-plus tackles in five straight games in 1999. Mayo had 17 tackles at Miami (10/4), 19 vs. Baltimore (10/17), 12 at San Diego (10/24) and 17 vs. Minnesota (10/31). Today's game was Mayo's sixth game in 2010 with 10-plus tackles. He had 11 in the opener vs. Cincinnati (9/12).
MAYO ON HIGH TACKLE PACE AS HE GOES OVER 100 TACKLES FOR THE SEASON.Mayo has 104 total tackles in 2010 and is on pace for a career high 208 total tackles. That number will be the highest since LB Clayton Weishuhn had 229 tackles in 1983. Mayo had 139 tackles as a rookie in 2008 and 114 in 2009 and with 104 tackles in 2010 he is the first Patriots player to have three consecutive 100-tackle seasons since Lawyer Milloy registered five straight 100-tackle seasons from 1997 through 2001.
WOODHEAD HAS CAREER HIGH 26-YARD RECEPTIONRB Danny Woodhead had a career-long 26-yard reception in the second quarter to help set up the Patriots first touchdown. His previous best was a 24-yard reception at Tampa Bay (12-13-09) when he was with the Jets. Woodhead finished the game nine rushing attempts for 54 yards and a 6.0-yard average and two receptions for 38 yards.
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]()BRADY MOVES UP ALL-TIME TOUCHDOWN LIST **Tom Brady entered the Cleveland game tied with Jim Kelly for 17th place on the NFL's All-Time Touchdown list with (237). His 2-yard touchdown pass to TE Aaron Hernandez moved him to sole possession of 17th place with 238 career touchdown passes and his 1-yard touchdown pass to Hernandez moved him into a 16th place tie with Len Dawson at 239 career touchdowns.
BRADY MOVES PAST UNITAS ON THE NFL'S ALL-TIME COMPLETION LISTTom Brady had 19 completions to move past Johnny Unitas (2,830) into 20th place on the NFL's All-Time completion list with 2,838 completions.
