TEAM NOTES
- Patriots improve to a 5-0 road record in 2021.
- Patriots earn 30th shutout and 13th of the Bill Belichick era.
- Bill Belichick moves past Tom Landry into sole possession of third place for most wins with one team.
- Nick Folk connects on fourth 50-yard field goal of the 2021 season.
- Matt Judon reaches double-digit sacks for first time in his career.
- Matthew Slater plays in 200th regular season game.
- Kyle Van Noy has fifth career two-sack game.
- Devin McCourty registers 30th pick and takes over sole possession of third place.
- Mac Jones improves to a 5-0 road record.
PATRIOTS EXTEND STREAK TO SEVEN STRAIGHT WINS OVER THE FALCONS
The Patriots extended their streak to seven straight wins over the Atlanta Falcons, including Super Bowl LI, with the 25-0 victory.
PATRIOTS ARE PERFECT ON THE ROAD IN 2021
The Patriots improved to a perfect 5-0 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.
Arizona (5-0) are the only that are perfect on the road in 2021.
BEST ROAD RECORDS SINCE 1994
Team W L T Pct
New England 137 84 0 .620
Pittsburgh 122 96 1 .559
PATRIOTS EXTEND NFL RECORD TO 97 STRAIGHT GAMES SCORING IN FIRST HALF
The Patriots have gone 97 straight games (regular season and postseason) scoring in the first half, to extend an NFL record, following Nick Folk's 32-yard field goal in the first half. 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.
PATRIOTS WIN FIFTH GAME IN A ROW
New England won its fifths straight game. During the streak the Patriots have average 35 points and allowed 10 points (175 points scored, 50 points allowed).
PATRIOTS RETURN THIRD PICK FOR A TOUCHDOWN OF THE 2021 SEASON
LB Kyle Van Noy's 35-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter is the third touchdown return off an interception in 2021. The Patriots had three picks returned for a touchdown in 2019.
PATRIOTS LEAD THE NFL IN INTERCEPTIONS
The Patriots had four interceptions and now lead the NFL with 18 interceptions. In 2020, the Patriots tied for the NFL lead with Miami, New Orleans and Pittsburgh with 18 interceptions. The 2019 New England team led the NFL with 25 interceptions. Two teams have led the NFL in interceptions in three or more straight seasons: Kansas City (5 straight – 1966-70) and the New York Giants (3 straight – 1937-39). Overall, the Patriots have led the NFL in interceptions four times (2003, 2010, 2019 and 2020).
PATRIOTS EARN 30TH SHUTOUT IN TEAM HISTORY, 13TH UNDER BELICHICK
The Patriots earned their 30th shutout in franchise history and 13th under Bill Belichick with the 25-0 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. It is the Patriots' first shutout since a 45-0 win at Los Angeles Chargers on Dec.6, 2020.
PATRIOTS PICK OFF ALL THREE FALCONS QUARTERBACKS
The Patriots picked off all three Falcons quarterbacks (Matt Ryan, Josh Rosen and Feleipe Franks). It was the first time three quarterbacks threw picks in the same game since Jim Harbaugh, Ryan Leaf and Moses Moreno did it for the Chargers in a 17-7 loss to the Dolphins on Nov. 12, 2000.
PATRIOTS INTERCEPT THREE DIFFERENT QBS IN THE SAME QUARTER
The Patriots intercepted three different Atlanta quarterbacks in the fourth quarter. They are the first team to intercept three different quarterbacks in the same quarter since Chicago picked off Tampa Bay's Craig Erickson, Steve DeBerg and Casey Weldon in the fourth quarter on Sept. 26, 1993.
PATRIOTS DEFENSE HOLDS ATLANTA TO 40 YARDS RUSHING
The Patriots defense held the Falcons to just 40 yards rushing. It is the lowest since holding the New York Jets to just 36 yards rushing on Sept. 22, 2019. Overall, it is 15th time under Bill Belichick that the Patriots held a team to 40 yards rushing or less.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
BELICHICK MOVES PAST TOM LANDRY INTO SOLE POSSESSION OF THIRD PLACE
Bill Belichick won his 251st regular season game with the Patriots to move past Tom Landry (250) into sole possession of third place among NFL coaches for most victories with one team.
NFL HEAD COACHES WITH THE MOST REGULAR-SEASON WINS WITH ONE TEAM
Coach Team W L T
George Halas Chicago 318 148 31
Don Shula Miami 257 133 2
Bill Belichick New England 251 96 0
Tom Landry Dallas 250 162 6
Curly Lambeau Green Bay 209 104 21
FOLK MAKES FOURTH 50-YARD FIELD GOAL OF THE 2021 SEASON
K Nick Folk connected on a season-high 53-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. It is his fourth 50-yard field goal of the 2021 season. He connected on a 50-yard field goal in the third quarter vs. the New York Jets on Oct. 24. He made two 52-yard field goals at Houston on Oct. 10. Stephen Gostkowski (5 in 2013), (4 in 2017) and (4 in 2015) is the only New England player with more than two 50-yard field goals in a single season.
FOLK CONNECTS ON FOUR FIELD GOALS FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN FIVE ROAD GAMES
Folk connected on all four field goals (32, 44, 53 and 33). It is the fourth time in 2021 that he has connected on four field goals this season and all of those games were on the road.
LB KYLE VAN NOY HAS FIFTH CAREER GAME WITH AT LEAST TWO SACKS
LB Kyle Van Noy had two second quarter sacks with a 3-yard sack and a 13-yard sack of Atlanta QB Matt Ryan. It is his fifth career two-sack game. Four of his two sack games came while he played for the Patriots. He had two sacks on Oct. 15, 2017 at the New York Jets, Oct. 29, 2018 at Buffalo, Sept. 29, 2019 at Buffalo. He had a career-high three sacks on Dec. 6, 2020 vs. Cincinnati while he played for Miami. Is the third time in 2021 the Patriots had a player finish with at least two sacks. Matthew Judon has had two multiple sack games in 2021.
VAN NOY SCORES ON AN INTERCEPTION
Van Noy intercepted QB Matt Ryan in the fourth quarter and returned the pick 35 yards for a touchdown. It is his first pick six and fourth career touchdown. He returned a blocked punt at Chicago (10/21/18), returned a fumble for a touchdown vs. NY Jets (12/30/18) and returned a fumble for a touchdown 22 yards vs. NY Giants (10/10/19).
MATTHEW JUDON SETS CAREER-HIGH BY REACHING DOUBLE-DIGIT SACKS
LB Matthew Judon reached double-digit sacks for the first time in his career after a 9-yard sack of QB Matt Ryan in the second quarter pushed his season total to 10 ½ sacks. It is the 17th time that the Patriots have had a player reach 10 or more sacks in a season. Judon's previous best was 9 ½ in 2019 with Baltimore
PATRIOTS 10-PLUS SACK SEASON
Sacks Player Year
12.0 Tony McGee 1977
10.0 Bobby Hamilton 1977
11.5 Tony McGee 1978
10.5 Tony McGee 1979
18.5 Andre Tippett 1984
16.5 Andre Tippett 1985
10.0 Garin Veris 1985
11.0 Garin Veris 1986
12.5 Andre Tippett 1987
11.0 Willie McGinest 1995
12.5 Mike Vrabel 2007
10.0 Tully Banta-Cain 2009
10.0 Mark Anderson 2011
10.0 Andre Carter 2011
11.5 Chandler Jones 2013
12.5 Chandler Jones 2015
10.5 Matthew Judon 2021
DAVON GODCHAUX RECORDS FIRST SACK AS A PATRIOT
DL Davon Godchaux sacked Matt Ryan for a 7-yard loss in the fourth quarter for his first sack of the season and first as a member of the Patriots.
DEVIN MCCOURTY MOVES INTO SOLE POSSESSION OF THIRD PLACE ON THE PATS INT. LOST
Devin McCourty picked off Matt Ryan in the fourth quarter and now has 30 career picks to take over sole possession of third place on the Patriots all-time interception list. Only Ty Law and Raymond Clayborn with 36 interceptions have more than McCourty.
PATRIOTS ALL-TIME INTERCEPTION LIST
Player Interceptions
Ty Law 36
Raymond Clayborn 36
Devin McCourty 30
Ron Hall 29
Fred Marion 29
Roland James 29
Mike Haynes 28
MOST TAKEAWAYS IN PATRIOTS HISTORY
Player Total Takeaways
Raymond Clayborn 44 (36 INT, 8 opp rec)
Fred Marion 42 (29 INT, 13 opp rec)
Ty Law 40 (36 INT, 4 opp rec)
Devin McCourty 36 (30 INT, 6 opp rec)
Roland James 36 (29 INT, 7 opp rec)
Mike Haynes 35 (28 INT, 7 opp rec)
MATTHEW SLATER BECOMES THE FIFTH PATRIOTS PLAYER TO PLAY IN 200 GAMES
Matthew Slater played in his 200th career regular season game against the Atlanta Falcons. He is the fifth Patriots player to reach 200 regular season games.
Most Regular Season Games Player for the Patriots
285 Tom Brady
212 Bruce Armstrong
206 Julius Adams
204 Stephen Gostkowski
200 Matthew Slater
MAC JONES FINISHES WITH AN 80 PERCENT PASS COMPLETION FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK
Mac Jones completed 22-of-26 passes for an .846 pass completions. It is tied for the fourth-best in team history. Jones was 19-of-23 for an .826 completion percentage vs. Cleveland on Nov. 14, the sixth-highest in team history. He has completed 70 percent of his passes in seven of his 11 games.
The rookie record is nine games with a 70+ percent completion percentage by Dak Prescott in 2016
MAC JONES IS FIRST ROOKIE QB TO WIN FIRST FIVE ROAD GAMES SINCE DAK PRESCOTT IN 2016
Mac Jones improved to a 5-0 road record to start his career. He is the first rookie QB 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.
JACKSON NOW HAS 23 INTERCEPTIONS THROUGH FIRST FOUR SEASONS
JC. Jackson now has 23 interceptions through his first four NFL seasons, passing Mike Haynes (22) for the most through a player's first four seasons with the Patriots.
JACKSON TAKES IT AWAY
Jackson led the NFL with 11 takeaways in 2020. Since 2019, he has 22 total takeaways (20 interceptions and two fumble recoveries), Tying Ron Hall (1964-66 - (20 interceptions in two fumble recoveries) for the most takeaways in a three-year span by a Patriots player.
JACKSON SETS CAREER-HIGH WITH 15TH PASS DEFENSED
Jackson is first in the NFL with 15 passes defensed and surpasses his previous career high of 14 passes defensed set in 2020.
JACKSON MOVES INTO TOP TEN
Jackson secured his 23rd career interception and moved passed Asante Samuel into sole possession of 10th place on the Patriots all-time interception list.
LINEUP NOTES
- RB Damien Harris returned to the lineup after missing the Cleveland game due to injury.
- WR Gunner Olszewski returned to action after missing the Cleveland game due to injury.
- TE Jonnu Smith returned to action after missing the Cleveland game due to injury.
- DB Shaun Wade made his NFL debut after being inactive for the first 10 games.
- DL Chase Winovich played in his first game since going on injured reserve on Oct. 19.
