TEAM NOTES
PATRIOTS TO FINISH 500 OR BETTER FOR 16th STRAIGHT SEASON
After improving to 8-2 on the 2016 season, the Patriots are guaranteed to finish the season with a record of .500 or better for the 16th consecutive year. At the conclusion of the 2016 season, the Patriots will be the only NFL team to finish with a record of .500 or better in each of the last 16 years (2001-2016). Each of the other 31 NFL teams had at least one losing season since 2001.
PATRIOTS TIE A TEAM MARK WITH FIVE FIRST HALF SACKS
The Patriots tied a team mark for most first half sacks with five sacks against the 49ers. The Patriots also had five first half sacks at Arizona on Sept. 19, 2004 in a game that they finished with five. The Patriots record for most sacks in a half overall is six, which was done three different times in the second half of a game, most recently on Oct. 27, 2013 vs. Miami.
THE SACKS KEPT COMING
The Patriots finished with five sacks. The Patriots defense had five or more sacks four times in 2015, including a season-high of eight sacks at Buffalo on Sept. 20, 105.
PATRIOTS HAVE INTER-CONFERENCE RECORFD SINCE 2002
The New England Patriots own a 47-12 (.797) record vs. NFC teams since realignment in 2002, the best inter-conference record in the NFL during that time.
PATRIOTS PROVE TO BE GOOD ON THE ROAD;IMPROVE TO 5-0 ON THE ROAD IN 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.
BOUNCING BACK
Since the beginning of 2003, the Patriots are 42-6 (.875) in regular-season games following a loss. They have dropped back-to-back regular season games in 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015 (twice). As a starter in his career, Tom Brady is 42-10 in games following a loss.
PATRIOTS HAVE FIFTH PASS PLAY OF OVER 50 YARDS
Tom Brady connected with WR Malcolm Mitchell for a 56-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. It is the fifth pass play of over 50 yards in 2016. It is the third longest pass play of the 2016 season, next to the 58-yarder by TE Martellus Bennett vs. Buffalo on Oct. 2 and a 63-yard pass by Chris Hogan at Cleveland on Oct. 9, 2016.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
BRADY TIES FAVRE FOR SECOND MOST WINS BY A QUARTERBACK
Brady won his 199th game overall, and needs two more wins to become the NFL's all-time leader.
BRADY HAS SECOND 4-TD DAY OF 2016
Tom Brady threw four touchdown pass for the second time in 2016. He had four touchdowns in the win at Buffalo on Oct. 30. He has thrown for four or more touchdowns in a game 26 times. He has thrown for four touchdowns in a game 21 times.
BRADY APPROACHING 60,000 PASSING YARDS
Brady threw for 280 yards against the 49ers and needs 57 yards to become the fifth NFL player to reach 60,000 passing yards.
BLOUNT HAS SECOND 40-YARD RUN OF THE 2016 SEASON
RB LeGarrette Blount broke free for a 44-yard run in the first quarter. It is his second 40-yard run of the 2016 season. He had a 41-yard touchdown run vs. Houston on sept. 22. Blount now has six career 40-yard runs.
BLOUNT HAS FOURTH 100-YARD GAME OF 201614TH 100-YARD GAME OF HIS CAREER
Blount had his fourth 100-yard game of the 2016 season after finishing with 124 yards rushing on 19 carries for a 6.5-yard average. Blount matched his career single-season high with his four 100-yard games. He had four 100-yard games as a rookie in 2010 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
BLOUNT IS ON A PACE
Blount has rushed for 802 yards this season and is on place for 1,283 yards. It would be the 15th time in team history and first since 2012 that the Patriots would have a 1,000-yard rusher in a season.
MOST YARDS RUSHING IN A SEASON IN PATRIOTS HISTORY
1,635 Corey Dillon, 2004
1,487 Curtis Martin, 1995
1,458 Jim Nance, 1966
1,263 Stevan Ridley, 2012
1,227 Craig James, 1985
1,216 Jim Nance, 1967
1,168 John Stephens, 1988
BLOUNT NEEDS 198 YARDS FOR HIS SECOND CAREER 1,000 YARD SEASON
Blount needs 198 yards to reach 1,000 yards for the second time in his career. He had a career-best 1,007 yards as a rookie with Tampa Bay in 2010.
ROOKIE WR MALCOLM MITCHELL SCORES FIRST TD OF CAREER
Rookie WR Malcolm Mitchell scored on a 56-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter for his first touchdown reception of his NFL career. Mitchell finished with four receptions for 98 yards.
BRADY HAS THROWN TOUCHDOWN PASSES TO 63 DIFFERENT PLAYERS; SECOND PLACE FOR TD TARGETS BY A QB
Tom Brady connected with WR Malcolm Mitchell on a 56-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Brady has now thrown touchdown passes to 63 different players in the regular season, second place all-time for most touchdown targets by an NFL quarterback.
JULIAN EDELMAN IS IN A RUSH;SETS TEAM MARK FOR RUSHING YARDS BY A WIDE RECEIVER
WR Julian Edelman added 12 yards rushing to push his career total to 251 yards, giving him the most rushing yards by a receiver in Patriots history.
JAMES WHITE MATCHED HIS CAREER-BEST WITH FOURTH RECEIVING TD
RB James White recorded a 9-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter for his fourth receiving touchdown of the 2016 season. He matched his career-best. White had four receiving touchdowns in 205.
DANNY AMENDOLA SETS CAREER-HIGH WITH HIS FOURTH TOUCHDOWN
WR Danny Amendola caught a 5-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter for his fourth receiving touchdown of the 2016 season, a single-season career-high. He caught three touchdowns in a season three times (2010 and 2012 with the Rams and in 2015 with the Patriots).
S PATRICK CHUNG REGISTERS FIRST SACK OF THE SEASON;FIRST SACK SINCE THE 2011 SEASON
S Patrick Chung recorded his first sack of the season we he dropped QB Colin Kaepernick for an 11-yard sack in the first quarter on a third-down play. It is Chung's first since a 3-yard sack in the 2011 season-opener at Miami on Sept. 12, 2011.
CB MALCOLM BUTLER RECORDS FIRST NFL SACK
CB Malcolm Butler recorded his first ever NFL sack with a 1-yard sack of QB Colin Kaepernick on the first play of the first quarter.
LINEUP NOTES
LB KYLE VAN NOY MAKES PATRIOTS DEBUT
LB Kyle Van Noy made his Patriots debut as a reserve on defense. He recorded an 8-yard sack in the second quarter on a third-down play.
TE MATT LENGEL MAKES PATRIOTS DEBUT
TE Matt Lengel made his NFL and Patriots debut in the second quarter.
LB SHEA MCCLELLIN MADEHIS FIRST START AS A PATRIOT
LB Shea McClellin made his first start as a member of the Patriots. McClellin has now started in 32 NFL games.
RB DION LEWIS MAKES HIS 2016 DEBUT
RB Dion Lewis made his 2016 debut after spending the first eight week of the season on the Reserve/PUP List. Lewis was inactive against Seattle.
