BRADY SETS FRANCHISE RECORD WITH HIS 27th 300-YARD PASSING GAME
Tom Brady had 332 passing yards, registering his 27th career 300-yard passing game and passing Drew Bledsoe (26) for the most 300-yard games in New England history. The 300-yard game was his fourth of the 2009 season and was his third straight. The 300-yard game was Brady's 12th in his last 23 regular-season starts.
BRADY EQUALS HOTTEST STRETCH OF CAREER WITH THIRD STRAIGHT 300-YARD GAME
With 332 passing yards, Brady had his third consecutive 300-yard game, equaling the hottest streak of his career. The only other time in his 10-year career that he had three consecutive 300-yard games was during a three-game stretch in 2007 when he had 388 yards at Dallas (10/14/07), 354 yards at Miami (10/21/07) and 306 yards vs. Washington (10/28/07).
MOSS BECOMES THIRD PLAYER TO REACH 140 OR MORE RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS
Randy Moss tied Buffalo's Terrell Owens for second place on the NFL's all-time list with 140 career touchdown catches. Moss became the third player in NFL history to catch 140 or more touchdown passes when he scored on a 71-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Jerry Rice holds the NFL record with 197 career touchdown receptions.
MOSS MOVES UP ALL-TIME RECEIVING YARDS LIST
WR Randy Moss passed Henry Ellard and Cris Carter and moved into seventh place on the NFL's All-Time receiving yards list today. Moss finished the afternoon with 13,913 career receiving yards. Moss entered today's contest ranked ninth with 13,766 career receiving yards and moved past Ellard (13,777) and Carter (13,899). James Lofton ranks sixth in NFL history with 14,004 career receiving yards. Jerry Rice is the NFL's all-time leader with 22,895 career receiving yards.
MOSS MOVES UP ALL-TIME SCRIMMAGE YARDS LIST
WR Randy Moss passed Cris Carter and moved into 24th place on the NFL's all-time scrimmage yards list today. Moss entered the game ranked 25th in NFL history with 13,925 yards from scrimmage (159 rushing and 13,766 receiving) and added 147 yards today to push his career total to 14,072 and move past Carter's total of 13,940 yards. James Lofton ranks 23rd in league history with 14,250 scrimmage yards.
WELKER IS SIXTH PLAYER IN TEAM HISTORY WITH THREE STRAIGHT SEASONS OF 50 RECEPTIONSWes Welker had nine catches to finish the game with 55 receptions on the season, becoming the sixth player in Patriots history with 50 or more catches in three straight seasons. Welker had 112 receptions in 2007 and 111 in 2008, making 2009 his third straight season with 50 or more catches. Welker joins Ben Coates, Irving Fryar, Marv Cook, Terry Glenn and Troy Brown as the only players in Patriots history to achieve the feat. Randy Moss, who finished today's game with 49 catches in 2009, can join the club with one more reception.
WELKER HAS 13th GAME WITH 9 CATCHES WITH THE PATRIOTS
Welker's nine catches today marked his 13th game with nine or more catches since joining the Patriots prior to the 2007 season. Welker's 13 games with nine or more catches are the most in Patriots history, topping Ben Coates' mark of 10.
WELKER ON PACE FOR 128 CATCHESWes Welker has 55 catches in six games this season (9.2 catches per game), despite missing two games due to injury. Welker is on pace for a team-record 128 receptions this season if he can keep up his pace through the Patriots' remaining eight games. A season total of 128 catches would rank second in NFL history behind Marvin Harrison's league-record 143 receptions in 2002. The Patriots single-season reception record is 112, set by Welker in 2007. Welker also holds the second highest single-season reception total in Patriots history, 111 in 2008.
CHUNG REGISTERS SACK FOR SECOND STRAIGHT GAME
Rookie CB Pat Chung recorded an eight-yard sack on a third-down play in the first quarter to knock Miami out of field goal range. He has recorded a sack in each of the last two games. Chung had a five-yard sack against Tampa Bay in London two weeks ago.
STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI TIES CAREER HIGH WITH FOUR FGs
Stephen Gostkowski was a perfect four-for-four on field goals today, tying his career high with four successful kicks in a game. Gostkowski also had four field goals against Atlanta on Sept. 27 and had four successful boots in two games in 2008 (at N.Y. Jets on 9/14/08 and vs. Arizona on 12/21/08).
GOSTKOWSKI MOVES INTO FOURTH ON PATRIOTS FIELD GOALS LIST
With four field goals today, Stephen Gostkowski raised his career total to 94 field goals, passing Tony Franklin (93 from 1984-87) and moving into fourth place on the Patriots' all-time field goals list. Adam Vinatieri is the Patriots' all-time leader with 263 field goals (1996-2005), Gino Cappelletti ranks second with 176 field goals (1960-70) and John Smith ranks third with 128 field goals (1974-83).
MOSS GOES OVER 100 YARDSMoss exceeded 100 receiving yards for the fourth time in 2009. He now has 63 100-yard games, which is second to Jerry Rice's NFL record 76 100-yard games.
MOSS SCORES ON A 71-YARD TOUCHDOWN PASS FROM BRADY
Moss scored on a 71-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady is the third quarter. It is the second longest catch of Moss' Patriots career and the longest from Brady. He had a 76-yard touchdown pass from QB Matt Cassel vs. Arizona (12/21/08).
MOSS HAS 39 TD CATCHES IN 40 GAMES AS A PATRIOTRandy Moss's 71-yard touchdown catch was Moss's team-high fifth of the season and was his 39th scoring catch in 40 games since joining the Patriots prior to the 2007 season. Moss's 39 scoring catches since 2007 are the most in the NFL over that span.
BRADY COMPLETES 71-YARD TOUCHDOWN PASS TO MOSS
QB Tom Brady's 71-yard touchdown pass to WR Randy Moss is the third longest touchdown pass of Brady's career. He had a career-long 91-yard touchdown pass to WR David Patten at Indianapolis (10-21-01) and an 82-yard touchdown pass to WR Troy Brown in overtime at Miami (10-19-03). The 71-yard touchdown pass to Moss is the longest pass of Brady's career at Gillette Stadium, besting a 63-yard touchdown pass to WR Randy Moss vs. Pittsburgh (12-9-07).
The 71-yard pass to Moss is tied for the third longest pass of Brady's career (including touchdowns and all other passes). Brady also had a 71-yarder to Troy Brown at Carolina (9-18-05).
BRADY IS ALWAYS AT HOME AT GILLETTE STADIUMTom Brady has now won 20 straight starts at home (including the playoffs), a streak that began following a 17-14 loss to the New York Jets on Nov. 12, 2006. Brady is 20-0 as a starter since the Patriots installed FieldTurf at Gillette Stadium. Brady's overall home record (59-10, .855) is the best since the NFL merger in 1970.
BRADY, MOSS AND WELKER COMBINE TO WIN AT GILLETTE STADIUM
Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker have never lost a game while playing together at Gillette Stadium. Brady and Moss are a perfect 16-0 (including the playoffs). Welker missed one home game in 2009 (Atlanta) and is 15-0 with Brady and Moss.
STREAK OF 15 STRAIGHT GAMES WITH A TURNOVER IS BROKEN
The Patriots did not force a Miami turnover today, breaking a streak of 15 straight games with a turnover. That streak had been the longest current streak in the NFL.
PATRIOTS OFF TO GOOD START
The Patriots are 6-2 in the 2009 season and have started the season with at least six wins in their first eight games for the third time in four years and for the fifth time in seven years.
THE PATRIOTS AFTER THE BYE
The Patriots improved to 8-2 after the bye week since Bill Belichick became head coach in 2000.
HOME SELLOUT STREAK REACHES 166Today's game was the 166th consecutive home sellout for the Patriots, a streak that includes every preseason, regular-season and playoff game since the 1994 regular-season opener.
BRADY RECORDS UPDATE
Tom Brady improved his career record as a starter (including playoffs) to-
107-29 overall
59-10 at home
38-9 against AFC East teams
27-3 when throwing for 300 yards or more
46-3 on artificial turf
83-6 when leading at halftime
85-4 when leading after three quarters
