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Patriots (9-2) vs. Jets(9-2)
Monday, December 6, 2010 at 8:30 PM
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
The New England Patriots and the New York Jets will meet on Monday Night Football at Gillette Stadium in a battle for first place in the AFC East. Both teams enter this week's contest with 9-2 records following victories on Thanksgiving Day, with the Patriots taking a 45-24 win at Detroit and the Jets beating Cincinnati, 26-10, at home. The Patriots will attempt to avenge a 28-14 loss in the first meeting of the season between the teams at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Sept. 19. The Patriots head into the month of December this week with the NFL's best record in December since the start of the 2002 season with a 29-5 record. Since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002, the Patriots are 16-1 in home games in December. Their only loss was a Dec. 22, 2002 game against the New York Jets. New England has won 15 of their last 16 December games.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION:This week's game will be nationally televised by ESPN and can be seen in Boston on WCVB-TV Channel 5. Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworskiand Jon Gruden will call the game. Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya will be the sideline reporters.
NATIONAL RADIO:This week's game will be broadcast to a national audience by Westwood One. Kevin Harlan and Boomer Esiason will call the game. Steve Taskerwill work the sidelines.
RADIO: 98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. A complete listing of the network's 36 stations can be found here. Play-by-play broadcaster Gil Santos is in his 34th season as the voice of the Patriots and will call the action along with Patriots Hall of Famer Gino Cappelletti. Santos and Cappelletti are celebrating their 27th season as a broadcasting tandem.
TEDY BRUSCHI NIGHT
The Patriots will honor former LB Tedy Bruschi in a special halftime ceremony. He closed his career as one of the most productive Patriots players in team history. As a team captain, Bruschi's relentless work ethic and on-field intensity helped set the tone for the entire team. Bruschi was originally drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He spent his entire 13-year NFL career with the Patriots. Bruschi left the football field having played a major role in leading the Patriots to 11 winning records, including nine playoff seasons, eight division championships, five conference titles and three Super Bowl crowns.
PATRIOTS HAVE MOST 9-PLUS WIN SEASONS SINCE 2001
The Patriots are the only team in the NFL to have recorded nine or more wins in each of the last 10 seasons. The Patriots claimed their 9th win of the year with a 45-24 win over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day (11/25).
MOST SEASONS OF 9 WINS SINCE 2001
New England - 10
Indianapolis - 8
Philadelphia - 7
Pittsburgh - 7
BRADY WINS 25th STRAIGHT START AT GILLETTE
Tom Brady will attempt to win his 26th consecutive regular-season start at Gillette Stadium. He is currently tied with Brett Favre (1995-98) for the NFL record with 25 consecutive regular-season wins at home. The last time the Patriots lost a regular-season home game in which Brady started was on Nov. 12, 2006 against the New York Jets.
SERIES HISTORY
The Patriots and Jets will meet for the 103rd time since the series between the AFC East rivals began in 1960. The Jets took the lead in the series 51-50-1 following a 28-14 win in Week 2 of the 2010 season at the New Meadowlands Stadium.
The teams split the season series in each of the last two seasons. The Jets beat the Patriots 16-9 at the Meadowlands last season and the Patriots beat the Jets, 31-14, at Gillette Stadium in the rematch.
New England is 6-3 against the Jets all-time at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots have won 12 of their last 16 games against the Jets (including one playoff game). The Patriots have swept the season series 13 times, including four times under head coach Bill Belichick (2003, 04, 05, and 07). New England is 21-13 against the Jets since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. New England's 50 victories over the Jets (including two playoff wins) are the second most over any single opponent, trailing only Buffalo with 60 all-time wins.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
NEW YORK 51, New England 50, 1 Tie
(Including New England 2, New York 0 in Playoffs)
Home Record: 26-24-1 (incl. 1-0 in playoffs)
Record in Foxborough: 22-18
- Gillette Stadium: 6-3
- Foxboro Stadium: 16-15
- Record in Boston: 4-5-1
- Record in Birmingham, Alabama: 0-1
Away Record: 24-27 (incl. 1-0 in playoffs)
- New Meadowlands stadium: 0-1
- Giants Stadium: 17-10 (incl. 1-0 playoffs)
- Shea Stadium: 5-14
- Polo Grounds: 2-2
Seasonal Sweeps:Jets 14 (most recent '00), Patriots 13 ('07)
Bill Belichick vs. N.Y. Jets: 15-8 (14-7 with New England)
RECENT PATRIOTS-JETS GAMES
The Patriots and Jets have played 20 times since 2001, with New England holding a 14-6 advantage in those games. Since 2003, the Patriots are 12-4 against the Jets and have allowed New York to score more than 17 points in a game just three times over that span.
PASSING PERFORMANCES
Tom Brady owns a 13-4 record against the Jets as a starting quarterback including regular-season and playoff games. Brady's 13 overall victories over the Jets are his second highest total over a single opponent, trailing only his 16 wins over the Buffalo Bills.
NFL'S TOP DECEMBER RECORD SINCE 2002
The Patriots head into the month of December this week with the NFL's best record in December since the start of the 2002 season. The Patriots have lost just five December games since 2002.
- New England Patriots, 29-5
- Philadelphia Eagles, 26-9
- San Diego Chargers, 26-10
- Indianapolis Colts, 25-10
- Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-11
CONNECTIONS
FORMER PATRIOTS
- Jets Quarterbacks Coach Matt Cavanaugh began his NFL playing career as a quarterback with the Patriots from 1978-82.
- Jets Wide Receivers Coach Henry Ellard spent part of the 1998 season playing for the Patriots.
- Jets OL Damien Woody was drafted by the Patriots out of Boston College with the 17th overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft.
FORMER JETS
- Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick spent the 1997-1999 seasons as asst. head coach/secondary for the Jets.
- Pats Defensive Backs Coach Corwin Brown held the same position with the New York Jets from 2004-06.
- New England RB Danny Woodhead was a member of the New York Jets in 2009 and through the first week of the 2010 season. Woodhead was released by the Jets on Sept. 14 and signed by the Patriots four days later.
NEW ENGLAND CONNECTIONS
- Jets OL Vladimir Ducasse was an All-American lineman at UMass from 2006-09, while S James Ihedigbo was also an All-American for the UMass football team from 2003-06.
- New York DE Mike DeVito is a native of Wellfleet, Mass. and played collegiately at Maine from 2003-06.
- Jets TE Matthew Mulligan played two years at the University of Maine after transferring from Husson College in Bangor, Maine.
FORMER TEAMMATES
- Patriots WR Wes Welker, RB Sammy Morris and Jets DL Jason Taylor were standout performers in the AFC East for the Miami Dolphins from 2004-06.
- New England RB Fred Taylor and New York P Steve Weatherford played together for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2008.
- Weatherford also played in Kansas City with Patriots S Jarrad Page in 2008 and in New Orleans with LB Rob Ninkovich in 2006.
- Patriots RB Fred Taylor and Jets QB Mark Brunell were key offensive weapons for the Jacksonville Jaguars, where they played as teammates from 1998-2003.
- Pats OL Quinn Ojinnaka and Jets TE Ben Harstock were teammates on the Atlanta Falcons in 2008
FORMER COLLEGE TEAMMATES
- Patriots P Zoltan Mesko and Jets LB David Harris were teammates at Michigan in 2006.
- Patriots DT Myron Pryor and Jets FB John Conner spent four years as teammates at Kentucky from 2005-08.
- Pats S Patrick Chung and Jets QB Kellen Clemens were teammates at Oregon for the 2004-05 seasons.
- New England LB Rob Ninkovich and New York TE Dustin Keller spent the 2004-05 seasons as teammates at Purdue University.
- Patriots QB Brian Hoyer and Jets S Eric Smith were teammates at Michigan State for the 2004-05 seasons.
- Patriots CB Devin McCourty and Jets LB Jamaal Westerman were defensive teammates at Rutgers from 2005-08.
- New England LS Matt Katula and New York S Jim Leonhard were Badgers at Wisconsin from 2002-04.
PATRIOTS ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
The New England Patriots are 18-22 all-time on Monday Night Football, including 11-5 under head coach Bill Belichick and 3-1 at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots are 1-0 in 2010 on Monday Night Football, following a 41-14 win at Miami on Oct.4. The Patriots are 8-8 in home Monday Night Football games and 10-14 on the road.
BRADY AGAINST THE AFC EAST
As a starter against the AFC East, Tom Brady owns a 41-11 (.788) record. He is 16-1 against Buffalo, 12-4 against the New York Jets, 11-6 against Miami and was 2-0 against Indianapolis when they were in the AFC East (2001 season).
BRADY ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
QB Tom Brady owns a 9-4 record when playing on Monday Night Football. His best statistical performance on Monday Night Football was the 2009 season opener when he went 39-of-53 for 378 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Patriots to a 25-24 win over Buffalo. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the week for his performance. He has thrown three or more touchdown in a Monday Night game six times, including a four-touchdown performance in a 31-7 win at Minnesota (10/30/06).
PATRIOTS AND JETS ON MONDAY NIGHT
The Patriots are just 2-4 in six meetings with the Jets on Monday Night Football. The team's last met on Monday Night Football on Dec. 26, 2005 when the Patriots beat the Jets, 31-21, at Giants Stadium.
PATRIOTS AND JETS ON PRIME TIME
The Patriots are 3-4 against Jets in other primetime meetings on Thursday Night, Saturday Night and Sunday Night. The last time the two teams met on primetime was on Nov. 13, 2008 when the Jets beat the Patriots, 34-31, in overtime in a Thursday night game at Gillette stadium.
DIVISION DOMINANCE
The New England Patriots own a 45-14 (.763) record in regular season AFC East games since the beginning of the 2001 season, compiling the best intra-division record of any team in the NFL over the last nine seasons.
STRONG IN THE SECOND HALF
Since 2001, New England has done a remarkable job of finishing the season strong, compiling an NFL-best 56-14 (.800) in games on or after Thanksgiving.
TOUGH AT HOME
The Patriots own an overall record of 64-13 (.831) at Gillette Stadium. Since their state-of-the-art facility opened at the beginning of the 2002 season, the Patriots own the NFL's best record at home.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
BY THE NUMBERS
2
The number of kickoff returns that WR Brandon Tate has returned for a touchdown in 2010 after he returned a 97-yard kickoff for a touchdown vs. Cincinnati (9/12) and a 103-yard kickoff for a touchdown at Miami (10/4). Tate is the first Patriots' player to return two kicks for a touchdown in a season since Kevin Faulk returned two for a touchdown in 2002. The Patriots' record for most returns in a single season is three by Raymond Clayborn in 1977.
2
The number of blocked kicks recorded by S Patrick Chung in 2010 after he blocked a punt and a field goal in the Patriots win at Miami (10/4). He is the first NFL player to block a field goal and a punt in the same game since CB Ramon Walker of Houston blocked a field goal and a punt vs. New England on Nov. 23, 2003.
3
The number of interceptions that the Patriots have returned for a touchdown in 2010 after LB Gary Guyton returned an interception 59 yards for a score vs. Cincinnati (9/12), S Patrick Chung returned an interception 51 yards for a score at Miami (10/4) and S James Sanders returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown at Pittsburgh (11/14).
5
The number of interceptions by CB Devin McCourty in 2010. It is tied for the second most interceptions by a rookie in Patriots history.
6
The number of touchdown receptions by rookie TE Rob Gronkowski in 2010, a record for most touchdown catches by a rookie tight end in Patriots history. The old mark was 4 by Russ Francis in 1975 and Don Hasselbeck in 1977.
6
The number of touchdown receptions by Wes Welker in 2010, his highest total since he registered a career-high eight in 2007.
9
The number of rushing touchdowns in 2010 by BenJarvus Green-Ellis, establishing a career high. His previous best was the five he had as a rookie in 2008. He needs one more to become the first Patriots player with 10-plus rushing touchdowns since Corey Dillon had 13 in 2006.
10
The number of consecutive seasons in which the Patriots have posted a winning record.
25
The number of consecutive regular season starts that Tom Brady has won at Gillette Stadium, tying Brett Favre's post-merger NFL record 25-game home winning streak.
30.4
The number of points the Patriots are averaging in 2010, the highest in the NFL. The Patriots are on pace to finish with 486 points, which would be second in team history to the 589 scored in 2007.
74
The number of consecutive regular-season games that Welker has caught at least one pass. He has caught at least one pass in all 60 games as a member of the Patriots, including three postseason games.
77
The number of times that Brady has thrown two or more touchdowns in a game. The Patriots are 65-12 when he throws for two or more touchdowns.
106
The number of wins that Brady has as a starting quarterback. He reached the 100-win milestone in the fewest number of starts (131) among all quarterbacks in the modern era.
JEROD MAYO BY THE NUMBERS
145
The number of total tackles by LB Jerod Mayo. He is on pace to finish the season with 211 tackles. That number would be the highest since LB Clayton Weishuhn had 229 tackles in 1984.
TOM BRADY NUMBERS
3
The number of times Tom Brady has passed for 4,000 or more yards in a season after his team-record third 4,000 yard season in 2009. His 4,398 passing yards last season are second to the team-record 4,806 passing yards he had in 2007.
5
The number of times that Brady has finished a season with 25 or more touchdowns He is tied with Drew Brees for the fifth most seasons with 25 or more touchdowns. Brady has 23 TD passes in 2010 and is on pace to finish with 33 TD passes.
15
The number of times Tom Brady has earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He earned the award two times in 2009 - vs. Buffalo and vs. Tennessee.
32
The number of regular season 300-yard passing games by Tom Brady, a team record. Brady's seven 300-yard games in 2009 moved him past Drew Bledsoe (26) for the team record.
THE KRAFT ERA
3
The number of Super Bowl championships the Patriots have won since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. That mark is the highest total in the NFL over that span. Only Denver (2; 1997 and 1998) and Pittsburgh (2; 2005 and 2008) have won multiple Super Bowl titles since 1994.
5
The number of conference championships the Patriots have won since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. That mark is the highest total in the NFL over that span. Pittsburgh is second with three conference titles since 1994.
17
The number of playoff games the Patriots have won since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. That mark is the highest total in the NFL over that span. Pittsburgh ranks second with 15 playoff wins over that span.
25
The number of playoff games the Patriots have appeared in since 1994. The mark is the highest in the NFL, ahead of the 23 games played by Pittsburgh.
177
The number of consecutive home games the Patriots have sold out, a streak that includes every preseason, regular season and playoff game since the 1994 regular season opener.
THE BELICHICK ERA
4
Bill Belichick is one of just four coaches to win three championships since the Super Bowl era began. Belichick joins three members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the exclusive club (Chuck Noll 4, Joe Gibbs 3 and Bill Walsh 3). Belichick is the only coach to win three Super Bowls in the post-1993 salary cap era and the only one to ever win three in four years.
172
Bill Belichick has 172 career victory as a head coach, including playoff games. Belichick is 11th in NFL history with 172 career victories.
