DATE:
August 25, 2001
SITE:
Raymond James Stadium (66,000) - Grass
TIME:
7:30 p.m. EDT
TELEVISON:
This week's game will be broadcast locally on WCVB Channel 5 in Boston. For the seventh consecutive year, Don Criqui will provide the play-by-play detail and will be joined by broadcast partner Jerry Glanville. They will be joined by Mike Lynch from the sidelines. All preseason games will also be televised in Providence on WNAC (Channel 64), WTXX in Hartford, Conn. (Ch. 20), WMTW in Portland, Maine (Ch 8) and WMUR in Manchester, N.H. (Ch. 9).
RADIO:
WBCN's Rock Radio Network 104.1 FM. Gil Santos, now in his 25th season as voice of the Patriots, will call the action along with Gino Cappelletti. The tandem is enjoying their 18th season together.
The New England Patriots (2-0) will travel to Tampa to try and make the Buccaneers (0-2) walk the plank on Saturday, Aug. 25. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The Patriots are undefeated through two preseason games and are now 5-2 in the preseason under Head Coach Bill Belichick. It is just the eighth time in the team's history that the Patriots have opened their season with back-to-back wins. A victory over the Bucs this weekend would extend their streak to three consecutive wins for just the fifth time in franchise history.
"What I told the team is that we're trying to win every game," said Head Coach Bill Belichick, "and when you step on the field, we expect you to play to win. So whatever the situation is, we expect you to play it like we're trying to win the game. I think that's from the first play of a preseason game until the last play. It doesn't mean that every single thing we've got in the arsenal is coming out, but when a player walks on the field, we expect him to give his best and we expect him to play the game just as if he were playing it in any other game, whether it's regular season, playoffs or anything else."
In victories over the defending NFC Champion New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers, the Patriots have outscored their opponents by a combined 37-8 score and are averaging 360 yards per game, while allowing just 128.5 yards per game.
The Patriots defense has stifled opposing passing games in their first two games, allowing just 55 yards per game and a completion percentage of 37.3. The unit has already recorded four interceptions after only have 10 interceptions all last season.
"I think our team defense is improving. The communication is improving, the overall execution and understanding by all eleven players of what we are doing is improving and that really includes everyone," said Belichick. "I can't single anybody out, there are a lot of people doing a good job."
