The New England Patriots will close out the 2004 preseason at Gillette Stadium this Thursday night when they play host to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The game presents the Patriots with a final opportunity to prepare for the season opener, which will be just a week away once the preseason slate has concluded.
With their nationally-televised Sept. 9 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts on the horizon, the Patriots will use this week's game to help finalize the 53-man roster, giving players one more chance to see live game action before the hits begin to come for real.
HOME COOKING:
The Patriots enter this week's game sporting a 20-3 (.870) all-time record at Gillette Stadium, including preseason, regular-season and postseason games. They have won 12 consecutive contests at home, dating back to a 30-14 loss to the New York Jets on Dec. 22, 2002. New England has not lost at home in the preseason at Gillette Stadium and has not lost a preseason home game in more than four years. New England owns an eight-game home preseason winning streak dating back to Aug. 20, 2000. Since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994, the Patriots have compiled a 74-33 (.692) overall record in Foxborough including a 17-4 (.810) mark in preseason play.
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
This week's game will be televised throughout New England on the Patriots preseason television network and nationwide on NFL Network. The game will also be broadcast throughout New England on the Patriots Rock Radio Network. More broadcast information can be found on page 7 of this press release.
PATRIOTS PRESEASON TV NETWORK:
This week's game can be seen live in Boston on WCVB-TV, Channel 5, the flagship station of the Patriots preseason network. In addition, the game can also be seen live in the following New England markets: Providence, R.I. (WNAC Ch. 64), Manchester, N.H. (WMUR Ch. 9), Portland, Maine (WMTW Ch. 8) and Springfield, Mass. (WGGB Ch. 40). The broadcast will be shown via tape delay in Bangor, Maine (WFVX Ch. 22). Veteran CBS broadcaster Don Criqui provides play-by-play and is joined by three-time NFL Pro Bowler and CBS analyst Randy Cross. WCVB principal sports anchor Mike Lynch offers on-field reports from the sideline.
NFL NETWORK:
In addition to the Patriots preseason network, NFL Network will televise the game live and is available nationwide on DirecTV (Channel 212) and a growing number of local cable systems throughout New England, including Comcast. Kenny Albert will provide play-by-play and will be joined by analysts Dan Fouts and Terrell Davis. Solomon Wilcots will report from the sidelines.
RADIO:
WBCN 104.1 FM is the flagship station for the Patriots Rock Radio Network. A complete listing of the network's 34 stations can be found on page 6 of this press release. Play-by-play broadcaster Gil Santos begins his 28th 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 21st season as a broadcast tandem.
