PATRIOTS (14-2) vs. JETS(11-5)
Sun., Jan. 16, 2011 at 4:30 p.m. EST
Gillette Stadium (68,756)
The AFC East Champion New England Patriots will aim to advance to the AFC Championship game when they clash with their divisional rivals, the New York Jets, in a Divisional Playoff Game this Sunday at Gillette Stadium. The Jets advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a 17-16 win last Saturday night against Indianapolis.
This week's game will be the third between the Patriots and Jets this season, with the teams splitting two regular-season contests. The Jets beat the Patriots, 28-14, at The New Meadowlands Stadium on Sept. 19, but New England evened the season series with a 45-3 win on Monday Night Football on Dec. 6.
New England and New York will meet in the playoffs for the third time. The Patriots won a first-round game 26-14 at Giants Stadium on Dec. 28, 1985 to begin their run to the 1985 AFC Championship. The Patriots 2006 team beat the Jets, 37-16, at Gillette Stadium in a first-round game on Jan. 7, 2007.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION:This week's game will be broadcast to a regional audience by CBS and can be seen in Boston on WBZ-TV Channel 4. WBZ-TV Channel 4. Jim Nantz will handle play-by-play duties with Phil Simms providing color. The game will be produced by Lance Barrow and directed by Mike Arnold.
NATIONAL RADIO:This week's game will be broadcast to a national audience by the Westwood One Radio Sports. Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross will call the game. Kevin Kiley will work the sidelines.
LOCAL 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 in this press release. 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.
PATRIOTS CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH FOR 12th TIME IN KRAFT'S 17 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP
New England has qualified for the playoffs 18 times in its 51-year history. The Patriots have earned 12 playoff berths in the 17 seasons since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994, a dramatic contrast to the six total playoff berths that the team earned in its first 34 years of existence. The Patriots have 10 division crowns in the 12 playoff berths under Kraft, including eight of the last 10 seasons. The 14-2 2010 record earned the Patriots their third top seed in the AFC and it is the seventh time the Patriots have been seeded high enough to earn a first round playoff bye.
PATRIOTS EARN FOURTH 14 WIN SEASON
The Patriots finished 14-2 in 2010. The Patriots have finished with at least 14 wins in four separate seasons. In addition to the 2010 season, the Patriots finished 14-2 in 2003, 14-2 in 2004 and 16-0 in 2007. The Patriots join the San Francisco 49ers as the only teams to have four 14-win seasons.
ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENTSThe Patriots are the only team in the NFL to have recorded nine or more wins in each of the last 10 seasons.
MOST SEASONS OF 9 WINS SINCE 2001
New England 10
Indianapolis 9
Philadelphia 8
Pittsburgh 8
SERIES HISTORY (51-51-1)
The Patriots and Jets will meet for the 104th time, including two postseason games, 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 on Sept. 19 of the 2010 season at the New Meadowlands Stadium. The Patriots evened the series with a 45-3 victory in the rematch in Week 13 on Dec. 6 in a Monday Night Football game at Gillette Stadium.
The teams split the season series in each of the last three seasons.
The Patriots are 7-3 against the Jets all-time at Gillette Stadium.
The teams have played in the postseason two times, a 1985 Wild Card game and a 2006 Wild Card game. New England beat the Jets, 26-14 in 1985 at Giants Stadium on their way to Super Bowl XX. In 2006, the Patriots defeated the Jets, 37-16, at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots have won 13 of their last 17 games against the Jets (including one playoff game). New England is 22-13 against the Jets since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. New England's 51 victories over the Jets (including two playoff wins) are the second most over any single opponent, trailing only Buffalo with 61 all-time wins.
SERIES BREAKDOWNNEW ENGLAND 51, NEW YORK 51, 1 Tie
(Including New England 2, New York 0 in Playoffs)
Home Record 27-24-1 (incl. 1-0 in playoffs)
Record in Foxborough 23-18
- Gillette Stadium 7-3
- 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 GAMESThe Patriots and Jets have played 21 times since 2001, with New England holding a 15-6 advantage in those games.
TOM BRADY PASSING PERFORMANCES AGAINST THE JETS
Tom Brady owns a 14-4 record against the Jets as a starting quarterback including regular-season and playoff games.
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 Woodywas 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 before moving to New England for the 2000 season. The 1998 Jets became AFC East Champions under Belichick's guidance.
- Patriots Defensive Backs Coach Corwin Brown held the same position with the New York Jets from 2004-06.
- Patriots Defensive Line Coach Pepper Johnson played two seasons with the Jets (1997-98).
- 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 Taylorwere standout performers in the AFC East for the Miami Dolphins from 2004-06.
- New England RB Fred Taylorand New York P Steve Weatherfordplayed 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 Ninkovichin 2006.
- Patriots RB Fred Taylor and Jets QB Mark Brunellwere key offensive weapons for the Jacksonville Jaguars, where they played as teammates from 1998-2003.
- Pats OL Quinn Ojinnaka and Jets TEBen Harstock were teammates on the Atlanta Falcons in 2008.
- New England LB Tracy White and Jets T Wayne Hunter both played for the Seattle Seahawks from 2003-04. Hunter was also teammates on the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2006 with Pats RB Fred Taylorand G Dan Connolly.
- Pats WR Deion Branch and Jets LB Lance Laury were teammates on the Seattle Seahawks from 2006-09.
- New England LS Matt Katula played for the Baltimore Ravens with New York Jets LB Bart Scottand DE Trevor Pryce from 2006-08.
FORMER COLLEGE TEAMMATES
- New England DB Tony Carter and DL Eric Moore were Seminoles at Florida State with Jets CB Antonio Cromartie in 2004.
- Patriots P Zoltan Mesko and Jets LB David Harris 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 Smithwere teammates at Michigan State for the 2004-05 seasons.
- Patriots CB Devin McCourty and Jets LB Jamaal Westermanwere 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 IN THE DIVISIONAL ROUND
The Patriots have compiled an 8-5 all-time record in divisional playoff games, including 5-1 at home and 3-0 at Gillette Stadium. Their only home loss was in 1978, the first home playoff game in franchise history.
PATRIOTS IN THE PLAYOFFS
New England has qualified for the playoffs 18 times in its 51-year history. Twelve of those playoff berths have come in the 17 seasons since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994, a dramatic contrast to the six total playoff berths that the team earned in its first 34 years of existence. New England has won 13 division crowns, including eight in the past nine seasons, and has qualified as a Wild Card team on four occasions (1998, 1994, 1985 and 1976). The Patriots also qualified for the playoffs in 1982 as part of a 16-team tournament following a players' strike.
PATRIOTS TIED FOR MOST PLAYOFF WINS IN A DECADE
The Patriots won 14 playoff games in the decade from 2000-2009, tying the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys for the most playoff victories by any NFL team in either the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s or 2000s. Pittsburgh and Dallas both won 14 playoff contests between 1970 and 1979, while New England won 14 postseason games from 2000-2009.
ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENTS
The Patriots have won more than half of their games for the 10TH straight year with a 14-2 record. They are the first team to win more than half of their games in 10 straight seasons since free agency began in 1993.
The Patriots are the fourth team to win more than half of their games in 10 straight seasons since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, joining the 49ers (16 straight from 1983-1998), the Cowboys (16 straight from 1970-85) and the Raiders (11 straight from 1970-80).
The Patriots have now won nine or more games 14 of the 17 seasons Robert Kraft has owned the team.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Patriots are 11-2 at home in the playoffs in their history. Twelve of the franchise's 13 home playoff games have taken place since Robert Kraft purchased the team 17 years ago. After Kraft bought the team, the Patriots won 11 consecutive home playoff games before experiencing a home loss.
TITLE TOWN
The Patriots won the AFC East seven times during the decade of 2000-09. The Patriots had a streak of five straight division titles snapped in 2008 when they finished 11-5, but lost to Miami on a tie breaker to finish in second place. New England's five straight AFC East crowns from 2003-07 top the four straight division titles by the Buffalo Bills from 1988-91 and by the Miami Dolphins on two occasions. The Patriots have won eight of the last nine division crowns. The Patriots have won ten division titles in the 17 seasons since Robert Kraft bought the team in 1994.
SUSTAINED PLAYOFF SUCCESS
The Patriots won 11 playoff games from 2003-07, tying the NFL's highest playoff victory total over a five-season span. New England won three playoff games in 2003, three in 2004, one in 2005, two in 2006 and two in 2007.
ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RESULTSThe Patriots have compiled a 21-14 record in their 35 playoff games and their .600 playoff winning percentage is the third best in NFL history among teams that have played at least 10 playoff games. New England has qualified for six Super Bowls (XX, XXXI, XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX and XLII) and one AFL Championship Game in 1963.
ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENTS
The Patriots are the only team in the NFL to have recorded nine or more wins in each of the last 10 seasons.
PATRIOTS AGAINST TOP 10 SCORING DEFENSES
Patriots have played an opponent with a top 10 scoring defense (fewest points allowed per game) seven times in 2010 and are 6-1 in those games. The Patriots are averaging 30.1 points per game when playing a defense ranked among the top 10 stingiest in terms of allowing points. While the Patriots are averaging 30.1 points per game against those teams, the rest of the NFL is averaging 16.4 points per game.
PATRIOTS ON THE POINT
The Patriots finished first in the NFL with 518 points in 2010, second in team history to the NFL record 589 points scored in 2007. The 518 points ranks seventh in NFL history.
PATRIOTS ON THE POINT PART 2
The Patriots finished first in the NFL with an average of 32.4 points per game. That is second best average in team history.
PATRIOTS SCORE TOUCHDOWNS
The Patriots scored 65 touchdowns in 2010, a total that ranks as the eighth-best total in NFL history. New England set the league record with 75 touchdowns in 2007.
TOP OFFENSE
The Patriots offense finished 8th in the NFL in total yards. The Patriots offense has now finished in the top 10 four straight seasons. Since the 1970 merger, the Patriots offense has finished in the top 10 15 times, including six times under head coach Bill Belichick.
PATRIOTS SCORE POINTS ON OFFENSE AND DO NOT ALLOW POINTS ON DEFENSE
The Patriots offense finished first in the NFL in scoring (518 points for a 32.4 average) and eighth in the NFL in fewest points allowed (313 points for a 19.6 average)
PATRIOTS WON EIGHT STRAIGHT AGAINST TEAMS WITH A RECORD OF .500 OR BETTER
The win over the 8-6 Packers was the Patriots' eighth straight when playing a team which currently had a record of .500 or better in 2010. Since falling to the 10-4 Jets on Sept. 19, the Patriots defeated the 7-7 Dolphins (41-14), the 10-4 Ravens (23-20), the 8-6 Chargers (23-20), the 10-4 Steelers (39-26), the 8-6 Colts (31-28), the 10-4 Jets (45-3), the 9-4 Bears (36-7) and the 8-6 Packers (31-27).
NFL'S BEST ROAD WARRIORS THIS DECADESince the start of the 2000 season, the Patriots have the third best regular-season road record at 57-31, behind only Indianapolis (59-29) and Philadelphia (57-30-1).
PATRIOTS FINISH 6-2 ON THE ROAD
With the win over Buffalo (12/26), the Patriots closed out the 2010 season with a 6-2 road record. In 2009, the Patriots were 2-6 on the road.
PATRIOTS FORCE TURNOVERSThe Patriots lead the NFL with a 106 turnover margin since the 1994 season, including a league-leading and franchise record 28 in 2010.
PATRIOTS SET TEAM RECORD WITH TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL OF 28
The Patriots set a franchise record by finishing the 2010 season with a turnover differential of 28, forcing 38 turnovers while allowing just 10 turnovers. The previous Patriots' team record for best turnover differential in a season was 17, a record which was set in 2003. The Patriots finished 13-0 in 2010 when recording a positive turnover differential. The Patriots' turnover differential of 28 is the second-best since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, trailing only the 43 posted by the 1983 Washington Redskins.
PATRIOTS SET NFL RECORD WITH SEVEN STRAIGHT GAMES WITHOUT A TURNOVER
A Patriots turnover against Miami (1/2/11) ended an NFL-record streak of seven straight games without a turnover. No other NFL team had gone longer than four straight games without a turnover. The Patriots lost a fumble early in the first quarter against Miami. It was the Patriots' first turnover since an interception at Cleveland (11/7/10).
PATRIOTS SET NFL RECORD FOR FEWEST TURNOVERS IN A 16-GAME SEASONThe Patriots had just 10 turnovers in 2010 (5 interceptions and 5 fumbles), setting an NFL record for fewest turnovers in a season. The previous NFL record for fewest turnovers in a season was 12 by Kansas City in the strike-shortened 1982 season. The previous record for fewest turnovers in a 16-game season was 13 by the Giants and Dolphins in 2008. The former Patriots record for fewest turnovers in a season was 15 in 2007 (9 interceptions and 6 fumbles).
PATRIOTS HAVE EIGHT PLAYERS SELECTED FOR THE PRO BOWL
QB Tom Brady, T Matt Light, G Logan Mankins, LB Jerod Mayo, CB Devin McCourty, S Brandon Meriweather, WR Wes Welker and NT Vince Wilfork have been selected to represent the New England Patriots and the AFC in the 2011 Pro Bowl on Jan. 30 at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii. Brady, Mankins and Wilfork were selected as starters, while Light, Mayo, McCourty, Meriweather and Welker were selected as reserves.
It is the sixth Pro Bowl selection for Brady (2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010), the third for Light (2006, 2007 and 2010) Mankins (2007, 2009 and 2010), Welker (2008, 2009 and 2010) and Wilfork (2007, 2009 and 2010) and second for Meriweather (2009 and 2010).
McCourty is the fourth Patriots player to be selected to the Pro Bowl as a rookie, joining Mike Haynes (1976), John Stephens (1988) and Curtis Martin (1995).
The eight Pro Bowl selections match the eight by the 1985 and 2007 Patriots teams.
2010 HONORS AND AWARDS
QB Tom Brady
- AFC Offensive Player of the Week (Wk. 12 at Detroit)
- AFC Offensive Player of the Week (Wk. 13 vs. NY Jets)
- FedEx Air Player of the Week (Wk. 14 at Chicago)
- AFC Offensive Player of the Month (December/January)
S James Sanders
- AFC Defensive Player of the Week (Wk. 10 at Pittsburgh)
OL Dan Connolly
- AFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Wk. 15 vs. Green Bay)
TE Rob Gronkowski
- Pepsi Rookie Player of the Week (Wk. 14 at Chicago)
- Pepsi Rookie Player of the Week (Wk. 17 vs. Miami)
TE Aaron Hernandez
- Pepsi NFL rookie Player of the Week (Wk. 15 vs. Green Bay)
POSTSEASON INSIDE THE NUMBERS
BY THE NUMBERS
4
The Patriots are one of five teams to make the playoffs in at least four of the past five seasons with appearances in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010.
5
The number conference championship game berths for the Patriots since 2000, tied with Philadelphia for the most of any team in the NFL since that year.
7
The number of Divisional round berths for the Patriots since 2000, tied with Philadelphia and Indianapolis for the most of any team in the NFL since that year.
8
The number of playoff appearances for the Patriots since 2000, the second most of any team in the NFL during that time period.
9
The Patriots are the only team in the NFL to have recorded nine or more wins in each of the last ten seasons.
14
The Patriots have finished with 14 wins in four separate seasons. The patriots join San Francisco as the only teams to have four 14-win seasons.
14
The number of playoff games the Patriots won in the past ten years, tied for the most by any team in any ten-year period in NFL history.
27
In 18 playoff games since 2000, the Patriots have forced 27 interceptions, the most of any team coming into this postseason. The Patriots led the NFL in interceptions with 25 this regular season for four touchdowns. New England's 27 postseason interceptions since 2000 have resulted in five touchdowns.
.600The Patriots' playoff winning percentage. New England is 21-14 in the playoffs, which gives it the third best winning percentage in playoff history behind Pittsburgh (31-19, .620) and Green Bay (25-16, .610).
.846The Patriots' home playoff winning percentage. New England has won 11 of 13 home playoff games, making them the second winningest franchise at home in the playoffs.
TOM BRADY BY THE NUMBERS
1
The number of Super Bowl victories QB Tom Brady needs to tie Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw for the most Super Bowl wins by a starting quarterback in NFL history. Brady is tied for second with Troy Aikman with three Super Bowl wins.
2
The number of playoff victories QB Tom Brady needs to tie Joe Montana for the most playoff wins by a starting quarterback in NFL history. Brady is tied for second with Terry Bradshaw and John Elway with 14. Montana has 16 playoff victories.
28
The number of touchdowns Tom Brady has thrown in 18-career playoff games, a number that ranks seventh in NFL history. Brady needs just five touchdowns this postseason to move into sole possession of third place in this category.
4,108
The number of yards Tom Brady has passed for in 18 career playoff games, a number that ranks sixth in NFL history. Only Brett Favre, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, John Elway and Dan Marino have thrown for more yards.
BILL BELICHICK BY THE NUMBERS
1
The number of Super Bowl victories Coach Belichick needs to tie Chuck Noll for the most Super Bowl wins by any head coach in NFL history. Belichick's three Super Bowl victories have him tied with Joe Gibbs and Bill Walsh for second most in NFL history.
15The number of career playoff games Coach Belichick has won, a total that is the fifth-highest by a head coach in NFL history. Belichick needs just five wins to tie Tom Landry for the most wins in the playoffs in NFL history.
.750
Belichick's playoff winning percentage, the second highest winning percentage in the playoffs in NFL history behind the legendary Vince Lombardi, whose name is emblazoned on the Super Bowl trophy.
THE KRAFT ERA BY THE NUMBERS
12The number of times the Patriots have earned playoff berths since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. New England has qualified for the playoffs 18 times in its 51-year history. The Patriots have earned 12 playoff berths in the 17 seasons since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994, a dramatic contrast to the six total playoff berths that the team earned in its first 34 years of existence.
WES WELKER BY THE NUMBERS
27
The number of receptions Welker has recorded in just three postseason games. Welker has averaged nine receptions per game, including recording 11 receptions in Super Bowl XLII. Welker has also caught two touchdowns to go along with his 27 receptions.
DEION BRANCH BY THE NUMBERS
2
The number of double digit reception games Deion Branch has recorded in 11 postseason games. Branch is one of just five players to record more than one double digit reception game in postseason history along with Steve Smith (2), Jerry Rice (3), Hines Ward (3), Art Monk (2), and Tony Nathan (2). Both of Branch's double-digit reception games occurred in Super Bowls, the second of which earned him Super Bowl XXXIX MVP with 11 receptions. Branch has 49 receptions for 725 yards in his postseason career.
