NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-0) at DETROIT LIONS (2-0)
Saturday, August 27, 2011 - 8:00 p.m. EDT
* Ford Field (64,500)
Download Game Release PDF >>
*
The Patriots improved to a 2-0 preseason record by following a convincing 47-12 victory vs. Jacksonville with a 31-14 victory last Thursday at Tampa Bay. The Patriots will attempt to get to 3-0 this Saturday night in a nationally-televised game at Detroit.
Tom Brady, the reigning NFL MVP, did not miss a beat in his preseason-debut, playing the entire first half and leading the Patriots to a 28-0 first half lead. After most of the starting players were held out of the preseason-opener vs. Jacksonville, many of those players played the whole first half. Brady and the first unit scored on four of the six offensive series in the first half.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION: This week's game will be broadcast to nationally-televised audience by CBS and can be seen in Boston on WBZ-TV Channel 4. Greg Gumbel will handle play-by-play duties with Dan Dierdorf providing color. Lesley Visser will be the sideline reporter.
RADIO: 98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. A complete listing of the network's 37 stations can be found here. Play-by-play broadcaster Gil Santos is in his 35th 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 28th season as a tandem.
SERIES HISTORY
The Patriots will face Detroit in the preseason for the seventh time and the first time since a 13-10 win in a preseason game on August 4, 2000. The Patriots are 2-4 all-time against Detroit in the preseason, including 1-2 in games played in Detroit.
The Patriots lead the regular-season series, 6-4. The teams met last Thanksgiving with the Patriots winning 45-24. The Patriots are 4- 2 all-time in games played in Detroit in the regular-season, including 2-0 at Ford Field.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady made his NFL debut against the Lions in a 34-9 Detroit win at the Pontiac Silverdome on Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 23, 2000. In 2002, the Patriots claimed a 20-12 victory on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field. The Patriots wore their throwbacks in that game.
SERIES TRENDS
Overall Record , 6-4
Overall at Home , 3-2
- Schaefer/Sullivan/Foxboro Stadium,2-2
- Gillette Stadium , 1-0
Overall on Road ,. 3-2
- Pontiac Silverdome,1-2
- Ford Field,2-0
PRESEASON HISTORY
The Patriots are 41-31 (.569) in the preseason since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. Prior to 1994, the Patriots were 60- 96-1 (.385) in the preseason. New England enters this week's game with an all-time preseason mark of 101-127-1 (.443).
PATRIOTS OFF TO A 2-0 PRESEASON START
The Patriots are 2-0 to start the preseason for the second straight year following the 31-14 win against Tampa Bay.
BILL BELICHICK IN THE PRESEASON
Bill Belichick has compiled an overall record of 38-29 (.567) in the preseason, including a 27-20 (.574) mark as Patriots head coach. Belichick's teams have been .500 or above in 14 of his 16 previous preseasons as a head coach in the NFL.
CONNECTIONS New England Ties
- Lions rookie G Greg Niland attended Northeastern University before transferring to the University of Massachusetts. Detroit Ties
- Patriots Defensive Line coach Pepper Johnson is from Detroit, Michigan and attended Mackenzie High School.
- Patriots TE Carson Butler is from Detroit, Michigan. Former Lions
- Patriots CB Leigh Bodden played for the Lions in 2008.
- Patriots DL Landon Cohen played for the Lions from 2008-09. Former Patriots
- Lions QB Zac Robinson was drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round (250th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. BY THE NUMBERS2
The number of kickoff returns that WR Brandon Tate 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.
4
The number of interceptions that the Patriots 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), S James Sanders returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown at Pittsburgh (11/14), and CB Kyle Arrington returned an interception 36 yards for score vs. Green Bay (12/19).
5.64
The average yards per carry by Danny Woodhead in 2010 after he finished with 97 rushes for 547 yards. His average set a Patriots team record, topping Don Clahoun's previous team record of 5.59 yards per carry in 1976.
7
The number of interceptions by CB Devin McCourty in 2010. It is the second most interceptions by a rookie in Patriots history to Mike Haynes (8) in 1976.
10
The number of touchdown receptions by rookie TE Rob Gronkowski in 2010, a record for most touchdown catches by a tight end in Patriots history. The only other rookie tight end in NFL history to have more touchdowns was Mike Ditka (12).
13
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 is the first Patriots player with 10-plus rushing touchdowns since Corey Dillon had 13 in 2006.
65
The number of touchdowns by the 2010 Patriots, a total that ranks as the eighth-highest total in NFL history. New England set the NFL record with 75 touchdowns in 2007.
71
The number of yards Dan Connolly gained on a second quarter kickoff return vs. Green Bay (12/19). It is the longest kickoff return by an offensive lineman in NFL history.
193
The number of total tackles by LB Jerod Mayo in 2010. That number is the third-highest in team history and led the NFL in 2010.
1,008
The number of yards that BenJarvus Green-Ellis had rushing in 2010, becoming the first Patriots player to top the 1,000-yard rushing mark since Corey Dillon had a team-record 1,635 yards in 2004.
TOM BRADY BY THE NUMBERS
6
The number of times that Brady has finished a season with 25 or more touchdowns. He is the sixth QB in NFL history to have 25 or more touchdown passes in at least six different seasons.
8
The number of times Tom Brady has passed for 3,000 or more yards in a season, a franchise record for most 3,000-yard seasons. He finished the season with 3,900 yards.
17
The number of times Tom Brady has earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He earned the award in back-to-back weeks in 2010: at Detroit (11/25) and vs. NY Jets (12/6).
28
The number of consecutive regular-season starts that Tom Brady has won at Gillette Stadium, setting an NFL record for most consecutive home wins by a starting quarterback in the regular season.
36
The number of touchdown passes thrown by Brady in 2010 to lead the NFL. He is one of just 13 players since the 1970 merger to have at least two 30 touchdown seasons. He set an NFL record with 50 in 2007.
34
The number of regular-season 300-yard passing games by Tom Brady, a team record.
82
The number of times that Brady has thrown two or more touchdowns in a game. The Patriots are 70-12 when he throws for two or more touchdowns.
111
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.
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.
10
The number of division championships won by the Patriots since Kraft purchased the team in 1994.
12
The number of playoff seasons earned by the Patriots in the 17 seasons since Robert Kraft purchased the team.
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.
26
The number of playoff games the Patriots have appeared in since 1994. The mark is tied with Pittsburgh for the most playoff games during that time period.
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.
177
Bill Belichick has 177 career victories as a head coach, including playoff games. Belichick is in sole possession of 10th place in alltime coaching victories.
DREW BLEDSOE AND JON MORRIS INTO PATRIOTS HALL
Drew Bledsoe and Jon Morris are the 2011 honorees that will be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Bledsoe and Morris will be inducted in a public ceremony outside The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17. The event is free to the public and Patriots fans are encouraged to attend.
Bledsoe was voted by the fans as the 17th player and 18th member to enter the Patriots Hall of Fame. Since the new process for induction was instituted in 2007, Bledsoe earned the highest percentage of votes for any candidate and becomes the first player to be selected by the fans into the Patriots Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Morris was selected by a 10-person senior selection committee. The selection was made on Friday, March 25 and affirmed with a phone call from Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft, who notified Morris of his induction later that afternoon.
PATRIOTS DEDICATE 2011 SEASON TO MYRA KRAFT
The New England Patriots announced that they will dedicate the 2011 season to the loving memory of Myra Kraft, who passed away on July 20 after a courageous battle with cancer. Every Patriots player and coach will honor Myra's memory by wearing a patch with her initials on it in recognition of her lifelong contributions to the local and global community and her influence on the charitable mission of the entire Patriots organization. The patch will be worn on the left chest of every player throughout the season.
