DATE:
August 10, 2001
SITE:
Foxboro Stadium (60,292) - Grass
TIME:
8:00 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 Patriots will begin the 2001 season when they open their preseason against the defending NFC Champion New York Giants. The two teams will meet on the playing field after spending two days practicing against one another at Bryant College in Smithfield, R.I. They will have one practice on Tuesday, Aug. 7 and two on Wednesday, Aug. 8. The practice sessions are pass only events and are closed to the public.
"We are really looking forward to working with the Giants as opposed to it being some kind of on the field war. We'll save that until Friday night," said head coach Bill Belichick. "I think this is something that will help our team along and Jim (Fassel) feels the same way."
The Patriots have added 22 new veterans to their roster, including 20 free agents and two veterans claimed off waivers. Those 22 veterans bring an average of nearly 7.5 years of experience per player.
"The guys that we've brought onto the team, I think, have already had a positive impact in their work ethic, their commitment to the game, and the way that they have interacted with other players," said Belichick at the beginning of training camp.
New England will embark on its second preseason under Belichick against the Giants. They won last year's preseason opener, a 20-0 triumph over the San Francisco 49ers in the Hall of Fame Game. A victory over the Giants would give the Patriots their first back-to-back wins in preseason openers since they won six consecutive openers from 1976-81. Last preseason, the Patriots were 3-2. In six seasons as an NFL head coach, Belichick has never finished below .500 in the preseason. In Patriots franchise history, the team has accumulated a 77-109-1 record in the preseason, and has had winning records in five of the last seven preseasons.
