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Powernetics Trains New England Patriots powernetics.com | GFRC - 2008 New England Season Opener Duathlon gfrcrun.org | Incline Club [2009 Incline Club V13 Start of the New Season] inclineclub.com |
The 2009 New England Patriots season is the 40th season for the team in the National Football League and 50th season overall. The Patriots will attempt to improve upon their 11–5 record from 2008, when the team missed the playoffs. [edit] Offseason[edit] Staff changesWith the Patriots' 2008 season ending more than a month before its 2007 season did, the month of January, reserved for playoff games in the prior five seasons, instead saw the departure of head coach Bill Belichick's top personnel executive in his first nine seasons in New England. Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli accepted an offer to become the general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs, giving him final say over all of the team's football matters.[1] Nick Caserio, the Patriots' director of player personnel, took over Pioli's duties of overseeing the Patriots' personnel and scouting departments,[2] while former Tennessee Titans general manager Floyd Reese was given a multi-year contract to be a "senior football advisor."[2] Meanwhile, assistant director of college scouting Jon Robinson was promoted to director of college scouting,[3] and former assistant director of player personnel Jason Licht, who had moved from the Patriots to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals as a personnel executive, returned to the Patriots as director of pro personnel.[4] National scout Bob Quinn was promoted to assistant director of pro personnel.[5] Belichick's coaching staff faced similar changes at the beginning of the 2009 offseason. Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels agreed to become the head coach of the Denver Broncos, which at the time of his hiring made him the youngest head coach in the NFL.[6] Wide receivers coach Bill O'Brien replaced McDaniels as quarterbacks coach,[7] but no official replacement for offensive coordinator was named. Minnesota Vikings assistant special teams coach and offensive assistant Chad O'Shea replaced O'Brien as wide receivers coach.[8] In addition, special teams coach Brad Seely agreed to join the Cleveland Browns as their assistant head coach/special teams coach under new head coach and former Patriots assistant Eric Mangini.[9] Former Denver Broncos special teams coach Scott O'Brien was named as a replacement.[10] On defense, special assistant/secondary coach Dom Capers joined the Green Bay Packers as their defensive coordinator[10] and was replaced by defensive coaching assistant Josh Boyer as defensive backs coach.[10] Boyer was replaced as a coaching assistant by Patrick Graham, who was a defensive graduate assistant for former Patriots assistant Charlie Weis at the University of Notre Dame before being hired by the University of Toledo as a defensive line coach weeks before joining the Patriots.[11] Finally, tight ends coach Pete Mangurian joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their offensive line coach after the season; offensive coaching assistant Shane Waldron replaced him.[3] Scouting assistant Brian Ferentz replaced Waldron as an offensive coaching assistant.[5] [edit] DeparturesQuarterback Matt Cassel, who started 15 of the Patriots' games in 2008 after an injury to starter Tom Brady, was an unrestricted free agent after the season under the terms of his 2005 seventh-round draft pick contract. On February 5, the first day teams were allowed to place the franchise tag on a player, the Patriots assigned Cassel the non-exclusive version of the tag, tying up $14.65 million, the required amount of a one-year guaranteed tender, of their salary cap space.[12] The tag allowed Cassel to negotiate with other teams, but any team signing Cassel to an offer sheet the Patriots refused to match would have had to surrender two first-round draft picks to the Patriots.[13] Nevertheless, Cassel quickly agreed to the terms of the tag and signed it,[14] putting him under contract with the Patriots for the 2009 season and guaranteeing him the tender salary, but also denying him the right to negotiate without permission. On February 28, the second day of free agency, Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel, who was in the final year of his contract, were traded to the Chiefs for the Chiefs' second-round draft pick in 2009 (#34 overall), in the first trade between Belichick and Pioli, his former colleague.[13] Prior to the start of free agency, the Patriots released wide receiver Kelley Washington and offensive lineman Billy Yates;[15] Yates was re-signed days later to a revised contract.[16] Unrestricted free agents, wide receiver Jabar Gaffney,[17] long snapper Lonie Paxton,[18] and running back LaMont Jordan[19] all joined McDaniels and the Denver Broncos. Fullback Heath Evans signed with the New Orleans Saints[20] and linebacker Larry Izzo signed with the New York Jets.[21] During the second day of the draft, cornerback Ellis Hobbs was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for two 2009 fifth-round draft selections.[22] On June 4, safety Rodney Harrison, who became a free agent following the 2008 season, retired from football.[23] On August 17, the Patriots traded defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith to the Denver Broncos with a seventh-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft in exchange for the Broncos' 2010 fifth-round pick, which became the selection that went to the Oakland Raiders in a prior trade.[24] On August 25, the Patriots again traded with the Broncos, this time sending offensive lineman Russ Hochstein to the Broncos for a seventh-round draft selection in the 2010 draft.[25] After playing in the team's first three preseason games as a reserve, linebacker Tedy Bruschi announced his retirement on August 31, after 13 seasons with the Patriots.[26] During final roster cutdowns, on September 5, the Patriots traded tight end David Thomas to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft..[27] The next day, the Patriots traded All-Pro defensive lineman Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a first-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft.[28] [edit] ArrivalsThe Patriots signed a number players who had been released by their former teams: longtime Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor,[29] cornerbacks Shawn Springs[30] and Leigh Bodden,[31] tight end Chris Baker,[32] wide receiver Joey Galloway,[33] long snapper Nathan Hodel,[34] and linebacker Tully Banta-Cain,[35] who was a member of the Patriots from 2003 through 2006 before signing a free agent contract with the San Francisco 49ers. Center Al Johnson,[36] offensive tackle Damane Duckett,[37] safety Brandon McGowan,[38] and linebacker Paris Lenon[39] arrived via unrestricted free agency; only McGowan made the Patriots' opening roster. Free agents or potential free agents Eric Alexander,[40] James Sanders,[41] Russ Hochstein,[42] Chris Hanson,[43] Mike Wright,[44] Tank Williams,[36] Raymond Ventrone,[36] Pierre Woods,[45] and Kenny Smith[46] were all re-signed. Restricted free agent offensive tackle Wesley Britt was not offered a tender, making him an unrestricted free agent,[47] but he was later re-signed.[36] In August, offensive tackles Nick Kaczur and Mark LeVoir both received contract extensions through the 2012 and 2011 seasons, respectively.[48][49] In the first week of the free agency, the Patriots traded their fifth-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft to the Philadelphia Eagles for wide receiver Greg Lewis and the Eagles' seventh-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.[50][51] Shortly after the draft, the Patriots acquired tight end Alex Smith from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.[52][53] Smith was released by the Patriots during roster cutdowns on September 5,[54] while Lewis was released two days later.[55] On August 6, the Patriots acquired defensive end Derrick Burgess from the Oakland Raiders in exchange for third- and fifth-round selections in the 2010 NFL Draft. The Patriots, without a fifth-round selection at the time, originally sent a fourth-round pick to the Raiders with the condition it would become a fifth-round pick once the team acquired one.[56] A fifth-round pick was then acquired in the Le Kevin Smith trade and sent to the Raiders instead of the fourth-round selection.[24] During final roster cutdowns, on September 5, the Patriots acquired tight end Michael Matthews from the New York Giants in exchange for a conditional draft choice in the 2011 NFL Draft.[27] He was waived on October 20; the condition for the trade was not met, meaning the Patriots did not surrender their draft choice.[57] On September 22, in the third week of the season, the Patriots acquired linebacker Prescott Burgess from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft choice.[58] He was waived by the Patriots six days later. Since the trade was conditioned on Burgess being active for a certain number of games, and since Burgess was inactive in the only game he was with the Patriots for, the Patriots kept the pick.[59] [edit] 2009 NFL DraftMain article: 2009 NFL Draft
[edit] Staff
[edit] Opening training camp rosterAs of the Patriots' first training camp practice at Gillette Stadium on July 30, they had the NFL maximum of 80 players signed to their roster (injured third-round pick Tyrone McKenzie, who was not signed until after training camp began, did not count against that limit until his signing). Additionally, rookies Eric Kettani and Tyree Barnes were on the Reserve/Military list and did not count against the limit. [edit] Schedule[edit] Preseason
[edit] Regular season
Note: Game times from Weeks 11-17 are subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling (for the exception of the Week 12 game at the New Orleans Saints). Additionally, due to intra-division flex-scheduling procedures, the Week 15 game at Buffalo cannot be flexed into primetime. †These four games are among the 16 the NFL has designated as "AFL Legacy Games" in honor of the 50th anniversary of the American Football League. The Patriots will wear their throwback uniforms during those four games, as will the Bills, Broncos, and Titans (originally the Houston Oilers). (The Dolphins, not one of the original AFL teams having joined the league only in 1966, will wear their standard uniforms.) [edit] Standings
[edit] Week 1 roster[edit] Regular season results[edit] Week 1: vs. Buffalo Bills
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
In the first game of a ESPN Monday Night Football opening doubleheader, the Patriots faced the Bills at home in an American Football League "legacy game" honoring the 50th anniversary of the founding of AFL, which added ten teams to the NFL as part of the 1970 AFL–NFL merger. As two of the eight founding teams of the AFL, the Bills and Patriots celebrated their 50th anniversaries by wearing throwback uniforms from the AFL era, while the officials also wore red-striped uniforms such as those worn by AFL officials. Following a Patriots three-and-out to open the game, the Bills punted to give the Patriots the ball at their own 17-yard line. Nine players later, the Patriots were unable to convert on third down, setting kicker Stephen Gostkowski up for a 41-yard field goal try. He missed it wide right, giving the Bills the ball at their own 32-yard line. Bills quarterback Trent Edwards scrambled for 16 yards to move the Bills into Patriots territory before a Fred Jackson run gained another 16 yards. Jackson was filling in for suspended starter Marshawn Lynch; Patriots linebacker and 2008 Defensive Rookie of the Year Jerod Mayo suffered a sprained MCL on the play and did not return. The next play, a dump-off pass to Jackson, gained 21 yards and put the Bills in the red zone. Two plays later, Edwards hit rookie tight end Shawn Nelson for an 11-yard touchdown, giving the Bills a 7-0 lead. The Patriots next drive was a three-and-out, ending on an Aaron Schobel sack of quarterback Tom Brady on third down. The Bills punted back to the Patriots early in the second quarter, setting the table for a 14-play, 72-yard Patriots drive that culminated on a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Fred Taylor to tie the game. Despite a 16-yard dumpoff to Jackson on the Bills' next drive, they punted back to the Patriots before reaching midfield. On the very next play, a Brady pass intended for running back Sammy Morris was intercepted by Schobel and returned 26 yards for a touchdown, giving the Bills a 14-7 lead. Brady was more accurate on his next possession, throwing passes of 14 yards to tight end Benjamin Watson and wide receiver Wes Welker to move into Bills territory, and then hitting wide receiver Randy Moss on a 31-yard strike within the two minute warning. The drive stalled in the Bills' red zone, and the Patriots were forced to settle for a 20-yard Gostkowski field goal as the first half expired, cutting the Bills' lead to 14-10. Aided by more Jackson yardage and a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on Vince Wilfork, the Bills moved close to midfield on the opening drive of the second half before punting and pinning the Patriots at their own 3-yard line. The Patriots would advance to the Bills' 36-yard line on 12 plays, but an incomplete pass on third down set up a fourth down conversion try, which failed on another incomplete pass. Three plays later, Edwards hit new target Terrell Owens for the first time in the game, good for 27 yards to put the Bills in Patriots territory. However, a run for a loss and a Tully Banta-Cain sack of Edwards set-up a 3rd-and-20 situation, where the Bills failed to convert, forcing a 40-yard Rian Lindell field goal. After a punt, the Patriots began an 11-play drive that spanned into the fourth quarter, ending it on a 28-yard Gostkowski field goal that cut the Bills' lead to 17-13. The Bills responded by embarking on a 14-play, 62-yard drive that took more than six minutes off the clock and extended the Bills' lead to 24-13 on a 10-yard Jackson touchdown on a dump-off from Edwards. With 5:25 remaining in the game and down by 11 points, the Patriots shifted into their two-minute, pass-only offense, moving the ball 81 yards on 11 plays in 3:26 and scoring on an 18-yard Watson touchdown pass from Brady. The Patriots' two-point conversion try failed, keeping them within five points of the Bills. On the ensuing kickoff, Bills second-year returner Leodis McKelvin chose to return the kickoff out of the end zone, despite having his team's onside kick return unit on the field. Safety Brandon Meriweather hit McKelvin at the Bills' 31-yard, which allowed linebacker Pierre Woods to come in from the side and strip McKelvin of the ball. Gostkowski recovered it at the same spot. Following the two-minute warning, the Patriots offense came back out onto the field. On the third play of the drive, Brady hit Watson on a nearly-identical end zone route for a 16-yard touchdown, which was upheld by official review. The Patriots two-point attempt failed again, holding their lead to a point over the Bills. With 45 seconds remaining, the Bills began their next drive and were able to reach their own 40-yard line before another Banta-Cain sack pushed them back to the 30-yard line. The next play was a last-minute deseperation multiple-lateral play that fell short for the Bills, giving the Patriots a 25-24 win, their first victory of the season. [edit] Week 2: at New York Jets
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Following their close home win over the Bills, the Patriots traveled to face the Jets in the final regular season matchup between the teams in Giants Stadium. In the week prior to the game, first-year Jets head coach Rex Ryan placed a phone message to all Jets season ticket holders asking them to "make it miserable for (Tom) Brady and company," following up on his comments during the offseason that he would not "kiss Bill Belichick's Super Bowl rings." He told the Jets fans that "the Patriots had a better head coach and a better quarterback," but that the game would decide "who has a better team."[66] Meanwhile, Jets safety Kerry Rhodes said the Jets intended on not just winning, but "embarrassing" the Patriots in the game, while nose tackle Kris Jenkins called it the Jets' version of the Super Bowl; the Jets had not defeated the Patriots at home since 2000.[67] On the first drive of the game, without an injured Welker, the Patriots drove to the Jets' 36-yard line before having to punt. The Jets' first play from scrimmage was a strip-sack of rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez by defensive lineman Mike Wright; Sanchez recovered the fumble at the Jets' 3-yard line. On 4th-and-24, the Jets punted back to their own 49-yard line; the Patriots could not capitalize on the field position and went three-and-out. However, Jets running back Leon Washington fumbled on the next play; cornerback Leigh Bodden recovered it at the Jets' 17-yard line. Two holding penalties would push the Patriots back to the Jets' 37-yard line, setting up a 45-yard Gostkowski field goal to give the Patriots a 3-0 lead. Following a Jets three-and-out, the Patriots moved to their own 41-yard line before Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis intercepted a pass intended for Moss at the Jets' 16-yard line. The Jets offense would continue to struggle, however, going three-and-out again to end the first quarter. The Patriots began the second quarter with a 9-play, 53-yard drive, one that stalled at the Jets' 7-yard line; the Patriots settled for another Gostkowski field goal, extending their lead to 6-0. The Jets would pick up their initial first down of the game on their next possession, going 52 yards on 10 plays before a Jay Feely 33-yard field goal cut the Patriots' lead in half. Starting from their own 10-yard line after a holding penalty on Sam Aiken on the kickoff, the Patriots took nearly six minutes off the clock, reaching the Jets' 11-yard line before two incomplete passes by Brady prevented the Patriots scoring their first touchdown of the game. Instead, Gostkowski kicked his third field goal of the day to increase the Patriots' lead to 9-3 going into halftime. Receiving the opening kickoff of the second half due to their deferral of the opening coin toss, the Jets took the lead in barely a minute. Following a 43-yard kick return by Washington, Sanchez hit wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery for 45 yards and a play later connected with tight end Dustin Keller on a 9-yard touchdown pass. The 10-9 lead was the first for the Jets over the Patriots at home since 2001. After a Patriots three-and-out, punter Chris Hanson's 30-yard punt gave the Jets the ball at the Patriots' 45-yard line. From the Patriots' 6-yard line, Sanchez appeared to throw a touchdown pass to Chansi Stuckey, but the catch was overturned after the Patriots challenged. Two plays later, Feely hit his second field goal of the day to give the Jets a 13-9 lead. The Patriots' ensuing possession reached the Jets' 35-yard line on a third down, but back-to-back delay of game penalties on Brady, an incomplete pass, and a facemask penalty on Moss on the punt backed the Patriots up to their own 40-yard line. However, Hanson's subsequent attempt was better than the first, nullified by the penalty, and the Jets began their next drive from their own 15-yard line. On a 14-play, 63-yard drive that spanned into the fourth quarter, the Jets extended their lead to 16-9 on a 39-yard Feely field goal. The Patriots started their next drive from their own 15-yard line as well, but were unable to reach midfield before punting. A Jets three-and-out gave the Patriots another opportunity with five minutes remaining, but a Watson holding penalty in the middle of the drive helped set up a 2nd-and-20 situation and eventually another punt. Just before the two-minute warning, Sanchez was sacked, but a penalty on BenJarvus Green-Ellis on the ensuing punt meant the Patriots had to start their last drive of the game from their own 10-yard line. After a Julian Edelman 18-yard reception began it, four straight incompletions ended the drive and the game. The loss dropped the Patriots to 1-1, their first such record since the 2005 season. It also marked the first time that New England was held without a touchdown since December 10, 2006. [edit] Week 3: vs. Atlanta Falcons
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Looking to avoid back-to-back losses, the Patriots returned home to face the Atlanta Falcons, missing Welker for the second straight game. The Falcons moved the ball 72 yards on their 12-play opening drive, but settled for a 26-yard Jason Elam field goal after being stopped on 3rd-and-3 from the 8-yard line. The Patriots responded with a 15-play drive of their own, beginning with a 19-yard dump-off pass to Morris. No other play on the drive would go for more than 9 yards, and the Patriots themselves were stopped short of a touchdown, with wide receiver Joey Galloway catching a pass with his foot out of bounds in the back of the end zone on what would have been a 7-yard touchdown pass. Instead, the Patriots could not reach further than the Falcons' 2-yard line and settled for a 21-yard Gostkowski field goal to tie the game. The Falcons next drive was a three-and-out that began the second quarter, with a 29-yard Michael Koenen punt and a 5-yard penalty on the Falcons giving the Patriots the ball at their own 49-yard line. After two pass attempts, Taylor had runs of 8, 19, 6, and 8 yards, with the final rush good for a touchdown and a 10-7 Patriots lead. Beginning their next drive from their own 41-yard line after a 33-yard return by Eric Weems, the Falcons moved into Patriots territory on one play before an apparent strip-sack of second-quarter quarterback Matt Ryan by safety Brandon McGowan; the Falcons challenged the ruling (which included a touchdown return by cornerback Shawn Springs) and won, as Ryan's arm was going forward when he lost the ball. Another Jenkins reception, this one for 21 yards, moved the Falcons deeper into Patriots territory before running back Michael Turner ran for a 2-yard touchdown that tied the game. Following a Patriots three-and-out, the Falcons again moved into Patriots territory, but a Turner fumble at the Patriots' 27-yard line, forced by McGowan, was recovered by safety James Sanders with just under four minutes remaining in the half. The Patriots' 12-play drive brought them into the red zone, but a dropped pass by Galloway just outside of the end zone and an incompletion to wide receiver Sam Aiken in the end zone forced a 33-yard Gostkowski field goal that gave the Patriots a 13-10 lead going into halftime. The Patriots began where they left off at the start of the second half, embarking on a 13-play drive that entered into the red zone on a 23-yard Watson catch. However, the Patriots' offense stalled in the red zone again, with two incomplete passes to Moss setting up a 22-yard Gostkowski field goal. Ryan and Jenkins continued to connect on the Falcons' ensuing drive; a 26-yard reception put the Falcons in Patriots territory and then a 36-yard touchdown pass was nullified on a pass interference penalty on Jenkins. With a subsequent false start penalty, the Falcons were pushed back into Patriots' territory and eventually forced to punt. The Patriots next drive spanned 70 yards on 16 plays and was kept alive on a 4th-and-1 conversion from the Patriots own 24-yard line. Again, it did not involve a touchdown though, as Gostkowski kicked a 33-yard field goal to extend the Patriots' lead to 19-10 early in the fourth quarter. After an exchange of three punts, the Patriots began a 6-play drive that resulted in their first passing touchdown of the day, a 36-yard reception by tight end Chris Baker that extended the Patriots lead to 26-10; it was also Brady's 200th career touchdown pass. After a Falcons three-and-out, the Patriots held the ball for the final 6:52 of the game to seal a 26-10 victory. [edit] Week 4: vs. Baltimore Ravens
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Coming off their win over the Falcons, the Patriots stayed at home for a Week 4 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. The opening kickoff was fumbled by Ravens returner Chris Carr and recovered by McGowan at the Ravens' 12-yard line. However, the Patriots could not capitalize on the field position, settling for a 32-yard Gostkowski field goal to give them an early 3-0 lead. The Ravens began their first drive from their own 19-yard line and advanced on a 15-play drive, capping it with a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Flacco to wide receiver Derrick Mason. The Patriots responded with a 14-play drive of their own, going 76 yards before Brady scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to re-establish a Patriots lead at 10-7. The Ravens reached midfield on thier next drive with a 22-yard reception by tight end Todd Heap, but the drive stalled at the Patriots' 38-yard line, setting up a punt by Sam Koch that gave the Patriots the ball at their own 9-yard line. Similarly, the Patriots reached Ravens' territory before having to punt; Hanson's punt landed in the end zone for a touchback. On the second play of the Ravens' ensuing drive, left tackle Jared Gaither injured his head falling into Flacco during a block; while he had motion in his extremities, the game was stopped for 15 minutes as Gaither was loaded onto a stretcher and taken to the hospital for tests. The Ravens' drive finished as a three-and-out. The Patriots then went 63 yards on six plays, extending their lead to 17-7 on a 12-yard touchdown run by Morris. With just under four minutes remaining in the half, the Ravens mounted a drive that reached the Patriots' 17-yard line with 1:17 left; Flacco was intercepted by Bodden to prevent the Ravens from scoring again before halftime. The Patriots first drive of the second half was aided by a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on the Ravens' bench, but the Patriots were unable to capitalize as a Matt Light holding penalty and a Jarret Johnson sack of Brady forced a punt. Starting from their own 16-yard line, the Ravens advanced to their 45-yard line before a Wright sack of Flacco set up another punt. Kevin Faulk fielded the return but fumbled; Bodden recovered the fumble for the Patriots at their own 14-yard line. On the next play, Brady dropped back and was strip-sacked from his blind side by Terrell Suggs; defensive lineman Dwan Edwards recovered the fumble for the Ravens in the end zone for a touchdown, cutting the Patriots' lead to 17-14. Brady quickly recovered, hitting passes to Taylor for 13 yards, Aiken for 26 yards, and Moss for 20 yards to put the Patriots in the Ravens' red zone. Three plays later, Brady and Moss connected for their first touchdown of the season; the 14-yard strike extended the Patriots' lead to 24-14. The Ravens had similar success on his next drive, with Flacco hitting Mark Clayton on a 13-yard catch, Mason on a 20-yard catch, and then running back Ray Rice breaking a 50-yard rush to put the Ravens well into Patriots territory. A few plays later, Flacco kept pace with Brady on a 13-yard touchdown pass to running back Willis McGahee to cut the Patriots' lead to 24-21. The Patriots would control the ball for the next seven minutes, reaching the Ravens' 9-yard line on a second down. After two incomplete passes, the Patriots lined up in a field goal formation but the holder, Hanson, took a quick snap and passed to Baker, who had motioned outside of the formation. Baker was tackled around the first down marker, but was called for an illegal motion on the play. The Ravens challenged the ruling of a catch and the first down spot, as they would have declined the penalty if Baker had been short. The ruling was upheld and the Patriots took a 27-21 lead on a 33-yard Gostkowski field goal. After an exchange of three-and-outs, the Ravens mounted a drive with 3:32 left, reaching the Patriots' red zone with under a minute remaining. On third and fourth down, Flacco's passes fell incomplete to Mason and Clayton, ending the Ravens' hopes of a comeback. Brady then kneeled to hand the Ravens their first loss of the season and better the Patriots' record to 3-1. [edit] Week 5: at Denver Broncos
at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
The Patriots traveled to Denver to face a fourth straight undefeated team, a stretch only matched by one other post-merger team (the 1986 Philadelphia Eagles). The game also marked the first time former Patriots assistant Josh McDaniels, who became the head coach of the Broncos in 2009, faced his former team. On the first drive of the game, the Broncos advanced to the Patriots' 30-yard line before Matt Prater attempted a 48-yard field goal; he missed wide right. With field position at their own 38-yard line, the Patriots moved into the red zone on a 35-yard dump-off to Morris. Three plays later, Brady and Welker connected on their first touchdown pass of the season; the 8-yard score gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead. Three plays later, Mayo, in his first game back from his knee injury, forced a fumble of Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno; McGowan recovered it at the Broncos' 43-yard line. After a 10-yard Morris run began the Patriots' ensuing possession, they lost two yards over their next three plays, setting up a 53-yard Gostkowski field goal (a career long) that extended the Patriots' lead to 10-0. Following a Broncos three-and-out, the Patriots had a three-and-out of their own; the punt was fumbled by returner Eddie Royal but recovered by Broncos cornerback Jack Williams and returned to the Broncos' 38-yard line. The Broncos then advanced into Patriots territory but were forced to punt again. This set up a Patriots drive that moved to the Broncos' 41-yard line before a failed third down conversion and an unnecessary roughness penalty on guard Logan Mankins pushed the Patriots back past midfield and forced a punt. Despite starting from their own 10-yard line with a sack, the Broncos quickly advanced into Patriots territory on Kyle Orton completions of 11, 10, and 13 yards plus a roughing the passer penalty on Ty Warren. More Orton completions resulted in an 11-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall that cut the Patriots' lead to 10-7. With under five minutes remaining in the half, the Patriots mounted a 10-play, 74-yard drive, capping it off with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Watson, giving the Patriots a 17-7 lead going into halftime after Moss' first career interception on a last-second hail mary pass from Orton. The Patriots began the second half with a three-and-out; the Broncos then moved 66 yards on 12 plays before their drive stalled at the Patriots' 6-yard line and Prater kicked a 24-yard field goal to cut the Patriots' lead to 17-10. Two plays later, Brady connected with Moss on a 36-yard pass, but the Patriots were unable to get past the Broncos' 22-yard line and there, Goskowski missed a 40-yard field goal. Following a Broncos punt, the Patriots mounted a 12-play drive that spanned into the fourth quarter; however, the drive began from the Patriots' 4-yard line and only reached the Broncos' 47-yard line, resulting in another punt. The Broncos' ensuing possession began from worse field position (the Broncos' 2-yard line) but 10 of its 12 plays were Orton passes, the last of which was another 11-yard Marshall touchdown catch that tied the game. Following two three-and-outs, the Patriots had the ball again at their own 30-yard line. The final play before the two minute warning was a 19-yard Morris run to bring the Patriots close to midfield. Morris fumbled on his next run but tackle Nick Kaczur recovered it at the Broncos' 49-yard line. On the next play, Brady was strip-sacked by defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday; Broncos linebacker Elvis Dumervil recovered the fumble at the Patriots' 45-yard line with 1:37 remaining. However, the Broncos were forced to punt after a Banta-Cain sack and Brady kneeled to send the game into overtime. The Patriots lost the overtime coin toss, and Gostkowski kicked off into the back of the end zone to spot the ball at the Broncos' 20-yard line. On an 11-play, 58-yard drive, the Broncos advanced to the Patriots' 22-yard line. Prater then kicked the game-winning field goal from 41 yards out to give the Broncos another win, bettering their record to 5-0 and dropping the Patriots to 3-2. [edit] Week 6: vs. Tennessee Titans
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
For the first time in 2009, the Patriots played a team with a loss on their record; the 0-5 Titans traveled to Foxborough to face the Patriots for an AFL Legacy game in an early season snowstorm. The Titans gained one yard on their first possession and went three-and-out; Edelman returned the 35-yard punt 35 yards to give the Patriots the ball at the Titans' 29-yard line. However, a third down sack by Kyle Vanden Bosch forced the Patriots to attempt a field goal, a 39-yarder that fell wide right. Following a Titans punt, the Patriots advanced past midfield before a 45-yard touchdown run by Maroney that gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead. After a Titans three-and-out, the Patriots moved into the red zone on a 48-yard pass from Brady to Welker, and then took a 10-0 lead on a 33-yard Gostkowski field goal. On the ensuing Titans possession, early in the second quarter, running back LenDale White fumbled at the Patriots' 41-yard line; it was recovered at the 35-yard line by cornerback Jonathan Wilhite. After crossing midfield, Brady connected with Moss on a 40-yard touchdown pass, extending the Patriots' lead to 17-0. On the next play from scrimmage, Titans quarterback Kerry Collins fumbled the snap; it was recovered by the Patriots' Wright at the Titans' 31-yard line. Two plays later, Moss caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Brady, making the score 24-0. Three plays into the Titans' ensuing possession, Collins was intercepted by rookie cornerback Darius Butler at the Patriots' 35-yard line. Four plays later, Brady hit Faulk on a dump-off pass that went 38 yards for a touchdown. After a Titans three-and-out that ended in a 41-yard Reggie Hodges punt to the New England 21-yard line, Brady capped a 76-yard drive with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Welker immediately after the two-minute warning, giving the Patriots a 38-0 lead. The Titans went three-and-out again, but Hodges shanked the punt, which traveled only 21 yards. The subsequent 10-play, 49-yard drive ended in Welker's second touchdown, a 5-yard reception. This gave the Patriots a 45-0 halftime lead, the largest in NFL history.[68] It was also Brady's fifth touchdown pass of the quarter, an NFL record.[68] The 45 points scored in the half were a team record, as were the 35 points scored in the second quarter.[68] Brady's 345 passing yards and five touchdowns in the half were also team records.[68] Due to their deferral of the opening coin toss, the Patriots began the second half with possession. They advanced 65 yards on nine plays, with Brady throwing his sixth and final touchdown pass of the day to Moss, from 9 yards out. The six touchdowns tied a team record set by Brady in November 2007.[68] The Titans moved into Patriots territory on a 48-yard run by Chris Johnson, but attempted to convert a 4th-and-10 from the Patriots' 17-yard line. On the play, Collins was chased 15 yards into his own backfield by rookie defensive tackle Myron Pryor; Collins managed to complete a pass to receiver Nate Washington, who fumbled and recovered it another seven yards deep. Undrafted rookie Brian Hoyer replaced Brady at quarterback and led a 12-play, 61-yard drive, ending in a 1-yard touchdown run by Hoyer to give the Patriots a 59-0 lead. Gostkowski's included extra point was his eighth of the game, tying his team record set in November 2007.[68] The 59 points also set a Patriots team record, and the eight touchdowns tied another.[68] Vince Young replaced Collins at quarterback for the fourth quarter, but had his first pass intercepted by rookie safety Pat Chung. The Patriots attempted on a fourth down conversion in the Titans' red zone on their ensuing possession but it failed. The Titans then advanced into Patriots territory before fullback Ahmard Hall fumbled; it was recovered by 40-year old linebacker Junior Seau, who returned to the team in the days prior to the game. The Patriots' next play was a 5-yard run by Green-Ellis which gave the Patriots 599 total yards on the day, breaking the previous team record of 597 set in 1979. They would finish with 619 net yards;[68] 426 of those were passing, tying a team record.[68] Following a Titans punt, the Patriots and Titans kneeled to end the game at 59-0, improving the Patriots' record to 4-2 and keeping the Titans winless at 0-6. The 59-0 shutout tied the largest post-merger shutout and margin of victory with a 59-0 win by the Los Angeles Rams over the Atlanta Falcons in 1976.[68] [edit] Week 7: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
at Wembley Stadium, London, England
Following their home win over the Titans, the Patriots flew to Wembley Stadium in London for the year's NFL International Series game against the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Five plays into the game, Buccaneers quarterback Josh Johnson was intercepted by Meriweather, who returned it 39 yards for a touchdown. On the ensuing drive, the Buccaneers advanced to the Patriots' 33-yard line before Meriweather again intercepted a Johnson pass, this time at the Patriots' 15-yard line; he returned this one 31 yards. However, the Patriots could not capitalize on the turnover and went three-and-out. Following a Buccaneers punt, the Patriots began a drive with an end-around to rookie wide receiver Brandon Tate, who was active for his first NFL game after spending the first six weeks of the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list; the run went for 11 yards. Two plays later, Brady connected with Moss on a 37-yard pass, which was followed a few plays later with a 14-yard Welker touchdown reception that gave the Patriots a 14-0 lead. After a penalty on the kickoff, the Buccaneers began their next drive at their own 11-yard line and could not advance one yard before punting; the 43-yard punt was returned by Welker 24 yards. Starting from the Buccaneers' 30-yard line, the Patriots moved to the 11-yard line before Brady was intercepted by safety Tanard Jackson in the end zone early in the second quarter. Following a Buccaneers three-and-out, Brady threw a short pass to Aiken that turned into a 54-yard scoring strike, extending the Patriots lead to 21-0. After another Buccaneers punt, Brady was intercepted by Aqib Talib on a deep pass intended for Brandon Tate; Talib returned it to the Buccaneers' 41-yard line. The 0-6 Buccaneers could not cross midfield though, and were forced into another three-and-out. On a 4th-and-2 from their own 46-yard line, the Patriots attempted a fake punt that was negated by a false start on Mankins; this set up a 26-yard Hanson punt. With less than three minutes remaining in the half, the Buccaneers drove into Patriots territory and then completed two passes to wide receiver Antonio Bryant; the second went for 33 yards and a touchdown, cutting the Patriots' lead to 21-7. The Patriots could not advance the ball on their ensuing drive and punted; two plays later, on the final play of the half, Butler intercepted Johnson at the Patriots' 11-yard line. The Patriots began the second half with a 10-play, 73-yard drive that was capped off with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Watson from Brady. After an exchange of punts, the Buccaneers embarked on a drive that extended into Patriots territory but stalled at the 37-yard line, resulting in a punt. This was followed by two more three-and-outs, before early in the fourth quarter the Patriots completed a 10-play, 89-yard drive with a 1-yard Maroney touchdown run, increasing the Patriots' lead to 35-7. After another Buccaneers punt, the Patriots advanced past midfield before punting after the two-minute warning. On an ensuing 4th-and-7 conversion attempt, Johnson was strip-sacked by Derrick Burgess to set-up two Patriots kneeldowns to end the game. The Patriots bettered their record to 5-2 entering their bye week, while the Buccaneers remained winless at 0-7. [edit] Week 9: vs. Miami Dolphins
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Coming off their bye week, the Patriots returned home to face the Dolphins for the first time in the season. On the third play of the game, Brady attempted a deep pass to Moss; it was intercepted by rookie cornerback Vontae Davis at the Dolphins' 7-yard line and returned 15 yards. Six plays later, the Dolphins moved into Patriots territory on a 21-yard catch by tight end Joey Haynos from Chad Henne; after the catch, McGowan forced Haynos to fumble, but the ball went out of bounds at the spot of the catch, the Patriots' 39-yard line. On the next play, Henne appeared to have been strip-sacked by Banta-Cain, with linebacker Adalius Thomas returning it 59 yards for a touchdown. However, the Dolphins challenged that Henne's arm was moving forward and it was an incomplete pass and the play was reversed. Three plays later, a Dan Carpenter 52-yard field goal gave the Dolphins a 3-0 lead. The Patriots began their next drive at their own 37-yard line after offensive lineman Dan Connolly returned a short kickoff 16 yards. A few plays later, Brady connected with Moss on a 36-yard pass to the Dolphins' 1-yard line; Maroney then ran for a 1-yard touchdown to give the Patriots a 7-3 lead. On the ensuing possession, Henne found his other tight end, Anthony Fasano on a 20-yard strike to move into Patriots territory, but a "Wildcat" formation run by Ricky Williams for a loss and a sack by Chung moved the Dolphins out of field goal territory and forced a punt. The Patriots advanced to the Dolphins' 42-yard line on their next drive before punting on the final play of the first quarter. Following a Dolphins three-and-out, the Patriots began an 11-play, 49-yard drive that reached the Dolphins' 11-yard line on first down before a short pass, and incompletion, and sack led to a Gostkowski field goal; the 30-yarder put the Patriots ahead 10-3. The Dolphins introduced rookie quarterback Pat White on their next drive, employing him as part of an option offense that first had White run for a 33-yard gain and later in the drive had White option to Williams for a 15-yard touchdown run, tying the game. Following a 34-yard punt return by Tate, the Patriots quickly moved back into Dolphins territory on completions of 14 yards to Faulk and 23 yards to Watson. However, a Watson pass interference penalty on a 17-yard Faulk reception pushed the Patriots back to the Dolphins' 35-yard line. Gostkowski would later kick a 38-yard field goal to re-establish a Patriots lead at 13-10. On their next drive, the Dolphins would punt shortly after the two-minute warning, setting up a 10-play, 70-yard Patriots drive that ended the half with a 34-yard Gostkowski field goal after Brady was again sacked in the red zone. With possession and down 16-10 at the start of the third quarter, the Dolphins moved downfield on a 16-play drive that lasted more than ten minutes, eventually scoring on a 1-yard touchdown catch by Haynos from running back Ronnie Brown out of the "Wildcat," giving the Dolphins a 17-16 lead. Three plays later, Brady and Moss connected on a 71-yard touchdown pass and then again on the two-point conversion to re-take the lead at 24-17. The Dolphins would continue to employ both White and the "Wildcat" on their next drive, but it resulted in a Brandon Fields punt early in the fourth quarter. An exchange of punts consumed the next six minutes of the game, with the Dolphins choosing to use all three of their timeouts to gain back possession with 3:38 left. However, three straight incompletions and a penalty set up fourth down, when Henne again was unable to complete a pass from his own 27-yard line. The Patriots re-gained possession and ran the ball three times before Gostkowski kicked a 40-yard field goal to extend the Patriots' lead to 27-17. The game would end four plays later on a 23-yard Greg Camarillo reception to the Patriots' 23-yard line. The win bettered the Patriots record to 6-2 entering their matchup with the 8-0 Colts. [edit] Week 10: at Indianapolis Colts
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
For the second time in three seasons, the Patriots made a November visit to Indianapolis to face an undefeated Colts team. Both teams went three-and-out on their first possessions, setting up a Colts drive to begin from their own 10-yard line. After two 25-yard passes from Peyton Manning to tight end Dallas Clark and wide receiver Reggie Wayne, the Colts moved deep into Patriots territory. On a 3rd-and-11 from the Patriots' 15-yard line, running back Joseph Addai scored on a pass from Manning, capping the 8-play, 90-yard drive. The Patriots responded with a 55-yard Moss catch from Brady four plays later, setting up a 1-yard Maroney touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7. Following a Colts punt, the Patriots began their ensuing drive with a 29-yard Faulk run to move to the Colts' 42-yard line. Nine plays later, the Patriots found themselves in a 3rd-and-goal from the Colts' 4-yard line, but Brady was sacked by defensive end Robert Mathis. Gostkowski then hit a 31-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. After a Colts three-and-out, it took the Patriots two plays and less than a minute to score, with Brady connecting with Moss on a 63-yard touchdown pass, extending the Patriots' lead to 17-7. The Colts faced a 3rd-and-5 on their next drive, but Manning was sacked by Mayo to force another punt. On the next play, Watson caught a 36-yard pass from Brady, setting up a 9-yard touchdown catch by Edelman, the first of the rookie's career, four plays later. Down 24-7, the Colts embarked on an 8-play, 80-yard drive, cutting the Patriots' lead to 24-14 on a 20-yard touchdown reception by Wayne. An exchange of four punts ended the first half. Due to their deferral of the opening coin toss, the Patriots had possession to begin the second half. They advanced to the Colts' 33-yard line before a Brady pass intended for Moss was intercepted by safety Antoine Bethea at the Colts' 14-yard line and returned 19 yards. However, four plays later, Manning himself was intercepted by Bodden at the Patriots' 24-yard line; an unsportmanlike conduct penalty on Bodden moved the Patriots back to their own 12-yard line. Despite this field position, the Patriots offense moved deep into Colts territory on a series of Brady passes and Faulk runs, eventually setting up a 2nd-and-2 from the Colts' 2-yard line. On the play, Maroney attempted to push a pile into the end zone, but in the process Colts linebacker Philip Wheeler forced him to fumble; it was recovered by fellow Colts linebacker Gary Brackett in the end zone for a touchback. The Colts could not capitalize on the turnover and were forced to punt. Welker returned the punt 69 yards to the Colts' 7-yard line, the longest Patriots punt return since 2001. Two plays later, on the second play of the fourth quarter, Moss caught his second touchdown pass of the night; the 5-yard reception gave the Patriots a 31-14 lead. However, the Colts offense advanced 79 yards on five plays on their ensuing possession, cutting the Patriots' lead to 31-21 on a 29-yard touchdown catch by Pierre Garçon. The Patriots punted on the next drive, but received the ball right back after Manning was intercepted by Wilhite on the next play, setting up a Patriots drive from the Colts' 31-yard line. The Patriots moved into the red zone but stalled there and were forced to settle for a 36-yard Gostkowski field goal, extending their lead to 34-21 with 4:17 remaining in the game. On their ensuing possession, the Colts again advanced 79 yards for a touchdown, this time on six plays, the final one being a 4-yard Addai touchdown run, reducing the Patriots' lead to six points with 2:23 left in the game. The Patriots used a timeout before their first play, and in addition to a timeout used early in the third quarter, this left them with one remaining in the game. The Patriots next two plays failed to gain first down yardage, setting up a 4th-and-2 from their own 28-yard line. The Patriots used their final timeout before deciding to attempt to convert the fourth down. On the play, Brady motioned Faulk out of the backfield into the slot out of the shotgun, and then threw a quick pass to Faulk off the snap. Faulk caught the pass with the necessary yardage falling towards the sideline before being hit by safety Melvin Bullitt and pushed back towards the line of scrimmage. However, the officials ruled that Faulk bobbled the pass and did not have possession until Bullitt had pushed him behind the first down marker; if he had caught the ball cleanly his forward progress would have given the Patriots the first down with only one Colts timeout remaining. Further, the play began before the two-minute warning, and without any timeouts, Belichick was unable to challenge the spot of the ball on the field; if the play had occurred after the two-minute warning, there would have been the possibility for a booth review. With two minutes remaining and possession at the Colts' 29-yard line, Manning completed a 15-yard pass to Wayne before Addai gained another 13 yards, setting up 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 36 seconds left in the game. The Patriots stopped Addai on his next run, but Manning threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Wayne on the play after that, giving the Colts a 35-34 lead with 13 seconds remaining. After the kickoff, with nine seconds remaining, Brady completed a short pass to Welker, who lateraled to Watson, who was then tackled to end the game. The Patriots dropped to 6-3 and 1-3 in road games, while the Colts remained undefeated at 9-0. It was the fifth Patriots loss to the Colts in the previous six games between the two teams. [edit] Week 11: vs. New York Jets
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
[edit] Week 12: at New Orleans Saints
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
[edit] Current roster[edit] Awards and honors
[edit] Notes and references
[edit] External links
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