Falcons-Pats hots and nots, and game notes
Here are my "hots and nots" from the Falcons-Patriots game that will appear in Monday's print edition, as well as the game notes sent from the Patriots' media relations department.
WHO'S HOT
FRED TAYLOR: Well, whaddya know. The Patriots have a running game. The venerable veteran carried 21 times for 105 yards, an average of 5.0 yards per carry, for his 49th career 100-yard game.
SAMMY MORRIS: Only five carries for 16 yards, but he added three catches for 46 yards and picked up a very important fourth-down conversion on a third-quarter scoring drive.
BRANDON McGOWAN: A very big forced fumble and strong play at safety (especially against Tony Gonzalez) and special teams for the man from Maine. He’s proving a valuable pickup.
STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI: Without his field goals of 21, 33, 22 and 33 yards, the Patriots might have been sunk.
THE RUN DEFENSE: Michael Turner had 15 carries for 56 yards. That’s pretty good work by the front four and especially Gary Guyton (team-high seven tackles).
LEIGH BODDEN: When Matt Ryan tried to go to his passing game, Bodden was there to shut off Michael Jenkins for much of the second half.
RANDY MOSS: Ten catches for 116 yards, his 61st career 100-yard game and his 10th with 10 or more catches.
WHO’S NOT
LAURENCE MARONEY: Four carries for 17 yards before exiting the game due to a mysterious thigh injury. Here’s hoping he watched Fred Taylor on TV in the locker room to see what a real running back can do.
WHO’S LUKEWARM
TOM BRADY: His performance inside the red zone left a lot to be desired -- three completions in 10 passes for just 10 yards. It’s not as if the Patriots didn’t win, but Brady still looks uncomfortable and his footwork is suspect.
HOT NUMBERS
7: Gary Guyton’s team-high tackle total.
16: The number of consecutive regular-season victories the Patriots have over NFC teams.
19: The game-high tackle total of Falcons’ linebacker Curtis Lofton.
28: The Patriots’ first downs, to 13 for the Falcons.
49: The number of 100-yard rushing games in Fred Taylor’s career.
61: The number of 100-yard receiving games posted by Randy Moss in his career, second-best in NFL history.
62: Game-time temperature at Gillette Stadium.
162: Consecutive sellouts in Foxboro.
100: The Patriots’ fourth-down conversion rate (3-3).
200: The number of touchdown passes thrown by Tom Brady in his career
400: The number of wins for the Patriots since 1960.
TURNING POINT
On a drive that started with 6:54 left in the third quarter at the Patriots’ 15, they had to go for it on fourth down twice -- the first time on fourth-and-1 at the Patriots’ 24 (Sammy Morris gained 2 yards) and again on fourth-and-3 at the Atlanta 37 (Randy Moss picked up 21 on a catch). After killing 6:59 off the clock, the Patriots made it 19-10 with a 33-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski.
FUN FACT
On U.S. 1 southbound in Walpole, there’s a billboard featuring the likenesses of Fox football analysts Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson, and a text box that changes each week to reflect the anticipated topic of the pre-game broadcasts. This week, the box says, “What’s wrong with the Patriots?!?” I’m sure that endeared Fox to the thousands of fans caught in traffic.
GAME NOTES:
PATRIOTS WIN GAME NUMBER 400
The Patriots recorded the franchise’s 400th all-time victory, including postseason games. The 400 victories rank third among the eight original AFL teams, behind Denver and Oakland. The eight original AFL teams, including the Patriots, began play in 1960. The Patriots recorded their milestone 400th victory in their 50th season and in their 777th overall game. Since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994, the Patriots have 175 victories, more than any other NFL team.
Overall Victory Total of Original AFL Teams
Team W L T Pct.
Oakland Raiders* 431 343 11 .556
Denver Broncos* 405 359 10 .530
New England Patriots 400 368 9 .521
Kansas City Chiefs* 389 362 12 .518
San Diego Chargers* 373 383 11 .493
Tennessee Titans* 377 392 6 .490
Buffalo Bills* 363 400 8 .476
New York Jets* 341 412 8 .453
*-Not including today’s games
BRADY THROWS 200th CAREER TOUCHDOWN PASS
QB Tom Brady became the 27th player in NFL history to reach 200 touchdowns with his 36-yard touchdown pass to TE Chris Baker in the fourth quarter. Brady reached the milestone in a short period of time. Below is a chart showing where he ranks in NFL history on how many games it took him to reach this milestone.
NFL RECORD BOOK / FASTEST TO 200 TOUCHDOWN PASSES
Games Player Team(s) NFL Debut 200th TD Pass
89 Dan Marino Miami 9/19/83 9/17/89
106 Peyton Manning Indianapolis 9/6/98 11/21/04
107 Brett Favre Atlanta/Green Bay 10/27/91 11/15/98
116 Tom Brady New England 11/23/00 9/27/09
121 Johnny Unitas Baltimore Colts 1956 1963
Among active NFL quarterbacks, Brady’s 200 career touchdown passes rank third, behind Brett Favre (467 before today’s game) and Peyton Manning (336 before today’s game).
TOM BRADY’S MILESTONE TOUCHDOWNS
# Date Opponent Stadium Receiver Yards
1 Oct. 14, 2001 vs. San Diego Foxboro Stadium Terry Glenn 21
25 Sept. 22, 2002 vs. Kansas City Gillette Stadium Troy Brown 9
50 Sept. 28, 2003 at Washington FedEx Field David Givens 29
75 Oct. 3, 2004 at Buffalo Ralph Wilson Stadium David Patten 30
100 Sept. 18, 2005 at Carolina Bank of America Stadium Daniel Graham 1
125 Sept. 10, 2006 vs. Buffalo Gillette Stadium Kevin Faulk 17
150 Sept. 9, 2007 at N.Y. Jets Giants Stadium Randy Moss 51
175 Oct. 28, 2007 vs. Washington Gillette Stadium Mike Vrabel 2
200 Sept. 27, 2009 vs. Atlanta Gillette Stadium Chris Baker 36
BRADY GOOD WITH THE LEAD
Tom Brady improved his career regular-season record to 69-2 when leading at halftime and 72-1 when leading after three quarters. Today, New England held a 13-10 lead at halftime and a 19-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
FRED TAYLOR PASSES JOHN RIGGINS ON ALL-TIME RUSHING LIST
Fred Taylor’s 19-yard run in the second quarter moved him past Hall of Fame RB John Riggins (11,352) into 15th place on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. Taylor’s run was also the longest of the season for the Patriots. Taylor finished the day with 11,447 career rushing yards.
TAYLOR REGISTERS 49th CAREER 100-YARD RUSHING GAME
Fred Taylor finished with 105 rushing yards on 21 carries, recording his 49th career 100-yard rushing game and first as a Patriot. Taylor’s 49 career 100-yard rushing games rank ninth in NFL history and second among active players. The only active player with more 100-yard games than Taylor is Seattle’s Edgerrin James with 57.
MOST 100-YARD RUSHING GAMES / CAREER
Emmitt Smith 78
Walter Payton 77
Barry Sanders 76
Eric Dickerson 64
Jerome Bettis 61
Jim Brown 58
Edgerrin James 57*
Curtis Martin 57
Fred Taylor 49*
Franco Harris 47
DOMINATING DEFENSE
The New England defense entered the Atlanta game ranked fourth in the NFL in total defense. The Patriots defense has not allowed more than 19 points in a game so far in 2009, limiting Buffalo to 17 offensive points, the New York Jets to 19 points and Atlanta to 10 points.
DEFENSE STARTS STRONG
The Patriots have allowed a total of 50 points through three games in 2009, an average of 16.7 points per game. The total of 50 points allowed is the Patriots’ third fewest through three games in their 10 seasons being coached by Bill Belichick. Since Belichick arrived in 2000, the only times the Patriots allowed fewer than 50 points through the season’s first three games were in 2007 (35) and 2001 (46).
PATRIOTS IMPROVE TO 26-4 AGAINST FIRST-TIME VISITORS TO GILLETTE STADIUM
The Atlanta Falcons made their first appearance at Gillette Stadium today. With the Patriots’ 26-10 win, New England improved to 26-4 against teams in their first game at the facility, which opened in 2002. The Patriots have won 22 of their last 23 games against first-time visitors to Gillette. Following today’s game, the only NFL team the Patriots have not faced at Gillette Stadium in a regular-season or playoff game is the Carolina Panthers, who will make their debut at Gillette on Dec. 13, 2009. Including today’s victory, the Patriots are 53-12 (.815) at Gillette Stadium since the venue opened in 2002 (including regular-season and playoff games).
SACK-FREE FOR SECOND STRAIGHT GAME
The Patriots did not allow a sack in 42 pass attempts today, marking their second consecutive game with no sacks allowed. Including today’s sack-free performance, the Patriots have not allowed a sack in their last 134 pass attempts, recording the longest current streak in the NFL. Through three games this season, the Patriots have allowed just one sack on 142 pass attempts.
WINNING STREAK AGAINST NFC CONTINUES
The Patriots’ winning streak against NFC opponents increased to 16 with their 26-10 win over Atlanta. The Patriots, who have gone 4-0 against the NFC in each of the last three years (2006-2008) last lost to an NFC team in Week 2 of the 2005 season, when the Patriots dropped a 27-17 decision at Carolina (9/18/05).
MOSS OFF TO BEST CAREER START WITH 26 CATCHES THROUGH THREE GAMES
Randy Moss has 26 receptions through three games so far this season, recording more catches through three games than in any other season in his career. Moss’s previous best catch total through a season’s first three games was 22 catches through the first three games of the 2007 season. Moss’s 21-yard catch on fourth-and-three in the third quarter of today’s game was his 23rd of the season.
MOSS RECORDS 61st CAREER 100-YARD RECEIVING GAME
Moss finished the day with 10 receptions for 116 yards, recording his second 100-yard receiving game of the season and the 61st of his career. Moss ranks second in NFL history in that category (Jerry Rice, 76). Moss now has 15 100-yard receiving games as a member of the Patriots, and the Patriots are 15-0 when Moss has a 100-yard receiving game.
MOSS HAS 10th CAREER 10-CATCH GAME
Randy Moss had 10 catches today, marking his 10th game with 10 or more catches in his 173-game career. The 10-catch performance was Moss’s second of the 2009 season – he tied his career high with 12 catches in the season opening win over Buffalo. Moss now has three 10-catch games since joining the Patriots in 2007. Prior to his two 10-catch games this season, he also had a 10-catch outing for the Patriots at Buffalo on Nov. 18, 2007.
GOSTKOWSKI PASSES MORGAN ON PATRIOTS ALL-TIME SCORING LIST
Stephen Gostkowski moved past Stanley Morgan (408 points) into fifth place on the New England All-Time scoring list with seven first half points. Gostkowski finished the day with 14 points on the day and 418 career points.
GOSTKOWSKI TIES CAREER HIGH WITH FOUR FIELD GOALS
Stephen Gostkowski tied his career-high with four field goals against Atlanta today (22, 33, 33 and 21 yards). He also had four field goals at NY Jets (9/14/08) and vs. Arizona (12/21/08).
SELLOUT STREAK CONTINUES
Today’s game was the 163rd consecutive home sellout for the Patriots. The streak includes every preseason, regular-season and postseason game since the 1994 regular-season opener on Sept. 11, 1994.
McGOWAN FORCES FUMBLE
Brandon McGowan forced Michael Turner to fumble on first down at the Patriots’ 27-yard line with 4:05 left in the first half. James Sanders recovered to give the Patriots possession, setting up a 12-play, 58-yard drive that ended in a 33-yard field goal and a 13-10 Patriots lead. The fumble was the third opponent fumble that the Patriots have recovered through three games this season, and the Patriots have scored following all three of their opponent fumble recoveries so far in 2009.
QUICK HITS
• Vince Wilfork and Jarvis Green combined to stuff Michael Turner for a 2-yard loss on the final play of the first quarter.
• Vince Wilfork batted down a Matt Ryan pass intended for Tony Gonzalez on third-and-three in the second quarter.
• Adalius Thomas dropped Roddy White for a 4-yard loss on a first-down pass play in the fourth quarter, setting up a long yardage situation that ended in an Atlanta three-and-out.
WHO'S HOT
FRED TAYLOR: Well, whaddya know. The Patriots have a running game. The venerable veteran carried 21 times for 105 yards, an average of 5.0 yards per carry, for his 49th career 100-yard game.
SAMMY MORRIS: Only five carries for 16 yards, but he added three catches for 46 yards and picked up a very important fourth-down conversion on a third-quarter scoring drive.
BRANDON McGOWAN: A very big forced fumble and strong play at safety (especially against Tony Gonzalez) and special teams for the man from Maine. He’s proving a valuable pickup.
STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI: Without his field goals of 21, 33, 22 and 33 yards, the Patriots might have been sunk.
THE RUN DEFENSE: Michael Turner had 15 carries for 56 yards. That’s pretty good work by the front four and especially Gary Guyton (team-high seven tackles).
LEIGH BODDEN: When Matt Ryan tried to go to his passing game, Bodden was there to shut off Michael Jenkins for much of the second half.
RANDY MOSS: Ten catches for 116 yards, his 61st career 100-yard game and his 10th with 10 or more catches.
WHO’S NOT
LAURENCE MARONEY: Four carries for 17 yards before exiting the game due to a mysterious thigh injury. Here’s hoping he watched Fred Taylor on TV in the locker room to see what a real running back can do.
WHO’S LUKEWARM
TOM BRADY: His performance inside the red zone left a lot to be desired -- three completions in 10 passes for just 10 yards. It’s not as if the Patriots didn’t win, but Brady still looks uncomfortable and his footwork is suspect.
HOT NUMBERS
7: Gary Guyton’s team-high tackle total.
16: The number of consecutive regular-season victories the Patriots have over NFC teams.
19: The game-high tackle total of Falcons’ linebacker Curtis Lofton.
28: The Patriots’ first downs, to 13 for the Falcons.
49: The number of 100-yard rushing games in Fred Taylor’s career.
61: The number of 100-yard receiving games posted by Randy Moss in his career, second-best in NFL history.
62: Game-time temperature at Gillette Stadium.
162: Consecutive sellouts in Foxboro.
100: The Patriots’ fourth-down conversion rate (3-3).
200: The number of touchdown passes thrown by Tom Brady in his career
400: The number of wins for the Patriots since 1960.
TURNING POINT
On a drive that started with 6:54 left in the third quarter at the Patriots’ 15, they had to go for it on fourth down twice -- the first time on fourth-and-1 at the Patriots’ 24 (Sammy Morris gained 2 yards) and again on fourth-and-3 at the Atlanta 37 (Randy Moss picked up 21 on a catch). After killing 6:59 off the clock, the Patriots made it 19-10 with a 33-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski.
FUN FACT
On U.S. 1 southbound in Walpole, there’s a billboard featuring the likenesses of Fox football analysts Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson, and a text box that changes each week to reflect the anticipated topic of the pre-game broadcasts. This week, the box says, “What’s wrong with the Patriots?!?” I’m sure that endeared Fox to the thousands of fans caught in traffic.
GAME NOTES:
PATRIOTS WIN GAME NUMBER 400
The Patriots recorded the franchise’s 400th all-time victory, including postseason games. The 400 victories rank third among the eight original AFL teams, behind Denver and Oakland. The eight original AFL teams, including the Patriots, began play in 1960. The Patriots recorded their milestone 400th victory in their 50th season and in their 777th overall game. Since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994, the Patriots have 175 victories, more than any other NFL team.
Overall Victory Total of Original AFL Teams
Team W L T Pct.
Oakland Raiders* 431 343 11 .556
Denver Broncos* 405 359 10 .530
New England Patriots 400 368 9 .521
Kansas City Chiefs* 389 362 12 .518
San Diego Chargers* 373 383 11 .493
Tennessee Titans* 377 392 6 .490
Buffalo Bills* 363 400 8 .476
New York Jets* 341 412 8 .453
*-Not including today’s games
BRADY THROWS 200th CAREER TOUCHDOWN PASS
QB Tom Brady became the 27th player in NFL history to reach 200 touchdowns with his 36-yard touchdown pass to TE Chris Baker in the fourth quarter. Brady reached the milestone in a short period of time. Below is a chart showing where he ranks in NFL history on how many games it took him to reach this milestone.
NFL RECORD BOOK / FASTEST TO 200 TOUCHDOWN PASSES
Games Player Team(s) NFL Debut 200th TD Pass
89 Dan Marino Miami 9/19/83 9/17/89
106 Peyton Manning Indianapolis 9/6/98 11/21/04
107 Brett Favre Atlanta/Green Bay 10/27/91 11/15/98
116 Tom Brady New England 11/23/00 9/27/09
121 Johnny Unitas Baltimore Colts 1956 1963
Among active NFL quarterbacks, Brady’s 200 career touchdown passes rank third, behind Brett Favre (467 before today’s game) and Peyton Manning (336 before today’s game).
TOM BRADY’S MILESTONE TOUCHDOWNS
# Date Opponent Stadium Receiver Yards
1 Oct. 14, 2001 vs. San Diego Foxboro Stadium Terry Glenn 21
25 Sept. 22, 2002 vs. Kansas City Gillette Stadium Troy Brown 9
50 Sept. 28, 2003 at Washington FedEx Field David Givens 29
75 Oct. 3, 2004 at Buffalo Ralph Wilson Stadium David Patten 30
100 Sept. 18, 2005 at Carolina Bank of America Stadium Daniel Graham 1
125 Sept. 10, 2006 vs. Buffalo Gillette Stadium Kevin Faulk 17
150 Sept. 9, 2007 at N.Y. Jets Giants Stadium Randy Moss 51
175 Oct. 28, 2007 vs. Washington Gillette Stadium Mike Vrabel 2
200 Sept. 27, 2009 vs. Atlanta Gillette Stadium Chris Baker 36
BRADY GOOD WITH THE LEAD
Tom Brady improved his career regular-season record to 69-2 when leading at halftime and 72-1 when leading after three quarters. Today, New England held a 13-10 lead at halftime and a 19-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
FRED TAYLOR PASSES JOHN RIGGINS ON ALL-TIME RUSHING LIST
Fred Taylor’s 19-yard run in the second quarter moved him past Hall of Fame RB John Riggins (11,352) into 15th place on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. Taylor’s run was also the longest of the season for the Patriots. Taylor finished the day with 11,447 career rushing yards.
TAYLOR REGISTERS 49th CAREER 100-YARD RUSHING GAME
Fred Taylor finished with 105 rushing yards on 21 carries, recording his 49th career 100-yard rushing game and first as a Patriot. Taylor’s 49 career 100-yard rushing games rank ninth in NFL history and second among active players. The only active player with more 100-yard games than Taylor is Seattle’s Edgerrin James with 57.
MOST 100-YARD RUSHING GAMES / CAREER
Emmitt Smith 78
Walter Payton 77
Barry Sanders 76
Eric Dickerson 64
Jerome Bettis 61
Jim Brown 58
Edgerrin James 57*
Curtis Martin 57
Fred Taylor 49*
Franco Harris 47
DOMINATING DEFENSE
The New England defense entered the Atlanta game ranked fourth in the NFL in total defense. The Patriots defense has not allowed more than 19 points in a game so far in 2009, limiting Buffalo to 17 offensive points, the New York Jets to 19 points and Atlanta to 10 points.
DEFENSE STARTS STRONG
The Patriots have allowed a total of 50 points through three games in 2009, an average of 16.7 points per game. The total of 50 points allowed is the Patriots’ third fewest through three games in their 10 seasons being coached by Bill Belichick. Since Belichick arrived in 2000, the only times the Patriots allowed fewer than 50 points through the season’s first three games were in 2007 (35) and 2001 (46).
PATRIOTS IMPROVE TO 26-4 AGAINST FIRST-TIME VISITORS TO GILLETTE STADIUM
The Atlanta Falcons made their first appearance at Gillette Stadium today. With the Patriots’ 26-10 win, New England improved to 26-4 against teams in their first game at the facility, which opened in 2002. The Patriots have won 22 of their last 23 games against first-time visitors to Gillette. Following today’s game, the only NFL team the Patriots have not faced at Gillette Stadium in a regular-season or playoff game is the Carolina Panthers, who will make their debut at Gillette on Dec. 13, 2009. Including today’s victory, the Patriots are 53-12 (.815) at Gillette Stadium since the venue opened in 2002 (including regular-season and playoff games).
SACK-FREE FOR SECOND STRAIGHT GAME
The Patriots did not allow a sack in 42 pass attempts today, marking their second consecutive game with no sacks allowed. Including today’s sack-free performance, the Patriots have not allowed a sack in their last 134 pass attempts, recording the longest current streak in the NFL. Through three games this season, the Patriots have allowed just one sack on 142 pass attempts.
WINNING STREAK AGAINST NFC CONTINUES
The Patriots’ winning streak against NFC opponents increased to 16 with their 26-10 win over Atlanta. The Patriots, who have gone 4-0 against the NFC in each of the last three years (2006-2008) last lost to an NFC team in Week 2 of the 2005 season, when the Patriots dropped a 27-17 decision at Carolina (9/18/05).
MOSS OFF TO BEST CAREER START WITH 26 CATCHES THROUGH THREE GAMES
Randy Moss has 26 receptions through three games so far this season, recording more catches through three games than in any other season in his career. Moss’s previous best catch total through a season’s first three games was 22 catches through the first three games of the 2007 season. Moss’s 21-yard catch on fourth-and-three in the third quarter of today’s game was his 23rd of the season.
MOSS RECORDS 61st CAREER 100-YARD RECEIVING GAME
Moss finished the day with 10 receptions for 116 yards, recording his second 100-yard receiving game of the season and the 61st of his career. Moss ranks second in NFL history in that category (Jerry Rice, 76). Moss now has 15 100-yard receiving games as a member of the Patriots, and the Patriots are 15-0 when Moss has a 100-yard receiving game.
MOSS HAS 10th CAREER 10-CATCH GAME
Randy Moss had 10 catches today, marking his 10th game with 10 or more catches in his 173-game career. The 10-catch performance was Moss’s second of the 2009 season – he tied his career high with 12 catches in the season opening win over Buffalo. Moss now has three 10-catch games since joining the Patriots in 2007. Prior to his two 10-catch games this season, he also had a 10-catch outing for the Patriots at Buffalo on Nov. 18, 2007.
GOSTKOWSKI PASSES MORGAN ON PATRIOTS ALL-TIME SCORING LIST
Stephen Gostkowski moved past Stanley Morgan (408 points) into fifth place on the New England All-Time scoring list with seven first half points. Gostkowski finished the day with 14 points on the day and 418 career points.
GOSTKOWSKI TIES CAREER HIGH WITH FOUR FIELD GOALS
Stephen Gostkowski tied his career-high with four field goals against Atlanta today (22, 33, 33 and 21 yards). He also had four field goals at NY Jets (9/14/08) and vs. Arizona (12/21/08).
SELLOUT STREAK CONTINUES
Today’s game was the 163rd consecutive home sellout for the Patriots. The streak includes every preseason, regular-season and postseason game since the 1994 regular-season opener on Sept. 11, 1994.
McGOWAN FORCES FUMBLE
Brandon McGowan forced Michael Turner to fumble on first down at the Patriots’ 27-yard line with 4:05 left in the first half. James Sanders recovered to give the Patriots possession, setting up a 12-play, 58-yard drive that ended in a 33-yard field goal and a 13-10 Patriots lead. The fumble was the third opponent fumble that the Patriots have recovered through three games this season, and the Patriots have scored following all three of their opponent fumble recoveries so far in 2009.
QUICK HITS
• Vince Wilfork and Jarvis Green combined to stuff Michael Turner for a 2-yard loss on the final play of the first quarter.
• Vince Wilfork batted down a Matt Ryan pass intended for Tony Gonzalez on third-and-three in the second quarter.
• Adalius Thomas dropped Roddy White for a 4-yard loss on a first-down pass play in the fourth quarter, setting up a long yardage situation that ended in an Atlanta three-and-out.
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© 2012 Created by Colin Blaney.
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