The first half was ugly.

It was ugly offensively.  It was ugly defensively.  It was ugly on special teams and coaching. It was so ugly this is all I will say about it.

The second half though was entirely different story as the New England Patriots rallied from 17 points down to defeat the pesky Miami Dolphins 27-24 Saturday afternoon at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro MA.

Some Patriots players had second half stats that would equal a good full game for most players in the NFL.  I just hope heading into the playoffs this team doesn’t think they can turn it on when they need to.  With a defense as bad as the one patrolling “The Razor” these days it’s the last thing they need.

They are built to build a lead and hope the prayers of Patriots fan everywhere pull them through to the victory.

The 17-point comeback is so unique in Patriots history in the Belichick/Brady era it was the first time all season they were behind by 17 points.  They hadn’t been behind by 17 points since November 7, 2010 when they lost at Cleveland 34-14.

And more so they hadn’t overcome a deficit that large since 2002, that’s 9 years ago.  The reason for this is they haven’t been behind by 17 many times in that time period.

The big keys to Saturday’s turnaround was the second half play of QB Tom Brady, who got his balls off of the turf as well as WR Wes Welker and WR Deion Branch who were manhandled by the Miami defenders most of the game finally being able to wiggle free.  Rookie RB Stevan Ridley who is quickly becoming a favorite along with TE Aaron Hernandez and TE Rob Gronkowski, who proved once again, they are there when the going gets tough.

Brady actually ran for two TD’s and Branch caught one and K Stephen Gostkowski added a pair of field goals for the scoring.

Defensively DT Vince Wilfork continues to be the man in the middle.  He along with LB Jerod Mayo may not be spectacular or pound their chests like players on other teams but in many ways they are better and they show it in the effort.

Just a shout out to Miami WR Brandon Marshall, that dude killed them, especially CB Devin McCourty nearly the entire game.  Great game for a great player. He has the skills to be an all-time great and he sure is fun to watch regardless of what uniform he is wearing.

Next Sunday, New Years Day, New England hosts Buffalo in the regular season finale.  They then will have a week off because they clinched a bye and they will start the AFC Playoffs the weekend of January 14-15 at home in Gillette Stadium.

Dolphins at Patriots Gamebook. This includes the box score, all the stats, play by play, drive charts and more.

Dolphins at Patriots Game Recap.

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Turning Point(s) of the Game

Patriots DT Vince Wilfork recovered a Matt Moore fumble in the third quarter that led to New England’s first TD and turned the momentum of the game.

Offensive Player(s) of the Game

Patriots WR Wes Welker had 12 catches for 138 yards and broke Randy Moss’ team records for single season receiving yards.

Defensive Player(s) of the Game

Patriots LB Jerod Mayo had 13 tackles (4 solo), 2 sacks, 1 tackle for loss and 2 QB hits.

Game Notes

Starters for the Patriots were:

On Offense:

LT Mankins
LG Thomas
C Connolly
RG Waters
RT Solder
TE Gronkowski
TE Hernandez
WR Welker
WR Branch
QB Brady
RB Woodhead

On Defense:

DE Elliw
DT Love
DT Wilfork
DE Deaderick
LB Ninkovich
LB Mayo
LB Fletcher
CB McCourty
CB Arrington
S Brown
S Ihedigbo

Inactives for the Game:

Patriots

1. T Sebastian Vollmer (foot)

2. LB Brandon Spikes (MCL)

3. RB Shane Vereen (hamstring)

4. T Matt Light (ankle)

5. S Patrick Chung (foot)

6. DL Ron Brace

7. QB Ryan Mallett

Dolphins

1. TE Anthony Fasano (concussion)

2. G Ray Feigna

3. DT Ryan Baker

4. G/C Ryan Cook

5. T Will Barker

6. RB Steve Slaton

7. QB Pat Devlin

The spread (Patriots minus 10) WAS NOT covered.  The over/under (48) WAS COVERED.  I GAVE the points (Dolphins) and took the OVER.  I am now 9-5-1 vs. the spread and 11 of 15 calling the under/over.

The Dolphins lead the all-time series 50-43. This includes 3 meetings in the playoffs (1982, 1985, 1997) with the Patriots holding a 2-1 post season edge.

New England is 52-15 against their AFC East Rivals since 2001.

 

The Patriots have won 14 of the last 19 games between the teams.

New England is 29-17 as the home team in the series including playoffs.

The Patriots swept Miami for the 2nd consecutive season.

New England has won 7 consecutive games after a 2 game losing streak.  It is their longest win streak of the season.

Since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002, New England is 73-15 at home including the playoffs and is 20-1 in December home games.  Both are the best in the NFL in that time period.

Since 2001 The Patriots are 41-5 in December games, home or away, and have now had 7 undefeated Decembers.

Bill Belichick coached teams are 15-11 vs. Miami. Belichick is 15-9 as Patriots head coach and he was 0-2 as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Belichick’s 189 wins are good for 9th all-time.  Chuck Knox, who coached the Rams, Redskins and Seahawks, is 8th all-time with 193.

Tom Brady is now 14-6 vs. the Dolphins.

Brady’s 1 TD pass gives him 297 TD passes in his career he is now 6th all-time.  Hall of Fame QB John Elway is 5th with 300.

Brady has 123 career wins he is 6th all-time.  Fran Tarkenton is 5th with 124.

Brady dressed gingerly after the game seemingly favoring his left shoulder.  He may have banged it up on the second TD “run”.

Brady had two rushing TD’s in a game for the first time in his professional career.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 97 consecutive games including playoffs, 80 as a Patriot.  The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.

Welker had 138 receiving yards to break Randy Moss’ team record of 1,493 set in 2007.

TE Rob Gronkowski had 78 yards receiving to break the team record of 1,174 by a TE set by Ben Coates in 1994.

Gronk needs just 72 yards receiving to set a NFL record for single season yards by a tight end that is held by the great Kellen Winslow Sr. with 1,290 yards in 1980.

New England was 8 of 17 (47%) on 3rd down and 1 of 1 (100%) on 4th down.  Miami was 5 of 13 (38%) on 3rd down.

Dolphins were 3 for 3 in the red zone and 1 for 1 on goal to go efficiency while the Patriots were 3 for 4 in the red zone and 3 for 3 in goal to go efficiency.

The Patriots tied their season high of five sacks in a game Saturday. (5 at Pittsburgh and 5 at New York Jets).

After not having allowed a 100-yard rusher all season New England has allowed a back to get 100 yards or more in two of the last three weeks.

Earlier in the week we reported that LB Markell Carter was promoted from the practice squad that was incorrect.

Recently signed CB Vincent Fuller was released just days after the former Detroit Lion was signed due to an arm injury that wasn’t healed.  The Patriots promoted DE Alex Silvestro and S Sterling Moore from the practice squad.

This was Miami’s 300th franchise loss.

The Dolphins are 17-29 as the road team in the series and 2-8 at Gillette Stadium.

Miami is 28-39 vs. the AFC East since 2001.

Miami interim head coach Todd Bowles is now 1-1 as a head coach in the NFL.

Dolphins QB Matt Moore is 0-2 vs. New England in his career.  His previous start came as a member of the Carolina Panthers.

Moore was 17 of 33 for 294 yards, 3 TD passes and 1 INT and 1 lost fumble.

Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall had 156 yards on 7 catches, one of which was a TD.

Miami RB Reggie Bush had 113 yards on the ground on 22 carries.

Alberto Riveron was the game referee.  The temp at kickoff was 30, sunny and cold with a wind chill of 23.

Game Attendance – 68,756 – Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA.

Post Game Interviews

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Patriots QB Tom Brady post game press conference via patriots.com

This Week in the AFC East

Buffalo whipped Denver, 40-14

NY Giants downed the NY Jets, 29-14

AFC East Standings

Patriots                   12-3/4-1

Jets                        8-7/3-2

Bills                        6-9/1-4

Dolphins                  5-10/2-3

Next Game

The Patriots host the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA on Sunday, New Years Day.  Kick off is at 1 p.m. on CBS.  It is the regular season finale.

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Photo credit: Getty Images

This Week

The New England Patriots host their AFC East Rival Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on Sunday at 4:15 p.m.

The Patriots (11-3) are 5-1 at The Razor, 3-1 against the AFC East and 8-2 in the conference.  The Dolphins (5-9) are 2-5 on the road, 2-2 vs. the AFC East and 4-6 against the conference.

The Line/Prediction

As of Thursday the line on the game from Yahoo! Sports have the Patriots at MINUS 10.  The over under is 48.

My Prediction is Patriots 35, Dolphins, 27.  Take the points (Dolphins) and take the over.  I am 8-5-1 against the spread and 10 of 14 on calling the over/under in 2011.

Tickets

The Patriots are reporting the game as a sell out. It is the 190^th consecutive sell out  dating back to the 1994 season opener.  The record includes preseason, regular season and playoff games.

Tickets to the game, if available, can be purchased through Ticketmaster.  You can check the availability here.

After market tickets are available through the Official Patriots Ticket Exchange where season ticket holders can sell their unused seats to fans on the season ticket waiting list.

Getting to the Game

If you’re lucky enough to be going to the game in Foxboro make sure you check out the links.

Here is the up to date weather forecast from the Weather Channel for Foxboro MA.

Click for all the game day information including stadium directions, parking information and map and a Gillette Stadium seating chart.

Tailgating

Here’s a bunch of different tailgating recipes from Tailgating.com.  There’s something there for everyone and every type of meal or snack.  I’ve tried some of the recipes and they’re very good.

And with tailgating many people enjoy some adult beverages.  With that in mind check out Drink Nation for how to make all sorts of great drinks.  You can look things up by name, ingredient(s) or theme.

Whether it’s at the game, a bar or a friend’s house moderation is always the key to a great time.  Please don’t drink and drive and designate a sober driver.  Remember You Drink, You Drive, You Lose.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television

CBS in televising the game regionally and Ian Eagle will do play by play while Dan Fouts will provide the game analysis.  You can look here for your local affiliate.

See if you’re getting the game courtesy of J.P. Kirby at the506.com.

The DirecTV designation is Channel 705.

Here are all the rules on NFL TV broadcasts including explaining the blackout rules, flex scheduling and commercial breaks.

Radio

The Patriots Radio Network broadcasts the game from flagship station WBZ-FM, 98.5 the Sports Hub in Boston. Gil Santos handles the play-by-play, former Patriot Gino Cappelletti does the color and new this year Scott Zolak will man the sidelines. It all starts with Gary Tanguay, Andy Gresh and Zolak with the pregame show at 10 a.m. along the network. The post game starts after the final gun and continues for three hours along the network.

If you are outside the broadcast are of the stations on the Patriots Radio Network you can purchase NFL Field Pass, which allows you to listen to any game live.  You can also pick which teams broadcasters you want to listen to.

All NFL Games are also available on Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio also carries all the NFL games under a special additional package.  They usually only carry the home team feed.

The Patriots radio network call is available on Sirius Channel 92, XM Channel 225 and on SiriusXM Internet Channel 879.

The Dolphins Radio Network has former Dolphins WR Jimmy Cefalo calling play-by-play and former Dolphins Joe Rose and Bob Griese providing the color with Kim Bokamper and Keith Sims on the sidelines via their flagship station WINZ. Their call is available on Sirius Channel 121 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 877.

Patriots All Access

Patriots All-Access features behind the scenes looks, interviews and breakdowns with head coach Bill Belichick and in depth features on the team.  It’s hosted by Steve Burton of WBZ-TV (Boston) and airs weekly in most New England television markets.

• Boston MA on TV 38 Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m.
• Providence RI on WNAC Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m.
• Manchester NH on WMUR Saturday at midnight
• Portland ME on WMTW Sunday at 5 a.m.
• Hartford CT on WCTX Saturday at 5 p.m.
• Springfield MA on WFXQ Saturday at 7 p.m.
• Bangor ME on WVII Sunday at 11 a.m.

You can also watch it anytime on the teams website in the media section.

To continue reading the Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots week 16 preview, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Last Week

The Patriots beat the Broncos on the road 41-23; while the Dolphins beat the Bills on the road, 30-23.

History

• This is the 93rd meeting between the Patriots and the Dolphins since they started to face each other as AFL foes in 1966 when Miami became a franchise.
• The Dolphins lead the all-time series 50-42. This includes 3 meetings in the playoffs (1982, 1985, 1997) with the Patriots holding a 2-1 post season edge.
• This is the 16th prime time meeting between the teams.  Of the previous 15 meetings, 10 were on Monday night; 3 were on Sunday night and 2 were on Thursday night.
• The Patriots won in Week 1 in Miami, 38-24 when Tom Brady threw for 517 yards a team record and 5th highest total in NFL history.

Patriots Team Notes

Here is the Patriots roster, depth chart and injury report for the game.

2011 Patriots Schedule/Results

The Patriots overall franchise record is 412-366-9.  They have won three Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) in six appearances.  They last appeared in the playoffs in 2010 when they lost at home to the New York Jets in the AFC Divisional Playoff, 28-21.  They last appeared in a Super Bowl in 2007 losing to the New York Giants 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.  They won the AFC Conference championship that season with playoff wins over Jacksonville and San Diego.

The Patriots are the 2011 AFC East Champions, having won the division for the 3rd consecutive season.  They have now won the division 9 times since 2000.

New England has won the AFC East 13 times second most only to Miami’s 14 times.

This is their 19th playoff trip in the 52-year history of the team and 13th since the Kraft family took ownership of the club in 1994.

The Patriots are guaranteed to host their 14th home playoff game under Kraft’s stewardship.  In the previous 34 years of the team they hosted one playoff game in 1978 vs. Houston Oilers.

The Patriots are dedicating the 2011 season to the memory of Myra Hiatt Kraft, the late wife of owner Robert Kraft. 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.

New England is 51-15 against their AFC East Rivals since 2001. 

The Patriots have won 13 of the last 18 games between the teams.

New England is 28-17 as the home team in the series including playoffs.

The Patriots are looking for a series sweep of Miami for the 2nd consecutive season.

New England has won 6 consecutive games after a 2 game losing streak.  It is their longest win streak of the season.

Since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002, New England is 72-15 at home including the playoffs and is 19-1 in December home games.  Both are the best in the NFL in that time period.

Since 2001 The Patriots are 40-5 in December games, home or away, and have had 6 undefeated Decembers.  They are 3-0 this month.

The Patriots defense has allowed opponents to convert 44.5% of the time on 3^rd down, while the offense has a 3^rd down conversion rate of 45.5%.

The New England defense has sacked the opponents quarterback 33 times in 14 games.

The Patriots are 3rd in the NFL in points per game with 31.2.  While they allow 21.2 points per game good for a tie for 14th in the NFL.

New England is PLUS 12 in turnover differential, 5th best in the NFL. The offense has given up 11 INT and 5 fumbles, while the defense has 18 INT and 10 fumble recoveries.

Their opponents are outscoring the Patriots in the 4th quarter 115-111.

This is the 9th straight season the Patriots have had 10 wins or more and 10th time in the last 11 years.

Patriots Staff Notes

This is the link to head coach Bill Belichick’s Wednesday press conference on the Dolphins.

Bill Belichick coached teams are 14-11 vs. Miami. Belichick is 14-9 as Patriots head coach and he was 0-2 as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Overall in his NFL career Belichick is 173-97 in 16 NFL seasons.  He is 135-53 with New England and 36-44 with Cleveland.  He is 15-6 in the playoffs, 14-5 as head coach of the Patriots in the post season.  When you combine his regular season and post season records he is 188-103.

Belichick’s 188 wins are good for 9th all-time.  Chuck Knox, who coached the Rams, Redskins and Seahawks, is 8th all-time with 193.

He is the first coach in NFL history to have his teams win 10 games or more in 9 consecutive seasons.

He was named NFL Coach of the Year for the 3^rd time in 2010.

Belichick is one of five head coaches in NFL history whose father (Steve Belichick) played in the league.  The others are current Kansas City head coach Todd Haley (Dick Haley), former San Francisco head coach Mike Nolan (Dick Nolan), former Cincinnati head coach David Shula (Don Shula) and former NY Jets head coach Joe Walton (Frank Walton).

New England has only failed to make the playoffs three times under Belichick in 2000, 2002 and 2008.

Patriots Possible Starters

Offense:

LT: Light

LG: Mankins

C: Wendell

RG: Waters

RT: Solder

TE: R. Gronkowski

TE: Hernandez

WR: Branch

WR: Welker

QB: Brady

RB: Green-Ellis

Defense:

DE: Deaderick

DT: Wilfork

DT: Love

DE: Anderson

LB: Ninkovich

LB: Mayo

LB: Koutouvides

LCB: McCourty

RCB: Arrington

S: Slater

S: Ihedigbo

Patriots Players Notes

This Tom Brady’s 12^th NFL season he is 13-6 vs. the Dolphins.

Overall Brady is 122-34 as a starting QB and is 14-5 in the playoffs for an overall record of 136-39.  Brady is a 6 time Pro Bowl QB; two time NFL MVP and has won 3 Super Bowls while twice being named the games MVP.  He is also listed as the 21^st Greatest Player in the History of the NFL according to the NFL Network.

In 2010 Brady won his second NFL MVP and he was the first unanimous winner in league history.

Brady has thrown 35 TD’s and 11 INT’s while being sacked 24 times in 13 games.

Brady has 296 TD passes in his career he is now 6th all-time.  Hall of Fame QB John Elway is 5th with 300.

Brady has 122 career wins he is 6th all-time.  Fran Tarkenton is 5th with 124.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 96 consecutive games including playoffs, 79 as a Patriot.  The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.

Welker needs 114 receiving yards to break Randy Moss’ team record of 1,493 set in 2007.

Welker has 104 catches on the season becoming just the third player (Marvin Harrison and Jerry Rice) in NFL history with four 100 plus catch seasons.

TE Rob Gronkowski has 15 TD catches in 2011 a new single season record for tight ends.  He broke the NFL record for TD’s by a tight end in a season held by Vernon Davis (San Francisco – 2009) and Antonio Gates (San Diego –2004).

Gronkowski has 25 TD catches in last two seasons the most in the NFL in that time span.

He needs just 34 yards receiving to break the team record of 1,174 set by Ben Coates in 1994.

Gronk needs just 150 yards receiving to set a NFL record for single season yards by a tight end that is held by the great Kellen Winslow Sr. with 1,290 yards in 1980.

DE Andre Carter leads the team with 10 sacks.  DE Mark Anderson has 9 on the season good for 2nd on the team.

Carter leads the defense with 22 quarterback hits, Anderson is 2nd with 11 hits.

Carter and Anderson lead the team with two forced fumbles each.

LB Rob Ninkovich leads the team with 2 recovered fumbles.

Arrington leads the team and is in a 3-way tie for the NFL lead with 7 INT’s.

LB Jerod Mayo leads the team in tackles with 83, CB Devin McCourty is 2nd with 78.

WR Matthew Slater leads the special teams in tackles with 17 and LB Tracy White is 2nd with 14.

With Carter going to the IR and DE Eric Moore getting released the Patriots have signed CB Vincent Fuller, a former Detroit Lion, and promoted rookie LB Markell Carter from the practice squad.

On Wednesday the following players were listed on the injury report. RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis (illness) and T Sebastian Vollmer (back) did not practice.  The following were limited in their participation: CB Kyle Arrington (foot); QB Tom Brady (non-injury); WR Deion Branch (groin); S Patrick Chung (foot); C Dan Connolly (groin); WR Julian Edelman (back); LB Dane Fletcher (thumb); S James Ihedigbo (shoulder); CB Devin McCourty (shoulder); WR Matthew Slater (shoulder); LB Brandon Spikes (MCL); RB Shane Vereen (hamstring); G Brian Waters (ankle) and WR Wes Welker (knee).

On Thursday Spikes was downgraded to did not practice, while Green-Ellis was upgraded to limited and new CB Vincent Fuller (forearm) was added to the list as limited.

The Patriots have five New England natives on the roster they are: LB Niko Koutouvides (Plainville CT); TE Aaron Hernandez (Bristol CT); OL Donald Thomas (New Haven CT); S James Ihedigbo (Northampton MA) and DE Ron Brace (Worcester MA).  They have 12 players who played for a New England school or a Big East Conference member.  They are: WR Deion Branch (Louisville); WR/TE Dorin Dickerson (Pitt); S James Ihedigbo (UMass); CB Nathan Jones (Rutgers); C Dan Koppen (Boston College – IR); CB Devin McCourty (Rutgers); NT Vince Wilfork (Miami), OL Donald Thomas (UConn); DE Mike Wright (Cincinnati – IR); DE Ron Brace (Boston College); WR Tiquan Underwood (Rutgers) and DE Alex Silvestro (Rutgers – Practice Squad).

The Patriots have 7 retired numbers: 20 – Gino Cappelletti, 40 – Mike Haynes, 73 – John Hannah, 78 – Bruce Armstrong, 79 – Jim Lee Hunt and 89 – Bob Dee.

Dolphins Team Notes

Here is the Dolphins roster, depth chart and injury report for the game.

2011 Dolphins Schedule/Results

 

Miami’s all-time record is 399-299-4 they are 20-20 in the post season with their last post season appearance coming in 2008 when they lost to Baltimore in the AFC Wild Card game, 27-9 . They last played for a conference championship in 1992 when they lost to San Diego in the AFC Title game, 29-10. They have won two Super Bowl titles (VII, VIII) in five appearances.  The Dolphins franchise started in 1966 in the AFL.

This will either be Miami’s 400th franchise win or their 300th franchise loss.

The Dolphins are 17-28 as the road team in the series and 2-7 at Gillette Stadium.

Miami is 28-38 vs. the AFC East since 2001.

The Dolphins defense has allowed opponents to convert 32.5% of the time on 3^rd down, while the offense has a 3^rd down conversion rate of 31.3%.

The Miami defense has sacked the opponents quarterback 35 times in 14 games.

The Dolphins are 21st in the NFL in points per game with 20.4.  While they allow 19.2 points per game good for 5th in the NFL.

Miami is MINUS 5 in turnover differential, tied for 23rd best in the NFL. The offense has given up 10 INT and 11 fumbles, while the defense has 13 INT and 3 fumble recoveries.

Dolphins Staff Notes

Hear what Miami Dolphins interim head coach Todd Bowles had to say to the New England media about the match up.

Bowles won his NFL debut last Sunday in Buffalo, 30-23.

Two weeks ago Miami whacked head coach Tony Sparano who was in his 4th season with the Dolphins.  He was 29-31 in the regular season and 0-1 in the playoffs for an overall record of 29-32.  He was 2-5 vs. New England in his time in Miami.

Former Patriots coach Brian Daboll is the Miami offensive coordinator.

Former Patriots LB Bryan Cox is the Dolphins pass rush coach.

Miami receivers coach Steve Bush attended Southern Connecticut State University.  He also coached at Springfield College, University of New Haven, Boston University and Longmeadow (MA) High School.

Dolphins offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo is a Lexington, MA native and attended Boston University.  He was also a coach at UConn in 1997 and 1998.

Miami special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi attended URI.

Dolphins assistant strength and conditioning coach Dave Puloka grew up in Arlington MA and attended the College of the Holy Cross.

Dolphins Players Notes

Dolphins QB Chad Henne, who faced New England in week 1, had season ending surgery to his non throwing shoulder (left) in early October.

QB Matt Moore has replaced Henne and he is 12-12 in his 5th season in the NFL.  He is 5-6 with Miami and 7-6 with Carolina.  Dallas signed Moore, who attended Oregon State, as an undrafted free agent in 2007 but he was cut prior to the season starting.

Moore is 0-1 vs. New England in his career with his lone start coming as a member of the Carolina Panthers.

Former New England TE Will Yeatman and TE Jeron Mastrud are now with Miami.

On Wednesday the Dolphins listed TE Anthony Fasano (head) and WR Brandon Marshall (knee) as did not participate.  T Jake Long (back) was limited and CB Will Allen (wrist) had full participation.

On Thursday, Marshall was upgraded to limited.

Miami team captains for 2011 are T Jake Long, QB Chad Henne, LB Karlos Dansby, S and S Yeremiah Bell.

There are 3 players on the Dolphins roster from Big East universities and New England based colleges.  They are CB Will Allen (Syracuse); T Marc Colombo (Boston College); RB Steve Slaton (West Virginia).

The Dolphins have three retired numbers: 12 – Bob Griese, 13 – Dan Marino and 39 – Larry Csonka.

Next Week

The Patriots host their AFC East rival Buffalo Bills next Sunday New Years Day at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro MA.  Kick off is at 1 p.m. on CBS.

Follow Steve on Twitter @djstevem

The New England Patriots walked into a potential trap game and came out with their second road win in two weeks and their sixth consecutive win overall as the clinched their third consecutive AFC East Division title and 9th in the last 11 seasons.

It did not start out very well as the Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow gashed the New England defense for nearly 200 total yards in the first quarter. But defensive coach Matt Patricia was able to chuck out the original plan and re-scheme on the sideline and it led to a much steadier defense as the game progressed.

The defense was able to get three Denver turnovers and nearly had a fourth when Tebow fumbled in the end zone, recovered the ball and was able to elude the rush and get rid of the ball for an incomplete pass.  The “Immaculate Incompletion” saved at least two points in what at first looked like a sure safety and it most likely saved a touchdown when the ball was bouncing around in the end zone.

The big stories on defense are unfortunately the season ending injury of DE Andre Carter and then fortunately how well his replacements DE Ron Brace and DE Mark Anderson played after he was forced from the game.

Carter in his first season with the Patriots was having a Pro Bowl season with 10 sacks and 22 QB hits.  Anderson came on and registered two sacks and a forced fumble that he recovered and Brace forced a fumble too that started the turnaround towards and the inevitable victory over a team on the rise.

Offensively the shocker was the play of WR Chad Ochocinco, who had a great block that took out two Broncos and then followed it up with his first TD catch as a Patriot.  He played extremely well in place of injured WR Deion Branch as did WR Tiquan Underwood, who is earning a rep for his Kid ‘N Play style high top fade haircut.

While TE Aaron Hernandez took over when Denver took away fellow TE Rob Gronkowski, one of the lesser knowns on offense that I was impressed with was rookie RB Stevan Ridley.  Ridley a second round pick out of LSU, played in some huge games in the SEC and I’ve seen him get some big yards, hard yards on tough carries and you saw just a glimpse of it on Sunday.  The kid has a ton of potential and this season grinds to an end and the playoffs loom you may see more of the kid as the yards get tougher to come by.

To continue reading, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Head coach Bill Belichick had his weekly day after the game media meeting about the week ahead.

His 188 career wins are good for 9th all-time. Former LA Rams, Washington and Seattle head coach Chuck Knox is 8th with 193.

Patriots clinched the AFC East and their 13th playoff berth in the last 18 seasons with the win in Denver.

A look at the AFC Playoff scenarios from Mike Reiss at ESPN-Boston.

New England has won 6 consecutive games after a 2 game losing streak.  It is their longest win streak of the season.

New England is 39-5 in December games since 2001.  That’s the best in the NFL in that time period.

The Patriots have had 6 undefeated Decembers since 2001.  They are 3-0 this month.

Since 2000 have the Patriots the best road record in the NFL at 63-33.

This is what Tom Brady had to say about the win on WEEI AM/FM on Monday morning.

Brady’s 2 TD passes give him 296 TD passes in his career he is now 6th all-time.  Hall of Fame QB John Elway is 5th with 300.

Brady has 122 career wins he is 6th all-time.  Fran Tarkenton is 5th with 124.

Brady and Offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien were happy for WR Chad Ochocinco.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 96 consecutive games including playoffs, 79 as a Patriot.  The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.

Welker admits to thinking about his contract.

LB Jerod Mayo signed a five-year contract extension on Saturday.  It’s reported to be worth $50 million with $27 million guaranteed.

DE Andre Carter hurt his knee in the second quarter and did not return.  It didn’t look good as he was carted off. According to a NFL source they say he injured his quad and will need surgery.  Belichick said no decision has been made on Carter’s status yet.

With Carter down and out DE Mark Anderson stepped up and had his biggest game as a Patriot.

Vince Wilfork admitted after the game that he “Tebowed”.

After a change, the defense was money on Sunday.

DE Ron Brace gave himself a birthday gift with a forced fumble that sparked a defensive turnaround.

The Patriots were 5 of 12 on 3rd conversions (42%) and 1 of 2 on fourth down (50%) while the Broncos were 4 of 10 on 3rd down conversions (40%) and 0 for 2 on 4th down.

New England was 4 for 6 (67%) on red zone efficiency and 3 for 4 (75%) on goal to go efficiency.  Denver was 2 for 3 (67%) in the red zone and 1 for 1 (100%) in goal to go situations.

New England is now plus 12 in turnover differential after recovering 3 Denver fumbles.

The best and worst of the Patriots and Broncos game.

The Gator Aide ends up on Aaron Hernandez instead of Tim Tebow.

CBS crows about ratings for Patriots/Broncos game and the overnight ratings were the highest of the season for the NFL.

Mike Reiss charts the Patriots offensive snaps and defensive snaps played vs. Washington.

New England plays the Miami Dolphins on Saturday Christmas Eve Day at 1 p.m. at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.  Look for the Sox & Dawgs “In The Red Zone Game Preview” available on Friday.

Follow Steve on Twitter @djstevem

Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe is reporting that according to a league source the New England Patriots will place Andre Carter on the injured reserve list ending his spectacular season.

Carter was injured late in the first quarter of Sunday’s 41-23 win over the Denver Broncos.

Carter, a NFL legacy whose father Rubin played for Denver, was in his first season in New England after several years in Washington.  He led the team with 10 sacks and 22 quarterback hits.

Carter tweeted “God is great.  Thank you for showing me and my family support this season.  It’s been a blast. Wouldn’t change it for anything.”

Follow Steve on Twitter @djstevem

Photo credit: Reuters Pictures

One former University of Florida Gator got all the pregame pub this week, that was of course, Denver QB Tim Tebow.  But it was another former Florida Gator, a former Tebow target in fact, New England TE Aaron Hernandez who stole the show Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver CO.

Hernandez led the Patriots to a 41-23 win over the Broncos and helped New England clinch it’s third consecutive AFC East Title and 9th in the last 11 seasons with a 9 catches for 129 yards and 1 TD performance.

While the Denver defense was looking to take away Hernandez’ counterpart, TE Rob Gronkowski they, they left the Connecticut native wide open to steal the game for New England.

It didn’t start out so good though as Tebow and the Broncos offense absolutely shredded the Patriots porous defense.   In the 20 minutes they racked up 133 yards on the ground alone plus another 68 yards by Tebow through the air as Denver jumped out to a 16-7 lead early in the 2nd quarter.  Then Denver imploded.

Three turnovers by the Broncos led to 13 Patriots points as New England rang up 20 unanswered points to close out the 1st half and go to the locker room leading 27-16.

In the second half New England, even though the defense was shaky at times, was able to contain Tebow and the Denver running game after allowing nearly 200 yards on the ground in the first two quarters.  They only allowed an additional 70 yards rushing and 73 yards in the air in the second half as they took away the game from the Broncos and made sure there was no such thing as “Tebow Time” on this Sunday afternoon.

Maybe we’ll get to see a rematch in the AFC Playoffs.

Patriots at Broncos Gamebook. This includes the box score, all the stats, play by play, drive charts and more.

Patriots at Broncos Game Recap.

To continue reading the New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos recap, hit the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Turning Point(s) of the Game

The three Denver turnovers in the second quarter directly led to 13 of the 20 points New England had in the 2nd quarter.

Offensive Player(s) of the Game

Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez had 9 catches for 129 yards and 1 TD with a long catch of 46 yards.

Defensive Player(s) of the Game

Patriots DE Mark Anderson had 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 2 QB hits, 1 forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Game Notes

Starters for the Patriots were:

On Offense:

LT Light
LG Mankins
C Wendell
RG Waters
RT Solder
TE Hernandez
TE Gronkowski
WR Welker
WR Ochocinco
QB Brady
RB Faulk

On Defense:

DE Deaderick
DT Love
DT Wilfork
DE Carter
LB Mayo
LB Fletcher
LB Ninkovich
CB McCourty
CB Arrington
S Slater
S Ihedigbo

Inactives for the Game:

Patriots

1. S Patrick Chung (foot)

2. T Sebastian Vollmer (foot)

3. LB Brandon Spikes (MCL)

4. WR Deion Branch (groin)

5. RB Shane Vereen (hamstring)

6. C Nick McDonald

7. QB Ryan Mallett

Broncos

1. S Brian Dawkins (neck)

2. S David Bruton (Achilles)

3. LB Mike Mohammed

4. G Manny Ramirez

5. T Tony Hills

6. TE Julius Thomas

7. DE Derrick Harvey

The spread (Patriots minus 7) WAS covered.  The over/under (46) WAS covered.  I GAVE the points (Patriots) and took the OVER.  I am now 8-5-1 vs. the spread and 10 of 14 calling the under/over.

The Broncos lead the all-time series 27-17 including playoffs.

The Patriots are 9-18 as the road team in the series.

Patriots clinched the AFC East and their 13th playoff berth in the last 18 seasons with the win in Denver.

New England has won 6 consecutive games after a 2 game losing streak.  It is their longest win streak of the season.

New England is 39-5 in December games since 2001.  That’s the best in the NFL in that time period.

The Patriots have had 6 undefeated Decembers since 2001.  They are 3-0 this month.

Since 2000 have the Patriots the best road record in the NFL at 63-33.

Bill Belichick’s 188 wins are good for 9th all-time.  Chuck Knox, who coached the Rams, Redskins and Seahawks, is 8th all-time with 193.

Tom Brady is 2-6 vs. the Broncos including 0-1 in the playoffs.  Both wins have come in Denver.

Denver is the only team in which Brady has a losing record against.

Brady’s 2 TD passes give him 296 TD passes in his career he is now 6th all-time.  Hall of Fame QB John Elway is 5th with 300.

Brady has 122 career wins he is 6th all-time.  Fran Tarkenton is 5th with 124.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 96 consecutive games including playoffs, 79 as a Patriot.  The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.

LB Jerod Mayo signed a five-year contract extension on Saturday.  It’s reported to be worth $50 million with $27 million guaranteed.

Earlier this weekend the Patriots released CB Malcom Williams and promoted S Ross Ventrone from the practice squad.

DE Andre Carter hurt his knee in the second quarter and did not return.  It didn’t look good as he was carted off.  My best guess based on the field tests is a possible ACL injury that would end his spectacular season.

The Patriots were 5 of 12 on 3rd conversions (42%) and 1 of 2 on fourth down (50%) while the Broncos were 4 of 10 on 3rd down conversions (40%) and 0 for 2 on 4th down.

New England was 4 for 6 (67%) on red zone efficiency and 3 for 4 (75%) on goal to go efficiency.  Denver was 2 for 3 (67%) in the red zone and 1 for 1 (100%) in goal to go situations.

New England is now plus 12 in turnover differential after recovering 3 Denver fumbles.

The Broncos had their 6 game win streak snapped and are now 7-2 since Tebow took over as the starting QB.

Denver is currently in first place in the AFC West with a one game lead over Oakland as both teams lost on Sunday.

Since 2002 Denver is 13-5 at home in December, it’s the 3rd best record in that span.

Denver head coach John Fox is now 1-3 vs. New England including 1 Super Bowl (0-1) in his career all with Carolina.  This was his first game against them as the head coach in Denver.

In case you didn’t catch it in the inactives list, Denver has a player named Manny Ramirez.

Denver sacked Brady 2 times while Tebow was sacked 4 times and fumbled once.

Mike Carey was the game referee.  The temp at kickoff was 63 and it was sunny.

Pro Bowl voting ends tomorrow, cast your votes for deserving players.

Game Attendance – 76,556 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High – Denver CO

The Broncos have sold out every game ever played at Sports Authority Field at Mile High which opened in 2001.  They have a continuous sell out streak of all home games dating back to 1970 in Mile High Stadium.

Post Game Interviews

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Patriots QB Tom Brady post game press conferences via patriots.com

This Week in the AFC East

Miami beat Buffalo, 30-23

Philadelphia routed the NY Jets, 45-19

AFC East Standings

Patriots                   11-3/3-1

Jets                        8-6/3-2

Bills                        5-9/1-4

Dolphins                  5-9/2-2

Next Game

The Patriots host the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA on Saturday.  Kick off is at 1 p.m. on CBS.

Follow Steve on Twitter @djstevem

Photo credit: Getty Images

The New England Patriots have signed All-Pro LB Jerod Mayo to 5-year contract extension. The terms of the deal have not been announced.

Mayo, drafted 10th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft out of Tennessee, is in the fourth year of his rookie contract.  In addition to being one of the Patriots captains since his second season, he is responsible for calling the defensive signals.

Mayo has proven to a versatile player in his four seasons in Foxboro having been an inside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme he is now the weak side linebacker in the 4-3 front.

Mayo joins fellow co-captain DT Vince Wilfork as defensive leaders the team has locked up for the next several seasons.

Follow Steve on Twitter @djstevem

Photo credit: Getty Images

This Week

The New England Patriots visit the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sunday at 4:15 p.m.

The Patriots (10-3) are 5-2 on the road, 3-0 against the AFC West and 7-2 in the conference.  The Broncos (8-5) are 3-3 at Mile High, 2-0 vs. the AFC East and 6-3 against the conference.

The Line/Prediction

As of Thursday the line on the game from Yahoo! Sports the Patriots at MINUS 7.  The over under is 46.

My Prediction is Patriots 28, Broncos, 20.  Give the points (Patriots) and take the over.  I am 7-5-1 against the spread and 9 of 13 on calling the over/under in 2011.

Tickets

The Broncos are reporting the game as a sell out.

Tickets to the game, if available, can be purchased through Ticketmaster.  You can check the availability here.

Getting to the Game

If you’re lucky enough to be going to the game in Denver make sure you check out the links.

Here is the up to date weather forecast from the Weather Channel for Denver CO.

Click for all the game day information including stadium directions, parking and stadium information, and an Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium seating chart.

Tailgating

Here’s a bunch of different tailgating recipes from Tailgating.com.  There’s something there for everyone and every type of meal or snack.  I’ve tried some of the recipes and they’re very good.

And with tailgating many people enjoy some adult beverages.  With that in mind check out Drink Nation for how to make all sorts of great drinks.  You can look things up by name, ingredient(s) or theme.

Whether it’s at the game, a bar or a friend’s house moderation is always the key to a great time.  Please don’t drink and drive and designate a sober driver.  Remember You Drink, You Drive, You Lose.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television

CBS in televising the game regionally and Jim Nantz will do play by play while Phil Simms will provide the game analysis.  You can look here for your local affiliate.

See if you’re getting the game courtesy of J.P. Kirby at the506.com.

The DirecTV designation is Channel 714.

Here are all the rules on NFL TV broadcasts including explaining the blackout rules, flex scheduling and commercial breaks.

Radio

The Patriots Radio Network broadcasts the game from flagship station WBZ-FM, 98.5 the Sports Hub in Boston. Gil Santos handles the play-by-play, former Patriot Gino Cappelletti does the color and new this year Scott Zolak will man the sidelines. It all starts with Gary Tanguay, Andy Gresh and Zolak with the pregame show at 1 p.m. along the network. The post game starts after the final gun and continues for three hours along the network.

If you are outside the broadcast are of the stations on the Patriots Radio Network you can purchase NFL Field Pass, which allows you to listen to any game live.  You can also pick which teams broadcasters you want to listen to.

All NFL Games are also available on Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio also carries all the NFL games under a special additional package.  They usually only carry the home team feed.

The Patriots radio network call is available on Sirius Channel 86 and on SiriusXM Internet Channel 879.

The Broncos Radio network has Dave Logan calling play by play and former Bronco Brian Griese doing the color via their flagship station KOA.  Their call is available on Sirius Channel 94, XM Channel 227 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 870.

Westwood One will also broadcast the game to it nationwide affiliate network.  Howard David and Tony Boselli have the call.

Patriots All Access

Patriots All-Access features behind the scenes looks, interviews and breakdowns with head coach Bill Belichick and in depth features on the team.  It’s hosted by Steve Burton of WBZ-TV (Boston) and airs weekly in most New England television markets.

• Boston MA on TV 38 Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m.
• Providence RI on WNAC Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m.
• Manchester NH on WMUR Saturday at midnight
• Portland ME on WMTW Sunday at 5 a.m.
• Hartford CT on WCTX Saturday at 5 p.m.
• Springfield MA on WFXQ Saturday at 7 p.m.
• Bangor ME on WVII Sunday at 11 a.m.

You can also watch it anytime on the teams website in the media section.

To continue reading the New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos Week 15 preview, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Last Week

The Patriots held off the Redskins on the road 34-27; while the Broncos beat to the Bears, 13-10 in OT at home.

History

• The Broncos lead the all-time series 27-16 including playoffs.
• The Patriots are 8-18 as the road team in the series.
• New England and Denver have met twice in the playoffs with Denver winning both times at home in 1986 and 2005.
• The Patriots and the Broncos are the last two teams to win back-to-back Super Bowls.
• The two teams last met in 2009 in Denver and the Broncos won 20-17.
• In 1960 the teams faced each other in the inaugural game of each franchise.

Patriots Team Notes

Here is the Patriots roster, depth chart and injury report for the game.

2011 Patriots Schedule/Results

The Patriots overall franchise record is 409-366-9.  They have won three Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) in six appearances.  They last appeared in the playoffs in 2010 when they lost at home to the New York Jets in the AFC Divisional Playoff, 28-21.  They last appeared in a Super Bowl in 2007 losing to the New York Giants 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.  They won the AFC Conference championship that season with playoff wins over Jacksonville and San Diego.

The Patriots are the defending two-time AFC East Champions; they have won the division 8 times since 2000.

Patriots can clinch the AFC East and their 13th playoff berth in the last 18 seasons with a win in Denver or a Jets loss.

The Patriots are dedicating the 2011 season to the memory of Myra Hiatt Kraft, the late wife of owner Robert Kraft. 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.

New England has played Denver 9 times since 2000.  This is the Patriots 7^th visit to Denver in those 9 games.

This is the second game of a two game road swing, second two game road swing of the season (at Buffalo Week 2 and at Oakland Week 3) for the Patriots.

New England has won 5 consecutive games after a 2 game losing streak.  It is their longest win streak of the season.

New England is 38-5 in December games since 2001.  That’s the best in the NFL in that time period.

The Patriots have had 6 undefeated Decembers since 2001.  They are 2-0 this month.

Since 2000 have the Patriots the best road record in the NFL at 62-33.

The Patriots defense has allowed opponents to convert 44.8% of the time on 3^rd down, while the offense has a 3^rd down conversion rate of 45.8%.

The New England defense has sacked the opponents quarterback 29 times in 13 games.

The Patriots are 3rd in the NFL in points per game with 30.5.  While they allow 21 points per game good for 14th in the NFL.

New England is PLUS 9 in turnover differential, 5th best in the NFL. The offense has given up 11 INT and 5 fumbles, while the defense has 18 INT and 7 fumble recoveries.

The Patriots are being outscored by their opponents in the 4th quarter 108-104.

This is the 9th straight season the Patriots have had 10 wins or more and 10th time in the last 11 years.

Patriots Staff Notes

This is the link to head coach Bill Belichick’s Wednesday press conference on the Broncos.

Bill Belichick is 3-10 vs. the Denver in his career.  He is 3-6 against them as the head coach in New England and that includes the playoffs (0-1).

Overall in his NFL career Belichick is 172-97 in 16 NFL seasons.  He is 134-53 with New England and 36-44 with Cleveland.  He is 15-6 in the playoffs, 14-5 as head coach of the Patriots in the post season.  When you combine his regular season and post season records he is 187-103.

Belichick’s 187 wins are good for 9th all-time.  Chuck Knox, who coached the Rams, Redskins and Seahawks, is 8th all-time with 193.

He is the first coach in NFL history to have his teams win 10 games or more in 9 consecutive seasons.

He was named NFL Coach of the Year for the 3^rd time in 2010.

Belichick is one of five head coaches in NFL history whose father (Steve Belichick) played in the league.  The others are current Kansas City head coach Todd Haley (Dick Haley), former San Francisco head coach Mike Nolan (Dick Nolan), former Cincinnati head coach David Shula (Don Shula) and former NY Jets head coach Joe Walton (Frank Walton).

Patriots Possible Starters

Offense:

LT: Light

LG: Mankins

C: McDonald

RG: Waters

RT: Solder

TE: R. Gronkowski

TE: Hernandez

WR: Branch

WR: Welker

QB: Brady

RB: Green-Ellis

Defense:

DE: Deaderick

DT: Wilfork

DT: Love

DE: Carter

LB: Ninkovich

LB: Mayo

LB: Koutouvides

LCB: McCourty

RCB: Arrington

S: Slater

S: Ihedigbo

Patriots Players Notes

This Tom Brady’s 12^th NFL season he is 1-6 vs. the Broncos including 0-1 in the playoffs.

Denver is the only team in which Brady has a losing record against.

Overall Brady is 121-34 as a starting QB and is 14-5 in the playoffs for an overall record of 135-39.  Brady is a 6 time Pro Bowl QB; two time NFL MVP and has won 3 Super Bowls while twice being named the games MVP.  He is also listed as the 21^st Greatest Player in the History of the NFL according to the NFL Network.

In 2010 Brady won his second NFL MVP and he was the first unanimous winner in league history.

Brady has thrown 33 TD’s and 11INT’s while being sacked 22 times in 13 games.

Brady has 294 TD passes in his career he is now 6th all-time.  Hall of Fame QB John Elway is 5th with 300.

Brady has 121 career wins he is 6th all-time.  Fran Tarkenton is 5th with 124.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 95 consecutive games including playoffs, 78 as a Patriot.  The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.

TE Rob Gronkowski has 15 TD catches in 2011 a new single season record for tight ends.  He broke the NFL record for TD’s by a tight end in a season held by Vernon Davis (San Francisco – 2009) and Antonio Gates (San Diego –2004).

Gronkowski has 25 TD catches in last two seasons the most in the NFL in that time span.

Gronkowski was the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his effort against Washington.  He was also the Sox & Dawgs Offensive Player of the Game for the 3rd time in 4 weeks.

T Nate Solder returns to his native Colorado to face the Broncos.  Solder played at the University of Colorado before being drafted by the Patriots in the first round of the 2011 Draft.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office has dropped the indecent assault and battery charges against WR Julian Edelman.

DE Andre Carter leads the team with 10 sacks.  DE Mark Anderson has 7 on the season good for 2nd on the team.

Carter’s 10 sacks marks the 4th time in his career he has registered double digit sacks.  His career high is 12.5 in 2002 with San Francisco.

Carter leads the defense with 22 quarterback hits, Anderson is 2nd with 9 hits.

Carter also leads the team with two forced fumbles.

Ninkovich, DT Vince Wilfork, DT Kyle Love, CB Kyle Arrington and DE Gerard Warren have each recovered an opponent’s fumble.  Wilfork’s was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.

Arrington leads the team and is in a 3 way tie for the NFL lead with 7 INT’s.

Mayo leads the team in tackles with 75, CB Devin McCourty is 2nd with 74.

LB Tracy White leads the special teams in tackles with 14 and Slater is 2nd with 13.

On Wednesday and Thursday the following players were listed on the injury report. S Patrick Chung (foot) and T Sebastian Vollmer (back) did not practice.  The following were limited in their participation: CB Kyle Arrington (foot); QB Tom Brady (non-injury); WR Deion Branch (groin); C Dan Connolly (groin); WR Julian Edelman (back); LB Dane Fletcher (thumb); S James Ihedigbo (shoulder); CB Devin McCourty (shoulder); WR Matthew Slater (shoulder); LB Brandon Spikes (MCL); RB Shane Vereen (hamstring); WR Wes Welker (knee); C Ryan Wendell (calf); DT Vince Wilfork (non-injury) and RB Danny Woodhead (abdomen).

The Patriots have five New England natives on the roster they are: LB Niko Koutouvides (Plainville CT); TE Aaron Hernandez (Bristol CT); OL Donald Thomas (New Haven CT); S James Ihedigbo (Northampton MA) and DE Ron Brace (Worcester MA).  They have 12 players who played for a New England school or a Big East Conference member.  They are: WR Deion Branch (Louisville); WR/TE Dorin Dickerson (Pitt); S James Ihedigbo (UMass); CB Nathan Jones (Rutgers); C Dan Koppen (Boston College – IR); CB Devin McCourty (Rutgers); NT Vince Wilfork (Miami), OL Donald Thomas (UConn); DE Mike Wright (Cincinnati – IR); DE Ron Brace (Boston College); WR Tiquan Underwood (Rutgers) and DE Alex Silvestro (Rutgers – Practice Squad).

The Patriots have 7 retired numbers: 20 – Gino Cappelletti, 40 – Mike Haynes, 73 – John Hannah, 78 – Bruce Armstrong, 79 – Jim Lee Hunt and 89 – Bob Dee.

Pro Bowl voting is open until December 19th, cast your votes for deserving players.

Broncos Team Notes

Here is the Broncos roster, depth chart and injury report for the game.

2011 Broncos Schedule/Results

Denver’s all-time record is 406-369-10 and they are 17-15 in the playoffs with their last playoff appearance coming in 2005.  That season the Broncos beat New England in the AFC Division round and then lost to Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship game.  Denver has won two Super Bowls (XXXII, XXXIII) in six appearances.

The Broncos have sold out every game ever played at Sports Authority Field at Mile High which opened in 2001.  They have a continuous sell out streak of all home games dating back to 1970 in Mile High Stadium.

Former Broncos QB and Hall of Fame member John Elway is the team’s executive vice president of football operations assuming that position in January 2011.

Elway has never lost to Patriots overall as a player he was 11-0, 10-0 in the regular season and 1-0 in the playoffs.

Denver is the only current AFC West team to never relocate or change its nickname.

In the decade long history of the AFL, Denver was the only team to never play in a championship game.

The Broncos will be switching back to orange jerseys in 2012 as their primary home uniform and dropping the navy pants.  They will wear the navy jerseys as their alternate home uniform.  They wanted to make the changes for this season but they were too late in notifying the NFL of the changes.

Denver has nearly an identical overall franchise record as New England.

The Broncos have won six consecutive games and are 7-1 since Tebow took over as the starting QB.

Denver is currently in first place in the AFC West with a one game lead over Oakland.

Since 2002, Denver is 13-4 at home in the month of December, it’s the 3rd best record in that span.

The Broncos defense has allowed opponents to convert 34.1% of the time on 3^rd down, while the offense has a 3^rd down conversion rate of 31.8%.

The Denver defense has sacked the opponents quarterback 37 times in 13 games.

The Broncos are 21st in the NFL in points per game with 20.7.  While they allow 23.2 points per game good for 22nd in the NFL.

Denver is MINUS 4 in turnover differential, 20th best in the NFL. The offense has given up 9 INT and 8 fumbles, while the defense has 9 INT and 12 fumble recoveries.

Sports Authority Field at Mile High seats 76,125.

The Broncos have only called two stadiums home.  In addition to Sports Authority Field at Mile High (2001-present) aka Invesco Field at Mile High, they played in Mile High Stadium (1960-2001).

Denver is the only team to beat New England twice in the playoffs.

Broncos Staff Notes

Read what Denver Broncos head coach John Fox had to say to the New England media about the match up.

John Fox is 81-76 in his 10th season as a head coach.  He is 8-5 in his 1^st season with Denver; 73-71 with Carolina and 5-3 in the playoffs for an overall record of 86-79.

Fox is 1-2 vs. New England including one Super Bowl (0-1) in his career all with Carolina.  This is his first game against them as the head coach in Denver.

Denver offensive line coach Dave Magazu attended Springfield College.

Broncos Players Notes

Tim Tebow is in his 2nd season in the NFL and he is 8-3 as a starting QB.  He was the Broncos 1^st round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft out of the University of Florida.  He won two national championships with the Gators and a Heisman Trophy as a sophomore.

Tebow has never faced New England.

In the 2006 playoffs Denver DB Champ Bailey had a 100 yard interception return off of Tom Brady.  That was the last playoff game Denver won and only post season victory since Elway retired as a player.

Former Patriots playing in Denver are LS Lonnie Paxton, DE Ty Warren (IR), G Russ Hochstein and DB Jonathan Wilhite.

On Wednesday the following players were listed on the injury report.  S David Bruton (Achilles); S Brian Dawkins (neck); CB Andre Goodman (concussion) did not practice. WR Eddie Royal (concussion) was limited in participation and RB Spencer Larson (hamstring) and LB Von Miller participated fully.

On Thursday Bruton did not practice.  Dawkins and Goodman were upgraded to limited participation, Royal was upgraded to full participation, Larsen and Miller were unchanged.

WR Eddie Royal (concussion) was limited in participation and RB Spencer Larson (hamstring)

Denver team captains for 2011 are: RB Willis McGahee; G Chris Kuper; CB Champ Bailey; S Brian Dawkins and LB Wesley Woodyard

There is 1 player on the Broncos roster from a Big East university and New England based college.  He is: DE Elvis Dummervil (Louisville).

The Broncos retired numbers: 7 – John Elway; 18 – Frank Tripucka and 44 – Floyd Little.

Next Week

The Patriots host the Miami Dolphins next Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA.  Kick off is at 1 p.m. on CBS.

Follow Steve on Twitter @djstevem

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office has dropped the criminal charges against New England Patriots WR Julian Edelman.  The DA says he would have a hard time proving the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Edelman was accused of groping a woman on the dance floor during a Halloween dance at an upscale Back Bar nightclub on November 1.  He was charged with indecent assault and battery after being arrested at the scene on Exeter Street.

The statement from the DA’s office says in  part:

“The evidence suggests that he approached a woman on the dance floor and took her hand briefly. Review of the videotape indicates that the physical contact between the two was fleeting … and did not meet the elements of any crime,” prosecutors said in a statement.

To bring an indecent assault and battery prosecution, prosecutors said, the contact must be proven to be intentional; it must be potentially physically harmful or an “affront to the victim’s integrity;” it must be fundamentally offensive to moral values; and there must be no justification or excuse.

“Prosecutors could not prove these elements with the evidence contained in the surveillance imagery, witness statements, and other sources,” prosecutors said.

Edelman was allowed to continue to play by the Patriots and he most likely would have faced NFL disciplinary action in addition to any criminal charges.  There is no word on if the NFL is looking further into the incident.

Follow Steve on Twitter @djstevem

Photo credit: AP Photo

Here’s the release from the New England Patriots about tight end Rob Gronkowski being named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week:

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced today that Rob Gronkowski has been named AFC Offensive Player of the Week by the National Football League for his performance in the Patriots’ 34-27 victory over the Washington Redskins last Sunday. It is the first Player of the Week honor for Gronkowski.

Gronkowski caught six passes for a career-high 160 yards and two touchdowns against the Redskins. He extended his NFL record for overall touchdowns in a single season by a tight end to 16 (15 receiving and 1 rushing) with his two touchdown receptions against the Redskins. His 14th and 15th touchdown receptions of the season established an NFL record for most touchdown receptions in a season by a tight end. He entered the Washington game tied with Vernon Davis (San Francisco in 2009) and Antonio Gates (San Diego in 2004) with 13 touchdown receptions.

Additionally, Gronkowski became just the second New England tight end to go over 1,000 yards for the season after the 160 yards pushed his 2011 total to 1,088. TE Ben Coates set the franchise mark for a tight end with 1,174 yards in 1994. It is the 31st time in NFL history that a tight end has registered a 1,000-yard season. Gronkowski needs 203 yards in the final three games to set the NFL record for most yards in a season by a tight end, held by Kellen Winslow, who had 1,290 yards in 1980 with San Diego.

Gronkowski had three long plays in the game against the Redskins. He set up the Patriots first offensive touchdown with a 49-yard reception. He had a 50-yard reception in the second quarter. The 50-yarder is second in his career to his 52-yard touchdown vs. Kansas City on Nov. 21, 2011. He also added a 37-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

It is the fifth Player of the Week honor for the Patriots in 2011. Tom Brady was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week following the first two games of the season at Miami on Sept. 12 and vs. San Diego on Spt. 18, Andre Carter was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week following the win at the Jets on Nov. 13 and Julian Edelman was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week following the win vs. Kansas City on Nov. 21.

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Photo credit: Reuters Pictures

The New England Patriots are in the midst of their second two game road trip of the season with back-to-back road games against Washington and Denver.  Their earlier trip back-to-backers in Buffalo and Oakland yielded a win in the Black Hole and a loss in southern Canada.

Now in addition to playing a football game in Denver they have to face the aspect of Tebow-mania.  Head coach Bill Belichick said the Broncos are more than one man and they will be treated as such.

While New England is on a five game win streak with their last loss coming at home to the New York Giants, Denver is on a six game win streak with many of them of the cardiac variety courtesy of Tim Tebow.

New England is a playoff team at 10-3, with a win or a Jets loss they clinch the AFC East for the 3rd season.  While Denver at 7-5, has been resurrected and leads the AFC West needs to keep on a somewhat magical run to get to the post season for the first time since 2005 when they lost to Pittsburgh in the AFC title game.

The Washington game was a challenge in many ways.  Offensively the team wasn’t sharp in the red zone or in go to go situations.  While the usually spot on Tom Brady had some not so accurate throws.

Defensively the 3rd down conversions were once again at 50%, they allowed to many 10 yards plus plays and they allowed their first 100 yard rusher of the season.  On the bright side Vince Wilfork and Andre Carter teamed up for a defensive TD on a strip sack of Rex Grossman by Carter and the recovery in the end zone by Wilfork.  And Jerod Mayo is returning to form after missing several weeks with a MCL sprain.  Even though he is still banged up he is such a smart player and was in the right spot when New England needed a game ending stop.

So now it’s onto the Mile High City where someone’s win streak is going to come to an end.

To continue reading, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Head coach Bill Belichick had his weekly day after the game media meeting about the week ahead.

His 187 career wins are good for 9th all-time. Former LA Rams, Washington and Seattle head coach Chuck Knox is 8th with 193.

Belichick announced the team would leave for Denver on Friday after practice so they can get a full day on Saturday to get acclimated to the climate.

Belichick wasn’t happy with the lumped up playing surface at FedEx Field but he bit his lip and would only say that ‘we’ve played on better.”

Two members of the Bill Parcells coaching tree got pruned on Monday.  Kansas City fired Todd Haley and Miami whacked Tony Sparano.

New England is a NFL best 64-15 in games played on or after Thanksgiving since 2001.

New England is 39-5 in December games since 2001.  That’s the best in the NFL in that time period.

This is what Tom Brady had to say about the win on WEEI AM/FM on Monday morning.

Brady’s 121st is 6th all-time, Fran Tarkenton is 5th with 124.

Brady’s 3 TD passes give him 33 TD passes on the year and 294 TD passes in his career ranking him 6th all-time.  John Elway is 5th with 300.

Brady says he deserved to be yelled at.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 95 consecutive games including playoffs, 78 as a Patriot.  The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.

WR Tiquan Underwood addressed the sideline argument and his role in the end zone interception.

Thumbs up for Patriots LB Dane Fletcher.

Dying Patriots fan had one wish he wanted to meet a Patriots Cheerleader before he passed.

S James Ihedigbo has become a steadying force in the New England secondary.

S Patrick Chung was seen in the locker room Monday wearing a walking boot on his injured foot.

ESPN AFC East blog’s rapid reaction on Patriots-Redskins.

Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski is the clearly best around.

Meet the Patriots fan who’s lap Gronk ended up in when he leapt into the stands.

The signing of DE Andre Carter has been huge for the Patriots.

Patriots CB Devin McCourty found his form when he needed it.

DT Vince Wilfork is a big guy who is having a big year and he didn’t let his chance at a TD slip by.

The best and worst of the Patriots-Redskins game.

Mike Reiss charts the Patriots offensive snaps and defensive snaps played vs. Washington.

Pro Bowl voting is open feel free to cast your votes for deserving players.

New England plays the Denver Broncos on Sunday at 4:15 p.m. at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver CO.  Look for the Sox & Dawgs “In The Red Zone Game Preview” available on Friday.

Follow Steve on Twitter @djstevem