Gillette Stadium is a magical place not only for the New England Patriots as a team but for QB Tom Brady as well.  The Patriots opened the home portion of their schedule on Sunday with a familiar result, a win.

After beating the San Diego Chargers 35-21 the Patriots are now unbeaten in all 10 Gillette Stadium home openers and have beaten the Chargers twice in that steak.  The team as a whole has not lost at Gillette now in it’s last 18 regular season games and Brady has a personal win streak of 29 games in his home venue.

Employing a bend but not break style defense against a powerful San Diego offense New England allowed 470 total yards (98 rushing, 372 passing), 29 first downs and the Bolts were 10 for 12 on 3^rd down conversions.

QB Philip Rivers was 29 of 40 for 378 yards with 2 TD’s and 2 INT’s he also lost a fumble.  WR Vincent Jackson had 10 catches for 172 yards and 2 TD’s while 2^nd year RB Ryan Matthews was over 100 combined yards offensively with 64 yards and a TD on 12 carries and 62 receiving yards on 7 catches.

But the big story for the Patriots defense was four turnovers (2 INT’s and 2 fumbles recovered) and the 3 defensive stops of the high powered Chargers offense inside the 30-yard line on consecutive drives.

The three consecutive defensive stops of Bolts inside their 30-yard line started with a first and goal to go from the five-yard line when they repeatedly stopped San Diego. First they stopped Matthews at the two, then RB Mike Tolbert for no gain, Rivers scrambled to the one on third down, and Tolbert got stuffed on 4^th down just before the goal line.  The second stop was the Vince Wilfork interception of Rivers just before the half that led to 3 points as time expired and third drive was stopped with the Sergio Brown pick near inside the 10-yard line.

Leading the way defensively was LB Jerod Mayo who had 11 tackles and forced a fumble, Brown had 7 tackles and an INT and LB Rob Ninkovich who had 4 tackles, 1 sack and recovered a fumble.

While you can’t be thrilled with the first downs gained or the 3^rd down efficiency of San Diego you can see some real change in the New England defense as a whole.

As Bill Belichick himself will tell you the season isn’t about one game but about putting together a series of games and getting better as you move forward.

Now when it comes to the offense, not even San Diego can compare when you talk about high powered.

Brady and Company had 28 first downs, were 7 of 11 on 3^rd down conversions, and had no turnovers while once again amassing over 500 total yards, of which 423 were due to Brady’s passing efficiency.  Brady was a very sharp 31 of 40 with 3 touchdown passes and no interceptions and was sacked twice losing 13 yards.

Brady, once again, spread it around the field as WR Deion Branch had 8 catches for 129 yards.  WR Wes Welker had 7 grabs for 81 yards, TE Aaron Hernandez had 7 catches for 62 yards and 1 TD and TE Rob Gronkowski added 4 catches, 2 of them for TD’s and 86 yards.  Even WR Chad Ochocinco had a pair of really nice catches for 45 yards.

While on the ground it was “The LawFirm” leading the way with 70 yards on 17 carries and 1 rushing TD.

Overall not a bad day of work for the guys with the “Flying Elvi” on the sides of their helmets.

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

Chargers at Patriots Game Recap from the Associated Press via patriots.com

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Turning Point(s) of the Game

Three consecutive defensive stops of San Diego inside their 30-yard line. The scoring attempts were stopped on a goal line stand from the five-yard line and interceptions by Wilfork and Brown.  The goal line stand was the teams third in just two games this year.

Offensive Player(s) of the Game

WR Deion Branch came up with 8 catches accumulating 129 yards,

Defensive Player(s) of the Game

LB Jerod Mayo who had 11 tackles and forced a fumble.

Game Notes

Starters for the Patriots were:

On Offense:

LT Light
LG Mankins
C Connolly
RG Waters
RT Vollmer
TE R Gronkowski
TE Hernandez
WR Branch
WR Welker
QB Brady
RB Woodhead

On Defense:

DE Ellis
DT Wilfork
DE Carter
WLB Mayo
MLB Fletcher
SLB Ninkovich
CB McCourty
CB Dowling
S Chung
S Barrett
S Brown

Inactives for the Game:

Patriots

1. QB Ryan Mallett
2. RB Shane Vereen
3. WR Taylor Price (hamstring)
4. C Dan Koppen (broken ankle)
5. LB Gary Guyton (hamstring)
6. DE Mike Wright (concussion)
7. OL Ryan Wendell (calf)

Chargers

1. WR Patrick Crayton (ankle)
2. RB Jordan Todman
3. CB Shareece Wright
4. LB Darryl Gamble
5. LB Jonas Mouton (shoulder)
6. WR Vincent Brown (hamstring)
7. DE Luis Castillo (broken leg)

This was the 300^th game of the Kraft family ownership they are 199-101.

70,000 “MHK” pins were handed out to fans today in honor of Myra Hiatt Kraft.

The spread (Patriots minus 7) was covered, as was the over/under (54).  I am now 2-0-0 vs. the spread and 2 of 2 calling the under/over.

The Patriots have scored 30 or more points in 10 consecutive regular season games.

The Patriots lead the overall series vs. San Diego 22-15-2

This was the second time that San Diego had been the opponent for a Patriots home opener at Gillette Stadium.  They faced the Chargers in Week 2 (home opener) in 2007 and won 38-14.  The Bolts also were the opponents in the 1997 home opener at Foxboro Stadium.

The Patriots have not lost a regular season game at Gillette Stadium since the 2008 season having won 18 consecutive regular season home games.

The Patriots are 10-0 in Gillette Stadium home openers.

Since 2002 when Gillette Stadium opened the Patriots are 68-14 at home.

The Patriots are 16-11 vs. the AFC West including playoffs since 2000.

Since 2001, the Patriots are 23-10 in September that’s the second best record among all NFL teams.

The Chargers are 0-3 in Patriots home openers.

The Chargers are 8-12-1 vs. Patriots all-time on the road.

The Bolts have lost 5 of the last 6 games in the series.

Since 2001 against the AFC East, San Diego is 9-16 including playoffs.

Norv Turner coached teams are 2-6 vs. New England.

Bill Belichick now has 179 wins – 10th all-time.  Bill Parcells is 9^th with 183 wins.

Belichick said his decision to go for it on 4^th and 4 was due to the condition of P Zoltan Mesko who had hurt his knee on the prior possession.

Tom Brady is now 6-2  vs. the Chargers.

Brady has won 29 consecutive regular season games at home, a NFL record.  His last regular season home loss was November 12, 2006 to the New York Jets.

Brady is 63-10 at home in the regular season in his career.

Brady was named FedEx Air Player of the Week for his Week 1 massacre of Miami.

Brady’s 3 TD passes give him 268 in his career he is 10^th all-time.  Joe Montana is 9^th with 273.

Brady is the only NFL quarterback to follow up a 500-yard game with a 400-yard game.

He is also just the 6^th NFL quarterback with back-to-back 400-yard games.

Brady’s two week yardage total of 940 is second best all-time behind Phil Simms, who called today’s game for CBS, who had 945 in a two week span.

DT Vince Wilfork had his first career interception when he picked off Philip Rivers just prior to the half.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 81 consecutive games, 67 as a Patriot.  The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.

TE Rob and TE Dan Gronkowski are the 4^th set of brothers to play for the Patriots in the same season.  They join DE Whit and G Justin Canale (1968); WR Clarence and RB Robert Weathers (1983-84) and RB Chuck and CB Rod McSwain (1987).

Rob Gronkowski notched his 3^rd career two touchdown game.

TE Aaron Hernandez was seen limping badly as he left the locker room after the game, he turned his knee late in the game.

RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis has a rushing touchdown in each game so far.

Former UConn OL Donald Thomas did not see any action in his first game as a Patriot.

New England is now plus 4 in turnover differential.  The offense has given up 1 INT and 0 fumbles, while the defense has 3 INT and 2 fumble recoveries.

Walt Anderson was the game referee.  Game time temp was 63 degrees and partly cloudy.

Attendance was 68,756.  The 184^th consecutive sellout dating back to the 1994 season opener.

Post Game Interviews

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

This Week in the AFC East

NY Jets whipped Jacksonville, 32-3

Buffalo rallied to beat Oakland, 38-35

Houston downed Miami, 23-13

AFC East Standings

Patriots                   2-0/1-0

Jets                        2-0/0-0

Bills                        2-0/0-0

Dolphins                  0-2/0-1

Next Game

The Patriots visit their AFC East rival Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday.  Kick off is at 1 p.m. on CBS.

Photo credit: AP Photo

On Friday morning it was announced that the New England Patriots gave LB Rob Ninkovich a two-year contract extension through 2013.  He was given a $2 million signing bonus and will earn $900,000 in 2012 and 2013.

Ninkovich originally taken in the 5^th round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Purdue by the New Orleans Saints finished his rookie year on the IR with a knee injury.

In 2007 he was claimed off of waivers by the Miami Dolphins where he played sparingly over a two season span and saw practice squad time.  In December 2008 New Orleans re-signed him as a long snapper off the Miami practice squad and he was released during training camp in 2009.

He was signed by New England to the 53-man roster in August 2009 and made the team and over time Ninkovich has become not only a valued member of the defensive unit but a starting linebacker.

The Patriots also announced they released WR Kerry Taylor and re-signed recently released OL Nick McDonald back to the practice squad. McDonald, an undrafted free agent in 2010 out of Grand Valley State, was signed by the Green Bay Packers and all though he never played in any games he did earn a Super Bowl XLV Championship ring.

Green Bay waived him during the final cut downs for the 53-man roster and he signed with New England after having several offers with other teams.  He was released from the practice squad earlier this week only to be brought back by week’s end.

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Photo credit: AP Photo

This Week:

The New England Patriots host the San Diego Chargers at Gillette Stadium on Sunday at 4:15 p.m.  This is the 2011 Home Opener for the Patriots.

The Patriots (1-0) are 0-0 at The Razor, 0-0 against the AFC West and 1-0 in the AFC conference.  The Chargers (1-0) are 0-0 on the road, 0-0 vs. the AFC East and 0-0 against the AFC conference.

The Line/Prediction

As of Thursday the line on the game from Yahoo! Sports has the Patriots plus 7.  The over under is 54.

My Prediction is Patriots 36, Chargers 24.  Give the points (Patriots) and take the over.  I am 1-0 against the spread and 1 of 1 on calling the over/under in 2011.

Tickets

The Patriots are reporting the game as a sellout. It is the 184^th consecutive sellout 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 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 717.

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, XM Channel 228 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 882.

The Chargers Radio Network has Josh Lewin calling the game while former Charger player and coach Hank Bauer provides the game analysis with Jim Laslavic doing the sideline reporting via their flagship KIOZ-FM. Their call is available on Sirius Channel 93 and on XM Channel Internet 886.

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 Saturday 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 team website in the media section.

To continue reading the San Diego Chargers @ New England Patriots preview, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Last Week

The Patriots beat the Dolphins on the road 38-24 behind Tom Brady’s career passing day; while the Chargers beat to the Vikings, 24-17 at home.

History

• This is the 39th meeting between the Patriots and the Chargers since they started to face each other as AFL foes in 1960.
• The Patriots lead the all-time series 21-15-2, which includes a 2-1 record vs. the Chargers in the post season.
• The Patriots 21-12 win in the 2007 playoffs gave them an 18-0 record.
• New England has dominated the series since the merger having won 14 of the last 18 meetings.
• The Patriots won the last meeting in 2010 in San Diego, 23-20 behind a very good defensive effort that caused four turnovers.

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 402-363-9.  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.

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.

The team will give every fan attending the game a “MHK” lapel pin like the one worn by owner Robert Kraft on his jacket.

The Patriots have not lost a regular season game at Gillette Stadium since the 2008 season having won 17 consecutive regular season home games.

The Patriots are 9-0 in Gillette Stadium home openers.

The Patriots have been perfect at home five times in team history, all have occurred since 2003.

New England was the only undefeated team at home in the NFL last season.

Since 2002 when Gillette Stadium opened the Patriots are 67-14 at home.

The Patriots are 2-1 vs. San Diego at Gillette Stadium; they were 7-0 in Foxboro/Schaefer/Sullivan Stadium.  They were 2-7-1 in the Boston venues.

The Patriots have hosted the Chargers in six different stadiums over the years.  They are BU Field, Fenway Park, BC Alumni Stadium, Harvard Stadium, Foxboro Stadium (aka Schaefer/Sullivan Stadium) and Gillette Stadium

The Patriots are 15-11 vs. the AFC West including playoffs since 2000.

Since 2001, the Patriots are 22-10 in September that’s the second best record among all NFL teams.

The 622 total yards vs. Miami set a team record; the previous high was 619 yards vs. Tennessee in 2009.

The Patriots have scored 30 or more points in 9 consecutive regular season games.

New England is even in turnover differential.  On defense they have 1 INT and 0 fumbles recovered, while offensively they have thrown 1 INT and have 0 fumbles lost.

Patriots Staff Notes

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

Bill Belichick coached teams are 6-5 vs. San Diego including a 2-0 playoff record. Belichick was 1-2 vs. the Chargers as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns with no playoff match ups.

Overall in his NFL career Belichick is 163-94 in 16 NFL seasons.  He is 127-51 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 178-100.

Belichick’s 178 wins are good for 10^th all-time.  Bill Parcells is 9^th with 183 wins.

He is a three-time winner of the NFL Coach of the Year Award.

Patriots Possible Starters

Offense:

• LT: Light
• LG: Mankins
• C: Connolly
• RG: Waters
• RT: Vollmer
• QB: Brady
• RB: Green-Ellis
• TE: Hernandez
• TE: R. Gronkowski
• WR: Welker
• WR: Branch

Defense:

• DE: Ellis
• DT: Wilfork
• DT: Haynesworth
• DE: Carter
• WLB; Mayo
• MLB: Guyton
• SLB: Ninkovich
• LCB: McCourty
• RCB: Dowling
• S: Chung
• S: Brown

Patriots Players Notes

This Tom Brady’s 12^th NFL season he is 5-2 vs. the Chargers including 2-0 in the playoffs.

Overall Brady is 112-32 as a starting QB and is 14-5 in the playoffs for an overall record of 126-37.  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.

He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, for his Week 1 performance vs. Miami.  It is the 18^th time he has won the award.

Brady has won 28 consecutive regular season games at home, a NFL record.  His last regular season home loss was November 12, 2006 to the New York Jets.

Brady is 62-10 at home in the regular season in his career.

Brady has 265 TD passes in his career he is now 10th all-time.  Joe Montana is 9^th with 273.

Brady became the 18^th NFL quarterback to surpass 35,000 career-passing yards.   He has 35,261 yards, Jim Kelley is 17^th at 35,467.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 80 consecutive games, 66 as a Patriot.  The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.

San Diego originally signed Welker as an undrafted free agent in 2004.

TE Aaron Hernandez had his second 100-yard game vs. Miami on Monday night when he had 7 catches for a career high 103 yards.

TE Rob and TE Dan Gronkowski became the 4^th set of brothers to play for the Patriots in the same season.  They join DE Whit and G Justin Canale (1968); WR Clarence and RB Robert Weathers (1983-84) and RB Chuck and CB Rod McSwain (1987).

The team signed former UConn OL Donald Thomas, who was a 2008 draft pick of the Miami Dolphins.

They also released LB Aaron Lavarias and OL Nick McDonald from the practice squad and re-signed TE Garrett Mills and OL Thomas Welch to take their spots.

The Patriots have three New England natives on the roster they are: TE Aaron Hernandez (Bristol CT – Florida), OL Donald Thomas (New Haven CT – UConn) and S James Ihedigbo (Northampton MA – UMass).  They have 7 players who played for a New England school or a current or former Big East Conference member.  They are: WR Deion Branch (Louisville); S James Ihedigbo (UMass); C Dan Koppen (Boston College); CB Devin McCourty (Rutgers); NT Vince Wilfork (Miami), OL Donald Thomas (UConn) and DE Mike Wright (Cincinnati).

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.

Chargers Team Notes

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

2011 Chargers Schedule/Results

San Diego’s all-time record is 385-377-11 they are 10-16 in the post season with their last post season appearance coming in 2009 when they lost to New York in the AFC Division game. They last played for a conference championship in 2007 when they lost to New England in the AFC Title game, 21-12. They are 0-1 in Super Bowls, having lost to San Francisco (XXIX).  The Chargers franchise started in 1960 in the AFL and they won one AFL Championship (1963) in five appearances.

When San Diego won the 1963 AFL Championship they beat the Boston Patriots 51-10 in the title game.

The Bolts have been eliminated by the Patriots in the playoffs twice in the last five seasons losing to New England in 2006 in the AFC Divisional Round and 2007 in the AFC Championship Game.

This is the second time that San Diego has been the opponent for a Patriots home opener at Gillette Stadium.  They faced the Chargers in Week 2 (home opener) in 2007.

San Diego was also the opponent in the 1997 home opener at Foxboro Stadium.

The Chargers are 0-2 in Patriots home openers.

The Chargers are 8-11-1 vs. Patriots all-time on the road.

The Bolts have lost 4 of the last 5 games in the series.

Since 2001 against the AFC East, San Diego is 9-15 including playoffs.

Are the Bolts primed to make the playoffs this season after missing out in 2010?

The Chargers are one of only a few teams with a theme song.

San Diego has a turnover differential of minus 1.  The offense has 2 INT’s and 0 fumbles lost, the defense has 1 INT and 0 fumbles recovered.

The Chargers, who have called Qualcomm Stadium home since 1967, are rumored to have a chance of relocating to a new stadium being built in Los Angeles.  While their owner is trying to find a way to build a stadium to keep them in San Diego.

The Bolts have already played in Los Angeles, in the AFL inaugural season they were the LA Chargers.

Chargers Staff Notes

See what San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner had to say to the New England media about the match up.

Overall in his NFL career San Diego head coach Norv Turner is 100-105-1 in 13 NFL seasons. He is 42-23 in 5 seasons with San Diego, 49-59-1 in 7 years with Washington and 9-23 in two seasons with Oakland. He is 4-4 in the playoffs, 3-3 as the head coach of the Chargers in the postseason. When you combine the regular season and postseason records, Turner is 104-109-1.

Turner coached teams are 2-5 vs. New England.

A columnist for the LA Times has an interesting take on San Diego general manager A.J. Smith.

Smith is a native of Warwick RI and graduated from Bishop Hendricken High School.

Chargers Players Notes

San Diego QB Philip Rivers is 56-25 in his career and 3-4 in the post season for an overall record of 59-29.  Rivers, out of North Carolina State, was the first round pick of the New York Giants in 2004 at #4 overall.  He was then traded for the #1 pick Eli Manning.

Rivers is 1-4 vs. the Patriots with two of the losses coming in the playoffs.

Rivers, who is my prediction for the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2011, had a conference call on Wednesday with the Boston media.

San Diego has lost K Nate Kaeding for the year.  He has a torn ACL suffered on the first play of the season when he tried to make a tackle on Percy Harvin during the game opening kickoff return last week against Minnesota.

They signed P Nick Novak to replace Kaeding on Tuesday.

DE Luis Castillo broke his leg in the game vs. the Vikings and will be out at least 8-10 weeks and possibly for the season.

Chargers stick to their plan of keeping their own by signing P Mike Scifres to a contract extension.

Chargers look to have a good 1-2 running punch as 2^nd year RB Ryan Matthews ran for 73 yards and added 46 yards more in receptions in Week1 vs. Minnesota while RB Mike Tolbert scored all 3 San Diego TD’s vs. the Vikings in the 24-17 win.

The San Diego captains for 2011 are: Rivers, OL Nick Hardwick, LB Takeo Spikes, DB Eric Weddle and RB Jacob Hester.

Spikes had 11 tackles against Minnesota and looks like a solid free agent pick up for San Diego.

Losing a player like RB Darren Sproles is a way of life in the NFL.

San Diego drafted former UConn RB Jordan Todman in 6^th round of the 2011 NFL Draft.  In 2010 he was Big East Offensive Player of the Year, All Big East 1^st Team, ESPN.com All-American, Rivals 1^st Team All-American, Sporting News 1^st Team All-American, AP 2^nd Team All-American and Walter Camp 2^nd Team All-American.

The Chargers have 6 players who played for a New England school or a Big East Conference member.  They are: DE Jacques Cesaire – Southern CT State; LB Stephen Cooper – Maine; DE Antonio Garay – Boston College; DB Steve Gregory – Syracuse; RB Jordan Todman – UConn and LS Mike Windt – Cincinnati.

San Diego also has three players who are New England natives.  Cesaire is from Gardner MA; Cooper is from Wareham MA and Todman is from Chestnut Hill MA.

The Chargers have 2 retired numbers: 14 – Dan Fouts and 19 – Lance Alworth

Next Week

The Patriots visit their AFC East Rival Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park NY.  The kickoff is at 1 p.m. on CBS.

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The New England Patriots will induct two more former players into the Hall at Patriot Place on Saturday at 5 p.m. in a free public event.

Being inducted, as the 17th and 18th members of Patriots Hall of Fame, are QB Drew Bledsoe and C Jon Morris.

Bledsoe, the Number one overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, went on to become the franchise player head coach Bill Parcells and the team thought they were getting that day.  Both Parcells and Bledsoe were instrumental in the Patriots going from doormats to playoff contenders and finally onto Super Bowl Champions. In his first six seasons he led the Patriots to the playoffs four times.

Some of his career highlights include:

• Leading the Patriots to their first ever back-to-back division titles in 1996 and 1997.
• He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection in 1994, 1996 and 1998.
• At age 23 became the youngest player in NFL history to surpass 10,000 passing yards.
• He is currently 8^th all-time in passing yards with 44,611.  He has more passing yards than 23 Hall of Fame quarterbacks.
• And in 1994 against Minnesota he set two NFL records when he threw 70 passes in a regulation game and complete 45 of them.

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Joining Bledsoe in the Hall is Morris, who played with the team from 1964-74.  He was a 4^th round pick of the Patriots in the 1964 AFL Draft out of Holy Cross.

In his 11 seasons with the Patriots, Morris made 6 AFL All-Star teams and was the first Patriots player ever named to the NFL Pro Bowl in 1970.

Morris who was a three-time finalist for the Hall after being nominated in 2008, 2009 and 2010 was finally selected by the Senior Selection Committee becoming the first to get selected that way.

After his retirement from football Morris was the color commentator on Patriots Radio network from 1979-87.

The other 16 member of the Hall at Patriot Place are:

• G John Hannah elected in 1991
• LB Nick Bouniconti elected in 1992
• WR/K Gino Cappelletti elected in 1992
• DL Bob Dee elected in 1993
• DL Jim Lee Hunt elected in 1993
• LB Steve nelson elected in 1993
• QB babe Parilli elected in 1993
• CB Mike Haynes elected in 1994
• QB Steve Grogan elected in 1995
• LB Andre Tippett elected in 1999
• T Bruce Armstrong elected in 2001
• WR Stanley Morgan elected in 2007
• TE Ben Coates elected in 2008
• FB Jim Nance elected in 2009
• Founder/Owner Billy Sullivan elected in 2009
• RB Sam Cunningham elected in 2010

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The New England Patriots signed former UConn OL Donald Thomas on Wednesday morning. 

Thomas, a former 6th round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2008, is expected to see some time in the guard rotation as Don Connolly has been moved to center due to the injury to Dan Koppen.

The New Haven CT native who walked on to the football team at UConn is a former All Big East first team member in 2007 and was signed by the Detroit Lions in 2010 but didn’t see any action. He was one of the final cuts by the Lions during the 2011 NFL preseason.

He started one game for the Dolphins in 2008 before being placed on injured reserve list. He played in all 16 games, starting 12 of them, for the Dolphins in 2010.

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Well the Patriots started off 2011 on a positive note with a 38-24 win over the Miami Dolphins on the road.  The big story of the game was that reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady threw for a team record 517 yards.

Brady’s performance was the first 500 plus yard game in the NFL since 1996 when Boomer Esiason did it.  He also set a Monday Night Football record for most passing yardage on a MNF game.

It was the fifth highest passing yard total in the history of the NFL and the first time in his career that Brady had thrown for 500-yards in a game his previous high going into last night was 410 yards.

Also Monday night former Miami WR Wes Welker had a pair of TD catches, 8 catches for 160 yards overall and extended his streak of games played with at least one catch to 80 games, 66 of those have come as a Patriot.  The last game Welker played in that he did not catch a pass was on Christmas Eve, 2005 when he was a Dolphin.

Other offensive news from the opening game is that the tight ends played a huge part in Brady’s performance as Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez combined for 13 catches and 2 touchdowns.

The bad news offensively is that C Dan Koppen broke his ankle just prior to half time and he is expected to miss between 6 and 10 weeks.  Look for Dan Connolly to fill in at center as he did last night.

Also the team promoted OL Thomas Welch prior to the game from the practice squad because they needed some depth on the line for the game as Ryan Wendell and Sebastian Vollmer were both out.  If was a prophetic move with Koppen going down and Connolly having to move from the guard rotation to center.  With the promotion of Welch the team released LB Jeff Tarpinian, who had already been declared out of the game, to make room on the 53-man roster.

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

Defensively the team still has some things to work on.  People will look at the yardage they gave up to Miami.  488 total yards allowed on 390 passing and 98 on the ground but you have to look at a few things.

New England was playing with a large lead most of the second half and that leads to soft yardage.  This was especially so on the last three Miami drives that saw them score one “blow out game touchdown” by Reggie Bush, get stopped on 4^th and goal and get picked on the goal line to end to end the game while gaining 211 yards on those three drives.

In at least the final drive by the Dolphins, if not the last two, CB Kyle Arrington, was playing defensive end.

This explains a portion of the 25 first downs allowed, the yardage allowed and Miami’s 4^th down efficiency (4 for 5).

There were things the defense did well.  One was the pass rush they had four sacks plus numerous pressures, hits and 1 INT and they also caused a fumble.  They came up big on two “and goal to go” situations.

First in the third quarter 2^nd year CB Devin McCourty and then rookie CB Ras-I Dowling both broke up passes intended for WR Brandon Marshall in the end zone.  Prior to this with the ball on the two-yard line on first down they stuffed a run attempt.

Then in the fourth quarter after Devon Best came up short at the pylon the Dolphins went for it on 4^th and goal from the one-yard line and Dowling once again came up big defending a corner fade very well.

Another positive was Miami’s 3^rd down conversion percentage of 14.2 % (2 for 14).  That’s a significant improvement over some of the numbers that were put up in that category last season.

One thing they need to do is some better overall pass coverage.  They were beaten a few times on plays that should have been covered better. Overall though you can’t complain about the win, on the road, in Miami, on Monday night.

Last Friday the Patriots worked out several players among them were former Patriots OL Quinn Ojinnaka along with DE Everett Brown, OL Pat McQuistan, DE Carl Ihenacho, DE Jeremy Jarmon and former UConn OL Donald Thomas.

Ojinnaka appeared in 8 games with New England in 2010, mostly played in field goal protection package.  Thomas and McQuistan are former Dolphins and like Belichick is known to do he worked out an opponents former players.  Anything for an edge.

Then last Saturday they worked out seven more players they were TE Daniel Hardy, CB LeQuan Lewis, DB Prince Miller, TE Shawn Nelson, S Mana Silva, DB Josh Victorian and DB Jamar Wall.

Nelson is the most accomplished of the group he has 20 catches and 1 TD for Buffalo where he played 12 games in 2009.

The Patriots are one of only a few teams whose captains do not wear the “C” on their jerseys.

It seems former New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini has some regrets about how the video taping controversy was handled.

Head coach Bill Belichick met with the media via conference call for his day after post mortem on the win.

Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien met with the media on Tuesday via conference call as well.  He spoke extremely well of Connolly and the job he did filling in for Koppen.

Seems Albert Haynesworth loves powerboats and that was how he met his best friend in 2005 while in Rhode Island.

Talking about life in the NFL with the Gronkowski Brothers.

Rookie Nate Solder started in his first NFL game and did a very good job on Miami pass rusher Cameron Wake.

Aaron Hernandez made it rain after his touchdown catch.

Brady is nominated for FedEx Air Player of the Week you can vote for him through noon on Friday.

Tarpinian cleared waivers earlier Tuesday and was re-signed by the Patriots to the practice squad in the afternoon.

Welch who, as we wrote in the beginning of this post, was promoted Monday night to the 53-man roster was released on Tuesday afternoon.  This leaves a roster spot open on the regular roster look for the team to sign another offensive lineman, one with center/guard experience, to fill in during Koppen’s absence.

Speaking of releases, the poor sap that got stiff-armed by Wes Welker on the 99-yard TD pass, Benny Sapp got pushed to the unemployment line today by Miami.  Despite being out run by Welker who, according to Tom E. Curran of Comcast Sports Net, “looked like Secretariat”, Sapp did make a nice play tipping Brady’s pass that led to the Miami interception in the 3^rd quarter.

Patriots-Dolphins earned a 10.6 rating last night nationally making it the fourth most watched cable television show in 2011.

New England plays the San Diego Chargers Sunday at 4:15 p.m. in the 2011 Home Opener.  Look for the Sox & Dawgs “In The Red Zone Game Preview” available on Friday morning.

Follow Steve on Twitter @djstevem

In a fast paced game at Sun Life stadium in Miami Gardens, FL the New England Patriots beat their AFC East rival Miami Dolphins 38-24 to open the 2011 season which they dedicated to Myra Kraft, the late wife of their owner.

Both teams started quick on offense by scoring on their first possession.  Miami got on the board first when QB Chad Henne capped a 12 play, 84-yard drive with a 9 yard run for 7-0 Dolphins lead.

The Patriots responded just as quickly to Miami’s game opening scoring drive.  New England set up their score with a 46-yard bomb by Tom Brady to WR Matthew Slater out of a three tight end set.  RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis then scored from 4 yards out capping a 6 play, 78-yard drive for the Pats to tie the game 7-7.

Early in the second quarter New England broke the tie when TE Rob Gronkowski hauled in a 10-yard pass from Brady and New England was up 14-7 they took that lead to the locker room at the half.

Miami got even once again when the Dolphin defense finally came up with a big play and intercepted Brady on a tipped screen pass and the ball was returned inside the 10 yard line.  Two plays later Henne hit WR Brian Hartline for a 10 yard TD pass.

Brady started to really pick apart the Dolphins secondary in the second half as they had a tough time keeping up due to inures and conditioning.  After methodically moving down field Brady found former Fish WR Wes Welker for a two-yard TD pass and a 21-14 lead.

Late in the third quarter after New England went up 21-14 the Patriots defense stopped Miami on 3 tries from the two-yard line.  They stuffed a run, a then twice stopped passes to Brandon Marshall, one broken up by Devin McCourty the other by rookie Ras-I Dowling that forced the Fish to get three on a Dan Carpenter 27-yard field goal to cut the lead to 21-17.

On the ensuing drive the Brady and Patriots tight ends carved up that Miami secondary again and increased the lead to 28-17 when Brady found Aaron Hernandez in the back of the end zone for a leaping 1-yard TD catch over a mismatched defense.

Once again after the tight ends for the Pats abused the Dolphins defense the Patriots ended up settled for a Gostkowski field goal to give them a 31-17 lead.

After converting on a 4^th a ten from the Pats 25 Miami had 1^st and goal at the 10 again.  After a short pass to Reggie Bush and an over thrown into the end zone, the Patriots brought a blitz on Henne who was able to find WR Devon Best, who stretched to get the ball to 1-yard line.  Originally after being declared a TD the officials overturned the play on review.  So on 4^th and goal from the one Henne tried to throw to Hartline but the play was defensed well by rookie CB Dowling again in a big goal line play.

The on the very next play Brady broke the Dolphins completely with a 99-yard TD pass to Wes Welker.  The play was on a shotgun with no backfield protection and Miami bringing a blitz. Game over.

Miami was able to get a soft end of a blow out game TD, which saw the Patriots playing CB Kyle Arrington as a defensive end.  Bush was able to take a Henne pass and dive for the pylon to cut the lead to 38-24, Patriots.

Overall it was a good effort especially offensively.  This team will only get better as the season progresses and once again it’s going to be a fun autumn and winter watching New England Patriots football.

Patriots at Dolphins Game Recap via ESPN includes stats, scoring plays, play by play and photos.

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

Turning Point(s) of the Game

The goal line stop by the Patriots defense in the 3^rd quarter when they stopped the Dolphins 3 times from the 2-yard line and forced a field goal.

Offensive Player(s) of the Game

This was difficult.  Patriots QB Tom Brady 32 of 48 for 517 yards and 4 TD’s with 1 INT.  He set a Patriots team record for passing yards and it was the 5^th most passing yards ever in a game in NFL history.

Defensive Player(s) of the Game

Patriots Rookie CB Ras-I Dowling, who after missing a lot of camp with a leg injury came up big in his NFL debut making a play on not one but two separate goal to go series for the Dolphins.  He also had 2 solo tackles.

Game Notes

Starters for the Patriots were:

On Offense:

LT Light

LG Mankins

C Koppen

RG Waters

RT Solders

TE R Gronkowski

TE Hernandez

WR Branch

WR Welker

QB Brady

RB Woodhead

On Defense:

DE Ellis

DT Wilfork

DT Wright

DE Carter

WLB Mayo

MLB Guyton

SLB Ninkovich

CB McCourty

CB Dowling

S Chung

S Barrett

Inactives for the Game:

Patriots

1. LB Brandon Spikes

2. RB Shane Vereen

3. QB Ryan Mallett

4. RT Sebastian Vollmer (back)

5. WR Taylor Price (hamstring)

6. OL Ryan Wendell (calf)

7. DE Jermaine Cunningham (groin)

Dolphins

1. WR Marlon Moore

2. FB Charles Clay (hamstring)

3. RB Daniel Thomas (hamstring)

4. LB Ikaiha Alama-Francis

5. OL Ryan Cook

6. TE Will Yeatman

7. DE Ryan Baker

The spread (Patriots minus 7) was covered, as was the over/under (45.5).  I am now 8-5-2 vs. the spread and 11 of 15 calling the under/over.

The Patriots wore their white road jerseys, while the Dolphins wore their aqua home jerseys.

The Patriots had their NFL record of seven consecutive regular season games with 30 plus points scored and no turnovers end tonight.  The previous record was 3 games.

This was the 7^th time these teams met in the season opener and the Patriots now have a 4-3 edge in games.

The Patriots have won 8 straight season openers.  Their last season opening loss was in 2003 in Buffalo, 31-0.  They are now 28-24 in season openers overall.

New England is 49-14 against their AFC East Rivals since 2001.

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

This was the Patriots 42nd appearance on MNF, they are 20-22 overall on Monday night and 11-14 as the road team.

New England is 3-2 when opening the season on MNF.

New England is 13-5 on MNF under Belichick.

This is the 11th time the Dolphins and Patriots have matched up on MNF and the 10th time the game is from Miami.  The Patriots lead the MNF series 6-5; the Patriots have won 6 of the last 7 MNF contests.

The New England tight ends had 13 catches for 189 yards and 2 TD’s.

C Dan Koppen was carted off the field before end of the first half appears to be a left leg injury possibly his ankle. He was seen on crutches after the half and was replaced at center by Dan Connolly.

K Stephen Gostkowski missed a rare field goal attempt from 48 yards prior to the end of the first half.

OL Thomas Welch was promoted from the practice squad prior to the game to give the team depth at offensive line.  LB Jeff Tarpinian was released to make room for Welch on the 53-man roster.

Rookie RT Nate Solder did a wonderful job blocking DL Cameron Wake.

People were worried about WR Deion Branch having zero preseason catches well he showed up tonight with a couple beauties.

Miami TE Anthony Fasano was hurt in the third quarter when after making a catch he was blown up by S Patrick Chung.

Miami DB Vontae Davis left the game with cramping in the 3^rd quarter.

Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall cramped up and collapsed on the field in the final seconds of the game.

The Dolphins lead the overall series vs. the Patriots 50-42.

Bill Belichick now has 178 wins – 10th all-time.  Bill Parcells is 9^th with 183 wins.

Belichick is now 14-11 overall against the Dolphins in his career.

Tom Brady is now 13-6 vs. Miami.

Brady is 11-4 in MNF games.

Brady is 50-22 on the road in his career in the regular season.

Brady’s 4 TD passes give him 265 in his career breaking the tie for 10th all-time with Dave Krieg.

Brady had gone 11 plus starts without an INT (358 attempts) before he was picked in the third quarter on a tipped pass.  His last one was an end of regulation Hail Mary against the Ravens last season.

The INT of Brady led to the Dolphins tying the game at 14-14 early in the 3^rd quarter.

The 358 consecutive attempts without an INT is the NFL record.

Brady set a Patriots team record and a MNF record with 517 yards passing.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 80 consecutive games, 66 as a Patriot.  The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.

Welker’s 99-yard TD catch and run tied a NFL record for longest play from scrimmage.

Peter Morelli was the game referee.  The temp at kickoff was in the 80’s, cloudy and humid with a heat index in the low 90’s.

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

Buffalo beat Kansas City, 41-7

NY Jets edged Dallas, 27-24

AFC East Standings

Patriots                   1-0/0-0
Jets                        1-0/0-0
Dolphins                  0-1/0-0
Bills                        1-0/0-0

Next Game

The Patriots host the San Diego Chargers at Gillette Stadium on Sunday in the 2011 Home Opener.  Kick off is at 4:15 p.m. on CBS.

Follow Steve on Twitter @djstevem

Photo credit: Getty Images

This Week

The New England Patriots visit their AFC East rival Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL on Monday at 7 p .m.   It is the second consecutive season that these two teams have played the game in Miami on Monday Night Football.

It is the season opening game for each team.  Last season the Patriots (14-2) finished 6-2 on the road, 5-1 vs. the AFC East and 10-2 in the conference.  The Dolphins (7-9) were 1-7 at home last season, 2-4 vs. the AFC East and 5-7 in the conference.

The Line/Prediction

As of Thursday the line on the game from Yahoo! Sports has the Patriots minus 7. The over/under is 45 1/2.

My prediction is Patriots 30, Dolphins, 17. Give the points (Patriots) and take the over. I was 9-6-2 against the spread and 12 for 17 on calling the over/under in 2010.

Tickets

The Dolphins have not sold out the game but will have the blackout lifted by purchasing any remaining seats at 34% of face value per league rules.

Tickets to the game 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 Miami make sure you check out the links.

Here is the up to date weather forecast for the game from weather.com.

Click for all the game day information including stadium directions, parking and stadium information, parking map and a Sun Life 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

The NFL is giving a free Week 1 only preview of NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL Red Zone and SiriusXM NFL Radio.  A friend of Sox & Dawgs, FangsBites.com has all the information.

Television

ESPN is televising the game nationally and Mike Tirico will do the play-by-play while Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden will handle the game analysis and Suzy Kolber will be on the sidelines.

There is no DirecTV channel designation.

Here’s a wonderful Wikipedia page on all the rules for NFL TV broadcasts including explaining the flex scheduling, blackout policies 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 4 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 of the broadcast area of the stations on the Patriots Radio Network you can purchase NFL Field Pass which allows you to listen to any NFL 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 the games under a special additional package.

The Patriots Radio Network call is available on Sirius Channel 92, XM Channel 225 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 861.

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 93, XM Channel 226 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 862.

The game will also be carried nationally by Westwood One to all of their Monday Night Football affiliates. Ian Eagle and Trent Green will call the game. That feed can be heard on Sirius Channel 88 and XM Channel 88 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 88.

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.  The program is 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 team website in the media section.

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

Last Week

Both teams were idle.

History

• This is the 92nd 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 50-41. 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 swept the season series in 2010 winning 41-14 in Week 4 on MNF in Miami and closing out the season in Week 17 with a 38-7 win at Gillette.
• This is the 7^th time the teams have opened the season against each other.

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 401-363-9.  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.

The Patriots along with the San Francisco 49ers and the Minnesota Vikings are the only teams to have won 8 division titles in a 10 year span since the 1970 merger.

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.

Since Robert Kraft bought the team in 1994 they are 197-101 (includes postseason), been to five Super Bowls and won three, and made the playoffs 12 times.  In the five seasons before Kraft bought the team, they were 19-61 with no playoff seasons.

Since 1994 no NFL team has won or played in more Super Bowls or playoff games.

The Patriots won at least 14 games last season for the fourth time in franchise history.

An AFC East rival has not swept the Patriots in a season series since 2000 when Miami and New York swept them.

New England is 48-14 against their AFC East Rivals since 2001.

The Patriots have won 12 of the last 17 games between the teams.

The Patriots are 3-3 in season openers vs. the Dolphins, they are 3-1 at home and 0-2 in Miami.

Last season in Miami the Patriots scored five different ways.  They scored on a blocked field goal, an interception, a rushing touchdown, a passing touchdown and a kickoff return.

This is the Patriots 42nd appearance on MNF, they are 19-22 overall on Monday night and 10-14 as the road team.

New England is 2-2 when opening the season on MNF.

New England is 12-5 on MNF under Belichick.

This is the 11th time the Dolphins and Patriots have matched up on MNF and the 10th time the game is from Miami.  The MNF series is tied 5-5; the Patriots have won five of the last six MNF contests.

Since 2000 the Patriots have the 3^rd best road record in the NFL at 57-31.  Only Indianapolis 59-29 and Philadelphia 57-30-1 have better road records in the same span.

Since 2001, the Patriots are 21-10 in September that’s the third best record among all NFL teams.

Overall the Patriots are 27-24 in season openers and have won 7 in a row.  Their last season opening loss was in 2003 when Buffalo shut them out on the road 31-0.  They went on to win 17 of the next 18 games and their second Super Bowl in three years.

New England leads the NFL with a plus 106 turnover differential since 1994 including a franchise record plus 28 in 2010.

They set a NFL record for the fewest turnovers in a 16 game season with just 10 miscues in 2010.

The Patriots have scored 30 or more points in 8 consecutive regular season games.

In 2010 they tied a team record set in 1961 with 9 non-offensive touchdowns on 4 interceptions, 2 kickoff returns, 1 punt return, 1 blocked field goal and 1 recovered fumble.

Predicting the Patriots 2011 season.

Patriots Staff Notes

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

Bill Belichick coached teams are 13-11 vs. Miami. Belichick is 13-9 as Patriots head coach and he was 0-2 as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Overall in his NFL career Belichick is 162-94 in 16 NFL seasons.  He is 126-51 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 177-100.

Belichick’s 177 wins are good for 10^th all-time.  Bill Parcells is 9^th with 183 wins.

In 2010 Belichick recorded his tenth consecutive winning season with one team.  Since the 1970 merger, only former Dallas head coach Tom Landry had more with 16 consecutive seasons.

Belichick is the only NFL coach to have 14 or more wins in a season four times.

Belichick’s 15 playoff wins are 5^th most in NFL history behind Chuck Noll (16), Joe Gibbs (17), Don Shula (19) and Tom Landry (20).

He is one of 9 coaches in NFL history to have won three or more championships since 1933.  The other 8 are in the Hall of Fame.

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

Patriots Possible Starters

Offense:

• LT: Light
• LG: Mankins
• C: Koppen
• RG: Waters
• RT: Solder
• QB: Brady
• RB: Green-Ellis
• TE: Hernandez
• WR: Branch
• WR: Welker
• WR: Ochocinco

Defense:

• DE: Ellis
• DT: Wilfork
• DT: Haynesworth
• DE: Carter
• WLB: Mayo
• MLB: Guyton
• SLB: Ninkovich
• LCB: McCourty
• RCB: Bodden
• S: Chung
• S: Brown

Patriots Players Notes

This is Tom Brady’s 12^th NFL season he is 12-6 vs. the Dolphins. Of the 6 losses 5 have occurred in Miami.

Overall Brady is 111-32 as a starting QB and is 14-5 in the playoffs for an overall record of 125-37.  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 is 10-4 in MNF games.

Brady is 49-22 on the road in his career in the regular season.

Brady has 261 TD passes in his career he is now tied for 10th all-time with Dave Krieg.

Brady has gone 11 starts without an INT (335 attempts).  His last one was an end of regulation Hail Mary against the Baltimore Ravens last season in Week 6 (5^th game).

The 335 consecutive attempts without an INT are a NFL record.

Brady’s 14 playoff wins are tied for second in NFL history with Terry Bradshaw and John Elway behind Joe Montana’s 16 wins.

He is one of four quarterbacks in NFL history with 3 or more Super Bowl wins and 2 or more Super Bowl MVP awards.

Brady was the 7^th and final quarterback taken in the 2000 NFL Draft at #199 0verall in the 6^th round.  He is the only one left playing.

The Patriots have two brothers currently on their roster; TE Rob Gronkowski and TE Dan Gronkowski, who they signed last week.  They have a third brother Chris Gronkowski, who is a running back for the Indianapolis Colts.  They are among 23 sets of brothers currently playing in the NFL but the only family that has three siblings playing.  They are one of just nine families to have had at least 3 brothers playing at the same time in NFL History.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 79 consecutive games, 65 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 led the NFL with 193 tackles in 2010.

In 2010 LB Gary Guyton scored two defensive touchdowns returning a fumble 35-yards at Chicago and returning an interception 59-yards vs. Cincinnati.

WR Julian Edelman has the highest punt return average in team history at 14.2 yards per return.

Edelman set a team record with a 94-yard punt return vs. Miami on January 2, 2011.

RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis became the first Patriot with 1,000 plus rushing yards since Corey Dillon in 2004.

Green-Ellis’ 13 rushing TD’s were second most in the NFL last season.

In last season’s game in Miami on October 4 S Patrick Chung blocked a punt, a field goal and had an interception return for a touchdown.

Less than a week before the game the Patriots claimed LB A.J. Edds off of waivers after the Miami Dolphins released him.

The Patriots have two New England natives on the roster they are: TE Aaron Hernandez (Bristol CT – Florida) and S James Ihedigbo (Northampton MA – UMass).  They have 6 players who played for a New England school or a current or former Big East Conference member.  They are: WR Deion Branch (Louisville); S James Ihedigbo (UMass); C Dan Koppen (Boston College); CB Devin McCourty (Rutgers); NT Vince Wilfork (Miami) and DE Mike Wright (Cincinnati).

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 394-290-4 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.  They last appeared in a Super Bowl in 1984 losing to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XIX, 38-16.  The Dolphins franchise started in 1966 in the AFL.

The Dolphins hold a 33-13 series advantage over the Patriots at home and they have a 15-9 series lead at Sun Life Stadium (formerly known as Joe Robbie Stadium, Pro Player Park/Stadium, Dolphins/Dolphin Stadium and Land Shark Stadium) since it opened in 1987.

Miami has swept the season series from the Patriots 13 times.

The Dolphins have more appearances on Monday Night Football than any other NFL team, this is their 75th. They are 40-34 on MNF.

Since 2001, Miami is 26-36 vs. the AFC East.

Selling tickets to Dolphins home games isn’t always easy in South Florida.

The Dolphins are planning some special things for the pregame ceremonies.

Miami has the most AFC East titles with 14 followed by New England with 12, Buffalo with 11 and New York with 4.  Baltimore/Indianapolis and Houston won the other 10.

Dolphins Staff Notes

Hear what Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano had to say to the New England media about the match up.

Miami head coach Tony Sparano in his 4th season with the team; he is 25-23 since taking over and 0-1 in the playoffs for an overall record of 25-24.

He is 2-4 vs. New England in his career.

Sparano is a native of West Haven CT and is a graduate of the University of New Haven.

Towards the end of camp, Sparano talked tough about the competing in the AFC East.

Sparano was left defending his offensive line after a shaky preseason.

Sparano is worried about crowd noise from Patriots fans following the team on the road.

Dolphins Players Notes

Dolphins QB Chad Henne is 1-3 against the Patriots in his career, overall he is 13-14 in his NFL career.  Henne was a second round pick by Miami in 2008 out of Michigan.

The big pick up for the Dolphins in the off season was RB Reggie Bush who was acquired in a trade with New Orleans.

Bush admits that he’s taken some added motivation with him to his new home in Miami.

The Dolphins drafted OL Mike Pouncey in the first round 15^th overall from Florida.  He is the twin brother of Pittsburgh C Marquis Pouncey.

How good can the Miami secondary be in 2011?

Anthony Fasano isn’t flashy, but the Dolphins know they can always count on the veteran tight end to get the job done.

Cameron Wake isn’t letting fame get in his way.

Takeaways will be the key if Miami is going to beat New England on MNF.

After New England released rookie TE Will Yeatman last week, he was quickly claimed off waivers by Miami and is on the Dolphins 53-man roster.

There is one player on the Dolphins roster from Big East universities and New England based colleges.  He is: T Marc Colombo (Boston College).

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

Next Week

The Patriots host the San Diego Chargers next Sunday in their home opener at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA.  Kick off is at 4:15 p.m. on CBS.

Follow Steve on Twitter @djstevem

The New England Patriots announced their team captains for the new season on Friday morning. They are:

• QB Tom Brady
• DT Vince Wilfork
• G Logan Mankins
• LB Jerod Mayo
• WR Matthew Slater
• CB Devin McCourty

Among the six there are a couple of surprises there, being Slater and McCourty.

Slater, a third year player from UCLA, is highly regarded by teammates for how hard he works and the extra duty he does on the special teams unit covering punts and kickoffs as well as being a returner himself.

McCourty in just his second year out of Rutgers is known for his heads up play and always trying to get better.  The fact that he was elected by the players as a captain in just his second year says a lot for the young defensive back.

The last 2^nd year player to be elected as a team captain was Mayo in 2009.

The Patriots open the 2011 season on the road in Miami at 7 p.m. on Monday night.  Make sure you check out the Gigantic Sox & Dawgs Game Preview Friday morning after 6 a.m.  The game preview is filled with information on both teams including rosters, depth charts and injury reports, a series history, some Monday Night Football facts, all the broadcast information for radio and television as well as some links, player information and comments from both coaches on the game.

Authors Note: Our weekly “In The Red Zone” feature which runs on Tuesday morning will run next week on Wednesday morning due to the Monday night game pushing everything back a day.

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http://youtube.com/watch?v=jaaZ6E8daVM?rel=0

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