The NFL has finalized the preseason schedule for the league and with that we finally know where and when the New England Patriots will play.  Earlier the league had released the preseason opponents.

As they do every season the Patriots will play 4 games, 2 at home and 2 on the road in the preseason including their annual battle with the New York Giants.

Here is the complete Patriots Preseason schedule, look for the regular season schedule to be released in the next few weeks.

Day	Date	Opponent	Time	TV
Thursday	August 7	at Washington	7:30 p.m.	Patriots Preseason TV Network
Friday	August 15	Philadelphia	7:30 p.m.	Patriots Preseason TV Network
Friday	August 22	Carolina	7:30 p.m.	Patriots Preseason TV Network
Thursday	August 28	at New York Giants	7:30 p.m.	Patriots Preseason TV Network

The New England Patriots have announced the finalists for The Class of 2014 to be inducted into The Hall at Patriots Place this fall.

Returning as a finalist again is former head coach Bill Parcells.  Parcells led the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXI before leaving for the New York Jets after a dispute with owner Robert Kraft over who should get to pick the team’s players.

Parcells took over in 1993 when he decided to return to coaching and leave the broadcast booth.  He had retired in 1991 after leading the New York Giants to their first two Super Bowl victories.   With New England Parcells was 32-32 and coached the team to one Super Bowl appearance (XXXI, lost to Green Bay) after winning the AFC East in his final season with the franchise.  Under his tutelage the team went to the playoffs twice in his four seasons.

In his four years in Foxboro the team brought in several players who helped turn the fortunes of the team around under the leadership Parcells and the new ownership of the Kraft family.  Among those drafted were QB Drew Bledsoe, LB Corwin Brown, WR Troy Brown, LB Chris Slade, LB Willie McGinnest, CB Ty Law, LB Ted Johnson, RB Curtis Martin, WR Terry Glenn, S Lawyer Milloy and LB Tedy Bruschi.

Parcells was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

The second finalist is former Patriots CB Ty Law, who, as stated above, was a Parcells draftee in the 1st round out of Michigan in 1995.  Law played 10 of his 15 NFL seasons for the Patriots.

In 10 seasons in Foxboro he played in 141 games, starting 133 of them.  He had 4 sacks, 36 INT’s, 6 of which he returned for TD’s and he defensed 45 passes.  He is credited with 542 solo tackles and 96 assisted tackles for a total of 638 tackles in his New England career.  As a Patriot he made 5 Pro Bowl teams and was twice a 1st Team All-Pro selection and has a chance at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  He played in 4 Super Bowls (XXXI, lost to Green Bay) and was a three-time Super Bowl champion (XXXVI beat St. Louis, XXXVIII beat Carolina, XXXIX beat Philadelphia).  He played on 6 playoff teams and for 3 head coaches as a Patriot.

The third finalist is former Patriots CB Raymond Clayborn who was drafted by the team in 1st round of the 1977 NFL Draft out of Texas. Clayborn played 13 of his 15 NFL seasons in Foxboro as a Patriot.

In those 13 years he is credited with 36 INT’s one of which he returned for a TD. He earned 3 Pro Bowl selections as a Patriot and was on the franchise’s very first Super Bowl team (XX, lost to Chicago) in 1985 under Raymond Berry.  He played on 4 playoff teams and for 5 different head coaches as a Patriot.

You can vote for your selection for The Hall by visiting the team web page by May 15.

On Thursday, the New England Patriots and veteran All-Pro DT Vince Wilfork agreed to a new three-year contract for roughly $22 million with $3 million guaranteed.  It’s basically a one-year deal for $8 million with two one-year options for 2015 and 2016.

In the last few weeks it was reported that Wilfork wanted out going so far as to ask the club to release him and even reportedly cleaned out his locker and ripped his nameplate off of it.  So what changed?

Well let’s look at this logically.  The team asked for a restructure of his current contract and Big Vince balked.  Based on the reported history of how he had to fight for the current deal it kind of makes sense that he wouldn’t want to give up what he felt he earned.

The team on the other hand looking to add pieces for another potential Super Bowl run wanted Wilfork to make concessions other players have willingly made in the past.

You can see both sides of the ball here.

Now how mad was Wilfork?  Did he actually ask for his release? Did he really clean out his locker in a fit?  Or is this the Patriots media making something out of nothing?

With the Patriot Way we will never know, it’s how it’s done but we can look at some past history to see how badly strained this relationship may or may not have become.  In the past when players refused to play along, asked for too much money, became outspoken or became persona non-grata they were released, traded or allowed to walk away.  The list is impressive.

Drew Beldsoe, gone. Randy Moss, gone. Richard Seymour, gone. Adam Vinatieri, gone. Wes Welker, gone. Brandon Spikes, gone. Ty Law, gone. Adalius Thomas, gone. Lawyer Milloy, gone. Deion Branch, gone.

So why did Wilfork get to stay? In all likelihood it was no where near the crap storm the Boston media was making it to be.  When asked at the coaches meetings about Wilfork, Bill Belichick said very little but did indicate it was Wilfork who should be asked.    He even asked the reported to verify with Wilfork that he had asked for his release.  Owner Robert Kraft even said he hoped things would work out.  That didn’t sound contentious to me.

And just days later like magic it all worked out.  The Patriots got what they want, it appears Wilfork got what he wanted or at least something he felt was workable and fair and Patriots fans can breathe easier because Big Vince is back in the middle.

photo credit: getty images

We all know that last week the New England Patriots signed All-Pro corner back Darrelle Revis to a contract for 2014 with an option for 2015. We also found out that there’s a clause in the contract that prevents the team from tagging him next season that was added later on.

Also on the free agency front the team got Revis a running mate for the opposite corner in former Seattle Seahawk CB Brandon Browner.  Browner is big, 6’4” about 220 pounds and is extremely physical.  People who have watched him, scouted him or studied game film all say if he locks you up at the line, you’re done.

He spent three seasons with Seattle and made the Pro Bowl in 2011 when he had 6 INT’s returning 2 for TD’s.  In the three seasons he has 10 career INT’s in 36 games.  Prior to the Seahawks he spent four seasons in the CFL and was with the Denver Broncos in 2005 and 2006 after being undrafted out of Oregon State.  In the CFL he was a three-time All-Star.

Browner, 29, does come with some baggage though that will see him spend the first four games of 2014 on the suspended list due to violating the NFL drug policy.  This stems from missing drugs NFL drug tests during the time he was undrafted, playing in the CFL and prior to his Seattle contract.  He also missed four games in 2012 for violating the NFL performance enhancing drugs policy.

His complicated but team friendly contract with New England is for 3 years and is reported to be in the area of $17 million dollars.

The team also brought back one of there own when they re-signed WR Julian Edelman who had drawn interest from the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.

A 7th round pick out of Kent State as a quarterback, Edelman was changed over to a special teams player as a kick/punt returner and covering kickoffs and punts.  He played some slot receiver and when WR Wes Welker left for Denver he became Tom Brady’s top target in 2013.

Edelman played in all 16 games and had 105 catches for 1056 yards and 6 TD’s, all were career highs.  In five seasons in New England he has played in 64 games and has 10 TD’s.  He is also one of the most prolific punt returners in NFL history with an average of 12.3 return yards per punt, first among all active players and 7th best all-time.

To further help Brady the team also signed free agent WR Brandon LaFell away from Carolina with a 3 year, $9 million contract.  A third round pick out of LSU the four-year vet was teamed with Steve Smith and Ted Ginn Jr. in Carolina.  He now looks like he will be the Patriots deep threat on the outside.

Last year he had career highs with 49 catches and 5 TD’s for 627 yards while being the second or third receiving option for Cam Newton.

At 6’2”, 210 pounds he has some good size and is similar to Randy Moss is that category.  If he can be half as successful as Moss was with Brady this contract is a huge win the Patriots.

In his career, all spent with Carolina, he has 167 catches for 2385 yards and 13 TD’s. He excelled in the last two seasons catching 93 passes for nearly 1200 yards and 9 TD’s in 2012 and 2013 combined.

This past November against New England he caught a 9-yard TD pass, while totaling 7 catches for 59 yards in the closely contested Monday Night matchup in Carolina.

Less than twenty-four hours after the New England Patriots lost free agent CB Aqib Talib to the Denver Broncos on a ridiculous 6 year, $57 million contract, they found his replacement. 

Bill Belichick and company went out and signed free agent CB Darrelle Revis to a one year, $11.5 million contract with an option for 2015.  Revis gets $10 million in salary and a $1.5 million signing bonus.

This is a win-win situation for both the team and the player.  The Patriots didn’t kill their cap space, got a Top 3 game changing defensive player in his prime and pissed off the New York Jets.  For Revis he gets paid, goes to a good team who is in the race every year and has the chance to hit the open market again in another year.  For both they also get to see how the fit works and if a long term situation is possible.

Revis, 28, was the New York Jets first round pick out of Pittsburgh in the 2007 NFL Draft.  He is a 5-time Pro Bowl selection and 3-time First Team All-Pro.

In six seasons with New York he had 19 INT’s, 3 of them he returned for TD’s including a career long 100-yard INT return for a TD against Miami in 2011.  He also had 97 passes defensed.  But after 6 personally successful seasons in New York he wanted out and wanted to get paid and was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prior to last season. 

With the Buccaneers he had 2 INT’s and 11 passes defensed in 16 games to bring his career totals to 21 INT’s and 108 passes defensed in 95 NFL games. 

His best season was 2009 in which he had 6 INT’s, returned 1 for a TD and defensed 31 passes in 16 games for the Jets.  Now he brings that to New England.

Against the AFC East opponents here are his career stats

Opponent	Games	Sacks	Tackles	Assists	INT	Yards	TD
New England	11	0	25	7	2	0	0
Miami	9	0	15	2	5	101	1
Buffalo	9	2	31	9	5	26	0
New York	1	0	1	0	0	0	0

With all the Patriots division opponents employing quarterbacks with very little NFL experience those totals should grow some in 2014.

As Mr. Rourke might say…”Welcome to Revis Island.”

photo credit:  getty images

Once Aqib Talib went down with an injury on pick play by his former teammate Wes Welker, the New England Patriots defense really had no answers for Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning.

Manning picked apart the Pats D for 400 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Broncos past the Patriots 26-16 to advance to Super Bowl XLVIII in New Jersey in two weeks.

Tom Brady was 24-of-38 for 277 yards and a touchdown. After basically plowing through opponents the past few games, the Broncos shut down LeGarrette Blount as he was held to six yards on five carries.

Julian Edelman led the Patriots with 10 catches for 89 yards.

Given how many injuries the Patriots suffered this year, I'm proud of this team.

They fought through adversity and almost made it to the big game. It will be interesting to follow the offseason of the Patriots to see how they build the team for 2014 and a run at their fourth straight AFC Championship Game and a trip to Super Bowl XLIX.

TABLET/MOBILE/ PC HIGHLIGHTS (FULL GAME)

Game Recap: Broncos 26, Patriots 16

Game Notes: Patriots vs. Broncos

Gamebook: Patriots vs. Broncos

Bill Belichick Postgame Press Conference Transcript

Tom Brady Postgame Press Conference Transcript

Patriots Postgame Quotes – 1/19/2014

Broncos Postgame Quotes – 1/19/2014

For more Patriots love, head on over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, CSN New England,  ESPN Boston, Providence Journal and WEEI websites.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

photo credit:  getty images

This Week

The New England Patriots visit the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO on Sunday January 19 at 3 p.m. in the AFC Championship Game.

The Patriots		–	The Broncos
Record	13-4		Overall Record	14-3
Road Record	4-4		Home Record	7-1
Playoff Teams	5-2		Playoff Teams	5-3
AFC	10-3		AFC	10-3

Tony Corrente is the referee for the game.

Honorary Captains are Willie McGinest (Patriots) and Rod Smith (Broncos).

The Line/Prediction

As of Thursday the line on the game from Sports Betting via Yahoo Sports has the Patriots at PLUS 6.  The over/under is 56.

My Prediction is Broncos 34, Patriots, 30.  Take the points (Patriots) and take the over.  I am 5-11 against the spread and 9 of 16 on calling the over/under in 2013.

Tickets

Broncos have sold out every home game since the 1970 season.  With regular season and postseason combined Denver has sold out 360 consecutive 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 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 information and map and a 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 drive sober or get pulled over.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television

CBS is televising the game nationally Jim Nantz will do play by play while Phil Simms will provide the game analysis and Tracy Wolfson will work the sidelines.  You can look here for your local affiliate.

CBS is also streaming the game via your computer, laptop or tablet.  Cell phone streaming rights belong to Verizon.

There is no DirecTV designation.

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. Bob Socci handles the play-by-play and former Patriots QB Scott Zolak will do game analysis. It all starts with Gary Tanguay and Andy Gresh with the pregame show at 12 p.m. on the network. The post game starts after the final gun and continues for three hours along the network.

The Patriots Radio Network game call is available on Sirius Channel 92, XM Channel 225 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 818.

The Broncos Radio Network has former Broncos players Dave Logan calling the play by play and Ed McCaffrey does the color via their flagship station 850 KOA AM and KRFX 103.5 FM. 

Their game call is available on Sirius Channel 86, XM Channel 86 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 809.

The game will be carried nationally by Westwood One with Kevin Harlan doing play by play, Dan Fouts provides the game analysis and Tim Ryan covers the sidelines.

Their game call is available on Sirius Channel 88, 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.  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.

Last Week

Patriots beat the Colts at home in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game, 43-22.  Broncos beat the Chargers at home in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game, 24-17.

History

• This is the 48th meeting between the two teams.
• Denver leads the regular season series 25-19.
• Broncos also hold the post season series lead, 2-1 for an overall record vs. New England of 27-20.
• This is the fifth meeting since December 2011 and the Patriots have won all those previous games.
• Patriots won the last meeting Week 12 in Foxboro when they staged the largest comeback in franchise history, 34-31 when Stephen Gostkowski kicked a field goal in OT.

Patriots Team Notes

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

2013 Patriots Schedule/Results

The Patriots overall franchise record is 438-373-9.  They have won three Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) in seven appearances.  Overall they are 25-17 in the post season.

They last appeared in the playoffs in 2012 when they beat Houston in the AFC Divisional Round 41-28 and lost to Baltimore 28-13 in the AFC Championship Game.

They are 1-0 in the playoffs in 2013.

Patriots are 7-2 in the Conference Championship Game.  They are 3-1 as the road team.

Date               Opponent                  W/L    Score

01/12/86       at Miami                 W       31-14

01/12/97       Jacksonville             W       20-6

01/27/02       at Pittsburgh            W       24-17

01/18/04       Indianapolis             W       24-14

01/23/05       at Pittsburgh            W       41-27

01/21/07       at Indianapolis          L        34-38

01/20/08       San Diego               W       21-12

01/22/12       Baltimore                W       23-20

01/20/13       Baltimore                L        13-28

They have won the division 11 times and the conference 5 times since 2000.

The Patriots are the five time defending AFC East Champions (2009-13).

New England is first team to have earned 9 first round byes and first AFC team with 4 consecutive byes in the playoffs since this playoff format was established in 1990.

They are 6-9 as the road team in the playoffs.

Since 2000 the Patriots have a winning regular season record against all 31 teams in the NFL.  The Patriots are 6-5 vs. the Broncos in that time span.

Patriots have 5th best postseason winning percentage (.585) for teams with 15 or more games played.

New England is tied with the Oakland Raiders for the 5th most playoff wins in NFL history with 25.

New England is the only NFL team to finish .500 or better in each of the last 13 seasons.  Green Bay is 2nd with 5 seasons and then Cincinnati and San Francisco have 3 seasons in a row.

They have 11 consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins.

They are the first team in the free agency era (1993) to win more than half their games in a 13-season span.

In 2013 the Patriots have played in 7 games decided by 3 points or less and are 6-1.

Since the 1970 merger the Patriots are 4th all time with 28 winning seasons behind Dallas and Miami (29 each) and Pittsburgh (31).

New England was 3-0 against common opponents with Denver in 2013 (Baltimore, Indianapolis and Houston) including playoffs.

In Patriots first two wins under Bill Belichick at Denver (10/1/00 and 11/3/03), he took intentional safeties in the second half to help secure the win.

Patriots are 9-18 in Denver all-time including 0-2 in the post season.

Patriots and the 49ers are first teams since 2001-04 Eagles to advance to three consecutive conference championship games.

Patriots led the AFC in rushing TD’s in 2013 with 19 that was tied for 2nd in the NFL.

They were second in NFL in fewest penalties (69) and 3rd in fewest penalty yards (625).

Their 444 points was third highest in NFL in 2013 and 5th highest in franchise history.

New England was PLUS 9 in turnover differential good for 8th in the NFL.  They had 17 INT’s and recovered 12 fumbles while they threw 11 INT’s and lost 9 fumbles.

In the playoffs the Patriots are PLUS 4 in turnover differential.  They have 4 INT’s and 0 fumble recoveries while they have thrown 0 INT’s and lost 0 fumbles.

The Patriots were 3rd in points scored averaging 27.8 points per game and 10th in fewest points allowed with 21.1 points per game.

This is the 20th season of Patriots ownership by the Kraft family.  Since Robert Kraft bought the team in 1994 they:

• Have the most Super Bowl wins, 3.
• Have the most regular season wins, 217.
• Have the most wins including playoffs, 238.
• Have the most conference titles, 6.
• Have the most division titles, 13.
• Have the most playoff wins, 21
• Have played the most playoff games, 32.
• Are tied for the most playoff seasons, 15.
• The fewest head coaches within the division, 3.
• Have drafted the most Pro Bowl players, 20.

From 1960 to 1993 the New England/Boston Patriots won a total of 225 games.

The Patriots have 7 players who have never played in the postseason. 

Patriots Staff Notes

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

Bill Belichick is 7-10 vs. the Broncos overall in his career.  He is 7-6 as the head coach in New England including 1-1 in the playoffs.

Overall in his NFL career Belichick is 199-105 in his 19th NFL season as a head coach.  He is 163-61 with New England and 36-44 with Cleveland.  He is 19-8 in the playoffs, 18-7 as head coach of the Patriots in the post season.  When you combine his regular season and post season records he is 218-113.

Belichick’s 19 postseason wins tie him for 2nd all-time with Don Shula (19) and he is one away from career leader Tom Landry (20).

He has won 5 conference titles; he needs one more to tied Don Shula’s record of 6.

Belichick is one of just four coaches to win three Super Bowls, joining Chuck Noll (4), Joe Gibbs (3) and Bill Walsh (3).  Those men are all in the Hall of Fame.

He is the only coach in NFL history to win three championship titles in four seasons.

No coach either as the head coach or an assistant has appeared in more Super Bowls than Belichick who has been to 8 (five as a head coach).

Belichick spent one season in Denver as an assistant special teams coach in 1978 under Red Miller.

Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels was the Broncos head coach in 2009 and 2010 and compiled an 11-17 record.

Special Teams Coach Scott O’Brien was the Denver Special Teams Coordinator in 2007 and 2008.

Patriots Possible Starters

Offense:

• LT: Solder
• LG: Mankins
• C: Wendell
• RG: Connolly
• RT: Cannon
• TE: Hoomanawanui
• WR: Edelman
• WR: Amendola
• QB: Brady
• RB: Blount
• FB: Develin

Defense:

• DE: Ninkovich
• DT: Siliga
• DT: Chr. Jones
• DE: Cha. Jones
• LB: Collins
• LB: Fletcher
• LB: Hightower
• LCB: Dennard
• RCB: Talib
• S: Gregory
• S: Harmon

Patriots Players Notes

Tom Brady Notes:

• This is his 14th NFL season he is 5-6 vs. the Broncos in his career including 1-1 in the playoffs. He is 65-30 on the road in his career and 3-2 on the road in the playoffs for an overall road record of 68-32.

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

• Is making his 26th career playoff start most in NFL history for a quarterback.

• This is Brady’s 7th game in Denver in his career.  He is 2-4 vs. Broncos on the road with 11 TD’s and 7 INT’s.  He is 131 for 222 a 59% completion rate and is 1-3 in Mile High during the day.

• Overall he is 148-43 as a starting QB and is 18-7 in the playoffs for an overall record of 166-50.  He is a 9 time Pro Bowl QB; 3 time All-Pro selection; two time NFL MVP and has won 3 Super Bowls while twice being named the games MVP.

• Has 7 comeback wins in the post season including three in Super Bowls.  Two of those Super Bowl comebacks were completed with 1:21 or less left on the clock.

• His 18 post season wins are the most by any quarterback.

• His three Super Bowl wins ties him with Troy Aikman for second behind Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana who have four each.

• Along with Bart Starr, Eli Manning and Bradshaw, his two Super Bowl MVP awards are second only to Joe Montana who has three.

• Is tied for the second most 300-yard games in the postseason with Kurt Warner and Montana with 6. Peyton Manning has the most, 8.

• All-time NFL leader in post season completions (566) and passing yards (6,147).

• Third all-time in post season TD passes (42) behind Brett Favre (44) and Montana (45).

• Shares the record for most TD passes in a playoff game (6) with Steve Young and Daryle Lamonica.

Danny Amendola notes:

• Will play in his third career playoff game, second as a Patriot.

• In 2 career games vs. Denver has 7 catches for 58 yards.

• Had his first post season receptions vs. Indianapolis in AFC Division game with 3 catches for 77-yards.

• Finished season with 54 catches for 633 yards and 2 TD’s.

• Set career high for yards per catch (11.7) and longest catch (57-yards).

• Has 3 100-yard games as a Patriot at Miami Week 15, vs. Pittsburgh in Week 9 and in Week 1 at Buffalo.

• Missed 4 games in 2014 due to injuries (groin, 3 and concussion, 1).

Julian Edelman notes:

• Will play in his 7th playoff game.  Missed the post season last year due to a foot injury that put him on IR after Week 12.

• Has 14 career catches vs. Denver for 143 yards and 2 TD’s in 4 games including playoffs.

• Led team with 6 catches for 84-yards vs. Indianapolis in AFC Division game.

• Had his first 100-catch, 1000-yard season in his career and just the third Patriot behind Troy Brown and Wes Welker.

• His previous career high was 37 receptions for 357 yards in 2009.

• Has 4 of his 5 career 100-yard games this year, at Miami Week 15, at Houston Week 13, Week 12 vs. Denver and Week 4 at Atlanta.

• Set career high with 13 catches and 139-yards at Miami Week 15.

• Lead the team with 105 catches for 1,056 yards. He also had 6 TD catches.  He had just 21 catches in 2012. 

• He was 5th in NFL in catches for 2013.

• Had 9 games with 7 or more catches in 2013.

• Has never thrown a pass in the NFL he was a QB at Kent State.

Stevan Ridley notes:

• Will play in his 5th career playoff game.

• In four career games including playoffs vs. Denver he has 47 carries for 241 yards and 1 TD.

• Had 52 yards and 2 TD runs vs. Indianapolis in AFC Division game.

• Had his 5th 2-TD game of his career against Colts in AFC Division game.

• Second season in a row with 4 fumbles

• Leads the team with 773 rushing yards in 14 games

• Lead team in TD’s with 7 with LeGarrette Blount.

• Has 14 runs of 20 or more yards in his career most for franchise since 2000.

Shane Vereen notes:

• Will play in his 4th career playoff game.

• In 2 career games vs. Denver he has 32 yards on 11 carries with 1 TD also has 8 catches for 60 yards.

• Set franchise record with receptions (12) and receiving yards (153) by a running back in a single-game Week 14 vs. Cleveland.

• Became just fourth NFL running back to post 150 receiving yards in a single-game in the last 10 seasons.

• Finished with 47 catches for 417 yards and 3 TD’s and 205 yards rushing with 1 TD.

LeGarrette Blount notes:     

• Will play in his 2nd career playoff game.

• Has played in 1 game vs. Denver has 2 carries for 13 yards.

• Set franchise record for most rushing TD’s in a game with 4 vs. Indianapolis in AFC Division game.

• Tied franchise record with 166-yards rushing in a playoff game.

• Became first NFL running back to have over 125-yards rushing and 4 TD’s in a playoff game.

• Was AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 17.

• Had first 2 TD game as a Patriot week 16 at Baltimore.  It was the third of his career.    

• Set franchise record with 334 total yards Week 17 vs. Buffalo (189 rushing; 145 KOR)

• Set career high with 189 rushing yards Week 17 vs. Buffalo. Previous high was 164 vs. Seattle Week 15 in 2010 while with Tampa Bay.

• Lead team in TD’s with 7 (career high) with Stevan Ridley.

• Second in rushing yards with 772, one yard behind Ridley.

Stephen Gostkowski notes:

• Will play in his 14th career playoff game.

• Needs two more postseason field goals to become 11th player with 20 or more.

• Needs 5 more postseason points to become 7th player ever with 100 or more.

• Has not missed an extra point since Week 17 2006 at Tennessee in his rookie season.  He has made 360 consecutive extra points.  He is 399 for 400 in his career for 99.8%.

• The 360 XPA converted in a row is fourth longest streak in NFL history.

• He is also 41 for 41 in extra points in the post season.

• Lead NFL in scoring with 158 points.

• Set franchise record for points in a season and field goals made (38) tied franchise record for field goal attempts (41).

• He is the most accurate kicker by percentage in team history at 86.3% (208 0f 241).

• Has scored at least 1 point in 108 consecutive games a franchise record.

• He is 3rd in team history in points with 1,028 trailing only Gino Cappelletti (1,130) and Adam Vinatieri (1,158).

• Has team record of 12 career field goals of 50+ yards.

• Has made 16 field goals of 40 or more yards in 2013, a franchise record.

• Has three game winning field goals in 2013 Week 1 at Buffalo, Week 12 vs. Denver and Week 13 at Houston he now has 4 regular season game winners in his career.

• The 54-yard field goal against New Orleans set a new career long.

Rob Ninkovich notes:

• Will play in his 8th career playoff game.

• In 5 seasons with New England has only missed one game.

• Forced 2 fumbles this season and tied for team lead with DB Kyle Arrington and S Devin McCourty.

• Has 12 fumble recoveries since 2010 the most in the NFL in that span.

• Lead the team with 2 fumble recoveries.

• Tied for 2nd on team in sacks with 8 and QB hits with 18.

• Had back to back 8 sack seasons.

• Had sacks in three consecutive games vs. Miami, vs. Pittsburgh and at Carolina.

Jamie Collins notes:

• Will play in his 2nd NFL playoff game.

• Had 6 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackle for loss, 3 QB hits, 1 INT and 1 pass defensed in his first NFL playoff game vs. Indianapolis in the AFC Division game.

Dont'a Hightower notes:

• Will play in his 4th career playoff game.

• Had 8 tackles, 1 INT and 1 pass defensed vs. Indianapolis in the AFC Division game.

Joe Vellano notes:

• Will play in his 2nd playoff game.

• Had 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss and 1 QB hit in his first NFL playoff game vs. Indianapolis in the AFC Division game.

• Rookie made his first NFL start Week 5 at Cincinnati.

• Had 49 tackles (28 solo), 2 sacks, 4 QB hits, 1 pass defensed and 1 fumble recovery as a rookie.

Chris Jones notes:

• Will play in his 2nd playoff game.

• Had 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss and 1 QB hit in his first NFL playoff game vs. Indianapolis in the AFC Division game.

• Had 56 tackles, 6 sacks and 8 QB hits as a rookie.

• Was second in NFL for sacks by a rookie.

• Made first NFL start Week 6 vs. New Orleans and had 3 tackles.

• Has three games with multiple sacks in 2013.

Chandler Jones notes:

• Will play in his 4th career playoff game.

• Scored his first NFL TD Week 16 at Baltimore on a fumble recovery.

• Leads the team in sacks with 11.5 and QB hits with 21.

• Was 7th in sacks in NFL and had 4th highest total in franchise history.

• First player since Chris Slade to start career with two 5+ sack seasons.

• Blocked his first NFL field goal attempt Week 8 vs. Miami.

Logan Ryan notes:

• Will play in his 2nd NFL playoff game.

• Had 4 tackles in his first NFL playoff game vs. Indianapolis in the AFC Division game.

• Had his first NFL 2 INT game week 16 at Baltimore.

• Led NFL rookies, the team and the AFC with 5 INT’s. Was 3rd overall in NFL.

• Had his first NFL INT at New York in Week 7 and returned it 79-yards for a touchdown.  He was the 11th Patriots player to return his first INT for a TD.

• Forced a fumble on his first NFL sack Week 8 vs. Miami.

Aqib Talib notes:

• Will play in his 4th career playoff game.

• Had 4 tackles vs. Indianapolis in the AFC Division game.

• Named to his first Pro Bowl team.

• Lead the team with 13 passes defensed.

• Second in INT’s with 4.

• Had career high 4 passes defensed Week 4 at Atlanta including one in end zone to seal the win.

Sealver Siliga notes:

• Will play in his 2nd NFL playoff game.

• Had 3 tackles and 1 QB hit in his first NFL playoff game vs. Indianapolis in the AFC Division game.

• Had 9 tackles (career high), 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB hit Week 17 vs. Buffalo.

• Had his first NFL sack at Miami in Week 15.

• Had 3 sacks and 3 QB hits as a rookie.

Kyle Arrington notes:

• Will play in his 9th career playoff game.

• Had first two sacks of his NFL career at Miami in Week 15 and at Baltimore Week 16.

• Recovered the onside kick Week 14 vs. Cleveland.  Was first Patriots since 1994 (AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Cleveland) to recover an onside kick.

• 2nd on team in passes defensed with 11.

• Forced two fumbles Week 1 at Buffalo.

There are only two players on the team who played on at least one of the Super Bowl championship teams, Brady (3) and Wilfork (on IR) (1).

Roster moves this week:

• none

Patriots named to Pro Bowl for 2013 season:

• QB Tom Brady 9th selection
• G Logan Mankins 6th selection
• ST Matthew Slater 3rd selection
• CB Aqib Talib 1st selection

Patriots team captains for 2013:

• QB Tom Brady
• G Logan Mankins
• S Devin McCourty
• DE Rob Ninkovich
• WR Matthew Slater (special teams)
• DT Vince Wilfork (IR)
• LB Jerod Mayo (IR)

Former Broncos on the Patriots:

• DT Sealver Siliga

Players with New England roots:

• WR Mark Harrison (IR) – Stratford CT
• TE Matthew Mulligan – Enfield ME

Players with Colorado roots:

• T Nate Solder – Buena Vista CO

Players from New England based colleges and universities:

• RB James Develin – Brown
• TE Matthew Mulligan – Maine

Players from Colorado based colleges and universities:

• T Nate Solder – Colorado

The Patriots have 6 retired numbers:

• 20 – Gino Cappelletti
• 40 – Mike Haynes
• 73 – John Hannah
• 78 – Bruce Armstrong
• 79 – Jim Lee Hunt
• 89 – Bob Dee

Broncos Team Notes

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

2013 Broncos Schedule/Results

The Broncos all-time record is 432-378-10 and they are 19-17 in the playoffs with their last playoff appearance coming in 2012.  That season the Broncos lost at home to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Division game. 

Denver has won two Super Bowls (XXXII and XXXIII) in 6 appearances.

The Broncos last appeared in a Super Bowl following the 1998 season and beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII, 34-19.

The Broncos are 1-0 in the 2013 NFL Playoffs after beating the San Diego Chargers at home last Sunday, 24-17.

Denver has 13 AFC West Division titles one more than Oakland.

Broncos have a 14-4 record at home in the playoffs all-time.

Broncos are 6-2 in the AFC Championship Game.  They are 4-1 as the home team.

Date               Opponent                  W/L    Score

01/01/78       Oakland                  W       20-17

01/11/87       @ Cleveland             W       23-20 (OT)

01/17/88       Cleveland                W       38-33

01/14/90       Cleveland                W       37-21

01/12/92       @ Buffalo                L        7-10

01/11/98       @ Pittsburgh            W       24-21

01/17/99       NY Jets                   W       23-10

01/22/06       Pittsburgh                L        17-34

Broncos are 18-9 as the home team in the series including the playoffs.

Their six Super Bowl appearances are only behind New England (7), Dallas (8) and Pittsburgh (8).

Since 1984 the Broncos are 3rd in overall wins in the NFL with 306 behind New England (308) and San Francisco (319).

Since 1984 Denver has the most seasons at .500 or better with 25.

One of just three franchises to record 90+ wins in three decades since 1960 and only one to do it in last three decades.

Denver has not been shutout since 1992 a streak that has gone 335 games.

Allowed only 20 sacks this season a league low including 6 games in which they didn’t give up a sack at all.

Denver was EVEN in turnover differential tied for 14th in the NFL.  They had 17 INT and recovered 9 fumbles while they threw 10 INT’s and lost 16 fumbles.

In the postseason Denver is MINUS 2 in turnover differential.  They have 0 INT and have recovered 0 fumbles while they have thrown 1 INT and lost 1 fumble.

The Broncos were 1st in points scored averaging 37.9 points per game and were 22nd in fewest points allowed with 24.9 points per game.

Denver had 3 games in 2013 in which they topped 50 points.

Broncos Staff Notes

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

This is Fox’s third season as the head coach in Denver he is 34-14 in the regular season and 2-2 in the playoffs for an overall record of 36-16. Prior to that Fox was the head coach of the Carolina Panthers for 9 seasons and had a record of 73-71 in the regular season and 8-5 in the playoffs.  Combined between Denver and Carolina he is 107-85 in the regular season and 10-7 in the playoffs for an overall mark of 117-92.

Fox is 1-6 vs. New England as a head coach including 0-2 in the post season combined between Denver and Carolina.

His 114 career wins are 5th among active head coaches.

Fox missed several games midseason due to health reasons and was replaced by defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio.  Fox missed the Week 12 games vs. the Patriots at Foxboro.

Fox is already 4th all-time in wins for Denver (36) he trails Red Miller (42), Dan Reeves (117) and Mike Shanahan (146).

Just 5th head coach in NFL history to win division titles in his first three seasons with a team.  Norv Turner (3 – San Diego), Barry Switzer (3 – Dallas), Ted Marchibroda (3 – Baltimore) and Chuck Knox (5 – Los Angeles) are the others.

Pat Bowlen is in his 30th year of team ownership and along with New York Giants founder Tim Mara as the only three-decade principal owners in professional football history to post a 60-percent career winning percentage.

Under Bowlen’s ownership the Broncos have won their two Super Bowls and have been to the big game four times.

Director of Player Personnel Matt Russell served as a pro scout for the Patriots from 2000-01 and an area scout from 2003-2005, winning three Super Bowls during his time in New England in 2001, 2003 and 2004.

Defensive Backs coach Cory Undin was a Patriots defensive assistant in 2004.

Offensive Line Coach Dave Magazu is a native of Taunton MA and attended Taunton High School before graduating from Springfield College, where he was a four-year starter as a defensive tackle on the football team. Magazu also served as the offensive line coach at Boston College from 1999-2002.

Broncos Possible Starters

Offense:

• LT: Clark
• LG: Beadles
• C: Ramirez
• RG: Vasquez
• RT: Franklin
• TE: J. Thomas
• WR: D. Thomas
• WR: Decker
• WR: Welker
• QB: P. Manning
• RB: Moreno

Defense:

• DE: Jackson
• DT: Williams
• DT: Knighton
• DE: Phillips
• LB: Irving
• LB: Lenon
• LB: Trevathan
• LCB: Jammer
• RCB: Rodgers-Cromartie
• S: Adams
• S: Ihenacho

Broncos Players Notes

Peyton Manning notes:

• Was first overall pick of the Indianapolis Colts in the 1998 NFL Draft out of Tennessee. He is a 13 time Pro Bowl selection and has been named to 7 All-Pro teams. Manning is a 4 time NFL MVP and has won one Super Bowl MVP Award.

• In his career he is 7-14 vs. New England including 1-2 in the playoffs.

• Against the Patriots in three playoff games Manning is 77 for 136 for 824 yards with 2 TD’s and 6 INT’s.  His passer ratings in those three games were 35.5 (loss), 69.3 (loss) and 79.1 (win).

• In 14 years in Indianapolis was 141-67 in the regular season and 9-10 in the post season for an overall record of 150-77.

• In his second season in Denver he is 26-6 and 1-1 in the post season for an overall record of 27-7.

• For his career he is 167-73 in the regular season and 10-11 in the post season for an overall record of 177-84.  He has won one Super Bowl (XLI) in two appearances.

• He is 90-30 at home in his career in the regular season and he is 7-5 at home in the playoffs.

• His 167 wins are second all-time behind only Brett Favre.

• Wears number 18 after Frank Tripucka made the gesture to let him wear the retired number.

• Son of former NFL QB Archie Manning and brother of New York Giants QB Eli Manning.

• In NFL History he is 2nd in passes completed, passing yards, passing TD’s and passer rating.  He is 3rd in passes attempted and passing yards per game.  He is first in comebacks and game winning drives.

• Along with Brady and Hall of Famer Joe Montana are considered the Holy Trinity among NFL quarterbacks.

• After starting every game of his NFL career he missed the entire 2011 season with a neck injury.

• Set NFL record with 55 TD passes this season and 5,477 passing yards.

• Had only 10 INT’s that is the second fewest in a season in his career.

• Had 7 TD pass game Week 1 vs. Baltimore.

• Twice this season has had back-to-back 4 TD pass games.  Week 4 vs. Philadelphia, Week 5 at Dallas, Week 8 vs. Washington and Week 9 at San Diego.

• Had 3 INT game Week 8 vs. Washington.

Wes Welker notes:

• Played six seasons in New England (2007-12).

• In 7 career games vs. Patriots he has 18 catches for 196 yards and 0 INT’s.

• Had 778 receiving yards in his first season in Denver.

• Has 9 TD’s just one shy of his career high set in 2011.

• Has 829 career catches and trails only former Bronco Rod Smith (849) for most catches in NFL history by an undrafted player.

• Only player in NFL History with 5 100-catch seasons.

• In his 6 years in New England had the most prolific 6-year period for any NFL receiver with 672 regular season catches.

• Patriots all-time receptions leader with 725 catches.

• Made five Pro Bowls as a Patriot.

• Is 7th in NFL history for most postseason catches with 75.

• His 841 career receptions are second only to Rod Smith (849) for most receptions by an undrafted player in NFL history.

Knowshon Moreno notes:

• 6th in Broncos history in rushing yards with 3,468.

• In 2 career games vs. Patriots he has 58 carries for 312 yards and 1 TD and 5 catches for 42 yards.

• Rushed for a career high 224 yards at New England in Week 12.

• Led team in rushing yards with 1,038.

• First Bronco with 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a season.

• Had 10 TD’s in 2013 4th most in NFL.

Eric Decker notes:

• In 3 games vs. Patriots has 6 catches for 48 yards and 1 TD.

• Has 33 TD’s in first four seasons most in franchise history by a player in first 4 years.

• One of three players in franchise history with 8 TD’s in back-to-back seasons.

• Had 1,288 receiving yards in 2013.

Demaryius Thomas notes:

• Has 26 catches for 430 yards and 1 TD vs. Patriots in 4 games including playoffs.

• Was 2nd in NFL with 14 TD catches and 4th with 1,430 receiving yards.

• Had back-to-back 1,000 receiving yard seasons.

Danny Trevathan notes:

• Led team in tackles with 124 in 2013.

• Had 12 tackles, 1 fumble recovery and a special teams tackle at New England Week 12.

Champ Bailey notes:

• Has 52 interceptions in his career.  With 34 as a Bronco needs 1 more to be 4th on Denver’s all-time INT list.

• 12 Pro Bowls are most ever by a defensive back and 6th most all-time.

Wesley Woodyard notes:

• Just 12th player since 1982 to post a 100 tackle, 5 sacks and 3 INT season.

• Had 83 tackles in 2013.

• Had 15 tackles and a forced fumble at New England Week 12.

Broncos All-Pro’s for 2013:

• QB Peyton Manning
• K Matt Prater
• WR Demaryius Thomas
• G Louis Vasquez

Broncos selected to the Pro Bowl:

• QB Peyton Manning
• K Matt Prater
• WR Demaryius Thomas
• G Louis Vasquez
• TE Julius Thomas

Former Patriots on the Broncos:

• WR Wes Welker
• C Dan Koppen (IR)
• CB Tony Carter
• CB Marquice Cole
• LB Paris Lenon

Players with New England ties:

• DT Terrance Knighton – Windsor CT

Players who attended New England based colleges or universities:

• C Dan Koppen (IR) – Boston College

Denver team captains for 2013 are:

• QB Peyton Manning
• T Ryan Clady
• LB Leslie Woodyard
• CB Champ Bailey
• S David Bruton (special teams)

Denver has 3 retired numbers:

• 7 – John Elway
• 18 – Frank Tripucka
• 44 – Floyd Little

Next Week

Up next: With a win will face either San Francisco 49ers or Seattle Seahawks

Location: MetLife Stadium, Meadowlands NJ

Date/Time: Sunday February 2 at 6 p.m.

TV Network: FOX

New England Patriots cheerleader Stephanie Petronelli of West Bridgewater, MA tried out for American Idol during last night's show and despite some trepidation from Harry Connick, Jr., she made it to the Hollywood portion of the show.

Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban liked her singing while Connick wasn't a fan.

After Petronelli was given the ticket to Hollywood, other Patriots cheerleaders came and in celebrated with her. According to TMZ Sports, the Patriots have promised to stay quiet on the fate of Petronelli's quest to become the next American Idol

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

photo credit: patriots.com

In 2004, the New England Patriots went out and got a running back in a trade.  They gave up a second round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for Corey Dillon the Bengals franchise leader in rushing yards.  In three seasons in Foxboro, Dillon rushed for over 3,100 yards and had 39 TD’s (37 rushing, 2 receiving).  Dillon gave the Patriots something they lacked a big, bruising, clock killing running back.

Dillon had never played in a playoff game before coming to New England.  In three seasons of post season play he added 4 TD’s and 508 rushing yards in helping the Patriots win their third Super Bowl and brought them to another AFC Championship game.

In 2013 the Patriots went out and got a running back in a trade.  They swapped a 7th round pick and RB/KR Jeff Demps with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for LeGarrette Blount. They got something they lacked a big, bruising, clock killing running back.

While not nearly as accomplished as Dillon was when he came to the Patriots, Blount fits the same mold.  In the season finale and the AFC Divisional Game this past Saturday you saw why people thought Blount would be a serious Heisman candidate in his senior season at Oregon. 

For those who don’t know, Blount turned into a disciplinary problem of the highest magnitude.  After a tough game a 19-8 loss in which he was held to negative rushing yards he punched a defenseless Boise State player on the field after the game and then went at it with the Broncos students in their own stadium.  Oregon suspended him for the season.

He went from 1,002 rushing yards and 17 TD’s in 2008 in 13 games to just 3 games played as a senior in 2009 with 82 rushing yards and 2 TD’s.  Quite the fall for a Heisman hopeful but after being given a second chance by Oregon coach Chip Kelley he was able to play in the final regular season game against Oregon State and in the Rose Bowl against Ohio State.

After three seasons in Tampa Bay in which he ran for over 1,900 yards and 13 TD’s he became expendable with the emergence of Doug Martin and was dealt to the Patriots.  And such a minor move by Bill Belichick has proven to be the defining force of this team after injuries have taken down most of the teams proven players.

In his first career playoff game Blount was absolutely amazing.  In the 43-22 win over the Indianapolis Colts he rushed for 166 yards on 24 carries with 4 TD’s and he topped it off with a back breaking, dagger to the heart 73-yard TD on the Patriots first offensive play in the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter alone he rushed for 114-yards and a TD.  He had 103 of those yards on just two carries, he set a franchise record for most rushing TD’s in any game, regular or post season and tied the franchise record for most rushing yards in a playoff game (Curtis Martin, vs. Pittsburgh January 5, 1997).

Blount is sure to be a force once again against Denver in the AFC Championship Game.  The Broncos defense gave up 399 points this season and 5,700 yards (4,000 in the air, 1,700 on the ground) and hopefully it bodes well for Blount to continue on this tremendous roll.

Another impact player from Saturday was rookie linebacker Jamie Collins who was taken in the second round of the draft from Southern Mississippi.  While in school Collins played linebacker and defensive back his first two seasons and then in his junior and senior years was primarily a defensive lineman.

We saw first hand those DB cover skills on Saturday a few times he first made a nice play along the sideline to bat away a pass from Indianapolis TE Coby Fleener.  Then late in the game when the Patriots rushed three and dropped eight Collins came up with a pick.  His first NFL interception came in a playoff game and once again he was on Fleener this time over the middle and he ended a drive before it even gained momentum. 

The INT was huge, there was nearly 13 minutes to play and it was still a two score game at that point and it occurred on the first play after the 73-yard Blount TD.  The turnover also gave the Patriots great field position, which they turned into a Stevan Ridley TD.  In a two minute span the game went from 7 points to 21 points because of two huge plays. 

The end of the Colts season happened that fast.

Game Notes

The spread was Patriots MINUS 7.5 and the teams were OVER the under/over line of 53.  I gave the points (Patriots) and took the under.  I missed on the under and hit on the cover.

I am now 6-11 vs. the spread in 2013 and 9 for 17 on calling the under/over.

The Patriots lead the playoff series with the Colts, 3-1.  Overall they lead the series 46-28 including the postseason.

New England has won the last four games against Indianapolis all at Gillette Stadium.

The Patriots are now 25-17 all-time in the playoffs.

They are 11-6 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs and they are 8-2 as the home team in the Divisional Round including 6-1 at Gillette Stadium.

They are 11-3 in playoff games at Gillette Stadium they are 15-4 at home overall.

They have a home winning percentage in the postseason of .789 that is second best behind Oakland’s .792 among teams with at least 10 home playoff games

With the win they tied the Oakland Raiders for the 5th most playoff wins in NFL history with 25.

Patriots are first team since 2001-04 Eagles to advance to three consecutive conference championship games.

Set franchise record with 6 rushing TD’s most in any game, regular season or playoffs.

Tied franchise record with 4 INT’s in a playoff game.

Bill Belichick coached teams are 14-8 vs. the Colts.  He is 12-6 with New England and 2-2 with Cleveland including playoffs.

Overall in his NFL career Belichick is 218-113.  The 218 wins are good for 5th all-time in NFL history.

Chuck Pagano is in his 2nd year as head coach of the Colts and he has a record of 22-10 in the regular season and he is 1-2 in the post season for an overall record of 23-12.

Pagano is 0-2 vs. New England in his career including postseason.

This is Tom Brady’s 14th NFL season he is 11-4 vs. the Colts in his career including playoffs.  He is 83-13 at home in his career in the regular season and 12-3 in the post season for a combined record of 95-16.

Overall he is 148-43 as a starting QB and is 18-7 in the playoffs for an overall record of 166-50.

He made his 25th career playoff start most in NFL history.

His 18 postseason wins are most in NFL history.

Had streak of throwing a TD pass in 18 consecutive postseason games broken.

Patriots are 4-0 all-time in postseason when Brady has no TD passes.

The Patriots Inactives were: WR Aaron Dobson; LB Steve Beauharnais; OL Chris Barker; DT Isaac Sopoaga; DE Jake Bequette and DB Justin Green.

RB LeGarrette Blount led the Patriots running backs with 166-yards on 24 carries and he had 4 TD’s.

WR Julian Edelman had 6 catches and 84-yards receiving to lead the Patriots.  

New England was 11 for 18 for 61% on 3rd down conversions. They were 0 for 1 on 4th down.

The Pats were 5 for 6 in the red zone and 5 for 5 on goal to goal efficiency.

New England won the time of possession having the ball for 35:00.

Patriots had 23 first downs to 16 for the Colts.

LB Dont’a Hightower had 8 tackles to lead the team.

The New England defense allowed Indianapolis 386 yards of total offense. The Patriots had 419 yards for the game.

The Patriots had 3 sacks and 10 QB hits.

Indianapolis QB Andrew Luck is 22-10 in his 2nd NFL season he is 1-2 in the playoffs for an overall record of 23-12.

He is 0-2 vs. New England in his career including playoffs.

The Colts were 6 for 15 for 40% on 3rd down conversions and 1 for 1 on fourth down.

Indianapolis was 0 for 2 in the red zone and 0 for 1 on goal to go.

Pete Morelli was the referee for the game.

68,756 attended the game at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro MA.  It was cloudy, raining, windy and 57 degrees.

Offensive Player of the Game: Patriots RB LeGarrette Blount had 166-yards on 24 carries with 4 TD’s.  Set franchise record with 4 rushing TD’s in a game and tied franchise record for 166-yards rushing in a playoff game.

Defensive Player of the Game: Patriots LB Jamie Collins had 6 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss, 3 QB hits, 1 INT and 1 pass defensed.

Next Week

Up next: Denver Broncos

Location: Mile High Stadium at Sports Authority Field, Denver CO

Date/Time: Sunday January 19 at 3 p.m.

TV Network: CBS