Furious Comeback Falls Short for Patriots

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches the action against the San Francisco 49ers in the third quarter of an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012.

The San Francisco 49ers came into Foxboro to face the New England Patriots in a much anticipated Sunday Night Football game between two of the NFL’s dynasty teams.

What we witnessed looked like it came out of a Pop Warner league on a Sunday morning in more ways than one.

Playing in a driving New England rainstorm early on it was a sloppy game on both sides.  In just the first quarter alone New England had two fumbles, one was ruled down, and an interception of Tom Brady.  S Carlos Rogers returned the pick all the way to the 5-yard line before Brady threw the first hip check of the season to make the touchdown saving tackle.

San Francisco wasn’t much better as they had three fumbles (two by QB Colin Kaepernick), losing only one (by RB Delaney Walker), and a missed field goal but they still managed to take a 7-0 lead on a Kaepernick pass to former Patriots WR Randy Moss.

The 2nd quarter didn’t start any better for the Niners, on a 4th down conversion Kaepernick had his 3rd fumble of the half (he retained them all) and San Francisco turned the ball over on downs in Patriots territory.

New England was able to march down field and come away with a 32-yard field goal by K Stephen Gostkowski to cut the lead to 7-3.

San Francisco responded by moving the ball through the rain and drove down field with the help of a pass interference penalty on Patriots CB Aqib Talib.  They capped the 80-yard drive with a Kaepernick TD pass to Walker to increase their lead to 14-3.

After an extremely confusing explanation of a possible muffed punt that also included a penalty (eventually assessed on the Niners) Kaepernick once again led a drive down field using both his arm and his legs.  He had a big pass to WR Michael Crabtree, RB Frank Gore had a couple of good runs and then Kaepernick himself tore off a 19 yard run as the clock wound down on the half.

After Gore got stopped on 2nd and goal with just 3 ticks left on the clock San Francisco settled for a 20-yard field goal by David Akers the lead to 17-3 at the half.

The Niners ended up jumping out to a 31-3 lead midway through the third quarter when they tacked on TD’s by Gore on a recovery of Kaepernick’s 4th fumble of the night.  They added another after Brady was intercepted for the 2nd time in the ensuing drive.  On the very first play post turnover Kaepernick threw his third TD pass of the game to Crabtree and it was 31-3 San Francisco.

New England though didn’t stay down they climbed back into the game with a 6-yard Danny Woodhead TD run, a Brady one-yard sneak, a TD pass from Brady to Hernandez and then another short run by Woodhead and suddenly it was 31-31.

With it looking like a game of Madden 2013 had broken out at Gillette Stadium, 49ers KR LaMichael James got a big return for the Niners into Patriots territory.  Kaepernick then hit Crabtree along the sideline and he went all the way into the end zone as San Francisco regained a 7-point lead.

After getting the ball back on a punt the Patriots ended up going four and out deep in the their own territory. And after a wild comeback to tie the game the Patriots fell short in the end as they lost to San Francisco, 41-34.

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

Niners at Patriots Game Recap.

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Turning Point of the Game

LaMichael James runs back a kickoff into Patriots territory after New England had tied the game.  San Francisco scored on the next play.

Offensive Player of the Game

Niners WR Michael Crabtree had 7 catches for 107 yards and 2 TD’s.

Defensive Player of the Game

San Francisco LB NaVorro Bowman had 12 tackles (8 solo, 1 special team); 1 tackle for loss and a forced fumble.

Game Notes

Starters for the Patriots were:

On Offense:

LT Solder

LG Mankins

C Wendell

RG Connolly

RT Vollmer

TE Hernandez

TE Hoomanawanui

WR Welker

WR Lloyd

QB Brady

RB Ridley

On Defense:

DE Ninkovich

DT Wilfork

DT Deaderick

DE C. Jones

LB Mayo

LB Rivera

LB Hightower

CB Talib

CB Dennard

S Gregory

S McCourty

Inactives for the Game:

Patriots

1. TE Rob Gronkowski (forearm/hip)

2. S Derrick Martin

3. LB Tracy White

4. DE Ron Brace (back)

5. OL Markus Zusevics

6. DE Jake Bequette

Niners

1. S Trenton Robinson

2. RB Jewell Hampton

3. LB Tavares Gooden

4. G Joe Looney

5. WR Mario Manningham

6. NT Ian Williams

The spread (Patriots MINUS 5) WAS NOT covered.  The over/under (46.5) WAS COVERED.  I GAVE the points (Patriots) and took the OVER.  I am now 3-11 vs. the spread and 10 of 14 calling the under/over.

The Patriots are 18-16 all-time on Sunday Night Football, 11-6 as the home team and 6-4 at Gillette Stadium.

This was the 12th meeting between the Patriots and the 49ers since the merger in 1970.

The Patriots had won the last three meetings between the teams before Sunday night’s loss.  

This was the second meeting between the teams at Gillette Stadium and 7th overall in Foxboro.

The Niners lead the overall series 8-4.

New England is 3-4 as the home team in the series.

Since 1999 the Patriots have the best record in the NFL at 157-65.

New England had its 7-game winning streak snapped.

Since 2001 the Patriots are 72-17 in games played on Thanksgiving or later.

Since 2001 New England is 43-6 in December games.

The Patriots are now a combined 21-1 in the second half of the season since 2010.  It was their first second half loss since Week 17 in 2010.

The Patriots lost their first December home game since December 22, 2002 when they were beaten by the New York Jets, 30-17.

The Patriots are 23-2 in December home games since 2002.

The Patriots had a 13 game December win streak snapped dating back to 2009. 

Since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002, the Patriots are 72-15 at home in the regular season.

They are 18-4 vs. the NFC at Gillette Stadium.  The Packers (2002), Giants (2011) Cardinals (2012) and now the 49ers are the only NFC teams to have beaten the Patriots at home since 2002.

The New England defense has forced a turnover in 25 consecutive games dating back to Week 6 in 2011.

Bill Belichick is now 202-108 including playoffs in his career.

Belichick’s 202 wins are good for 7th all-time.

Bill Belichick is 3-1 vs. the San Francisco in his career (2-1 with the Patriots).

Tom Brady is 1-1 against San Francisco in his career.  Overall including playoffs he is 150-44.

He became the 5th QB in NFL history to throw for 4,000+ yards in a season five times joining Peyton Manning (12x), Drew Brees (7x), Dan Marino (6x) and Brett Favre (6 x).

Brady had his career high 4 rushing TD of the year.

Brady has 330 TD passes in his career he is now 5th all-time.  Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton is 4th with 342.

He has thrown 30+ TD passes for the 4th time in his career.

Brady has thrown at least 1 TD pass in 46 consecutive games.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 115 consecutive games including playoffs, 98 as a Patriot.  The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.

Welker went over 100 catches for the season for the 5th time in his career.

RB Danny Woodhead had 12 carries for 61 yards and 2 TD’s.

TE Mike Hoomanawanui’s 41-yard grab in the 3rd quarter was the longest of his career.

WR Brandon Lloyd had 10 catches for 190 yards with a long of 53 yards.  It is the highest single game total for a Patriots receiver in 2012.

S Devin McCourty had his team leading 5th INT when he picked Kaepernick on the opening drive of the second half.

CB Aqib Talib had his first fumble recovery of the season.

S Steve Gregory forced a fumble.

LB Jerod Mayo had a team high 12 tackles (5 solo).

DE Rob Ninkovich had a sack he now has a career high 7.5.

LB Dont’a Hightower and Ninkovich each had 2 tackles for loss.

Hightower, Gregory and McCourty all had a pass defensed.

WR Matthew Slater had 2 special teams tackles.

Roster moves this week:

  • WR Donte Stallworth was placed on IR.
  • TE Visanthe Shiancoe was released.
  • WR Deion Branch was re-signed by the team.
  • Signed WR/PR Tony Logan to the practice squad.

The Patriots sacked San Francisco QB Colin Kaepernick 1 time, while Brady was sacked 3 times.

New England is PLUS 22 in turnover differential, 1st in the NFL. The offense has given up 7 INT and 7 fumbles, while the defense has 16 INTs and 20 fumble recoveries. 

The Patriots were 4 for 5 (100%) in the red zone.  They had 4 TDs and 1 FG.

New England was 2 for 15 (13%) on third down conversions and 5 for 6 (83%) on 4th down attempts.

The Niners also had the NFL’s best record in the 1990’s going 122-54.

San Francisco is 4-3 all-time at New England and is 1-1 in Gillette Stadium.

The Niners snapped a three game series losing streak.

San Francisco is 13-9 on Sunday Night Football games, they are 4-4 as the road team.

San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh, is in his 2nd season, he is 23-6-1 in the regular season and 1-1 in the post season for an overall record of 24-7-1.

He is 1-0 vs. the Patriots.

49ers QB Colin Kaepernick is in his 2nd NFL season.  He is 4-1 in the regular season and 1-0 vs. New England.

Kaepernick had four fumbles and San Francisco lost none of them.

San Francisco was 5 for 14 (36%) on 3rd down conversions and 1 for 2 (50%) on 4th down attempts.

The Niners were 1 for 4 (%) in the red zone.  They had 1 TD, 2 FG’s and a fumble.

San Francisco is PLUS 8 in turnover differential, tied for 11th in the NFL. The offense has given up 7 INT and 7 fumbles, while the defense has 12 INTs and 10 fumble recoveries. 

Ed Hochuli was the game referee.  The temp at kickoff was 34, cold and raining.

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

Post Game Interviews

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

This Week in the AFC East

Seahawks ripped the Bills, 50-17

Dolphins beat the Jags, 24-3

Jets face the Titans on Monday night.

AFC East Standings

Patriots                 10-4/5-0

Jets                        6-7/2-3

Dolphins                  6-8/1-3

Bills                        5-9/1-3

Next Week

The Patriots visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Ever Bank Field in Jacksonville FL.  Kick off is at 1 p.m. on CBS.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

photo credit: ap photo

Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Roundup – 12/16

Paw Prints The Daily Roundup

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as the other sports the student-athletes engage in. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Women's Basketball links

Five Things About The UConn Women [hartford courant]

UConn Men's Basketball links

Statement from Newtown native and former UConn player Cochrane [kevin duffy – ct post]

In Evans household, the less fortunate never forgotten [ct post]

5 Things We've Learned About UConn Men's Basketball Team [hartford courant]

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

Portland Pirates 1, Connecticut Whale 0

By Wil Goldsholl

Hartford, CT, December 15, 2012 – The Portland Pirates shut the Connecticut Whale out, 1-0, at the XL Center on Saturday, leaning on an early Andy Miele goal and a shutout performance from Mark Visentin. The loss was Connecticut’s second at home in two nights, after a 4-3 defeat to the Albany Devils Friday evening.

CT WhaleChances were few and far between for Connecticut, despite the fact that they only trailed 32-28 in the final shot count. There were close chances early for the Whale, including a wild bounce on a dump-in with the Kris Newbury-Shayne Wiebe-Christian Thomas line out and a Logan Pyett-Ryan Bourque two on one chance that never made it to the net. It took Connecticut over twelve and a half minutes to earn their first shot on goal.  Miele was a assessed a holding minor at 10:41 and the Whale earned credit for their first shot just as the power play was expiring.

Miele, however, would come out of the penalty box and, receiving assists from Mark Louis and Rob Klinkhammer, cut through the slot and back to beat Cam Talbot in the Connecticut crease. Miele’s sixth of the year came at 13:04.

Wiebe came in hot on a two on one with Thomas not long after that goal. Wiebe tried a similar cross-crease move to Miele’s, but Visentin stayed with him the whole way. Visentin would finish with 28 saves while earning his first shutout as a pro.

In the second period the two squads started to rack up penalty minutes, when Micheal Haley and Oliver Ekman-Larsson were sent off for roughing in the Portland crease. Chris Kreider was called for interference during the resulting 4-on-4 play, leaving a great deal of ice open, but no scoring came of it.

The best chance of the second for Connecticut came when Brandon Segal broke in on the rush and hit Visentin in the pads at 12:17, while Ethan Werek went for tripping simultaneously, interfering with one of Segal’s crashing linemates.

Then right at the end of the second, Miele dumped Blake Parlett behind the Connecticut goal and was given a minor for roughing with 1.1 seconds on the clock. With the net empty, and a faceoff in the attacking zone, Newbury took a penalty for cross-checking, as he got too gritty when the buzzer sounded. The third period would start with extended 4-on-4 play again.

Miele earned his third minor for high sticking at 6:35 in the third period, and the Whale had their first full minute of sustained pressure for the entire game on the ensuing power play. They failed to convert, and additional minor penalties to Pyett for slashing and Segal for high sticking surrounding the midway mark of the period would put the Whale against the clock. Though they stretched to earn some last-minute chances trailing by just one, a Chris Kreider elbowing minor with under 30 seconds to play sealed the verdict.

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Portland Pirates 1 at Connecticut Whale 0
Saturday, December 15, 2012 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Portland 1 0 0 – 1
Connecticut 0 0 0 – 0

1st Period-1, Portland, Miele 6 (Klinkhammer, Louis), 13:04. Penalties-Klassen Ct (holding), 5:59; Miele Por (holding), 10:41.

2nd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Ekman-Larsson Por (roughing), 4:57; Haley Ct (roughing), 4:57; Kreider Ct (interference), 6:08; Werek Por (tripping), 12:17; Miele Por (roughing), 19:58; Newbury Ct (cross-checking), 20:00.

3rd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Miele Por (high-sticking), 6:35; Pyett Ct (slashing), 9:12; Segal Ct (high-sticking), 12:31; Kreider Ct (elbowing), 19:32.

Shots on Goal-Portland 12-8-12-32. Connecticut 6-9-13-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Portland 0 / 6; Connecticut 0 / 4.
Goalies-Portland, Visentin 4-6-1 (28 shots-28 saves). Connecticut, Talbot 9-10-0 (32 shots-31 saves).
A-3,924
Referees-Jamie Koharski (84).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Luke Galvin (2).

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Red Sox Announce 2013 Minor League Staffs

On Friday, the Boston Red Sox announced their 2013 minor league field staffs.

Here's the release:

BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today announced the 2013 field staffs for their minor league affiliates.  Director of Player Development Ben Crockett made the announcement of managers, coaches, and athletic trainers for each of the seven teams.

Boston Red SoxThe Red Sox have added three individuals to the 2013 field staff alignment, hiring Gary DiSarcina as the manager at Triple-A Pawtucket, Tom Kotchman as a coach at the club’s rookie level Gulf Coast League team and Aly Gonzalez as a coach for the organization’s rookie-level Dominican Summer League team.

BOSTON RED SOX 2013 MINOR LEAGUE FIELD STAFFS

Pawtucket (Triple-A, International League)

Manager: Gary DiSarcina is rejoining the Red Sox organization after a stint in the Los Angeles Angels front office as special assistant to the general manager in 2011 and field coordinator in 2012.  The 12-year Major League veteran and 1995 American League All-Star previously spent five years in the Red Sox organization as a Baseball Operations consultant in 2006, as manager of the Lowell Spinners from 2007-09, and as minor league infield coordinator in 2010.  He led the Spinners to back-to-back division titles in 2008 and 2009, with a franchise-record 45 wins in 2009.

Pitching Coach: Rich Sauveur returns for a sixth season as Pawtucket’s pitching coach after spending the previous five campaigns as a pitching coach in the Brewers system.  A left-handed pitcher, he spent parts of six seasons in the big leagues between 1986 and 2000.

Hitting Coach: Dave Joppie begins his first season as hitting coach for Pawtucket and his eighth season in the Red Sox farm system.  He previously served in the same capacity for Portland (2008-12), Lancaster (2007) and Wilmington (2006) after holding coaching and managerial positions in the Athletics system from 1995-2005.

Athletic Trainer: Jon Jochim enters his 10th season as an athletic trainer in the Red Sox system and his fourth consecutive year in that role for the PawSox.  Previously, he served in that role for Portland (2009), Lancaster (2007-08), the GCL Red Sox (2006), and Lowell (2004-05).  He joined the Red Sox as an intern in the GCL in 2003 after serving as athletic trainer for the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team.

Portland (Double-A, Eastern League)

Manager: Kevin Boles enters his third season as manager of the Portland Sea Dogs after previously skippering Salem (2010) and Greenville (2008-09).  During the 2011-12 offseason, he also served as manager of the Sydney Blue Sox of the Australian Baseball League.  A catcher at the University of South Florida, he was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 1998 June draft.

Pitching Coach: Bob Kipper returns as Portland’s pitching coach, a position he’s held since 2010, as well from 2003-04.  He also spent time as pitching coach in the Red Sox system for Greenville (2005-06, 2008-09), Lancaster (2007), Augusta (2000-01), and Lowell (1999), and was Boston’s bullpen coach in 2002.  A left-handed pitcher, he spent eight seasons in the Major Leagues from 1985-92.

Hitting Coach: Rich Gedman joins Portland after serving as hitting coach for Salem in 2012 and for Lowell in 2011.  He was manager of the independent Can-Am League’s Worcester Tornadoes for six seasons from 2005-10 and prior to that served as bench coach for the Can-Am League’s North Shore Spirit.  A two-time All-Star catcher with the Red Sox, Gedman played 13 Major League seasons from 1980-92, including parts of his first 11 campaigns in Boston. 

Athletic Trainer: Brandon Henry begins his second season as athletic trainer for Portland after spending 2010-11 as athletic trainer for Salem.  This marks his seventh season with the Red Sox organization, having also served as athletic trainer for Greenville (2009) and Lowell (2007-08). 

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Salem (High-A, Carolina League)

Manager: Billy McMillon returns for his second season at the helm for Salem after piloting Greenville from 2010-11.  He made his coaching debut as hitting coach for the Drive from 2008-09.  The former outfielder spent parts of six seasons in the Major Leagues with the Florida Marlins (1996-97), Philadelphia Phillies (1997), Detroit Tigers (2000-01) and Oakland Athletics (2001-04).

Pitching Coach: Kevin Walker enters his third season as Salem’s pitching coach after serving in that capacity for Greenville in 2010 and for Lowell in 2009 in his professional coaching debut.  A left-handed pitcher, he made 122 Major League appearances between stints with the San Diego Padres (2000-03), San Francisco Giants (2004), and Chicago White Sox (2005).   

Hitting Coach: Nelson Paulino begins his first season with Salem after serving as hitting coach for Lowell in 2012.  This will be his 16th consecutive season with the Red Sox since joining the organization in 1998.  He was previously with the DSL Red Sox as hitting coach (2001-02, 2008-11), bench coach (2007), and manager (2003-06).  A switch-hitting infielder, he played four years in the Braves farm system from 1991-94.

Athletic Trainer: David Herrera begins his sixth season in the Red Sox organization and his second as Salem’s athletic trainer.  He served in the same capacity for Greenville (2010-11), Lowell (2009), and the Gulf Coast League Red Sox (2008). 

Greenville (Single-A, South Atlantic League)

Manager: Carlos Febles begins his second season at the helm of Greenville after making his managerial debut with Lowell in 2011.  He previously held positions as hitting coach with Salem (2009-10) and the Lancaster JetHawks (2008) after making his coaching debut with the Spinners in 2007.  He spent six seasons as a second baseman for the Kansas City Royals from 1998-2003.

Pitching Coach: Paul Abbott takes over as Greenville’s pitching coach after spending his first two seasons in the Red Sox organization as Lowell’s pitching coach from 2011-12.  He began his coaching career with two seasons with the independent Golden League’s Orange County Flyers, as manager in 2010 and as pitching coach in 2009, and was also an assistant coach at Fullerton (CA) Junior College.  A right-handed pitcher, he spent parts of 11 seasons in the Major Leagues from 1990-2004.

Hitting Coach: Tim Hyers makes his coaching debut in the Red Sox organization after serving as the club's Area Scout for Georgia over the last four years (2009-12).  He was hitting coach at Single-A West Michigan in the Tigers minor league system in 2002, and played parts of four seasons in the Major Leagues with the Padres (1994-95), Tigers (1996), and Marlins (1999).

Athletic Trainer: Mackenzie Zabbo enters her fourth season with the Red Sox organization and her first as athletic trainer for Greenville after serving in the same capacity for Lowell in 2012.  She was assistant athletic trainer for Greenville in 2011 and was an intern with the GCL Red Sox in 2010.

Lowell (Short-A, New York-Penn League)

Manager: Bruce Crabbe enters his ninth year in the Red Sox organization, his 10th campaign as a minor league manager, and his fourth season managing Lowell (2006, 2010, 2012).  He skippered Salem in 2011 and was Boston’s minor league infield coordinator from 2006-09.  His Red Sox tenure began as hitting coach for Wilmington in 2005 following seven years managing in the Rangers system from 1998-2004.  He played professionally in the Cubs, Blue Jays, and Braves organizations from 1984-92.

Pitching Coach: Walter Miranda returns to Lowell, where he also served as pitching coach from 2005-06 and in 2008.  He was a GCL Red Sox pitching coach over the last five seasons and from 2000-04, and he also held that position with Greenville in 2007.  Miranda joined the Red Sox organization in 1999 following a six-year playing career in the Florida Marlins system.

Hitting Coach: Noah Hall begins his first season with Lowell after making his coaching debut with the GCL Red Sox in 2012.  He spent parts of 13 seasons as an outfielder in the affiliated minor leagues from 1996-2009 and also played parts of five seasons in independent leagues (2001, 2007, 2009-11).

Athletic Trainer: TBA

Gulf Coast (Rookie, Gulf Coast League)

Manager: Darren Fenster will be in his first year as the GCL Red Sox manager after making his professional coaching debut as the hitting coach for Greenville in 2012.  He previously spent six seasons on the Rutgers University baseball staff, including three as an assistant coach (2009-11), and also served as an assistant coach for the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Orleans Cardinals in 2008. 

Pitching Coach: Dick Such begins his fifth season in the Red Sox system and his first as pitching coach for the GCL Red Sox after serving in the same capacity with Greenville (2011-12) and Salem (2009-10).  His previous experience includes parts of 17 years as Minnesota’s pitching coach from 1985-01, helping the Twins win two World Series, and parts of three seasons in the same role with the Texas Rangers from 1983-85.  A right-hander, he pitched in 21 career Major League games (five starts) for Washington in 1970 under manager Ted Williams.

Hitting Coach: U.L. Washington enters his eighth campaign as the GCL Red Sox hitting coach and his 11th overall in Boston’s system.  A former shortstop who played 11 big league seasons with Kansas City (1977-84), Montreal (1985) and Pittsburgh (1986-87), he joined the Red Sox organization in 2003 as Triple-A Pawtucket’s hitting coach and was the Red Sox minor league infield coordinator in 2004-05.  His previous coaching experience includes stints in the Pirates (1989), Royals (1991-98) Dodgers (1999) and Twins (2001-02) systems.

Coach: Dave Tomlin enters his third season as a coach for the GCL Red Sox in 2013, his ninth straight year in the Boston system and his 13th overall with the club.  He managed the GCL team for five seasons from 2006-10 and had stints as the team’s pitching coach in 1998 and 2005.  With the Red Sox organization, Tomlin has also served as pitching coach for Sarasota (1999) and Lowell (2000-01, 2004).  He also previously worked as a minor league instructor and coach in the Expos (1988-94) and Braves (1995-97) systems.  A left-handed pitcher, he made 409 appearances in the majors from 1972-85. 

Coach: Tom Kotchman returns to the Red Sox organization, where he managed at the Single-A level in Winter Haven from 1982-83.  He is a veteran of 34 years as a minor league manager and scout, including the last 29 seasons in the Angels system, and owns a 1,706-1,436 (.543) career record, also managing in the Tigers (1980-81) organization.  Kotchman served as the manager of the Angels’ Rookie-level affiliates in Provo and Orem, Utah for the last 12 years, reaching the Pioneer League playoffs 11 times and winning the league’s championship on four occasions.  He led his clubs to 19 playoff berths and eight league titles after joining the Angels system in 1984.  Prior to beginning his coaching career, Kotchman played two professional seasons in the Cincinnati organization from 1977-78.  His son, Casey, a first baseman, spent part of the 2009 season with Boston.

Athletic Trainer: Mauricio Elizondo is back with the GCL Red Sox, where he was previously an athletic training intern in 2008 and 2009.  He enters his sixth season overall in the Red Sox organization in 2013, after serving as the athletic trainer for Lowell from 2010-11 and for Greenville in 2012.

Dominican Summer (Rookie, Dominican Summer League)

Manager: Jose Zapata returns for his seventh season as both the Red Sox Latin American Field Coordinator and manager of the club’s DSL affiliate, which he has led to a winning record in each of his six seasons at the helm.  Zapata, who played professionally in Montreal’s minor league system from 1991-93, began his coaching career with eight seasons in the Expos organization.  He also previously served as a manager, coach and instructor in the Marlins system (2002-06).

Pitching Coach: Amaury Telemaco will be in his fourth year as a pitching coaching with the DSL Red Sox after making his coaching debut with the club in 2010.  A right-handed pitcher, he spent nine years in the majors with the Cubs (1996-98), Diamondbacks (1998-99) and Phillies (1999-2001, 2003-2005), and also pitched professionally in Korea.

Pitching Coach: Oscar Lira enters his second season as pitching coach for the DSL Red Sox after joining the staff as the club’s assistant pitching coach in 2011.  A right-hander, he pitched over six minor league seasons in the Montreal/Washington organization from 2001-06, and also pitched professionally in Italy, Venezuela and Curacao.

Coach: Junior Zamora begins his sixth season as a coach for the DSL Red Sox.  He made his professional coaching debut with the club in 2008 following a 13-year minor league career in the Mets, Angels, and Astros systems, and played one season in the independent Can-Am League in 2007.

Coach: Wilton Veras made his coaching debut with the DSL Red Sox in 2012.  A third baseman, he signed with Boston as an international free agent in 1995 and played parts of two Major League seasons for the Red Sox from 1999-2000.  Following a nine-year career in affiliated baseball, he also played in independent leagues (2004, 2006-07), as well as in Mexico (2004, 2008) and Taiwan (2008-2010).

Coach: Aly Gonzalez joins the staff full-time in 2013 after serving as a player/coach for the DSL Red Sox in 2012.  He played three season with Boston’s DSL club from 2009-11, appearing at catcher, first base, third base and in the outfield.   

Coaching Assistant: Claudio Sanchez returns for his eighth season as a coaching assistant on the DSL Red Sox staff.

Athletic Trainer: Guillermo Hinojosa returns for a fourth season as athletic trainer for the DSL Red Sox.  He served as an athletic trainer with Caracas Leones of the Venezuelan Baseball League from 2008-09, and has worked with national amateur teams in Venezuela since 2000.

Strength and Conditioning Coach: Antonio Diaz enters his 18th consecutive season in the Red Sox organization in 2013, his sixth as strength and conditioning coach for the club’s DSL affiliate.  He served the previous 12 years as athletic trainer for all Red Sox Dominican Summer and assorted Winter League clubs.

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Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Roundup – 12/15

Paw Prints The Daily Roundup

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as the other sports the student-athletes engage in. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Women's Basketball links

Hartley seeks return to All-American form [carl adamec – sny.com]

UConn Men's Basketball links

Andre Drummond: 'Newtown's Not Far from Where I Grew Up … My Heart Goes Out to Them" [david borges – new haven register]

Andre Drummond's time to shine coming soon in Detroit [new haven register]

UConn Football links

UConn commit wins state title in record fashion [jim fuller – new haven register]

Season review: Offensive line [john silver – journal inquirer]

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

Albany Devils 4, Connecticut Whale 3

By Wil Goldsholl

The Connecticut Whale went head to head with the Albany Devils for the second time in a week at the XL Center in Hartford on Friday. Despite an extremely unfavorable shot count, the Whale hung around late in to the game, only to fall 4-3 to their surging division rival.

CT WhaleThe Whale first responded to the Devils’ trap defense by “leading from the back”, as the expression goes. Mike Vernace, Sam Klassen, Logan Pyett, and Matt Gilroy all took their share of opportunities from the blueline in the early goings of the first period.

It was the starting forwards, however, that put the Whale on the board first. Kelsey Tessier fed the puck along the wall to Micheal Haley behind the net. After a brief scrum Haley laid the puck ahead of the short-side post intended for Tessier. Instead, the puck found its way to Ryan Bourque who, while falling, was able to slip it between the legs of Albany backstop Keith Kinkaid. Bourque’s fifth goal of the year came at 6:50 in the first.

Through the first 15 minutes of the period, the Whale defense kept the Devils’ shooters to the outside, and Albany replied by putting more traffic in front of Cam Talbot, who stopped 28 of the 32 shots he faced. Among those saves was a stop on Joe Whitney as he came in on a breakaway with five to play in the first.

An interference call against Ryan Bourque came at 18:39, and the Whale penalty kill would start the second period for 38 seconds.

Shortly after the penalty expired, Tim Sestito potted his second of the season on a shifty backhand. Mattias Tedenby fed David Wohlberg before Sestito blindly wheeled it towards the net. The shot caught Talbot cheating off the post and Sestito would even it up just 95 seconds into period two.

On a choppy chance in front of the net, the Whale earned their first shot of the period nearly seven minutes in. Brandon Segal went for tripping a minute later, but the penalty kill unit had a message to send. Kris Newbury grabbed the puck from Chad Kolarik near center, broke in to the zone and delayed at the circle. Newbury fed it across and the return pass left him alone to finish on the doorstep just 11 seconds in to the man-down situation.

The Devils replied almost instantly. Tedenby picked the puck up behind the net and rolled to the far side. The backhand low-to-high feed found Eric Gelinas at the point for a one-timer to beat Talbot and tie the game yet again.

Second period scoring continued when Jacob Josefson leg-tripped Shayne Wiebe at 11:48, and Mike Sislo was called for cross checking Christian Thomas retreating 17 seconds later. With the extended 5-on-3 opportunity, the Whale converted quickly. J.T. Miller hit Matt Gilroy with a pass at the point. He led the puck across to the young Christian Thomas whose one-time hammer sailed over the shoulder of Kinkaid for the 3-2 edge.

With just over two and a half to go in the period, Sam Klassen’s cross-ice outlet was intercepted by Bobby Butler. He walked in alone and beat Talbot with a top-shelf laser. Despite the Whale being outshot 17-5 in the second, the Whale and the Devils were knotted at 3-3 going in to the third.

The third period rolled by uneventfully; neither team saw a power play opportunity in the final 20 minutes. The squads exchanged chances, but the shooting on the period was only 8-7 in Connecticut’s favor. Kolarik knocked down a breakout pass and hit Miller with a pass that Kinkaid shut down, but that was as close as the Whale would come in the final stanza.

Josefson and Corbin McPherson would assist on a Harri Pesonen game-winning goal that came late. With 2:19 to play, Pesonen collected the puck and slipped between the defenders. A quick release found its way between the legs of Talbot and Albany had the lead for the first and most important time in the game.

Talbot left the net with 1:26 remaining, but the Devils’ trap proved to be too much for the Whale to generate any last-minute opportunities.

No player on the ice produced more than one goal, but Tedenby and Josefson finished with two assists apiece. Kinkaid made 15 saves on 18 Whale shots on goal.

Connecticut will face the Portland Pirates Saturday night at 7pm in Hartford.

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Albany Devils 4 at Connecticut Whale 3
Friday, December 14, 2012 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Albany 0 3 1 – 4
Connecticut 1 2 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Bourque 5 (Haley, Vernace), 6:50. Penalties-Bourque Ct (interference), 18:39.

2nd Period-2, Albany, Sestito 2 (Wohlberg, Tedenby), 1:35. 3, Connecticut, Newbury 8 (Kolarik, Pyett), 8:26 (SH). 4, Albany, Gelinas 1 (Tedenby, Josefson), 8:44 (PP). 5, Connecticut, Thomas 7 (Gilroy, Miller), 12:18 (PP). 6, Albany, Butler 9 17:27. Penalties-Segal Ct (tripping), 8:15; Josefson Alb (tripping), 11:48; Sislo Alb (cross-checking), 12:06; McKelvie Alb (roughing), 14:22.

3rd Period-7, Albany, Pesonen 3 (Josefson, McPherson), 17:41. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Albany 8-17-7-32. Connecticut 5-5-8-18.
Power Play Opportunities-Albany 1 / 2; Connecticut 1 / 3.
Goalies-Albany, Kinkaid 6-5-3 (18 shots-15 saves). Connecticut, Talbot 9-9-0 (32 shots-28 saves).
A-3,298
Referees-Jeff Smith (49), Ryan Murphy (5).
Linesmen-Jim Briggs (83), Kevin Redding (16).

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Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Roundup – 12/14

Paw Prints The Daily Roundup

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as the other sports the student-athletes engage in. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Women's Basketball links

Recruit Ekmark survives and advances [carl adamec – sny.com]

Morgan Tuck Waiting For Knee Brace [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Geno Auriemma Show to Debut on SNY Friday [uconnhuskies.com]

UConn Men's Basketball links

Jim Calhoun, Kevin Ollie and Huskies To Distribute Holiday Meals in Hartford on Dec. 18 [dom amore – hartford courant]

UConn’s memorable moments in Big East [kevin duffy – ct post]

Alumni Profile: A.J. Price [uconn huskies basketball]

Other UConn related links

Softball. UConn Softball Announces Hitting And Pitching Clinic [uconnhuskies.com]

It's OK for UConn fans to hit panic button [ct post]

Where does UConn go from here [ct post]

UConn Was There From The Start [hartford courant]

No Sympathy For Big East [hartford courant]

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In The Red Zone: San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots Preview – Week 15

In the Red Zone

This Week

RIP Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims

San Francisco 49ers @ New England Patriots

The New England Patriots host the San Francisco 49ers at Gillette Stadium on Sunday at 8:20 p.m.

The Patriots will be honoring the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting by wearing the decal above on their helmets. They'll also be lighting 26 white flares during a moment of silence before the game.

The 49ers —- The Patriots
Overall 9-3-1 Overall  10-3
Road record 4-2 Home record 5-1
AFC East  3-0 NFC West  1-2
AFC  3-0 NFC 1-2

Ed Hochuli is the referee assigned to the game.

The Line/Prediction

As of Thursday the line on the game from 5dimes.eu via Yahoo Sports has the Patriots at MINUS 5.  The over under is 46.5.

My Prediction is Patriots 31, 49ers, 24.  Give the points (Patriots) and take the over.  I am 3-10 against the spread and 9 of 13 on calling the over/under in 2012.

Tickets

The Patriots are reporting the game as a sell out. It is the 202nd consecutive sell out dating back to the 1994 season opener.  The record includes preseason, regular season and playoff games.

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

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

Getting to the Game

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

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

Click for all the game day information including stadium directions, parking and 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

NBC in televising the game nationally and Al Michaels will do play by play while Cris Collinsworth will provide the game analysis.  You can look here for your local affiliate.

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 and former Patriots QB Scott Zolak will do game analysis. It all starts with Gary Tanguay and Andy Gresh with the pregame show at 5:30 p.m. along the network. The post game starts after the final gun and continues for three hours along the network.

The Patriots radio network call is available on Sirius Channel 92, XM Channel 226 and on SiriusXM Internet Channel 818.

The 49ers Radio Network has Ted Robinson calling the game while former Niners All Pro DB Eric Davis provides the game analysis and Rod Brooks covers the sideline via their flagship stations KNBR and KSAN-FM.

Their call is available on Sirius Channel 92, XM Channel 225 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 827.

Dial Global Sports is carrying the game nationally via their affiliate network.  Dave Sims, James Lofton and Steve Tasker will call the game starting at 8 p.m.

Their call is available on Sirius Channel 94, XM Channel 227 and on SiriusXM Internet Channel 968.

Patriots All Access

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

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

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

To continue reading the San Francisco 49ers @ New England Patriots Week 15 preview, please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.

Last Week

The Patriots routed the AFC leading Texans, 42-14 at home.  The 49ers beat the Dolphins at home, 27-13.

History

  • This is the 12th meeting between the Patriots and the 49ers since the merger in 1970.
  • The two franchises have combined to win 8 Super Bowls between them in 12 appearances.
  • After a six game losing streak in the series, the Patriots have won the last three meetings.
  • This is the second meeting between the teams at Gillette Stadium and 7th overall in Foxboro
  • The Niners lead the overall series 7-4.
  • The Patriots won the last meeting in 2008, 30-21 in San Francisco.

Patriots Team Notes

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

2012 Patriots Schedule/Results

The Patriots overall franchise record is 424-368-9.  They have won three Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) in seven appearances.  Overall they are 23-16 in the post season.

They last appeared in the playoffs in 2011 when they beat Denver home in the AFC Divisional Playoff, 45-10 and defeated Baltimore 23-20 in Foxboro in the AFC Championship Game.  They lost Super Bowl XLVI to the New York Giants 21-17. 

The Patriots were 13-3 (2-1 in playoffs) in 2011 and are the defending four-time AFC East Champions as well as the defending AFC Conference Champions.  They have won the division 10 times and the conference 5 times since 2000.

This is the second year in a row the Patriots have back-to-back prime time games.  In 2011 they beat the Jets on SNF 37-16 on November 13 followed by a MNF win over the Chiefs, 34-3 on November 21.

Patriots have won 10 games for the 10th consecutive season only San Francisco has more consecutive 10 win seasons when they did it for 16 consecutive years from 1983-1998.

The Patriots are 18-15 all-time on Sunday Night Football, 11-5 as the home team and 6-3 at Gillette Stadium.

New England is 3-3 as the home team in the series.

Since 1999 the Patriots have the best record in the NFL at 157-64.

New England now has a 7-game winning streak after starting the season 3-3.

Since 2001 the Patriots are 72-16 in games played on Thanksgiving or later.

Since 2001 New England is 43-5 in December games.

The Patriots have not lost a December home game since December 22, 2002 to the New York Jets, 30-17.

They are 21-1 at home in December since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002.

The Patriots have won 13 consecutive December games dating back to 2009.  They are the fourth team to have won at least 12 consecutive December games.  San Diego won 18 (2006-09); Dallas 13 (1968-72) and New England 12 (2006-08).

Since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002, the Patriots are 72-14 at home in the regular season.

They are 18-3 vs. the NFC at Gillette Stadium.  The Packers (2002), Giants (2011) and Cardinals (2012) from the only NFC teams to have beaten the Patriots at home since 2002.

The Patriots are now a combined 21-0 in the second half of the season since 2010.  Their last loss in the second half was in 2009 in the season finale at Houston.

The New England defense has forced a turnover in 24 consecutive games dating back to Week 6 in 2011.

The Patriots have seven non-offensive touchdowns in 2012. The 2010 Patriots and 1961 Patriots teams own the team record with nine non-offensive touchdowns. The NFL record for most non-offensive touchdowns is 13 by Seattle in 1998.

Date             Game                     Touchdown

9/9/12          at Tennessee           Dont’a Hightower 6-yd. Fumble Return

10/21/12       vs. N.Y. Jets            Devin McCourty 104-yd. Kickoff Return

11/18/12       vs. Indianapolis        Julian Edelman 68-yd. Punt Return

11/18/12       vs. Indianapolis        Aqib Talib 59-yd. Int. Return

11/18/12       vs. Indianapolis        Alfonzo Dennard 87-yd. Int. return

11/22/12       at N.Y. Jets             Steve Gregory 32-yd. Fumble Return

11/22/12       at N.Y. Jets             Julian Edelman 22-yd. Fumble Return

The Patriots are 1st in the NFL in points per game with 36.3.  While they allow 21.0 points per game good for 11th in the NFL.

The New England defense has sacked the opponents quarterback 28 times this season while their quarterbacks have been sacked 20 times.

New England is PLUS 24 in turnover differential, 1st in the NFL. The offense has given up 3 INT and 5 fumbles, while the defense has 14 INTs and 18 fumble recoveries. 

The Patriots are 96 for 183 (52.5%) in 3rd down efficiency and 1 for 3 (33.3%) on fourth down attempts.  Opponents are 68 for 163 (41.7%) in 3rd down efficiency and 7 for 18 (38.9%) on 4th down attempts.

New England is 40 of 59 (67.8%) in the red zone while opponents are 22 for 35 (62.9%) in the red zone in 2012.

In goal to go situations New England is 31 for 38 (81.7%) and opponents are 17 for 21 (81%).

Since Robert Kraft bought the team in 1994 they:

  • Have the most Super Bowl wins, 3.
  • Have the most regular season wins, 203.
  • Have the most wins including playoffs, 222.
  • Have the most conference titles, 6.
  • Have the most division titles, 12.
  • Have the most playoff wins, 19
  • Have played the most playoff games, 29.
  • Are tied for the most playoff seasons, 14.
  • Have the best playoff win percentage, .671.
  • Have drafted the most Pro Bowl players, 20.

New England set the following team records in 2011:

  • Total yards, 6,848.
  • First downs, 399.
  • Net passing yards, 5,084.
  • 100+ yard receiving games, 18.
  • Games with 30+ points, 12 (tied for most in NFL history).

Patriots Staff Notes

This is the link to head coach Bill Belichick’s Wednesday press conference on the 49ers.

Bill Belichick is 3-0 vs. the San Francisco in his career (2-0 with the Patriots).

Overall in his NFL career Belichick is 185-100 in his 18th NFL season.  He is 149-56 with New England and 36-44 with Cleveland.  He is 17-7 in the playoffs, 16-6 as head coach of the Patriots in the post season.  When you combine his regular season and post season records he is 202-107.

Belichick’s 202 wins are good for 7th all-time. 

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

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.

He is the only coach in NFL history to have led his team to 10+ wins in 9 consecutive seasons.

Patriots Possible Starters

Offense:

  • LT: Solder
  • LG: Mankins
  • C: Wendell
  • RG: Connolly
  • RT: Vollmer
  • TE: Hernandez
  • WR: Branch
  • WR: Lloyd
  • WR: Welker
  • QB: Brady
  • RB: Ridley

Defense:

  • DE: Ninkovich
  • DT: Wilfork
  • DT: Love
  • DE: Jones
  • LB: Mayo
  • LB: Spikes
  • LB: Hightower
  • LCB: Talib
  • RCB: Dennard
  • S: McCourty
  • S: Gregory

Patriots Players Notes

This is Tom Brady’s 13th NFL season he is 1-0 against San Francisco in his career.  He missed the last meeting while recovering from ACL surgery in 2008.

Overall Brady is 134-38 as a starting QB and is 16-6 in the playoffs for an overall record of 150-44.  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 21st Greatest Player in the History of the NFL according to the NFL Network.

He was ranked in the preseason by ESPN’s Ron Jaworski as the 3rd best quarterback in the NFL.

Brady has 329 TD passes in his career he is now 5th all-time.  Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton is 4th with 342.

Brady has 134 regular season career wins he is 5th all-time.

Brady finished the 2011 season with 5,235 passing yards and joined Drew Brees (5,476 in 2011 and 5,069 in 2008), Dan Marino (5,084 in 1984) and Matthew Stafford (5,038 in 2011) as the only players in NFL history to reach 5,000 passing yards in a single season.

Brady has thrown at least 1 TD pass in 45 consecutive games.

The Patriots are 89-16 when Brady throws at least 2 TD passes in a game.

Brady has 52 games in his career with 300 or more passing yards he is tied for 5th all-time with Kurt Warner.

On the season Brady is 319 of 495 (64.4%) for 3833 yards with 29 TDs and 4 INTs his QB rating is 104.2.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 114 consecutive games including playoffs, 97 as a Patriot.  The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.

Welker leads the team with 95 catches for 1116 yards.

Welker has the second most receptions (745) all-time among undrafted receivers. Rod Smith is the NFL’s all-time leader with 849.

TE Rob Gronkowski has 37 receiving touchdowns and 38 touchdowns overall (1 rushing) since 2010. The NFL record for most receiving touchdowns in a player’s first three NFL seasons is 43 by Randy Moss and the NFL record for most touchdowns overall by a player in his first three NFL seasons is 47 by Barry Sanders (4 receiving and 43 rushing).

He is tied for the team lead with RB Stevan Ridley with 10 TDs.

Ridley has scored in 6 consecutive games.

Ridley leads the team in rushing with 1082 yards on 243 carries.

K Stephen Gostkowski has two field goals of 50 or more yards in 2012.  With one more he will be the first Patriots kicker with three field goals of 50 or more yards in one season.

Gostkowski (7 for 10) needs one more field goal of 50 or more yards to tie Adam Vinatieri (8 for 17) for most in team history.

TE Aaron Hernandez had the 3rd two TD game of his career on Monday night.

DE Rob Ninkovich leads the team with 6.5 sacks, it is a new career high for sacks.

Rookie DE Chandler Jones leads the team with 11 QB hits.

Ninkovich and LB Brandon Spikes lead the team in forced fumbles with 5 each, which ties Mike Vrabel’s franchise record.   

Ninkovich and DT Vince Wilfork lead the team with 4 recovered fumbles each.

Mayo leads the team through 13 weeks with 158 tackles (100 solo).  Spikes is second with 116 tackles (76 solo).

Rookie S Tavon Wilson and S Devin McCourty lead the team in INTs with 4. Wilson now has more INTs in his rookie NFL season than he did in his college career at Illinois.

McCourty also has team high 12 passes defensed in 2012. CB Kyle Arrington is 2nd with 10 passes defensed.

WR Matthew Slater has a team high 18 tackles on special teams.  Rookie S Nate Ebner is 2nd with 14 tackles on special teams.

There are only three players on the team who played on at least one of the Super Bowl championship teams, Brady (3), Branch (2) and Wilfork (1).

Roster moves this week:

  • WR Donte Stallworth was placed on IR.
  • TE Visanthe Shiancoe was released.
  • WR Deion Branch was re-signed by the team.
  • Signed WR/PR Tony Logan to the practice squad.

Patriots players with San Francisco area ties are: Brady who is from San Mateo; TE Daniel Fells played for UC-Davis; G Logan Mankins is from Catheys Valley and went to Fresno State; RB Shane Vereen attended University of California and WR Donte Stallworth (IR) is from Sacramento.

WR Brandon Lloyd is the lone former 49ers player with the Patriots.

The Patriots captains for 2012 are QB Tom Brady, DT Vince Wilfork, G Logan Mankins, LB Jerod Mayo, CB Devin McCourty and WR Matthew Slater (special teams).

The Patriots have 5 New England natives on the roster they are: TE Aaron Hernandez (Bristol CT); OL Donald Thomas (New Haven CT); DE Ron Brace (Worcester MA); LB Niko Koutouvides (Plainville CT) and OL Jamey Richard (Weston CT – IR). 

They have 11 players who played for a New England school or a Big East Conference member.  They are CB Will Allen (Syracuse – IR); DE Ron Brace (Boston College); RB James Develin (Brown); RB Tony Fiametta (Syracuse – Exempt List); DE Justin Francis (Rutgers); S Stephen Gregory (Syracuse); DE Chandler Jones (Syracuse); CB Devin McCourty (Rutgers); OL Donald Thomas (UConn); OL Jeremiah Warren (South Florida – Practice Squad) and NT Vince Wilfork (Miami).

The Patriots have 6 retired numbers: 20 – Gino Cappelletti, 40 – Mike Haynes, 73 – John Hannah, 78 – Bruce Armstrong, 79 – Jim Lee Hunt and 89 – Bob Dee.

49ers Team Notes

Here is the 49ers roster, depth chart and injury report for the game.

2012 49ers Schedule/Results

San Francisco’s all-time record is 531-426-16 they are 27-19 in the post season with their last post season appearance coming in 2011 when they beat the New Orleans Saints at home in the NFC Divisional game and lost at home to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship game.

The 49ers have won 5 Super Bowls (XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV, XXIX) in 5 appearances.

They were the NFL’s Dynasty of the 1980’s with 4 titles in the decade.

The Niners also had the NFL’s best record in the 1990’s going 122-54.

San Francisco is 3-3 all-time at New England and is 0-1 in Gillette Stadium.

The Niners have lost the last three games in the series.

San Francisco is 12-9 on Sunday Night Football games, they are 3-4 as the road team.

In the last two seasons the Niners are PLUS 34 in turnover ration second in the NFL to only the Patriots who are PLUS 41 in the same time span.

The 49ers and Patriots are the only two NFL teams to ever win 18 games in one season (San Francisco was 18-1 in 1984; New England was 18-1 in 2007).

This is the first of two consecutive Sunday Night Football games for the Niners who play at Seattle next week.

The Niners are 13th in the NFL in points per game with 24.3.  While they allow 14.2 points per game good for 1st in the NFL.

The San Francisco defense has sacked the opponents quarterback 32 times this season while their quarterbacks have been sacked 38 times.

San Francisco is PLUS 6 in turnover differential, tied for 11th in the NFL. The offense has given up 6 INT and 6 fumbles, while the defense has 10 INTs and 8 fumble recoveries. 

The 49ers are 56 for 155 (36.1%) in 3rd down efficiency and 4 for 7 (57.1%) on fourth down attempts.  Opponents are 55 for 175 (31.4%) in 3rd down efficiency and x for x (42.9%) on 4th down attempts.

San Francisco is 24 of 43 (55.8%) in the red zone while opponents are 14 for 25 (56%) in the red zone in 2012.

49ers Staff Notes

Read what San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh had to say to the New England media about the match up.

San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh, is in his 2nd season, he is 22-6-1 in the regular season and 1-1 in the post season for an overall record of 23-7-1.

He has never faced the Patriots.

Harbaugh led the team to the NFC West Division title and the NFC Championship Game in his first season.

He was the NFL Coach of the Year in 2011, succeeding Patriots Bill Belichick with that honor.

Harbaugh’s brother John is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.

The brothers each ended up one win away from facing each other in the Super Bowl last year.

He is one of nine head coaches who had NFL playing experience.

Former Patriots coach Brad Seeley is the 49ers assistant head coach/Special Teams Coordinator.

49ers Possible Starters

Offense:

  • LT: Staley
  • LG: Iupatti
  • C: Goodwin
  • RG: Boone
  • RT: A. Davis
  • TE: V. Davis
  • WR: Crabtree
  • WR: Manningham
  • QB: Kaepernick
  • RB: Gore
  • RB: Miller

Defense:

  • DT: McDonald
  • DT: J. Smith
  • OLB: Brooks
  • ILB: Bowman
  • ILB: Willis
  • OLB A. Smith
  • CB: Rogers
  • CB: Brown
  • CB: Culliver
  • S: Goldson
  • S: Whitner

49ers Players Notes

49ers QB Colin Kaepernick took over the starting job in Week 11 after Alex Smith suffered a concussion in the Week 10 24-24 tie with St. Louis.

Kaepernick is in his 2nd NFL season.  He is 3-1 in the regular season and has never faced New England.

Kaepernick was San Francisco’s 2nd round draft pick in the 2011 NFL Draft out of the University of Nevada.

He is the only QB in NCAA history to throw for 10,000 yards and rush for 4,000 yards.

He has the two longest runs by a QB in Niners history both were for 50 yards breaking Steve Yong’s record 49-yard run.

Kaepernick is 87 of 129 (67.4%) for 1073 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT for a quarterback rating of 97.4.

RB Frank Gore leads the team in rushing yards with 1035.

Gore is in a three-way tie with Roger Craig and Joe Perry for most rushing TD’s in franchise history with 50.

He is 3rd in franchise history in yards from scrimmage with 11, 236.  He trails Roger Craig (11,506) and Jerry Rice (19,872).

Gore is the Niners all-time rushing yards leader with 8,660.

WR Michael Crabtree leads San Francisco with 66 catches for 761 yards.

TE Vernon Davis ranks first in franchise history among tight ends in TDs (40) and second in receptions and receiving yards.

S Dashon Goldson leads the Niners in INTs with 3.

LB Aldon Smith has 19.5 sacks to lead the NFL he also set a new San Francisco franchise record.

He also has a team high 3 forced fumbles.

He has 5 games in his career with 2 or more sacks.

Smith’s 33.5 career sacks are the highest total in NFL history in a players first two seasons.

NaVorro Bowman leads San Francisco with 150 tackles (76 solo).

DT Justin Smith has a team high 52 QB hits for the season.

CB Carlos Rogers has 3 fumble recoveries to lead the team.

CB Chris Culliver leads the Niners with 13 passes defensed.

There is one former Patriot returning to Foxboro on Sunday and that is WR Randy Moss.

San Francisco captains for 2012 are QB Alex Smith, DT Justin Smith, RB Frank Gore and LB Patrick Willis.

There are 2 players on the 49ers roster from Big East universities.  They are P Andy Lee (Pittsburgh) and T Anthony Davis (Rutgers)

The Niners have 12 retired numbers.  They are 8 – Steve Young; 12 – John Brodie; 16 – Joe Montana; 34 – Joe Perry; 37 – Jimmy Johnson; 39 – Hugh McElhenney; 42 – Ronnie Lott; 70 – Charlie Krueger; 73 – Leo Nomellini; 79 – Bob St. Clair; 80 – Jerry Rice and 87 – Dwight Clark.  In addition former owner Ed DeBartolo Jr. and former coach Bill Walsh have their names up as honorees within the retired numbers.

Next Week

The Patriots visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Ever Bank Field in Jacksonville FL.  Kick off is at 1 p.m. on CBS.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

2013 Golden Globe Nominations

The 2013 Golden Globe Nominations came out on Thursday morning for the awards ceremony that will be held on January 13, 2013 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA and broadcast on NBC.

Golden Globe

On the movie side of things, Lincoln leads the way with seven nominations followed Argo and Django Unchained which both came in with five nominations.

On the television side of things, HBO led the way again with 17 nominations while Showtime pulled in seven. Game Change led the with five nominations while Showtime's Homeland had four. Modern Family, PBS' Downton Abbey: Season 2 and the HBO film The Girl all tallied three nominations

To see the full list of 2013 Golden Globe Nominations, click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

ARGO

DJANGO UNCHAINED

LIFE OF PI

LINCOLN

ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

Jessica Chastain – ZERO DARK THIRTY

Marion Cotillard- RUST AND BONE

Helen Mirren – HITCHCOCK

Naomi Watts – THE IMPOSSIBLE

Rachel Weisz – THE DEEP BLUE SEA

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

Daniel Day-Lewis – LINCOLN

Richard Gere – ARBITRAGE

John Hawkes – THE SESSIONS

Joaquin Phoenix – THE MASTER

Denzel Washington – FLIGHT

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

LES MISERABLES

MOONRISE KINGDOM

SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Emily Blunt – SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN

Judi Dench – THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

Jennifer Lawrence – SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

Maggie Smith – QUARTET

Meryl Streep – HOPE SPRINGS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Jack Black – BERNIE

Bradley Cooper – SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

Hugh Jackman – LES MISERABLES

Ewan McGregor – SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN

Bill Murray – HYDE PARK ON HUDSON

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

BRAVE

FRANKENWEENIE

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

WRECK-IT RALPH

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

AMOUR (AUSTRIA)

A ROYAL AFFAIR (DENMARK)

THE INTOUCHABLES (FRANCE)

KON-TIKI (NORWAY/UK/DENMARK)

RUST AND BONE (FRANCE)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

Amy Adams – THE MASTER

Sally Field – LINCOLN

Anne Hathaway – LES MISERABLES

Helen Hunt – THE SESSIONS

Nicole Kidman – THE PAPERBOY

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

Alan Arkin – ARGO

Leonardo DiCaprio – DJANGO UNCHAINED

Philip Seymour Hoffman – THE MASTER

Tommy Lee Jones – LINCOLN

Christoph Waltz – DJANGO UNCHAINED

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE

Ben Affleck – ARGO

Kathryn Bigelow – ZERO DARK THIRTY

Ang Lee – LIFE OF PI

Steven Spielberg – LINCOLN

Quentin Tarantino – DJANGO UNCHAINED

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE

Mark Boal – ZERO DARK THIRTY

Tony Kushner – LINCOLN

David O. Russell – SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

Quentin Tarantino – DJANGO UNCHAINED

Chris Terrio – ARGO

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE

Mychael Danna – LIFE OF PI

Alexandre Desplat – ARGO

Dario Marianelli – ANNA KARENINA

Tom Tykwer, – CLOUD ATLAS
Johnny Klimek,
Reinhold Heil 

John Williams – LINCOLN

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE

“FOR YOU” — ACT OF VALOR
Music by: Monty Powell, Keith Urban
Lyrics by: Monty Powell, Keith Urban

“NOT RUNNING ANYMORE”—STAND UP GUYS
Music by: Jon Bon Jovi
Lyrics by: Jon Bon Jovi

“SAFE & SOUND” — THE HUNGER GAMES
Music by: Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams, T Bone Burnett
Lyrics by: Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams, T Bone Burnett

“SKYFALL”—SKYFALL
Music by: Adele, Paul Epworth
Lyrics by: Adele, Paul Epworth

“SUDDENLY” — LES MISERABLES
Music by: Claude-Michel Schonberg
Lyrics by: Herbert Kretzmer, Alain Boublil

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

BREAKING BAD

BOARDWALK EMPIRE

DOWNTON ABBEY: SEASON 2

HOMELAND

THE NEWSROOM

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

Connie Britton – NASHVILLE

Glenn Close – DAMAGES

Claire Danes – HOMELAND

Michelle Dockery – DOWNTON ABBEY: SEASON 2

Julianna Margulies – THE GOOD WIFE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

Steve Buscemi – BOARDWALK EMPIRE

Bryan Cranston – BREAKING BAD

Jeff Daniels – THE NEWSROOM

Jon Hamm – MAD MEN

Damian Lewis – HOMELAND

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

THE BIG BANG THEORY

EPISODES

GIRLS

MODERN FAMILY

SMASH

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Zooey Deshanel – NEW GIRL

Julia Louis-Dreyfus – VEEP

Lena Dunham – GIRLS

Tina Fey – 30 ROCK

Amy Poehler – PARKS AND RECREATION

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Alec Baldwin – 30 ROCK

Don Cheadle – HOUSE OF LIES

Louis C.K. –  LOUIE

Matt LeBlanc – EPISODES

Jim Parsons – THE BIG BANG THEORY

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

GAME CHANGE

THE GIRL

HATFIELDS & MCCOYS

THE HOUR

POLITICAL ANIMALS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Nicole Kidman – HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN

Jessica Lange – AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM

Sienna Miller – THE GIRL

Julianne Moore – GAME CHANGE

Sigourney Weaver – POLITICAL ANIMALS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Kevin Costner – HATFIELDS & MCCOYS

Benedict Cumberbatch – SHERLOCK (MASTERPIECE)

Woody Harrelson – GAME CHANGE

Toby Jones – THE GIRL

Clive Owen – HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Hayden Panettiere – NASHVILLE

Archie Panjabi – THE GOOD WIFE

Sarah Paulson – GAME CHANGE

Maggie Smith – DOWNTON ABBEY: SEASON 2

Sofia Vergara – MODERN FAMILY

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Max Greenfield  – NEW GIRL

Ed Harris – GAME CHANGE

Danny Huston –  MAGIC CITY

Mandy Patinkin – HOMELAND

Eric Stonestreet – MODERN FAMILY

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

Report: Red Sox Sign Ryan Dempster To Two-Year Deal

Ryan Dempster #46 of the Chicago Cubs looks on before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 30, 2012 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois.

One of the positions we knew the Boston Red Sox were looking for during free agency was starting pitching. Up until now, they haven't signed any.

That all changed though on Thursday.

According to multiple media reports, the Red Sox and free agent pitcher Ryan Dempster have agreed to terms on a deal. According to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, the deal is worth $26.5 million over the two years.

If the report is true, the Red Sox rotation will consist of Dempster, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, John Lackey and Felix Doubront or Franklin Morales. Of course that could change if the Red Sox decided to sign another pitcher.

Dempster spent the 2012 season with the Chicago Cubs before being traded to the Texas Rangers. Combined between the two teams, Dempster was 12-8 with a 3.38 ERA.

He dominated the Red Sox last season going to 2-0 with 0.00 ERA (0 ER/13.2 IP). He's made three career starts at the Fens over the years and is 1-1 with a 6.06 ERA (11 ER/16.1 IP).

Another good signing for Ben Cherington and the Red Sox.

Dempster should help stabilize the Red Sox rotation and eat up innings. Before last year when he threw 173 innings, he had gone at least 200 innings for the four seasons before.

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photo credit: getty images