Here are the highlights from the UConn Huskies football team's 24-17 win over the Pitt Panthers on Friday night at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT.
Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.
Photo credit: patrick raycraft – hartford courant (no. 9 in gallery)
If the UConn Huskies football team could have played like they did in the first half on Friday night all season long, maybe their results would have been different. Of course, they really do need to remember the game is 60 minutes long.
UConn held off a late charge from the Pittsburgh Panthers for a 24-17 win in front of 33,503 and a nationally televised audience at Rentschler Field.
It's the first conference win of the season for the Huskies as they improve to 4-6 (1-4 Big East). The Panthers fall to 4-6 (1-4). Both teams now need to win their final two games to become bowl-eligible.
The Huskies looked great out of the opening gate. They had as many rushing yards on their opening touchdown drive (42) as they did in the loss to South Florida last week (43).
UConn used those 42 yards rushing as well as three passes to Ryan Griffin including the final one which went for a touchdown. The defense responded with a three-and-out and the offense once again drove down the field. This time though, they had to settle for a Chad Christen field goal.
Meanwhile the defense kept doing its part, keeping Tito Sunseri off balance and shutting down the rushing attack of Ray Graham.
UConn had a great second quarter as they scored 14 more points to go up 24-0 and it looked as though the Huskies were on their way to a rout. But once again, the play calling got conservative in the second half and that allowed the Panthers to get back into the game.
Even with 2:32 to go in the game, the final outcome wasn't settled until Whitmer found Shakim Phillips for a 17 yard gain and a first down. From there, UConn was able to close out the game to earn the win.
Honestly, I thought the Huskies were great in the first half, lousy in the second (mostly 4th quarter). While as I said above, the play calling was suspect. But it also looked as though UConn wasn't playing with the same intensity on both sides of the ball.
Still though, it's a solid win and something to learn from and grow from. And they'll need to do just that if they want to avoid being home for the winter instead of playing in a bowl game.
Scoring:
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
| Pittsburgh Panthers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 17 |
| UConn Huskies | 10 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
1st quarter
CON – 08:31 – Ryan Griffin 2 Yd Pass From Chandler Whitmer (Chad Christen Kick)
CON – 01:43 – Chad Christen 29 Yd Field Goal
2nd quarter
CON – 09:26 – Nick Williams 80 Yd Punt Return (Chad Christen Kick)
CON – 01:02 – Lyle McCombs 2 Yd Run (Chad Christen Kick)
3rd quarter
PIT – 10:33 – Kevin Harper 42 Yd Field Goal
4th quarter
PIT – 13:37 – Drew Carswell 11 Yd Pass From Tino Sunseri (Kevin Harper Kick)
PIT – 02:46 – Mike Shanahan 18 Yd Pass From Tino Sunseri (Kevin Harper Kick)
To continue reading, the Pittsburgh Panthers @ UConn Huskies recap, click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.
Offensive Players of the Game:
Lyle McCombs had just his second 100 yard rushing game of the season with 120 yards and a touchdown. Also have to give some props to Nick Williams who had 160 all-purpose yards including an 80 yard punt return for a touchdown.
Defensive Player of the Game:
Sio Moore seemed like he was everywhere even though he had six tackles. Three of those tackles were for a loss that included two sacks. He also had two pass breakups and one QB hit. Just a great all around game from him.
Turning Point(s) of the Game:
With Pitt mounting their 4th quarter comeback, UConn had the ball 3rd and 7 on their own 28 with 2:32 in the game. After the timeout, Chandler Whitmer hit Shakim Phillips for 17 yards to seal the win for the Huskies.
Offensive Notes:
Chandler Whitmer was 19-of-25 for 213 yards and a touchdown. He threw one interception and was sacked twice. He had five carries for -7 yards and fumbled that was recovered by UConn. Lyle McCombs had 29 rushes for 120 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Griffin was Whitmer's favorite target as they hooked up six times for 84 yards. Shakim Phillips had five catches for 52 yards. Nick Williams had three catches for 31 yards while Michael Smith's only catch was good for 27 yards.
Defensive Notes:
Yawin Smallwood led the Huskies with nine tackles. Sio Moore had six tackles, including three for a loss. He had two sacks, two pass breakups and one QB hit. Dwayne Gratz and Jory Johnson both had six tackles as well. Tim Willman had three tackles and a sack.
Special Teams Notes:
Nick Williams was spectacular. He had an 80 yard punt return for a touchdown and finished with 122 yards on returns (42 on kickoffs, 80 on punts. Cole Wagner averaged 41.4 yards on five punts. Two of those punts were downed inside the 20. Chad Christen made all three of his extra points and was good on his only field goal attempt. Only one of his five kickoffs went for a touchback.
Injuries:
Sio Moore suffered a leg injury in the 4th quarter but returned to the game.
Officials:
Referee: Jerry McGinn; Umpire: John Shigo; Linesman: Lyndell Shelton; Line judge: Chuck Rice; Back judge: James Downey; Field judge: Ben Vasconcells; Side judge: Bruce Williams; Scorer: Andy Prince
Game Notes:
Pitt Panthers @ UConn Huskies 11.9.12 box score
Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni and Pittsburgh head coach Paul Chryst as well as players from both teams.
Here are the starters for the Huskies:
OFFENSE
WR 6 Smith, Michael
TE 89 Delahunt, John
LT 72 Bennett, Jimmy
LG 69 Greene, Steve
C 50 Bullock, Tyler
RG 65 Cruz, Gus
RT 77 Friend, Kevin
QB 10 Whitmer, Chandler
TB 43 McCombs, Lyle
FB 47 Frank, Reuben
WR 85 Davis, Geremy
DEFENSE
DE 48 Williams, Trevardo
DT 53 Wirth, Ryan
DT 59 Stephen, Shamar
DE 56 Pruitt, Angelo
SLB 3 Moore, Sio
MLB 33 Smallwood, Yawin
WLB 28 Johnson, Jory
CB 5 Wreh-Wilson, Blidi
S 16 Jones, Byron
S 15 Brown, Ty-Meer
CB 7 Gratz, Dwayne
Here are the game notes from the UConn Huskies Sports Information Department:
Big East Games and Results:
Saturday, November 10
Army
(23) Rutgers, 12 p.m.
(9) Louisville
Syracuse, 12 p.m.
Cincinnati
Temple, 12 p.m.
Things to Work On:
Up Next:
UConn is off again next weekend. They return to action on November 24th when they head Papa John Cardinal Stadium to take on the Louisville Cardinals.
Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.
Photo credit: patrick raycraft – hartford courant (no. 9 in gallery), getty images
DeAndre Daniels had himself a fine game with 12 points in the UConn Huskies men's basketball team's 66-62 upset of the Michigan State Spartans in the Armed Forces Classic.
But none of them were nasty like this dunk:
Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.
Springfield, MA, November 9, 2012 – Former Connecticut Whale Tim Erixon, who had four points and a +6 against his old club in a 10-2 Springfield Falcon win Sunday in Hartford, burned the Whale again Friday night at the MassMutual Center, scoring the only two goals of the game in a 2-0 Springfield victory.
Both of Erixon’s goals were on power plays, as Springfield had 11 man advantages in the game, and outshot the Whale 40-20
In sharp contrast to Sunday’s battle between the two teams at the XL Center, Friday’s game was a 0-0 standoff through two periods. Whale goaltender Cam Talbot was busy, stopping 18 shots in the first period and nine more in the second, but Springfield’s Curtis McElhinney also faced some tough chances among his 13 stops.
The Falcons finally broke the scoreless tie at 1:03 of the third frame, during a penalty to the Whale’s Tommy Grant that carried over from the second period. Erixon took a feed from fellow ex-Whale Jonathan Audy-Marchessault high in the slot a pounded a slap shot past a screened Talbot on the stick side.
Erixon then struck again on a two-man advantage at 13:55, this time firing a shot from the right side of the slot past Talbot’s catching glove and in, after Nick Drazenovic found Erixon with a pass from along the goal line.
More Whale penalties prevented Connecticut from getting back in the game, and McElhinney was able to complete his third shutout of the season, and hand the Whale their first blanking of the year.
The Whale are right back in action Saturday night, as they travel to Worcester to battle the Sharks in a 7:00 game. The action of that tilt can be heard live on “The Rock” 106.9 WCCC, and on-line at www.ctwhale.com.
The Whale’s next home game is Friday, November 16, when the Portland Pirates make their first visit of the season to the XL Center for a 7:00 game. At each and every Friday Whale home game this year, fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs and $2 beers until 8:00 PM. Tickets for that game, and all Whale regular season home games at the XL Center, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.
To continue reading, please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.
Connecticut Whale 0 at Springfield Falcons 2
Friday, November 9, 2012 – MassMutual Center
Connecticut 0 0 0 – 0
Springfield 0 0 2 – 2
1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Kolarik Ct (roughing), 2:23; Johansen Spr (roughing), 2:35; Audy-Marchessault Spr (slashing), 5:17; Collins Ct (slashing), 9:45; Vernace Ct (hooking), 12:19.
2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Erixon Spr (tripping), 4:03; Erixon Spr (interference), 10:19; served by Grant Ct (bench minor – too many men), 16:02; Grant Ct (holding, fighting), 19:29; Craig Spr (fighting), 19:29.
3rd Period-1, Springfield, Erixon 2 (Audy-Marchessault, Kubalik), 1:03 (PP). 2, Springfield, Erixon 3 (Drazenovic, Atkinson), 13:55 (PP). Penalties-Newbury Ct (boarding), 1:21; Joudrey Spr (slashing), 6:08; Savard Spr (tripping), 6:51; Haley Ct (interference), 8:35; Moore Spr (slashing), 9:13; Vernace Ct (slashing), 10:32; served by Kubalik Spr (bench minor – too many men), 11:12; served by Thomas Ct (unsportsmanlike conduct – disputing decision), 12:15; Newbury Ct (boarding, game misconduct – abuse of officials), 12:15; Vernace Ct (delay of game), 16:56; Klassen Ct (high-sticking), 18:36; Niemi Ct (fighting), 19:51; Kubalik Spr (fighting), 19:51.
Shots on Goal-Connecticut 7-6-7-20. Springfield 18-9-13-40.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 0 / 7; Springfield 2 / 11.
Goalies-Connecticut, Talbot 3-2-0 (40 shots-38 saves). Springfield, McElhinney 7-1-1 (20 shots-20 saves).
A-5,653
Referees-Chris Cozzan (18), T.J. Luxmore (49).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Frank Murphy (29).
Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.
Everyone said this was going to be a down year for the UConn Huskies men's basketball team.
But if they show the same resiliency they did on Friday night in the Armed Forces Classic, they are going to surprise a lot of people and teams across this great nation of ours.
Shabazz Napier had 25 points to lead UConn to the 66-62 upset over the No. 14 Michigan State Spartans in front of 3,100 in the Armed Forces Classic at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
It's the first career win for new UConn head coach Kevin Ollie. Michigan State falls to 0-1 on the very young season.
This was the first time the NCAA has played a basketball game in Europe and it served as a homecoming for UConn's German contingent, Niels Giffey, Enosch Wolf and Leon Tolksdorf. Giffey had three points in the game while Wolf had two. Tolksdorf did not see any action.
Ryan Boatright added 13 points while DeAndre Daniels had 12. The Spartans were led by Keith Appling's 17 points.
UConn Huskies vs Michigan State Spartans Armed Forces Classic 11.9.12 box score
Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Kevin Ollie.
Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.
photo credit: ap photo
New England Patriots running back Brandon Bolden has been suspended for four games by the NFL for testing postive for PED's.
Here's the statement from the NFL:
Brandon Bolden of the New England Patriots has been suspended without pay for four games for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances.
Bolden’s suspension begins immediately. He will be eligible to return to the Patriots’ active roster on Monday, December 3 following the team’s December 2 game against the Miami Dolphins.
Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.
photo credit: getty images
The UConn Huskies women's basketball team has had three of its players, Stefanie Dolson, Bria Hartley and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, all named to Preseason Wooden Award Top 30 list.
Here's the release:
STORRS, Conn. – Stefanie Dolson, Bria Hartley and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis were named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top-30 as announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Friday. The list is comprised of 30 student-athletes who, based on last year’s individual performance and team records, are the early front-runners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor. The list is chosen by a preseason poll of national college women’s basketball media members.
The BIG EAST led all conferences with seven selections, followed by the ACC with six, the Big 12 and Big 10 with five each, the SEC, Pac-12 and CAA with two, and the Ivy League with one. Williams and Mosqueda-Lewis were the only sophomores chosen.
This marks the second appearance on the preseason list for juniors Dolson and Hartley. Dolson led the Huskies in rebounding in the 2011-12 campaign pulling down 6.0 boards per game and was the leader in blocks with 57 denials. Hartley, a WBCA/State Farm First Team All-American, was tabbed to the 2011-12 All-BIG EAST First Team after averaging 14 points and 3.7 assists per game. Sophomore Mosqueda-Lewis had a breakout freshman season with the Huskies earning her the titles of BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year after being the top UConn scorer with 15 points per game.
The Huskies will kick off the regular season at home on Sunday, November 11 when they welcome College of Charleston to Gampel Pavilion for a 1:30 p.m. tipoff.
To see 2012-13 John R. Wooden Award Women's Preseason Top 30 List, please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.
| PLAYER | YR | POS | TEAM | CONF |
| Alex Bentley | Sr. | G | Penn State | Big Ten |
| Carolyn Davis | Sr. | F | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Elena Delle Donne@ | Sr. | G/F | Delaware | CAA |
| Skylar Diggins@ | Sr. | G | Notre Dame | Big East |
| Jasmine Dixon | Sr. | F | UCLA | Pac-12 |
| Stefanie Dolson | Jr. | C | Connecticut | Big East |
| Shante Evans | Sr. | F | Hofstra | CAA |
| Christina Foggie | Jr. | G | Vanderbilt | SEC |
| Chassidy Fussell | Jr. | G | Texas | Big 12 |
| Angel Goodrich | Sr. | G | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Chelsea Gray | Jr. | G | Duke | ACC |
| Brittney Griner@*# | Sr. | P | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Bria Hartley | Jr. | G | Connecticut | Big East |
| Tayler Hill | Sr. | G | Ohio State | Big Ten |
| Jordan Hooper | Jr. | F | Nebraska | Big Ten |
| Natasha Howard | Jr. | F | Florida State | ACC |
| Maggie Lucas | Jr. | G | Penn State | Big Ten |
| Tyaunna Marshall | Jr. | G | Georgia Tech | ACC |
| Anna Martin | Sr. | G | DePaul | Big East |
| A dia Mathies | Sr. | G | Kentucky | SEC |
| Laurin Mincy | Jr. | G | Maryland | ACC |
| Lindsey Moore | Sr. | G | Nebraska | Big Ten |
| Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis | So. | F | Connecticut | Big East |
| Chiney Ogwumike | Jr. | F | Stanford | Pac-12 |
| Niveen Rasheed | Sr. | F | Princeton | Ivy League |
| Sugar Rodgers | Sr. | G | Georgetown | Big East |
| Shoni Schimmel | Jr. | G | Louisville | Big East |
| Odyssey Sims | Jr. | G | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Alyssa Thomas | Jr. | F | Maryland | ACC |
| Elizabeth Williams | So. | C | Duke | ACC |
(Based on a preseason poll. Players listed alphabetically.)
*indicates player chosen to the 2011 Wooden All American Team
@ indicates player chosen to the 2012 Wooden All American team
# indicates 2012 John R. Wooden Award winner
Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.
Here's a look at an all access special about the 2012-13 UConn Huskies women's basketball team that aired on SNY.
To continue watching, please click on the continue reading button below if you’re on the home page.
Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.
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.
It's game day for the UConn Huskies men's basketball team as they will take on the Michigan State Spartans in the Armed Forces Classic in Germany. Tip is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
You can watch the game on ESPN or catch it online or your mobile device on WatchESPN. You can also listen on the IMG/UConn Radio Network. Interestingly enough, former head coach Jim Calhoun will be doing the color commentary.
It's also game day for the UConn Huskies football team as they'll host the Pitt Panthers at Rentschler Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. If you missed our Pitt vs UConn preview be sure to check it out.
You can watch the game on ESPN2 or catch it online or your mobile device on WatchESPN. You can also listen on the UConn/IMG Radio Network.
To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click
UConn Football links
What to watch in the Big East: Week 11 [matt fortuna – espn.com]
Pitt looks for quick turnaround at UConn [matt fortuna -espn.com]
Did you know? Big East Week 11 [matt fortuna – espn.com]
Preview: Pitt at UConn football [lee lewis – republican-american]
SNY’s Sean Mulcahy previews UConn-Pittsburgh [sean mulcahy – sny.com]
Lonely kicker [john silver – sny.com]
Pittsburgh and Connecticut Battle at Rentschler Field Friday Night [bigeast.org]
UConn Football Team Still Looking For A Way To Score [hartford courant]
Cruz gets call on offensive line vs. Pitt [new haven register]
Pittsburgh, UConn trying to salvage seasons [ap]
UConn Men's Basketball links
With UConn in Germany: Wrapping Up Day 2 [dom amore – hartford courant]
Daniels ready for Year 2 [john silver – sny.com]
UConn Men's Basketball Preview [the uconn blog]
A Full Day For Huskies In Germany [uconnhuskies.com]
Huskies Take Part In Appreciation Day [uconnhuskies.com]
Busy Game Day For Coach Ollie [uconnhuskies.com]
'Special experience' awaits UConn's 3 Germans [ct post]
UConn Men Make Time For Some Air Base Kids [hartford courant]
Huskies Ready For Kevin Ollie's First Game As Coach [hartford courant]
Calhoun Gets Chance To Be A Radio Analyst [hartford courant]
Putting Together Basketball Court In Hangar Truly An International Operation [hartford courant]
The Kevin Ollie era begins in Germany [new haven register]
UConn men, like their coach, won't shy away from a challenge [the day]
UConn starts regular season in Germany [ap]
MSU, Connecticut get chance to break tie in competitive hoops series [detroit free press]
UConn Women's Basketball links
Freshman Stewart ready to get started [carl adamec – sny.com]
Wolters. Culmo To Greet Fans at People’s United Bank [john altavilla – hartford courant]
UConn Now Banking On Brianna [john altavilla – hartford courant]
Bridgeport To Get NCAA Regional [john altavilla – hartford courant]
Injuries Likely To Rob Walk-On Pope Chance To Play For Huskies [rich elliott – ct post]
Banks’ Progress On Display In Win Over Holy Family [rich elliott – ct post]
Notre Dame's Carol Owens a fan of Kelly Faris [jim fuller – new haven register]
The other freshmen [lee lewis – republican-american]
The Husky Connection to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp [uconnhuskies.com]
As Brianna Banks' Confidence Increases, So Should Minutes [hartford courant]
Kelly Faris leads by example [new haven register]
Other UConn related links
M. Cross Country. Huskies Send Three to NCAA Northeast Regionals on Friday [uconnhuskies.com]
W. Cross Country. Women's Cross Country Prepared for NCAA Northeast Regional [uconnhuskies.com]
M. Soccer. No. 1 Seed Huskies Prepare For BIG EAST Semifinals [uconnhuskies.com]
M. Soccer. Andre Blake, Carlos Alvarez Take Home Major BIG EAST Awards [uconnhuskies.com]
M. Ice Hockey. Men's Hockey To host Sacred Heart Friday [uconnhuskies.com]
Field Hockey. Field Hockey Featured in Times Square [uconnhuskies.com]
Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.
This Week
The New England Patriots host their AFC East Rival Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m.
| The Bills | —- | The Patriots | ||
| Overall | 3-5 | Overall | 5-3 | |
| Road record | 2-3 | Home record | 2-1 | |
| AFC East | 0-2 | AFC East | 2-0 | |
| AFC | 2-4 | AFC | 4-1 | |
The Line/Prediction
As of Thursday the line on the game from 5dimes.eu via Yahoo Sports has the Patriots at MINUS 12.5. The OVER/UNDER is 52.
My Prediction is Patriots 38, Bills, 21. Give the points (Patriots) and take the over. I am 2-6 against the spread and 5 of 8 on calling the over/under in 2012.
Tickets
The Patriots are reporting the game as a sell out. It is the 199th consecutive sell out dating back to the 1994 season opener. The record includes preseason, regular season and playoff games.
Tickets to the game, if available, can be purchased through Ticketmaster. You can check the availability here.
After market tickets are available through the Official Patriots Ticket Exchange where season ticket holders can sell their unused seats to fans on the season ticket waiting list.
Getting to the Game
If you’re lucky enough to be going to the game in Foxboro make sure you check out the links.
Here is the up to date weather forecast from the Weather Channel for Foxboro MA.
Click for all the game day information including stadium directions, parking information and map and a Gillette Stadium seating chart.
Tailgating
Here’s a bunch of different tailgating recipes from Tailgating.com. There’s something there for everyone and every type of meal or snack. I’ve tried some of the recipes and they’re very good.
And with tailgating many people enjoy some adult beverages. With that in mind check out Drink Nation for how to make all sorts of great drinks. You can look things up by name, ingredient(s) or theme.
Whether it’s at the game, a bar or a friend’s house moderation is always the key to a great time. Please don’t drink and drive and designate a sober driver. Remember You Drink, You Drive, You Lose.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television
CBS in televising the game regionally and Ian Eagle will do play by play while Dan Fouts will provide the game analysis. You can look here for your local affiliate.
See if you’re getting the game courtesy of J.P. Kirby at the506.com.
The DirecTV designation is Channel 710.
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 10 a.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 91, XM Channel 228 and on SiriusXM Internet Channel 818.
The Bills Radio Network has John Murphy calling the game while former Bills DB Mark Kelso provide the game analysis via their flagship station, WGR-AM.
Their call is available on Sirius Channel 106 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 803.
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.
You can also watch it anytime on the teams website in the media section.
To continue reading the Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots Week 10 preview, please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.
Last Week
The Patriots were off on their bye week. The Bills lost to the Texans in Houston 21-9.
History
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 419-368-9. They have won three Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) in seven appearances. Overall they are 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 two-time AFC East Champions as well as the defending AFC Conference Champions. They have won the division 8 times and the conference 5 times since 2000.
The Patriots will be honoring recently retired RB Kevin Faulk at halftime on Sunday. Faulk, drafted by the Patriots in the 2nd round out of LSU in 1999, played 13 seasons with New England. He was a mmeber of all three Patriots Super Bowl Championship teams and is the franchise leader in all-purpose yards, kickoff return yardage and receptions by a running back.
New England has its second 2-game winning streak of the season.
The Patriots have lost three games in 2012 by two points or fewer. They are the first team to lose three games by two points or less in the first six games since the 1960 Dallas Texans.
New England has the same record after 8 games that they had in 2011, 5-3.
In the last ten seasons the Patriots are 35-8 in games played November 1 or later.
New England has a 17 game streak with at least 350 total yards on offense. It is an NFL record.
The Patriots are 33-19 as the home team in the series, they are 10-0 at The Razor; 17-14 in Foxboro/Sullivan/Schaefer Stadium and 6-5 in the Boston venues.
New England has won 11 consecutive home games against Buffalo.
New England is 55-15 vs. the AFC East since 2001 in the regular season. In that time span they are 29-6 in division home games.
New England’s largest margin of victory in the series is 46 points set in 2007.
An AFC East rival has not swept the Patriots in a season series since 2000 when Miami and New York swept them.
The Patriots are 1st in the NFL in points per game with 32.8. While they allow 21.3 points per game good for 12th in the NFL.
The New England defense has sacked the opponents quarterback 17 times this seaso while their quarterbacks have been sacked 14 times.
New England is PLUS 13 in turnover differential 3rd in the NFL. The offense has given up 3 INT and 4 fumbles, while the defense has 9 INTs and 11 fumble recoveries.
The Patriots are 57 for 117 (48.7%) in 3rd down efficiency and 1 for 3 (33.3%) on fourth down attempts. Opponents are 43 for 101 (42.6%) in 3rd down efficiency and 4 for 10 (40%) on 4th down attempts.
New England is 24 of 38 (63.2%) in the red zone while opponents are 11 for 18 (61.1%) in the red zone in 2012.
In goal to go situations New England is 19 for 23 (82.6%) and opponents are 8 for 11 (72.7%).
Since Robert Kraft bought the team in 1994 they:
New England set the following team records in 2011:
Patriots Staff Notes
This is the link to head coach Bill Belichick’s Wednesday press conference on the Bills.
Bill Belichick coached teams are 22-4 vs. Buffalo. Belichick was 0-1 against the Bills as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
Overall in his NFL career Belichick is 180-100 in his 18th NFL season. He is 144-56 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 197-107.
Belichick’s 197 wins are good for 8th all-time. Former Broncos, Giants and Falcons head coach Dan Reeves is 7th with 201 wins.
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:
Defense:
Patriots Players Notes
This is Tom Brady’s 13th NFL season he is 19-2 vs. the Bills in his career.
Overall Brady is 129-38 as a starting QB and is 16-6 in the playoffs for an overall record of 145-44. Brady is a 7 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 316 TD passes in his career he is now 5th all-time. Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton is 4th with 342.
Brady has 129 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 for at least 1 TD in 40 consecutive games.
The Patriots are 85-16 when Brady throws at least 2 TD passes in a game.
On the season Brady is 209 of 320 (65.3%) for 2408 yards with 16 TDs and 3 INTs his QB rating is 100.6.
WR Wes Welker now has catches in 109 consecutive games including playoffs, 92 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 60 catches for 736 yards.
TE Rob Gronkowski has 34 receiving touchdowns and 35 touchdowns overall (34 receiving and 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 leads the team with 7 TDs, RB Stevan Ridley is 2nd with 5 TDs.
Gronkowski grew up in Williamsville NY 14 miles outside of Buffalo.
TE Aaron Hernandez celebrated his 23rd birthday on Election Day, November 6th, with the birth of his daughter, Avielle Janelle Hernandez.
DE Trevor Scott played football at the University of Buffalo from 2003-07 and grew up in Potsdam, N.Y.
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.
Newly acquired CB Aqib Talib is ineligible for Sunday’s game. He is serving the fourth and final game of a league suspension for taking adderall without a prescription/authorization.
Rookie DE Chandler Jones leads the team with 6 sacks; the other DE Rob Ninkovich is second with 5 sacks.
Patriots rookie record for sacks is held by Garin Veris whio had 10.5 in 1985.
Jones also leads the team with 11 QB hits.
Ninkovich leads the team in forced fumbles with 4 while Jones, LB Jerod Mayo and LB Brandon Spikes have 3 forced fumbles each.
Mayo leads the team in tackles through 9 weeks with 103 (64 solo).
Rookie S Tavon Wilson leads the team in INTs with 3. He has as many INT in his rookie NFL season as he did in his college career at Illinois.
McCourty also has team high 9 passes defensed in 2012. Wilson is 2nd with 5 passes defensed.
DT Vince Wilfork has 3 recovered fumbles.
WR Matthew Slater has a team high 8 tackles on special teams, rookie S Nate Ebner is 2nd with 7 tackles.
LS Danny Aiken is a former Bill.
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 Vince Wilfork (1).
Roster moves this week:
On Wednesday and Thursday the following players were on the injury list. RB Brandon Bolden (knee); DE Trevor Scott (hamstring) and LB Tracy White (foot) did not practice. CB Kyle Arrington (concussion); DE Ron Brace (back); S Patrick Chung (shoulder); S Steve Gregory (hip); TE Rob Gronkowski (hip); TE Aaron Hernandez (ankle); LB Dont’a Hightower (hamstring); WR Brandon Lloyd (knee); G Logan Mankins (calf/hip); C/G Nick McDonald (shoulder); T Sebastian Vollmer (back/knee) and WR Wes Welker (ankle) were limited in practice. WR Julian Edelman (hand) and DT Kyle Love (knee) had full participation in practice.
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 14 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); WR Deion Branch (Louisville); RB James Develin (Brown – Practice Squad); 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 Matt Tennant (Boston College); TE Alex Silvestro (Rutgers – Practice Squad); 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.
Bills Team Notes
Here is the Bills roster, depth chart and injury report for the game.
Buffalo's all-time record is 367-421-8 they are 14-15 in the post season with their last post season appearance coming in 1999 when they lost to Tennessee in the AFC Wild Card game in the “Music City Miracle”.
They last played for a conference championship in 1993 when they beat Kansas City in the AFC Title game, 30-13. They then went on to lose to Dallas in Super Bowl XXVIII. They have never won a Super Bowl title in four appearances.
The Bills franchise started in 1960 in the AFL and they won two AFL Championships in 1964 and 1965.
The Bills are 0-10 all-time at Gillette Stadium. Overall as the road team in the series they are 19-32.
The Bills last won in Foxboro in 1999 when they beat the Patriots, 13-10 in Week 16 behind Doug Flutie and Thurman Thomas.
The Bills have lost the season series to the Patriots 9 times in the last 12 seasons.
The largest margin of victory for the Bills in the series is 35 points set in 1970.
The Bills are 21-49 vs. the AFC East since 2001.
The Bills are 18th in the NFL in points per game with 22.5. While they allow 31.0 points per game good for 31st in the NFL.
The Buffalo defense has sacked the opponents quarterback 19 times this season, while their quarterbacks have been sacked 11 times.
Buffalo is MINUS 7 in turnover differential 27th in the NFL. The offense has given up 10 INT and 8 fumbles, while the defense has 6 INTs and 5 fumble recoveries.
The Bills are 38 for 96 (39.6%) in 3rd down efficiency and 2 for 3 (66.7%) on fourth down attempts. Opponents are 47 for 102 (46.1%) in 3rd down efficiency and 4 for 6 (66.7%) on 4th down attempts.
Buffalo is 11 for 21 (52.4%) in the red zone in 2012. Opponents are 21 of 28 (75%) in the red zone.
The Bills are 8 for 10 (80%) in goal to go situations, while opponents are 12 for 13 (92.3%) in goal to go situations in 2012.
Bills Staff Notes
Hear what Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey had to say to the New England media about the match up.
Buffalo head coach Chan Gailey in his 3rd season with the team is 13-27 since taking over. He was previously the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys for two seasons and had an 18-14 record and is 0-2 in the playoffs. His overall NFL record is 31-43 including playoffs.
Gailey is 1-5 vs. the Patriots in his career, 1-4 with Buffalo and 0-1 with Dallas.
Wide Receivers Coach Bob Bicknell is a native of Holliston MA and played tight end at Boston College. Following his graduation in 1992, Bicknell took his first coaching job at Boston University.
Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Eric Ciano graduated from Springfield College in 1997 and played football for the Pride.
Assistant Offensive Line Coach Andrew Dees served as the Recruiting Coordinator and Running Backs coach at UMass in 2011.
Assistant defensive Backs coach Adrian White was a CB for the Patriots in 1993.
Bills Possible Starters
Offense:
Defense:
Bills Players Notes
Ryan Fitzpatrick is 1-5 vs. New England and 21-39-1 in his NFL career with St. Louis, Cincinnati and Buffalo.
He was a 7th round choice of St. Louis in the 2005 NFL Draft out of Harvard. He was the Ivy League Player of the Year in 2004.
Fitzpatrick was the 24th best of the 30 starting quarterbacks rated by ESPN’s Ron Jaworski.
RB C.J. Spiller leads the Bills with 5 TDs, 4 rushing and 1 receiving.
Spiller leads the team in rushing on 78 carries he has 562 yards for a 7.2 YPC average. He leads the NFL in average yards per carry.
TE Scott Chandler and WR Stevie Johnson lead the team with 4 receiving TDs.
Johnson leads the team in receiving he has 35 catches for 416 yards.
LB Nick Barnett leads Buffalo with 65 tackles (41 solo).
DT Kyle Williams and DE Mario Williams each have 4.5 sacks a piece to lead the Bills.
S Jairus Bird leads Buffalo is INTs (3) and forced fumbles (3).
CB Stephon Gilmore leads Buffalo with 11 passes defensed.
LB Bryan Scott has two fumble recoveries to lead the Bills.
LB Nigel Bradham and LB Chris White lead Buffalo with 6 special teams tackles each.
DT Alex Carrington has two blocked field goals in 2012. The most by a Bill since DE Bruce Smith blocked 3 in 1996.
CB Leodis McKelvin leads the NFL in punt return average (19.5 yards per return).
Buffalo has three former Patriots on their roster DE Mark Anderson, TE Dorin Dickerson and TE Lee Smith.
WR Marcus Easley is from Stratford CT.
On Wednesday the following players were on the injury list. DE Mark Anderson (knee); WR Steve Johnson (thigh); CB Terrance McGee (knee); T Erik Pears (hip); CB Aaron Williams (knee) and DT Kyle Williams (ankle) did not practice. DT Spencer Johnson (ankle) and G Kraig Urbik (foot) were limited in practice. TE Scott Chandler (groin); DT Marcell Dareus (shoulder); QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (chest); CB Stephon Gilmore (shoulder); T Chris Hairston (knee); G Andy Levitre (knee); CB Leodis McKelvin (groin); CB Justin Rogers (thigh); RB C.J. Spiller (shoulder); LB Chris White (back); DE Mario Williams (wrist/knee) and C Eric Wood (knee) all had full participation.
On Thursday the following players were on the injury list. DE Mark Anderson (knee); CB Terrance McGee (knee); T Erik Pears (hip) and CB Aaron Williams (knee) did not practice. WR Steve Johnson (thigh); DT Spencer Johnson (ankle); DE Chris Kelsey (neck); LB Shawne Merriman (chest); G Kraig Urbik (foot) and DT Kyle Williams (ankle) were limited in practice. DT Marcell Dareus (shoulder); CB Stephon Gilmore (shoulder); T Chris Hairston (knee); G Andy Levitre (knee); CB Leodis McKelvin (groin); CB Justin Rogers (thigh); RB C.J. Spiller (shoulder); DE Mario Williams (wrist/knee) and C Eric Wood (knee) all had full participation.
Buffalo’s captains for 2012 are QB Ryan Fitzpatrick; RB Fred Jackson; DT Kyle Williams; S George Wilson and RB Corey McIntyre (Special Teams).
There are 4 players on the Bills roster from Big East Universities and New England based colleges. They are TE Dorin Dickerson (Pittsburgh); QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (Harvard), WR Marcus Easley (UConn) and C Eric Wood (Louisville).
The Bills have one retired number: 12 – Jim Kelley.
Next Week
The Patriots host the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro MA. Kick off is at 4:25 p.m. on CBS. The game was flexed from it’s original 1 p.m. time slot.
Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII
