Providence Bruins 3, Connecticut Whale 2

By Brian Ring

Providence, RI, December 11, 2011 – The Connecticut Whale were defeated by the Providence Bruins, 3-2, Sunday afternoon at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, RI. The Whale trailed 3-0, but two goals by Kelsey Tessier helped Connecticut to climb to within a goal by the third period. Craig Cunningham had the game-winning goal and an assist for Providence, who scored all of their goals before the game was even three minutes into the second period.

CT Whale“[Tessier] played a strong game, I think everyone pulled their weight,” said Whale coach Ken Gernander.

The Bruins opened up a 1-0 lead over the Whale at 3:49 of the first period, as Kyle MacKinnon stuffed a rebound past Connecticut starting goaltender Cam Talbot (10 saves), who had shut out Providence Saturday night in Hartford. MacKinnon’s second of the season was assisted by Kirk MacDonald.

Providence scored again to push the lead to 2-0 at 11:59, when Carter Camper capitalized on the power-play. Camper’s goal was assisted on by Josh Hennessy and Jamie Tardif, Providence’s only conversion in five first period power-play opportunities. The Whale and Bruins combined for 70 penalty minutes in a scrappy opening frame. The Whale lost the services of first-line center Kris Newbury just 5:40 into the game, as he took a third-man-in penalty resulting in a game misconduct.

Cunningham extended the Bruins lead to 3-0 at 2:49 on a wrist shot from the slot, his goal sending Talbot to the bench in favor of Chad Johnson (15 saves).Tardif notched his second assist of the night on the goal.

The Whale broke through on a bad angle shot from Kelsey Tessier, whose shot from the far boards managed to sneak past Providence goaltender Anton Khudobin. Blake Parlett recorded the lone assist on the Connecticut score, which came at 10:49 of the second.

Andreas Thuresson appeared to get another for the Whale near the middle of the second, but the goal was waved off due to goaltender interference.

“To have that called back was unfortunate, and that may be the difference in a close game,” said Gernander.

The teams finished two periods of play nearly even in shots, with the Whale outshooting Providence, 22-21.

Tessier struck again for his second goal of the night at 1:17 of the third period, cutting across Khudobin’s crease and putting his fourth goal of the season past the Providence goaltender. Stu Bickel and Tim Erixon both assisted on the tally, which drew the Whale to within 3-2.

The Whale, however, could not complete their comeback attempt, despite being afforded three power-play opportunities in the final frame. The loss was the first in four games this season for the Whale against Providence.

The Whale will be back in home action twice next weekend, as they play host to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in GEICO Connecticut Cup action on Friday night (7:00), before facing the Providence Bruins yet again on Saturday (7:00).

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

Connecticut Whale 2 at Providence Bruins 3
Sunday, December 11, 2011 – Dunkin’ Donuts Center

Connecticut 0 1 1 – 2
Providence 2 1 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Providence, MacKinnon 2 (Cunningham, Ridderwall), 3:49. 2, Providence, Camper 6 (Hennessy, Tardif), 11:59 (PP). Penalties-McKelvie Pro (tripping), 1:27; Voros Ct (fighting), 5:32; MacDermid Pro (fighting), 5:32; McKelvie Ct (roughing), 5:40; Newbury Ct (game misconduct – third man in), 5:40; Valentenko Ct (fighting), 5:40; MacDonald Pro (roughing, roughing, fighting), 5:40; Deveaux Ct (high-sticking), 9:27; McKelvie Ct (interference), 11:44; Bickel Ct (roughing, roughing, misconduct – continuing altercation), 12:10; Miller Pro (roughing, misconduct – continuing altercation), 12:10; Bell Ct (cross-checking), 13:04; Valentenko Ct (high-sticking), 13:58.

2nd Period-3, Providence, Cunningham 4 (Tardif), 2:49. 4, Connecticut, Tessier 3 (Parlett), 10:49. Penalties-McKelvie Pro (cross-checking), 8:13; Thuresson Ct (goaltender interference), 15:08; Camper Pro (holding), 16:21.

3rd Period-5, Connecticut, Tessier 4 (Bickel, Erixon), 1:17. Penalties-MacDonald Pro (holding), 5:13; Arniel Pro (roughing), 11:18; Hamill Pro (holding), 14:56; Audy-Marchessault Ct (tripping), 19:37.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 11-11-9-31. Providence 11-10-7-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 0 / 7; Providence 1 / 7.
Goalies-Connecticut, Talbot 7-5-0 (13 shots-10 saves); Johnson 8-4-2 (15 shots-15 saves). Providence, Khudobin 8-11-2 (31 shots-29 saves).
A-5,220
Referees-Jon McIsaac (39).
Linesmen-Matt MacPherson (83), Ed Boyle (81).

Video: Tom Brady Gets Into It With Bill O’Brien

After throwing an interception in the fourth quarter of the eventual 34-27 win by the New England Patriots over the Washington Redskins, the CBS cameras caught Patriots QB Tom Brady getting into an argument with offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=mq5vJ1a4jWM?rel=0&hd=1

They did hug it out after Jerod Mayo’s interception that sealed the win for the Pats.

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

Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Roundup – 12/11

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 some of the other sports. 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 Men’s Basketball links

Dom answered a question in his mailbag [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

Quinn on Drummond: “His potential is limitless.” [Gavin Keefe – The Day]

Academic rates don’t tell complete story for UConn basketball [CT Post]

Grading schools for academic, athletic success [CT Post]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Jefferson is Catclaw Classic MVP [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Time To Study For The UConn Women [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Baylor’s Top Booster Tells It Like It Is [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

UConn Needs To Shake It Off [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

A Night To Forget For Dolson; Match-Up With Griner Looms [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

UConn Players Studying, But Also Preparing For No. 1 Baylor On Dec. 18 [Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

M. Soccer. Carlos Alvarez and Andre Blake Named NSCAA All-Americans [UConnHuskies.com]

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

Connecticut Whale 3, Providence Bruins 0

By Brian Ring

Hartford, CT, December 10, 2011 – The Connecticut Whale defeated the Providence Bruins, 3-0, Saturday night before a crowd of 5,598 at the XL Center in Hartford. Whale goaltender Cam Talbot (27 saves) recorded his second shutout of the season with 27 saves on the Bruins, while Chris McKelvie scored the game-winning goal, to help the Whale stop a two-game slide and improve to a perfect 3-0 against Providence this season.

CT WhaleStu Bickel and Francois Bouchard also each scored once for the Whale in a three-goal third period.

“We’re thankful for a goal like [McKelvie’s],” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “He’s a character kid and a hard-working kid and we’re all happy for him.”

“It was a good team win,” said Talbot, who earned his seventh win of the season. “Tonight everyone was going, everyone was focused…it really helped us out tonight.”

The Whale and Bruins had played a scoreless first period, despite each team being afforded several quality opportunities. Providence netminder Michael Hutchinson (25 saves) made numerous quality saves, including a sprawling effort on Whale wing Tommy Grant. Connecticut was awarded the only power-play of the period, with the Whale’s Kris Newbury barely missing on a chance that would have given the home team a 1-0 lead.

Neither team would break through in the second frame either, despite the Whale outshooting their guests 14-9. The best chance of the period again came off the stick of Newbury, whose one-time bid found the post of the Providence net. The Whale outshot the Bruins, 22-18, after two periods of play, but both Hutchinson and Talbot remained perfect throughout.

McKelvie gave the Whale a 1-0 lead and the eventual game-winning tally at 5:08 of the third period, his deflection of Wade Redden’s shot trickling through the legs of Hutchinson. The goal was the second of the season for McKelvie, who found himself pitted against his twin, Zach, of Providence for the time in the professional ranks.

“I just kind of swung my stick…[Hutchinson] had trouble handling it and thankfully it went in,” said Chris McKelvie of his goal.

“It was fun to play against [Zach]. We were looking forward to it, I love playing against him,” he added, describing what he felt playing his brother for the first time since he played college hockey at Bemidji State. “We’ve got a kind of mutual respect for each other and just go hard against each other.”

The Whale extended their lead to 2-0 on Bickel’s first goal of the season at 10:29. Bickel’s slap shot from the point deflected off of the stick of a Providence defender to the left of Hutchinson, and ricocheted past the Bruins’ goaltender and into the cage. Tim Erixon and Andre Deveaux both assisted on the goal, and it was the third assist of the weekend for both Erixon and Deveaux, after each registered a pair of helpers in Friday’s 5-3 loss to Hershey.

Francois Bouchard iced the 3-0 victory with a half-ice empty net goal, his second goal of the campaign. Aaron Voros and Talbot were each credited with an assist on the goal.

The Whale are in action again in the back-end of this home-and-home set with the Bruins Sunday afternoon in Providence (4:05). Connecticut will return home Friday, when they play host to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in GEICO Connecticut Cup action at the XL Center (7:00).

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

Providence Bruins 0 at Connecticut Whale 3 –
Saturday, December 10, 2011 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Providence 0 0 0 – 0
Connecticut 0 0 3 – 3

1st Period- No Scoring. Penalties-MacKinnon Pro (unsportsmanlike conduct), 4:43; Bartkowski Pro (boarding), 7:12; Grant Ct (roughing), 7:12.

2nd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Bodnarchuk Pro (hooking), 3:27; Redden Ct (tripping), 19:48.

3rd Period-1, Connecticut, McKelvie 2 (Redden, Owens), 5:08. 2, Connecticut, Bickel 1 (Erixon, Deveaux), 10:29. 3, Connecticut, Bouchard2 (Voros, Talbot), 18:11 (EN). Penalties-Hamill Pro (roughing, roughing), 5:22; MacDermid Pro (roughing, misconduct – continuing altercation), 5:22; Miller Pro (fighting), 5:22; McKelvie Ct (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct, misconduct – continuing altercation), 5:22; Owens Ct (fighting), 5:22.

Shots on Goal-Providence 9-9-9-27. Connecticut 8-14-12-34.

Power Play Opportunities-Providence 0 / 1; Connecticut 0 / 3.

Goalies-Providence, Hutchinson 1-5-0 (33 shots-31 saves). Connecticut, Talbot 7-4-0 (27 shots-27 saves).

A-5,598

Referees-Graham Skilliter (48).

Linesmen-Jim Briggs (83), Mike Baker (11)

Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Roundup – 12/10

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 some of the other sports. 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 Men’s Basketball links

Kemba Walker’s Winning Shot Up For A Vote [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

Who was that unmasked man? Why, it’s the real Andre Drummond [John Nash – The Hour]

Technically Speaking: Drummond talks computers [Kevin Duffy – CT Post]

Napier Adding Touch To His Passes [Hartford Courant]

Pendergast Still Trying To Get Basketball Practice Facility Built At UConn [Hartford Courant]

With Kemba now gone for good, others are stepping up [New Haven Register]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Future UConn teammates Stewart, Tuck to square off in Arizona [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

UConn rolls by Seton Hall in a weird one [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Notes From the Seton Hall Romp [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Huskies Scoreless For More Than Nine Minutes In Second Half [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

No. 2 UConn Routs Seton Hall, 70-37 [UConnHuskies.com]

UConn women score first 20 points, routs Seton Hall [CT Post]

UConn women: What we learned [CT Post]

Huskies Crush Pirates Despite Poor 2nd Half [Hartford Courant]

Huskies Benefit From Diversity On Offense [Hartford Courant]

Huskies start fast, cruise to victory over Seton Hall [New Haven Register]

UConn Football links

ESPN.com All-Big East team [Andrea Adelson – ESPN.com]

Four Former Huskies In One NFL Game [UConnHuskies.com]

UConn Football Report Card: The Grades Are In [Hartford Courant]

UConn Football Superlatives [Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

M. Soccer. Five Huskies Earn NSCAA All-Northeast Honors [UConnHuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Men’s Hockey Drops 4-2 Result To Bentley In Final Game Before Break [UConnHuskies.com]

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

Hershey Bears 5, Connecticut Whale 3

By Brian Ring

Hartford, CT, December 9, 2011 – Ryan Potulny scored two goals and added an assist, and Chris Bourque added a goal and an assist, to lead the Hershey Bears to a 5-3 victory over Connecticut Whale Friday night at the XL Center in Hartford.

CT WhaleKeith Aucoin recorded three assists for Hershey, which had to hold off a furious third-period rally by the Whale, who received a goal and an assist from Mats Zuccarello.

“We hit some (goal) posts, we had some good chances early,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “Of course we made a mistake or two that led to goals…but they stayed with it until the end of the game.”

The Whale and the Bears had played a scoreless first period, despite Connecticut being afforded three power-play opportunities. The Whale allowed the Bears’ league-leading power-play one chance, in a frame that saw Hershey outshoot the Whale by an 8-4 margin.

Former Whale Tomas Kundratek opened the scoring, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead at 13:52 of the second period. Kundratek beat Connecticut goaltender Chad Johnson (22 saves) with a high snap shot for his second goal of the season, assisted by Jacob Micflikier and Potulny.

Hershey took a 2-0 lead with their dangerous power-play at 16:22 of the second, when Potulny slapped a shot past Johnson’s glove side. Aucoin and Bourque, the AHL’s top two leading scorers, both assisted on the goal. Bourque’s pass across the slot to Potulny in the right circle left little chance for Johnson.

The Bears capitalized again on the power-play to put Hershey up 3-0 at 9:40, as Bourque’s slap shot from between the hash marks went between the pads of Johnson. Aucoin received his second assist of the game on the goal, with Patrick McNeill also earning a helper.

Matt Pope scored for Hershey just 32 seconds later to up the Bears’ lead to 4-0. Former Wolf Pack Matthew Ford and Christian Hanson each assisted on the goal.

The Whale finally broke through at 11:36 of the period to begin a third period comeback attempt, as Kelsey Tessier tipped Tim Erixon’s shot past Hershey goaltender Dany Sabourin (21 saves).

Kris Newbury got Connecticut to within 4-2 at 12:49, stuffing a loose puck underneath the pads of Sabourin, with Mats Zuccarello and Andre Deveaux getting the assists.

The Whale found themselves within a goal with just over three minutes to play in the final period, when Zuccarello tipped another Erixon shot up and over Sabourin. Deveaux recorded his second assist of the night on the tally.

The Bears, however, withstood the Whale comeback attempt and iced the 5-3 win with an empty-net goal by Potulny with less than a second remaining.

“That [third period rally] was our best ten minutes of the game,” said Gernander. “We put the number one power-play out on the ice too many times tonight, and that’s costly in itself.”

The Whale will be in home action again Saturday night, when they play host to the rival Providence Bruins for the first time this season (7:00). The game will be the first of five games to be televised live this season on WCCT-TV.

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

Hershey Bears 5 at Connecticut Whale 3
Friday, December 9, 2011 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Hershey 0 2 3 – 5
Connecticut 0 0 3 – 3

1st Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Ford Her (hooking), 1:56; Newbury Ct (high-sticking), 5:31; Lacroix Her (high-sticking), 8:24; McNeill Her (closing hand on puck), 14:56.

2nd Period-1, Hershey, Kundratek 2 (Micflikier, Potulny), 13:02. 2, Hershey, Potulny 5 (Bourque, Aucoin), 16:22 (PP). Penalties-Erixon Ct (hooking), 4:16; Valentenko Ct (holding), 6:54; Parlett Ct (tripping), 14:56; Sabourin Her (tripping), 19:32.

3rd Period-3, Hershey, Bourque 12 (Aucoin, McNeill), 9:40 (PP). 4, Hershey, Pope 3 (Ford, Hanson), 10:12. 5, Connecticut, Tessier 2 (Erixon, Redden), 11:36. 6, Connecticut, Newbury 8 (Zuccarello, Deveaux), 12:49. 7, Connecticut, Zuccarello 8 (Erixon, Deveaux), 16:59 (PP). 8, Hershey, Potulny 6 (Aucoin, Kane), 19:59 (EN). Penalties-Brouillette Her (hooking), 0:25; McNeill Her (delay of game), 3:22; Newbury Ct (goaltender interference), 8:38; Wellar Her (roughing), 12:49; Deveaux Ct (roughing), 12:49; Hanson Her (high-sticking), 16:44; Bell Ct (hooking), 17:10.

Shots on Goal-Hershey 8-9-10-27. Connecticut 4-10-10-24.
Power Play Opportunities-Hershey 2 / 6; Connecticut 1 / 7.
Goalies-Hershey, Sabourin 6-4-1 (24 shots-21 saves). Connecticut, Johnson 8-4-2 (26 shots-22 saves).
A-3,027
Referees-Mark Lemelin (41).
Linesmen-Kevin Redding (16), Paul Simeon (66).

2011 Bloguin Heisman Trophy Final Poll

Bloguin Heisman TrophyEach week a group of Bloguin college football bloggers get together and put our votes in for the top Heisman Trophy candidates. Then after the votes are tabulated by Kevin over at College Football Zealots, the poll is released on Wednesday.

With this week being the final poll, it was released on Friday, the day before the actual Heisman Trophy presentation.

Here are the results for the final poll of the 2011 college football season. Be sure to head over Crystal Ball Run for a full look at the results for the week for more insight on the poll.

  1. Robert Griffin III (QB-Baylor)- 41 Points, 45.56%, 12 1st Place Votes
  2. Montee Ball (RB-Wisconsin) – 17 Points, 18.89%, 2 1st Place Votes
  3. Tyrann Mathieu (CB-LSU)- 12 Points, 13.33%, 1 1st Place Vote
  4. Trent Richardson (RB-Alabama) – 11 Points, 12.22%, 0 1st Place Votes
  5. Andrew Luck (QB-Stanford) – 7 Points, 7.78%, 0 1st Place Votes
  • Also Receiving Votes: Colin Klein (QB- Kansas State) 1 pt, Case Keenum (QB- Houston) 1 pt
  • Dropped Out: Matt Barkley (QB- USC)

In case you were wondering, here’s how I voted this week:

1. Robert Griffin III, QB – Baylor: I penalized RGIII last week by knocking him out of my top 3 when he got hurt but I’m rewarding him in the final poll. RGIII shredded the Texas defense for 320 yards passing and two touchdowns while running for two touchdowns on the ground as well. He put a solid season of numbers with 3,998 yards passing, 36 touchdown passes, nine rushing touchdowns. I’d be shocked if he doesn’t win on Saturday night.

2. Montee Ball, RB – Wisconsin: Ball jumps up to No. 2 in my ballot because he played last weekend unlike the No. 3 guy on my ballot. The junior running back helped his Badgers squad win the inaugural Big Ten Championship by rushing for 137 yards and a touchdown. He also added a receiving touchdown to the cause. He’s got 38 total touchdowns on the year (32 rushing, 6 receiving) to go along with 1,759 rushing yards. In any other year, those numbers might be good enough to win the Heisman but with RGIII’s year, it might be tough to overcome.

3. Trent Richardson, RB- Alabama: Richardson probably won’t win the Heisman because he didn’t play on championship weekend and get another chance to show the voters something. Still a solid season nonetheless with 1,583 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. He’s also caught three touchdown passes.

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

Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Roundup – 12/9

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 some of the other sports. 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 women’s basketball team as they will open up Big East play tonight against the Seton Hall Pirates in South Orange, NJ. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised locally on CPTV.

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

UConn Women’s Basketball links

The 2013-14 season could be an interesting one [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Huskies, Pirates playing for a cause [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Another big game for Tuck [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Geno Auriemma and Anne Donovan Now In Different Places [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Huskies’ Balance Posing A Problem For Opponents [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

Hartley’s Progression Has Been Impressive For Huskies [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

No. 2 UConn Heads To Seton Hall For BIG EAST Opener [UConnHuskies.com]

Improved Hartley a force for UConn [CT Post]

Anne Donovan Strives To Return Seton Hall To Respectability [Hartford Courant]

Stefanie Dolson more at ease as leader [New Haven Register]

UConn women open Big East play tonight [The Day]

UConn women’s basketball preview glance [The Hour]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Andre Drummond: Unmasked [David Borges – New Haven Register]

UConn 67, Harvard 53: Jim Calhoun’s Take [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

UConn 67, Harvard 53: Wrapping Things Up [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

UConn men 67, Harvard 53: the wrap [Ed Daigneault – The Republican-American]

Post-game breakdown, video: Harvard [Gavin Keefe – The Day]

Notes/Quotes from Harvard: “Jeremy had the look of a big-time player” [Kevin Duffy – CT Post]

Higher Learning [UConn Huskies Basketball]

No. 9 UConn Tops No. 25 Harvard, 67-53 [UConnHuskies.com]

UConn 67, Harvard 53 Quotes [UConnHuskies.com]

Harvard can’t stop UConn’s weapons [CT Post]

Olander developing into a threat for UConn [CT Post]

UConn men: What we learned [CT Post]

Usually Quiet Lamb Roars In Win Over Crimson [Hartford Courant]

Experienced Harvard Tests UConn [Hartford Courant]

Drummond Begins To Show His Potential [Hartford Courant]

Huskies pass test against No. 25 Harvard [New Haven Register]

Former Husky Caron Butler leaving Mavericks to join Clippers [New Haven Register]

Huskies hold off Crimson [The Day]

UConn’s pretty smart, too [The Day]

Lamb leads his own flock [The Hour]

UConn’s depth helps Calhoun figure way to unlock Oriakhi’s potential [Jeff Goodman – CBSSports.com]

Other UConn related links

Paul Doyle, Stan Simpson Discuss Big East Expansion, UConn, ACC [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

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

In The Red Zone: New England Patriots at Washington Redskins Preview – Week 14

In the Red Zone

This Week

New England Patriots @ Washington Redskins

The New England Patriots visit the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field in Landover. MD on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Patriots (9-3) are 4-2 on the road, 2-1 against the NFC East and 2-1 vs. the NFC.  The Redskins (4-8) are 2-4 at home, 0-3 vs. the AFC East and 0-3 against the AFC.

The Line/Prediction

As of Thursday the line on the game from Yahoo! Sports has the Patriots at MINUS 9 1/2.  They list the over under at 48.

My Prediction is Patriots 31, Redskins, 21.  Give the points (Patriots) and take the over.  I am 7-4-1 against the spread and 8 of 12 on calling the over/under in 2011.

Tickets

The Redskins are reporting the game as a sell out.

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

Getting to the Game

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

Here is the up to date weather forecast from the Weather Channel for Landover, MD.

Click for all the game day information including stadium directions, parking and stadium information, parking map and a FedEx Field 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 Greg Gumbel will do play by play while Dan Dierdorf 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 704.

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

Radio

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

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

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

The Patriots radio network call is available on Sirius Channel 91 and on SiriusXM Internet Channel 879.

The Redskins Radio network has Larry Michael calling play by play and former Redskins players Sonny Jurgensen and Sam Huff provide the color commentary via their flagship station WTEM.  Their call is available on Sirius Channel 134, XM Channel 235 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 892.

Patriots All Access

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

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

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

To continue reading the New England Patriots @ Washington Redskins Week 14 preview, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page. 

Last Week

The Patriots beat the Colts at home 31-24; while the Redskins lost to the Jets, 34-19 at home.

History

  • The Redskins lead the all-time series 6-2.
  • 6 of the 8 previous games in the series have been played in Foxboro.
  • The previous two meetings in Washington were in 1981 and 2003.
  • The two teams last met in 2007 when the Patriots beat the Redskins, 52-7 in Foxboro.

Patriots Team Notes

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

2011 Patriots Schedule/Results

The Patriots overall franchise record is 408-366-9.  They have won three Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) in six appearances.  They last appeared in the playoffs in 2010 when they lost at home to the New York Jets in the AFC Divisional Playoff, 28-21.  They last appeared in a Super Bowl in 2007 losing to the New York Giants 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.  They won the AFC Conference championship that season with playoff wins over Jacksonville and San Diego.

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

The Patriots are dedicating the 2011 season to the memory of Myra Hiatt Kraft, the late wife of owner Robert Kraft. Every Patriots player and coach will honor Myra’s memory by wearing a patch with her initials on it in recognition of her lifelong contributions to the local and global community and her influence on the charitable mission of the entire Patriots organization. The patch will be worn on the left chest of every player throughout the season.

New England has never won in Washington. They are 0-1 at FedEx Field.

Washington is the only NFL city that New England has never won in.

This is the first of a two game road swing (they play at Denver Week 15) the second two game road swing of the season (at Buffalo Week 2 and at Oakland Week 3) for the Patriots.

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

New England is 37-5 in December games since 2001.  That’s the best in the NFL in that time period.

Since 2002 the Patriots are 9-2 vs. the NFC East in the regular season.  The losing at Washington in 2003 and to the New York Giants at home this year.

Overall the Patriots are 17-24 against NFC East teams including Super Bowls.

Since 2000 have the Patriots the best road record in the NFL at 61-33.

The Patriots defense has allowed opponents to convert 44.3% of the time on 3rd down, while the offense has a 3rd down conversion rate of 45.8%.

The New England defense has sacked the opponents quarterback 27 times in 12 games.

The Patriots are 3rd in the NFL in points per game with 30.2.  While they allow 20.6 points per game good for 13th in the NFL.

New England is PLUS 8 in turnover differential, 4th best in the NFL. The offense has given up 10 INT and 5 fumbles, while the defense has 17 INT and 6 fumble recoveries.

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

Patriots Staff Notes

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

Bill Belichick is 1-2 vs. the Redskins in his career.  He is 1-1 against them as the head coach in New England.

Overall in his NFL career Belichick is 171-97 in 16 NFL seasons.  He is 134-53 with New England and 36-44 with Cleveland.  He is 15-6 in the playoffs, 14-5 as head coach of the Patriots in the post season.  When you combine his regular season and post season records he is 186-103.

Belichick’s 186 wins are good for 9th all-time.  Chuck Knox, who coached the Rams, Bills and Seahawks, is 8th all-time with 193.

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

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

Patriots Possible Starters

Offense:

LT: Light

LG: Mankins

C: McDonald

RG: Waters

RT: Solder

TE: R. Gronkowski

TE: Hernandez

WR: Branch

WR: Welker

QB: Brady

RB: Green-Ellis

Defense:

DE: Deaderick

DT: Wilfork

DT: Love

DE: Carter

LB: Ninkovich

LB: Mayo

LB: Koutouvides

LCB: McCourty

RCB: Arrington

S: Jones

S: Ihedigbo

Patriots Players Notes

This Tom Brady’s 12th NFL season he is 1-1 vs. the Redskins in his career.

Washington is one of three teams that Brady has never beaten on the road.  The others are New Orleans and San Francisco (never played there).

Overall Brady is 120-34 as a starting QB and is 14-5 in the playoffs for an overall record of 134-39.  Brady is a 6 time Pro Bowl QB; two time NFL MVP and has won 3 Super Bowls while twice being named the games MVP.  He is also listed as the 21st Greatest Player in the History of the NFL according to the NFL Network.

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

Brady has thrown 30 TD’s and 10 INT’s while being sacked 20 times in 12 games.

Brady has 291 TD passes in his career he is now tied for 6th all-time with Hall of Famer Warren Moon.

Brady has 120 career wins he is 6th all-time.  Fran Tarkenton is 5th with 124.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 94 consecutive games including playoffs, 77 as a Patriot.  The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.

TE Rob Gronkowski has 13 TD catches in 2011.  He shares the NFL record for TD’s by a tight end in a season with Vernon Davis (San Francisco – 2009) and Antonio Gates (San Diego –2004).

DE Andre Carter leads the team with 9 sacks.  DE Mark Anderson has 7 on the season, good for 2nd on the team.

Carter leads the defense with 19 quarterback hits, Anderson is 2nd with 9 hits.

Carter was a member of the Redskins having played in Washington for 5 seasons.

Anderson, Wilfork, Carter, WR/S Matthew Slater and LB Jerod Mayo have each forced a fumble this season while Ninkovich, DT Kyle Love, CB Kyle Arrington and DE Gerard Warren have each recovered an opponent’s fumble.

Arrington leads the team and the NFL with 7 INT’s.

Mayo leads the team in tackles with 67, CB Devin McCourty is 2nd with 65.

LB Tracy White leads the special teams in tackles with 13 and Slater is 2nd with 12.

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

The only change in the injury/participation status for practice on Thursday was LB Brandon Spikes (MCL) was upgraded to limited participation.  All others remained the same as Wednesday.

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

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

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

Redskins Team Notes

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

2011 Redskins Schedule/Results

The Redskins all-time record is 551-524-27 and they are 23-17 in the playoffs with their last playoff appearance coming in 2007.  They lost in the NFC Wild Card Game to Seattle, 35-14 on the road. They last played for a championship after the 1991 season when they beat Atlanta and Detroit to win the NFC Championship and then they beat the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI, 37-24.  Washington has won three Super Bowls (XVII, XXII, XXVI) in five appearances.  They also won two NFL Championships prior to the Super Bowl era in 1937 and 1942.

The Redskins were once the Boston Braves (1932) and the Boston Redskins (1933-36) before moving to Washington in 1937 and they played their home games at Braves Field (1932) and Fenway Park (1933-36).

In addition they have also called Griffith Stadium (1937-60); RFK Stadium aka D.C. Stadium (1961-96) and FedEx Field aka Jack Kent Cooke Stadium (1997-present) home.

FedEx Field sits a league high 91,665.

Washington is 2-0 all-time in series as the home team.

The Redskins are the Patriots second least frequent opponent as the teams are meeting for just the 9th time.  Only Tampa Bay (7 times) has played New England less.

The Redskins defense has allowed opponents to convert 36.6% of the time on 3rd down, while the offense has a 3rd down conversion rate of 34.8%.

The Washington defense has sacked the opponents quarterback 33 times in 12 games.

The Redskins are 27th in the NFL in points per game with 16.8.  While they allow 21.3 points per game good for 15th in the NFL.

Washington is MINUS 13 in turnover differential, 32nd best in the NFL. The offense has given up 19 INT and 9 fumbles, while the defense has 8 INT and 7 fumble recoveries.

The Redskins have a fight song “Hail to the Redskins”.

They were also the first NFL team to have its own marching band that started in 1937 and the all-volunteer ensemble continues today.

Redskins Staff Notes

Read what Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan had to say to the New England media about the match up.

Overall in his NFL career Mike Shanahan is 156-116 in 18 NFL seasons.  He is 10-18 with Washington, 138-86 with Denver and 8-12 with Oakland.  He is 8-5 in the playoffs with two Super Bowl titles all as head coach of Denver.  When you combine his regular season and post season records he is 164-121.

Shanahan is 10-3 vs. New England in his career.

This is Shanahan’s first game against New England coaching a team other than Denver.  The Raiders never played New England when he coached in Los Angeles.

Redskins Players Notes

Rex Grossman is 26-21 overall in his career including the playoffs.  He is 19-12 and 2-2 in the playoffs with Chicago (2003-08), 0-0 with Houston (2009) and 5-7 with Washington (2010-present).  Grossman was drafted in the 2003 NFL Draft in the 1st round out of University of Florida by the Bears.  He was signed by the Redskins as a free agent prior to the 2010 season.

He is 0-1 in his career vs. New England with his lone start coming in 2006 with Chicago.  He was 15 of 34 for 176 yards and 3 INT’s in the first game on Gillette Stadium’s new field turf.

The Washington team captains for 2011 are: WR Santana Moss, LB London Fletcher, CB DeAngelo Hall and RB Mike Sellers.

Former Patriots WR Jabar Gaffney and WR Donte Stallworth will play against their former team.  Practice Squad players TE Rob Myers and QB Jonathan Crompton both spent time on the New England practice squad in the past.

The NFL suspended Redskins LT Trent Williams and TE Fred Davis on Tuesday for drug use.  They have been suspended for four games without pay for failing multiple drug tests.  This in effect ends their season, as Washington is not in the playoff hunt.

Washington has 2 New England natives on the roster they are: LB Rob Jackson (West Haven CT) and C Will Montgomery (Brunswick ME).  There is 1 player on the Redskins roster from a Big East university.  He is: NT Chris Neild (WVU).

On Wednesday the following players did not participate in practice: P Sav Rocca (ankle); NT Chris Neild (non-injury); S LaRon Landry (groin) and DL Chris Baker (quad).  The following players were limited in their participation: WR Terrance Austin (hamstring); DE Stephen Bowen (knee); T Jamaal Brown (hip); LB London Fletcher (ankle); S DeJon Gomes (knee); CB DeAngelo Hall (back) and G Maurice Hurt (knee). QB Rex Grossman (shoulder) and RB Darrel Young (head) participated fully.

The only change in the Thursday practice/participation status was NT Chris Neild was removed from the list and participated fully.

Redskins retired numbers – 33 Sammy Baugh.  Unofficially the following numbers have never been re-issued.  7 – Joe Theismann; 9 – Sonny Jurgensen; 28 – Darrell Green; 42 – Charley Taylor; 43 – Larry Brown; 44 – John Riggins; 49 –Bobby Mitchell; 65 – Dave Butz; 70 – Sam Huff and 81 – Art Monk.

Next Week

The Patriots visit the Denver Broncos next Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver CO.  Kick off is at 4:15 p.m. on CBS.

Follow Steve on Twitter @djstevem

The 2011 Home Depot College Football Awards

Home Depot College Football AwardsHere are the results from The 2011 Home Depot College Football Awards show that aired on Thursday night on ESPN.

  • Maxwell Award (Outstanding Player) – Andrew Luck, Stanford Cardinals
  • Dick Butkus Award (Outstanding Linebacker) – Luke Kuechly, Boston College Eagles
  • Outland Trophy (Outstanding Interior Lineman) – Barrett Jones, Alabama Crimson Tide
  • Chuck Bednarik Award (Defensive Player of the Year) – Tyrann Mathieu, LSU Tigers
  • Davey O’Brien Award (National Quarterback Award) – Robert Griffin III, Baylor Bears
  • Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (Outstanding Sr. QB) – Andrew Luck, Stanford Cardinal
  • Doak Walker Award (National Running back Award) – Trent Richardson, Alabama Sooners
  • Fred Biletnikoff Award (Outstanding Wide Receiver) – Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State Cowboys
  • Jim Thorpe Award (Outstanding Defensive Back) – Morris Claiborne, LSU Tigers
  • John Mackey Award (Outstanding Tight End) – Dwayne Allen, Clemson Tigers
  • Lou Groza Award (Collegiate Placekicker Award) – Randy Bullock, Texas A&M Aggies
  • Bronko Nagurski Award (Defensive Player of the Year) – awarded on December 12.
  • Ray Guy Award (Outstanding Punter) – Ryan Allen, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
  • Vince Lombardi/Rotary Award (Outstanding Lineman) – Luke Kuechly, Boston College Eagles
  • Ted Hendricks Award (Defensive End of the Year Award) – Whitney Mercilus, Illinois Fighting Illni
  • Rimington Trophy (Outstanding Center) – David Molk, Michigan Wolverines
  • Walter Camp Player of the Year – Andrew Luck, Stanford Cardinals
  • Home Depot Coach of the Year – Les Miles, LSU Tigers

2011 Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America Teams

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