Miami Heat Assign Shabazz Napier To D-League

Shabazz Napier #13 of the Miami Heat drives on Chris Paul #3 of the Los Angeles Clippers during a game at American Airlines Arena on November 20, 2014 in Miami, Florida.

Shabazz Napier #13 of the Miami Heat drives on Chris Paul #3 of the Los Angeles Clippers during a game at American Airlines Arena on November 20, 2014 in Miami, Florida.

With his minutes dwindling as of late, the Miami Heat have decided to send former UConn Huskies All-American Shabazz Napier to their NBA D League affiailate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Full release from the Miami Heat:

MIAMI, December 13 – The Miami HEAT announced today that they have assigned both guard Shabazz Napier and center Hassan Whiteside to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Napier has appeared in 23 games with the HEAT this season averaging 5.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 21.4 minutes while shooting 42.9 percent from the field. He previously scored in double-figures in six-straight games from November 16 through November 25, the longest such streak by a HEAT rookie since Michael Beasley did so in eight consecutive games from April 1, 2009 through April 15, 2009.

Whiteside, who was signed by Miami on November 24, has appeared in three games with the HEAT this season totaling six points, four rebounds and a block in nine minutes of action while shooting a perfect 3-of-3 from the field. Earlier this season, he appeared in three games in the NBA Development League with the Iowa Energy and averaged 22.0 points, 15.7 rebounds, 5.33 blocks and 28.7 minutes while shooting 85.7 percent from the field, helping them to a perfect 3-0 record.

photo credit: getty images

Wolf Pack Beat Sharks, 5-3

By Zack Grenier

Hartford, CT, December 12, 2014 – Third-period goals by Ryan Haggerty and Oscar Lindberg broke a 3-3 tie and carried the Hartford Wolf Pack to a 5-3 win over the Worcester Sharks Friday night at the XL Center.

The victory was the third in a row for the Wolf Pack, who also got a goal and an assist each from Chris Bourque and Michael Kostka. Jeff Malcolm made 35 saves to get the win, in his first AHL appearance of the season. Daniil Tarasov, Adam Burish and Micheal Haley scored for Worcester.

Hartford struck first with 58.6 seconds remaining in the first period. Conor Allen was the man who made the teddy bears fly, on “Teddy Bear Toss” night, when he scored his fourth goal of the season. Allen got a pass from Kostka as he started to break in to the zone, and Allen fired a wrist shot from just inside the left faceoff dot to beat Troy Grosenick (23 saves) on the blocker side.

“They made a nice D-to-D pass at the blue line and some strong offensive play there,” said Hartford coach Ken Gernander. “It was good that we could generate offense 5-on-5 tonight because I think that was more the style of play we played tonight. We didn’t have that offensive zone time and that offensive zone pressure. It didn’t enable us to do anything in terms of drawing penalties and using our power play tonight.”

The Sharks tied the game at one, at 9:43 of the second, when Dylan DeMelo fired a slap shot from the blue line that deflected off of the hip of Tarasov, who was standing at the side of the net.

That started a run of five goals in 4:22, and just 17 seconds later, a turnover by the Pack led to Burish getting the puck at the top of the left faceoff circle with an open lane to the net. Burish walked in and beat Malcolm on a straight wrist shot.

“Obviously mistakes are going to happen in the course of a game so you just have to limit them,” said the Wolf Pack’s Chris Bourque.

The Pack answered back quickly, at 10:19, when Bourque hit Kostka with a pass across the faceoff circles that left Grosenick (23 saves) on the other side of the net. Kostka’s wrist shot tied the game at two and gave him his second goal of the season.

“Obviously those three goals went in pretty quick there,” said Haggerty. “You just tap your linemates and say let’s settle it down. Let’s control the puck and not give up too many chances, and play in their end to try and generate something to get the momentum back in our favor.”

Chris Bourque gave the Pack a 3-2 lead for a short period of time when he scored his 12th goal of the season at 13:35. Marek Hrivik did the dirty work behind the net and was able to find Bourque sitting in front by himself.

The Sharks did answer back quickly, when Haley was able to put away the rebound of an Evan Trupp shot. The goal tied the game at three just 30 seconds after the Pack took the lead, and ended the scoring for the high-powered second period.

The Pack regained the lead for good 37 seconds into the third period, when Haggerty was able to beat Grosenick on a wrist shot from just inside the right faceoff circle.

“Anytime you get a little time and space to shoot the puck in stride, I think you have a little more of an advantage than the goalie does,” said Haggerty.

Lindberg was able to add to the Pack lead at 5:07, when he scored his ninth goal of the season, Joey Crabb was able to find Lindberg with a pass from the right corner, and Lindberg scored through Grosenick’s five-hole to give the Pack a 5-3 lead.

“Obviously you feel better out there. There’s not that much pressure when you have a 5-3 lead,” said Hrivik. “That doesn’t mean necessarily that you have to stop playing hard though.”

The Wolf Pack’s next game is this Sunday, December 14 in Bridgeport, a 3:00 PM battle with the Sound Tigers at Webster Bank Arena. All of the action of that contest can be heard live on Fox Sports Radio 1410, and on-line at www.foxsportsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio. Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com.

The next home action for the Wolf Pack is Friday, December 19, with the Syracuse Crunch visiting the XL Center for a 7:00 game. All Friday-night Wolf Pack home games feature $1 hot dogs and $2 beers through the start of the second period.

Tickets for all 2014-15 Wolf Pack home games are now on sale at the XL Center ticket office, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499. Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.

To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.

Worcester Sharks 3 at Hartford Wolf Pack 5
Friday, December 12, 2014 – XL Center

Worcester 0 3 0 – 3
Hartford 1 2 2 – 5

1st Period-1, Hartford, Allen 4 (Kostka), 19:01. Penalties-Lindberg Hfd (tripping), 19:54.

2nd Period-2, Worcester, Tarasov 6 (DeMelo, Langlois), 9:43. 3, Worcester, Burish 1 (Hamilton, Abeltshauser), 10:00. 4, Hartford, Kostka 2 (C. Bourque, Hrivik), 10:19. 5, Hartford, C. Bourque 12 (Hrivik, Malone), 13:35. 6, Worcester, Haley 8 (Trupp), 14:05. Penalties-R. Bourque Hfd (tripping), 3:12.

3rd Period-7, Hartford, Haggerty 6 0:37. 8, Hartford, Lindberg 9 (Crabb, Vaive), 5:07. Penalties-Allen Hfd (interference), 9:20; DeMelo Wor (hooking), 14:20.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 12-14-12-38. Hartford 12-8-8-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 0 / 3; Hartford 0 / 1.
Goalies-Worcester, Grosenick 7-3-0 (28 shots-23 saves). Hartford, Malcolm 1-0-0 (38 shots-35 saves).
A-3,516
Referees-Evgeny Romasko (6), Olivier Gouin (66).
Linesmen-Luke Galvin (2), Paul Simeon (66).

2014 UConn Huskies Football Awards

UConn PR Deshon Foxx (4) looks for the end zone ahead of him in the third quarter against the Stony Brook Seawolves on September 6, 2014 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT. Foxx would return the kick for a 72 yard touchdown.

UConn PR Deshon Foxx (4) looks for the end zone ahead of him in the third quarter against the Stony Brook Seawolves on September 6, 2014 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT. Foxx would return the kick for a 72 yard touchdown.

From UConn:

STORRS, Conn. – The 2014 Husky Football Awards Show was held on Friday night at the Rome Commons Ballroom to honor this year’s version of the UConn team. The event began with a social hour and was followed by an ESPY-style awards presentation.

Senior wide receiver Deshon Foxx (Lynchburg, Va.) was named the Offensive Player of the Year while redshirt junior Andrew Adams (Fayetteville, Ga.) was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Redshirt junior Junior Lee (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was named the Special Teams Player of the Year.

Foxx started all 12 games for UConn at wide receiver and also saw time at quarterback. He had UConn’s longest rush (68 vs. UCF), reception (88 vs. East Carolina) and punt return (72 yards vs. Stony Brook) during the season – all scoring touchdowns.

Adams started all 12 games at safety, leading UConn with four interceptions and eight pass breakups and finished second on the squad with 96 tackles. He tied a program record with three interceptions in a win over UCF on Nov. 1 and returned a fumble 32 yards for a touchdown vs. SMU (Dec. 6). He recorded double-digit tackles in three games.

Other awards given out on Friday night were:

The Joseph M. Giannelli Newcomer of the Year Award to redshirt sophomore Andreas Knappe (Slkeborg, Denmark), who played in ten games this season, starting the final seven at right tackle. Other finalists for the award were redshirt sophomore punter Justin Wain (Wilmington, N.C.), freshman cornerback Jamar Summers (East Orange, N.J.) and freshman running back Ron Johnson (Naples, Fla.).

The John L. Toner Scholar-Athlete Award to redshirt sophomore safety Obi Melifonwu (South Grafton, Mass.), who was fourth on the team in tackles with 75 and had started 23 of UConn’s past 24 games since 2013. Other finalists for the award were redshirt senior cornerback Byron Jones (New Britain, Conn.), redshirt sophomore tight end Tommy Myers (Coventry, Conn.) and redshirt freshman Joshua Marriner (Chesapeake, Va.).

The Kendall Madison Award for the most outstanding power player to redshirt junior defensive tackle Julian Campenni (West Pittson, Pa.), who was the team’s starting nose guard and made 35 tackles on the season with a pair of sacks. Other finalists were Knappe, junior offensive guard Tyler Samra (Wycoff, N.J.) and redshirt defensive lineman Mikal Myers (Newburgh, N.Y.).

The Brian Kozlowski Award for the outstanding big skill player to redshirt junior linebacker Graham Stewart (Durham, Conn.), who was third on the team with 94 tackles and led the Huskies with 10.5 tackles for a loss. Other finalists were: redshirt sophomore fullback Jazzmar Clax (Freehold, N.J.), redshirt junior linebacker Marquise Vann (Cincinnati, Ohio) and redshirt junior tight end Sean McQuillan (Glastonbury, Conn.).

The Jasper T. Howard Outstanding Skill Player Award to redshirt senior wide receiver Geremy Davis (Lawrenceville, Ga.), who ended his career as the most prolific receiver in UConn’s FBS era and among the top-six in program history in receptions and receiving yards. Other finalists were: Foxx, Jones and sophomore wide receiver Noel Thomas (Norwalk, Conn.).

The Football Alumni Bleed Blue Award that goes to the player that best embodies a great teammate to redshirt junior Dominick Manco (Lagrangeville, N.Y.), who has served as the Huskies’ deep snapper for the past two years. Other finalists were: Marriner, redshirt sophomore cornerback Nick Vitale (Madison, Conn.) and Mikal Myers.

The Look Team Player of the Year to redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Sean Marinan (Higganum, Conn.). Other finalists were: senior defensive back Chris DeBerry (Torrington, Conn.), redshirt sophomore Tony Tully (East Sandwich, Mass.) and redshirt freshman quarterback Bryant Shirreffs (Jefferson, Ga.).

*editor’s note: I was invited to attend the awards show but due to being under the weather, I decided to stay home.

photo credit: ©2014 Ian Bethune

Red Sox Make Miley Trade With Diamondbacks Official

Wade Miley #36 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts after walking Andrew Susac (not pictured) of the San Francisco Giants with the bases loaded to allow Angel Pagan (not pictured) to score a run during the first inning at AT&T Park on September 9, 2014 in San Francisco, California.

Wade Miley #36 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts after walking Andrew Susac (not pictured) of the San Francisco Giants with the bases loaded to allow Angel Pagan (not pictured) to score a run during the first inning at AT&T Park on September 9, 2014 in San Francisco, California.

As we learned on Wednesday, the Boston Red Sox acquired Wade Miley from the Arizona Diamondbacks for a Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster and a minor leaguer. Today, the Red Sox made it official.

Here’s the release:

BOSTON, MA – The Boston Red Sox today made two separate transactions:

Acquired All-Star left-handed pitcher Wade Miley from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed pitchers Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster and minor league infielder Raymel Flores.

Acquired right-handed pitcher Zeke Spruill from the Diamondbacks in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Myles Smith.

Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington made the announcements.

Miley, 28, was the Diamondbacks’ 2014 Opening Day starter in Sydney, Australia. Last year, he led the team and ranked among NL leaders with 183 strikeouts (12th) and 201.1 innings pitched (13th). He went 8-12 with a 4.34 ERA, including a 3.53 mark over his final nine starts of the season and a 3.17 ERA in 17 road starts. His 33 starts overall tied for the lead among NL left-handers, one shy of the major league lead.

In 2014, Miley ranked ninth among major league lefties with a career-best 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings. Among NL left-handers, only Clayton Kershaw (239), Madison Bumgarner (219), and Cole Hamels (198) totaled more strikeouts.

Miley tied for the 2014 NL lead in no-decisions (13), with 23 of his 33 starts decided by one or two runs. He placed ninth among National Leaguers in ground ball-to-fly ball ratio (1.99).

His 66 starts over the last two seasons are the most in the majors by a left-handed pitcher and trail only right-handers R.A. Dickey (68), James Shields (68), and Chris Tillman (67) overall. He is the only lefty pitcher, and one of only six major leaguers overall, to make at least 33 starts in both 2013 and 2014.

In 2012, Miley was named a National League All-Star and The Sporting News’ NL Rookie of the Year, finishing second in Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting to Washington’s Bryce Harper. That year he tied for sixth in the National League in wins (16-11), ranked 10th in ERA (with a 3.33), and posted the league’s fifth-best walk rate (1.7 walks per nine innings).

A supplemental first-round selection by Arizona in the 2008 June Draft (48th overall), the native of Hammond, Louisiana is 38-35 with a 3.79 ERA and 499 strikeouts over 102 starts and four relief appearances in his four-year major league career.

In 337.0 career innings on the road, Miley owns a 3.31 ERA and a .258 opponent batting average. He has the majors’ eighth-lowest rate of home runs allowed (0.69 home runs per nine innings) in away games since 2011 (min. 250.0 IP).

In his three full major league seasons, from 2012-14, the only NL left-handers with more wins than Miley’s 34 are Kershaw (51), Bumgarner (47), and Gio Gonzalez (42). In that time, he has produced 56 ground ball double plays, third most in the NL.

Spruill, 25, went 1-1 with a 3.57 ERA (9 ER/22.2 IP) with 14 strikeouts and four walks in six outings (1 start) over three major league stints for the Diamondbacks in 2014, his second straight season appearing in the big leagues. He had been designated for assignment on Monday.

A native of Chesapeake, VA, Spruill spent the majority of 2014 with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A Reno affiliate, going 3-7 with a 6.04 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 79.0 innings over 28 outings (11 starts). He also made three rehab appearances for the Rookie-level Arizona League Diamondbacks while on the disabled list with a strained right elbow. After returning from the DL on August 8, he posted a 2.16 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 16.2 innings over his final 10 regular season appearances for Reno, all in relief. He then pitched to a 2.70 ERA (4 ER/13.1 IP) over four major league relief appearances for the Diamondbacks during September.

In 2013, Spruill combined for a 3.49 ERA in 21 starts between Double-A Mobile and Reno, and also made his major league debut with six outings for Arizona. It was his first year with the Diamondbacks organization after being acquired from the Atlanta Braves as part of a seven-player trade in January of that year.

A second-round selection by Atlanta in the 2008 June Draft, Spruill is 47-50 with a 3.85 ERA in 156 games (126 starts) over parts of seven minor league seasons. As a Braves farmhand, he was named a mid-season minor league All-Star in the Single-A South Atlantic League in 2009 and the Double-A Southern League in 2012.

De La Rosa and Webster were both acquired by the Red Sox as part of the nine-player trade that sent first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, right-handed pitcher Josh Beckett, and outfielder Carl Crawford to the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 25, 2012.

Over his two seasons of major league service with Boston (2013-14), De La Rosa went 4-10 with a 4.54 ERA (57 ER/113.0 IP), 37 walks, and 80 strikeouts in 30 games (18 starts). The 25-year-old Dominican native had two stints with the Red Sox last season, over which he set career highs in games (19), starts (18), and strikeouts (74). He had eight quality starts in 2014, and allowed one run or none in six of his starts which was the second-highest total on the staff behind Jon Lester (eight). De La Rosa has gone 8-15 with a 4.34 ERA (84 ER/174.1 IP), 70 walks, and 140 strikeouts in 44 career major league games (28 starts) between the Dodgers (2011-12) and Red Sox. The right-handed pitcher was originally signed by the Dodgers as an international free agent in 2007.

This past season with Boston, Webster pitched to a 5-3 record with a 5.03 ERA (33 ER/59.0 IP), 28 walks, and 36 strikeouts in 11 games, all starts. He spent the majority of his season with Triple-A Pawtucket where he appeared in 21 games, making 20 starts, and posted a 2.90 ERA (38 ER/118.0 IP) in those outings. After the 2014 season, Baseball America rated him as the No. 8 pitching prospect in the International League. For his major league career, he has gone 6-5 with a 6.25 ERA (62 ER/89.1 IP), 46 walks, and 59 strikeouts in 19 games, all with the Red Sox. Webster was originally an 18th-round selection of the Dodgers in the 2008 June Draft.

Flores, 20, spent the 2014 season with the Short-A Lowell Spinners, batting .282 (58-for-206) with six doubles, three triples, a home run, 12 RBI, 16 walks, 31 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases in 61 games. The switch-hitting Dominican native appeared at second base (47 games) and shortstop (11 games) last season and ranked among club leaders in games (3rd), runs (3rd), hits (3rd), triples (T-3rd, 3), walks (3rd), stolen bases (2nd, 14), and sacrifice bunts (1st, 6). Signed by Boston as an international free agent in July 2011, he has hit .246 (118-for-479) with 14 doubles, 15 triples, one home run, 43 RBI, and 28 stolen bases in 148 career minor league games in the Red Sox farm system over the last three seasons.

Smith, 22, spent last season with Single-A Greenville, going 5-10 with one save, a 5.82 ERA (67 ER/103.2 IP), 73 strikeouts, and 62 walks allowed in 26 outings, including 12 starts. Signed by Boston as a fourth-round selection in the 2013 June Draft, he appeared in 31 minor league games in the Red Sox system over the last two seasons, with 17 starts and 14 relief outings, and went 5-10 with one save and a 5.43 ERA (69 ER/114.1 IP).

With these transactions, Boston’s 40-man roster is now at 39.

photo credit: getty images

Red Sox Sign Justin Masterson To One-Year Deal

Justin Masterson #63 of the Boston Red Sox delivers a pitch against the Cleveland Indians on September 23, 2008 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.

Justin Masterson #63 of the Boston Red Sox delivers a pitch against the Cleveland Indians on September 23, 2008 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.

I know that there are two people on the Boston Red Sox NESN television broadcast crew that will be very happy the Boston Red Sox signed Justin Masterson to a one-year deal worth $9.5 million plus incentives.

They are Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo because now they will once again get to enjoy the cookies of Meryl Masterson, the wife of Justin.

Masterson returns to the club that drafted him and where he made his MLB debut. He also reunites with skipper John Farrell who was his pitching coach here.

Masterson was a piece in the deal when the Red Sox acquired Victor Martinez in 2009.

Full release from the Red Sox:

BOSTON, MA-The Boston Red Sox today agreed with All-Star right-handed pitcher Justin Masterson on a one-year contract through the 2015 season. Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington made the announcement.

Masterson, 29, split the 2014 season between the Cleveland Indians and the St. Louis Cardinals. In 25 starts and three relief appearances, he combined for a 7-9 record with a 5.88 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 128.2 innings. He spent three weeks on the disabled list last July due to a right knee inflammation and was acquired by St. Louis via trade on July 30.

He posted a 3.86 ERA in 96 starts and four relief appearances over his previous three seasons with the Indians from 2011-13, twice throwing over 200 innings. In 2013, Masterson went 14-10 with a 3.45 ERA in 32 appearances, including 29 starts, and was named to the American League All-Star Team. That season he struck out 195 batters in 193.0 innings and led AL qualifiers in both opponent slugging percentage (.312) and ground ball-to-fly ball ratio (2.48).

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Masterson returns to the organization that signed him as a second-round selection in the 2006 June Draft. From 2008-09, he went 9-8 with a 3.76 ERA in 67 appearances, including 15 starts, over parts of two seasons with the Red Sox to begin his major league career. He was traded to Cleveland at the July 31, 2009 non-waiver trade deadline along with left-handed pitcher Nick Hagadone and right-handed pitcher Bryan Price in exchange for catcher/first baseman Victor Martinez.

Masterson has appeared in 240 major league games (175 starts) over seven big league seasons with the Red Sox (2008-09), Indians (2009-14), and Cardinals (2014), going 60-72 with a 4.24 ERA and 955 strikeouts. In 10 career postseason games between the Red Sox (2008) and Indians (2013), all out of the bullpen, he is 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA.

His 59 percent ground ball rate in 2014 was the third highest among major leaguers with at least 100.0 innings last season. Beginning with his 2008 debut, the only pitcher with at least 1,000 innings and a ground ball rate higher than Masterson’s 57 percent mark is Tim Hudson at 58.

In his career, Masterson has held right-handed batters to just a .220/.306/.301 line and just a .607 OPS. Among pitchers who have faced at least 1,500 right-handed batters since 2008, none have a better opponent slugging percentage and only Clayton Kershaw has a better opponent batting average (.214).

With the signing of Masterson, Boston’s 40-man roster is now at 39.

photo credit: getty images

Paw Prints: The Daily UConn Huskies Roundup – 12/12/14

UConn Huskies 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.

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 Football links

American Athletic Conference 2014 Postseason Football Award Winners [sox & dawgs]

UConn’s Mateas moving up CFL scouting ratings [jim fuller – new haven register]

UConn Football Attendance Hits Record Low [hartford courant]

Wallingford’s Dave Peterson has been UConn football statistician for 60 seasons [new haven register]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Three Huskies Named to Naismith Trophy Women’s 50 Watch List [sox & dawgs]

UConn products showcased on WNBA air waves [jim fuller – new haven register]

UConn Women Insider: Tamika Williams Overcomes Divorce, Dad’s Death [hartford courant]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

UConn men: Amilo out 6-8 weeks [john silver – sny uconn]

UConn Readies For Home Game Against Coppin State On Sunday [uconn huskies]

UConn professor, Yale alum used exam to gloat about Huskies’ upset [extra mustard]

Other UConn related links

M. Soccer. Three Huskies Earn NSCAA All-Region Honors [uconn huskies]

Field Hockey. Nancy Stevens Selected as 2014 NFHCA Mideast Region Coach of the Year [uconn huskies]

M. Soccer. Tony Cascio, Paul McDonough To Be Reunited At Orlando City SC [uconn huskies]

Baseball. Rossomando looking forward to joining Huskies [stratford star]

In the Red Zone: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots Preview Week 15

In the Red Zone

This Week

Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots

The New England Patriots host the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro MA on Sunday at 1 p.m.

It’s a hat and T-shirt game.

The Dolphins The Patriots
Overall Record 7-6 Overall Record 10-3
Road Record 4-3 Home Record 6-0
AFC East 3-1 AFC East 2-1
AFC Conf 6-4 AFC Conf 8-2

Bill Vinovich is the referee for the game.

The Line/Prediction

As of Thursday the line on the game from sportsbetting.ag via Yahoo Sports has the Patriots at MINUS 7.5. The over/under is 48.

My Prediction is Patriots 35, Dolphins, 21. Give the points (Patriots) and take the over. I am 9-4 against the spread and 6 of 13 on calling the over/under in 2014.

Tickets

The Patriots are reporting the game as a sell out. It is the 225th 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.

You can find other recipes from the team on their website. Includes Gronk’s Buffalo Chicken Dip, Carne Asada Fries, Cincinnati Chili and more.

And with tailgating many people enjoy some adult beverages. With that in mind check out Drink Nation for how to make all sorts of great drinks. You can look things up by name, ingredient(s) or theme.

Whether it’s at the game, a bar or a friend’s house moderation is always the key to a great time. Please don’t drink and drive and designate a sober driver. Remember drive sober or get pulled over.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television

CBS in televising the game regionally. Ian Eagle will do play by play while Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts will provide the game analysis and Jenny Dell will work the sidelines. 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. Bob Socci handles the play-by-play and former Patriots QB Scott Zolak will do the game analysis. It all starts with Gary Tanguay and Andy Gresh with the pregame show at 10 a.m. on 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 85, XM Channel 85 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 818.

The Dolphins Radio Network has former Dolphins WR Jimmy Cefalo calling play-by-play and former Dolphins TE Joe Rose and Hall of Famer Bob Griese providing the color with Kim Bokamper on the sidelines via their flagship stations WINZ 940 AM and WBGG-FM 105.9.

Their call is available on Sirius Channel 119 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 816.

ESPN Radio is carrying the game with Marc Kestecher on play by play, Bill Polian handles the analysis and Ian Fitzsimmons roams the sidelines.

Patriots All Access

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

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

 

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

Last Week

The Patriots defeated the Chargers in San Diego, 23-14 while the Dolphins lost at home to the Ravens, 28-13.

History

  • This is the 99th meeting between the teams including playoffs.
  • The Dolphins lead the series 52-46 including playoffs.
  • The Patriots have the edge in post season meetings, 2-1.
  • Dolphins won the last meeting Week 1 at Miami, 33-20

Patriots Team Notes

Small team logo

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

2014 Patriots Schedule/Results

Franchise notes:

  • The Patriots overall franchise record is 448-376-9. They have won three Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) in seven appearances. Overall they are 25-18 in the post season.
  • They last appeared in the playoffs in 2013 when they beat Indianapolis in the AFC Divisional Round 43-22 and lost at Denver 26-16 in the AFC Championship Game.
  • It was the 3rd consecutive AFC Championship game appearance for the franchise and 10th overall. They are 7-3 in those AFC title games.
  • The Patriots were 12-4 (1-1 in playoffs) in 2013 and are the defending five-time AFC East Champions. They have won the division 11 times and the conference 5 times since 2000.
  • New England is the only NFL team to finish .500 or better in each of the last 14 seasons (2001-2014).
  • They are the first team in the free agency era (1993) to win more than half their games in a 14-season span.
  • They have 12 consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins.(2003-14)
  • All-time the 14 consecutive winning seasons stands 5th behind Chicago (1930-44) 15 seasons, Oakland (1965-80) and San Francisco (1983-98) 16 seasons and Dallas (1966-85) 20 seasons.
  • Since the merger the Patriots have 29 winning seasons.

The Kraft Family Era (1994-present):

This is the 21st season of Patriots ownership by the Kraft family. Since Robert Kraft bought the team in 1994 they:

  • Have the most Super Bowl wins, 3.
  • Have the most regular season wins, 227.
  • Have the most wins including playoffs, 248.
  • Have the most conference titles, 6.
  • Have the most division titles, 13.
  • Have the most playoff wins, 21
  • Have played the most playoff games, 33.
  • Are tied for the most playoff seasons, 15.
  • The fewest head coaches within the division, 3.
  • Have drafted the most Pro Bowl players, 20.

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

In the Belichick Era (2000-present):

  • Since 2003 the Patriots have the NFL’s best record at 148-41.
  • Since 2000 the Patriots are 93-24 in the second half of the season. They have gone 8-0 four times and 7-1 three times.
  • Since 2001 the Patriots are 81-21 in games played on or after Thanksgiving that’s the best record in the NFL, Pittsburgh is 2nd at 64-31.
  • Since 2000 New England is 52-9 in December games.
  • Since 2004 the Patriots are 37-4 following a loss and have not lost back to back games since 2012.
  • Patriots are 11-3 at home vs. Dolphins since 2000.
  • They are 67-24 vs. AFC East.
  • Have 16 consecutive home wins vs. the AFC East.
  • Have 14 consecutive seasons without a losing record.
  • First team to twice score 3 TD’s in less than a minute Week 8, 2014 vs. Chicago and Week 12, 2012 at NY Jets.

Against the Dolphins:

  • The Patriots have won 9 of the last 12 games between the teams.
  • The Patriots are 31-17 vs. the Dolphins at home including playoffs.
  • New England is 10-2 vs. Miami at Gillette Stadium.
  • Patriots have lost last two meetings after having won 7 consecutive games vs. Dolphins.
  • Week 1 at Miami had 100 yards in penalties.

Last Week vs. the Chargers:

  • Tom Brady recorded his 30th TD pass of the season it’s his 5th time with 30 or more.
  • Brady had his 64th career 300-yard passing game.
  • Sealver Siliga returned and made contributions on the defensive line.
  • Rob Ninkovich got his 7th sack of the season and is looking for his 3rd consecutive season with 8 or more sacks.
  • Brandon Bolden had his first career punt block.
  • Jamie Collins not only called the signals in the game for the defense he had his first career 2-sack game and led the team in tackles.
  • Rob Gronkowski beat Antonio Gates to 10 TD catches and became the first tight end in NFL history with 4 seasons of 10 TD’s or more.
  • The defense allowed only 216 total yards and only 53 rushing yards.
  • Had 24 first downs to the Chargers 13 first downs.
  • New England had 397 total yards to San Diego’s 216.
  • Patriots had 6 penalties vs. the Chargers for 70 yards.
  • Nine of the Chargers top 10 yardage plays allowed by the Patriots were passing plays the longest being 28 yards (Rivers to Floyd). Their longest rush against the defense was 17 yards by Ryan Matthews.
  • Eight of the top 10 yardage plays for the Patriots were pass plays the longest being the 69-yard TD pass to Julian Edelman. The longest run play was a rush was by LeGarrette Blount for 23 yards.

In the 2014 Season:

  • A win or a tie gives the Patriots the AFC East Title it’d be their 6th consecutive division crown.
  • Currently hold the top playoff seed in the AFC due to a tiebreaker they earned with a win over Denver (2). If the playoffs started now both teams would have a first round bye.
  • Lead NFL with most red zone points (285) having converted on 50 or 54 red zone opportunities (34 TD’s; 1g FG).
  • Have 14 consecutive winning seasons by far the most currently in the NFL.
  • Looking for 12th consecutive season with at least 10 wins.
  • New England has 105 penalties this season in 13 games and has been penalized 936 yards. This eclipses the Patriots totals for 2013 when they had 69 penalties and lost 625 yards in 16 weeks.
  • New England is PLUS 10 in turnover differential they are 3rd in the NFL. They have 13 INT and have recovered 8 fumbles while they have thrown 7 INT’s and lost 4 fumbles.
  • The Patriots are 3rd in points scored averaging 30.8 points per game and are 9th in points allowed with 20.5 points per game.

Patriots Staff Notes

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

Bill Belichick notes:

  • Bill Belichick is 18-13 vs. the Dolphins. He is 18-11 with New England and 0-2 with Cleveland.
  • Overall in his NFL career Belichick is 209-107 in his 20th NFL season as a head coach. He is 173-63 with New England and 36-44 with Cleveland. He is 19-9 in the playoffs, 18-8 as head coach of the Patriots in the post season. When you combine his regular season and post season records he is 228-117.
  • Belichick’s 228 wins are good for 5th all-time. He can tie Hall of Fame member Curly Lambeau for 4th with 229 wins on Sunday.
  • Is tied with Lambeau for the second most consecutive winning seasons as a head coach with 14. Tom Landry is first with 20.
  • He has won 5 conference titles; he needs one more to tied Don Shula’s record of 6.
  • He is the first head coach to have had 4 teams that scored at least 500 points in a season.
  • 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.
  • No coach either as the head coach or an assistant has appeared in more Super Bowls than Belichick who has been to 8 (five as a head coach).
  • He is the only coach in NFL history to have led his team to 10+ wins in 12 consecutive seasons.
  • He has been NFL Coach of the Year three times he and Chuck Knox are the only three time winners, while Don Shula won four times.

Other Staff/Personnel notes:

  • Special Teams Coach Scott O’Brien spent two seasons (2005-06) with the Dolphins as coordinator of football operations/assistant to the head coach.
  • Tight ends coach Brian Daboll was the Dolphins offensive coordinator in 2011.
  • Offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo coached the Dolphins’ offensive line from 2009-11.

Patriots Possible Starters

Offense:

  • LT: Solder
  • LG: Connolly
  • C: Stork
  • RG: Wendell
  • RT: Vollmer
  • TE: Gronkowski
  • WR: LaFell
  • WR: Edelman
  • QB: Brady
  • RB: Blount
  • RB: Devlin

Defense:

  • DE: Ninkovich
  • DT: Wilfork
  • DT: Chr. Jones
  • LB: Collins
  • LB: Ayers
  • LB: Casilla
  • DB: Arrington
  • LCB: Revis
  • RCB: Browner
  • S: Chung
  • S: McCourty

Patriots Players Notes

Tom Brady Notes:

  • This is his 15th NFL season he is 17-8 vs. Miami in his career. He is 89-13 at home in the regular season.
  • Brady is 11-1 vs. Miami at home in his career. He has won the last 5 home games against them. (Last loss vs. Miami at home Week 3 – 2008, 38-13.)
  • Has a 46-7 career record in December games best among quarterbacks with at least 20 starts. Roger Staubach is 2nd at 17-3.
  • Overall he is 158-46 as a starting QB and is 18-8 in the playoffs for an overall record of 176-55. He is a 9 time Pro Bowl QB; 3 time All-Pro selection; two time NFL MVP and has won 3 Super Bowls while twice being named the games MVP. He is also listed as the 21st Greatest Player in the History of the NFL according to the NFL Network.
  • Has multiple TD pass games for 9 consecutive games. Week 5 vs. Cincinnati (2), Week 6 at Buffalo (4), Week 7 vs. NYJets (3), Week 8 vs. Chicago (5), Week 9 vs. Denver (4), Week 11 at Indianapolis (2), Week 12 vs. Detroit (2), Week 13 at Green Bay (2) and Week 14 at San Diego (2).
  • 389 TD passes in his career makes him 5th in NFL history 2 TD passes behind Drew Brees.
  • 158 career wins are 3rd all-time behind only Brett Favre and Peyton Manning.
  • He has thrown for 2 or more TD’s in 124 games; the team’s record is 106-18.
  • Recorded his 12th season with 3,000 or more passing yards.
  • Has put up 50+ points on an opponent 7 times all since 2007 and now has the most 50+ point games for a quarterback in NFL history. Len Dawson is 2nd with six games of 50+ points.

Rob Gronkowski notes:

  • Has caught a pass in 63 consecutive games it’s the 4th longest streak currently for a tight end.
  • First TE in NFL history to have four seasons with 10 or more TD catches when he grabbed a 14-yard Tom Brady pass at San Diego Week 14.
  • Had 8 catches for 87 yards and 1 TD Week 14 at San Diego.
  • Had 7 catches for 98 yards at Green Bay Week 13.
  • Had 9 catches for 105 yards and 1 TD Week 9 vs. Denver.
  • Leads team in TD’s with 10 and receiving yards with 997.
  • Had 9 catches for 149-yards and 3 TD’s vs. Chicago Week 8.
  • Had 6 catches for 100-yards and 1 TD vs. Cincinnati Week 5.

Julian Edelman notes:

  • Had 8 catches for 141 yards an 1 TD Week 14 at San Diego it was his 5th career 100-yard game.
  • Had career long 69-yard TD catch at San Diego in Week 14.
  • Now has 5 career games with 10 or more catches after an 11-catch game Week 12 vs. Detroit (11 catches, 89 yards).
  • Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 9.
  • Had 9 catches for 89 yards and 1 TD and an 84-yard punt return for a TD Week 9 vs. Denver for 173 total yards.
  • Punt return TD vs. Denver Week 9 was his 13th punt return of 30+ yards (2nd in franchise history) and his 4th for a TD (new team record).
  • Had 9 catches for 91 yards, 1 carry for 10 yards and 3 punt returns for 12 yards for 113 total yards Week 6 at Buffalo.
  • Leads team in receiving with 85 catches and is 2nd with 884 receiving yards.
  • Opened the season with a 95 receiving yards at Miami and added 81 yards receiving at Minnesota Week 2.
  • Had 156 total yards Week 2 at Minnesota (81 receiving, 9 rushing and 66 on punt returns).

Jonas Gray notes:

  • DNP vs. Detroit Week 12 after missing a Friday morning meeting. Returned to action Week 13 at Green Bay (2 snaps, 1 carry for 4 yards).
  • Named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 11.
  • In Week 11 at Indianapolis had 37 carries for 201 yards and 4 TD’s.
  • Gray set a franchise record with 4 TD’s Week 11 at Indianapolis. Breaking the record shared by Corey Dillon (vs. Detroit 2006), Curtis Martin (vs. Miami 1996), Mosi Tatupu (at LA Rams, 1993), Tony Collins (vs. NY Jets 1983) and Sam “Bam” Cunningham (at Buffalo, 1974) who all had 3 rushing TD’s in a regular season game.
  • Gray’s 201 yards rushing (Week 11 at Indianapolis) are third most in team history behind Jim Nance (208, 1966 vs. Oakland) and Tony Collins (212, 1983 vs. NY Jets).
  • Only 3rd NFL player to get his first four career TD’s in one game and first since Herb Henderson of the Evansville Crimson Giants in 1921.
  • Tied a single game NFL record with 15 rushing first downs Week 11 at Indianapolis with Corey Dillon and Edgerrin James.
  • Leads team in rushing TD’s (4).
  • Is second on team in rushing yards with 345 just 2 yards behind Shane Vereen.
  • Had 86 yards on 17 carries in his second NFL game Week 8 vs. Chicago.

Tim Wright notes:

  • Had 5 catches for 36 yards including 2 for TD’s vs. Detroit Week 12.
  • Had 7 catches for 61-yards and a TD vs. Chicago Week 8.
  • Has TD catches in 4 of the last 6 games Week 5 vs. Cincinnati, Week 6 at Buffalo, Week 8 vs. Chicago and Week 11 at Indianapolis.

Brandon LaFell notes:

  • Had 5 catches for 38 yards and 2 TD’s Week 13 at Green Bay. It was his second 2 TD game of the year and third of his career.
  • Had 9 catches for a team high 98 yards Week 12 vs. Detroit.
  • Had 6 catches for 53 yards and 1 TD Week 9 vs. Denver.
  • Had 11 catches for 124 yards (both career highs) and 1 TD vs. Chicago Week 8.
  • Had 4 catches for 97 yards and 2 TD’s at Buffalo Week 6 it was his 2nd two TD game of his career.

Shane Vereen notes:

  • Leads team in rushing yards with 347 yards.
  • Had 43 rushing yards on 11 carries and 5 catches for 71 yards and 2 TD’s for 114 total yards from scrimmage Week 7 vs. New York.
  • Had 90 rushing yards on 9 carries and 3 catches for 18 receiving yards for 108 yards from scrimmage Week 5 vs. Cincinnati.
  • Set franchise record with receptions (12) and receiving yards (153) by a running back in a single-game Week 14 (2013) vs. Cleveland.
  • Became just fourth NFL running back to post 150 receiving yards in a single-game in the last 10 seasons.

LeGarrette Blount notes:

  • Ran for 78 yards and 2 TD’s on 12 carries in his Patriots return vs. Detroit Week 12. The 2 TD game was the 4th of his career and 2nd as a Patriot.
  • Returns to Foxboro after being released by Pittsburgh after Week 11. Signed a two-year deal at veteran minimums.
  • Had 266 yards rushing with 2 TD’s on 65 carries for the Steelers this year. Also caught 6 passes for 36 yards.

Stephen Gostkowski notes:

  • Had a 15-point game vs. Chicago Week 8 with 3 field goals and 6 XPT’s.
  • Missed his first field goal attempt of 2014 in first quarter, Week 6 at Buffalo.
  • Had a 19-point game vs. Cincinnati Week 5 with 5 field goals and 4 XPT’s. The five field goals were a new career high.
  • Missed on a 4th quarter field goal for first time in 34 attempts Week 13 at Green Bay.
  • Has not missed an extra point since Week 17 2006 at Tennessee in his rookie season.
  • Lead NFL in scoring in both 2012 and 2013.
  • Has scored at least 1 point in 117 consecutive games a franchise record.
  • He is tied for second in team history in points (1,154) trailing only Adam Vinatieri (1,158).
  • Has team record of 13 career field goals of 50+ yards.

Vince Wilfork notes:

  • Was in on 6 tackles (2 solo) Week 6 at Buffalo.
  • Had his 3rd career INT vs. Oakland Week 3. He is the first Patriots lineman to have 3 career INT’s.
  • Has 7 fumbles recoveries since 2010 the second most in the NFL in that span behind teammate Rob Ninkovich.

Darrelle Revis notes:

  • Had 4 passes defensed Week 12 vs. Detroit.
  • Leads team with 14 passes defensed.
  • Has 23 career INT’s and is one of the top shutdown corners in the NFL.
  • Got his 2nd INT of the year at the end of half Week 8 vs. Chicago.
  • Shares team lead with 2 INT’s with Devin McCourty and Logan Ryan.
  • Had his first forced fumble of the year Week 5 vs. Cincinnati.
  • In Patriots debut Week 1 at Miami had 1 tackles, 2 passes defensed and recovered a fumble.
  • Had his first Patriots INT Week 2 at Minnesota against Matt Cassel. Also had 3 tackles and 1 pass defensed.

Rob Ninkovich notes:

  • Had 5 tackles (5 solo), 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss and 1 QB hit Week 14 at San Diego.
  • Had 5 tackles (4 solo), a sack, a tackle for loss and 2 QB hits Week 11 at Indianapolis.
  • Had 3 tackles (1 solo), 1 INT and 1 pass defensed vs. Denver Week 9.
  • Had his 13th career fumble recovery Week 8 vs. Chicago. The 13-fumble recoveries are the most in the NFL since 2010.
  • The TD return was the second of his career. He had an INT return for TD in 2011 Week 9 at NY Jets.
  • Leads team with 7 sacks.
  • Week 6 at Buffalo had 6 tackles (4 solo) and 3 sacks. It was his first career 3-sack day.
  • Week 2 at Minnesota had 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss and 2 QB hits.

Dont’a Hightower notes:

  • Had 10 tackles (4 solo), 1 sack, 3 tackles for loss and 1 QB hit Week 13 at Green Bay.
  • Had 8 tackles (5 solo) and a QB hit Week 12 vs. Detroit.
  • Had 6 tackles (3 solo), 2 QB hits and 1 pass defensed Week 11 at Indianapolis.
  • Had 10 tackles (4 solo) vs. Chicago Week 8.
  • Returned after a 2 week absence and had 13 tackles (9 solo), 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss and 1 QB hit Week 7 vs. the Jets.
  • Didn’t play Week 5 vs. Cincinnati or Week 6 at Buffalo due to a knee injury.
  • Second on team in tackles with 73 (56 solo) and tied for 2nd on team with 4.5 sacks.
  • His 4.5 sacks is a new career high.
  • Along with Chandler Jones he led team with 8 tackles and 2 sacks Week 2 at Minnesota. He also had 2 tackles for loss, 2 QB hits and 1 pass defensed.
  • Had his first career 2-sack game Week 2 at Minnesota.

Jamie Collins notes:

  • Had his first career 2-sack game Week 14 at San Diego and led team with 9 tackles (8 solo). Also had 3 tackles for loss and 2 QB hits.
  • Led team in tackles Week 8 vs. Chicago with 11 (6 solo), Week 9 vs. Denver with 11 (10 solo), Week 11 at Indianapolis with 8 (5 solo) and Week 13 at Green Bay with 13 (7 solo).
  • Had 13 tackles (7 solo), 1 sack and his 3rd forced fumble of the season at Green Bay Week 13.
  • Had two tackles for loss and forced his second fumble of the year Week 11 at Indianapolis.
  • Had 13 tackles (7 solo) Week 7 vs. NY Jets.
  • Leads team with 85 tackles (56 solo).
  • Had 4 tackles (2 solo) and an INT Week 6 at Buffalo. It was his first NFL INT.
  • Has recovered a fumble and forced 2 fumbles in 2014.

Akeem Ayers notes:

  • Had a big INT Week 14 at San Diego. It was the lone Chargers turnover.
  • Had 3 tackles (3 solo), 1 sack, 1 QB hit and 1 tackle for loss vs. Detroit Week 12.
  • Had 5 tackles (2 solo), 1 sack, 1 QB hit and 1 tackle for loss Week 8 vs. Chicago.
  • Had 3 tackles (3 solo), 1 sack, 1 QB hit and 1 tackle for loss Week 9 vs. Denver.

General Team news:

P Ryan Allen named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 14 at San Diego. He punted 5 times for 247 yards (49.4 ave), 4 were inside the 20 and 1 was a touch back with a long of 60 yards. The Chargers only had a total of 7 yards on punt returns.

Roster moves/transactions this week:

  • Activated DT Sealver Siliga from IR (designated to return list).

Patriots team captains for 2014:

  • QB Tom Brady
  • G/C Dan Connolly
  • WR Matthew Slater (special teams)
  • DT Vince Wilfork
  • LB Jerod Mayo (IR)
  • S Devin McCourty (replaces Mayo)

Former Dolphins on the Patriots:

  • DE Rob Ninkovich
  • RB Jonas Gray

Players with New England roots:

  • none

Players with Florida roots:

  • WR Brian Tyms – FT. Lauderdale FL
  • DT Vince Wilfork – Boynton Beach FL
  • RB James White – Ft. Lauderdale FL
  • C/G Bryan Stork – Vero Beach FL
  • RB LeGarrette Blount – Perry FL

Players from New England based colleges and universities:

  • RB James Develin – Brown

Players from Florida based colleges and universities:

  • DT Vince Wilfork – University of Miami
  • DT Dominque Easley – University of Florida
  • C/G Bryan Stork – Florida State
  • WR Brian Tyms – Florida A&M
  • OL Caylin Hauptmann – Florida International

The Patriots have 6 retired numbers:

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

Dolphins Team Notes

Small team logo

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

2014 Dolphins Schedule/Results

Franchise notes:

  • The Dolphins all-time record is 422-323-4 and they are 20-20 in the playoffs with their last playoff appearance coming in 2008. In that postseason the Dolphins lost at home to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Game.
  • They last played for a conference championship in 1992 when they lost to San Diego in the AFC Title game, 29-10.
  • They have won two Super Bowl titles (VII, VIII) in five appearances. They last appeared in a Super Bowl in 1984 losing to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XIX, 38-16. The Dolphins franchise started in 1966 in the AFL.

In the Joe Philbin Era (2012 to present):

  • Looking for a season sweep of the Patriots for the first time since 2000.
  • They are three games behind the Patriots and a loss will knock them out of the division race and greatly hamper their wild card chances.
  • Have allowed the fourth fewest passing TD’s (55) in the NFL since 2012.
  • Are tied for most blocked kicks in NFL with 4 this year. They have two blocked punts and two blocked field goals.

Against the Patriots:

  • Snapped New England’s 10 game win streak on Kick Off Weekend Week 1 at Miami, 33-20.
  • They have back-to-back wins (Wk 15 – 2013 and Wk 1 – 2014) over New England for first time since they won in 2000 (Wk 17) and 2001 (Wk 4).
  • Miami is 36-48 vs. the AFC East in the regular season since 2001.
  • The Dolphins are 2-10 vs. the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Overall as the road team in the series they are 17-31 and that includes 0-1 in the playoffs.
  • Against New England they were 13-19 at Foxboro Stadium and 2-2 at Fenway Park.
  • Miami has lost 12 of the last 15 meetings with New England.
  • The Dolphins have swept the Patriots 13 times in the series the last time was in 2000.
  • Miami’s longest win streak against New England is 9 games from 1989 to 1993.
  • Largest margin of victory in franchise history came vs. the Patriots in Week 9 1972 at Miami when they won 52-0.
  • Set season bests for rushing first downs (11), rushing attempts (38), rushing yards (191), fumbles/lost (3/2), fewest punts (2) vs. New England Week 1.

In 2014:

  • Currently out of the playoffs if season ended now. Heading into Week 15 they are the AFC’s 9th seed behind potential wild cards Pittsburgh (5) and San Diego (6) who along with Baltimore (7) all are 8-5, while Houston (8) is 7-6 like Miami. Kansas City (10), Buffalo (11) and Cleveland (12) who trail the Dolphins based on tiebreakers are all also 7-6.
  • Have a strong 3-1 record in the AFC East.
  • Are 4-3 on the road with wins over NY Jets, Oakland, Chicago and Jacksonville.
  • Shutout San Diego at home Week 9, 37-0. It was their first shutout since Week 1 – 2000 vs. Seattle, 23-0.
  • Have 7 games in which they held opponents to 20 points or less.
  • Miami has 64 penalties this season in 13 games and has been penalized 506 yards.
  • Miami is PLUS 4 in turnover differential they are 10th in the NFL. They have 12 INT and have recovered 10 fumbles while they have thrown 9 INT’s and lost 9 fumbles.
  • The Dolphins are 12th in points scored averaging 24.1 points per game and are 7th in points allowed with 20.0 points per game.

Dolphins Staff Notes

See what Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin had to say to the New England media about the match up.

Joe Philbin notes:

  • He is the 10th head coach in Dolphins team history.
  • Philbin is in his 3rd season as a NFL head coach and he has a 22-23 record since taking over.
  • He is 2-3 against New England in his career.
  • He is the 5th winningest coach in Dolphins history behind Don Shula (274), Dave Wannstedt (43), Jimmy Johnson (38) and Tony Sparano (29).
  • Philbin, a Springfield MA native, is a former high school player and coach at Longmeadow (MA) High School. He also coached at Northeastern and Harvard as the offensive coordinator.
  • Prior to taking over in Miami he was in Green Bay since 2003. He served as offensive coordinator (2007-11), offensive line coach (2006), tight ends coach (2004-05) and assistant offensive line coach (2003).

Other Staff/Personnel notes:

  • Bill Lazor is in his first season as the offensive coordinator for Miami. He previously was the quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia (2013), Seattle (2008-09) and Washington (2006-07) and an offensive assistant with Washington (2004-05) and Atlanta (2003). He also the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at the University of Virginia (2010-12) and the University of Buffalo (2001-02).
  • Defensive Coordinator Kevin Coyle is in his third season (2012-present) in that position after 11 years in Cincinnati (2001-11) as the secondary coach. He graduated from UMass and spent nine years at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator.
  • Wide Receivers Coach Ken O’Keefe is from Milford CT and previously coached at the University of New Haven.
  • Linebackers coach Mark Duffner served as the College of Holy Cross’ defensive coordinator from 1981-86 before being promoted to head coach from 1986-91.
  • Assistant offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. played collegially for his father at Boston College from 1981-85. Bicknell Jr. served as a graduate assistant for Boston College before moving on to New Hampshire, where he coached the defensive (1987-92) and offensive (1993-96) lines. He returned to Boston College to become the Eagles’ offensive line coach in 2007.
  • Assistant quarterbacks coach Ben Johnson was a graduate assistant (2009-10) and tight ends coach (2011) at Boston College.
  • Secondary coach Lou Anarumo served as assistant head coach at Harvard from 1995-2000.
  • Defensive assistant Jeff Burris spent the 2012 season as the University of Massachusetts’ cornerbacks coach.
  • Assistant linebackers coach David Corrao served as tight ends coach at Northeastern in 2004.

Dolphins Possible Starters

Offense:

  • LT: James
  • LG: Colledge
  • C: Satele
  • RG: Pouncey
  • RT: Thomas
  • TE: Clay
  • WR: Hartline
  • WR: Wallace
  • WR: Landry
  • QB: Tannehill
  • RB: Miller

Defense:

  • DE: Wake
  • DT: Starks
  • DT: Mitchell
  • DE: Vernon
  • LB: Wheeler
  • LB: Trusnick
  • LB: Tripp
  • LCB: Grimes
  • RCB: Finnegan
  • S: Wilson
  • S: R. Jones

Dolphins Players Notes

Ryan Tannehill notes:

  • Dolphins starting QB was their first round pick out of Texas A&M in the 2012 NFL Draft.
  • Tannehill has a 22-23 record in his 3rd NFL season.
  • He has consecutive 20+ TD pass seasons in 2013 and 2014 the only other Dolphin QB’s with 20+ TD seasons are Dan Marino (13 times); Bob Griese (2) and Jay Fielder (1).
  • Has six 300-yard passing games in his career; Marino had (63) 300-yard games.
  • He (3) and Marino (13) are only Dolphin QB’s to have multiple 3,000-yard seasons.
  • Is in Top 10 in NFL in completions, completion percentage and interception percentage for the season.
  • Has 10,251 passing yards in three season 9th most for quarterbacks in the first three seasons.
  • He is 4th in passing yards in Dolphins history.
  • His wife, Lauren, is H-O-T, hot.

Jarvis Landry notes:

  • Leads team and all rookie wide receivers in receptions with 63 catches.
  • Third in the NFL in kick of return average with 29.8 yards per return.
  • 2nd in franchise history in receptions by a rookie (63) and TD catches by a rookie (5).

Mike Wallace notes:

  • Second year with Miami after four seasons in Pittsburgh.
  • Leads team with 7 TD catches.
  • Has 57 catches and team leading 700 receiving yards in 2014.
  • Has 13 career games with at least 7 catches.
  • Has 17 career 100-yard receiving games.

Brian Hartline notes:

  • Has 34 catches for 380 yards in 2014.
  • Tied franchise record with back-to-back 1,000 receiving yard seasons.
  • Needs 7 catches for 300 in his career.
  • Now has 4,149 receiving yards in his career he is 7th in Miami history.

Lamar Miller notes:

  • Leads team with career high 782 rushing yards and 6 rushing TD’s.
  • Has career highs in TD runs (6), receptions (32) and receiving yards (207).
  • Had career high 108 rushing yards Week 3 vs. Kansas City.
  • Is 5th in rushing yards (782) in the AFC.

Cameron Wake notes:

  • Has 61 career sacks most by an undrafted player in Dolphins history and 5th most for the franchise.
  • Has 11 multi-sack games in his career.
  • Was AFC Defensive player of the Week for Week 1 vs. New England with 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 QB hits and 2 forced fumbles.
  • Needs 14 solo tackles for 200 in his career.
  • Has 9 career forced fumbles.

Olivier Vernon notes:

  • Has 21.5 sacks in first three seasons.
  • Has 6.5 sacks this season to lead team.

Brent Grimes notes:

  • Leads team with 5 INT’s.
  • Leads team with 13 passes defensed.
  • Had 2 INT’s Week 8 vs. San Diego.
  • Returned INT for a 22-yard TD Week 7 at Jacksonville.
  • Was AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 10 vs. Buffalo.

Former Patriots on the Dolphins:

  • DL A.J. Francis (IR)
  • DB Don Jones
  • QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson (practice squad)

Players with New England roots:

  • TE Arthur Lynch (IR) – Dartmouth MA

Players from New England based colleges and universities:

  • none

Dolphins do not name team captains. They are appointed on a weekly basis prior to the game.

Miami has 3 retired numbers:

  • 12 – Bob Greise
  • 13 – Dan Marino
  • 39 – Larry Csonka

Next Week

Logo of Next Opponent

Up next: New York Jets – AFC East

Location: MetLife Stadium, Meadowlands NJ

Date/Time: Sunday December 21 1 p.m.

TV Network: CBS

Wolf Pack Slip By Devils, 3-2

By Zack Grenier

Hartford, CT, December 11, 2014 – Chris Bourque scored two goals, and Justin Vaive had a goal and an assist, Thursday night at the XL Center, to lead the Hartford Wolf Pack to a 3-2 victory over the Albany Devils.

Marek Hrivik had two assists for Hartford, and Cedrick Desjardins made 32 saves. Reid Boucher and Rod Pelley scored the Devil goals, and Eric Baier had two assists.

Hartford drew first blood only 3:43 into the game, when Bourque scored his team-leading tenth goal of the season. Hrivik showed some good patience to draw Albany goaltender Scott Clemmensen (30 saves) out of his net and fired a shot. Clemmensen came up with a big save, but Bourque came in and dug the puck away from Clemmensen, who was at the bottom of the faceoff circle.

“That’s sometimes the hardest message to get across, is that your overall game is what we’re being judged on,” said Hartford coach Ken Gernander. “You have to be a good fit for your teammates and doing all of the team things first. If you do that, for the most part, you’ll get rewarded in the end.”

Only 53 seconds later, the Pack sent their power-play unit to the ice. It was Hrivik notching his second assist of the game, when he found Vaive backdoor at 6:35, to extend the Hartford lead to two.

“I just tried to hit his stick between the d-man’s legs,” said Hrivik. “Vaiver [Vaive] didn’t see the puck, but I just thought that I have to hit his stick and he’ll put it in.”

The Devils were not going to go away that easily, as they found the back of the net with 8:37 left in the first period. Eric Baier fired a slap shot from the blue line, with a lot of traffic in front of Desjardins, and Boucher tipped the shot past the blocker side.

“I think we just have to stay on the gas,” said Vaive. “We had a good start, a good second, and just all around as a team we have to keep bringing the pressure to them so they can’t quick transition on us.”

With 8:07 left in the second period, Bourque found the back of the net for the second time in the game. Bourque fired a wrist shot on the power play from the right faceoff circle to give the Pack a 3-1 lead. The shot beat Clemmensen in a very small opening over his glove-side shoulder.

“I just saw the D stuck in the corner there, so I took it to the net a little bit and tried to shoot at his glove and luckily it went in,” said Bourque.

The Devils made it a one goal game at the nine-minute mark of the third, when Pelley had a rebound kick to him at the bottom of the faceoff circle. Ben Thomson threw the puck at the net from the corner and it kicked off of the pad of Desjardins to Pelley. Pelley snapped a wrist shot over the glove of Desjardins for his second goal of the season.

The Pack were able to hold on in the end, despite a few late chances from the Devils’ offense with under two minutes to play.

“Whenever you play against a team in your division it’s a huge game,” said Bourque. “To get two points tonight is really going to help us out in the long run.”

The Wolf Pack are right back at the XL Center Friday night, hosting the Worcester Sharks in a 7:00 PM game. Friday is the Wolf Pack’s annual “Teddy Bear Toss”–fans are encouraged to bring new soft toys to the game, and heave them on to the ice when the Wolf Pack score their first goal. The toys collected will be donated to Toys for Tots. Also, all Friday-night Wolf Pack home games feature $1 hot dogs and $2 beers through the start of the second period.

Tickets for all 2014-15 Wolf Pack home games are now on sale at the XL Center ticket office, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499. Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.

To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.

Albany Devils 2 at Hartford Wolf Pack 3
Thursday, December 11, 2014 – XL Center

Albany 1 0 1 – 2
Hartford 2 1 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Hartford, C. Bourque 10 (Hrivik, Malone), 3:43. 2, Hartford, Vaive 6 (Hrivik, Allen), 6:35 (PP). 3, Albany, Boucher 5 (Baier, Fraser), 11:23. Penalties-Black Alb (goaltender interference), 4:36; Thompson Alb (holding), 8:11; C. Bourque Hfd (roughing), 14:42; Lindberg Hfd (high-sticking), 15:44; Faust Alb (interference), 19:00.

2nd Period-4, Hartford, C. Bourque 11 (Vaive, Haggerty), 11:53 (PP). Penalties-McIlrath Hfd (tripping), 1:39; Faust Alb (holding), 11:14.

3rd Period-5, Albany, Pelley 2 (Thomson), 9:00. Penalties-C. Bourque Hfd (tripping), 6:31; Whitney Alb (holding), 19:12; served by Boucher Alb (bench minor – too many men), 19:52.

Shots on Goal-Albany 14-10-11-35. Hartford 12-10-11-33.
Power Play Opportunities-Albany 0 / 4; Hartford 2 / 6.
Goalies-Albany, Clemmensen 1-3-1 (33 shots-30 saves). Hartford, Desjardins 6-3-1 (35 shots-33 saves).
A-1,816
Referees-Jonathan Alarie (38), Jamie Koharski (84).
Linesmen-Jim Briggs (83), Brent Colby (7).

Red Sox Snag Porcello From Tigers For Cespedes

Rick Porcello #21 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates a two-run home run by Nick Castellanos #9 in the ninth inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 8, 2014 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Rick Porcello #21 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates a two-run home run by Nick Castellanos #9 in the ninth inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 8, 2014 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Boston Red Sox GM Ben Cherington had said throughout the early part of this offseason that OF Yoenis Cespedes fit into the teams’ plans for 2015. It’s obvious he was blowing smoke up our you know what.

With a need for starting pitching, Cherington dangled Cespedes out there and ended up finding a trade partner in the Detroit Tigers.

On Thursday, the Red Sox acquired Rick Porcello for Cespedes, RP Alex Wilson and minor leaguer Gabe Speier.

Cespedes is in the final year of his contract ($10.5 million) and Porcello is set for his final go around of salary arbitration. According to MLB Trade Rumors, Porcello is projected to get $12.2 million.

It seems like the Red Sox gave up an awful lot for Porcello. Remember, Cespedes was acquired for Jon Lester at the trade deadline in 2014.

Full release from the Red Sox:

The Boston Red Sox today acquired right-handed pitcher Rick Porcello from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, right-handed pitcher Alex Wilson, and minor league left-handed pitcher Gabe Speier. Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington made the announcement.

Porcello, 25, went 15-13 with a 3.43 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 204.2 innings over 32 appearances for the Tigers last season, including 31 starts. Along with leading the American League with three shutouts, he also placed among AL leaders while setting career bests in wins (T-8th), ERA (17th), innings (13th), and road ERA (6th, 2.66). He held both right-handed and left-handed batters to a .268 batting average, ranked second in the majors with 30 opponent ground into double plays, and had the eighth-highest ground ball-to-fly ball ratio in the AL.

The native of Morristown, NJ issued a career-low 1.8 walks per nine innings in 2014, the eighth-best mark in the AL and his third season among the league’s top 10 in that category. His 2.21 career walks per nine innings ratio ranks fifth among active big leaguers with at least 1,000 innings, trailing only Dan Haren (1.86), Cliff Lee (1.94), Mark Buehrle (2.05), and Ricky Nolasco (2.10). He joins Felix Hernandez and James Shields as the only three AL qualifiers to average fewer than 3.0 walks per nine innings pitched over each of the last six seasons.

In his final 18 outings (17 starts) of 2014 beginning on July 26, he posted a 3.18 ERA, the 12th-best mark among AL pitchers with at least 100.0 innings. That stretch began with back-to-back complete game, 9.0-inning shutouts on June 26 at Texas and July 1 against Oakland, respectively.

Signed by the Tigers as the 27th selection in the first round of the 2007 June Draft, Porcello has made at least 27 starts and pitched at least 162.2 innings in all six big league seasons since his 2009 debut.

He placed third among AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2009 after going 14-9 with a 3.96 ERA in 31 starts for the Tigers. That year, the 20-year-old was the youngest player in the AL. His 14 wins in 2009 remain the most for any pitcher in a season before turning 21 since the Mets’ Dwight Gooden won 24 games in 1985. In the live ball era (since 1920), no other AL pitcher has won as many games in his first major league season as a 20-year-old or younger.

Porcello has reached double-digits in wins in every season of his big league career, just the third pitcher in modern major league history (since 1900) to record at least 10 wins in each of his first six seasons before turning 26 years old, along with Hall of Famers Dennis Eckersley and Bert Blyleven. No other modern major league pitcher has made more than 25 starts in each of his first six big league seasons, all before turning 26.

Porcello appeared with the Tigers in the postseason in three consecutive seasons from 2011-13, going 0-2 with a 4.41 ERA in eight outings (2 starts), including four scoreless relief appearances in the 2012 and 2013 postseasons.

Cespedes, 29, combined to hit .260 (156-for-600) with 36 doubles, six triples, 22 home runs, and 100 RBI in 152 games between the Oakland Athletics and Red Sox last season. A first-time All-Star in 2014, he set career highs in several offensive categories, including games, runs (89), at-bats, RBI, triples, and total bases (270). Among all American League qualifiers last season, Cespedes finished within the top 10 in extra-base hits (8th, 64), RBI (9th), and doubles (9th). Since joining the Red Sox on August 1 of last year, he led the club with 33 RBI in 51 games. Defensively, he set a career high with a major league-leading 16 outfield assists, four of which came with the Red Sox. Following the season, he was named a finalist for the AL Gold Glove Award in left field. Boston acquired Cespedes along with a 2015 Competitive Balance draft pick in exchange for left-handed pitcher Jon Lester, outfielder Jonny Gomes, and cash considerations on July 31, 2014. Cespedes, originally an international free agent from Cuba signed by Oakland on March 3, 2012, has hit .263 (425-for-1,616) with 82 doubles, 15 triples, 71 home runs, and 262 RBI in 416 major league games between the A’s (2012-14), and Red Sox (2014).

Wilson, 27, went 1-0 and posted a career-low 1.91 ERA (6 ER/28.1 IP) with five walks and 19 strikeouts in 18 relief appearances for the Red Sox in 2014. Used exclusively as a reliever over the last two full seasons, Wilson allowed only three home runs over his 56.0 innings of work in the majors in that span. When he made his major league debut with Boston in 2013, Wilson became the first Saudi Arabian-born pitcher to appear in a big league game. For his major league career, which has spanned the last two years with the Red Sox (2013-14), he has gone 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA (21 ER/56.0 IP), 19 walks, and 41 strikeouts in 44 appearances, all in relief. The Red Sox’ 2011 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Wilson was originally a second-round selection (77th overall) by Boston in the 2009 June Draft.

Speier, 19, spent this past season, his second in professional baseball, with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox. In his nine games (six starts) for the Gulf Coast League champions, he went 3-0 with a 1.55 ERA (5 ER/29.0 IP), one walk, and 26 strikeouts. He held opponents to two runs or fewer in all nine of his appearances in 2014, and allowed only six extra-base hits on the season (5 doubles, 1 triple), none of which were home runs. The nephew of former major league veteran Chris Speier, Gabe was a 19th-round selection by the Red Sox in the 2013 June Draft. Over his professional career, Speier has gone 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA (6 ER/33.0 IP), two walks, and 32 strikeouts in 12 games (8 starts).

With this transaction, Boston’s 40-man roster is now at 38.

photo credit: getty images

Report: Red Sox Acquire Wade Miley From Diamondbacks

Starting pitcher Wade Miley #36 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a pitch against the St Louis Cardinals during the first inning of a MLB game at Chase Field on September 27, 2014 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Starting pitcher Wade Miley #36 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a pitch against the St Louis Cardinals during the first inning of a MLB game at Chase Field on September 27, 2014 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Less than 24 hours after losing out on one lefty in Jon Lester, the Boston Red Sox have made a move to get a different one.

According to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi of FoxSports.com, the Red Sox have agreed to trade Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster and another minor leaguer to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Wade Miley.

Miley, who enters arbitration for the first time this season, made $523,000 last year. He made his debut for the DBacks in 2011 and has been a member of their rotation for the past three seasons.

He went 8-12 with a 4.34 ERA in 2014. Miley was an All-Star in his rookie season of 2012 when he went 16-11 with a 3.33 ERA and finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting to Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals.

De La Rosa and Webster were obtained by the Red Sox in the blockbuster deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers for Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford among others.

De La Rosa made 19 appearances (18 starts) for the local nine in 2014 and was 4-8 with a 4.43 ERA. In two years with the Red Sox, Webster was 6-5 with a 6.25 ERA in 19 appearances (18 starts).

I’m not surprised about the Red Sox giving up on Webster as he’s struggled in the big leagues. De La Rosa has shown a lot of promise and I thought that he might be a weapon in the bullpen.

But given the current state of the Red Sox rotation, they weren’t giving up too much and you have to figure that neither one figured too predominately into the plans for 2015.

photo credit: getty images