This Week
The New England Patriots entertain their AFC East rival Buffalo Bills to open the 2009 season at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA on Monday night at 7 p.m. Here are the rosters for the Bills and Patriots. Here are the depth charts for the Bills and Patriots.
The Line/Prediction
As of Thursday the line on the game from Yahoo! Sports is Patriots -11. The over/under is 47. My prediction is the Patriots 31 Bills 17.
Tickets
The Patriots are reporting the game as a sell out. Tickets to the game, if available, may be purchased through Ticketmaster. You can check the availability here. Many times tickets are released in the last 48 hours prior to the game.
Getting To The Game
If you’re lucky enough to be going to the game at the Razor make sure you check out the links.
Here is the up to date weather forecast for the game from The Weather Channel. Click for stadium directions, parking information, parking map, specific MBTA train times for this game and a Gillette Stadium seating chart.
Tailgating
Here’s a bunch of different tailgating recipes from Tailgaiting America. There’s something there for everyone and every type of meal or snack. Steve has tried some of the recipes and they’re very good and for good measure here is one of Steve’s. 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 by theme. Whether it’s at the game, a bar or someone’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
This week’s game will be nationally televised by ESPN and can be seen in Boston on WCVB-TV Channel 5. Mike Tirico will handle play-by-play duties with Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden providing color. Suzy Kolber will be the sideline reporter.
The Direct TV feed of the game is Channel 206. For those of you overseas here is some general information on NFL Broadcasts for the 2008 season. Emmy-Award winning Patriots All Access airs weekly throughout the season on WBZ, Channel 4 in Boston and regional affiliates. Patriots All Access features exclusive, behind-the-scenes access and in-depth weekly features on Patriots players and personnel. Hosted by WBZ’s Steve Burton, the show features weekly sit-downs with Coach Bill Belichick, including the popular “Belestrator” segment where the coach breaks down upcoming opponents.
- Saturdays at 7:00 p.m and Sundays at 10:00 a.m. on WBZ-TV Channel 4 in Boston.
- Sundays at 10:00 a.m. on WNAC-TV in Providence;
- Saturdays at 12:05 a.m. on WMUR-TV in Manchester, N.H.
- Saturdays at 5:00 a.m. on WMTW-TV in Portland, Maine;
- Saturdays at 5:00 p.m. on WCTX-TV in Hartford, Conn.
- Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. on WFXQ-TV in Springfield, Mass.;
- Sundays at 11:00 a.m. on WVII-TV in Bangor, Maine
Radio
The Patriots Rock Radio Network broadcasts the game from flagship station 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston.
When fans tune in for each Patriots game on 98.5 The Sports Hub, they are treated to two world-class teams – the one on the field and the one in the broadcast booth. For the past 17 consecutive seasons, Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti have teamed together to provide fans with in-depth game analysis and complete play-by-play detail of every Patriots game. This year, they will celebrate their 26th season together. Coverage on 98.5 The Sports Hub begins three hours prior to kickoff with Patriots Preview, and continues with Patriots Postgame for three hours after the game. Gary Tanguay hosts both shows, along with former Pats quarterback Scott Zolak and national sports radio personality Andy Gresh. Patriots Preview is a fast-paced, energetic and informative prelude to kickoff, featuring in-depth analysis, dueling opinions and the only game-day interviews with Coach Bill Belichick and Vice-Chairman and President Jonathan Kraft. Patriots Postgame is a high-energy, opinionated breakdown of the game, with the press conferences of Belichick and Tom Brady aired live, and immediate reaction from the fans.
If you are outside of the broadcast area of the stations on the Patriots Rock Radio Network you can purchase NFL Field Pass which allows you to listen to any NFL game live. You can also pick which teams broadcasters you want to listen to. All NFL games are also available on Sirius Satellite Radio.
The Patriots Radio Network call is available on Channel 126, the Bills Radio Network has John Murphy calling the game while former Bills DB Mark Kelso provide the game analysis. Their call is available on Channel 125.
Since the satellite merger XM Satellite Radio also carries all the NFL games and in most cases has just the radio call of the home team. You can catch the Patriots radio call (home feed) of game on XM Channel 102. The national radio call is available on XM 124. NATIONAL RADIO: This week’s game will be broadcast to a national audience by Westwood One. Marv Albert and Boomer Esiason will call the game with Steve Tasker handling the sideline reporting.
Last Week
This is the first game of the season for both teams.
History
- The Patriots and Bills will meet for the 99th time, with New England holding a 57-40-1 edge. The series between the AFC East rivals began in 1960.
- The Patriots’ 57 wins over the Bills are their highest victory total over any opponent, eight more than they own over the New York Jets (49).
- New England has won 11 straight games in the series and has won 16 of its last 18 games against Buffalo dating back to the 2000 season.
- The Patriots have swept the season series from the Bills in five straight years and have achieved the feat seven of the last eight years. The Patriots have won by an average margin of 20.5 points per game during their current 11-game win streak.
- The Patriots have had the upper hand when playing the Bills at home as they own a 30-19 record. The Patriots beat the Bills last season at Ralph Wilson Stadium by a 13-0 score.
- The teams have had many memorable matchups over the years, including a five-game span from 1999 to 2001 where four of the five contests were decided in overtime.
Connection
- Buffalo Head Coach Dick Jauron attended Swampscott High School, where he was named one of the top ten prep athletes of the 20th Century in the state of Massachusetts by the Boston Globe. Later, Jauron went on to play running back at Yale University where he still holds several school records, including consecutive 100-yard rushing games (16).
- Patriots veteran RB Fred Taylor and Bills CB Drayton Florence were 2008 teammates on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Florence was also teammates with Patriots WR Wes Welker in 2004 on the San Diego Chargers.
- Bills CB Dustin Fox’s uncle, Tim, was a first round draft choice of New England in 1976 and played 6 seasons with the Patriots. In 2006, Fox was also teammates with the Patriots 2009 offseason trade acquisition WR Greg Lewis.
- Bills OL Geoff Hangartner played his college ball at Texas A&M and was teammates with DL Ty Warren (2001-02).
- Patriots rookie DL Myron Pryor and Bills WR Steve Johnson were teammates at Kentucky from 2005- 2007. Newly acquired Patriots DB Shawn Springs and Bills Rian Lindell were teammates on the Seattle Seahawks from 2000- 2002.
- Patriots CB Leigh Bodden and Bills FB Corey McIntyre played for the Browns during the 2005 campaign.
- Bills OL Seth McKinney was teammates with Pats CB Leigh Bodden in Cleveland in 2007.
- Bills WR/PR Roscoe Parrish and Patriots S Brandon Meriweather were teammates at the University of Miami in 2003 & 2004. Meriweather and Parrish were also teammates with Patriots NT Vince Wilfork in 2003.
- Returning Patriots LB Tully Banta-Cain and Bills OT Langston Walker were teammates at Cal from 1999-2001.
- Patriots WR Randy Moss and OT Langston Walker played together on the Oakland Raiders in 2005 and 2006.
- Patriots LB Pierre Woods and Bills S Donte Whitner were high school teammates at Glenville High School (OH) and played against each other in college football’s biggest rivalry. Whitner attended Ohio State (2003-2006) and Woods played at Michigan (2002-2006).
- Bills RB Justise Hairston hails from New Britain, Conn. And transferred to Central Connecticut from Rutgers for his senior season in 2006. Hairston also spent the 2007 season as a member of the New England Patriots practice squad.
- Bills TE Jonathan Stupar originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Patriots in 2008.
- Patriots rookie OL Rich Ohrnberger and Bills rookie DE Aaron Maybin were teammates at Penn State from 2006-2008.
- Patriots rookie S Pat Chung and Bills rookie CB Jairus Byrd patrolled the secondary together at Oregon for three years, from 2006-2008.
- Patriots WR Sam Aiken played for the Bills from 2003-2007.
- Patriots RB Sammy Morris played for the Bills from 2000- 2003.
Other News
This is the link to head coach Bill Belichick’s Wednesday press conference on the Bills. You can also see what Buffalo head coach Dick Jauron had to say about the game in a conference call with the New England media.
Here is the injury list for the game.
The Patriots have won 12 of their past 14 home openers, including a perfect 7-0 record at Gillette Stadium.
Overall, the Patriots have won five of their last six regular-season openers, including five straight victories dating back to 2004.
In recognition of the 50th anniversary, the Patriots’ Hall of Fame nominating committee has selected an All-Time Team recognizing the greatest players at each position to play for the Patriots over 50 years.
The Patriots’ All-Time Team will be recognized in the Patriots’ home-opener against Buffalo on Sept. 14.
ALL-TIME HEAD COACH AND HONORARY CAPTS.
- Bill Belichick – Head coach
- Gino Cappelletti – Honorary Offensive Captain
- Tedy Bruschi – Honorary Defensive Captain
ALL-TIME OFFENSE
- Bruce Armstrong – T
- Stanley Morgan – WR
- Matt Light – T
- Troy Brown – WR
- John Hannah- G
- Irving Fryar – WR
- Logan Mankins – G
- Tom Brady – QB
- Jon Morris –C
- Jim Nance – RB
- Ben Coates – TE
- Sam Cunningham – RB
ALL-TIME DEFENSE
- Julius Adams – DE
- Steve Nelson – ILB
- Richard Seymour – DE
- Nick Buoniconti – ILB
- Houston Antwine – DT
- Mike Haynes – CB
- Vince Wilfork – DT
- Ty Law – CB
- Andre Tippett – OLB
- Fred Marion – S
- Mike Vrabel – OLB
- Rodney Harrison – S
ALL-TIME SPECIALISTS
- Adam Vinatieri – PK
- Rich Camarillo – P
- Kevin Faulk – Returner
- Mosi Tatupu – Special Teams
The New England Patriots are 16-21 all-time on Monday Night Football, including a streak of five-straight wins on Monday Night dating back to a 31-21 win at the New York Jets on December 26, 2005.
The Patriots are 7-8 in home Monday Night football games.
The Patriots will be opening the season against the Buffalo Bills for the eighth time in team history and the first time since a 19-17 win vs. Buffalo in the 2006 season-opener on September 10, 2006.
The Patriots, who are 57-40-1 all-time against Buffalo, are 3-4 against Buffalo when meeting in the season-opener.
The New England Patriots own a 39-11 (.780) record in regular season AFC East games since the beginning of the 2001 season, compiling the best intra-division record of any team in the NFL over the last eight seasons.
The Patriots defense has held the Bills to a touchdown or less in the last five games between the teams.
Bill Belichick holds a 16-3 career record against Buffalo, including a 16-2 record as head coach of the Patriots.
2009 Patriots schedule/results
Next Week
The Patriots travel to take on their AFC East rival New York Jets at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on Sunday, September 20th at 1:00 p.m.
