This Week
The New England Patriots host the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. in the AFC Divisional Playoff.
The Patriots (14-2), AFC East champions, are 8-0 at the Razor, 5-1 against the AFC East and 10-2 in the conference. The Jets (12-5), an AFC Wild Card, are 6-2 on the road, 4-2 in the division and 9-3 against the AFC.
The Line/Prediction
As of Thursday the line on the game from Yahoo! Sports is Patriots minus 9. The over/under is 45. My prediction is Patriots 34, Jets, 21. Give the points (Patriots) and take the over. I am 9-5-2 against the spread and 12 of 16 on calling the over/under in 2010.
Tickets
The Patriots are reporting the game as a sell out. It is the 181st consecutive sellout dating back to the 1994 season opener. The record includes preseason, regular season and playoff games.
Tickets to the game, if available, may 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 Foxboro make sure you check out the links.
Here is the up to date weather forecast for the game from weather.com.
Click for all the game day information including stadium directions, parking and stadium information, parking map and a Gillette Stadium seating chart.
Tailgating
Here’s a bunch of different tailgating recipes from Tailgating America. 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 by theme. Whether it’s at the game, a bar or someones 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 is televising the game nationally and Jim Nantz will do the play-by-play while Phil Simms will handle the game analysis. You can look here for your local affiliate.
There is no DirecTV Channel designation.
Here’s a wonderful Wikipedia page on all the rules for NFL TV broadcasts including explaining the flex scheduling, blackout policies and commercial breaks.
Radio
The Patriots Radio Network broadcasts the game from flagship station WBZ-FM, 98.5 the Sports Hub in Boston. Gil Santos handles the play-by-play and former Patriot Gino Cappelletti does the color. It all starts with Gary Tanguay, Scott Zolak and Andy Gresh and the pregame show at 5:30 p.m. along the network. The post game starts after the final gun and continues for three hours.
If you are outside of the broadcast area of the stations on the Patriots 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 123, the Jets Radio Network has Bob Wischusen calling play-by-play and former Jet Marty Lyons does the color. Their call is available on Channel 125. XM Satellite Radio also carries all the NFL games. The Jets feed for this game can be heard on XM103, the Patriots on XM102.
Westwood One is also carrying this game to a nationwide audience. They can be heard on Sirius 124 and XM 124.
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 – TV 38 and Providence – WNAC Friday at 7p.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m.; Manchester – WMUR Saturday at midnight; WMTW in Portland Saturday at 5 a.m.; WCTX – Hartford Saturday at 5 p.m.; WFXQ – Springfield Saturday at 7 p.m. and Bangor – WVII Sunday at 11 a.m.
You can also watch it anytime on the team website.
Continue reading the preview by clicking on the read more button if you’re on the home page.
Last Week
The Patriots had a bye week as the AFC’s top seed. The Jets beat the Colts, 17-16 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in the AFC Wild Card Playoff.
History
- The all-time series is tied at 51-51-1 record including playoffs.
- The teams have only met twice in the playoffs with New England winning both games.
- The Patriots are 27-24-1 as the home team in the series.
- The lone tie (24-24) in the series came on October 2, 1966, when both clubs were part of the AFL.
- New England is 7-3 (including playoffs) vs the Jets at home since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002.
- The two teams last met in Week 13 at the Razor and it was a 45-3 Patriots rout.
Game Notes
Patriots Team Notes:
Here is the Patriots Roster; Depth Chart and Injury List for the game.
2010 Patriots schedule/results
The Patriots overall franchise record is 401-362-9. They have won three Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXIII, XXXIX) in 6 appearances. They last appeared in the Playoffs in 2009 losing at home to Baltimore, 33-14. 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 21-14 overall in the playoffs including 8-5 in AFC Divisional Round.
They have beaten the Jets twice in the playoffs. In the 1985 Wild Card round they won in New York 26-14 on their way to the franchises first Super Bowl appearance and in the 2006 Wild Card round they won 37-16 in Foxboro.
New England is 11-2 at home in the playoffs. The only losses were last season to Baltimore and in 1978 to Houston.
The Patriots have won the AFC East 8 times since 2000.
New England is just the third team in NFL history to score 30 or more points for at least 8 consecutive weeks.
Patriots set a NFL record for fewest turnovers in a season with 10.
Patriots QBs had the fewest INTs in the NFL (5).
New England was 8-0 at home. The fifth time in team history they’ve gone undefeated at home. All have come since 2003.
Since 2001, New England is a NFL best 83-23 in games after November 1st.
Since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994, the Patriots are 22-13 vs the Jets.
The Patriots finished plus 28 in turnover differential for the season, first in the NFL. They had given up 5 INTs and 5 fumbles, while picking off opponents 25 times and recovering 13 fumbles.
The Patriots had fewest turnovers in the league (10). That is a new NFL record.
Based on points per game, the Patriots offense finished ranked 1st (32.4) in the league, while the defense was 8th (19.6).
In the final five weeks of the year the Patriots defense improved from 22nd to 8th in points allowed by trimming over 5 ppg off their average.
New England is 6-1 vs Top 10 defenses in 2010. The Jets are ranked 6th.
Patriots have won 8 consecutive games against teams with winning records.
BoDog list the Patriots odds of winning the Super Bowl at 8:5. Falcons and Packers are 11:2; Steelers 6:1; Bears 8:1; Ravens 9:1; Jets 12:1 and Seahawks 40:1.
Patriots Staff Notes:
This is the link to head coach Bill Belichick’s Wednesday press conference on the Jets.
Bill Belichick is 16-9 in his career against the Jets. He is 15-8 against them as the head coach in New England and that includes one playoff win in 2006.
Overall in his NFL career Belichick is 162-94 in 15 NFL seasons. He is 126-50 with New England and 36-44 with Cleveland. He is 15-5 in the playoffs, 14-4 as the head coach of the Patriots in the postseason. When you combine the regular season and postseason Belichick is 177-99.
Belichick after a bye week in the playoffs in 4-0, he is 9-2 after a bye week in the regular season.
Patriots Players Notes:
This is Tom Brady’s 11th NFL season, he is 14-4 against the Jets, including 1-0 in the playoffs.
Overall Brady is 111-32 as a starting QB and is 14-4 in the playoffs for an overall record of 125-36. Brady is a 5 time Pro Bowl QB, was NFL MVP in 2007 and won 3 Super Bowls while twice being named the games MVP. He was recently named as the 21st Greatest Player in NFL History by the NFL Network.
He extended his NFL record to 9 consecutive games with 2 TD passes and 0 INTs.
Brady’s 261 TD passes in his career ties him for 10th all-time with former Seattle QB Dave Kreig.
Brady lead the NFL with 36 TD passes and only 4 INTs.
He was just the 6th QB in a 16 game season to have at least 1 TD pass every game.
Brady had gone 11 starts without an INT (335 attempts). His last one was a end of regulation Hail Mary against the Ravens. This is a regular season record. Anything he does in playoffs will have no bearing on the record.
Brady was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for December.
Brady is also nominated for the FedEx Air Player of the Year Award. He is nominated along with San Diego QB Phillip Rivers and Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers. You can cast your vote until Friday January 28th at 9 p.m.
EPSN’s Trent Dilfer expects Brady “to unleash hell on the Jets” after all the comments.
CB Devin McCourty is one of five finalists for NFL Rookie of the Year. It’s a fan vote, so vote early, vote often!
LB Brandon Spikes returns to play this weekend after a four game league suspension.
NT Vince Wilfork was fined $10,000 for his hit on Dolphins QB Chad Henne in Week 17.
DL Brandon Deadrick has had his suspension lifted by the team.
DL Mike Wright was placed on IR and DL Atiyyah Ellison was released.
The NFL Hall of Fame finalists have been announced and former Patriot and Jet RB Curtis Martin is among them.
Was Wes Welker dissing Rex Ryan in his press conference on Thursday?
What did Joe Theismann call Danny Woodhead?
The Patriots have 2 New England natives on the roster (DL Ron Brace -Worcester MA and TE Aaron Hernandez – Bristol CT) and they have 5 players who played for a college in New England or a Big East member team. They are: DL Ron Brace -BC; CB Darius Butler – UConn; OL Dan Koppen – BC; CB Devin McCourty – Rutgers; OL Quinn Ojinnaka – Syracuse and LB Brandon McGowan – Maine (IR). . DL Vince Wilfork played for Miami when they were a conference member, DL Mike Wright played for Cincinnati and WR Deion Branch played at Louisville but they were in Conference USA at that time.
News from this weeks opponent
Jets Team Notes:
Here is the Jets Roster; Depth Chart and Injury List.
The Jets all time record is 351-413-8 and they are 11-12 in the playoffs, with their last appearance before this season coming after the the 2009. Last season they lost to Indianapolis 30-17 in the AFC Championship Game. The Jets last appeared in the Super Bowl following the 1968 season and defeated the Baltimore Colts 16-7 to win Super Bowl III. At that time it a considered the biggest upset in sports history.
They beat Indianapolis on the road last week in the Wild Card round.
New York has lost 13 of the last 17 meetings against New England including 1 playoff match up.
The Jets are 3-7 all-time at Gillette Stadium. Overall as the road team in the series they are 18-23.
The Jets were plus 9 in turnover differential for the season. They have given up 14 INTs and 7 fumbles, while picking off opponents 12 times and recovering 18 fumbles.
Based on points per game, the Jets offense finished ranked 14th (22.9) in the league, while the defense was 6th (19.0).
Jets Staff Notes:
Hear what New York head coach Rex Ryan had to say about the game in a conference call with the New England media.
Rex Ryan is 20-12 in his 2nd season as a head coach. For the second season the Jets are an AFC Wild Card team. He is 3-1 in the playoffs for an overall record of 23-13.
Ryan takes a swipe at Brady. Then says it’s about him vs. Belichick and “it’s personal”.
Ryan thinks Brady was taunting the Jets sideline in Week 13.
Jets Players Notes:
Mark Sanchez is 18-12 as a starting QB and is 3-1 in the playoffs for an overall record of 21-13. Sanchez was the Jets 1st round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft out of Southern California.
There is a huge amount of pressure on Sanchez.
The Jets players have been waiting a month and half for this chance.
Former Patriots OL Damien Woody is now on the IR and out for the playoffs.
Jets CB Antonio Cromartie hates Tom Brady he said ever since 2006.
New York hopes RB Shonn Green can come on strong Sunday.
Former UCONN player LB Cody Brown is on the Jets practice squad.
There are 7 other players on the roster from current or former Big East and New England based Universities. CD Darrelle Revis (Pittsburgh); LB Jamaal Westerman (Rutgers); OL Damien Woody (IR – Boston College); DE Mike Devito (Maine), OL Vladimir Ducasse (UMass); S James Ihedigbo (UMass); TE Matthew Mulligan (Maine).
Next Week
If the Patriots beat the Jets they will host the winner of the Baltimore Ravens/Pittsburgh Steelers game in the AFC Championship game at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro on Sunday January 23rd at 6:30 p.m. on CBS.
Follow Steve on Twitter @djstevem
