The Patriots gained a total of 381 yards of offense against the Jets, and have now gained at least 350 total yards in 16 consecutive games, tying the 1999-2000 St. Louis Rams for the longest such streak in NFL history.
DEVIN MCCOURTY HAS A 104-YARD KICKOFF RETURN FOR A TOUCHDOWN; SECOND LONGEST KICKOFF RETURN IN TEAM HISTORY
DEFENSE WALKS OFF WITH THE WIN
GOSTKOWSKI TIES IT, THEN WINS IT, AND CONTINUES TO PERFORM IN THE CLUTCH
BRADY HAS 35th CAREER GAME-WINNING PERFORMANCE
PATRIOTS ARE PROFICIENT IN OVERTIME
The Patriots’ 29-26 overtime victory against the Jets raised Tom Brady’s career record in overtime to 9-1, including 8-1 in the regular season and 1-0 in the playoffs. New England is 4-1 in overtime at Gillette Stadium, and Bill Belichick is now 10-3 in overtime as Patriots head coach.
PATRIOTS ARE PERFECT WHEN WEARING THROWBACKS AT HOME
The Patriots are now 6-0 when wearing throwback uniforms at home. New England has worn uniforms featuring the old “Pat Patriot” logo at home six times since switching to the current logo in 1993. In addition to today’s game against the Jets, the Patriots have also worn throwbacks at home against Green Bay on Oct. 2, 1994 (17-16 win), against Buffalo on Sept. 14, 2009 (25-24 win), against Tennessee on Oct. 18, 2009 (59-0 win), against Minnesota on Oct. 31, 2010 (28-14 win), and against the N.Y. Jets on Oct. 9, 2011 (30-21 win).
PATRIOTS RECORD FIRST SAFETY SINCE 2006
The Patriots registered a safety for the first time since 2006 when Jets QB Mark Sanchez fumbled a handoff that rolled into the end zone before Sanchez kicked it out of the end zone in the second quarter, giving the Patriots a 16-7 lead. The last time the Patriots had a safety was when Ty Warren sacked JP Losman in the end zone vs. Buffalo on Sept. 10, 2006. Today’s safety against the Jets was the 26th safety in team history.
PATRIOTS IMPROVE ON NFL-LEADING INTRA-DIVISION RECORD SINCE 2001
With the victory over the Jets, the New England Patriots own a 55-15 (.786) 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. The Patriots have now won six straight games against AFC East opponents in the regular season, including 10 straight home games against AFC East opponents. Their last home loss against an AFC East opponent in the regular season was a 34-31 loss to the New York Jets on Nov. 13, 2008.
ROB GRONKOWSKI HAS FIRST TWO-TOUCHDOWN GAME OF 2012 AND 10th CAREER GAME WITH AT LEAST TWO RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS
GRONKOWSKI NOW HAS 33 CAREER TOUCHDOWNS (32 RECEIVING AND 1 RUSHING)
Gronkowski saw the end zone twice against New York, and since he entered the NFL in 2010, Gronkowski has 32 career touchdown receptions and 33 total touchdowns. The NFL record for most overall touchdowns in a player’s first three NFL seasons is 47 by Barry Sanders and the record for most touchdown receptions in a player’s first three NFL seasons is 43 by Randy Moss. Gronkowski (10 touchdowns in 2010 and 18 in 2011) can become the first tight end in NFL history with three straight 10-plus touchdown seasons. Gronkowski and Antonio Gates (13 in 2004 and 10 in 2005) are the only tight ends to have back-to-back 10-plus touchdown seasons.
PATRIOTS OFFENSE ON PACE TO SET THE NFL RECORD FOR MOST FIRST DOWNS IN A SEASON
The Patriots have 203 first downs through seven games this season, giving them an average of 29 per game and a pace to finish the year with 464, which would smash the NFL record of 416 total first downs by New Orleans in 2011. The Patriots’ 399 first downs in 2011 are second all-time in NFL history.
NFL RECORD FOR MOST FIRST DOWNS IN A SEASON
416 New Orleans in 2011
399 New England in 2011
398 Kansas City in 2004
The Patriots have 3,053 net yards through the first seven games in 2012 and are on pace to finish with 6,978 yards, a total which would rank third in NFL history. The Patriots finished the 2011 season with 6,848 total net yards, setting a new franchise record for most total net yards in a season. That total is fourth all-time in NFL history.
MOST TOTAL NET YARDS/SEASON PATRIOTS
6,848 in 2011
6,580 in 2007
6,357 in 2009
MOST TOTAL NET YARDS/ NFL
7,474 New Orleans in 2011
7,075 St. Louis in 2000
6,936 Miami in 1984
6,848 Patriots in 2011
WELKER EXTENDS STREAK TO 101 CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH AT LEAST ONE RECEPTION
LONGEST CURRENT STREAKS / CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH A RECEPTION
185 Tony Gonzalez
124 Larry Fitzgerald
102 Reggie Wayne
101 Wes Welker
100 Anquan Boldin
93 Andre Johnson
WELKER RECEPTION PACE
Wes Welker has 54 receptions through seven games this season and is on pace to total 123 catches in 2012. If Wes Welker reaches 100 receptions in 2012, he will become the first player in NFL history with five 100-catch seasons. Welker’s four seasons with 100 or more receptions ties Marvin Harrison and Jerry Rice for the NFL record.
MOST 100-RECEPTIONS SEASON IN NFL HISTORY
Player 100-reception seasons
Wes Welker 4
Marvin Harrison 4
Jerry Rice 4
Brandon Marshall 3
Herman Moore 3
Andre Johnson 3
Reggie Wayne 3
GRONKOWSKI ON PACE FOR ANOTHER SOLID SEASON
After his two-touchdown performance against the Jets, Rob Gronkowski has 35 catches for 434 yards and five touchdowns in 2012. After seven games in 2011, Gronkowski had 36 catches for 495 yards and five touchdowns. If Gronkowski keeps up his current 2012 pace, he would finish with 80 catches for 992 yards and nine touchdowns.
RIDLEY STARTS STRONG
CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH AT LEAST ONE TOUCHDOWN PASS CONTINUES FOR BRADY
Tom Brady has now thrown at least one touchdown pass in 39 straight regular season games following a 17-yard touchdown pass to TE Rob Gronkowski in the first quarter. It is the third longest streak, behind Drew Brees at 49 (current) and Johnny Unitas (47) (1956-60). Brady’s current streak started when he threw a touchdown pass in all 16 games in 2010 and 2011 and now the first five games of 2012. The old team record was 19 games, also set by Brady.
SHANE VEREEN HAS FIRST NFL START; SETS CAREER HIGH WITH 49 YARDS
2011 second round pick RB
MAYO ON PACE FOR HIGH TACKLE TOTAL
100 Tackles in at least four consecutive seasons/Patriots
6 Fred Marion (1985-1990)
5 Lawyer Milloy (1997-2001)
5 Vincent Brown (1991-1995)
4 Jerod Mayo (2008-2011)
4 Steve Nelson (1979-82)
DENNARD MAKERS FIRST CAREER START AND REGISTERS FIRST NFL INTERCEPTION
Seventh-round draft pick
Tom Brady has 2,104 yards through seven games this season and is on pace to total 4,809 yards this season. Brady finished the 2011 season with 5,235 passing yards and joined Drew Brees (5,476 in 2011 and 5,069 in 2008), Dan Marino (5,084 in 1984) and Matthew Stafford (5,038 in 2011) as the only players in NFL history to reach 5,000 passing yards in a single season.
PATRIOTS IN PERSPECTIVE
- New England inched ahead of the Jets in the all-time regular-season series between the teams, with today’s victory giving New England a 52-51-1 advantage in the all-time series. Including the Patriots’ 2-1 record against the Jets in the playoffs, the Patriots now lead the all-time series 54-52-1.
- The Patriots improved to an NFL-best 216-108 since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994 (including regular season and playoff games).
- The Patriots improved to an NFL-best 78-16 at home since Gillette Stadium was built in 2002 (including regular season and playoff games).
- The Patriots improved to an NFL-best 26-5 at home against divisional opponents since Gillette Stadium was built in 2002.
- Tom Brady improved to 16-4 as a starting quarterback against the Jets in the regular season (and to 17-5 overall, including a 1-1 record in the playoffs).
- Today’s game was the 198th consecutive home sellout for the Patriots, including every preseason, regular-season and playoff game since the 1994 regular-season opener against Buffalo on Sept. 11, 1994.
Kyle Love sacked Mark Sanchez for a 4-yard loss in the first quarter, setting up a third-and-11 from the Jets’ own 9-yard line that New York did not convert.
Ras-I Dowling swatted down a Sanchez pass intended for Chaz Schilens on third-and-two in the first quarter, setting up a New York punt on the next play and giving the Patriots possession .
Kyle Arrington broke up Sanchez pass intended for Jeremy Kerley on third down in the second quarter, forcing the Jets into a long field goal just before halftime.
- Dont’a Hightower sacked Mark Sanchez for a 10-yard loss on third-and-seven in the fourth quarter, pushing the Jets back and forcing them into a 43-yard field goal attempt.
- Rob Ninkovich stopped Joe McKnight for a 2-yard loss on first down in overtime.