TEAM NOTES
SUCCESSFUL ONSIDE KICK
The Patriots executed a successful onside kick in the fourth quarter after scoring to cut the Eagles' lead to 35-21, setting up a scoring drive that ended in a 1-yard touchdown run by Tom Brady to cut the Philadelphia lead to 35-28 with 3:00 left. Rashad Melvin pounced on the loose ball after Stephen Gostkowski's kickoff hit an Eagles player. The onside kick recovery was the second of the season for New England, having also recovered an onside kick vs. Washington on November 8, 2015. For Gostkowski, it was the third successful onside kick of his career, having also had a successful onside kick against the Cleveland Browns on December 8, 2013.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
BRADY PASSES MARINO FOR THIRD PLACE ON THE NFL'S ALL-TIME LIST
Tom Brady moved out of a tie with Dan Marino for sole possession of third place on the NFL's all-time touchdown list with 421 career scoring passes after throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to RB James White in the second quarter. Brady finished the game with 423 career scoring passes, standing alone in third place on the NFL's all-time list.
BRADY HAS 71st CAREER 300-YARD GAME AND SEVENTH OF 2015
Tom Brady finished the game with 312 passing yards for his 71st career 300-yard game and the seventh 300-yard game of the 2015 season. Only Peyton Manning (93) and Drew Brees (92) have more 300-yard games than Brady. The Patriots are 59-12 in Brady's 71 career 300-yard games. Brady had five 300-yard games in 2014 and his personal single-season record is 11 300-yard games in 2011. Drew Brees has the league record with 13 300-yard games in 2011.
BRADY REACHES 30 TOUCHDOWN PASSES FOR SIXTH TIME
Tom Brady threw two second quarter touchdowns to reach 30 touchdowns for 2015. He is the fourth player in NFL history with at least 30 or more touchdown passes in six seasons. Brady finished the game having tallied 31 touchdown passes in 2015.
MOST SEASONS WITH 30-PLUS TOUCHDOWN PASSES
Brett Favre 9
Peyton Manning 9
Drew Brees 7
Tom Brady 6
Dan Marino 4
Aaron Rodgers 4
Tony Romo 4
Philip Rivers 4
TOM BRADY HAS SECOND PASS RECEPTION OF CAREER; FIRST SINCE 2001
Tom Brady caught a 36-yard pass reception from Danny Amendola in the third quarter. It was his second career receptions. His other reception was a 23-yarder from Kevin Faulk on Dec. 22, 2001 vs. Miami.
JAMES WHITE HAS CAREER HIGH DAY
James White set career highs with 10 receptions and 115 receiving yards and added his third touchdown in as many weeks. Coming into the game, White had 17 receptions for 118 yards in his career. White's 115 receiving yards are the fourth most in Patriots history by a running back in a game, and are the second-highest such total for the Patriots since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, trailing only Shane Vereen's team-record 153 receiving yards vs. Cleveland on December 8, 2013. White's 10 catches tie the fifth most by a running back in team history and are the third highest such total of the Bill Belichick era (since 2000), trailing only Shane Vereen's club record 12 catches vs. Cleveland on December 8, 2013, and Kevin Faulk's 11 catches vs. Tampa Bay on Sept. 3, 2000.
WHITE SCORES THIRD TOUCHDOWN IN AS MANY WEEKS
James White had a 4-yard scoring reception from Tom Brady in the second quarter. It was the third touchdown in the last three games for White, who had a career high two scores against Buffalo on Nov. 23, 2015.
AMENDOLA HAS FIRST CAREER PASS
The 36-yard pass play from Danny Amendola to Tom Brady in the third quarter was the first pass of his career.
BRADY HAS SIXTH GAME IN 2015 WITH 3 OR MORE TOUCHDOWNS
Brady threw for three touchdowns against Philadelphia and now has six games in 2015 with three or more touchdowns.
JAMIE COLLINS FORCES FUMBLE IN FOURTH QUARTER
Jamie Collins forced a fumble by Kenjon Barner in the fourth quarter with the Patriots trailing 35-28. The fumble was recovered by Malcom Brown and set up a potential game-tying drive for New England. The forced fumble was Collins's team-leading fourth of the season.
KESHAWN MARTIN RETURNS FIRST KICKOFF WITH PATRIOTS
Keshawn Martin was credited with an 18-yard kickoff return in the second quarter, his first kickoff return as a member of the Patriots.
QUICK HITS
- Jerod Mayo sacked Sam Bradford for a 0-yard loss on first down in the fourth quarter with the Patriots trailing 35-28. The sack was Mayo's first of the season and continues a streak for the Patriots of having at least one sack in every game in 2015.
- Jabaal Sheard batted a Sam Bradford pass at the line of scrimmage in the first quarter, forcing a first-down incompletion. In the second quarter, Sheard tackled Darren Sproles for a 3-yard loss on a second-down running play, forcing the Eagles into a third-and-13 that they did not convert.
- Devin McCourty and Jonathan Freeny combined to stop DeMarco Murray for a 2-yard loss on second down in the first quarter, forcing a third-and-12 that the Eagles did not convert.
- Malcolm Butler batted away a Sam Bradford pass intended for Nelson Agholor in the first quarter.
- Jerod Mayo broke up a Sam Bradford pass in the second quarter after Patrick Chung pressured Bradford. Additionally, Mayo tackled Darren Sproles for a 3-yard loss in the fourth quarter.
- Jamie Collins broke up a Sam Bradford pass intended for Jordan Matthews in the fourth quarter.
- Jerod Mayo and Patrick Chung combined to stop Darren Sproles for a 1-yard loss on second down in the fourth quarter with the Patriots trailing 35-28.
LINEUP NOTES
JAMIE COLLINS RETURNS TO ACTION
LB Jamie Collins returned to action after missing the last four games due to an illness with a start at linebacker.
DAMARIS JOHNSON MAKES PATRIOTS DEBUT
Newly acquired WR Damarius Johnson made his Patriots debut. His first play resulted in a 6-yard rush.
DANNY AMENDOLA RETURNS TO ACTION
Danny Amendola returned to action after missing one game due to injury.
