PATRIOTS EARN SECOND STRAIGHT AFC EAST TITLE
The Patriots won the AFC East Championship with the victory today and earned homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. New England clinched a playoff berth with the win at Chicago on Dec. 12. The Patriots have qualified for the playoffs 18 times in its 51-year history. The Patriots have earned 12 playoff berths in the 17 seasons since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994, a dramatic contrast to the six total playoff berths that the team earned in its first 34 years of existence. New England has won 13 division crowns and has qualified as a Wild Card team on four occasions (1998, 1994, 1985 and 1976). The Patriots also qualified for the playoffs in 1982 as part of a 16-team tournament following a players' strike. It is the third time that the Patriots have earned homefield advantage (2007 and 2003).
SERIES SUCCESSThe Patriots extended their win streak to 15 games over Buffalo with a 34-3 win. The 15-game win streak over a single opponent is the third longest streak in NFL history against a series opponent.
BRADY EXTENDS NFL RECORD WITH AT LEAST TWO TOUCHDOWNS AND NO INTERCEPTIONS IN EIGHT STRAIGHT GAMEQuarterback Tom Brady extended his NFL record by throwing at least two touchdowns without an interception in each of his past eight games. Brady passed Don Meredith's previous record of six straight games with two or more touchdowns and no interceptions (1965-66) last week vs. Green Bay.
BRADY HAS THROWN AT LEAST ONE TOUCHDOWN PASS IN ALL 15 GAMESBrady has thrown at least one touchdown pass in all 15 games of the 2010 season after finishing with three touchdown tosses against the Bills. Brady has started the season with at least one touchdown in the first 15 games for the first time in his career. Brady started the 2007 season with at least one touchdown in the first 13 games. Since the NFL went to a 16-game season in 1978, only five quarterbacks have thrown for at least one touchdown in each game.
QBS WITH A LEAST ONE TD PASS IN All 16 GAMES IN A SEASON(16-GAME SCHEDULE WAS INSTITUTED IN 1978)
Daunte Culpepper (Minnesota), 2004
Brett Favre (Green Bay), 2003
Kurt Warner (St. Louis), 1999
Dan Marino (Miami), 1986
Dave Kreig (Seattle), 1984
Dan Marino (Miami), 1984
BRADY HAS 11TH GAME WITH TWO OR MORE TOUCHDOWNS IN 2010Brady had his 11th game with two or more touchdowns in 2010. He has had four 3-touchdown games and two 4-toucdown games. The Patriots are 69-12 when he throws for two or more touchdowns in a game.
BRADY SETS NFL RECORD FOR MOST CONSECUTIVE ATTEMPTS WITHOUT AN INTERCEPTION IN A SINGLE SEASONTom Brady extended his interception-free streak to 319 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, setting an NFL record for the most consecutive pass attempts without an interception. Brady eclipsed his old record of 183 consecutive pass attempts without an interception (set in 2009) on Thanksgiving at Detroit. Brady's 319 pass attempts without an interception stretches from the overtime period vs. Baltimore (10/17) through today's win over Buffalo. Brady's last interception was on the last play of regulation vs. Baltimore (10/17). Brady has had previous streaks with 183, 175 and 173 consecutive pass attempts without an interception.
MOST CONSECUTIVE PASS ATTEMPTS WITHOUT AN INTERCEPTION319, Tom Brady (Patriots), 2010
308, Bernie Kosar (Cleveland), 1990-91
294, Bart Starr (Green Bay), 1964-65
279, Jeff George (IND/ATL), 1993-94
277, Rich Gannon (Oakland), 2001
271, Jason Campbell (Washington), 2007-08
GRONKOWSKI SCORES EIGHTH AND NINTH TOUCHDOWN OF THE SEASONPatriots rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski caught his eighth touchdown reception of the season on a 8-yard pass from QB Tom Brady in the second quarter and his ninth touchdown on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Brady in the third quarter. Gronkowski tied WR Jim Colclough and WR Randy Vataha for the Patriots rookie receiving touchdown record of 9 touchdowns. Gronkowski ranks tied for third in total touchdowns among all Patriots rookies. He ranks third in NFL history for touchdowns by a rookie tight end. Only Mike Ditka (12) and Junior Miller (9) had more touchdowns as rookies.
MOST TD RECEPTIONS BY A TIGHT END / SINGLE-SEASON PATRIOTS HISTORYPlayer Season TD
Rob Gronkowski -- 2010 -- 9
Ben Coates -- 1996 -- 9
Ben Coates -- 1997 -- 8
Ben Coates -- 1993 -- 8
Russ Francis -- 1980 -- 8
PATRIOTS FINISH 6-2 ON THE ROADWith the win over Buffalo, the Patriots closed out the 2010 season with a 6-2 road record. Last season, the Patriots were 2-6 on the road.
RB DANNY WOODHEAD HAS THIRD 20-YARD TOUCHDOWN RUN OF 2010RB Danny Woodhead scored on a 29-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, marking his third touchdown run of 20 or more yards. He had a career-high 36-yard touchdown run vs. Indianapolis (11/21) and scored his first NFL touchdown on a 22-yard run vs. Buffalo (9/26). It is his fifth rushing touchdown of 2010 and sixth touchdown of 2010 overall.
WOODHEAD SET CAREER-HIGH IN RUSHINGWoodhead finished with a career-high 93 yards rushing on 13 attempts for a 7.2-yard average. His previous best was 69 yards rushing vs. Indianapolis (11/21).
WOODHEAD SETS CAREER-HIGH IN TOTAL OFFENSIVE YARDSWoodhead set a career-high with 125 yards of total offense (93 rushing and 32 receiving).His previous best was 115 vs. Baltimore (10/17) (63 rushing and 52 receiving) and 115 vs. NY Jets(12/6) (11 rushing and 104 receiving).
PATRIOTS RUSH FOR 200 YARDS IN BOTH GAMES AGAINST BUFFALOThe Patriots finished with 217 yards rushing against Buffalo and have now rushed for over 200 yards in both games against Buffalo in 2010. In the first meeting on Sept. 26, the Patriots gained exactly 200 yards rushing. In 2008 the Patriots had two games with 200 or more rushing yards with 257 vs. Denver (10/20/08) and 277 at Oakland (12/14/08). New England has rushed for 200 or more yards in a game twice or more in a single season 14 times in team history.
MAYO RECOVERS THIRD FUMBLE OF 2010
LB Gary Guyton forced a fumble on a 3-yard sack of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick that was recovered by LB Jerod Mayo at the New England 20-yard line in the first quarter. It is Mayo's third fumble recovery of the 2010 season. He also had fumble recoveries at San Diego (10/24) and at Chicago (12/12).The franchise record for fumble recoveries is five by Bob Lee in 1961. Six other players have recovered four fumble in a season.
THE PATRIOTS ARE GOOD IN THE SNOW
The Patriots played the Bills under snow flurries and improved to a 12-0 record under head coach Bill Belichick when playing in the snow. In the last five games played in the snow, the Patriots have outscored their opponents 211-24.
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL RAISED TO 27
The Patriots forced seven Buffalo turnovers today (three interceptions and four fumbles) and did not turn the ball over to raise their 2010 turnover differential to 27. The Patriots' team record for best turnover differential in a season is 17, a record which was set in 2003. The Patriots improved to 12-0 this season when recording a positive turnover differential.
THE PATRIOTS REGISTER SEVEN TUNROVERS
The seven turnovers are tied for the third most in a game. The Patriots record for most turnovers in a game is 10 at the New York Jets (11/21/76). The Patriots had eight turnovers vs. Houston (11/1/63) and vs. Buffalo (11/7/76) and also had seven vs. NY Jets (9/27/64), vs. Denver (11/6/66) and at LA Rams (12/1`1/83).
PATRIOITS RECOCOVER FOUR FUMBLES TO TIE TEAM RECORDThe Patriots recorded four fumbles in the win against Buffalo to tie a team record. It is the third time that the Patriots have recovered four fumbles in a game. The last time the Patriots recovered four fumbles was on Sept. 14, 2003 against Philadelphia. The Patriots also recovered four fumbles on Oct. 20, 1996 against Indianapolis.
PATRIOTS EXTEND STREAK TO SEVEN STRAIGHT GAMES WITH 30 POINTS AND NO TURNOVERSThe Patriots have scored at least 30 points without committing a turnover in each of their past seven games to extend their NFL record. No other team in NFL history has had 30 points and no turnovers in more than three straight games.
PATRIOTS EXTEND NFL RECORD TO SEVEN GAMES WITHOUT A TURNOVERThe Patriots extended their NFL record to seven straight games without a turnover. No other NFL team has gone longer than four straight games without a turnover.
PATRIOTS SCORED 24 POINTS IN THE FIRST HALF
It is the third time in 2010 that the Patriots have scored 24 or more points in the first half after taking a 24-3 lead. The Patriots took a 24-3 lead vs. the Jets (12/6) and 33-0 lead in the first half at Chicago (12/12).
PATRIOTS SCORE POINTS
The Patriots scored over 30 points for the seventh straight game and the tenth time in 2010. The Patriots scored 30 or more points 12 times in 2007.
GREEN-ELLIS GOES OVER 100 YARDSRB BenJarvus Green-Ellis registered his third career 100-yard rushing game and the second of the 2010 season when he gained 104 yards rushing against Buffalo. His other 100-yard game in 2010 was 112 yards rushing vs. Minnesota (10/31). His first career 100-yard game was 105 yards vs. Buffalo on Nov. 9, 2008 during his rookie season.
GREEN-ELLIS AND 1,000 YARDS
RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis increased his 2010 rushing total to 928 yards with 104 yards rushing against Buffalo. Green-Ellis needs to 72 yards rushing to become the 11th New England player to record a 1,000-yard rushing season. If he reaches 1,000 yards he will be the first New England player to do so since Corey Dillon had a team-record 1,635 rushing yards in 2004.
GREEN-ELLIS HAS FOURTH GAME OF SEASON WITH 95 RUSHING YARDSBenJarvus Green-Ellis had 104 rushing yards, marking the fourth time this season that he has topped the 95-yard rushing mark. The last time a Patriots player eclipsed the 95-yard rushing mark more than three times in a single season was in 2004, when Corey Dillon broke the mark 10 times.
CHUNG RECORDS HIS THIRD INTERCEPTION OF THE SEASON
Patrick Chung registered his career-high third interception of the season in the second quarter to help set up a touchdown for a 24-3 halftime lead.
TE ALGE CRUMPLER SCORES HIS TD AS A MEMBER OF THE PATRIOTSTE Alge Crumpler caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady at the end of the second quarter. It is his first touchdown pass as a member of the Patriots.
KYLE LOVE GETS FIRST SACK
Rookie DL Kyle Love registered his first sack when he dropped Ryan Fitzpatrick for a 4-yard loss in the third quarter.
ROOKIE DANE FLECTHER RECORDS FIRST CAREER INTERCEPTIONDane Fletcher recorded his first career interception when he picked off a Buffalo pass in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
RYAN WENDELL MAKES FIRST CAREER START
Ryan Wendell made his first NFL start when he lined up at right guard in place of the injured Dan Connolly.
LANDON COHEN MAKES HIS PATRIOTS DEBUT WITH A START AT NOSE TACKLENewly acquired DL Landon Cohen made his debut with the Patriots with start at nose tackle. He finished the game with two tackles.
PAGE MAKES HIS FIRST START WITH THE PATRIOTSS Jarrad Page made his first start as a member of the Patriots when he started at safety.
OHRNBERGER PLAYS IN FIRST GAME OF 2010
Rich Ohrnberger saw his first action of 2010 on special teams.
WELKER EXTENDS STREAKWes Welker extended his streak to 78 straight regular-season games with at least one reception. He has caught at least one pass in each of his 64 games with the Patriots, including three postseason games. The last time that Welker did not catch a pass in a game was December 24, 2005 when he was with the Dolphins. He has caught at least one pass in 61 consecutive regular-season games as a member of the Patriots. The Patriots' record for most consecutive games with at least one pass is 63 by TE Ben Coates (12-17-92) to (12-15-96).
