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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS(1-1) vs.WASHINGTON REDSKINS** (0-2)
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Gillette Stadium (68,756) 8:00 p.m. EDT
The New England Patriots will conclude their two-game preseason homestand on Saturday night when they face the Washington Redskins in their final preseason appearance in Foxborough. New England will open the 2006 campaign just 15 days after facing Washington, and its players and coaches will aim to use this game as an important tuneup to test their readiness for the regular season. After splitting their first two preseason games, the Patriots will hope to continue to build on the momentum that was gained in last week's 30-3 victory over Arizona. The Patriots will conclude their preseason slate next Thursday against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium, but before that will face the first roster reduction date, when the NFL roster limit is reduced to 75 players (not including exemptions) on Tuesday, Aug. 29.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION: This week's game will be broadcast to a regional audience by the Patriots Preseason Television Network and can be seen in Boston on WCVB Channel 5. The game will also be televised live in the following markets: Providence, R.I. (WNAC-TV Ch. 64), Manchester, N.H. (WMUR-TV Ch. 9), Portland, Maine (WMTW-TV Ch. 8) and Springfield, Mass. (WWLP-TV Ch. 22) Veteran CBS broadcaster Don Criqui provides play-by-play and is joined by three-time NFL Pro Bowler and CBS analyst Randy Cross. WCVB principal sports anchor Mike Lynch offers on-field reports from the sideline.
RADIO: WBCN 104.1 FM is the flagship station for the Patriots Rock Radio Network. A complete listing is available by clicking here. Play-by-play broadcaster Gil Santos is in his 30th season as the voice of the Patriots and will call the action along with Patriots Hall of Famer Gino Cappelletti. Santos and Cappelletti are celebrating their 23rd season as a broadcast tandem.
PATRIOTS IN THE PRESEASON
New England has won 11 of its last 17 preseason games dating back to 2002. Since Bill Belichick became the head coach, the Patriots hold an overall mark of 17-10 (.630) in the preseason. Since Belichick became head coach of the Patriots in 2000, the team is 9-4 (.692) in preseason home games. Overall, New England is 45-44-1 (.506) at home in the preseason and 64-63 (.504) in preseason games against NFC teams.
ROSTER REDUCTION DATES
The first mandatory roster cutdown date is August 29, three days after the Redskins game and two days prior to the final preseason game. On that date, rosters must be reduced to 75 players, not including roster exempt players. On Saturday, Sept. 2, all roster exemptions will expire and rosters must be reduced to the regular-season limit of 53 players. On Sept. 3, clubs may establish an eight-man practice squad.
SERIES HISTORY
The New England Patriots and Washington Redskins will meet for the 19th time in the preseason, with New England holding an 11-7 advantage in the previous 18 contests. The Patriots have played Washington more times in the preseason than any other NFL team, with 18 previous preseason games between the clubs (Philadelphia, 17). The Patriots' 11 preseason victories over the Redskins are their highest total over any preseason opponent. The Patriots have won three straight preseason games against Washington and have won six of the last eight preseason games in the series. Despite the historical familiarity between the teams, the Redskins have never played at Gillette Stadium, and are one of just six NFL teams who have not made an appearance there in the preseason, regular season or postseason since it opened in 2002. Although the Patriots have seen preseason success against the Redskins, they have not defeated Washington in the regular season since 1972 and have suffered six straight regular-season losses to the Redskins.
WELCOME TO GILLETTE
The Redskins are one of six NFL teams who have never played at Gillette Stadium in a preseason, regular season or playoff game. Washington is one of four teams who are scheduled to make their first visit in 2006. After this season, the only two teams who will have yet to see the Patriots state-of-the-art home will be the St. Louis Rams and the Atlanta Falcons.
INFREQUENT FOES
The Patriots and Redskins have met just seven times in regular-season play. The Patriots' seven games against Washington are the second fewest against any team that entered the league prior to the most recent era of expansion, which began with the entry of the Jaguars and Panthers to the NFL in 1995.
CONNECTIONS
- Redskins quarterback Todd Collins was raised on Walpole, Mass., attended Walpole High School, and now resides in North Quincy, Mass.
- Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick was raised in Annapolis, Md.
- Patriots Strength & Conditioning Coach Mike Woicik was born in Baltimore, Md.
- Redskins wide receiver David Patten played on all three Patriots Super Bowl winning teams while with New England from 2001 to 2004.
- Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Redskins tackle Jon Jansen were teammates at the University of Michigan.
- Patriots quarterback Corey Bramlet's brother, Casey Bramlet, plays for the Redskins.
- Redskins guard Randy Thomas made his NFL debut against the Patriots while playing for the New York Jets.
- Redskins defensive end Nic Clemons was raised in Griffin, Georgia, also hometown to Patriots defensive lineman Johnathan Sullivan, and the two attended Griffin High School together.
- Redskins offensive assistant Jack Burns served as the Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks coach in 2001 and 2002 while Patriots tight ends coach Pete Mangurian was coaching the Falcons' offensive line.
- Redskins tight ends coach Rennie Simmons also served on the Falcons' staff with Pete Mangurian in 1997 and again in 2001.
- Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick coached Redskins running backs coach Earnest Byner when Byner played for Cleveland in 1994.
- Patriots linebacker Tully Banta-Cain and Redskins defensive end Andre Carter were teammates at California, and both are in the Bears' top three leaders in career sacks (Carter 31; Banta-Cain 26.5).
- Patriots linebacker Monty Beisel and Redskins fullback Rock Cartwright were teammates at Kansas State from 1998-2000.
- The Patriots' Richard Seymour and Redskins' Demetric Evans played on the same defensive line at Georgia.
- Redskins tight end Christian Fauria spent four seasons with the Patriots (2002-2204), playing in 72 total games for New England including two Super Bowls victories (2003 and 2004).
- Redskins defensive back Christian Morton was drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL draft.
- Redskins wide receiver Jimmy Farris was signed to the Patriots' active roster for the 2001 postseason.
- Patriots safety Eugene Wilson and Redksins wide receiver Brandon Lloyd lined up against each other for four years during practices at Illinois from 1999-2002.
- Patriots fullback Heath Evans and Redskins offensive lineman Mike Pucillo played on the same Auburn offense in 2000.
- Patriots rookie guard Dan Stevenson played on the same offensive line at Notre Dame as Redskins tackle Dan Molinaro in 2003.
- Patriots defensive back Chad Scott was raised in Suitland, Md. and attended both Towson University (1993-94) and the University of Maryland (1995-96).
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
ROSTER RUNDOWN
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88*The number of players on the Patriots roster as of Aug. 21. *
11**
The number of players on the Patriots roster who were drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft in their respective seasons.
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11*The number of players on the Patriots roster who were drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft in their respective seasons. *
29**
The number of rookies and first-year players on the Patriots roster.
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25*The number of players on the Patriots roster who were drafted by the team in the last four drafts (2003-06). *
50**
The number of Patriots who have accrued three or more seasons of NFL experience entering 2005.
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2006 MILESTONES
1 *The number of 100-yard rushing games Corey Dillon needs to have recorded 40 such games in his career. *
3 **
The number of touchdown passes Tom Brady needs to move ahead of Vito "Babe" Parilli (132) into third place in franchise history behind Steve Grogan (182) and Drew Bledsoe (166).
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20 *The number of points the Patriots' active scoring leader, Troy Brown, needs to reach the 200-point plateau. *
21 **
The number of catches Troy Brown needs to pass Stanley Morgan (534 receptions) to claim the franchise record.
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29 *The number of receptions Kevin Faulk needs to pass Tony Collins (261 receptions) for the most by a Patriots running back in franchise history. *
70 **
The number of yards rushing that Corey Dillon (currently ranked 12th) needs to move ahead of Mosi Tatupu (2,415) and Leonard Russell (2,437) into 10th place on the Patriots all-time rushing list.
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1,965 *The number of passing yards Tom Brady needs to become just the third player in franchise history to reach the 20,000-yard passing plateau, joining Drew Bledsoe (29,657) and Steve Grogan (26,886). *
STREAKING
4 **
The number of consecutive Pro Bowls to which Richard Seymour has been selected.
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10 *The number of consecutive playoff games in which the Patriots defense has forced a turnover. *
47 **
The number of consecutive games in which Deion Branch has caught a pass.
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49 *The number of consecutive games the Patriots have played since they last lost back-to-back games, dating back to December 2002. The NFL record is 60 games by the San Francisco 49ers from 1995-99. The next longest active streak in the NFL is the Denver Broncos with 20. *
5 **
The number of consecutive 9 win seasons for the Patriots, the longest current streak in the NFL.
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8 *The number of consecutive Patriots overtime victories, the longest current streak in the NFL. *
8 **
The number of career receptions by Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel (including playoffs). All eight receptions have been for touchdowns.
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89 *The number of consecutive games, including playoffs, that Tom Brady has started at quarterback. *
THE HEAD COACH
32 **
The number of years Bill Belichick has been an NFL coach, making him the longest tenured coach among the NFL's 32 head coaches.
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11 *The number of division titles Belichick has won as a head coach or assistant coach. *
9 **
The number of head coaches who have won three or more NFL championships since the postseason era began in 1933. Belichick joined that elite club with a victory in Super Bowl XXXIX.
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7 *The number of head coaches in the NFL or college who were once assistant coaches under Belichick (Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini, Nick Saban, Charlie Weis, Kirk Ferentz, Pat Hill and Al Groh). *
THE KRAFT ERA
4 **
The number of times the Patriots have appeared in the Super Bowl since Robert Kraft bought the team in 1994. No other team has made more than two Super Bowl appearances in that span.
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13 *The number of playoff victories for the Patriots since 1994, more than any other team in the NFL during that span. *
130-80 **
The Patriots' overall record since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994 (including postseason), a .619 winning percentage.
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74-30 *The Patriots' record at home since 1994, including regular-season and postseason games, a winning percentage of .712. *
30-6 **
The Patriots' record at Gillette Stadium, including regular-season and postseason games (.833 win pct).
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THE BELICHICK ERA
73-34 *Bill Belichick's overall record as head coach of the Patriots, including the regular season and the playoffs, the best head coaching record in franchise history. *
37-2 **
Belichick's record in New England when the Patriots score 25 points or more.
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57-5 *Belichick's record in New England when the Patriots score 21 points or more. *
9 **
Coach Belichick is the only NFL head coach to win nine or more games in each of the past five seasons with the same team.
