[
](http://www.pntrs.com/t/RUBKS0dDQ0BKSElGRUBISEtERw)PATRIOTS (1-1) at BUCCANEERS (1-1)
Friday, August 24, 2012 - 7:30p.m. EDT
Raymond James Stadium (65,908)
The New England Patriots will attempt to get back on a winning note this week when they travel to Tampa to face the Buccaneers this Friday night. The Patriots will face Tampa Bay following two days of joint practices to be held on Wednesday and Thursday at the Buccaneers' headquarters. It is the second time this preseason that the Patriots will be holding joint practice sessions. New England practiced against New Orleans for two days prior to the preseason opener on Aug. 9.
It is the second time in three seasons that the Patriots are holding joint practice sessions with two different teams during the preseason (New Orleans and Atlanta in 2010).
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION: This week's game will be broadcast by the Patriots Preseason Television Network and can be seen in every New England state as well as Hawaii. The network's flagship station is WBZ-TV Channel 4 in Boston. Veteran CBS broadcaster Don Criqui provides play-by-play and is joined by three-time NFL Pro Bowler and CBS analyst Randy Cross.
PATRIOTS PRESEASON TELEVISION NETWORK
Massachusetts
Boston, Mass. WBZ-TV Ch. 4
Springfield, Mass. WWLP-TV Ch. 22
Rhode Island
Providence, R.I. WNAC-TV Ch. 64
New Hampshire
Manchester, N.H. WMUR-TV Ch. 9
Maine
Portland, Maine WMTW-TV Ch. 8
Bangor, Maine WVII-TV Ch. 7
Connecticut
Hartford, Conn. WCTX-TV Ch. 59
Vermont
Burlington, Vt. WVNY-TV Ch.22
Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii KFVE-TV Ch.5
RADIO: 98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. A complete listing of the network's 40 stations can be found here. Play-by-play broadcasterGil Santos is in his 36th season as the voice of the Patriots and will call the action. Former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak will handle the color commentary, taking over duties forGino Cappelletti. Cappelletti, a member of the original Boston Patriots in 1960 and the all-time leading scorer in the American Football League's history, retired from the broadcast team after 31 years as the team's iconic color analyst.
SERIES HISTORY
The Patriots and Buccaneers will meet in the preseason for the second straight season in Tampa and for the 10th time overall. Last season, New England beat Tampa Bay 31-14 on Aug. 18, 2011 at Raymond James Stadium in the second preseason game of the year.
The Patriots are 2-7 all-time against the Buccaneers in preseason play. The only meeting between the two teams in the preseason that was not played at Tampa Bay was in 2000, when the Bucs beat the Patriots 31-21 at Foxboro Stadium. In 1990, the two teams played at Jacksonville.
The Patriots are 5-2 against the Buccaneers all-time in the regular-season. The teams last played against each other in 2009 when the Patriots won 35-7 in London's Wembley Stadium.
Head coach Bill Belichick's first game as head coach of the Patriots came against Tampa Bay on Sept. 3, 2000. Tampa Bay claimed a 21-16 victory in that game, but the Patriots have won five of the seven total games in the series, which dates back to 1976, the first year of existence for the Buccaneers franchise. New England won the first three games in the series from 1976-88. Tampa Bay claimed the next two meetings, before a Patriots' 28-0 shutout victory in a meeting between the two teams in 2005.
The Patriots beat the Buccaneers in 1988 and then went 17 years before their next win against the Buccaneers in 2005.
The 17-year victory gap is the second longest for the Patriots, trailing only a 33-year win drought against the Washington Redskins.
!SERIES TRENDS
Home Record: 2-1
Foxboro Stadium: 1-1
Gillette Stadium: 1-0
Away Record: 3-1
Tampa/Houlihan's Stadium: 2-1
Raymond James Stadium: 0-0
Played in London's Wembley Stadium: 1-0
Total Points in Regular Season Series: 124-83
Largest Margin of Victory: 28 pts (12/17/05 and 10/25/09)
Largest Margin of Defeat: 20 pts (11/16/97)
Longest Win Streak: 3 games (1976-88)
Bill Belichick vs. Tampa Bay: 3-1 (2-1 with New England)
CONNECTIONS
New England Ties
- Tampa Bay QB Dan Orlovsky is a native of Shelton, Conn. and played football at the University of Connecticut from 2001-04.
- Tampa Bay T Jeremy Trueblood played at Boston College and made 36 starts for the Eagles during his collegiate career (2002-05).
- Tampa Bay C Moe Petrus played football at the University of Connecticut from 2007-11. Following his redshirt year in 2007, Petrus started a school-record 52 consecutive games, including 39 at center.
- Tampa Bay linebackers coach Bob Fraser coached the defensive line at Holy Cross from 1992-95. Fraser also served as the Offensive Tackles Coach, Tight Ends Coach and Special Teams Coordinator during his lone season at Northeastern University.
- Assistant strength & conditioning coach Bob Gilmartin is a native of Massachusets, attended Millis High School and graduated from UMass-Amherst in 1989.
- Assistant defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley served as the running backs coach at Worcester Polytechnic University in 2001.
- Assistant offensive line coach Steve Loney held the position of assistant head coach and offensive tackles/tight ends coach for one season (1994) at the University of Connecticut.
- Defensive assistant Tem Lukabu coached the linebackers at the University of Rhode Island from 2008-09.
Tampa Bay, Fla. Ties
- Patriots tight ends coach George Godsey is a native of Tampa, Fla. Godsey also played quarterback for the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League and helped lead the Storm to an Arena Bowl title in 2003.
- Rookie OL Jeremiah Warren is a native of Panama City, Fla. and played college football at The University of South Florida (2007-11).
Former Patriots
- Tampa Bay WR Tiquan Underwood played in six games with the Patriots in 2011. Underwood recorded three receptions for 30 yards during his time with the Patriots.
- Tampa Bay C/G Ted Larsen was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth-round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
- Tampa Bay senior offensive assistant Jimmy Raye spent one season as the Patriots offensive coordinator (1990).
- Tampa Bay defensive front seven coach Bryan Cox played for the Super Bowl XXVI Champion New England Patriots.
- Tampa Bay defensive line coach Randy Melvin served as the Patriots defensive line coach under Bill Belichick from 2000-01. Melvin was a member of the Patriots coaching staff when the team won Super Bowl XXVI.
Former Buccaneers
- Patriots CB Kyle Arrington spent the final 14 weeks of the 2008 season on the Buccaneers practice squad. Arrington was signed to the 53-man roster early in the 2009 season and appeared in one game for Tampa Bay before he was waived and subsequently claimed by New England.
- Patriots TE Daniel Fells began the 2008 season on the Tampa Bay practice squad before being signed to the Rams active roster in early October.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
BY THE NUMBERS
2
!The number of interceptions by Vince Wilfork in 2011. Anthony Pleasant (2001) is the only other Patriots defensive lineman to record two interceptions in the same season.
2
The number of punts returned by Julian Edelman for touchdowns during his career, the fourth Patriots player with two or more punt returns for a touchdown.
3
The number of NFL players with four 100-reception seasons after Wes Welker (122) reached 100 receptions in 2011 to join Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison.
4
The number of times LB Jerod Mayo has reached 100 tackles to start his career. He is the first player in New England history to register 100 tackles in his first four NFL seasons.
7
The number of interceptions by Kyle Arrington to put him in a three-way tie for the NFL lead in 2011.
8
The number of times in NFL history a player reached 1,000 yards in the ninth game of the season after Wes Welker reached the milestone in 2011.
9
The number of AFC East titles by the Patriots since the 2000 season.
17
The number of touchdown catches by TE Rob Gronkowski, the most in NFL history by a tight end in a single season.
18
The number of total touchdowns by TE Rob Gronkowski in 2011 (17 rec. and 1 rush), the highest number of combined touchdowns by a tight end in NFL history.
41.5
Zoltan Mesko finished the 2011 season with a franchise record 41.5-yard net average, the sixth-best net average in NFL history.
122
The number of receptions in 2011 by Wes Welker. With 122 in 2011 and 123 in 2009, Welker joins Cris Carter as the only two NFL players with at least 120-plus receptions twice in their careers.
1,327
The number of receiving yards by Gronkowski in 2011 to set an NFL record, surpassing Kellen Winslow in 1980 (1,290). TOM BRADY BY THE NUMBERS
1
Tom Brady became the first player to follow a 500-yard performance with a 400-yard performance after Brady had back-to-back games with 517 yards and 423 yards to start 2011.
2
Brady joined Drew Brees (2011) as the only players to reach 3,000 yards in the first nine games of the season. Brady (3,032) had the most yards ever through the first nine games of the year.
4
The number of times in his career that Brady has thrown a game-winning touchdown pass in the final minute of the game to turn a deficit into a Patriots win.
4
The number of seasons that Brady has reached 4,000 passing yards. His four 4,000-yard seasons are tied with Warren Moon and Philip Rivers for the fifth most in NFL history.
6
Brady became the sixth NFL quarterback in NFL history to have 30 or more touchdowns passes in at least three seasons after reaching 30 vs. Indianapolis (12/4).
TOM BRADY BY THE NUMBERS
11
!Tom Brady was the 11th quarterback in NFL history to throw for 500 or more yards after he passed for 517 in the 2011 opener at Miami.
20
The number of times Tom Brady has earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He earned the award in each of the first two weeks of the 2011 season and in Week 16.
45
The number of regular season 300-yard passing games by Tom Brady, a team record.
96
The number of times that Brady has thrown two or more touchdowns in a game. The Patriots are 81-15 when he throws for two or more touchdowns.
124
The number of wins that Brady has as a starting quarterback to tie Fran Tarkenton for fifth place. Brady reached the 100-win milestone in the fewest number of starts (131) among all quarterbacks in the modern era.
1,327
The number of passing yards Brady had in the first three games (517, 423 and 387) of 2011. Brady's 1,327 yards set the NFL mark for the most passing yards ever in a three-game stretch.
5,235
The number of passing yards by Brady in 2011, the second most in a season in NFL history.
THE KRAFT ERA
3
The number of Super Bowl championships the Patriots have won since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. That mark is the highest total in the NFL over that span. Only Denver (2; 1997 and 1998), Pittsburgh (2; 2005 and 2008) and the NY Giants (2: 2007 and 2011) have won multiple Super Bowl titles since 1994.
6
The number of conference championships the Patriots have won since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. That mark is the highest total in the NFL over that span. Pittsburgh is second with four conference titles since 1994.
11
The number of division championships won by the Patriots since Kraft purchased the team in 1994.
13
The number of playoff seasons earned by the Patriots in the 18 seasons since Robert Kraft purchased the team.
19
The number of playoff games the Patriots have won since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. That mark is the highest total in the NFL over that span. Pittsburgh ranks second with 17 playoff wins over that span.
29
The number of playoff games the Patriots have appeared in since 1994, the most in the NFL. Pittsburgh has the second most with 27.
THE BELICHICK ERA
4
Bill Belichick is one of just four coaches to win three championships since the Super Bowl era began. Belichick joins three members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the exclusive club (Chuck Noll 4, Joe Gibbs 3 and Bill Walsh 3). Belichick is the only coach to win three Super Bowls in the post-1993 salary cap era and the only one to ever win three in four years.
192
Bill Belichick has 192 career victories as a head coach, including playoff games. Belichick moved past Bill Parcells into sole possession of ninth place in all-time coaching victories. Chuck Knox is in 8th place with 193 wins.
2012 WHAT TO LOOK FOR
BILL BELICHICK
Bill Belichick (192) needs one more win to tie Chuck Knox (193) for 8th place all-time and 10 more wins to move past Dan Reeves (201) into seventh place all-time.
Belichick (17) needs one more postseason victory to move out of a second place tie with Joe Gibbs into sole possession of third place all-time in postseason wins. Tom Landry (20) is in first place followed by Don Shula (18).
TOM BRADY
Tom Brady (39,979) needs 21 yards passing to become the 14th player in NFL history with 40,000 career passing yards.
Brady (124) needs one more career win to move into sole possession of fifth place for most career wins as a starting quarterback. He enters 2012 tied with Fran Tarkenton for fifth place. Peyton Manning is in fourth place with 141 career wins.
Brady enters the 2012 season in a fifth place tie with John Elway for most career touchdowns passes with 300. Fran Tarkenton is in fourth place with 342 career touchdown passes.
Brady enters the 2012 season in 8th place all-time with 45 career 300-yard passing games. Warren Moon is in seventh place with 49 300-yard games.
If Brady reaches 30 or more touchdowns passes in 2012 he will become just the fifth player in NFL history with at least 30 or more touchdown passes in four seasons.
Brady needs one more postseason victory to set the NFL record for most career postseason wins by a starting quarterback. He enters 2012 tied with Joe Montana with 16 career postseason wins.
Brady needs one more AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor to tie Peyton Manning (21) for the most player of the week honors in NFL history.
If Brady reaches 4,000 passing yards in 2011, he will be just the fifth player in NFL history to reach 4,000 yards in five or more seasons: Peyton Manning (11), Dan Marino (6), Drew Brees (6) and Brett Favre (6).
Brady enters the 2012 season with at least one touchdown pass in 32 straight games. Brady's 32 straight games with at least one touchdown pass are fourth all-time, behind Johnny Unitas (47), Drew Brees (43) and Brett Favre (36).
Brady had at least one touchdown pass in all 16 games in each of the last two seasons. Brady and Brees are the first two quarterbacks to throw for at least one touchdown pass in all 16 games for two straight seasons.
ROB GRONKOWSKI
Rob 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.
If he has another 10-touchdown season in 2012, he will join Randy Moss (2007, 2008 and 2009) and Corey Dillon (2004, 2005, 2006) as the only Patriots with three straight 10-plus touchdown seasons and three 10-plus seasons overall.
WES WELKER
Wes Welker enters the 2012 season with 554 receptions and needs four receptions to pass Troy Brown (557) and become the Patriots all-time reception leader.
Welker (6,105) needs 262 receiving yards to move past Troy Brown (6,366) into second place on the New England all-time receiving yards list. Stanley Morgan is in first place with 10,352 yards.
If Welker reaches 100 receptions in 2012, he will become the first player in NFL history with five 100-catch seasons.
Welker enters 2012 tied with Cris Carter and Reggie Wayne for fourth place all-time with 14 10-plus reception games. Jerry Rice is in first place with 17 10-reception games, followed by Marvin Harrison (16) and Andre Johnson (15).
TROY BROWN INDUCTED INTO PATRIOTS HALL OF FAME
Troy Brown was voted by the fans as the 18th player and 19th member to enter the Patriots Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held outside The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012 at 5:00 p.m., the day before the Patriots 2012 regular season home opener.
Brown spent his entire 15-season NFL career with the Patriots (1993-2007) after being drafted by the team in the eighth round (198th overall) of the 1993 NFL Draft. The 5-foot-10-inch, 196-pound receiver, punt returner and defensive back retired as the Patriots' all-time leading receiver with 557 career receptions and as the team's all-time leading punt returner with 252 career returns. He finished ranked second in team history with 6,366 career receiving yards and was tied for the franchise record with three punt returns for touchdowns.
