DATE:
August 30, 2001
SITE:
Foxboro Stadium (60, 292) - Grass
TIME:
8:00 p.m. EDT
TELEVISON:
This week's game will be broadcast locally on WCVB Channel 5 in Boston. For the seventh consecutive year, Don Criqui will provide the play-by-play detail and will be joined by broadcast partner Jerry Glanville. They will be joined by Mike Lynch from the sidelines. All preseason games will also be televised in Providence on WNAC (Channel 64), WTXX in Hartford, Conn. (Ch. 20), WMTW in Portland, Maine (Ch. 8) and WMUR in Manchester, N.H. (Ch. 9).
RADIO:
WBCN's Rock Radio Network 104.1 FM. Gil Santos, now in his 25th season as voice of the Patriots, will call the action along with Gino Cappelletti. The tandem is enjoying their 18th season together.
The New England Patriots (2-1) will return home this Thursday night to square off against the Washington Redskins (1-2). Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
The Patriots dropped their first game of the preseason last week, 20-3, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Patriots offense generated 83 yards and only scored three points, both were 2001 preseason lows for the Patriots. While the game was close at the half, 7-3, the Buccaneers used two second half touchdowns to pull away and win, 20-3, to the dismay of Head Coach Bill Belichick.
"I didn't think it was a very good performance by our football team" said Belichick. "I think we have a better team than what we showed out there. We just had too many lapses in all areas of the game."
Despite last week's performance, the Patriots defense currently ranks third in the NFL, allowing only an average of 206.3 yards per game. Their pass defense has yielded only 106.3 yards per game, which leads the NFL. They also have recorded five interceptions, the third highest total in the league.
The Patriots will hope to rebound this week and finish the preseason on a high note. If they defeat the Washington Redskins this week, it would mark the fourth time in the last five preseasons that they've had a winning record. Prior to the 2000 season, the Patriots had qualified for the playoffs in each of those seasons.
The Patriots will be returning home to the friendly confines of Foxboro Stadium this week to close out the preseason before embarking on a two-game road trip to start the regular season. Since 1994, the Patriots have compiled a 46-26 (.634) record in Foxboro, including an 11-4 (.714) record at home in the preseason. The fans have responded, too – every one of those 72 games has been a sellout. This week's game will be the Patriots' 73rd straight sellout at Foxboro Stadium.
