2010 New England Patriots season
Encyclopedia
The 2010
New England Patriots
season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League
and 51st season overall. The Patriots improved on their 10–6 record from 2009
by finishing with a league-best 14–2 record and clinching the top seed in the AFC, before losing to the New York Jets
in the playoffs
.
After losing to the Baltimore Ravens
at home in the first round of the 2009 playoffs
, the Patriots went into the 2010 season without either an offensive or defensive coordinator following the departure of defensive coordinator Dean Pees
. An October 6 trade sent All-Pro wide receiver Randy Moss
to the Minnesota Vikings
, and eventually led to the return of wide receiver Deion Branch
from the Seattle Seahawks
in a separate deal. After acquiring Branch, the Patriots won 11 of their last 12 games of the season to finish with a 14–2 record and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Quarterback Tom Brady
finished the regular season with an NFL-record 335 pass attempts without an interception and was named NFL MVP. The Patriots committed an NFL-record low 10 turnovers on the season, setting an NFL record with seven consecutive games without a turnover.
In their Divisional playoff
game against the Jets, the Patriots could not recover from a 14–3 halftime deficit, dropping the contest 28–21 to the underdog Jets.
, defensive coordinator
Dean Pees
announced that he would not seek to renew his contract, which expired at the end of the 2009 season. He was named the Ravens' linebacker
s coach on January 26. The Patriots did not name a formal replacement for defensive coordinator. The team did, however, add former defensive back
and Notre Dame
defensive coordinator Corwin Brown
as a defensive backs coach, which was later clarified to mean Brown would coach the team's safeties, alongside existing defensive backs coach Josh Boyer
. Additionally, tight end
s coach Shane Waldron
left the team following the season and later joined the coaching staff of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League. No formal replacement was named.
In the personnel department, pro scout Brian Smith
was named assistant director of college scouting.
Jarvis Green
signed with the Denver Broncos
, while tight end Benjamin Watson
joined the Cleveland Browns
. On April 26, the team released veteran linebacker Adalius Thomas
after three seasons with the team. Weeks later, the Patriots released veteran cornerback
Shawn Springs
after one year with the team.
On September 14, after the Patriots' first game of the season, running back Laurence Maroney
was traded to the Denver Broncos
along with a sixth-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft
in exchange for the Broncos' fourth-round pick in 2011.
In the week leading up to the Patriots' 2010 season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals
, Randy Moss
, who was entering the final year of his contract told CBS Sports
that he "did not feel wanted" in New England absent a contract extension offer. After the game, Moss told reporters that it would be his final season with the Patriots. The Boston Herald
reported weeks later that Moss requested a trade following the game. Two days after the Patriots' Week 4 game against the Miami Dolphins
, Moss was traded to the Minnesota Vikings
in exchange for the Vikings' third-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft
. The Patriots also sent a 2012
seventh-round selection to the Vikings as part of the trade.
to unrestricted free agent nose tackle Vince Wilfork
, while expressing their desire to reach a long-term contract with Wilfork. On March 5, the first day of free agency, the Patriots re-signed Wilfork to a five-year, $
40 million contract with $25 million in guaranteed money.
Before the start of free agency, the Patriots signed wide receiver
David Patten
, who was with the team from 2001
–2004
but had spent the 2009
season out of football. They also signed unrestricted free agents linebacker Marques Murrell
and tight end Alge Crumpler
, as well as defensive linemen Damione Lewis
and Gerard Warren, and wide receiver Torry Holt
, who were all released by their former teams. The Patriots also signed former Australian Rules Footballer
David King
as a punter.
The Patriots also re-signed a number of their own unrestricted free agents. Linebacker Tully Banta-Cain
was re-signed to a three-year contract, while guard Stephen Neal
signed a two-year contract. Cornerback Leigh Bodden
, running back
Kevin Faulk
, and linebacker Derrick Burgess
were also re-signed. Restricted free agents Stephen Gostkowski
and Pierre Woods
were re-signed; Gostkowski was later re-signed to a four-year extension before the season. Restricted free agent running back Chris Taylor was not offered a tender, making him an unrestricted free agent, but he was later re-signed. Exclusive rights free agent linebacker Gary Guyton
signed a two-year contract through 2011; while fellow exclusive-rights free agent safety Bret Lockett
also re-signed.
Guard Logan Mankins
became a restricted free agent
under the terms of the NFL-NFLPA collective bargaining agreement, which entered its final, uncapped year; Mankins otherwise would have been an unrestricted free agent in a normal season. The Patriots tendered at the highest possible level for a restricted free agent, $
3.26 million, which have required any team signing Mankins in the restricted free agent signing period, which ended on April 15, 2010, to surrender first- and third-round draft selections to the Patriots. On June 15, with Mankins yet to sign his tender, the Patriots were able to lower Mankins' tender amount to 110% of his prior year salary, or $1.54 million. The Patriots did so, and Mankins, who was looking for a long-term contract, reacted by publicly asking for a trade. He did not attend the Patriots' mandatory June minicamp, which he was not required to attend as he was not under contract at the time. Mankins remained unsigned through the team's training camp, preseason, and the start of the regular season. Mankins reported to the Patriots and signed his tender on November 2, in advance of the team's Week 9 game against the Cleveland Browns
. He did not have to report until Week 12 in order to be on the roster for the necessary six games to earn his sixth accrued season of free agency credit. The NFL granted the Patriots a two-game roster exemption for Mankins upon his reporting. However, the Patriots activated Mankins on November 6, before using either game of the exemption.
On August 23, the Patriots acquired offensive lineman Quinn Ojinnaka
from the Atlanta Falcons
in exchange for a seventh-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft
.
On September 4, the day the team was required to cut down to 53 players, they acquired linebacker Tracy White
and a 2012
seventh-round selection from the Philadelphia Eagles
for a 2012 sixth-round selection, as well as safety Jarrad Page
from the Kansas City Chiefs
for an unannounced draft selection.
Nearly a week after a trade sent wide receiver Randy Moss
out of New England, the Patriots traded a 2011 fourth-round selection to the Seattle Seahawks
for receiver Deion Branch
. Branch played for the Patriots from 2002
–2005
and was the MVP of the team's Super Bowl XXXIX
win.
in April 2009 in exchange for tight end Alex Smith
. In August 2009, the Patriots traded their original third- and fourth-round selections (#85 and No. 119 overall) to the Oakland Raiders
in exchange for defensive end Derrick Burgess
. The trade was made on the condition that, because the Patriots had already traded their fifth-round selection, the fourth-round selection sent to Oakland would become a fifth-round selection once the Patriots re-acquired one. Later that month, the Patriots traded defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith
to the Denver Broncos
along with a seventh-round pick (#231) they acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles
to the Denver Broncos
in exchange for the Broncos' fifth-round pick (#158 overall), which was sent to Oakland for the Patriots' original fourth-round pick (#119 overall). The Patriots then re-acquired the seventh-round pick that had been sent to Denver in the Le Kevin Smith trade in exchange for offensive lineman Russ Hochstein
.
The Patriots traded a conditional seventh-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens
for linebacker Prescott Burgess
in September 2009. He was waived by the Patriots six days later. Since the trade was conditioned on Burgess being active for a certain number of games, and since Burgess was inactive in the only game for which he was with the Patriots, the Patriots kept the pick.
on July 29, they had one fewer than the NFL maximum of 79 players signed to their roster. Restricted free agent Logan Mankins
did not count against that limit, as he had yet to sign his tender. Derrick Burgess
was placed on the Reserve/Did Not Report list and did not count against the limit.
. In the first quarter the Patriots had the early lead when quarterback Tom Brady
got a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker
, followed by kicker Stephen Gostkowski
hitting a 32 yard field goal. In the second quarter the Patriots' lead increased when Brady completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker
, followed by linebacker Gary Guyton
returning an interception 59 yards for a touchdown. The Bengals then made their first score of the half when kicker Mike Nugent
nailed a 54 yard field goal. In the third quarter the Patriots increased their lead again when wide receiver Brandon Tate
returned a kickoff and ran 97 yards for a touchdown. The Bengals responded with quarterback Carson Palmer
throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jermaine Gresham
, followed by Palmer completing a 28-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. In the fourth quarter the Patriots scored again with Brady throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski
. The Bengals replied with running back Cedric Benson
rushing for a 1-yard touchdown, but couldn't score any further, giving the Patriots a win.
With the win the Patriots began the season at 1–0.
. The Jets had lost their opener to the Baltimore Ravens
the previous week and started slow, accruing no passing yards during the first quarter, as the Patriots went down the field in two long drives taking up most of the time in the first half. In the second quarter, the Patriots took the early lead as quarterback Tom Brady
completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker
, but the Jets replied with quarterback Mark Sanchez
completing a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Braylon Edwards
. The Patriots scored again with Brady finding wide receiver Randy Moss
on a 34-yard touchdown pass. The Pats lead slowly narrowed when kicker Nick Folk
nailed a 49-yard field goal, followed by him making a 36-yard field goal in the third quarter. The Patriots fell behind when Sanchez completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery
(with a successful 2-point conversion), followed in the fourth quarter by Sanchez making a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dustin Keller
. The Patriots committed 3 turnovers in the game, allowing the Jets to score 18 unanswered points in the second half.
With the loss, the Patriots fell to 1–1.
nailed a 39-yard field goal. The Patriots took the lead when quarterback Tom Brady
completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Randy Moss
. The Bills replied in the second quarter with Lindell making another 39-yard field goal, which was followed by quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick
throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to running back C. J. Spiller
. The Patriots responded and took a narrow lead when running back Danny Woodhead
made a 22-yard touchdown run. Then they fell behind when Lindell hit a 34-yard field goal. The Patriots got the lead back after kicker Stephen Gostkowski
booted a 43-yard field goal. The Patriots rallied in the third quarter when Brady found Moss again on a 35-yard touchdown pass, but Buffalo scored quickly when Spiller returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. The Patriots increased their lead when Brady completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski
, followed in the fourth quarter by running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
going in on a 7-yard touchdown run. The Bills tried to come back into the game when Fitzptrick made a 37-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Steve Johnson
, but the Patriots defense prevented anything else from happening, giving New England the win.
With the win, the Patriots improved to 2–1.
on Monday night. New England trailed in the first quarter after Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne
completed a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Davone Bess
. The Patriots would cut away at their deficit in the second quarter with kicker Stephen Gostkowski
making 23-yard and 30-yard field goals.
New England took the lead in the third quarter when wide receiver Brandon Tate
returned the second half's opening kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown, followed by a 12-yard touchdown run by running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
. Miami tried to catch up as Henne connected with running back Ricky Williams
on a 28-yard touchdown pass, but the Patriots came right back when quarterback Tom Brady
threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to running back Danny Woodhead
. New England would add onto their lead in the fourth quarter as cornerback Kyle Arrington
returned a blocked field goal 35 yards for a touchdown, followed by safety Patrick Chung
returning an interception 51 yards for a touchdown.
With the win, not only did the Patriots head into their bye week at 3–1, but Brady picked up his 100th win in the fewest career starts (131) in NFL history.
New England became the first team in NFL history to have a rushing, passing, interception return, kickoff return, and blocked field goal return for a touchdown in the same game.
hit a 26-yard field goal, but took the lead when running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
had a 2-yard touchdown run. The Ravens got the lead back when quarterback Joe Flacco
threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Todd Heap
, followed in the third quarter by Flacco finding wide receiver Anquan Boldin
on a 25-yard touchdown pass. The Patriots replied with kicker Stephen Gostkowski
hitting a 38-yard field goal, but the Ravens responded with Cundiff making a 25-yard field goal. The Patriots then rallied with quarterback Tom Brady
throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Deion Branch
. This was followed by Gostkowski making a 24-yard field goal. The Patriots got the ball back and took it to Baltimore's 44 yard line but, instead of trying a 61-yard field goal, Tom Brady tried an Hail Mary which was intercepted by Ken Hamlin
with no time left on the clock. Then, a 35-yard field goal in overtime gave the Patriots a win.
Following the game safety Brandon Meriweather
was heavily fined by the league for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Todd Heap
.
With the win, New England improved to 4–1.
for an AFC duel with the Chargers. In the first quarter the Patriots trailed early as Chargers kicker Kris Brown
made a 32-yard field goal, but they rallied to when quarterback Tom Brady
threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski
; followed in the second quarter by kicker Stephen Gostkowski
making a 40 and a 35-yard field goal. In the third quarter running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
had a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Patriots up 20–3. In the fourth quarter the Chargers replied with Brown hitting a 28-yard field goal, but the Patriots continued to score with a 35-yard field goal from Gostkowski. The Patriots' lead was narrowed with Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers
throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Antonio Gates
, and with fullback Mike Tolbert
running for a 1-yard touchdown, but a missed field Kris Brown 50-yard field goal that bounced off the right post late in the fourth quarter sealed a victory for the Patriots.
With the win, the Patriots improved to 5–1.
. In the second quarter, the Patriots trailed early as Vikings running back Adrian Peterson ran for a 1-yard touchdown run, but the Patriots later responded when running back Danny Woodhead
scored on a 3-yard touchdown run. The Vikings attempted to punch in a touchdown from the Patriots' 1-yard line on fourth down late in the first half but were stopped. Minnesota re-took the lead midway through the third quarter, with a 24-yard field goal from kicker Ryan Longwell
, but the Patriots grabbed the lead when quarterback Tom Brady
threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Tate
, followed by a 13-yard touchdown run from BenJarvus Green-Ellis
. In the fourth quarter Vikings quarterback Brett Favre
was injured after a hit by Myron Pryor
, but backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson
subsequently threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to fullback Naufahu Tahi
(with a two-point conversion). However, the Patriots responded with a 2-yard touchdown run from Green-Ellis, sealing the victory for the Patriots.
With the win, the Patriots improved to 6–1.
for an AFC duel with the Browns. In the first quarter the Patriots trailed early as kicker Phil Dawson
nailed a 38-yard field goal, followed by a 2-yard Peyton Hillis
touchdown run. The Patriots responded in the second quarter with quarterback Tom Brady
completing a 2-yard pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez
, but they fell further behind when Chansi Stuckey
took an end-around for an 11-yard touchdown run. This was followed in the third quarter by Browns quarterback Colt McCoy
scrambling 16 yards to the end zone for a touchdown. Dawson then made a 37-yard field goal to put the Browns up 27–7. The Patriots replied when Brady found Hernandez on another 1-yard touchdown pass, but their opportunity for a comeback ended when Hillis added a 35-yard touchdown run.
With the loss, the Patriots fell to 6–2.
to face the Steelers. The Patriots took the early lead when quarterback Tom Brady
threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski
. This was followed by kicker Shayne Graham
hitting a 31-yard field goal. The Steelers responded in the second quarter with kicker Jeff Reed nailing a 22-yard field goal, cutting the lead to 10–3. The Patriots kept scoring in the third quarter when Brady threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski. This was followed by Brady scrambling 3 yards to the end zone for a touchdown; however, Graham missed the extra point wide right for a 23–3 lead. The Steelers scored first in the fourth quarter when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders
, but their comeback came to a halt on the next drive as a Roethlisberger pass was intercepted by safety James Sanders and returned 32 yards for a touchdown, with a failed two-point conversion. The Patriots' lead narrowed to 29–18 with Roethlisberger throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Wallace
with a successful two-point conversion, but New England replied with Brady throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski. The Patriots' lead was cut to 36–26 when Roethlisberger completed a 33-yard touchdown pass to Wallace with another successful two-point convert, but the Patriots replied to put the game away after Graham hit a 36-yard field goal.
With the win, New England improve to 7–2.
threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker
. This was followed in the second quarter by Brady throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez
. The Colts narrowed the lead when quarterback Peyton Manning
completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Gijon Robinson
, but the Patriots responded with a 5-yard touchdown run by running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
. The lead was narrowed again after Manning found wide receiver Reggie Wayne
on an 11-yard touchdown pass. The Patriots increased their lead in the third quarter with running back Danny Woodhead
running for a 36-yard touchdown, followed in the fourth quarter by kicker Shayne Graham
nailing a 25-yard field goal. The Colts tried to close the gap after Manning completed a 5- and an 18-yard touchdown passes to wide receiver Blair White
, but his final pass attempt, in Patriots territory with less than a minute remaining was intercepted by Patriots safety James Sanders at the 6-yard line, giving the Patriots the win.
With the win, the Patriots improved to 8–2.
, donned their throwback uniforms, and played a Week 12 Thanksgiving duel with the Detroit Lions
. New England delivered the game's opening punch in the first quarter with a 19-yard field goal by kicker Shayne Graham
, but the Lions answered with quarterback Shaun Hill
completing a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Calvin Johnson
. Detroit added onto their lead in the second quarter as running back Maurice Morris
got a 1-yard touchdown run, yet the Patriots responded with a 15-yard touchdown run from running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
. The Lions closed out the half with kicker Dave Rayner
making a 44-yard field goal.
New England tied the game in the third quarter as quarterback Tom Brady
found wide receiver Wes Welker
on a 5-yard touchdown pass, but Detroit came right back with a 1-yard touchdown run from Morris. The Patriots soon struck again as Brady connected with wide receiver Deion Branch
on a 79-yard touchdown pass. This was the Patriots' longest play from scrimmage of their 2010 season. New England regained the lead in the fourth quarter as Brady found Branch again on a 22-yard touchdown pass, followed by a 16-yard touchdown pass to Welker. Afterwards, the Patriots pulled away with a 1-yard touchdown run from Green-Ellis to win 45–24. During the extra point and afterwards, the Lions were called for three personal fouls, including one on defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh
. This allowed the Patriots to kick off from the Lions' 40-yard line, and Graham was able to put the ball through the uprights, to a storm of boos from the Ford Field crowd.
With the win, New England improved to 9–2.
Brady (21/27, 341 yards, 4 touchdowns, perfect 158.3 passer rating
) was named CBS's All-Iron Award winner by Phil Simms
. Runners up for the award included Suh, Johnson, Branch, and Morris.
. In the first quarter, the Patriots took the early lead, with a 41-yard field goal from kicker Shayne Graham
, followed by a 1-yard touchdown run from running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
and a 25-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tom Brady
to wide receiver Deion Branch
. In the second quarter, the Jets got on the board, with a 39-yard field goal from kicker Nick Folk
, in what would be the Jets' only score of the game. Later in the second quarter, the Patriots replied, with Brady throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Tate
. The Patriots continued their offensive onslaught in the third quarter, with Brady throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker
. In the fourth quarter, Brady threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez
, followed by a 5-yard touchdown run from Green-Ellis.
With the win, the Patriots improved to 10–2, and took sole possession of first place in the AFC East
.
Tom Brady was 21/29, 326 yards, four touchdowns, and a 148.8 passer rating, extending his streak of 228 passes without an interception (7 consecutive games, setting a franchise record of most starts without an interception). Additionally, Brady won his 26th consecutive home game as a starting quarterback, dating back to 2006, breaking Brett Favre
's previous record of 25 games (1995–1998).
for a snowy game with the Bears. The Patriots took the early lead in the first quarter, with quarterback Tom Brady
throwing a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski
. In the second quarter, running back Danny Woodhead
ran for a 3-yard touchdown, followed by linebacker Gary Guyton
returning a fumble 35 yards for a touchdown. The Patriots extended their lead on field goals of 30 and 25 yards by placekicker Shayne Graham
, and a 59-yard touchdown pass from Brady to wide receiver Deion Branch
(with a missed extra point). The Patriots defense also held the Bears' offense to 33 net yards, two first downs, and zero points in the first half. In the third quarter, Graham added a 29-yard field goal, followed by the Bears getting on the board with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Chester Taylor
. The points ended up being the last of the game, with both teams held scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Brady extended his streak of pass attempts without an interception to 268 passes, while marking his sixth straight game with at least two touchdowns without an interception, tying Don Meredith
's record set in 1965
–1966
. The Patriots also became the first team in NFL history to have five consecutive games with zero turnovers and at least 30 points in every game.
With the win, the Patriots not only improved to 11–2, but also became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff berth.
. The Patriots trailed early after Green Bay recovered their own opening kick-off onside kick and eventually scored on a 31-yard field goal by Mason Crosby
. New England grabbed the lead with a 33-yard touchdown run by running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
. At the beginning of the second quarter, the Packers re-took the lead after quarterback Matt Flynn
, starting in place of an injured Aaron Rodgers
, threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver James Jones
, and extended the lead to 17–7 following a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Greg Jennings
. After a 71-yard kickoff return by offensive lineman Dan Connolly
, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady
threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez
to close the half. In the third quarter, the Patriots re-established the lead (21–17) when cornerback Kyle Arrington
returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown. Flynn then threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to fullback John Kuhn
, followed in the fourth quarter by a 19-yard field goal by Crosby, giving the Packers a 27–21 lead. The Patriots responded, with a 38-yard field goal by kicker Shayne Graham
, then took the lead, 31–27, with Brady throwing a 10-yard touchdown pass to Hernandez. The Patriots' defense thwarted the Packers' final drive with a sack by linebacker Dane Fletcher
causing Green Bay to use its final timeout, and ended the Green Bay drive and the game with a fourth-and-1 sack with seconds left on a Tully Banta-Cain
strip-sack of Flynn.
With the win, the Patriots improved to 12–2. It was Brady's seventh consecutive game with at least two touchdowns without an interception, breaking Don Meredith
's 1965–1966 record of six such games. Brady attempted 24 passes and his streak of consecutive pass attempts without an interception was extended to 292–3rd longest all-time, behind only Bernie Kosar
's 308 (1990–91), and Bart Starr
's 294 (1964–65). Brady did break the single season record also held by Kosar.
hit a 26-yard field goal, but commanded the rest of the game with Danny Woodhead
running for a 29-yard touchdown, followed by quarterback Tom Brady
completing an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski
, then with kicker Shayne Graham
nailing a 34-yard field goal. The Patriots added to their lead with Brady completing 4-yard and 8-yard touchdown passes to tight end Alge Crumpler
and to Gronkowski respectively. Their lead was expanded when Graham kicked a 26-yard field goal.
With the win, New England improved to 13–2, clinched the AFC East along with the number one seed and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.
Brady had his ninth consecutive game without an interception, and in the process broke Bernie Kosar
's record of pass attempts without an interception (308, from 1991–1992). It was also his eighth consecutive game with at least two touchdowns and no interceptions.
threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rob Gronkowski
, followed by BenJarvus Green-Ellis
running for a 1-yard touchdown. They extended their lead on a 28-yard Shayne Graham
field goal and a 94-yard Julian Edelman
punt return for a touchdown. Brady then threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Alge Crumpler
, followed by backup quarterback Brian Hoyer
completing a 42-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Tate
. The Dolphins had their only score of the game with quarterback Tyler Thigpen
throwing a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Davone Bess
in the fourth quarter.
It was Brady's tenth consecutive game without an interception and ninth consecutive game with no interceptions and two touchdowns. With the win, the Patriots ended their regular season with a 14–2 record.
completed 16 of 25 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Jets to victory, avenging a 45–3 loss to New England in December.
On the Patriots first drive, Tom Brady
threw his first interception since week five of the regular season, which linebacker David Harris
picked off and returned 58 yards before tight end Alge Crumpler
made a touchdown saving tackle at the 12-yard line. But New York could not get any points off the turnover, as they were unable to get a first down and Nick Folk
missed a 30-yard field goal attempt. Several plays into New England's next drive, Brady completed a 28-yard pass to Crumpler at the Jets 12-yard line. But after a 5-yard run by Danny Woodhead
, Crumpler dropped a pass in the end zone and then Brady was sacked by Shaun Ellis
, forcing them to settle for Shayne Graham
's 34-yard field goal to give them a 3–0 lead.
In the second quarter, a third down sack of Brady by Drew Coleman
forced New England to punt from their own 16, and Jerricho Cotchery
returned the ball 5 yards to the Patriots 49-yard line. A few plays later, Sanchez' 37-yard completion to Braylon Edwards
set up his 7-yard touchdown pass to LaDainian Tomlinson
. Later on, New England attempted a fake punt with a direct snap to safety Patrick Chung
on fourth down and four. But Chung fumbled the snap and was tackled on his own 25-yard line, and the Jets converted the turnover with Sanchez' 15-yard touchdown pass to Edwards with 33 seconds left in the half, making the score 14–3.
Late in the third quarter, New England drove 80 yards in 11 plays, with Brady completing a 37-yard pass to Rob Gronkowski
and two passes Deion Branch
for 28 yards on the way to a 2-yard touchdown pass to Crumpler. Then Sammy Morris
scored a 2-point conversion run, cutting their deficit to 14–11. But the Jets quickly countered, with Sanchez throwing short pass to Cotchery, who took it 58 yards to the Partriots 13-yard line. Two plays later, Sanchez threw a high pass for Santonio Holmes
, who managed to catch the ball and land his in the end zone while falling out of bounds, giving New York a 10-point lead two miuntes into the fourth quarter.
After the kickoff, New England drove to the Jets 34-yard line with an 8 minute drive, but then faced fourth down and 13. Rather than risk a 52-yard field goal attempt, they attempted to get the first down, but Branch dropped a pass from Brady and the Patriots turned the ball over. New England's defense then made a key defensive stand, forcing a quick three-and-out, and Julian Edelman
returned Steve Weatherford
's punt 41 yards to the New York 43-yard line before being tackled by Weatherford himself. Brady then led New England to the 17-yard line where Graham made his second field goal to cut their deficit to 7 points. However, Jets defensive back Antonio Cromartie
recovered Graham's onside kick attempt and returned it 23 yards to the Patriots 20-yard line. Then Shonn Greene
scored with a 20-yard run on the next play, making the score 28–14 with 1:12 left in the game.
Brandon Tate
returned the ensuing kickoff 23 yards to the 41-yard line, sparking a 59-yard scoring drive that ended with Brady's 13-yard touchdown pass to Branch with 24 seconds left. But Graham's second attempt at an onside kick also failed, ending any chance of a miracle comeback.
Brady finished the game 29 of 45 for 299 yards and two touchdowns, with 1 interception. Cotchery had 5 receptions for 96 yards Harris had 9 tackles, 3 assists, and an interception, while Ellis added 5 tackles and two sacks. With this win, the Jets advanced to their second consecutive AFC championship game in Sanchez' first two years as a starter.
. Quarterback Tom Brady
, guard Logan Mankins
, and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork
were named as starters, while cornerback Devin McCourty
, linebacker Jerod Mayo
, and safety Brandon Meriweather
were named as a reserves. Offensive tackle Matt Light
and wide receiver Wes Welker
were later named to the game as injury replacements. Brady later pulled out of the game due to surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot.
Brady, Mankins, and Mayo were also voted to the 2010 All-Pro
First Team, while McCourty, Wilfork, and offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer
were named to the Second Team.
2010 NFL season
The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,...
New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and 51st season overall. The Patriots improved on their 10–6 record from 2009
2009 New England Patriots season
The 2009 New England Patriots season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League and 50th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and a division title before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs....
by finishing with a league-best 14–2 record and clinching the top seed in the AFC, before losing to the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the playoffs
2010–11 NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs for the 2010 season began on January 8, 2011 and led up to Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas....
.
After losing to the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
at home in the first round of the 2009 playoffs
2009–10 NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs for the 2009 season began on January 9, 2010 and led up to Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida...
, the Patriots went into the 2010 season without either an offensive or defensive coordinator following the departure of defensive coordinator Dean Pees
Dean Pees
Dean Pees is an American football coach who is currently the linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens. Pees is also a former head coach at Kent State University.-College:...
. An October 6 trade sent All-Pro wide receiver Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
to the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, and eventually led to the return of wide receiver Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
from the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in a separate deal. After acquiring Branch, the Patriots won 11 of their last 12 games of the season to finish with a 14–2 record and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
finished the regular season with an NFL-record 335 pass attempts without an interception and was named NFL MVP. The Patriots committed an NFL-record low 10 turnovers on the season, setting an NFL record with seven consecutive games without a turnover.
In their Divisional playoff
2010–11 NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs for the 2010 season began on January 8, 2011 and led up to Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas....
game against the Jets, the Patriots could not recover from a 14–3 halftime deficit, dropping the contest 28–21 to the underdog Jets.
Staff changes
Four days after the Patriots' playoff loss against the Baltimore RavensBaltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Dean Pees
Dean Pees
Dean Pees is an American football coach who is currently the linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens. Pees is also a former head coach at Kent State University.-College:...
announced that he would not seek to renew his contract, which expired at the end of the 2009 season. He was named the Ravens' linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
s coach on January 26. The Patriots did not name a formal replacement for defensive coordinator. The team did, however, add former defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
and Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
defensive coordinator Corwin Brown
Corwin Brown
Corwin Brown is an American football coach who was most recently the defensive backs coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
as a defensive backs coach, which was later clarified to mean Brown would coach the team's safeties, alongside existing defensive backs coach Josh Boyer
Josh Boyer
Josh Boyer is an American football coach in the National Football League, currently serving as defensive backs coach for the New England Patriots...
. Additionally, tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
s coach Shane Waldron
Shane Waldron
Shane Waldron is an American football coach who is currently the wide receivers coach for the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League. He previously was the tight ends coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League.Waldron attended De La Salle North Catholic High...
left the team following the season and later joined the coaching staff of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League. No formal replacement was named.
In the personnel department, pro scout Brian Smith
Brian Smith (American football scout)
Brian Smith is the current American football assistant director of college scouting for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Smith attended Phillips Andover in Andover, Massachusetts, lettering in football. He then played football as a cornerback at Davidson College in...
was named assistant director of college scouting.
Departures
On the eve of the start of the free agent signing period, the Patriots released tight end Chris Baker, who had signed a five-year deal the year before. The team also lost two unrestricted free agents: defensive endDefensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Jarvis Green
Jarvis Green
Jarvis Green is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
signed with the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, while tight end Benjamin Watson
Benjamin Watson
Benjamin Watson is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 32nd overall in the 2004 NFL draft. He played college football at Georgia.-Early years:Watson attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, South...
joined the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. On April 26, the team released veteran linebacker Adalius Thomas
Adalius Thomas
Adalius Donquail Thomas is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Mississippi.-Early years:...
after three seasons with the team. Weeks later, the Patriots released veteran cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Shawn Springs
Shawn Springs
Shawn Springs is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks third overall in the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State....
after one year with the team.
On September 14, after the Patriots' first game of the season, running back Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney is an American football running back who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota.-Early years:Maroney attended Normandy Senior High School in St...
was traded to the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
along with a sixth-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
in exchange for the Broncos' fourth-round pick in 2011.
In the week leading up to the Patriots' 2010 season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, who was entering the final year of his contract told CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
that he "did not feel wanted" in New England absent a contract extension offer. After the game, Moss told reporters that it would be his final season with the Patriots. The Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
reported weeks later that Moss requested a trade following the game. Two days after the Patriots' Week 4 game against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Moss was traded to the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
in exchange for the Vikings' third-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
. The Patriots also sent a 2012
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL Draft will be the 77th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players.-Trades:...
seventh-round selection to the Vikings as part of the trade.
Arrivals
Three days before the deadline for doing so, the Patriots assigned the non-exclusive franchise tagFranchise Tag
In the National Football League, the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has access each year to only one franchise tag and one...
to unrestricted free agent nose tackle Vince Wilfork
Vince Wilfork
-2004–06 seasons:The Patriots drafted Wilfork with the 21st overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. In his rookie 2004 season with the Patriots, he compiled two sacks, 42 tackles, and three deflected passes...
, while expressing their desire to reach a long-term contract with Wilfork. On March 5, the first day of free agency, the Patriots re-signed Wilfork to a five-year, $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
40 million contract with $25 million in guaranteed money.
Before the start of free agency, the Patriots signed wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
David Patten
David Patten
David Patten is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Albany Firebirds as a street free agent in 1996. He played college football at Western Carolina....
, who was with the team from 2001
2001 New England Patriots season
The 2001 New England Patriots season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League and 42nd season overall. They finished with an 11–5 record and a division title before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVI....
–2004
2004 New England Patriots season
The 2004 New England Patriots season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League and 45th season overall. They finished with their second straight 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXIX, their third Super Bowl victory in four years.Following a Super Bowl...
but had spent the 2009
2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...
season out of football. They also signed unrestricted free agents linebacker Marques Murrell
Marques Murrell
Marques Murrell is an American football linebacker for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Appalachian State.Murrell has also played for the New York Jets and New England...
and tight end Alge Crumpler
Alge Crumpler
-Atlanta Falcons:Crumpler was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Crumpler made the first start of his NFL career against the Carolina Panthers on September 23, 2001. He caught his first two passes for a total of 13 yards. His first touchdown was scored against the...
, as well as defensive linemen Damione Lewis
Damione Lewis
-St. Louis Rams:Lewis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams with the 12th overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. On July 27, 2001, Lewis agreed to a five-year, $7.5 million contract with the Rams...
and Gerard Warren, and wide receiver Torry Holt
Torry Holt
After injuring his knee at the Senior Bowl, Holt, at 192 pounds, ran a 4.44 second 40-yard dash and had a vertical jump of 37 inches at the 1999 NFL Combine-St. Louis Rams:...
, who were all released by their former teams. The Patriots also signed former Australian Rules Footballer
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
David King
David King (football player)
David King is a professional American football and Australian rules football player who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New England Patriots of the National Football League as a punter on 14 April, 2010, but was waived by the team on 11 June 2010...
as a punter.
The Patriots also re-signed a number of their own unrestricted free agents. Linebacker Tully Banta-Cain
Tully Banta-Cain
Tully Banta-Cain is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at California.Banta-Cain earned two Super Bowl rings during his first stint with the Patriots...
was re-signed to a three-year contract, while guard Stephen Neal
Stephen Neal
Stephen Matthew Neal is a former American football guard who played his entire career for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He is a former national champion amateur and collegiate wrestler at Cal State-Bakersfield...
signed a two-year contract. Cornerback Leigh Bodden
Leigh Bodden
Leigh Edmond Bodden is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Duquesne....
, running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Kevin Faulk
Kevin Faulk
Kevin Troy Faulk is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at LSU.As of 2010, Faulk is the longest-tenured current member of the Patriots,...
, and linebacker Derrick Burgess
Derrick Burgess
Derrick Lee Burgess is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi....
were also re-signed. Restricted free agents Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
and Pierre Woods
Pierre Woods
-New England Patriots:Woods was signed by the New England Patriots after going undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, Woods saw action in eight games and finished fourth on the team with 11 special teams tackles In 2007 he played in all 16 regular-season games for the first time in...
were re-signed; Gostkowski was later re-signed to a four-year extension before the season. Restricted free agent running back Chris Taylor was not offered a tender, making him an unrestricted free agent, but he was later re-signed. Exclusive rights free agent linebacker Gary Guyton
Gary Guyton
-2008 season:On April 28, 2008, Guyton signed as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots. The previous day rumors circulated that Guyton had agreed to terms with the San Francisco 49ers, however confusion arose when 49ers General Manager Scot McCloughan said he would divulge names of...
signed a two-year contract through 2011; while fellow exclusive-rights free agent safety Bret Lockett
Bret Lockett
Bret Emanuel Lockett is an American football safety for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
also re-signed.
Guard Logan Mankins
Logan Mankins
-2005–06 seasons:Mankins was drafted with the final pick of the first round, 32nd overall, in the 2005 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Despite playing his entire collegiate career as a tackle, Mankins was moved to left guard by the Patriots, where he immediately stepped into the starting...
became a restricted free agent
Restricted free agent
A restricted free agent is a professional athlete who plays in the KHL, NFL, NHL, or NBA. Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain or change employment status with their athletic club teams.- NFL :...
under the terms of the NFL-NFLPA collective bargaining agreement, which entered its final, uncapped year; Mankins otherwise would have been an unrestricted free agent in a normal season. The Patriots tendered at the highest possible level for a restricted free agent, $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
3.26 million, which have required any team signing Mankins in the restricted free agent signing period, which ended on April 15, 2010, to surrender first- and third-round draft selections to the Patriots. On June 15, with Mankins yet to sign his tender, the Patriots were able to lower Mankins' tender amount to 110% of his prior year salary, or $1.54 million. The Patriots did so, and Mankins, who was looking for a long-term contract, reacted by publicly asking for a trade. He did not attend the Patriots' mandatory June minicamp, which he was not required to attend as he was not under contract at the time. Mankins remained unsigned through the team's training camp, preseason, and the start of the regular season. Mankins reported to the Patriots and signed his tender on November 2, in advance of the team's Week 9 game against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He did not have to report until Week 12 in order to be on the roster for the necessary six games to earn his sixth accrued season of free agency credit. The NFL granted the Patriots a two-game roster exemption for Mankins upon his reporting. However, the Patriots activated Mankins on November 6, before using either game of the exemption.
On August 23, the Patriots acquired offensive lineman Quinn Ojinnaka
Quinn Ojinnaka
Quinn Ojinnaka is an American football offensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse....
from the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in exchange for a seventh-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
.
On September 4, the day the team was required to cut down to 53 players, they acquired linebacker Tracy White
Tracy White
Tracy Donnel White is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2003...
and a 2012
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL Draft will be the 77th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players.-Trades:...
seventh-round selection from the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
for a 2012 sixth-round selection, as well as safety Jarrad Page
Jarrad Page
Jarrad Matthew Page is an American football safety for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
from the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
for an unannounced draft selection.
Nearly a week after a trade sent wide receiver Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
out of New England, the Patriots traded a 2011 fourth-round selection to the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
for receiver Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
. Branch played for the Patriots from 2002
2002 New England Patriots season
The 2002 New England Patriots season was the 33rd season for the team in the National Football League and 43rd season overall. They finished with a 9–7 record, good enough for second in the division but not a playoff berth....
–2005
2005 New England Patriots season
The 2005 New England Patriots season was the 36th season for the team in the National Football League and 46th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and the division title before losing in the playoffs to the Denver Broncos....
and was the MVP of the team's Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
win.
2010 NFL Draft
The Patriots traded their original fifth-round pick (#153 overall) to the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in April 2009 in exchange for tight end Alex Smith
Alex Smith (tight end)
Edwin Alexander "Alex" Smith , is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
. In August 2009, the Patriots traded their original third- and fourth-round selections (#85 and No. 119 overall) to the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in exchange for defensive end Derrick Burgess
Derrick Burgess
Derrick Lee Burgess is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi....
. The trade was made on the condition that, because the Patriots had already traded their fifth-round selection, the fourth-round selection sent to Oakland would become a fifth-round selection once the Patriots re-acquired one. Later that month, the Patriots traded defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith
Le Kevin Smith
Le Kevin Smith is an American football defensive lineman of the National Football League, who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
to the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
along with a seventh-round pick (#231) they acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
to the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in exchange for the Broncos' fifth-round pick (#158 overall), which was sent to Oakland for the Patriots' original fourth-round pick (#119 overall). The Patriots then re-acquired the seventh-round pick that had been sent to Denver in the Le Kevin Smith trade in exchange for offensive lineman Russ Hochstein
Russ Hochstein
Russ Hochstein is an American football guard for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
.
The Patriots traded a conditional seventh-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
for linebacker Prescott Burgess
Prescott Burgess
Prescott Ennis Burgess is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He has had three stints with the team. He played college football at Michigan.Burgess has also played for the...
in September 2009. He was waived by the Patriots six days later. Since the trade was conditioned on Burgess being active for a certain number of games, and since Burgess was inactive in the only game for which he was with the Patriots, the Patriots kept the pick.
| Round | Overall | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Devin McCourty Devin McCourty -2010 season:McCourty was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a five-year contract on July 28, 2010. Following a preseason injury to veteran Leigh Bodden, McCourty began his rookie season as a starter at cornerback... |
Cornerback Cornerback A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position... |
Rutgers Rutgers Scarlet Knights football The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play... |
| 2 | 42 | Rob Gronkowski Rob Gronkowski Rob Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft... |
Tight end Tight end The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be... |
Arizona Arizona Wildcats football The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:... |
| 2 | 53 | Jermaine Cunningham Jermaine Cunningham -New England Patriots:Cunningham was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract on July 24, 2010. Cunningham made his first career start in the third game of his rookie season, surpassing former starter Tully Banta-Cain, and... |
Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
Florida Florida Gators football The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference... |
| 2 | 62 | Brandon Spikes Brandon Spikes -2010 season:Spikes was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract on July 26, 2010. Spikes quickly became a starter at inside linebacker in the Patriots 3–4 defense, alongside Jerod Mayo. Against Baltimore in Week 6 of his rookie... |
Linebacker | Florida |
| 3 | 90 | Taylor Price Taylor Price -New England Patriots:Price was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. On May 25, 2010, he signed a four-year deal with the Patriots. Price was inactive for the first 15 games of his rookie regular season before making his NFL debut in the Week 17 finale... |
Wide receiver Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... |
Ohio Ohio Bobcats football The Ohio Bobcats football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports program of Ohio University. The team represents the university as a member of the Mid-American Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, playing at the Division 1 Bowl Subdivision level... |
| 4 | 113 | Aaron Hernandez Aaron Hernandez -New England Patriots:Hernandez was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Shortly after he was drafted, The Boston Globe reported Hernandez had admitted to marijuana use and had failed multiple drug tests while in college, causing his draft stock to drop... |
Tight end | Florida |
| 5 | 150 | Zoltan Mesko Zoltan Mesko (American football) Zoltán Meskó is a Romanian-born American football punter for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan. A native of Romania , he emigrated with his family to the United... |
Punter | Michigan Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history... |
| 6 | 205 | Ted Larsen Ted Larsen -New England Patriots:Larsen was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. On May 18, he signed a four-year contract with the Patriots. He was waived by the team during final cuts on September 4, 2010.... |
Center Center (American football) Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense... |
NC State |
| 7 | 208 | Thomas Welch Thomas Welch (American football) -First stint with Patriots:Welch was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract on June 4. He was waived during final cuts on September 4, 2010.... |
Offensive tackle | Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Commodores football The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference... |
| 7 | 247 | Brandon Deaderick Brandon Deaderick Brandon Augustus Deaderick is an American football defensive end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Alabama.-Early years:Deaderick attended Elizabethtown High School... |
Defensive end Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
Alabama Alabama Crimson Tide football |TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team... |
| 7 | 248 | Kade Weston Kade Weston Kade Weston is an American football defensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft... |
Defensive tackle | Georgia Georgia Bulldogs football The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54... |
| 7 | 250 | Zac Robinson Zac Robinson -New England Patriots:Robinson was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract on July 21, 2010... |
Quarterback Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... |
Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Cowboys football The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program represents Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in college football. The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference and completes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Cowboys are led by Mike Gundy, who is in his seventh year as... |
| compensatory selection |
| Round | Overall | Team | Received |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | to Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
Received Denver's first-round pick and fourth-round pick (24 and 113 overall) |
| 1 | 24 | to Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
Received Dallas' first-round pick and third-round pick (27 and 90 overall) |
| 4 | 119 | ||
| 2 | 44 | to Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
Received Oakland's second-round pick (42 overall) |
| 6 | 190 | ||
| 2 | 47 | to Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
Received Arizona's second-round pick and third-round pick (58 and 89 overall) |
| 2 | 58 | to Houston Texans Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
Received Houston's second-round pick and fifth-round pick (62 and 150 overall) |
| 3 | 89 | to Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion... |
Received Carolina's 2011 second-round pick |
| 7 | 229 | to Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
Received Washington's seventh-round pick (208 overall) |
| 7 | 231 | ||
Staff
| New England Patriots 2010 staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
|
|||||
Opening training camp roster
As of the Patriots' first training camp practice at Gillette StadiumGillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
on July 29, they had one fewer than the NFL maximum of 79 players signed to their roster. Restricted free agent Logan Mankins
Logan Mankins
-2005–06 seasons:Mankins was drafted with the final pick of the first round, 32nd overall, in the 2005 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Despite playing his entire collegiate career as a tackle, Mankins was moved to left guard by the Patriots, where he immediately stepped into the starting...
did not count against that limit, as he had yet to sign his tender. Derrick Burgess
Derrick Burgess
Derrick Lee Burgess is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi....
was placed on the Reserve/Did Not Report list and did not count against the limit.
| New England Patriots 2010 opening training camp roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
George Bussey George Bussey is an American football offensive lineman who is currently a member of the Tampa Bay Storm. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft... T/G Dan Connolly (American football) Daniel Paul Connolly is an American football center for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Southeast Missouri State.-Early years:Connolly was born in St. Louis,... G/C Nick Kaczur Nicholas Jesse Kaczur is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft... T/G Dan Koppen Daniel Koppen is an American football center for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft... C Ted Larsen -New England Patriots:Larsen was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. On May 18, he signed a four-year contract with the Patriots. He was waived by the team during final cuts on September 4, 2010.... C/G R Mark LeVoir Mark Jacob LeVoir is an American football offensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2006... T Matt Light Matthew Charles Light is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.-Early years:Light was born in Greenville, Ohio... T Stephen Neal Stephen Matthew Neal is a former American football guard who played his entire career for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He is a former national champion amateur and collegiate wrestler at Cal State-Bakersfield... G Rich Ohrnberger Richard Paul Ohrnberger is an American football offensive guard for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft... G/C Sebastian Vollmer Sebastian Georg Vollmer is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston.-Early years:Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, Vollmer did not... T Thomas Welch (American football) -First stint with Patriots:Welch was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract on June 4. He was waived during final cuts on September 4, 2010.... T R Ryan Wendell Ryan Wendell is an American football center for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Fresno State.-Early years:... C/G Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Tully Banta-Cain Tully Banta-Cain is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at California.Banta-Cain earned two Super Bowl rings during his first stint with the Patriots... OLB/DE Jermaine Cunningham -New England Patriots:Cunningham was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract on July 24, 2010. Cunningham made his first career start in the third game of his rookie season, surpassing former starter Tully Banta-Cain, and... OLB/DE R Dane Fletcher Dane Fletcher is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Montana State.... ILB UR Gary Guyton -2008 season:On April 28, 2008, Guyton signed as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots. The previous day rumors circulated that Guyton had agreed to terms with the San Francisco 49ers, however confusion arose when 49ers General Manager Scot McCloughan said he would divulge names of... ILB Tyrone McKenzie -New England Patriots:McKenzie was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On May 2, 2009, during rookie minicamp, McKenzie tore the ACL in his right knee after getting tangled up with a running back. He was signed to a four-year contract on August 25 and... ILB Jerod Mayo -2008 season:Mayo was drafted by the New England Patriots with the tenth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. He was signed on July 24, 2008, to a five-year contract worth $18.9 million, including $13.8 million in bonuses and guarantees... ILB Marques Murrell Marques Murrell is an American football linebacker for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Appalachian State.Murrell has also played for the New York Jets and New England... OLB Rob Ninkovich Robert Michael Ninkovich is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.Ninkovich has also played for the Miami Dolphins.-Early... OLB/DE Brandon Spikes -2010 season:Spikes was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract on July 26, 2010. Spikes quickly became a starter at inside linebacker in the Patriots 3–4 defense, alongside Jerod Mayo. Against Baltimore in Week 6 of his rookie... ILB R Thomas Williams (American football) Thomas Washington Williams is an American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft... ILB/FB Pierre Woods -New England Patriots:Woods was signed by the New England Patriots after going undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, Woods saw action in eight games and finished fourth on the team with 11 special teams tackles In 2007 he played in all 16 regular-season games for the first time in... OLB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
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Reserve Lists
Sam Aiken Samuel Aiken is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft... WR (Active/NF-Inj.)  Ron Brace -2009 season:Brace was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On July 17, 2009, he was signed to a 4-year contract with approximately $2.82 million in guaranteed money.... DE/NT (Active/NF-Inj.) Derrick Burgess Derrick Lee Burgess is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi.... OLB/DE (Did Not Report) Darnell Jenkins Darnell Jenkins is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2008... WR (Active/NF-Inj.) Wes Welker -San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:... WR (Active/PUP) Restricted FAs
Notations
|
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Preseason
| Week | Kickoff | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | TV | NFL.com Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:30 pm EDT North American Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... |
August 12, 2010 | New Orleans Saints 2010 New Orleans Saints season The 2010 New Orleans Saints season was the 44th season for the franchise in the National Football League and city of New Orleans, Louisiana, and was the 35th to host home games in the Louisiana Superdome. The Saints entered their season for the first time as defending Super Bowl and National... |
W 27–24 | 1–0 | Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution... |
WBZ WBZ-TV WBZ-TV, virtual channel 4, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station, located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WBZ-TV's studios and office facilities, shared with sister station WSBK-TV , are located in the Allston-Brighton section of Boston, and its transmitter is located in Needham,... |
Recap |
| 2 | 8:00 pm EDT | August 19, 2010 | Atlanta Falcons 2010 Atlanta Falcons season The 2010 Atlanta Falcons season was the 45th season for the team in the National Football League. In 2009, the team posted consecutive winning seasons for the first time in franchise history, with a 9–7 record, but did not make the playoffs... |
W 28–10 | 2–0 | Georgia Dome Georgia Dome The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the... |
Fox NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
Recap |
| 3 | 7:30 pm EDT | August 26, 2010 | St. Louis Rams 2010 St. Louis Rams season -Schedule:-Week 1: vs. Arizona Cardinals:The St. Louis Rams began their season at home for an NFC West match against the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams trailed in the 2nd quarter with Cardinals kicker Jay Feely nailing a 22-yard field goal, which was replied when Rams kicker Josh Brown made a 46-yard... |
L 35–36 | 2–1 | Gillette Stadium | WBZ | Recap |
| 4 | 7:00 pm EDT | September 2, 2010 | New York Giants 2010 New York Giants season The 2010 New York Giants season was the 86th season for the team in the National Football League and the team's inaugural season in New Meadowlands Stadium. The Giants improved on their 8–8 2009 record by finishing 10–6 and second place in the NFC East... |
L 17–20 | 2–2 | New Meadowlands Stadium New Meadowlands Stadium MetLife Stadium is a stadium in the New York City Metropolitan Area, part of the MetLife Sports Complex, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League and is adjacent to the site of the former Giants Stadium, which was home... |
WBZ | Recap |
Regular season
| Week | Kickoff | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | TV | NFL.com Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:00 pm EDT North American Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... |
September 12, 2010 | Cincinnati Bengals 2010 Cincinnati Bengals season The 2010 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League , and their 43rd overall. The Bengals looked to improve on their 10–6 record in 2009, during which they swept the AFC North for the first time in team history and made the playoffs as division... |
W 38–24 | 1–0 | Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution... |
CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
Recap |
| 2 | 4:15 pm EDT | September 19, 2010 | New York Jets 2010 New York Jets season The 2010 New York Jets season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, the 51st season overall and the team's first season at New Meadowlands Stadium. The team improved on their 9–7 record from 2009 and reached the playoffs again. The Jets played their first pre-season game... |
L 14–28 | 1–1 | New Meadowlands Stadium New Meadowlands Stadium MetLife Stadium is a stadium in the New York City Metropolitan Area, part of the MetLife Sports Complex, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League and is adjacent to the site of the former Giants Stadium, which was home... |
CBS | Recap |
| 3 | 1:00 pm EDT | September 26, 2010 | Buffalo Bills 2010 Buffalo Bills season The 2010 Buffalo Bills season was the team's 41st season in the National Football League, and their 51st overall. It was Buffalo's first season with Buddy Nix in the role of general manager and head coach Chan Gailey.... |
W 38–30 | 2–1 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 4 | 8:30 pm EDT | October 4, 2010 | Miami Dolphins 2010 Miami Dolphins season The 2010 Miami Dolphins season was the organization's 41st season in the National Football League and 45th overall. The Dolphins are entering the 2010 season coming off a third place finish in the AFC East 7–9-Staff Changes:... |
W 41–14 | 3–1 | Sun Life Stadium | ESPN Monday Night Football Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series... |
Recap |
| 5 | Bye Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing... |
|||||||
| 6 | 1:00 pm EDT | October 17, 2010 | Baltimore Ravens 2010 Baltimore Ravens season The 2010 Baltimore Ravens season was the 15th for the team in the National Football League and city of Baltimore, Maryland, and the 13th to host home games at M&T Bank Stadium. They played in the NFL's American Football Conference North Division... |
W 23–20 (OT) | 4–1 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 7 | 4:15 pm EDT | October 24, 2010 | San Diego Chargers 2010 San Diego Chargers season The 2010 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, and their 51st overall. After a 13–3 record dissolved into a disappointing loss to the New York Jets in the divisional round of the 2009-10 NFL Playoffs, the Chargers had high hopes of winning their... |
W 23–20 | 5–1 | Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area.... |
CBS | Recap |
| 8 | 4:15 pm EDT | October 31, 2010 | Minnesota Vikings 2010 Minnesota Vikings season The 2010 Minnesota Vikings season was the franchise's 50th season in the National Football League, and the fifth under head coach Brad Childress until November 22, when he was fired and Leslie Frazier was named interim head coach... |
W 28–18 | 6–1 | Gillette Stadium | Fox NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
Recap |
| 9 | 1:00 pm EST | November 7, 2010 | Cleveland Browns 2010 Cleveland Browns season The 2010 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 64th season as a professional sports franchise and its 60th season as a member of the National Football League . The team failed to break the longest playoff appearance drought in franchise history, a current streak of eight seasons without reaching... |
L 14–34 | 6–2 | Cleveland Browns Stadium Cleveland Browns Stadium -See also:* List of current National Football League stadiums* Chronology of home stadiums for current National Football League teams* List of American football stadiums by capacity* List of U.S. stadiums by capacity* List of North American stadiums by capacity... |
CBS | Recap |
| 10 | 8:20 pm EST | November 14, 2010 | Pittsburgh Steelers 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 78th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League and the eleventh season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert and the fourth under head coach Mike Tomlin... |
W 39–26 | 7–2 | Heinz Field Heinz Field Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively... |
NBC NBC Sunday Night Football NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color... |
Recap |
| 11 | 4:15 pm EST | November 21, 2010 | Indianapolis Colts 2010 Indianapolis Colts season The 2010 Indianapolis Colts season was the 58th season for the team in the National Football League, the 27th in Indianapolis, and the second under head coach Jim Caldwell... |
W 31–28 | 8–2 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 12 | 12:30 pm EST | November 25, 2010 Thanksgiving Classic The National Football League's Thanksgiving Classic is a series of games played during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. It has been a regular occurrence since the league's inception in 1920. Since 2006, three games are played every Thanksgiving... |
Detroit Lions 2010 Detroit Lions season The 2010 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 81st season in the NFL. It was Jim Schwartz's second season as head coach. The Lions spent most of the season at the bottom of their division, but with more division wins than the Vikings , the Lions ended up at 3rd place on the final day of the... |
W 45–24 | 9–2 | Ford Field Ford Field Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for... |
CBS | Recap |
| 13 | 8:30 pm EST | December 6, 2010 | New York Jets | W 45–3 | 10–2 | Gillette Stadium | ESPN | Recap |
| 14 | 4:15 pm EST | December 12, 2010 | Chicago Bears 2010 Chicago Bears season The 2010 Chicago Bears season was the franchise's 91st season overall in the National Football League. Coming off a disappointing 7–9 record in the 2009 season and failing to qualify for the NFL playoffs for a third consecutive season, the Bears sought to develop their roster and improve on... |
W 36–7 | 11–2 | Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears... |
CBS | Recap |
| 15 | 8:20 pm EST | December 19, 2010 | Green Bay Packers 2010 Green Bay Packers season The 2010 Green Bay Packers season was the 90th season in the National Football League for the Packers and the 92nd season for the team overall. With a record of 10–6, the Packers entered the playoffs as the NFC's sixth seed... |
W 31–27 | 12–2 | Gillette Stadium | NBC | Recap |
| 16 | 1:00 pm EST | December 26, 2010 | Buffalo Bills | W 34–3 | 13–2 | Ralph Wilson Stadium Ralph Wilson Stadium Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL... |
CBS | Recap |
| 17 | 1:00 pm EST | January 2, 2011 | Miami Dolphins | W 38–7 | 14–2 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
- Simulcast on WCVB-TVWCVB-TVWCVB-TV, channel 5, is a television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Hearst Television and affiliated with the ABC Television Network. WCVB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located in Needham, Massachusetts. WCVB is also one of six Boston television stations seen in Canada by...
and WMUR-TVWMUR-TVWMUR-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the state of New Hampshire that is licensed to Manchester. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 9 from a transmitter on the south peak of Mount Uncanoonuc in Goffstown. Owned by Hearst Television, the station has studios...
.
Week 1 roster
| New England Patriots 2010 Week 1 roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Dan Connolly (American football) Daniel Paul Connolly is an American football center for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Southeast Missouri State.-Early years:Connolly was born in St. Louis,... G/C Nick Kaczur Nicholas Jesse Kaczur is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft... T/G Dan Koppen Daniel Koppen is an American football center for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft... C Mark LeVoir Mark Jacob LeVoir is an American football offensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2006... T Matt Light Matthew Charles Light is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.-Early years:Light was born in Greenville, Ohio... T Steve Maneri Steve Maneri is an American football offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2010... T UR Stephen Neal Stephen Matthew Neal is a former American football guard who played his entire career for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He is a former national champion amateur and collegiate wrestler at Cal State-Bakersfield... G Sebastian Vollmer Sebastian Georg Vollmer is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston.-Early years:Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, Vollmer did not... T Ryan Wendell Ryan Wendell is an American football center for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Fresno State.-Early years:... C/G Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Tully Banta-Cain Tully Banta-Cain is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at California.Banta-Cain earned two Super Bowl rings during his first stint with the Patriots... OLB/DE Jermaine Cunningham -New England Patriots:Cunningham was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract on July 24, 2010. Cunningham made his first career start in the third game of his rookie season, surpassing former starter Tully Banta-Cain, and... OLB/DE R Dane Fletcher Dane Fletcher is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Montana State.... ILB UR Gary Guyton -2008 season:On April 28, 2008, Guyton signed as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots. The previous day rumors circulated that Guyton had agreed to terms with the San Francisco 49ers, however confusion arose when 49ers General Manager Scot McCloughan said he would divulge names of... ILB Jerod Mayo -2008 season:Mayo was drafted by the New England Patriots with the tenth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. He was signed on July 24, 2008, to a five-year contract worth $18.9 million, including $13.8 million in bonuses and guarantees... ILB Marques Murrell Marques Murrell is an American football linebacker for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Appalachian State.Murrell has also played for the New York Jets and New England... OLB Rob Ninkovich Robert Michael Ninkovich is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.Ninkovich has also played for the Miami Dolphins.-Early... OLB Brandon Spikes -2010 season:Spikes was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract on July 26, 2010. Spikes quickly became a starter at inside linebacker in the Patriots 3–4 defense, alongside Jerod Mayo. Against Baltimore in Week 6 of his rookie... ILB R Tracy White Tracy Donnel White is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2003... ILB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
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Reserve Lists
Josh Barrett Joshua Robert Barrett is an American football safety for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State.-Early years:Barrett was born in Reno, Nevada... SS (IR) Leigh Bodden Leigh Edmond Bodden is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Duquesne.... CB (IR) George Bussey George Bussey is an American football offensive lineman who is currently a member of the Tampa Bay Storm. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft... T/G (IR) Bret Lockett Bret Emanuel Lockett is an American football safety for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2009... FS (IR) Brandon McGowan Brandon McGowan is an American football safety of the National Football League who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2005... FS (IR) Quinn Ojinnaka Quinn Ojinnaka is an American football offensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse.... T/G (Susp.) Darryl Richard Darryl Richard II is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft... DE (IR) Ty Warren Ty'ron "Ty" Markeith Warren is an American football defensive tackle for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft... DE (IR) Kade Weston Kade Weston is an American football defensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft... DE (IR) R Restricted FAs
Practice Squad
Notations
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Week 1: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The Patriots began their season at home with an AFC duel against the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. In the first quarter the Patriots had the early lead when quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
got a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
, followed by kicker Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
hitting a 32 yard field goal. In the second quarter the Patriots' lead increased when Brady completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
, followed by linebacker Gary Guyton
Gary Guyton
-2008 season:On April 28, 2008, Guyton signed as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots. The previous day rumors circulated that Guyton had agreed to terms with the San Francisco 49ers, however confusion arose when 49ers General Manager Scot McCloughan said he would divulge names of...
returning an interception 59 yards for a touchdown. The Bengals then made their first score of the half when kicker Mike Nugent
Mike Nugent
Mike Nugent is an American football placekicker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
nailed a 54 yard field goal. In the third quarter the Patriots increased their lead again when wide receiver Brandon Tate
Brandon Tate
-2009 season:Tate was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On July 16, he was signed to a four-year contract with a $755,000 signing bonus. He began the 2009 season on the non-football injury list, still recovering from his knee injury from the prior season. He was...
returned a kickoff and ran 97 yards for a touchdown. The Bengals responded with quarterback Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jermaine Gresham
Jermaine Gresham
Jermaine Gresham is an American football tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was drafted by the Bengals with the 21st pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, despite the fact that he had missed all of the previous season with a knee injury....
, followed by Palmer completing a 28-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. In the fourth quarter the Patriots scored again with Brady throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
. The Bengals replied with running back Cedric Benson
Cedric Benson
Cedric Myron Benson is an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears fourth overall in the 2005 NFL Draft...
rushing for a 1-yard touchdown, but couldn't score any further, giving the Patriots a win.
With the win the Patriots began the season at 1–0.
Week 2: at New York Jets
New England went on the road to face division rival New York in the latest meeting between the two teams at the New Meadowlands StadiumNew Meadowlands Stadium
MetLife Stadium is a stadium in the New York City Metropolitan Area, part of the MetLife Sports Complex, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League and is adjacent to the site of the former Giants Stadium, which was home...
. The Jets had lost their opener to the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
the previous week and started slow, accruing no passing yards during the first quarter, as the Patriots went down the field in two long drives taking up most of the time in the first half. In the second quarter, the Patriots took the early lead as quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
, but the Jets replied with quarterback Mark Sanchez
Mark Sanchez
Mark Travis John Sanchez is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League . He was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft as the fifth overall selection by the Jets and the second quarterback taken overall...
completing a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Braylon Edwards
Braylon Edwards
-Cleveland Browns:-2005:Edwards began his rookie season as Cleveland's third wide receiver – he would have started higher, but a hold-out caused him to miss the beginning of training camp. Early in the season Edwards revealed that he had a staph infection, and missed a few weeks as a result of it....
. The Patriots scored again with Brady finding wide receiver Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
on a 34-yard touchdown pass. The Pats lead slowly narrowed when kicker Nick Folk
Nick Folk
Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Folk is an American football kicker who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
nailed a 49-yard field goal, followed by him making a 36-yard field goal in the third quarter. The Patriots fell behind when Sanchez completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery
Jerricho Cotchery
Cotchery was selected by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL draft.-New York Jets:In 2004, Cotchery caught 6 passes for 60 yards in 12 games as the team's 5th receiver...
(with a successful 2-point conversion), followed in the fourth quarter by Sanchez making a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dustin Keller
Dustin Keller
-New York Jets:Keller was drafted by the New York Jets 30th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. Keller was slowly phased into the offense and eventually finished with productive numbers in part of the presence of the veteran Brett Favre. Keller finished a strong rookie season with 48 receptions, 535...
. The Patriots committed 3 turnovers in the game, allowing the Jets to score 18 unanswered points in the second half.
With the loss, the Patriots fell to 1–1.
Week 3: vs. Buffalo Bills
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Jets, the Patriots returned to home ground for an AFC East match against the Bills. In the first quarter New England trailed early when Bills kicker Rian LindellRian Lindell
Rian Lindell is an American football placekicker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2000...
nailed a 39-yard field goal. The Patriots took the lead when quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
. The Bills replied in the second quarter with Lindell making another 39-yard field goal, which was followed by quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to running back C. J. Spiller
C. J. Spiller
Clifford "C.J." Spiller Jr. is an American Football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was an All-American at Clemson University and was drafted 9th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft...
. The Patriots responded and took a narrow lead when running back Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Chadron State....
made a 22-yard touchdown run. Then they fell behind when Lindell hit a 34-yard field goal. The Patriots got the lead back after kicker Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
booted a 43-yard field goal. The Patriots rallied in the third quarter when Brady found Moss again on a 35-yard touchdown pass, but Buffalo scored quickly when Spiller returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. The Patriots increased their lead when Brady completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
, followed in the fourth quarter by running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After playing college football his freshman and sophomore seasons at Indiana University, Green-Ellis...
going in on a 7-yard touchdown run. The Bills tried to come back into the game when Fitzptrick made a 37-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Steve Johnson
Steve Johnson (American football)
-Buffalo Bills:Johnson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft.His first reception came in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, and went for 8 yards. In Week 15, against the New York Jets, Johnson caught his first touchdown reception, a two-yard pass from J. P....
, but the Patriots defense prevented anything else from happening, giving New England the win.
With the win, the Patriots improved to 2–1.
Week 4: at Miami Dolphins
Coming off their divisional home win over the Bills, the Patriots flew to Sun Life Stadium for a Week 4 AFC East duel with the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on Monday night. New England trailed in the first quarter after Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan...
completed a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Davone Bess
Davone Bess
Davone Atrayo Bess is an American football wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
. The Patriots would cut away at their deficit in the second quarter with kicker Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
making 23-yard and 30-yard field goals.
New England took the lead in the third quarter when wide receiver Brandon Tate
Brandon Tate
-2009 season:Tate was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On July 16, he was signed to a four-year contract with a $755,000 signing bonus. He began the 2009 season on the non-football injury list, still recovering from his knee injury from the prior season. He was...
returned the second half's opening kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown, followed by a 12-yard touchdown run by running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After playing college football his freshman and sophomore seasons at Indiana University, Green-Ellis...
. Miami tried to catch up as Henne connected with running back Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams
Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
on a 28-yard touchdown pass, but the Patriots came right back when quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to running back Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Chadron State....
. New England would add onto their lead in the fourth quarter as cornerback Kyle Arrington
Kyle Arrington
Kyle Chandler Arrington is an American football cornerback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Hofstra. Arrington also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-Early...
returned a blocked field goal 35 yards for a touchdown, followed by safety Patrick Chung
Patrick Chung
-New England Patriots:Chung was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He signed with the Patriots on July 27, 2009. In Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans on October 18, Chung was credited with his first career interception...
returning an interception 51 yards for a touchdown.
With the win, not only did the Patriots head into their bye week at 3–1, but Brady picked up his 100th win in the fewest career starts (131) in NFL history.
New England became the first team in NFL history to have a rushing, passing, interception return, kickoff return, and blocked field goal return for a touchdown in the same game.
Week 6: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Coming off their bye week the Patriots played on home ground for an AFC duel with the Ravens. In the first quarter the Patriots trailed early as kicker Billy CundiffBilly Cundiff
William A. "Billy" Cundiff is an American football placekicker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
hit a 26-yard field goal, but took the lead when running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After playing college football his freshman and sophomore seasons at Indiana University, Green-Ellis...
had a 2-yard touchdown run. The Ravens got the lead back when quarterback Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Todd Heap
Todd Heap
Todd Benjamin Heap is an American football tight end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State-Early years:At Mountain View High School, in Mesa, Arizona,...
, followed in the third quarter by Flacco finding wide receiver Anquan Boldin
Anquan Boldin
-Arizona Cardinals:As a rookie Boldin set an NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie in his first game , tied Billy Sims for most yards from scrimmage by a rookie in his first game , and holds the NFL record for most receptions in the first 26 games of an NFL career...
on a 25-yard touchdown pass. The Patriots replied with kicker Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
hitting a 38-yard field goal, but the Ravens responded with Cundiff making a 25-yard field goal. The Patriots then rallied with quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
. This was followed by Gostkowski making a 24-yard field goal. The Patriots got the ball back and took it to Baltimore's 44 yard line but, instead of trying a 61-yard field goal, Tom Brady tried an Hail Mary which was intercepted by Ken Hamlin
Ken Hamlin
Ken Hamlin an American football safety, who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arkansas....
with no time left on the clock. Then, a 35-yard field goal in overtime gave the Patriots a win.
Following the game safety Brandon Meriweather
Brandon Meriweather
Brandon Meriweather is an American football safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 24th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:Meriweather's mother gave birth to him when...
was heavily fined by the league for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Todd Heap
Todd Heap
Todd Benjamin Heap is an American football tight end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State-Early years:At Mountain View High School, in Mesa, Arizona,...
.
With the win, New England improved to 4–1.
Week 7: at San Diego Chargers
Hoping to extend their winning streak the Patriots flew to Qualcomm StadiumQualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
for an AFC duel with the Chargers. In the first quarter the Patriots trailed early as Chargers kicker Kris Brown
Kris Brown
Kristopher "Kris" Clayton Brown is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent.He was originally drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the first six years of his NFL career, he has converted 132 of 173 field goals and scored 573 points...
made a 32-yard field goal, but they rallied to when quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
; followed in the second quarter by kicker Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
making a 40 and a 35-yard field goal. In the third quarter running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After playing college football his freshman and sophomore seasons at Indiana University, Green-Ellis...
had a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Patriots up 20–3. In the fourth quarter the Chargers replied with Brown hitting a 28-yard field goal, but the Patriots continued to score with a 35-yard field goal from Gostkowski. The Patriots' lead was narrowed with Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Antonio Gates
Antonio Gates
Antonio Gates is an American football tight end for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003 after playing college basketball at Kent State University...
, and with fullback Mike Tolbert
Mike Tolbert
Mike Tolbert is an American football Running Back for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
running for a 1-yard touchdown, but a missed field Kris Brown 50-yard field goal that bounced off the right post late in the fourth quarter sealed a victory for the Patriots.
With the win, the Patriots improved to 5–1.
Week 8: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Hoping to extend their winning streak, the Patriots played on home ground for a game with the Vikings, who came to Foxboro with former Patriot Randy MossRandy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
. In the second quarter, the Patriots trailed early as Vikings running back Adrian Peterson ran for a 1-yard touchdown run, but the Patriots later responded when running back Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Chadron State....
scored on a 3-yard touchdown run. The Vikings attempted to punch in a touchdown from the Patriots' 1-yard line on fourth down late in the first half but were stopped. Minnesota re-took the lead midway through the third quarter, with a 24-yard field goal from kicker Ryan Longwell
Ryan Longwell
Ryan Walker Longwell is an American football placekicker for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League. After playing college football for the California Golden Bears, he started his professional football career with the San Francisco 49ers, but never played a game for the franchise...
, but the Patriots grabbed the lead when quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Tate
Brandon Tate
-2009 season:Tate was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On July 16, he was signed to a four-year contract with a $755,000 signing bonus. He began the 2009 season on the non-football injury list, still recovering from his knee injury from the prior season. He was...
, followed by a 13-yard touchdown run from BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After playing college football his freshman and sophomore seasons at Indiana University, Green-Ellis...
. In the fourth quarter Vikings quarterback Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
was injured after a hit by Myron Pryor
Myron Pryor
Myron Pryor is an American football nose tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kentucky....
, but backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson
Tarvaris Jackson
Tarvaris DeAndre Jackson is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
subsequently threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to fullback Naufahu Tahi
Naufahu Tahi
Naufahu Anitoni Tahi is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at BYU...
(with a two-point conversion). However, the Patriots responded with a 2-yard touchdown run from Green-Ellis, sealing the victory for the Patriots.
With the win, the Patriots improved to 6–1.
Week 9: at Cleveland Browns
Hoping to increase their winning streak the Patriots flew to Cleveland Browns StadiumCleveland Browns Stadium
-See also:* List of current National Football League stadiums* Chronology of home stadiums for current National Football League teams* List of American football stadiums by capacity* List of U.S. stadiums by capacity* List of North American stadiums by capacity...
for an AFC duel with the Browns. In the first quarter the Patriots trailed early as kicker Phil Dawson
Phil Dawson
Philip Drury Dawson is an American football placekicker for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He holds the franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010...
nailed a 38-yard field goal, followed by a 2-yard Peyton Hillis
Peyton Hillis
Hillis was selected by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft.-2008 Season:At the start of the 2008 season, Hillis was listed as the Broncos' starting fullback...
touchdown run. The Patriots responded in the second quarter with quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
completing a 2-yard pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez
Aaron Hernandez
-New England Patriots:Hernandez was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Shortly after he was drafted, The Boston Globe reported Hernandez had admitted to marijuana use and had failed multiple drug tests while in college, causing his draft stock to drop...
, but they fell further behind when Chansi Stuckey
Chansi Stuckey
Chansi V. Stuckey is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
took an end-around for an 11-yard touchdown run. This was followed in the third quarter by Browns quarterback Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy
Daniel "Colt" McCoy is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Browns in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
scrambling 16 yards to the end zone for a touchdown. Dawson then made a 37-yard field goal to put the Browns up 27–7. The Patriots replied when Brady found Hernandez on another 1-yard touchdown pass, but their opportunity for a comeback ended when Hillis added a 35-yard touchdown run.
With the loss, the Patriots fell to 6–2.
Week 10: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Browns, the Patriots flew to Heinz FieldHeinz Field
Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
to face the Steelers. The Patriots took the early lead when quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
. This was followed by kicker Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
hitting a 31-yard field goal. The Steelers responded in the second quarter with kicker Jeff Reed nailing a 22-yard field goal, cutting the lead to 10–3. The Patriots kept scoring in the third quarter when Brady threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski. This was followed by Brady scrambling 3 yards to the end zone for a touchdown; however, Graham missed the extra point wide right for a 23–3 lead. The Steelers scored first in the fourth quarter when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders
Emmanuel Sanders
Emmanuel Sanders is an American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
, but their comeback came to a halt on the next drive as a Roethlisberger pass was intercepted by safety James Sanders and returned 32 yards for a touchdown, with a failed two-point conversion. The Patriots' lead narrowed to 29–18 with Roethlisberger throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace (American football)
-Pittsburgh Steelers:Wallace was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft with the 84th overall selection. Wallace was the 11th wide receiver chosen in the draft. On June 18, 2009, Wallace signed a three year contract with the Steelers worth $1.740 million which...
with a successful two-point conversion, but New England replied with Brady throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski. The Patriots' lead was cut to 36–26 when Roethlisberger completed a 33-yard touchdown pass to Wallace with another successful two-point convert, but the Patriots replied to put the game away after Graham hit a 36-yard field goal.
With the win, New England improve to 7–2.
Week 11: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Coming off their win over the Steelers the Patriots played on home ground against the Colts for the first time in four seasons. In the first quarter the Patriots took the lead when quarterback Tom BradyTom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
. This was followed in the second quarter by Brady throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez
Aaron Hernandez
-New England Patriots:Hernandez was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Shortly after he was drafted, The Boston Globe reported Hernandez had admitted to marijuana use and had failed multiple drug tests while in college, causing his draft stock to drop...
. The Colts narrowed the lead when quarterback Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Gijon Robinson
Gijon Robinson
Gijon Robinson is an American football tight end and fullback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Missouri Western State. He currently resides in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and attended high...
, but the Patriots responded with a 5-yard touchdown run by running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After playing college football his freshman and sophomore seasons at Indiana University, Green-Ellis...
. The lead was narrowed again after Manning found wide receiver Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
on an 11-yard touchdown pass. The Patriots increased their lead in the third quarter with running back Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Chadron State....
running for a 36-yard touchdown, followed in the fourth quarter by kicker Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
nailing a 25-yard field goal. The Colts tried to close the gap after Manning completed a 5- and an 18-yard touchdown passes to wide receiver Blair White
Blair White
Blair White is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Michigan State.-Early years:...
, but his final pass attempt, in Patriots territory with less than a minute remaining was intercepted by Patriots safety James Sanders at the 6-yard line, giving the Patriots the win.
With the win, the Patriots improved to 8–2.
Week 12: at Detroit Lions
Coming off their win over the Colts, the Patriots flew to Ford FieldFord Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
, donned their throwback uniforms, and played a Week 12 Thanksgiving duel with the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. New England delivered the game's opening punch in the first quarter with a 19-yard field goal by kicker Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
, but the Lions answered with quarterback Shaun Hill
Shaun Hill
Shaun Hill is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
completing a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson (American football)
Calvin Johnson, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech....
. Detroit added onto their lead in the second quarter as running back Maurice Morris
Maurice Morris
Maurice Autora Morris is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon.-Early life:Morris attended Chester High School in Chester, South...
got a 1-yard touchdown run, yet the Patriots responded with a 15-yard touchdown run from running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After playing college football his freshman and sophomore seasons at Indiana University, Green-Ellis...
. The Lions closed out the half with kicker Dave Rayner
Dave Rayner
David Michael "Dave" Rayner is an American football placekicker who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
making a 44-yard field goal.
New England tied the game in the third quarter as quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
found wide receiver Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
on a 5-yard touchdown pass, but Detroit came right back with a 1-yard touchdown run from Morris. The Patriots soon struck again as Brady connected with wide receiver Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
on a 79-yard touchdown pass. This was the Patriots' longest play from scrimmage of their 2010 season. New England regained the lead in the fourth quarter as Brady found Branch again on a 22-yard touchdown pass, followed by a 16-yard touchdown pass to Welker. Afterwards, the Patriots pulled away with a 1-yard touchdown run from Green-Ellis to win 45–24. During the extra point and afterwards, the Lions were called for three personal fouls, including one on defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh
Ndamukong Suh
Ndamukong Suh is an American football defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions 2nd overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
. This allowed the Patriots to kick off from the Lions' 40-yard line, and Graham was able to put the ball through the uprights, to a storm of boos from the Ford Field crowd.
With the win, New England improved to 9–2.
Brady (21/27, 341 yards, 4 touchdowns, perfect 158.3 passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
) was named CBS's All-Iron Award winner by Phil Simms
Phil Simms
Phillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number...
. Runners up for the award included Suh, Johnson, Branch, and Morris.
Week 13: vs. New York Jets
Coming off their win over the Lions on Thanksgiving, the Patriots returned home for a highly-anticipated Monday Night Football game with the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In the first quarter, the Patriots took the early lead, with a 41-yard field goal from kicker Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
, followed by a 1-yard touchdown run from running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After playing college football his freshman and sophomore seasons at Indiana University, Green-Ellis...
and a 25-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
to wide receiver Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
. In the second quarter, the Jets got on the board, with a 39-yard field goal from kicker Nick Folk
Nick Folk
Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Folk is an American football kicker who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, in what would be the Jets' only score of the game. Later in the second quarter, the Patriots replied, with Brady throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Tate
Brandon Tate
-2009 season:Tate was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On July 16, he was signed to a four-year contract with a $755,000 signing bonus. He began the 2009 season on the non-football injury list, still recovering from his knee injury from the prior season. He was...
. The Patriots continued their offensive onslaught in the third quarter, with Brady throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
. In the fourth quarter, Brady threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez
Aaron Hernandez
-New England Patriots:Hernandez was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Shortly after he was drafted, The Boston Globe reported Hernandez had admitted to marijuana use and had failed multiple drug tests while in college, causing his draft stock to drop...
, followed by a 5-yard touchdown run from Green-Ellis.
With the win, the Patriots improved to 10–2, and took sole possession of first place in the AFC East
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
.
Tom Brady was 21/29, 326 yards, four touchdowns, and a 148.8 passer rating, extending his streak of 228 passes without an interception (7 consecutive games, setting a franchise record of most starts without an interception). Additionally, Brady won his 26th consecutive home game as a starting quarterback, dating back to 2006, breaking Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
's previous record of 25 games (1995–1998).
Week 14: at Chicago Bears
Coming off their 45–3 win over the Jets, the Patriots flew to Soldier FieldSoldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
for a snowy game with the Bears. The Patriots took the early lead in the first quarter, with quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
throwing a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
. In the second quarter, running back Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Chadron State....
ran for a 3-yard touchdown, followed by linebacker Gary Guyton
Gary Guyton
-2008 season:On April 28, 2008, Guyton signed as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots. The previous day rumors circulated that Guyton had agreed to terms with the San Francisco 49ers, however confusion arose when 49ers General Manager Scot McCloughan said he would divulge names of...
returning a fumble 35 yards for a touchdown. The Patriots extended their lead on field goals of 30 and 25 yards by placekicker Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
, and a 59-yard touchdown pass from Brady to wide receiver Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
(with a missed extra point). The Patriots defense also held the Bears' offense to 33 net yards, two first downs, and zero points in the first half. In the third quarter, Graham added a 29-yard field goal, followed by the Bears getting on the board with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Chester Taylor
Chester Taylor
Chester Lamar Taylor also known as "Che Tay" is an American football running back of the National Football League who is currently on the Arizona Cardinals. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. The points ended up being the last of the game, with both teams held scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Brady extended his streak of pass attempts without an interception to 268 passes, while marking his sixth straight game with at least two touchdowns without an interception, tying Don Meredith
Don Meredith
Joseph Don "Dandy Don" Meredith was an American football quarterback, sports commentator and actor. He spent all nine seasons of his professional playing career with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League . He was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his last three years as a player...
's record set in 1965
1965 NFL season
The 1965 NFL season was the 46th regular season of the National Football League.Because the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Colts ended up tied in the Western Conference standings after the regular season ended, a conference playoff game was held in Green Bay. Although the Packers had defeated the...
–1966
1966 NFL season
The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the season after which was played Super Bowl I, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, thus an odd number of teams...
. The Patriots also became the first team in NFL history to have five consecutive games with zero turnovers and at least 30 points in every game.
With the win, the Patriots not only improved to 11–2, but also became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff berth.
Week 15: vs. Green Bay Packers
Coming off their road win over the Bears, the Patriots returned home for a game with the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. The Patriots trailed early after Green Bay recovered their own opening kick-off onside kick and eventually scored on a 31-yard field goal by Mason Crosby
Mason Crosby
Mason Walker Crosby , is a professional American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League. During his playing days at the University of Colorado, Crosby was widely considered the best kicker in college football, as evidenced by ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s...
. New England grabbed the lead with a 33-yard touchdown run by running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After playing college football his freshman and sophomore seasons at Indiana University, Green-Ellis...
. At the beginning of the second quarter, the Packers re-took the lead after quarterback Matt Flynn
Matt Flynn
Matthew Clayton Flynn is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Packers in the 7th round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at LSU.-Early years:...
, starting in place of an injured Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
, threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver James Jones
James Jones (wide receiver)
James Deandre Jones is an American football wide receiver with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Packers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, and extended the lead to 17–7 following a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Greg Jennings
Greg Jennings
Gregory Jennings, Jr. is a professional American football wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
. After a 71-yard kickoff return by offensive lineman Dan Connolly
Dan Connolly (American football)
Daniel Paul Connolly is an American football center for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Southeast Missouri State.-Early years:Connolly was born in St. Louis,...
, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez
Aaron Hernandez
-New England Patriots:Hernandez was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Shortly after he was drafted, The Boston Globe reported Hernandez had admitted to marijuana use and had failed multiple drug tests while in college, causing his draft stock to drop...
to close the half. In the third quarter, the Patriots re-established the lead (21–17) when cornerback Kyle Arrington
Kyle Arrington
Kyle Chandler Arrington is an American football cornerback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Hofstra. Arrington also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-Early...
returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown. Flynn then threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to fullback John Kuhn
John Kuhn
John Allen Kuhn is an American football fullback, currently playing for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005. John attended Dover Area High School in Dover, Pennsylvania...
, followed in the fourth quarter by a 19-yard field goal by Crosby, giving the Packers a 27–21 lead. The Patriots responded, with a 38-yard field goal by kicker Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
, then took the lead, 31–27, with Brady throwing a 10-yard touchdown pass to Hernandez. The Patriots' defense thwarted the Packers' final drive with a sack by linebacker Dane Fletcher
Dane Fletcher
Dane Fletcher is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Montana State....
causing Green Bay to use its final timeout, and ended the Green Bay drive and the game with a fourth-and-1 sack with seconds left on a Tully Banta-Cain
Tully Banta-Cain
Tully Banta-Cain is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at California.Banta-Cain earned two Super Bowl rings during his first stint with the Patriots...
strip-sack of Flynn.
With the win, the Patriots improved to 12–2. It was Brady's seventh consecutive game with at least two touchdowns without an interception, breaking Don Meredith
Don Meredith
Joseph Don "Dandy Don" Meredith was an American football quarterback, sports commentator and actor. He spent all nine seasons of his professional playing career with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League . He was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his last three years as a player...
's 1965–1966 record of six such games. Brady attempted 24 passes and his streak of consecutive pass attempts without an interception was extended to 292–3rd longest all-time, behind only Bernie Kosar
Bernie Kosar
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American...
's 308 (1990–91), and Bart Starr
Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....
's 294 (1964–65). Brady did break the single season record also held by Kosar.
Week 16: at Buffalo Bills
The Patriots' fifteenth game was an AFC East rivalry rematch against the Bills. In the first quarter the Patriots trailed early after Bills kicker Rian LindellRian Lindell
Rian Lindell is an American football placekicker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2000...
hit a 26-yard field goal, but commanded the rest of the game with Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Chadron State....
running for a 29-yard touchdown, followed by quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
completing an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
, then with kicker Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
nailing a 34-yard field goal. The Patriots added to their lead with Brady completing 4-yard and 8-yard touchdown passes to tight end Alge Crumpler
Alge Crumpler
-Atlanta Falcons:Crumpler was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Crumpler made the first start of his NFL career against the Carolina Panthers on September 23, 2001. He caught his first two passes for a total of 13 yards. His first touchdown was scored against the...
and to Gronkowski respectively. Their lead was expanded when Graham kicked a 26-yard field goal.
With the win, New England improved to 13–2, clinched the AFC East along with the number one seed and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.
Brady had his ninth consecutive game without an interception, and in the process broke Bernie Kosar
Bernie Kosar
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American...
's record of pass attempts without an interception (308, from 1991–1992). It was also his eighth consecutive game with at least two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Week 17: vs. Miami Dolphins
The Patriots' final regular season game was an AFC East rematch against the Dolphins. The Patriots took the lead in the first quarter when quarterback Tom BradyTom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
, followed by BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After playing college football his freshman and sophomore seasons at Indiana University, Green-Ellis...
running for a 1-yard touchdown. They extended their lead on a 28-yard Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
field goal and a 94-yard Julian Edelman
Julian Edelman
Julian Francis Edelman is a wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Kent State as a quarterback.-Early years:Edelman was born in Redwood City, California...
punt return for a touchdown. Brady then threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Alge Crumpler
Alge Crumpler
-Atlanta Falcons:Crumpler was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Crumpler made the first start of his NFL career against the Carolina Panthers on September 23, 2001. He caught his first two passes for a total of 13 yards. His first touchdown was scored against the...
, followed by backup quarterback Brian Hoyer
Brian Hoyer
Brian Hoyer is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
completing a 42-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Tate
Brandon Tate
-2009 season:Tate was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On July 16, he was signed to a four-year contract with a $755,000 signing bonus. He began the 2009 season on the non-football injury list, still recovering from his knee injury from the prior season. He was...
. The Dolphins had their only score of the game with quarterback Tyler Thigpen
Tyler Thigpen
Tyler "Dirty Pigpen" Thigpen is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League . Thigpen was drafted out of Coastal Carolina University in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.Tyler Thigpen was the first quarterback to play for...
throwing a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Davone Bess
Davone Bess
Davone Atrayo Bess is an American football wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
in the fourth quarter.
It was Brady's tenth consecutive game without an interception and ninth consecutive game with no interceptions and two touchdowns. With the win, the Patriots ended their regular season with a 14–2 record.
Standings breakdown
| W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 272 | 157 |
| Away | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 | 246 | 156 |
| AFC East Opponents | 5 | 1 | 0 | .833 | 210 | 85 |
| AFC American Football Conference The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.... Opponents |
10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | 378 | 237 |
| NFC National Football Conference The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,... Opponents |
4 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 140 | 76 |
| By Stadium Type | ||||||
| Indoors | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 45 | 24 |
| Outdoors | 13 | 2 | 0 | .867 | 473 | 289 |
Postseason schedule
| Week | Kickoff | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | TV | NFL.com Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | 4:30 pm EST North American Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... |
January 16, 2011 | New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... (6) |
L 21–28 | 0–1 | Gillette Stadium | CBS | Recap |
Divisional Round vs. New York Jets
Mark SanchezMark Sanchez
Mark Travis John Sanchez is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League . He was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft as the fifth overall selection by the Jets and the second quarterback taken overall...
completed 16 of 25 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Jets to victory, avenging a 45–3 loss to New England in December.
On the Patriots first drive, Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
threw his first interception since week five of the regular season, which linebacker David Harris
David Harris (American football)
-2007 NFL Draft:Harris was projected to go anywhere from the late-second round to the fourth round prior to the 2007 NFL Draft. However, he impressed scouts when he ran a 4.59 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine...
picked off and returned 58 yards before tight end Alge Crumpler
Alge Crumpler
-Atlanta Falcons:Crumpler was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Crumpler made the first start of his NFL career against the Carolina Panthers on September 23, 2001. He caught his first two passes for a total of 13 yards. His first touchdown was scored against the...
made a touchdown saving tackle at the 12-yard line. But New York could not get any points off the turnover, as they were unable to get a first down and Nick Folk
Nick Folk
Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Folk is an American football kicker who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
missed a 30-yard field goal attempt. Several plays into New England's next drive, Brady completed a 28-yard pass to Crumpler at the Jets 12-yard line. But after a 5-yard run by Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Chadron State....
, Crumpler dropped a pass in the end zone and then Brady was sacked by Shaun Ellis
Shaun Ellis
MeShaunda "Shaun" Pizarrur Ellis is an American football defensive end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . Ellis was drafted by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft out of the University of Tennessee...
, forcing them to settle for Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
's 34-yard field goal to give them a 3–0 lead.
In the second quarter, a third down sack of Brady by Drew Coleman
Drew Coleman
Drew A. Coleman is an American football cornerback who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. Coleman was selected by the New York Jets in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
forced New England to punt from their own 16, and Jerricho Cotchery
Jerricho Cotchery
Cotchery was selected by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL draft.-New York Jets:In 2004, Cotchery caught 6 passes for 60 yards in 12 games as the team's 5th receiver...
returned the ball 5 yards to the Patriots 49-yard line. A few plays later, Sanchez' 37-yard completion to Braylon Edwards
Braylon Edwards
-Cleveland Browns:-2005:Edwards began his rookie season as Cleveland's third wide receiver – he would have started higher, but a hold-out caused him to miss the beginning of training camp. Early in the season Edwards revealed that he had a staph infection, and missed a few weeks as a result of it....
set up his 7-yard touchdown pass to LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...
. Later on, New England attempted a fake punt with a direct snap to safety Patrick Chung
Patrick Chung
-New England Patriots:Chung was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He signed with the Patriots on July 27, 2009. In Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans on October 18, Chung was credited with his first career interception...
on fourth down and four. But Chung fumbled the snap and was tackled on his own 25-yard line, and the Jets converted the turnover with Sanchez' 15-yard touchdown pass to Edwards with 33 seconds left in the half, making the score 14–3.
Late in the third quarter, New England drove 80 yards in 11 plays, with Brady completing a 37-yard pass to Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
and two passes Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
for 28 yards on the way to a 2-yard touchdown pass to Crumpler. Then Sammy Morris
Sammy Morris
Samuel "Sammy" Morris III is an American football running back who is a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
scored a 2-point conversion run, cutting their deficit to 14–11. But the Jets quickly countered, with Sanchez throwing short pass to Cotchery, who took it 58 yards to the Partriots 13-yard line. Two plays later, Sanchez threw a high pass for Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...
, who managed to catch the ball and land his in the end zone while falling out of bounds, giving New York a 10-point lead two miuntes into the fourth quarter.
After the kickoff, New England drove to the Jets 34-yard line with an 8 minute drive, but then faced fourth down and 13. Rather than risk a 52-yard field goal attempt, they attempted to get the first down, but Branch dropped a pass from Brady and the Patriots turned the ball over. New England's defense then made a key defensive stand, forcing a quick three-and-out, and Julian Edelman
Julian Edelman
Julian Francis Edelman is a wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Kent State as a quarterback.-Early years:Edelman was born in Redwood City, California...
returned Steve Weatherford
Steve Weatherford
Steven "Steve" Thomas Weatherford is an American football punter for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
's punt 41 yards to the New York 43-yard line before being tackled by Weatherford himself. Brady then led New England to the 17-yard line where Graham made his second field goal to cut their deficit to 7 points. However, Jets defensive back Antonio Cromartie
Antonio Cromartie
Antonio Cromartie is an American football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers 19th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft...
recovered Graham's onside kick attempt and returned it 23 yards to the Patriots 20-yard line. Then Shonn Greene
Shonn Greene
-New York Jets:On April 26, 2009 the New York Jets traded up 12 spots to select Greene in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On August 30 Greene made an appearance in the Jets preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. He rushed twice for six yards as well as catching an 85-yard pass...
scored with a 20-yard run on the next play, making the score 28–14 with 1:12 left in the game.
Brandon Tate
Brandon Tate
-2009 season:Tate was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On July 16, he was signed to a four-year contract with a $755,000 signing bonus. He began the 2009 season on the non-football injury list, still recovering from his knee injury from the prior season. He was...
returned the ensuing kickoff 23 yards to the 41-yard line, sparking a 59-yard scoring drive that ended with Brady's 13-yard touchdown pass to Branch with 24 seconds left. But Graham's second attempt at an onside kick also failed, ending any chance of a miracle comeback.
Brady finished the game 29 of 45 for 299 yards and two touchdowns, with 1 interception. Cotchery had 5 receptions for 96 yards Harris had 9 tackles, 3 assists, and an interception, while Ellis added 5 tackles and two sacks. With this win, the Jets advanced to their second consecutive AFC championship game in Sanchez' first two years as a starter.
Final roster
Awards and honors
| Recipient | Award(s) |
|---|---|
| Bill Belichick Bill Belichick William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991... |
2010 Associated Press Associated Press The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists... NFL Coach of the Year NFL Coach of the Year Award The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the NFL head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disposal. Currently, the most widely recognized award is presented by the... |
| Tom Brady Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,... |
Week 12: AFC Offensive Player of the Week Week 13: AFC Offensive Player of the Week Week 14: FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week December: AFC Offensive Player of the Month 2010 Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year 2010 Associated Press NFL MVP |
| Dan Connolly Dan Connolly (American football) Daniel Paul Connolly is an American football center for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Southeast Missouri State.-Early years:Connolly was born in St. Louis,... |
Week 15: AFC Special Teams Player of the Week |
| Rob Gronkowski Rob Gronkowski Rob Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft... |
Week 14: Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week Every week during the NFL season, five finalists are chosen for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week award, and a winner is determined by fan voting online at . At the end of the season, total fan voting from the year is tabulated to determine the five finalists for the Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the... Week 17: Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week |
| Aaron Hernandez Aaron Hernandez -New England Patriots:Hernandez was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Shortly after he was drafted, The Boston Globe reported Hernandez had admitted to marijuana use and had failed multiple drug tests while in college, causing his draft stock to drop... |
Week 15: Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week |
| James Sanders | Week 10: AFC Defensive Player of the Week |
| Wes Welker Wes Welker -San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:... |
2010 New England Patriots Ed Block Courage Award Ed Block Courage Award The Ed Block Courage Award is an annual award presented to selected players in the National Football League , who are voted by their teammates as role models of inspiration, sportsmanship, and courage. Named in memory of Ed Block, a well-liked humanitarian and trainer for the Baltimore Colts, the... |
| Vince Wilfork Vince Wilfork -2004–06 seasons:The Patriots drafted Wilfork with the 21st overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. In his rookie 2004 season with the Patriots, he compiled two sacks, 42 tackles, and three deflected passes... |
2010 New England Patriots Ron Burton Ron Burton Ronald E. "Ron" Burton became a college All-American running back at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, a member of the Northwestern Hall of Fame, and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.... Community Service Award |
Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections
Six Patriots were elected to the 2011 Pro Bowl2011 Pro Bowl
The 2011 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2010 season. It took place at 7:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 30, 2011 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii...
. Quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
, guard Logan Mankins
Logan Mankins
-2005–06 seasons:Mankins was drafted with the final pick of the first round, 32nd overall, in the 2005 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Despite playing his entire collegiate career as a tackle, Mankins was moved to left guard by the Patriots, where he immediately stepped into the starting...
, and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork
Vince Wilfork
-2004–06 seasons:The Patriots drafted Wilfork with the 21st overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. In his rookie 2004 season with the Patriots, he compiled two sacks, 42 tackles, and three deflected passes...
were named as starters, while cornerback Devin McCourty
Devin McCourty
-2010 season:McCourty was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a five-year contract on July 28, 2010. Following a preseason injury to veteran Leigh Bodden, McCourty began his rookie season as a starter at cornerback...
, linebacker Jerod Mayo
Jerod Mayo
-2008 season:Mayo was drafted by the New England Patriots with the tenth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. He was signed on July 24, 2008, to a five-year contract worth $18.9 million, including $13.8 million in bonuses and guarantees...
, and safety Brandon Meriweather
Brandon Meriweather
Brandon Meriweather is an American football safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 24th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:Meriweather's mother gave birth to him when...
were named as a reserves. Offensive tackle Matt Light
Matt Light
Matthew Charles Light is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.-Early years:Light was born in Greenville, Ohio...
and wide receiver Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
were later named to the game as injury replacements. Brady later pulled out of the game due to surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot.
Brady, Mankins, and Mayo were also voted to the 2010 All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
First Team, while McCourty, Wilfork, and offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer
Sebastian Vollmer
Sebastian Georg Vollmer is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston.-Early years:Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, Vollmer did not...
were named to the Second Team.