Patriots Team Report
INSIDE SLANT
Sunday’s season finale lacks the buzz last year’s final game packed, for this season the Patriots have already clinched a playoff spot with one game remaining on their schedule.
Last year, with Matt Cassel(notes) at the helm, the Patriots needed to win and get some help from around the league to sneak into the postseason. They held up their end of the bargain, but the rest of the NFL did not cooperate, so the Patriots sat at home for the playoffs for the first time in five years.
The fact this year’s team has already punched its ticket to the playoffs speaks volumes about being good enough to control your own destiny. While this season was far from perfect, the Patriots did finish 8-0 at home, which somewhat gets overshadowed by the fact they’re only 2-5 on the road heading into Sunday’s finale at Houston.
By defending their home turf all season, the Patriots made their road woes somewhat tolerable. The 8-0 record at Gillette, coupled with an inferior field in the AFC East, allowed the Patriots to essentially cruise to the division title without much resistance. The Dolphins and Jets stayed on their heels for most of the season, but never appeared to be a serious threat to usurp the Patriots.
So, with what amounts to a meaningless game against the Texans on deck this weekend, the Patriots can spend parts of this week scouting the competition in the AFC as they await their first-round playoff opponent.
The only thing up for grabs is seeding; the Patriots will either be No. 3 or 4 in the AFC. The Cincinnati Bengals will claim whichever seed New England doesn’t get, therefore those two teams won’t play one another in the opening round. The likely opponent for New England will be either Baltimore or the New York Jets. Both teams can wrap up wild-card spots with victories on Sunday. The Broncos are still on the bubble, but they need a lot of help to get in.
The Patriots beat both the Ravens and Jets this year at home, which is where this assumed wild-card rematch will take place. The threat of getting bounced in the opening round really isn’t a concern; Patriots fans are more worried about the team travelling to either Indianapolis or San Diego in the divisional round.
For now, though, the only thing the Patriots can worry about is emerging from Sunday’s finale with their health intact. They might have to sit some of their starters to do so, which might not be a bad idea since they don’t have a first-round bye in the playoffs this season.
In the past, the Patriots have played their starters through Week 17 with the playoffs on the horizon, mainly because they knew they had an extra week’s worth of rest and they didn’t want their key players getting rusty between the finale and the opening playoff game.
Teams with a first-round bye have come out flat in the divisional round in years’ past, namely the 2005 Colts, who began resting starters in Week 16 with home-field advantage locked up early and subsequently lost their playoff opener to Pittsburgh at home.
Given head coach Bill Belichick’s experience in these situations, it’s unlikely the Patriots will drop the ball in terms of preparation. All that’s left now is to watch and wait as the playoff scenarios unfold Sunday afternoon. Thanks to their ability to control their own destiny, the Patriots can enjoy a relatively stress-free weekend.
Series History: 3rd regular-season meeting. Patriots lead series 2-0. The underdog Texans gave the Patriots all they could handle in the first game of this series in 2003 at Reliant Stadium, a 23-20 overtime victory for New England. The game nearly ended in a tie. The Patriots went on to win their second Super Bowl in three years that season.
NOTES, QUOTES
—The only other time the Patriots played at Reliant Stadium was in Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Carolina Panthers. New England won, 32-29, on the second Super Bowl-winning field goal of Adam Vinatieri’s(notes) career.
That game is noteworthy for being the first Super Bowl involving the Patriots not played at the Super Dome in New Orleans. John Kasay’s(notes) botched kickoff in the fourth quarter gave New England the ball at its own 40-yard line and set the stage for Vinatieri’s winning kick.
• Though his experience against Houston is limited, Patriots QB Tom Brady(notes) did rack up one of his all-time highest yardage totals against the Texans in 2003 at Reliant Stadium. Brady completed 29 of his 47 pass attempts in the overtime victory with two touchdowns, two interceptions and 368 yards.
• This year’s playoff berth adds another notch to the team’s success under owner Robert Kraft. Since Kraft purchased the team in 1994, the Patriots have qualified for the playoffs 11 times in 16 seasons with three Super Bowl championships and five conference titles.
By contrast, the Patriots only made the playoffs six times in their 34-year existence prior to Kraft’s purchase of the team.
• On Sunday, the Patriots will play a regular-season game in January for just the seventh time in team history. The Patriots are 5-1 in January in the regular season, with their most recent game coming in 2006 in a 28-26 loss to Miami at Gillette Stadium.
Under Belichick, the Patriots are 3-1 in regular-season games played in January.
• This year’s 8-0 record at Gillette marked the fourth time in team history the Patriots have finished undefeated at home during the regular season.
The first three times they accomplished this feat (2003, 2004 and 2007), they advanced to the Super Bowl. However, they also had home-field advantage throughout the playoffs in each of those three seasons.
• WR Randy Moss’(notes) three-touchdown game was the second time in 2009 that he has had three touchdowns in a game. He also had three against the Tennessee Titans in October. Moss now has nine games in his career with three or more touchdowns, including four games with three or more as a member of the Patriots.
• Brady posted his team-record third season with more than 4,000 passing yards. Brady was tied with Drew Bledsoe(notes) with two 4,000-yard seasons. Brady had 4,110 yards passing in 2005 and a team-record 4,806 passing yards in 2007. He is the ninth NFL player to have three 4,000-yard seasons.
Brady entered the Jacksonville game needing 55 yards to reach the milestone and reached 4,000 yards on a 26-yard touchdown pass to TE Chris Baker in the second quarter. He now has 4,212 yards passing for the season.
By The Numbers: 14—The number of times Tom Brady has earned AFC offensive player of the week honors, after earning the award twice this season, for his 378-yard passing effort in the Patriots’ come-from-behind 25-24 win on opening week vs. Buffalo and for a six-TD effort vs. Tennessee.
Quote To Note: “Don’t get it twisted … I love the Pro Bowl win but hope I can’t go because I will be at Super Bowl the next week.”—NT Vince Wilfork(notes) on his Twitter page discussing his nomination to the 2009 Pro Bowl.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
With a playoff berth already wrapped up, there won’t be much to watch for Sunday in terms of personnel groupings since the Patriots might rest some of the starters with a wild-card game on deck the following weekend.
Though not quite as drastic, this weekend’s game in Houston might be similar to how the Patriots treat their final preseason game each year. Consider this an opportunity for some of the little-used players to lobby for more playing time either in the playoffs or next season.
As usual, Belichick has kept quiet on who will play Sunday and for how long, though it’s unlikely Brady will be out there the entire time since he is nursing finger, rib and shoulder injuries that have had an effect on his performance.
With that said, keep an eye on how rookie Brian Hoyer(notes) plays in his backup role. Hoyer’s performance could determine what the Patriots do in the offseason regarding personnel decisions in anticipation of the 2010 draft, so while this game means little in the standings, it could have an impact on who’ll be around the following year.
Player Notes
• QB Tom Brady has not participated in practice all week as he continues to nurse a series of lingering ailments. There’s a good chance he either won’t play at all Sunday or only take a handful of snaps.
• WR Randy Moss has been out of practice, though it’s not injury related according to the Patriots. Moss is one of several veterans whose playing time will likely be limited Sunday.
• OL Nick Kaczur(notes) is back in practice despite a shoulder injury and will likely be in the lineup for Sunday’s season finale. Kaczur will be part of the rotation with rookie Sebastian Vollmer(notes).
• WR Wes Welker(notes) has participated in limited portions of practice this week, though his absence is not injury related. This is more than likely a precautionary move to give Welker some rest with the playoffs beginning next weekend.
• DE Jarvis Green(notes) is still nursing a knee injury and has only participated in limited portions of practice this week. Ideally, the Patriots would like to work him back into the rotation Sunday, but it remains to be seen whether or not he’ll be healthy enough to suit up.
• LB Jerod Mayo(notes) earned praise from Bill Belichick for his performance and leadership this season—just his second in the NFL. Mayo led the team with 15 tackles in last week’s victory.
Game Plan: The most simplistic plan for Sunday’s season finale is to keep everyone of importance healthy for next weekend’s playoff opener; however, this game could be a precursor of what the Patriots will face in the postseason.
The Texans still have a shot at making the playoffs, albeit a slim one, so they’ll be playing to win. Their most efficient plan of attack is throwing the ball. With Matt Schaub(notes) at quarterback and Andre Johnson(notes) serving as his No. 1 target, the Texans rank second in the league in passing.
The Patriots have given up their share of big plays and even with Brandon Meriweather’s(notes) Pro Bowl-caliber season, they’re still a bit dicey in the secondary, so this will be a strong test on the road featuring a few matchups the coaching staff should pay attention to.
Matchups To Watch: Patriots CB Leigh Bodden(notes) vs. Texans WR Andre Johnson. This is a great test for Bodden, who may very well face another superstar receiver in the postseason, particularly in the second round if the Patriots are fortunate enough to get that far. Johnson is as good as they come, so facing him is like swinging a weighted bat in the on-deck circle before stepping into the batter’s box with a real Louisville Slugger.
Patriots LT Matt Light(notes) vs. Texans DE Mario Williams(notes). Once again, we have an individual matchup where a Patriot is facing one of the best in the game at his respective position. In this case, it’s Williams, who is one of the NFL’s premier pass-rushers and a threat to cause disruption on any given play. The Patriots might see plenty of players like him in the postseason, so, again, this is a good test for the offensive line in general.
Patriots NT Mike Wright(notes) vs. Texans C Chris Myers(notes). This is a good matchup of note because Wright likely will get some snaps at nose tackle assuming Vince Wilfork exits the game after a handful of series. Wright has been a versatile player all season and might be asked to play some nose in the playoffs, too, so why not test his might against one of the league’s most formidable centers?
Injury Impact: This game won’t tell us much in terms of who’s ailing and who’s not, because the Patriots likely will rest their starters regardless of status. However, keep an eye on how the carries are split up for running backs. Fred Taylor(notes) is back after missing several weeks with a knee injury and it’ll be interesting to see how his body held up from last week’s workload (11 carries, 35 yards) in his first game back in the lineup.
- NFL Calendar
- Good times roll at Saints victory parade
- Seahawks offensive co-ordinator mum on Jones, fortunate to have Hasselbeck
- Bates likes Hasselbeck, Seattle's RBs
- Studio in Saints case ordered liquidated
- Upset with Panthers' silence, Peppers doesn't want long-term deal in Carolina
- NFL riding high with Saints and a big season, but labour problems are looming
- Santa Clara to discuss wording of stadium measure
- Las Vegas police find lack of evidence in Rams running back case
- Rams RB Jackson won't be charged
- Casinos win $6.86M on Super Bowl bets
- White Stripes: Air Forces Reserve ad stole song
- What the 32 NFL teams need headed into 2010 draft
- Peppers upset Panthers have ignored him
- Can NFL kill the golden goose?
- Brees, Payton bask in glory of title
