It's finally here!
** 2011 Patriots Football ** 
AT
Monday, September 12, 2011 at 7:00 PM EDTRegular Season Game 1 - Away Game 1
TV: ESPN, WCVB-TV Channel 5
National Radio: Westwood One Radio Sports
Radio: 98.5 THE SPORTS HUBatSun Life Stadium - Miami, Florida
Sun Life Stadium, (football capacity 75,192), is a multi-purpose stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins National Football League team, the Florida Marlins Major League Baseball team, and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. Originally named Joe Robbie Stadium, it has also been known as Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, and Land Shark Stadium.
Since its construction, the stadium has hosted five Super Bowls (XXIII, XXIX, XXXIII, XLI and XLIV), two World Series (1997 and 2003), and three BCS National Championship Games (2001, 2005, 2009). The stadium served as host for the second round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic, and hosted the 2010 Pro Bowl. On January 18, 2010, the Miami Dolphins signed a five-year deal with Sun Life Financial to rename Dolphin Stadium to Sun Life Stadium. The deal is worth $7.5 million per year for five years (a total of $37.5 million).
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SUMMARYThe New England Patriots will open the season against the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. The Patriots closed out the 2010 regular-season with a 38-7 win against Miami (1/2/11) to secure a series sweep following a 41-14 win in a Monday Night Football matchup in October at Sun Life Stadium.
The Patriots will open the season against Miami for the 7th time in team history and will open on Monday Night Football for the fifth time in team history and second time in the last three seasons. The Patriots are 3-3 against Miami in season-openers.
BROADCAST INFORMATION TELEVISION: This week's game will be nationally televised by ESPN and can be seen in Boston on WCVB-TV Channel 5. Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden will call the game. Suzy Kolber will be the sideline reporter.
NATIONAL RADIO: This week's game will be broadcast to a national audience by Westwood One Radio Sports. Ian Eagle and Trent Green will call the game. Steve Tasker will work the sidelines.
RADIO: 98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. A complete listing of the network's 37 stations can be found here. Play-by-play broadcaster Gil Santos is in his 35th season as the voice of the Patriots and will call the action along with Patriots Hall of Famer Gino Cappelletti. Scott Zolak will provide sideline analysis.
DIVISIONAL DOMINANCEThe New England Patriots own a 48-14 (.774) record in regular season AFC East games since the beginning of the 2001 season, compiling the best intra-division record of any team in the NFL over the last 10 seasons.
SERIES HISTORYThe New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins will square off for the 92nd time, including three playoff games, in their 46th year as division foes. The Dolphins and Patriots began playing twice a year during the regular season in 1967.
The Patriots have won seven of the last 10 games against Miami, including a series sweep in 2010 after splitting the series in 2008 and 2009.
In the first meeting of the 2010 season, the Patriots beat Miami 41-14 on Monday Night Football on Oct. 4 at Sun Life Stadium.
The Patriots earned their seventh series sweep and first since the 2007 season with a 38-7 win in the rematch at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 2, 2011 in the final game of the 2010 regular season.
The Patriots have had the upper hand at home against Miami, as they hold a 27-17 record in games played in New England in the regular-season, including a 7-2 record at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots are 13-33 all-time in Miami.
The two have played three times in the postseason with New England holding a 2-1 advantage.
The Patriots and Dolphins have met 15 times in prime time with the Patriots and Dolphins tied at 5-5 in Monday Night Football Games.
Nine of the 10 Monday Night football games have been played in Miami with the Dolphins holding a 5-4 advantage.
SERIES TRENDSMiami 50, New England 41
(Including New England 2, Miami 1 in Playoffs)
* A Miami home game was played in Tampa in 1969 *
Record in New England, 28-17 (Incl. 1-0 in playoffs)
- Record in Foxborough, 26-15 (1-0)
- Record in Boston, 2-2
Record in Miami, 13-33 (Incl. 1-1 in playoffs)
- Record at Dolphins/Pro Player/Joe Robbie/Sun Life, 9-15
- Record at Orange Bowl, 3-18 (1-1)
- Record in Tampa, 1-0
Seasonal Sweeps: Patriots 7, Dolphins 13
Seasonal Splits, 23 (Most recent 2009)
Bill Belichick vs. Miami, 13-11 (13-9 with New England)
Tony Sparano vs. New England, 2-4
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PATRIOTS-DOLPHINS QUICK HITSSince Bill Belichick became Patriots head coach in 2000, New England is 13-9 (.591) against the Miami Dolphins. Since 2001, the Patriots are 48-14 (.774) against AFC East opponents. Half of those losses (7) have come to Miami. The Patriots are 13-7 against the Dolphins over that span and are 14-6 against the New York Jets and 19-1 against the Buffalo Bills in that time.
The Patriots have not been swept in their season series with a divisional opponent since 2000, when they lost both games to Miami and also to the New York Jets.
In seven career games against the Dolphins, Wes Welker has caught 55 passes for 683 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.8 catches and 98 receiving yards per game against his former club. Those averages are the best against any team Welker has faced more than once in his career. He also has three 100-yard games against Miami with a 138-yard game at Miami (10/21/07), a 120-yard game at Miami (11/23/08) and a 10-catch 167-yard game in 2009 at Miami (12/06/09).
PASSING PERFORMANCESTom Brady is scheduled to start at quarterback against Miami for the 19th time and has compiled a 12-6 record in his previous 18 starts against the Dolphins.
Brady is 44-11 in his career as a starter in the regular-season against AFC East opponents, with six of the 11 losses coming to the Dolphins. One of those losses was in the final game of the 2005 season when Brady was pulled after the first quarter.
BRADY AGAINST THE AFC EASTAs a starter against the AFC East, Tom Brady owns a 44-11 (.800) record. He is 17-1 against Buffalo, 13-4 against the New York Jets, 12-6 against Miami and was 2-0 against Indianapolis when they were in the AFC East (2001 season).
CONNECTIONSNew England TiesMiami Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano was raised in West Haven, Conn. and was a four-year letterman at the University of New Haven. Sparano later became the offensive line coach/recruiting coordinator at the University of New Haven from 1984-87 and its head coach from 1994-98.
Sparano was also the offensive line coach/recruiting coordinator/academic liaison at Boston University from 1988-89 and BU's offensive coordinator from 1990-93.
Miami Director of College Scouting Chris Grier is a native of Holliston, Mass., and son of former Patriots' Vice President of Player Personnel Bobby Grier.
Miami TiesPatriots NT Vince Wilfork attended University of Miami and is a Florida native.
Former NFL Teammates Patriots LB Rob Ninkovich and Dolphins RB Reggie Bush were teammates when they played for the New Orleans Saints in 2006.
Patriots OL Dan Connolly and Dolphins DE Tony McDaniel were members of the Jacksonville in 2006.
Dolphins LB Jason Taylor was NFL teammates with a number of Patriots players: WR Wes Welker, LB Rob Ninkovich (Dolphins 2007), DE Andre Carter (Redskins 2008), S James Ihedigbo and DE Shaun Ellis (Jets, 2010).
Patriots WR Wes Welker and LB Rob Ninkovich were teammates with Dolphins C Joe Berger in Miami from 2005-06.
Patriots DL Albert Haynesworth and Dolphins DE Randy Starks were teammates when they played for the Tennessee Titans from 2005-07.
Former DolphinsPatriots WR Wes Welker played for the Miami Dolphins from 2004-06.
Patriots LB Rob Ninkovich played for the Dolphins in 2007.
Former PatriotsDolphins Pass Rush Coach Bryan Cox played linebacker for the Patriots in 2001; he was a part of the Super Bowl XXXVI winning team.
PATRIOTS VS. MIAMI IN SEASON OPENERSThe Patriots will be opening the season against the Miami Dolphins for the seventh time in team history and the first time since a 24-10 loss at Miami in the 1996 season-opener on September 1, 1996.
The Patriots, who are 41-50 all-time against Miami, are 3-3 against the Dolphins when meeting in the season-opener. The Patriots are 3-1 in home games and 0-2 at Miami.
PATRIOTS ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALLThe New England Patriots are 19-22 all-time on Monday Night Football, including 12-5 under head coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots were 2-0 in 2010 on Monday Night Football, following a 41-14 win at Miami on Oct.4 and a 45-3 win vs. NY Jets on Dec. 6. The Patriots are 9-8 in home Monday Night Football games and 10-14 on the road. The Patriots are 5-5 against Miami on Monday Night Football, including, including 4-5 in games played in Miami.
BRADY ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALLQB Tom Brady owns a 10-4 record when playing on Monday Night Football. His best statistical performance on Monday Night Football was the 2009 season opener when he went 39-of-53 for 378 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Patriots to a 25-24 win over Buffalo. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance. He has thrown three or more touchdowns in a Monday Night game seven times, including two four-touchdown performance when he threw four in a 31-7 win at Minnesota (10/30/06) and four in a 45-3 win last season vs. NY Jets (12/06/10).
PATRIOTS VS. MIAMI ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALLThe Patriots and Dolphins have played each other on Monday Night Football 10 times and the series is even at 5-5. Nine of the ten games have been played in Miami where the Patriots have a 4-5 record. Eight of the 10 games have been played in Miami in December.
BILL BELICHICK ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALLBill Belichick is 13-8 all-time on Monday Night Football, including 12-5 as head coach of the Patriots. He is 1-1 vs. Miami on Monday Night Football with the Patriots.
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What To Look For In 2011TOM BRADYTom Brady enters 2011 with an NFL record of 335 consecutive regular season pass attempts without an interception.
Brady enters the 2011 season tied for 10th place with Dave Krieg with 261 career touchdown passes. He needs 13 touchdown passes to surpass his childhood hero Joe Montana (273) into ninth place (see Brady section for entire list).
Brady enters 2011 with 111 regular season wins as a starter and needs nine wins to become just the sixth quarterback with 120 or more regular season victories as a starter.
Brady currently has an NFL record of 28 straight wins as a starter in the regular season at home. The last time the Patriots lost a regular season home game in which Brady started was on Nov. 12, 2006 against the New York Jets.
Brady and Head Coach Bill Belichick need six more wins to become the all-time winningest coach/QB tandem in NFL history. Dan Marino and Don Shula have the most wins with 116 wins.
Brady threw a touchdown pass in all 16 games in 2011 and needs to throw at least one touchdown pass in the next four games to break his own team record of 19 straight games with at least one touchdown pass.
WES WELKERWes Welker enters the 2011 season with a streak of 61 straight regular season games with at least one reception as a member of the Patriots. He needs three more games with at least one reception to surpass the team mark of 63 set by TE Ben Coates.
Welker needs 100 receptions in 2011 to become the third player in NFL history with four 100-catch seasons. Welker can join Marvin Harrison and Jerry Rice has the only players with four 100-reception seasons.
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By The Numbers2The number of kickoff returns that WR Brandon Tate returned for a touchdown in 2010 after he returned a 97-yard kickoff for a touchdown vs. Cincinnati (9/12) and a 103-yard kickoff for a touchdown at Miami (10/4). Tate is the first Patriots‘ player to return two kicks for a touchdown in a season since Kevin Faulk returned two for a touchdown in 2002. The Patriots record for most returns in a single season is three by Raymond Clayborn in 1977.
2The number of blocked kicks recorded by S Patrick Chung in 2010 after he blocked a punt and a field goal in the Patriots win at Miami (10/4). He is the first NFL player to block a field goal and a punt in the same game since CB Ramon Walker of Houston blocked a field goal and a punt vs. New England on Nov. 23, 2003.
4The number of interceptions that the Patriots returned for a touchdown in 2010 after LB Gary Guyton returned an interception 59 yards for a score vs. Cincinnati (9/12), S Patrick Chung returned an interception 51 yards for a score at Miami (10/4), S James Sanders returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown at Pittsburgh (11/14), and CB Kyle Arrington returned an interception 36 yards for score vs. Green Bay (12/19).
5.64The average yards per carry by Danny Woodhead in 2010 after he finished with 97 rushes for 547 yards. His average set a Patriots team record, topping Don Clahoun‘s previous team record of 5.59 yards per carry in 1976.
7The number of interceptions by CB Devin McCourty in 2010. It is the second most interceptions by a rookie in Patriots history to Mike Haynes (eight) in 1976.
10The number of touchdown receptions by rookie TE Rob Gronkowski in 2010, a record for most touchdown catches by a tight end in Patriots history. The only other rookie tight end in NFL history to have more touchdowns was Mike Ditka (12).
13The number of rushing touchdowns in 2010 by BenJarvus Green- Ellis, establishing a career high. His previous best was the five he had as a rookie in 2008. He is the first Patriots player with 10-plus rushing touchdowns since Corey Dillon had 13 in 2006.
65The number of touchdowns by the 2010 Patriots, a total that ranks as the eighth-highest total in NFL history. New England set the NFL record with 75 touchdowns in 2007.
71The number of yards Dan Connolly gained on a second quarter kickoff return vs. Green Bay (12/19). It is the longest kickoff return by an offensive lineman in NFL history.
193The number of total tackles by LB Jerod Mayo in 2010. That number is the third-highest in team history and led the NFL in 2010.
1,008The number of yards that BenJarvus Green-Ellis had rushing in 2010, becoming the first Patriots player to top the 1,000-yard rushing mark since Corey Dillon had a team-record 1,635 yards in 2004.
Tom Brady6The number of times that Brady has finished a season with 25 or more touchdowns. He is the sixth QB in NFL history to have 25 or more touchdown passes in at least six different seasons.
8The number of times Tom Brady has passed for 3,000 or more yards in a season, a franchise record for most 3,000-yard seasons. He finished the season with 3,900 yards.
17The number of times Tom Brady has earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He earned the award in back-to-back weeks in 2010: at Detroit (11/25) and vs. NY Jets (12/6).
28The number of consecutive regular-season starts that Tom Brady has won at Gillette Stadium, setting an NFL record for most consecutive home wins by a starting quarterback in the regular season.
36The number of touchdown passes thrown by Brady in 2010 to lead the NFL. He is one of just 13 players since the 1970 merger to have at least two 30 touchdown seasons. He set an NFL record with 50 in 2007.
34The number of regular-season 300-yard passing games by Tom Brady, a team record.
82The number of times that Brady has thrown two or more touchdowns in a game. The Patriots are 70-12 when he throws for two or more touchdowns.
111The number of wins that Brady has as a starting quarterback. He reached the 100-win milestone in the fewest number of starts (131) among all quarterbacks in the modern era.
The Kraft Era3The number of Super Bowl championships the Patriots have won since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. That mark is the highest total in the NFL over that span. Only Denver (2; 1997 and 1998) and Pittsburgh (2; 2005 and 2008) have won multiple Super Bowl titles since 1994.
5The number of conference championships the Patriots have won since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. That mark is the highest total in the NFL over that span. Pittsburgh is second with three conference titles since 1994.
10The number of division championships won by the Patriots since Kraft purchased the team in 1994.
12The number of playoff seasons earned by the Patriots in the 17 seasons since Robert Kraft purchased the team.
17The number of playoff games the Patriots have won since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. That mark is the highest total in the NFL over that span. Pittsburgh ranks second with 15 playoff wins over that span.
26The number of playoff games the Patriots have appeared in since 1994. The mark is tied with Pittsburgh for the most playoff games during that time period.
The Belichick Era4Bill Belichick is one of just four coaches to win three championships since the Super Bowl era began. Belichick joins three members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the exclusive club (Chuck Noll 4, Joe Gibbs 3 and Bill Walsh 3). Belichick is the only coach to win three Super Bowls in the post-1993 salary cap era and the only one to ever win three in four years.
177Bill Belichick has 177 career victories as a head coach, including playoff games. Belichick is in sole possession of 10th place in alltime coaching victories.
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DREW BLEDSOE AND JON MORRIS INTO PATRIOTS HALLDrew Bledsoe and Jon Morris are the 2011 honorees that will be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Bledsoe and Morris will be inducted in a public ceremony outside The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17. The event is free to the public and Patriots fans are encouraged to attend.
Bledsoe was voted by the fans as the 17th player and 18th member to enter the Patriots Hall of Fame. Since the new process for induction was instituted in 2007, Bledsoe earned the highest percentage of votes for any candidate and becomes the first player to be selected by the fans into the Patriots Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Morris was selected by a 10-person senior selection committee. The selection was made on Friday, March 25 and affirmed with a phone call from Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft, who notified Morris of his induction later that afternoon.
PATRIOTS DEDICATE 2011 SEASON TO MYRA KRAFTThe New England Patriots announced that they will dedicate the 2011 season to the loving memory of Myra Kraft, who passed away on July 20 after a courageous battle with cancer. Every Patriots player and coach will honor Myra‘s memory by wearing a patch with her initials on it in recognition of her lifelong contributions to the local and global community and her influence on the charitable mission of the entire Patriots organization. The patch will be worn on the left chest of every player throughout the season.
PEYTON & ELI'S KIND GESTURE TO KRAFTIn his NFL Notes column on Sunday, Greg A. Bedard of the Boston Globe notes the kind gesture of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Both made what owner Robert Kraft called "substantial donations" to the Myra Kraft Giving Back Fund.
"We lost our ability to win Super Bowls back-to-back years to Manning brothers, and then to see each of them send very generous checks to this fund . . . and Peyton wrote me a beautiful note," Kraft tells Bedard.
"They’re sort of two people that broke my heart on the field in back-to-back years, and then they warm my heart with generous donations. It’s something special about this NFL and the great people associated with it.
"It’s sort of the great part of football, the fact that it’s a team sport and you have all these rivalries but they together - with people like Matt Cassel and Junior Seau and Tom Brady and just a ton of guys - have made contributions, dozens of Patriots players, that are going to allow us to keep the spirit of Myra’s giving back to the community live for generations to come."
** This is kind of a new thing for me and a work-in-progress, so feel free to PM me with any suggestions or ideas for improvement of the game threads, as I will be doing this throughout the season, and want to make it as user-friendly as possible. Thanks! **
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Bahku
GO PATRIOTS!! 
Topic: Patriots (0-0) at Dolphins (0-0) 9/12 (Read 20038 times)