14. 1987 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS at 3. 2012 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
3. 2012 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Record: 12-4
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 1st
Def: 9th
1st AFC East
d. Texans Div Rnd 41-28
lost Ravens AFC Title 28-13
HC Bill Belichick OC Josh McDaniels DC Matt Patricia
Gillette Stadium: 50 degrees
Gil Santos/Scott Zolak
Offense
QB Tom Brady 35 Michigan
RB Stevan Ridley 23 LSU
WR Brandon Lloyd 31 Illinois
WR Wes Welker 31 T Tech
TE Rob Gronkowski 23 Arizona
TE Aaron Hernandez 23 Florida
LT Nate Solder 24 Colorado
LG Logan Mankins 30 Fresno St
C Ryan Wendell 26 Fresno St
RG Dan Connolly 30 SE Mo St
RT Sebastian Vollmer 28 Houston
Defense
LDE Rob Ninkovich 28 Purdue
LDT Vince Wilfork 31 All Pro Miami
RDT Kyle Love 26 Miss St
RDE Chandler Jones 22-R Syracuse
LLB Jerod Mayo 26 Tenn
MLB Brandon Spikes 25 Florida
RLB Dont'a Hightower 22 R Alabama
LCB Devin McCourty 25 Rutgers
RCB Kyle Arrington 26 Hofstra
SS Steve Gregory 29 Syracuse
FS Patrick Chung 25 Oregon
K Stephen Gostkowski 28 Memphis
P Zoltan Mesko 26 Michigan
KR Devin McCourty 25 Rutgers
PR Julian Edelman 26 Kent St
Dallas and San Francisco have 8 teams into round 2 - the 3rd seed in Region 13 is the '12 Patriots, if they win - that's New England's 8th winner. Best offense in football. Brady's 35, 38 scores, 8 picks. 23 year old Stevan Ridley ran for over 1200 yards and scored 12 times in 12 starts. 118 catches and over 1300 yards for 31 year old Wes Welker. 11 scores for a 23 year old Gronk. On defense, 14 total sacks from 22 year old rookie Chandler Jones, 28 year old Rob Ninkovich.
14. 1987 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Record: 12-3
Pythag: 11-4
Off: 2nd
Def: 5th
2nd NFC West
lost WC 44-10 Vikings
HC Jim Mora OC Carl Smith DC Steve Sidwell
Offense
QB Bobby Hebert 27 NW St
RB Rueben Mayes 24 Wash St
WR Mike Jones 27 Tenn St
WR Eric Martin 26 LSU
TE Hoby Brenner 28 USC
TE John Tice 27 Maryland
LT Jim Dombrowski 24 UVA
LG Brad Edelman 27 Missouri
C Joel Hilgenberg 25 Iowa
RG Steve Trapilo 23 R B College
RT Stan Brock 29 Colorado
Defense
LDE Bruce Clark 29 Penn St
NT Tony Elliott 28 N Texas
RDE Jim Wilks 29 S Diego St
LOLB Rickey Jackson 29 Pitt
LILB Sam Mills 28 Montclair St
RILB Vaughan Johnson 25 NC St
ROLB Pat Swilling 23 Geo Tech
LCB Dave Waymer 29 N Dame
RCB Van Jakes 26 Kent St
SS Antonio Gibson 25 Cincinnati
FS Brett Maxie 25 Tex So
K Morten Andersen 27 All Pro Mich St
P Brian Hansen 27 Sioux Falls
KR Dalton Hilliard 23 LSU
PR Mel Gray 26 Purdue
The 14th seed in region 13 is the '87 Saints, scabs played a portion of the '87 season, impacting records, but NO is top 5 in both offense and defense. 27 year old Bobby Hebert started in 12 games, 15 scores, 9 picks. 24 year old Rueben Mayes nearly rushed for a thousand yards in 12 starts. On defense, the linebacking quartet is intact, led by 29 year old Rickey Jackson and 23 year old Pat Swilling who combined for 20 sacks in 12 games. The Saints head north, let's go to Gillette for the kick.
1st Qtr
Pats at the 18.
1/10 - Stevan Ridley carries for 11.
1/10 - Tom Brady finds Julian Edelman, 13 yards.
1/10 - 3 plays, 3 first downs - Brady to Wes Welker for 10.
1/10 - 4 plays, 4 first downs, Ridley for 14 to the Saints 34.
But....that's where the drive ends, and when Gostkowski...misses the FG - New England comes up empty.
Saints at the 38 - they pick up a first down on a Rueben Mayes 9 yard carry - but the drive ends here, good Saints punt, Patriots at the 7.
1/10 - Brady 3 yards to Brandon Lloyd
2/7 - Brady to Lloyd again, 29 yard pickup.
1/10 - Brady to Gronk -- 9 yards to the 48.
2/1 - Ridley picks it up.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Ridley for 3
3/7 - Brady finds Lloyd again, 16 yards, Pats all the way to the 31.
1/10 - 3 for Ridley
2/7 - Brady outlet to Danny Woodhead, he's got 15 yards down the sideline and at the end of the qtr, New England's at the 15.
2nd Qtr: Patriots 0 Saints 0
Scoreless, but New England driving, down at the Saints 15.
1/10 - Give to Danny Woodhead, he goes for 5.
2/5 - Brady - End Zone - Aaron Hernadnez -- TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS - New England's on the scoreboard and it is 7-0.
Saints at the 23.
1/10 - Mayes for 6.
2/4 - Give to Dalton Hilliard -- he busts out a 51 yard run and is brought down at the 20 yard line.
1/10 - Dwight Beverly gains 15.
1/goal - Hilliard stacked up.
2/goal - Beverly....Into the End Zone -- TOUCHDOWN SAINTS - the XP is blocked and it's 7-6 Pats.
Patriot ball with 11 minutes left in the half. They're at the 33.
1/10 - Brady to Woodhead, he runs for 13.
1/10 - Ridley loses 1.
2/11 - Brady - Julian Edelman - 17 yard pickup and the Pats are at the 38.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Ridley is stopped at the line.
3/10 - Brady to Wes Welker, 14 yard to the 24.
The drive ends - Gostkowski FG makes it 10-6.
Less than 6 left in the half -- Dalton Hilliard takes the kick -- All The Way Back for A Score!! TOUCHDOWN SAINTS - A 92 yard Dalton Hilliard kickoff return for a score and the Saints take the 13-10 lead!
Patriots at the 22.
They get a first down on a Brady 18 yard pass to Lloyd, but that's all, Saints get the ball back just before the 2 minute warning at the 32, up 13-10.
1/10 - Bobby Hebert - to Mayes, 11 yards to the 43.
1/10 - Nothing for Hilliard
2/11 - Hebert 13 yards to Hoby Brenner, Saints cross midfield.
1/10 - Hebert to Hilliard, 12 to the 35.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Hebert 13 to Mayes, Saints at the 22. There's 56 seconds left. Saints have one timeout left.
1/10 - Hebert to Mike Tice for 3. Clock running.
2/7 - Hebert --- finds Hoby Brenner -- Brenner's got a step -- TOUCHDOWN SAINTS - Bobby Hebert 19 yards to Hoby Brenner -- and we will go into the locker room on high upset alert the New Orleans Saints up 20-10.
3rd Qtr: Saints 20 Patriots 10
The 14th seed in the region, the '87 Saints, score 3 TDs in the second qtr and lead 20-0 over the third seeded '12 Patriots - we just saw the 4th seed get bounced - here's the third down 10 points.
Saints at the 22.
3 and out including a Rob Ninkovich sack. Pats get the ball in good field position at the 47.
1/10 - End around to Edelman - Saints sniff it out.
2/11 - Nothing for Ridley
3/11 - Brady -- 11 yards to Deion Branch, first down.
1/10 - Give to Ridley --- Ridley busts one -- Stevan Ridley busts one -- He Is Gonna Go Into The End Zone -- TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS - 40 yard Ridley TD home run and it is 20-17.
Saints at the 27 - 3 and out. Patriots at the 30.
1/10 - Woodhead bursts around end for a 44 yard pickup - Pats at the 26 yard line!
1/10 - Ridley for 9
2/1 - Vereen for 10 - Patriots getting big yards on the ground and it's a first and goal.
1/goal - Vereen is stopped.
2/goal - 2 yards for Bolden
3/goal - Brady -- fade -- Welker -- TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS - New England strikes fast - back to back scorws and it's now 24-20 Patriots with less than 6 to go in the third quarter.
Saints at the 28.
1/10 - 2 for Mayes
2/8 - Mayes gets 1
3/7 - Hebert -- downfield -- Mike Jones -- circus catch for Jones, laying out -- he's got 33 yards, Saints at the 36 with less than 4 to play in the third.
1/10 - 7 for Hilliard.
2/3 - 7 more for Mayes, Saints at the 22.
1/10 - 19 yard gain for Dalton Hilliard -- he's knocked out of bounds at the Patriot 3 yard line!
1/goal - Nothing for Beverly.
2/goal - Nothing for Mayes as the quarter ends.
4th Qtr: Patriots 24 Saints 20
New England regains the lead - we've got a big play as the 4th quarter begins, third and goal at the Patriots 3 yard line.
They don't get it - Saints settle for the very short FG and now it is 24-23 Patriots.
New England at the 31.
1/10 - Ridley gets 2
2/8 - Brady 12 yards to Welker.
1/10 - 6 for Ridley.
2/4 - Reverse to Welker -- Wes Welker all the way to the Saints 33 yard line!
1/10 - Give to Woodhead - Woodhead's across the line -- Woodhead is Drilled By Sam Mills -- Fumble! Fumble! The Saints recover at the 25! Huge play - Pats up 1, driving -- Saints take the ball away and with less than 11 to go - the Saints have the ball at the 25.
3 and out. Big, big series for New England.
Patriots ball and in great field position at the Saints 43 after the Edelman return.
1/10 - Brady to Welker, 6 yards.
2/4 - Bradly to Edelman, 9 yards to the 28.
1/10 - Vereen goes for 11 yards to the 17.
1/10 - 2 for Ridley
2/8 - Ridley is stopped at the line.
3/8 - Brady finds Branch -- Branch is able to get to the sticks -- that's a big, big pickup - the Patriots keep the chains moving. New England is at the 7 yard line.
1/goal - Incomplete
2/goal - Bolden stopped.
3.goal -- Brady -- Lloyd -- TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS - Brady 7 yard pass to Brandon Lloyd and it's 31-23 Patriots with less than 5 minutes to play.
Saints at their own 15 - they need to drive down, get the TD, get the 2 pt conversion to force OT.
1/10 - Hilliard gets 9.
2/1 - Mayes picks it up. There's a pass interference call on the next play and with less than 4 minutes left the Saints are at their own 43 yard line.
1/10 - Give to Mayes, he goes for 8 and the Saints cross midfield.
2/2 - Incomplete
3/2 - Give to Mayes - and he is stuffed - the Saints call timeout, it is 4th and 2 - Saints at midfield, 2 and a half minutes to go - it's an 8 point game.
Jim Mora decides to go for it - thats the call - 4th and 2 - here we go.
4/2 - Give to Hillard -- Hillard disappears into the line. It's gonna be close. Here's the measurement......
Short. Short -- the Patriots turn the Saints over on downs - Patriots take over, up 8 with 2 and a half to play.
1/10 - Nothing for Ridley. Saints stop the clock.
2/10 - Ridley gets 14 - Pats to the Saints 38, clock stops for the 2 minute warning.
1/10 - Bolden for 1, Saints stop the clock.
2/9 - Ridley gets 5 - Saints use their final timeout, 1:43 left in the game.
3/4 - Woodhead is stuffed in the backfield -- clock running - Pats will take the delay of game and punt - Saints get the ball back after a touchback, less than a minute to go.
One play -- Hebert -- Picked Off by Kyle Arrington and thats the game.
Final: Patriots 31 Saints 23
The 3rd seed in the region gives New England its 8th team to move to round 2.
Brady: 19 for 28, 222 yds, 3 TDs
Hebert, 10 for 20, 122 yds, TD/INT
Ridley: 21 carries, 114 yds, TD
Hilliard: 8 carries, 81 yds
Lloyd: 5 catches, 73 yds, TD
Brenner: 2 catches, 32 yds, TD
Player of the Game: Tom Brady
