ONE. FINAL. RUN.

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Ravens @ Patriots
Gilette Stadium – Foxboro, Massachusetts
Saturday August 29th, 2015 7:00pm

NINKOVICH SALUTES THE HOME CROWD AFTER A SACK

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Baltimore Ravens [0-3]	0	0	10	0	10
New England Patriots [3-0]	0	10	7	10	27

Pats finish preseason undefeated
Jimmy Garoppolo finished with 284 yards and a touchdown as the Patriots rolled to a 27-10 victory over the Ravens to wrap up the preseason.

New England finishes 4-0 and looks to be firing on all cylinders heading into the regular season.

Spencer Greer and Jonas Gray got the bulk of the work in the backfield, each scoring a touchdown. Greer showed his receiving abilities with 6 receptions for 39 yards.

Treyvon Ford continued his impressive preseason with a 7 catch 86 yards performance including a touchdown where he caught the ball short of the endzone and dragged Terrell Suggs in for the score.

Tiquan Underwood caught 3 passes for 55 yards.

Dominique Easly made the most of his extended playing time by recording a pair of sacks. Aevry Shepherd, Alfonzo Dennard, Michael Buchanan and Rob Ninkovich each picked up a sack as well. Dennard also had an interception as well as leading the defense with 4 tackles.

Spencer Greer handled all the kick and punt returning duties on the day, finishing with a 17 yard average on kicks and a 10.2 yard average on punt returns.

The Patriots have to make their final cuts from 59 to 53 players by Monday evening. They will open the regular season in Buffalo against the Bills

Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
NE S. Greer 1Yd Run (S. Gostkowski kick)
NE S. Gostkowski 43 Yd FG
3rd Quarter
BAL J. Tucker 37 Yd FG
NE J. Gray 2 Yd run (S. Gostkowski kick)
BAL F. Gore 59 Yd pass from K. Wenning (J. Tucker kick)
4th Quarter
NE T. Ford 6 Yd pass from J. Garoppolo (S. Gostkowski kick)
NE S. Gostkowski 34 Yd FG

Key Player Stats

K. Wenning 10/17 154Yds TD Int
F. Gore 4Car 6Yds, 1Rec 59Yds TD
D. Pitta 5Rec 55YDs
G. Jennings 3Rec 39Yds
A. Brown 9Tkl
M. Elam 6Tkl
A. Skinner 6Tkl
B. Williams 4Tkl, 1Sck
M. Glass 2Tkl, Int
C. Mosley 4Tkl, Int


J. Garoppolo 27/40 284Yds TD Int
S. Greer 12Car 41Yds TD, 6Rec 39Yds
J. Gray 5Car 21Yds TD, 2Rec 60Yds
T. Ford 7Rec 86Yds TD
T. Underwood 3Rec 55Yds
A. Dennard 4Tkl, Sck, Int
M. Buchanan 3Tkl, Sck
D. Easley 2Tkl, 2Sck
-----
Current Record: 4-0
Next Week: vs. @ Buffalo Bills (0-0)

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New England Patriots 2015 Preseason Schedule
DATE OPPONENT RESULT
Aug 7 at Seattle Seahawks W 42-17
Aug 16 vs San Francisco 49ers W 27-17
Aug 22 at Houston Texans W 27-12
Aug 29 vs Baltimore Ravens W 27-10

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Patriots Report


MICHAEL HOOMANAWANUI WAS ONE OF THE PATRIOTS SURPRISING FINAL CUTS

PATS MAKE FINAL CUTS, SOME SURPRISES

The Patriots have made their final cuts to get their roster down to 53 players. Among them are a few surprises.

Michael Hoomanawanui, primarily a blocking tight end was released. With Rob Gronkowski and Tim Wright locked into the top two spots the Patriots had some flexibility at the position. UDFA Anthony Diaz showed enough in the preseason for the Pats to hang onto him. Hoomanawanui caught just one pass in all of 2014 and had a single catch in the preseason. “This was one of our tougher decisions.” A Patriots staff member said. “It’s hard not to get attached to the guys that have been there but you need to do what’s best for the team.” Hoomanawanui had been with the Patriots since 2012.

UDFA offensive guard Jerron Conley outlasted other players at the position but was exposed in extended snaps in practice and against the Ravens. Initially expected to be the teams 9th offensive linesman his release now leaves the team with just eight.

Defensive End Michael Buchanan got beat out by rookie Josh Diaz and became expendable with Diaz, Easley and Moore all in place to back up Ninkovich and Jones. Buchanan did record 4 tackles and 2 sacks in the preseason but it wasn’t enough to keep him around.

Anthony Pleasant didn’t do enough to supplant Joe Velano as the Patriots 4th defensive tackle. Pleasant, who weighs 343 pounds, never was able to get the push against NFL offensive linesmen, something that is essential in the interior of the defensive line.

UDFA middle linebacker Cotton Hunt was also cut loose. Many expected it was between him and fellow UDFA Aevry Shepherd for the final linebacker spot. Shepherd showed more versatility and hustle in the past few weeks and won the spot.

Safety Kanorris Davis couldn’t hold off Tavon Wilson, Duron Harmon and rookie Lenny Buchanan. The team initially considered keeping five safeties but their depth and versatility at cornerback made in unnecessary. Davis was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2013.

Perhaps the most surprising cut of all was punter Ryan Allen. Allen was beaten out for the job by UDFA Barry Ferrell from Memphis. Ferrell averaged 45.3 yards per punt and put all of his in game attempts inside the 20 this preseason. Ferrell obviously impressed the coaching staff in practice as three preseason punts is hardly enough to make the decision on. Allen took the punting job from Zoltan Mesko as an UDFA prior to the 2013 season.

As you can see the team cut 7 players, leaving them with a 52 man roster. They are expected to announce a signing within the next few hours and we will bring you that information as soon as it is available. Sources close to the team indicate they are looking to bring in a veteran interior offensive linesman.

Players Cut
TE Michael Hoomanawanui
OG Jerron Conley
DE Michael Buchanan
DT Anthony Pleasant
LB Cotton Hunt
S Kannorris Davis
P Ryan Allen

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Patriots Report


RAMIREZ WITH DENVER

PATS SIGN VETERAN OL RAMIREZ

The Patriots announced today that they have come to terms on a one year contract with Manny Ramirez. No, no that Manny Ramirez.

Ramirez is a veteran offensive guard and center who has been in the league since 2007. He was drafted in the 4th round by the Lions and played in Detroit through the 2009 season. He played with Denver from 2010-2014.

Ramirez gives the Patriots some flexibility in their reserve offensive line spots as he can play either guard spot or center.

"It's exciting to be part of such a storied organization." Ramirez said. "I'm really looking forward to it.

Ramirez will wear number 65 for the Patriots.

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Patriots Report

2015 New England Patriots Roster
#	OFFENSE	POS	AGE	HT	WT	COLLEGE - EXP
12	Tom Brady	QB	38	6-04	225	Michigan - 15
10	Jimmy Garoppolo	QB	23	6-02	226	Eastern Illinois - 1
29	LeGarrette Blount	HB	28	6-00	250	Oregon - 5
35	Jonas Gray	HB	25	5-10	230	Notre Dame - 2
23	Spencer Greer	HB	22	5-11	207	Navy - R
22	Stevan Ridley	HB	26	5-11	220	LSU - 4
46	James Develin	FB	27	6-03	255	Brown - 5
82	Josh Boyce	WR	23	5-11	205	TCU - 2
17	Aaron Dobson	WR	24	6-03	200	Marshall - 2
11	Julian Edelman	WR	29	5-10	198	Kent State - 6
88	Treyvon Ford	WR	24	6-06	232	New Hampshire - R
19	Brandon LaFell	WR	28	6-02	210	LSU - 5
14	Tiquan Underwood	WR	28	6-01	185	Rutgers - 6
83	Anthony Diaz	TE	21	6-03	263	Buffalo - R
87	Rob Gronkowski	TE	26	6-06	265	Arizona - 5
81	Tim Wright	TE	25	6-04	220	Rutgers - 2
61	Marcus Cannon	T	27	6-05	335	TCU - 4
71	Cameron Fleming	T	22	6-06	318	Stanford - 1
77	Nate Solder	T	27	6-08	320	Colorado - 4
76	Sebastian Vollmer	T	30	6-08	320	Houston - 6
63	Mackenzy Bernadeau	G	29	6-04	333	Bentley College - 7
65	Manny Ramirez	G	32	6-03	320	Texas Tech - 8
70	Onaje Asante	C/G	21	6-03	303	Wisconsin - R
66	Bryan Stork	C/G	24	6-04	300	Florida State - 1
53	J.C. Tretter	C/G	25	6-04	307	Cornell - 2
#	DEFENSE	POS	AGE	HT	WT	COLLEGE - EXP
93	Josh Diaz	DE	21	6-05	264	North Texas - R
74	Dominique Easley	DE	23	6-02	288	Florida - 1
95	Chandler Jones	DE	25	6-05	265	Syracuse - 3
90	Zach Moore	DE	24	6-06	285	Concordia - 1
50	Rob Ninkovich	DE	31	6-02	260	Purdue - 9
97	Alan Branch	DT	30	6-06	325	Michigan - 8
72	Joe Velano	DT	26	6-02	300	Maryland - 2
75	Vince Wilfork	DT	33	6-02	325	Miami - 11
92	Lamar Walden	DL	20	6-04	270	Florida A&M - R
55	Akeem Ayers	LB	26	6-03	253	UCLA - 4
91	Jamie Collins	LB	25	6-03	250	Southern Miss - 2
54	Dont'a Hightower	LB	25	6-03	270	Alabama - 3
51	Jerod Mayo	LB	29	6-01	250	Tennessee - 7
99	Aevry Shepherd	LB	23	6-03	239	Wyoming - R
52	Brandon Spikes	LB	27	6-02	255	Florida - 5
58	Stevenson Sylvester	LB	27	6-02	231	Utah - 5
96	Stefan Thompson	LB	22	6-02	237	Georgia - R
25	Kyle Arrington	CB	29	5-10	190	Hofstra - 7
39	Brandon Browner	CB	31	6-04	221	Oregon State - 5
37	Alfonzo Dennard	CB	25	5-10	200	Nebraska - 3
24	Darrelle Revis	CB	30	5-11	198	Pittsburgh - 8
26	Logan Ryan	CB	24	5-11	195	Rutgers - 2
43	Lenny Buchanan	S	24	6-02	210	Vanderbilt - R
30	Duron Harmon	S	24	6-01	205	Rutgers - 2
32	Devin McCourty	S	28	5-10	195	Rutgers - 5
27	Tavon Wilson	S	25	6-00	215	Illinois
#	SPECIAL TEAMS	POS	AGE	HT	WT	COLLEGE - EXP
3	Stephen Gostkowski	K	31	6-01	215	Memphis - 9
9	Barry Ferrell	P	21	5-11	182	Memphis - R

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PATRIOTS OFFENSIVE STARTERS

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PATRIOTS DEFENSIVE STARTERS

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PATRIOTS FULL DEPTH CHART

New England Patriots Depth Chart - 2015
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	Edelman	Dobson	Boyce
TE	Gronkowski	Wright	Diaz
LT	Solder	Cannon	Fleming
LG	Bernadeau	Ramirez	Stork
C	Tretter	Stork	Asante
RG	Asante	Ramirez	Stork
RT	Vollmer	Fleming	Cannon
WR	LaFell	Ford	Underwood
QB	Brady	Garoppolo
FB	Develin	Diaz
HB	Ridley	Blount	Gray	Greer

Offense: No real surprises here. Ridley is listed as the starter but expect a near even split between Blount and Ridley with Gray and even Greer getting in on the action. Edelman and LaFell are the top two receivers but Dobson and Ford will get plenty of action. Gronkowski will get the bulk of the work at tight end but Wright and even rookie Diaz will get a lot of chances in this offense. Across the offensive line it’s pretty much as expected. Ramirez gives the Pats a lot of flexibility on the inside if there’s an injury or if someone struggles. Cannon and Fleming are

New England Patriots Depth Chart - 2015
3-3-5 Defense
		2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	Ninkovich	Easley	Moore
NT	Wilfork	Walden	Branch	Vellano
RDE	Jones	Easley	Moore
LOLB	Collins	Ayers	Sylvester
MLB	Mayo	Spikes	Thompson	Ayers
ROLB	Hightower	Sylvester	Ayers
CB	Revis	Dennard
S	Harmon	Buchanan	Wilson
CB	Ryan	Dennard	Arrington
S	McCourty	Harmon	Wilson
CB	Browner	Arrington

Defense: New England has listed a 3-3-5 set as their primary defense but with Spikes and Walden in the mix expect plenty of 4-3 and 3-4 sets. Duron Harmon held off rookie Buchanan for the second starting safety spot but Buchanan will certainly see some reps. The Patriots defensive depth gives them a plethora of options and allows them to adjust their gameplan to their opponent.

New England Patriots Depth Chart - 2015
Special Teams
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
K	Gostkowski	Ferrell
P	Ferrell	Gostkowski
PR	Greer	Edelman
KR	Greer	Edelman
LS	Asante	Tretter

Special Teams: Greer is listed as the primary return man but we’re expecting a short leash on him as Edelman has been explosive as a returner over the years. Ferrell, who beat out incumbent Ryan Allen for the punting job, could also be on a short leash as Ryan is just a phone call away.

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Around the NFL
2015 Season Preview Series


RUSSELL WILSON, SEAHAWKS QUARTERBACK


REPEAT CONTENDERS

When the Seahawks demolished the Broncos in the Superbowl two season ago people took notice. When they came up short last year people noticed again. Especially people in the Seattle front office. Not willing to accept another year without a Lombardi Trophy the Seahawks made some moves that have brought them to the forefront of the NFC if not the entire league.

First, they signed an experienced veteran backup quarterback in Carson Palmer. "Not only is he a great backup to Russell but he also acts as another coach for us. He's taught Russell, and us, a lot already." Head Coach Pete Carroll said.

WIDE RECEIVER KENNY BRITT IS A KEY ADDITION TO SEATTLE'S ROSTER

After that they completely overhauled their group of wide receivers. Seattle signed Kenny Britt, Hakeem Nicks and Cecil Shorts in a span of three days. The moves give them a dangerous, veteran receiving corps, the one thing the team lacked.

As for the rest of the offense it was all about keeping the band together.

Defensively the team looks pretty much the same as it has the past few years. However, they did make one notable addition. Outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who comes over from the 49ers after they decided to let him walk. Fellow veteran linebackers Jon Beason and Spencer Paysinger also come aboard for depth at the position.

The team did part ways with cornerback Byron Maxwell, now in Oakland, but they feel Jeremy Lane is ready to step in across from Richard Sherman.

"We have all the pieces in place, we just need to put it all together." Coach Carroll said.

When asked if he felt the team was in a position to win another championship runningback Marshawn Lynch replied "Yeah."

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Around the NFL
2015 Season Preview Series


PEYTON MANNING IS BACK FOR HIS 18TH SEASON


OLD TIMERS

After the dust had settled and Peyton Manning and the Broncos were out of the playoffs the speculation that the 39 year old passer was ready to hang up the cleats began almost immediately. Manning had thrown for "only" 33 touchdowns, his lowest number as a Bronco. Manning did his best to dodge the subject and said only "I don't know yet, we don't know." when asked directly if he would be back for another season.

TOM BRADY IS ALSO BACK FOR MORE

In New England the scene was much the same. Tom Brady and the Patriots were knocked out of the playoffs by Baltimore in the first round and minutes after the final gun the so called experts were shouting at the top of their lungs that Brady was finished. They cited a career-high 17 interceptions and ignored the 35 touchdowns and 4,565 yards.

Brady's answers were much more direct. "I'm not done. I'll be back." He said immediately following the playoff loss.

At 38 years old Brady is still one of the top quarterbacks in the league.

There's no doubt that football, like most sports, is a young man's game. There's plenty of room for two of the best to ever play the position, even if hey are old timers.

[djp73]

Around the NFL
2015 Season Preview Series

Conference Breakdown
AFC

AFC East
1. Patriots
2. Bills
3. Dolphins
4. Jets

AFC North
1. Steelers
2. Ravens
3. Bengals
4. Browns

AFC South
1. Colts
2. Texans
3. Titans
4. Jaguars

AFC West
1. Broncos
2. Chiefs
3. Chargers
4. Raiders

Playoff Teams
1. Patriots
2. Broncos
3. Colts
4. Steelers
5. Ravens
6. Bills

AFC Championship
Broncos over Patriots

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Around the NFL
2015 Season Preview Series

Conference Breakdown
NFC

NFC East
1. Eagles
2. Cowboys
3. Redskins
4. Giants

NFC North
1. Lions
2. Packers
3. Vikings
4. Bears

NFC South
1. Panthers
2. Saints
3. Falcons
4. Buccaneers

NFC West
1. Seahawks
2. 49ers
3. Cardinals
4. Rams

Playoff Teams
1. Seahawks
2. Lions
3. Eagles
4. Panthers
5. 49ers
6. Packers

NFC Championship
Seahawks over Packers

[djp73]

Around the NFL
2015 Season Preview Series

SUPERBOWL PREDICTION

Broncos over Seahawks

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Patriots Report

Patriots at Bills Preview
@
0-0-------0-0
Ralph Wilson Stadium – Orchard Park, New York
Monday, September 7th, 2015 – 7:00PM


COLT MCCOY IS THE BILLS STARTING QB

This week the Patriots travel to Orchard Park, New York to battle the division rival Bills in the early game of week one's Monday Night Football double header. Both teams will be looking to build momentum for the season as well as seeing how their new pieces work together in their first meaningful game.

Players to Watch
For Buffalo all eyes will be on quarterback Colt McCoy, who comes into the season as a starter for the first time in his career. If McCoy can play smart, mistake free football the Bills should be able to cover up his deficiencies with a decent running game and a solid defense. Sammy Watkins will be his go to guy for the most part. On defense the Bills have stars everywhere. Defensive tackle Marcell Dareus is one of the best in the league as is defensive end Mario Williams. At linebacker Nigel Bradham and Kiko Alonso are two of the best young outside linebackers in the league.

Tale of the Tape
N/A in Week One

Injury Report
NE - None
BUF - HB Bryce Brown, RT Seantrel Henderson, RE Wallace Gilberry, SS Aaron Williams

Outlook
The Bills come into the 2015 season with a new look on offense. Quarterback Kyle Orton is now Big Ben’s backup in Pittsburgh. His departure forced the Bills to think about just how much confidence they had in E.J. Manuel to lead the team. That answer was apparently not very much as the team elected to sign Colt McCoy and Mark Sanchez in the offseason. McCoy won a heated battle in the preseason and will be the starter for now.

Elsewhere on the offensive side of the ball the Bills have shaken things up in the backfield with C.J. Spiller out in Minnesota. Fred Jackson and Daniel Thomas are likely to get the bulk of the work while Bryce Brown recovers from an injury.

Buffalo’s biggest addition on the offensive side of the ball is veteran wide receiver Pierre Garcon. Garcon will start aside from Sammy Watkins, who caught 63 passes for 805 yards and 4 touchdowns as a rookie. Former Patriot Benjamin Watson will start at tight end.

The Bills have a new look on the offensive line with left tackle Cordy Glenn the only returning starter from 2014.

On defense the Bills return all but one of their starting front seven from 2013 with Nate Irving, formerly of the Broncos, replacing Brandon Spikes who returned to the Patriots.

Corey Graham and Stephon Gilmore are the starting cornerbacks and there’s a big drop off after that. The Patriots should have a big advantage in their three and four receiver sets. Starting safety Aaron Williams is out with a pulled groin. Darian Stewart, who came over from Baltimore, and rookie Gant Tucker are the starting safeties.

Game Prediction
If the Patriots offensive line can keep Tom Brady upright he should have no trouble picking apart the Bills pass defense. New England’s defense shouldn’t have much trouble with Colt McCoy. Expect the Patriots to win comfortably.

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Patriots @ Bills
Ralph Wilson Stadium – Orchard Park, New York
Monday, September 7th, 2015 – 7:00PM


GRONKOWSKI CELEBRATES HIS SECOND TD

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
New England Patriots [0-0]	7	7	0	10	24
Buffalo Bills [0-0]	0	3	0	0	3

Patriots stampede Bills

The Patriots were victorious in their week one contest in Buffalo. New England only put up 24 points in the win but they looked far more dominant than the 24-3 final score would indicate.

Tom Brady threw a pair of touchdowns to tight end Rob Gronkowski, who hauled in a total of 5 passes for 61 yards.

The Pats rolled up 324 yards of total offense while holding the Bills to just 151. Bills QB Colt McCoy was injured early in the contest leading to E.J. Manuel stepping in. Manuel briefly ignited the stagnant Bills offense with his legs but it was far from enough.

“It’s always good to start off the season with a win. We’re going to go back to work and get ready for Dallas.” Bill Belichick said after the win.

If there was one are of concern for the Patriots it was the run game. New England managed just 88 yards on the ground with Stevan Ridley’s 44 yards leading the way. LeGarrette Blount picked up 39 yards in the win.

“We need to make some improvements in the run game, no question about that.” Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniel acknowledged in the post game press conference.

The Patriots will play host to the Dallas Cowboys in week two.

Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
NE R. Gronkowski 19 Yd pass from T. Brady (S. Gostkowski kick)
2nd Quarter
NE L. Blount 3 Yd run (S. Gostkowski kick)
BUF D. Carpenter 48 Yd FG
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
NE R. Gronkowski 4 Yd pass from T. Brady (S. Gostkowski kick)
NE S. Gostkowski 26 Yd FG

Key Player Stats

T. Brady 22/27 244Yds 2TD
S. Ridley 13Car 44Yds
L. Blount 11Car 39Yds TD
J. Edelman 6Re 63Yds
R. Gronkowski 5Rec 61Yds 2TD
B. LaFell 4Rec 44Yds
D. Hoghtower 7Tkl
R. Ninkovich 3Tkl 3Sck
V. Wilfork 3Tkl 2Sck
C. Jones 1Tkl 1Sck


C. McCoy 4/5 36Yds
E. Manuel 3/3 35Yds, 4Car 55Yds
F. Jackson 12Car 38Yds
R. Woods 3Rec 38Yds
D. Moore 2Rec 29Yds
N. Irving 14Tkl
N. Robey 1Tkl, 1Sck
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Current Record: 1-0
Next Week: vs. vs Dallas Cowboys (1-0)