Randy Moss pointed to his name on the back of his jersey after
each touchdown catch, as if he needed to introduce himself to the fans who
rarely saw that kind of performance in his two seasons in Oakland.
Moss caught two of Matt Cassel’s career-high four touchdown passes in his first
game against the Raiders since his trade to New England last season, leading the
Patriots to a 49-26 victory Sunday.
“That’s just Randy being Randy,” said LaMont Jordan, who added a 49-yard
touchdown run against his former team. “I was definitely happy for him,
especially the way the Oakland media had no good things to say about him. … We
came here together to wear the Oakland uniform and to try to turn that program
around. It didn’t work out and we both left on bad terms.”
While Moss and Jordan got a dose of revenge against their former team, this week
was even more personal for Cassel, whose father, Greg, died Monday.
Cassel left the team briefly during the week to be with his family, but looked
sharp by completing 18 of 30 passes for 218 yards. He received a warm hug from
coach Bill Belichick after the game and cradled a ball as he walked to the
locker room. Cassel thanked the team for the support he got but did not want to
address anything else about his emotions...more
Video Recap: The New England Patriots took control of the
game early against the Oakland Raiders and came away with the 49-26 win. Kevin
Harlan and Rich Gannon recap all the action
Matt Cassel passed to Kevin Faulk down the middle for 7
yard gain (Stephen Gostkowski made PAT)
7 - 0
7:57
NE
TD
Matt Cassel passed to Randy Moss to the left for 20 yard
gain (Stephen Gostkowski made PAT)
14 - 0
3:43
NE
TD
Sammy Morris rushed up the middle for 29 yard gain
(Stephen Gostkowski made PAT)
21 - 0
1:34
OAK
TD
JaMarcus Russell passed to Johnnie Lee Higgins down the
middle for 56 yard gain (Sebastian Janikowski made PAT)
21 - 7
2nd Quarter
13:12
NE
TD
Matt Cassel passed to Wes Welker down the middle for 13
yard gain (Stephen Gostkowski made PAT)
28 - 7
12:59
OAK
TD
NE kicked off, Justin Miller returned kickoff for 91
yards (Sebastian Janikowski made PAT)
28 - 14
12:46
NE
TD
OAK kicked off, Ellis Hobbs returned kickoff for 95
yards (Stephen Gostkowski made PAT)
35 - 14
3rd Quarter
11:36
NE
TD
Matt Cassel passed to Randy Moss down the middle for 9
yard gain (Stephen Gostkowski made PAT)
42 - 14
5:01
OAK
TD
JaMarcus Russell passed to Ronald Curry to the right for
10 yard gain (Sebastian Janikowski missed PAT)
42 - 20
4th Quarter
6:09
NE
TD
LaMont Jordan rushed to the right for 49 yard gain
(Stephen Gostkowski made PAT)
49 - 20
1:53
OAK
TD
Darren McFadden rushed to the left for 11 yard gain (2pt
attempt failed, JaMarcus Russell pass to Chaz Schilens)
49 - 26
Team Statistics
NE
OAK
First Downs
28
19
Passing
15
12
Rushing
11
6
Penalty
2
1
Third Down Efficiency
8-13
5-13
Fourth Down Efficiency
0-0
1-2
TOTAL NET YARDS
487
334
Total Plays
71
62
Average Gain Per Play
6.9
5.4
NET YARDS RUSHING
277
116
Rushes
39
27
Average Per Rush
7.1
4.3
NET YARDS PASSING
210
218
Completions-Attempts
18-30
17-33
Yards Per Pass Play
6.6
6.2
Times Sacked
2
2
Yards Lost to Sacks
8
24
Had Intercepted
1
1
PUNTS
3
6
Average Punt
36.0
43.5
PENALTIES
4
7
Penalty Yards
20
45
FUMBLES
0
2
Fumbles Lost
0
0
TIME OF POSSESSION
30:41
29:19
Pregame Previews, Storylines,
and News
New Page 1
Preview:
With their margin for
error all but nonexistent as
they chase their sixth straight
playoff berth, the New England
Patriots were hoping to avoid
any distractions while they
spent the week in California
preparing for their next game.
Instead, they'll face what's
likely a must-win Sunday in
Oakland with a grieving starting
quarterback, an injury-ravaged
defense and a wide receiver
facing his former team for the
first time since their bitter
split. The bevy of roadblocks
almost seems fitting in what has
been a roller-coaster season
from the start...
Prediction: The Pats failed
to cover last week in Seattle. With such a patchwork lineup, they'll likely get
the win on Sunday but the Raiders will keep it close, still once again we have
to remember its the Raiders Patriots 26 - Raiders 17
Video Preview: The Patriots
stay out west this week to take on the Raiders. Jason Horowitz and Charley
Casserly take an inside look at this AFC showdown
Patriots-Raiders prediction roundup
Boston Globe
Anyone who rushed out to buy those Patriots silver
jerseys probably shouldn’t be welcomed back into the club so easily. On that
note, it’s now been a ...
7.2
27.5