Patriots/Roughriders Updates:

Preseason Game 4 v. NY Giants (9/3/09):

The Patriots wrapped up the preseason schedule on a beautiful night for football at Gillette. The final game before the regular season generally features the backups and guys who are fighting for one of the few open roster spots. Earlier in the week the Patriots cut ties with backup quarterback Kevin O’Connell, so this game would be a showcase for either Brian Hoyer or Ken Walter as Brady’s backup. In two days, teams need to be down to 53 players so this game is the last chance for the hopefuls to impress. The Giants received the opening kickoff and started out at their 25. Coughlin elected to play his first team to start out while the Pats’ second team was on the field. On second down, Manning hit Kevin Boss over the middle for 41 yards. From the 20, Manning found Sinorice Moss on the left side and Moss caught it at the 5 and took it in from there. Moss torched Chung something awful on the play. Brian Hoyer started out as quarterback with the second team while the Giants’ first defense started the game. The Patriots went three and out and the Giants took over at their 46. The Giants moved the ball to the 12 where David Carr connected with Moss in the right corner for a touchdown to make it 14-0 Giants six minutes into the game. Once more, Moss exploited Chung on the play. The Patriots started out their next possession at the 29. Justin Tuck buried Hoyer and the Pats had to punt out again. On the Giants’ next possession, Carr hit Hakeem Nicks with a 64-yard touchdown pass and the G-Men were up 21-0. On the play, Nicks worked Love like a violin, bumping him at the sideline then leaping up to make the catch and race to the end zone. On the ensuing kickoff, Matt Slater appeared to injure his arm on the return and was in a lot of pain. The Giants started their next drive at the 9. Carr easily picked apart the Pats’ secondary, moving the ball out to midfield as the first quarter came to an end.

The Patriots were able to move the ball from deep in their territory to midfield on their first drive of the quarter, but the drive stalled and they had to kick out. Brandon McGowan intercepted Woodson’s pass at the 28 and ran it in from there and the Patriots were finally on the board at 21-7. With a minute-plus left in the half, the Giants settled for a 46-yard field goal from Tynes to make it 24-7. On the ensuing kickoff, Terrence Nunn returned the ball past midfield. From there, Hoyer hit Greg Lewis down the left sideline to the 1. On third and goal, BJGE went off right tackle and into the end zone to make it 24-14.

The Patriots opened up the second half with the ball and Hoyer was able to effective move the ball, as he connected twice with Nunn to move the ball into the red zone. An unnecessary roughness call against the Giants moved the ball to the 8, where Hoyer hit Robert Ortiz with a bullet on a post pattern and it was now 24-21. On the Giants’ next possession, Chung was hit with a pass interference call against Barden that moved the ball out to the 40, but the drive stalled on two incompletions and the Patriots took over on their 13. Hoyer was able to move the ball to the Giants’ 30 on a series of passes to BJGE, Aiken and Nunn. From there, Gostkowski knocked in a 46-yard field goal to tie the score at 24.

The Giants started the fourth quarter by moving the ball into Patriots’ territory on a series of short passed by Woodson. From the 27, Woodson hit Barden over the middle to the 10, but the drive stalled there and they had to settle for a 25-yard field goal to make it 27-24. The Patriots started out their next drive at the 20. From there, they moved the ball to midfield, where Hoyer connected with Aiken down to the 6. On third and goal from the 1, a quarterback keeper fell just short, so they went for it on fourth and goal and BJGE went off right tackle for the touchdown and the Pats were ahead 31-27. The Patriots got the ball back and moved the ball across midfield. From the 35, BJGE went off left tackle and took it to the house and with 2:39 left went up 38-27. The Giants had one last gasp with their fourth-stringer, Rhett Bomar at the controls. Bomar was able to move the ball to the Patriots’ 11, but Bomar’s pass was intercepted by Jones (who took a wicked hit). From the 10, the Pats killed the clock and came away with a highly entertaining comeback win. Sure, preseason games (especially the last one) are not indicative of regular season success but personnel questions have to be answered and for two bubble guys, the answer was resoundingly affirmative.


Roughriders Game 9 vs. Winnipeg:

After last week’s bye, the Riders returned to a packed house at Mosaic for the “Labour Day Classic” against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Riders came out resplendent in their 1960’s retro look. There was a mixup on the coin toss as the Riders elected to defer and the Bombers kicked off. The kick went into the end zone and the Riders conceded a single (1-0). On second and 10, Bob Bagg made a spectacular one-handed leaping catch for a first down. Wes Cates ran for another first down on 2nd and 3. On the next play, Durant found Bagg on the left sideline for another first down. Cates then ran it up the gut for 23 yards to the 15. From the 10, Durant scrambled off right end to the goal line. Stephen Jyles came in and ran the quarterback option up the middle for a touchdown. With the point after the Riders went up 7-1. The Bombers opened their first drive at their 39 with former Patriot Michael Bishop at the controls. Bishop was able to move the ball into Riders’ territory on a couple of runs by Fred Reid (who set a CFL single-game rushing record with 260 against BC last week). The Bombers moved it as far as Saskatchewan’s 41 and Alexis Serna hit a 48-yard field goal to make it 7-4. Armstead returned the ensuing kickoff to the 35. On second down, Durant hit Bagg on the left side for another first down. Cates went off right tackle for another 11, bringing the ball to midfield. On second-and-five from midfield, Durant hit Jaron Walker for a first down then Dressler went around left end for another first down to the 30. Another completion to Bagg brought the ball to the 22. A pass interference call against Winnipeg’s Hefney brought the ball to the 3. From there, Cates went off left guard into the end zone and the Riders went up 14-4. The Bombers started off their next drive with great field position at the Riders’ 49. On second down, Bishop was sacked by Chick and the Bombers had to kick out. The Riders took over at their 15 and Durant hit Cates over the middle for 10 as the first quarter expired.

From the 25, the drive stalled and the Riders had to punt out. The Bombers started out at their 30 and on second down Bryant fumbled, Korengay recovered and the Riders took over at the Winnipeg 30. Luca Congi ended up kicking a 21-yard field goal and the Riders went up 17-4. After a two and out by Winnipeg, the Riders took over at their 40. On the first play of the drive, Durant connected with Dressler for 10, then with Clermont for 8. Doug Brown then sacked Durant for a 9 yard loss and the Riders then had to punt away. Boreham’s coffin-corner kick perfectly bounced into the end zone and out of bounds for a single, putting the Riders ahead by two touchdowns. Bishop moved the ball into Riders territory on a nice completion to Edwards, but Chick sacked Bishop again and the Bombers had to punt out. On third-and-1 from their 20, Coach Miller decided to go for it and Jyles pushed across to the 22 on a quarterback keeper for the first down. From the 28, Durant scrambled off right tackle on the option for another first down. The dive fizzled out and Boreham sent a booming punt that sent the Bombers inside their 20. Bishop was able to get to the 40 before being nearly intercepted by Frazier and having to punt away. In the waning moments of the half, Durant was intercepted by Lenny Walls and Winnipeg took at the 41. With 12 seconds remaining, Bishop rolled right and hit Bowman down to the 1. From there, the Bombers tried a rush up the middle and he was stoned cold by Chick!
The Bombers received the opening kickoff of the second half and started their opening drive at their 40. Adams was caught on a horse-collar tackle on the first play and there was some pushing and shoving between Adams and Bishop. On second down, Reid moved the ball 18 yards on a draw play into Rider territory. Bishop connected with Edwards for a first down then Omarr Morgan was called for a late hit that brought the ball to the 15. From the 10, Serna kicked another field goal to make it 18-7. The Riders started their first drive of the half at the 30. Durant was sacked by Walls and Smith on first down for and 8 yard loss. From the 22, Durant was intercepted by Lobendahn but Coach Miller challenged the ruling on the field and his challenge was upheld though the call didn’t prevent the drive from stalling. The Bombers fumbled the punt and Jerrell Freeman recovered at the 54. On the first play, Cates took a shovel pass and carried down to the 35, but with the wind in their faces, decided to punt away. Bishop then successfully moved the offense down field, and connected with Bowman on an 18-yard touchdown pass to make things tight at 18-14. Congi then attempted a 42-yard field goal that went wide left and the Bombers returned the kick to the 40. On second and 12, Bishop was intercepted by Kornegay who returned the ball to the 15. On second down, Durant hit Dressler from the 13 with a low pass that Dressler scooped in the end zone and the Riders went up 25-14.

Moving into the fourth quarter, the Bombers started out their next drive at the 25 but went two and out on two Bishop incompletions. On Winnipeg’s next drive, Bishop was intercepted by Omarr Morgan who returned the ball to the 30. Durant moved the Rider offense into Winnipeg territory. A screen pass to Cates for 20 brought the ball to the 23. After a couple of shots at the end zone, Congi kicked a 29-yard field goal to put the Riders ahead 28-14 with seven minutes remaining. Winnipeg conceded a single on the ensuing kickoff and the Bombers were now in a 15-point hole. Kornegay tackled Reid behind the line of scrimmage on second down and the Bombers elected to punt away with five and a half left on the clock and their defense gassed. On the Bombers next drive, a couple of penalties set the ball back from the 35 to the 15, but Reis was able to carry out to the 25. On the next play, Bishop connected with Edwards over the middle to the Riders’ 43. From there, the Bombers moved the ball to the 9, where they went for it on third and 4. Bishop’s pass intended for Edwards was knocked away by Morgan and the Riders took over on downs. Winnipeg got the ball back at midfield with less than a minute remaining and Kornegay intercepted Bishop’s pass on first down, and all that remained was for Durant to take a knee and the Riders walked off with a very satisfying 29-14 win.

The Riders were able to limit Reid to 41 yards and the Bombers committed six turnovers. The key players for Saskatchewan today were Cates (160 total yards), Chick (2 sacks) and Kortegay (interception, several key tackles) and Durant (23-37-246, 1TD, 1 INT). The Riders need to follow up this victory with the same effort next week in Winnipeg in the renewal of the annual Banjo Bowl.