The New England Patriots improved to 10-0 with a 20-13 win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football and will play in front of a nationally-televised audience for a second straight week when they travel to play the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football.
The Patriots have reached at least 10 regular-season wins for the 13th consecutive season in 2015. San Francisco (16 – 1983-1998) is the only other team to accomplish the feat.
Bill Belichick has now coached the Patriots to 13 straight seasons with 10 or more wins, adding to his NFL record. George Seifert has the second most consecutive 10-win seasons with eight from 1989-1996, with San Francisco. Belichick has twelve 11-win seasons and needs one more to tie Don Shula for the most 11-win seasons with 13.
Through 10 games, the Patriots have allowed 182 points, the fewest of any other NFL team in 2015. New England’s defense is allowing just 14 points per game over its last four contests and is allowing just 18.2 points per game on the season.
WHERE TO WATCH
- Tavern on Broadway turns the volume all the way up on their flat screens and has an amazing football munchies menu.
- Nikolas Pizza runs a great deal. A large one topping pizza, a dozen wings and 60oz pitcher of beer or sangria for $21.95. Full volume on the tv’s and the direct tv package.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION: This week’s game will be broadcast by NBC and can be seen locally on WHDH-TV Channel 7 in Boston. Al Michaels will handle play-by-play duties with Cris Collinsworth as the color analyst. Michele Tafoya will work the sidelines. The game will be produced by Fred Gaudelli and directed byDrew Esocoff.
NATIONAL RADIO: This week’s game will be broadcast to a national audience on Westwood One Sports. Kevin Kugler and James Lofton will call the game.
LOCAL RADIO: 98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for thePatriots Radio Network. Play-by-play broadcaster Bob Socci will call the action along with former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak, who will provide color analysis.
FINISHING STRONG
Since 2001, the Patriots have done a remarkable job of finishing the season strong, compiling an NFL-best 86-22 (.796) record in games on or after Thanksgiving. New England is the only team in the NFL with a win percentage above .700 over that span.
SERIES HISTORY
The New England Patriots and Denver Broncos will meet for the 50th time overall and for the seventh time since 2011, including four regular-season games and two playoff games. The Patriots are 5-1 in those games with the only loss coming in the 2013 AFC Championship Game, a 26-16 Denver win. This week’s game will also mark the Patriots first visit to Denver since then.
Last season, Denver traveled to Gillette Stadium on Nov. 2, 2014 with the Patriots taking a 43-21 victory.
The teams have met in the regular season in each of the last four years with the Patriots winning all four games. The teams met twice in 2011 and 2013 with a divisional postseason game in 2011 and the AFC Championship Game meeting in 2013.
The Patriots and Broncos have played in 45 regular-season games with Denver holding a 25-20 edge and four postseason games with Denver in front, 3-1.
The Patriots and Broncos will meet on Sunday Night Football for the fourth time overall and for the first time since 2013 when the Patriots came back from a 24-point deficit to beat the Broncos, 34-31, in overtime, the greatest comeback in team history.
The Patriots and Broncos have played in three divisional playoff games in addition to the 2013 AFC Championship Game. The Patriots’ one postseason victory was during the 2011 season at Gillette Stadium.
Of the 49 previous games in the series, 28 have been played in Denver. The Patriots are 9-19 in those games.
The Patriots have played more games against the Broncos than any other team that has never been in New England’s division.
The history between the teams dates back to the first days of the American Football League in 1960. The Patriots played the Broncos in the inaugural game of each franchise, a 13-10 Denver win on Sept. 9, 1960, at BU Field. The teams squared off twice a year in the decade prior to the AFL-NFL merger, except for 1967 and 1969.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
INCLUDING PLAYOFFS
Overall Record, 21-28 (Including 1-3 in playoffs)
Record in New England, 12-9
Record in Denver, 9-19 (Including 0-3 in playoffs)
Total Points in the Series, Denver 1,129, Patriots 1,074
Bill Belichick vs. Denver, 8-11 (7-7 with New England)
QUICK HITS
In Belichick’s first two wins at Denver (10/1/00 and 11/3/03), he took intentional safeties in the second half to help secure the win.
BRADY VS. DENVER
Tom Brady is 4-5 against the Broncos in the regular season and 1-2 against Denver in the postseason following a 2005 AFC Divisional playoff loss in Denver, the 2011 AFC Divisional victory at Gillette Stadium and the 2013 AFC Championship Game. Denver is the only team that Brady has a losing record against.
