GAME NOTES: Final Patriots Drive Falls Short in Defeat to Dolphins

The following game notes are courtesy of Patriots Media Relations:

BRADY PASSES JOHN ELWAY FOR FIFTH PLACE IN NFL HISTORY FOR PASS COMPLETIONS

Tom Brady (4,150) moved past John Elway (4,123) for fifth place on the NFL’s all-time completion list. He entered the Miami game needing eight pass completions to pass Elway and passed him on a short pass to RB Shane Vereen in the first quarter.

MOST PASS COMPLETIONS IN NFL HISTORY

• Brett Favre                   6,300
• Peyton Manning             5,475
• Dan Marino                   4,967
• Drew Brees                   4,388
• Tom Brady                  4,150
• John Elway                   4,123
• Warren Moon               3,988

BRADY PASSES FOR 4,000 YARDS FOR THE SIXTH TIME

Brady passed for 364 yards to push his 2013 total to 4,049 passing yards for the season and push him to 4,000 yards in a season for the sixth time in his career. He joins Dan Marino (6), Brett Favre (6), Drew Brees (8) and Peyton Manning (13) as the only players to have at least five seasons with 4,000 passing yards.

All-time 4,000-yard passing seasons

• 13   Peyton Manning
• 08   Drew Brees
• 06   Tom Brady
• 06   Dan Marino
• 06   Brett Favre
• 05   Philip Rivers

BRADY RECORDS 59th CAREER 300-YARD GAME

Brady threw for 364 yards for his 59th NFL game with 300 or more yards passing and his sixth of the 2013 season. It was Brady’s fourth straight 300-yard game and his fifth in the last six weeks. His 300-yard game total ranks third among active NFL quarterbacks, behind NFL-leader Peyton Manning (83) and Drew Brees (76). The Patriots are 48-11 when Brady throws for 300 or more yards.

PATRIOTS SCORE ON FIRST DRIVE OF THE GAME FOR FIRST TIME SINCE OCT. 20

The Patriots opened the game with a 16-play, 83-yard drive that drive that resulted in a 22-yard field goal. It is the first time the Patriots scored on their first possession since Oct. 20 at the New York Jets when RB Brandon Bolden finished a 10-play 80-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown.

KLYE ARRINGTON REGISTERS FIRST NFL SACK

CB Kyle Arrington registered his first NFL sack on a 4-yard drop of Miami QB Ryan Tannehill in the second quarter.

TE MICHAEL HOOMANAWANUI SCORES FIRST TOUCHDOWN AS A PATRIOT

TE Michael Hoomanawanui caught his first touchdown pass as a member of the Patriots when he scored on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the second quarter. It is his fourth touchdown of his NFL career and the first since he caught three touchdown passes as a rookie with St. Louis in 2010.

BRADY FOURTH STRAIGHT GAME WITH 300 YARDS PASSING

Tom Brady had his fourth straight game with 300 or more passing yards, after having thrown for 344 yards against Denver on Nov. 24, 371 yards at Houston on Dec. 1 and 418 yards vs. Cleveland on Dec. 8.  Brady’s personal record for most 300-yard games is five straight in 2009.  Brady has thrown for 300 or more yards five times in the last five six, also having totaled 432 yards against Pittsburgh on Nov. 3. 

GOSTKOWSKI HAS 23 STRAIGHT FOURTH QUARTER FIELD GOALS

Stephen Gostkowski has made 23 consecutive fourth-quarter field goals, including a 24-yarder in the fourth quarter today against Miami.

EDELMAN HAS FIFTH CAREER 100-YARD GAME

Julian Edelman had 13 catches for 139 receiving yards, marking his fifth career 100-yard receiving game and his fourth such game this season. He had 118 yards receiving at Atlanta on Sept. 29, 2013, 110 vs. Denver on Nov. 24, 2013 and 101 at Houston on Dec. 2, 2013

EDLEMAN HAS SECOND 10-PLUS CATCH GAME OF THE SEASON; THIRD OF CAREER

WR Julian Edelman tied a career-high with his 13 receptions. He also had 13 receptions vs. the New York Jets on Sept. 12, 2013. It is his third 10-catch game of his career. He also had 10 receptions at Houston on Jan. 3, 2010 during his rookie season.

EDELMAN SETS CAREER-HIGH WITH 139 RECEIVING YARDS

Edelman set a career-high with his 139 receiving yards. His previous best was his 118 yards at Atlanta on Sept. 29, 2013.

TWO PLAYERS OVER 100 YARDS FOR FOURTH TIME IN 2013

The Patriots had at least two players finish with 100 yards receiving for the fourth time in 2013 after Danny Amendola finished with 131 and Edelman had 139.

2013 games with two receivers reaching 100 yards

• Julian Edelman (118) and Kenbrell Thompkins(127) at Atlanta (9/29/13)
• Rob Gronkowski (143), Aaron Dobson (130) and Danny Amendola (122) vs. Pittsburgh (11/3/13)
• Julian Edelman (101) and Rob Gronkowski (127) at Houston (12/01/13)

CHANDLER JONES ADDS HIS 11TH SACK OF THE SEASON

DE Chandler Jones dropped Miami QB Ryan Tannehill for an 8-yard sack in the second quarter to increase his 2013 sack total to 11.5. It is the most sacks by a Patriots player since Mike Vrabel had 12.5 sacks in 2007.

PATRIOTS 10-PLUS SACK SEASONS

Sacks       Player                        Year

12.0       Tony McGee          1977

10.0       Bobby Hamilton      1977

11.5       Tony McGee          1978

10.5       Tony McGee          1979

18.5       Andre Tippett        1984

16.5       Andre Tippett        1985

10.0       Garin Veris           1985

11.0       Garin Veris           1986

12.5       Andre Tippett        1987

11.0       Willie McGinest      1995

12.5       Mike Vrabel          2007

10.0       Tully Banta-Cain     2009

10.0       Mark Anderson       2011

10.0       Andre Carter         2011

11.5         Chandler Jones      2013

DANNY AMEDNOOLA HAS SECOND 10-PLUS CATCH GAME OF 2013

WR Danny Amendola had 10 receptions for 131 yards. It hit his fifth career 10-catch game and the second of 2013. He also had 10 receptions at Buffalo on Sept. 8, 2013.

AMENDOLA HAS THIRD 100-YARD GAME OF 2013

Amendola finished with 131 receiving yards, his third 100-yard game of 2013. He had 122 yards vs. Pittsburgh and 104 yards at Buffalo. It is his fifth 100-yard game of his NFL career.

Double Trouble

Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola were racking up yards against the Dolphins today. Edelman caught 13 passes for 139 yards and Amendola hauled in 10 receptions for 131 yards, marking the first time in Patriots history that two receivers had 10 plus receptions and 125 plus yards in the same game.

Date                Player                         Opp.    Rec.     Yds.     TD

12/15/2013        Julian Edelman              MIA      13         139       1

12/15/2013        Danny Amendola          MIA      10         131       0

Closing Time

The Patriots have been scoring fourth quarter points at torrid pace in 2013, putting up 139 points through the first 14 games, the second most through 13 games in team history. If the offense keeps their current pace of roughly 10 points per fourth quarter they will have scored the second most fourth quarter points in a season with 159.