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The 2007 New England Patriots season is the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 48th season overall. The team will try to improve upon its 12-4 record in 2006 after finishing first place in the AFC East but losing to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game.

Offseason

Death of Marquise Hill

On May 28, Patriots defensive end and former second-round pick Marquise Hill died after a jetskiing accident the night before on Lake Pontchartrain, north of Hill's hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. Both Patriots players and management attended Hill's funeral on June 1, as well as Hill's former coach Nick Saban.

Coaching changes

A departure from previous offseasons, Bill Belichick's 2007 coaching staff remained generally unscathed. Wide receivers coach Brian Daboll left to become the quarterbacks coach for the New York Jets and was replaced by Director of Pro Personnel Nick Caserio. Former Duke University offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien was also hired as an offensive assistant. A former special teams contributor for the Patriots, linebacker Don Davis retired and joined the coaching staff as an assistant strength and conditioning coach.

Departures

Free agency saw the departure of two 2006 starters for the Patriots, as tight end Daniel Graham signed with the Denver Broncos and linebacker Tully Banta-Cain signed with the San Francisco 49ers. Running back Corey Dillon, the Patriots' leading rusher in 2006, was released on March 2. Safety Tebucky Jones was also released early in the offseason. Another unorthodox departure came when punter Todd Sauerbrun signed with the Denver Broncos. When Sauerbrun was signed by the Patriots in December 2006, he agreed to a right of first refusal, meaning that the Patriots could match any offer by any other team made in the subsequent offseason. When the unrestricted free agent signing period came, the Broncos tendered Sauerbrun, but the Patriots exercised their right and matched the offer. However, the Broncos argued that the Patriots had never signed a separate document for the right of first refusal and ordered a hearing before an NFL special master. The Broncos won this hearing and Sauerbrun was allowed to sign with the Broncos. After spending all of training camp with the team, veteran punter Josh Miller was released on August 16.

Signings

The offseason brought the arrival of seven unrestricted free agents to the Patriots. Additions on offense were running back Sammy Morris, tight end Kyle Brady, and wide receivers Donté Stallworth and Kelley Washington. Additions on defense were linebacker Adalius Thomas and cornerbacks Tory James and Eddie Jackson. Other arrivals were defensive linemen Rashad Moore (New York Jets), Kenny Smith (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), linebacker Chad Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers), tight end Marcellus Rivers (New Orleans Saints), and punter Chris Hanson (New Orleans Saints).

Free agents or potential free agents Heath Evans, Billy Yates, Larry Izzo, Rashad Baker, Gene Mruczkowski, Junior Seau, Randall Gay, Troy Brown, and Vinny Testaverde were all re-signed. Cornerback Asante Samuel was tendered the non-exclusive version of the franchise tag and signed it on August 28.

Trades

In the first week of free agency, the Patriots traded a second-round and a seventh-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft to the Miami Dolphins for wide receiver Wes Welker. A restricted free agent, Welker signed a five-year contract with the Patriots to complete the trade.

On the second day of the 2007 NFL Draft, the Patriots continued to add to their wide receiving corps by this time trading with the Oakland Raiders. A fourth-round pick in the draft was sent in exchange for wide receiver Randy Moss, who agreed to more than a $6 million USD pay cut.

During training camp, on August 7, the Patriots traded an undisclosed pick in the 2008 NFL Draft to the Chicago Bears for cornerback Dante Wesley.

2007 NFL Draft

The Patriots traded their original 5th round pick to the Oakland Raiders during the 2006 season for Doug Gabriel. They also traded Patrick Cobbs to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ross Tucker to the Cleveland Browns prior to the 2006 season for late-round conditional draft picks, but neither players made their respective rosters, and the Patriots received no compensation.

Undrafted free agents

The Patriots signed 9 undrafted free agents following the draft. Quarterback Matt Gutierrez was the only to make the Patriots' roster to start the season. Linebacker Justin Warren, safety Denny Poland, and tight end Jake Nordin were all released before training camp, while linebacker Kyle Bissinger was released during the preseason after suffering an injury. Defensive back Larry Anam, wide receiver Chris Dunlap, running back Quinton Smith, and defensive lineman Zach West were all released after the preseason.

External links

• Draft Page at Patriots.com

Rosters

Opening training camp

Week 1

Current

Coaching staff

Schedule

Preseason

Regular season

Divisional standings

Regular season results

Week 1: at New York Jets

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 84°F (Partly cloudy)
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Phil Simms (color commentator)
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• Game Attendance: 77,900

In the Patriots' fourth matchup with the Jets in their past 20 games, head coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots traveled to Giants Stadium to face former Patriots assistant coach and current Jets head coach Eric Mangini in the season opener. On the Patriots' first possession of the game, a 91-yard drive led to a 11-yard Wes Welker touchdown reception that put the Patriots in the lead, 7-0. On the ensuing drive, the Jets tied the game with a 7-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Laveranues Coles from quarterback Chad Pennington. The Patriots responded with a 73-yard drive late in the second quarter, finished by a Benjamin Watson 5-yard touchdown catch that gave the Patriots a 14-7 lead they would not surrender. Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs returned the opening kickoff of the second half 108 yards for a touchdown and a new NFL record for the longest kickoff return in the league's history. On their next possession, a 51-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Tom Brady to wide receiver Randy Moss gave the Patriots a 28-7 lead. After another Coles touchdown reception, this one from 1 yard out, the Patriots extended their lead to 31-14 with a 22-yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal. Late in the second half, running back Heath Evans dove into the endzone from 1 yard out for a touchdown and the final points of the game.

Spying investigation

On September 10, Bill Belichick was accused by the Jets of authorizing his staff to film the Jets' defensive signals, a violation of league rules. The Jets filed a complaint to the league office, detailing the accusations. Two days later, Belichick issued a statement "to apologize to everyone who has been affected," and also cited he spoke with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about Belichick's interpretation of the rule." On September 13, Belichick was fined $500,000, the maximum amount allowed under the NFL Constitution and By-Laws for the offense of illegal videotaping. The team was also fined $250,000. Additionally, the Patriots will forfeit either their first round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft if they make the playoffs or their second and third round selections if they don't make the playoffs.

Week 2: vs. San Diego Chargers

at Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts

• Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 55°F (Clear)
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels (play-by-play) and John Madden (color commentator)
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• Game Attendance: 68,756

In a rematch of their meeting in the 2006 divisional playoffs, the Chargers traveled to Foxboro to face the Patriots in their home opener. The game began with a touchdown on the Patriots' first series for the second consecutive week. This time, Brady hit Watson for a 7-yard touchdown pass to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead. On the first play of the ensuing Chargers possession, their first of the game, linebacker Rosevelt Colvin intercepted a Philip Rivers pass, but it did not translate into any points for the Patriots as Gostkowski then missed a 41-yard field goal attempt on the ensuing series. On their next possession, the Patriots capped off a 75-yard drive with a Moss 23-yard touchdown reception. Colvin then added a sack and forced fumble to his game statistics, as he strip-sacked Rivers and defensive lineman Vince Wilfork recovered the fumble for the Patriots' second forced turnover of the game. This set-up a 24-yard Gostkowski field goal to give the Patriots a 17-0 lead. By halftime, the score stood at 24-0 in the favor of the Patriots after linebacker Adalius Thomas intercepted a Rivers pass and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown. The Chargers responded with a 72-yard touchdown drive of their own to start the second half, but another Moss touchdown, this one from 23 yards out, gave the Patriots a 31-7 lead. The teams again traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter, with a 12-yard Antonio Gates reception for the Chargers and a 3-yard Sammy Morris run, culminating a drive that consumed over 10 minutes, provided the final points of the game. With their second 38-14 win of the the season, the Patriots' record stood at 2-0.

Week 3 vs. Buffalo Bills

at Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts

• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 74°F (Clear)
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Rich Gannon (color commentator)
• Referee: Scott Green
• Game Attendance: 68,756

Winless against the Patriots since 2003, the 0-2 Bills faced off against the Patriots in Foxboro. On the opening drive of the game, Wilfork was penalized for roughing the passer on Bills quarterback J. P. Losman, the tackle also leading to a sprained MCL for Losman and the entrance of Trent Edwards at quarterback for the Bills on their next possession. Two plays later, Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs sacked Losman, causing a fumble that set-up a 24-yard Gostkowski field goal. The Bills took the lead on a 12-play drive finished off with an 8-yard Marshawn Lynch touchdown run, but these points proved to be the only of the game for the Bills. In the second quarter, the Patriots drove to the Bills 3-yard line, but a Brady fumble on a rushing attempt kept the Patriots from scoring. Entering halftime, the Patriots held a 17-7 lead after touchdown receptions by Moss and Watson. A 4-yard touchdown run by Sammy Morris and a 4-yard Jabar Gaffney touchdown catch increased the Patriots' lead to 31-7 by the fourth quarter. A 45-yard touchdown catch by Moss finished the scoring, giving the Patriots their third 38-point offensive performance of the season as they improved their record to 3-0.

Week 4 at Cincinnati Bengals

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather:
• TV announcers (ESPN):
• Referee:
• Game Attendance:

Awards

• Week 1 NFL Special Teams Player of the Week Award - Ellis Hobbs
• Week 3 FedEx Express Player of the Week Award - Tom Brady

See also

• 2007 NFL season
• New England Patriots seasons

Notes and references

1. Patriots' Marquise Hill dead at 24 The Boston Globe. Accessed 15 June 2007.
2. Patriots' Hill is eulogized, laid to rest The Boston Globe. Accessed 15 June 2007.
3. New WR coach Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
4. O'Brien hired Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
5. Davis joins strong staff The Boston Herald. Accessed 15 June 2007.
6. Graham to Denver Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
7. TBC to S.F. Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
8. Dillon & salary cap Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
9. Tebucky released Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
10. Sauerbrun update Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
11. Sauerbrun to Denver Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
12. Miller cut Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 16 August 2007.
13. Morris agrees Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
14. Kyle Brady update Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
15. WR deals Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
16. Thomas in fold Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
17. James signing Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
18. Jackson's deal Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
19. Contract recaps Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
20. Pats moves Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 19 July 2007.
21. Rivers in mix Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 2 September 2007.
22. Punter move Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 2 September 2007.
23. Pats moves Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
24. Izzo's deal Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
25. Contract follow-up Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
26. Seau follow-up Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
27. Gay update Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
28. Troy's back with Pats The Boston Herald. Accessed 10 July 2007.
29. Hawkins released Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 27 August 2007.
30. Samuel tagged Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
31. Samuel in house Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 27 August 2007.
32. Pats acquire Welker Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
33. Trade confirmed Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
34. Moss contract Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
35. Trade confirmed Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 26 August 2007.
36. Gabriel to Pats Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
37. Pick update Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 15 June 2007.
38. Draft pick received in a trade from the Seattle Seahawks in 2006 for Deion Branch.
39. Draft pick received conditionally in a trade from the Arizona Cardinals in 2006 for Brandon Gorin.
40. Draft Trade Tracker NFL.com. Accessed 15 June 2007.
41. Roster breakdown Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 2 September 2007.
42. J. Warren released Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 7 August 2007.
43. Poland waived Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 7 August 2007.
44. Pats moves Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 2 September 2007.
45. Pats moves Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 26 August 2007.
46. Patriots cuts Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 2 September 2007.
47. Belichick issues apology, says he's spoken with Goodell ESPN.com. Accessed 12 September 2007.
48. Final ruling Boston.com Reiss' Pieces. Accessed 13 September 2007.
49. QB Nall Returns, Poz Placed On Injured Reserve BuffaloBills.com. Accessed 25 September 2007.

• 2007 National Football League season by team
• New England Patriots seasons