In-game notes

In-game notes, courtesy of the Patriots' media relations department:

SAMUEL RECORDS THIRD CAREER REGULAR-SEASON INTERCEPTION RETURN FOR TOUCHDOWN
Asante Samuel intercepted an A.J. Feeley pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown on the Eagles’ second offensive play of the game. The interception return for a touchdown was Samuel’s first of the season and was the third of his regular-season career. Samuel’s three regular-season interception returns for touchdowns rank third in Patriots history, trailing only Ty Law (6) and Tedy Bruschi (4). Samuel’s interception against Philadelphia was his team-leading fifth of the season and was the 21st of his regular-season career, tying him with Don Webb for 10th place on the Patriots’ all-time list. Samuel has also returned three interceptions for touchdowns in 11 career playoff games and his three playoff interceptions returned for touchdowns in the playoffs are tied with Oakland’s Willie Brown for the most in NFL history. Samuel’s six combined interceptions returned for touchdowns (three in the regular-season and three in the playoffs) rank second in franchise history to Ty Law’s seven (six in the regular season and one in the playoffs).

SAMUEL BECOMES 20th PATRIOT TO SCORE TOUCHDOWN THIS SEASON
Asante Samuel became the 20th Patriots player to score a touchdown in 2007. Samuel returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the game to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead. The NFL record for most players scoring a touchdown in a single season is 21, achieved by the 2000 Denver Broncos and the 1987 Los Angeles Rams. The following players have scored touchdowns for the Patriots this season - Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Benjamin Watson, Sammy Morris, Donte Stallworth, Kyle Brady, Tom Brady, Kyle Eckel, Ellis Hobbs, Mike Vrabel, Willie Andrews, Matt Cassel, Rosevelt Colvin, Heath Evans, Kevin Faulk, Jabar Gaffney, Randall Gay, Laurence Maroney, Adalius Thomas and Samuel.

SEVEN RETURNS FOR TOUCHDOWNS TIE HIGHEST TOTAL FOR PATRIOTS SINCE 1961
Asante Samuel’s interception return for a touchdown was New England’s seventh return touchdown of the season, tying the second highest total in team history and trailing only the Patriots’ eight return touchdowns in 1961. In addition to this season, the Patriots also had seven touchdowns via returns in 2003 and 2001. The 2007 Patriots have two interception returns for touchdowns, three fumble returns for touchdowns and two kickoff returns for touchdowns. Last season, the Patriots had one touchdown via return - a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Ellis Hobbs on Dec. 17, 2006.

MOSS MOVES INTO TOP 25 ON NFL’S ALL-TIME RECEPTIONS LIST
Randy Moss recorded his 744th career reception tonight, moving into the top 25 on the NFL’s all-time receptions list. On a 7-yard reception in the second quarter - his second catch of the day - Moss passed Andre Rison’s career total of 743 receptions to move into 25th place. Moss entered tonight’s game with 117 career touchdown receptions, a total that ranks fifth in NFL history.

GAFFNEY SCORES
Jabar Gaffney caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady with eight seconds left in the first half to give the Patriots a 24-21 halftime lead. The touchdown was the 10th scoring reception of his career and was Gaffney’s second scoring grab of the season. It was his first touchdown since scoring against Buffalo on Sept. 23.

EVANS SCORES
Heath Evans scored his second touchdown of the season and the third touchdown of his career on a 1-yard run in the first quarter to give the Patriots a 14-7 lead. Evans’s touchdown was the Patriots’ 11th rushing touchdown of the season, and his two rushing scores are tied for second on the team with Tom Brady and Kyle Eckel. Sammy Morris leads the Patriots with three rushing scores.

EVEN STEPHEN
Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 23-yard field goal in the second quarter to give the Patriots a 17-14 lead. The field goal raised his mark to 12-for-13 on the season (92.3 percent). As of halftime, Gostkowski has made 33 of his last 36 field goal tries (91.7 percent) since Nov. 5, 2006. That streak includes a perfect 8-for-8 performance in the 2006 playoffs.

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