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In-game notes

Email|Link|Comments (0) Posted by Mike Reiss, Globe Staff January 20, 2008 04:55 PM

In-game notes (as of halftime), courtesy of the Patriots' media relations staff:

COLDEST PATRIOTS GAME SINCE 2004 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
The temperature at kickoff of today’s game was 23 degrees with a wind chill of nine degrees. It is the coldest kickoff temperature for a Patriots game since the 2004 AFC Championship Game against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, when the kickoff temperature was 11 degrees with a wind chill of minus-one degree (Jan. 23, 2005). Today’s kickoff temperature marks the coldest Patriots home game since the a 2003 divisional playoff game against Tennessee, when the temperature was four degrees with a wind chill of minus-10 (Jan. 10, 2004). Today’s kickoff temperature of 23 degrees ties a Dec. 27, 1992 game against Miami as the seventh-coldest home game in Patriots history

SAMUEL INTERCEPTION SETS UP TOUCHDOWN
Asante Samuel intercepted a Philip Rivers pass intended for Chris Chambers in the second quarter and returned the interception 10 yards to give the Patriots possession on the Chargers’ 24-yard line and set up Jabar Gaffney’s 12-yard touchdown reception to give the Patriots a 14-6 lead. The interception was the fifth of Samuel’s 13-game playoff career. His five playoff interceptions rank second in Patriots history, trailing only Rodney Harrison’s team-record seven playoff interceptions. Samuel has five interceptions in his last seven playoff games dating back to the 2005 season.

GAFFNEY SCORES THIRD PLAYOFF TOUCHDOWN IN FIVE CAREER PLAYOFF GAMES
Jabar Gaffney gave the Patriots a 14-6 lead on a 12-yard touchdown reception from Tom Brady in the second quarter. The touchdown reception was the third of Gaffney’s playoff career and his first of the 2007 playoffs. Last season, Gaffney caught one touchdown pass in each of the Patriots’ final two playoff games, including a six-yard scoring grab in last season’s divisional playoff victory over San Diego. In the 2007 regular season, Gaffney totaled a career-high five touchdown receptions
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MARONEY SCORES TOUCHDOWN FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT GAME
Laurence Maroney scored on a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to give the Patriots a 7-3 lead. The touchdown was Maroney’s second in as many playoff games this season and marked his fifth consecutive game with a touchdown, including the final three regular-season games of the 2007 season and both of this season’s playoff games. Maroney’s five straight games with a rushing touchdown tie the third longest such streak in team history. Only Curtis Martin (seven straight games in 1996) and Robert Edwards (six straight games in 1998) have scored rushing touchdowns in more consecutive games for the Patriots.

SEAU RECORDS SECOND CAREER PLAYOFF SACK, FIRST SINCE SUPER BOWL XXIX
Junior Seau sacked Philip Rivers for a four-yard sack on third down in the first quarter, forcing a San Diego punt on the next play. The sack was the second of Seau’s eight-game playoff career can was his first playoff sack since Jan. 29, 1995, when he sacked San Francisco’s Steve Young in Super Bowl XXIX while playing for the San Diego Chargers.

HOBBS RECORDS FIRST CAREER PLAYOFF INTERCEPTION
Ellis Hobbs intercepted a Philip Rivers pass in the second quarter, recording his first career playoff interception. Hobbs’s first playoff interception came in his seventh career playoff game. His only interception of the 2007 regular season came in the finale against the New York Giants, and Hobbs now has two interceptions in his last three regular-season and playoff contests.

QUICK HITS ·

Tom Brady is starting his 16th career playoff game today. He entered today’s game with 99 career victories as a starting quarterback, including 86 regular-season victories and 13 playoff wins.

Tedy Bruschi is playing in his 21st career playoff game today. He has passed Troy Brown (20 playoff games) for the most playoff games played in Patriots history. Jerry Rice holds the NFL record with 29 career playoff games played

Randy Moss recorded a 14-yard rush in the first quarter. It was Moss’s first rushing attempt since 2003 and was the first rushing attempt of his 10-game playoff career.

Tedy Bruschi broke up a pass intended for Antonio Gates at the goal line with San Diego facing a second-and-goal in the second quarter, helping to force a field goal two plays later.

Kelley Washington leapt into the air and saved a Chris Hanson punt from going into the end zone for a touchback in the second quarter, allowing Kyle Eckel to down the ball at the Chargers’ 4-yard line.

The Patriots entered today’s game with an all-time record of 15-1 when leading at halftime in the playoffs.

Kevin Faulk had five receptions for 50 yards in the first half. His 50 receiving yards (as of halftime) mark the highest total of his 16-game playoff career. His previous playoff career high was 45 receiving yards, achieved on Jan. 7, 2006 in a wild card round victory over Jacksonville.

BRADY RANKS SECOND ALL-TIME IN LOWEST PLAYOFF INTERCEPTION PERCENTAGE
Quentin Jammer intercepted a Tom Brady pass in the first quarter, marking the 10th interception of Brady’s playoff career. Brady, playing in his 16th career playoff game had thrown 10 interceptions in 520 playoff pass attempts following the interception, for a career playoff interception percentage of 1.92 percent. That mark still ranks second all-time, trailing only Bart Starr’s mark of 1.41 percent (three interceptions in 213 career attempts).