< Back to Front Page Text size – +

Quick work by Patriots

Email|Link|Comments (5) Posted by Mike Reiss, Globe Staff September 15, 2008 08:05 PM

One statistic that often doesn't receive a lot of attention is the time of game.

The NFL prefers that games are played in less than three hours, and the Patriots-Jets game on Sunday was particularly quick -- officially 2 hours 41 minutes.

For context, the fastest game played by the Patriots last season was 2 hours 48 minutes -- the AFC Divisional round playoff contest against Jacksonville.

The team's longest game last year was 3 hours 35 minutes -- the Super Bowl. The regular-season game against the Cowboys was second-longest, at 3 hours 31 minutes.

Including playoffs, the Patriots played nine games that lasted more than three hours last season.

This year's season-opener against the Chiefs was 2 hours 49 minutes.

EXTRA POINT: In the "Bits from Belichick" update below, I initially had the wrong play in which right guard Billy Yates made a nice block on a Kevin Faulk screen pass. It came in the third quarter, with the Patriots facing a third-and-9 on their touchdown drive. Faulk went 22 yards on the catch-and-run, with Yates delivering a key block. The error has now been corrected.

» Back to Front Page

5 comments so far...

The Patriots should seriously look into saving some cap space and cut Brady and just use Cassel as their QB for short money. It just shows that we can win without Brady so he's probably not worth the money.

Posted by Pats Fan 4 Life September 16, 08 04:50 AM

Patriots Nation-please ignore our dillusional friend Pats Fan 4 Life as he/she clearly has been inhaling waaaaay too much helium. Thank you.

Posted by Posterboy O September 16, 08 09:29 AM

What? You can't be serious. Go Home! Become a Jets fan.

Please..

So the guy who brought you 3 rings and resisted big pay outs to stay with the franchise, thats the guy you want to cut? Great!

I think there are some rules that don't allow it anyway?

Posted by olliek September 16, 08 09:38 AM

I think some people don't understand sarcasm when they hear (read) it....

Posted by dlc September 16, 08 11:14 AM

Every person who says some idiotic stuff like that should be shunned to some island so Darwinism can work itself out. Get rid of Brady...have you been watching football or did your life start when Brady started winning Superbowls? You have to be like 8 years old right? You never experienced the pain before Brady. That has to be it.

Posted by Dave H September 16, 08 10:37 PM

DO NOT HIT THE SUBMIT BUTTON MORE THAN ONCE!

You must be logged in to submit a comment.

This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.

Mike Reiss, Christopher L. Gasper and the rest of the Globe team provide regular updates –and a behind-the-scenes look– on the daily happenings of the Patriots.

see all globe blogs