Sep 17, 2007, 3:48 GMT
Foxboro, MA - Tom Brady threw for three touchdowns, two to Randy Moss, as the New England Patriots crushed the San Diego Chargers, 38-14, at Gillette Stadium.
The contest was a rematch of last season's AFC Divisional Playoff that the Patriots won, 24-21, in San Diego.
However, the big story entering the game was the cheating controversy involving Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. On Thursday, the league handed down a penalty for the violation of NFL policy that included a $500,000 fine for Belichick, a $250,000 fine for the organization, and the loss of either a first-round 2008 Draft pick (if New England reaches the playoffs this year) or a second- and a third-round choice. The penalty was in response to the team being involved in illegal videotaping during the Patriots 38-14 blowout of the New York Jets last Sunday.
'You hate to be distracted during the week and then come out and not play so well,' Brady said. 'I think we did a nice job. The last few weeks we've put some distractions behind us, realizing the most important thing is to come out and try to win football games.'
Brady finished the game 25-of-31 with 279 yards and a pick while Moss had eight catches for 105 yards and Ben Watson added five catches for 49 yards and a score for the Patriots (2-0), who will host Buffalo next week and have won five straight regular season games dating back to last season.
'It was good to be able to spread the ball around and get on top,' Belichick said. 'San Diego's a hard team to play from behind with their running game and their pass rush. You're better off trying to play them from ahead. Fortunately that's where we were basically the whole game.'
Philip Rivers went 19-of-30 with two touchdowns and two interceptions while Antonio Gates added seven catches for 77 yards and a score for the Chargers (1-1), who defeated Chicago last week, 14-3, in San Diego.
'We're not playing with the crispness, the continuity that we will in time,' Chargers coach Norv Turner said. 'I think some of that's us and some of that's who we're playing.'
LaDainian Tomlinson finished the game with just 43 yards on 18 carries and four receptions for 15 yards.
'It was pretty tough. It was one of the toughest I could remember,' Tomlinson said. 'It was certainly disappointing the way the game turned out. I thought it would be a lot closer.'
The Patriots charged out to a 7-0 lead on their first possession of the game as Brady methodically drove the team down the field and found Watson in the end zone all alone from seven yards out less than three minutes in.
Rivers was picked off on the first play of the Chargers ensuing drive, but New England was unable to take advantage as Stephen Gostkowski's 41-yard field goal attempt went wide right.
However, after forcing San Diego to punt on its ensuing possession, the Patriots took a 14-0 lead as Brady found Moss in-stride right near the end zone and put the ball between two defenders on a 23-yard score with 3:55 left in the first.
Another Charger turnover led to more points for New England. Rivers got sacked by Rosevelt Colvin and Vince Wolfork recovered the ball near midfield. The Patriots got the ball down to the San Diego six-yard line, but had to settle for a 24-yard field goal from Gostkowski for a 17-0 lead less than five minutes into the second.
Yet another San Diego turnover led to more points for New England as Adalius Thomas picked off a Rivers pass and raced into the end zone on a 65-yard score and the Patriots took a 24-0 lead into the locker room.
San Diego made some adjustments during halftime and came out with a 16-play, 72-yard drive to get on the scoreboard. On 3rd-and-9, Rivers connected with Gates on a 22-yard play. On 4th-and-goal from the one-yard line, San Diego called a timeout and it worked as Rivers found Lorenzo Neal in the flat and Neal stretched the ball over the goal line before getting knocked out of bounds to make it a 24-7 game with 6:43 left in the third.
Brady, though, calmly led the Patriots back down the field on the ensuing possession and a 24-yard touchdown pass to Moss re-established New England's 24-point lead.
In a drive that spanned the third and fourth quarters, the Chargers made it a 31-14 game as Rivers found Gates in the end zone from 12 yards out on the second play of the fourth.
San Diego had a golden opportunity to get to within 10 points when Quentin Jammer recovered a fumble from Ellis Hobbs on the ensuing kickoff.
However, the Patriots stood up to the challenge and sacked Rivers on consecutive plays to force a punt.
New England sealed the win after getting the ball back as the team ate up over 10 minutes off the clock and Sammy Morris' three-yard touchdown run accounted for the final score.
Game Notes
San Diego offensive lineman Shane Olive left the game in the first quarter with an injured back...Moss has 17 catches for 288 yards and three touchdowns n his first two games with New England...Laurence Maroney had 77 yards on 15 carries for the Patriots while Morris finished with 51 yards on 10 carries.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
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