2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 5: vs. Cleveland Browns
After an exchange of punts gave the Browns the ball at the Patriots’ 35-yard line, Anderson threw his second touchdown pass of the day, this one good for 14 yards to tight end Kellen Winslow II to pull the Browns to within 10 points. The Patriots were able to hold the ball for the next five minutes, but could not score, with a Brady pass to Vrabel falling incomplete on fourth down from the Browns’ 4-yard line.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 5: vs. Cleveland Browns
However, this meant the Browns had to begin their next drive from that spot, and on the first play, Winslow fumbled a 15-yard catch, which was recovered by Gay and returned for a touchdown. The Browns reached the Patriots’ 10-yard line on the final possession of the game, but could not score, ending the game at 34–17, giving the Patriots their fifth win of the season as they improved to 5–0. With three touchdown passes on the day, Brady tied Steve Young’s 1998 record of five consecutive three-touchdown games to start the season.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 6: at Dallas Cowboys
In what was, at the time, the most-watched NFL regular season game since 1996, the Patriots faced the Cowboys, the NFC's only remaining unbeaten team. The Patriots’ first drive of the game spanned 74 yards and ended in a 6-yard touchdown catch by Moss from Brady. After three punts, the Patriots’ lead increased to 14–0 after another Brady touchdown pass, this one from 35 yards out to Welker. In the second quarter, the Cowboys got on the scoreboard when they culminated a 64-yard, 10-play drive with a 38-yard field goal by Nick Folk.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 6: at Dallas Cowboys
On their ensuing possession, the Patriots advanced 12 yards before Brady was strip-sacked by defensive end Greg Ellis; defensive end Jason Hatcher recovered the ball and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown, cutting the Patriots’ lead to 14–10. The Patriots responded with a 12-play, 72-yard drive that ended on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Welker, his second of the day. The Cowboys then moved the ball 84 yards, keeping pace with the Patriots when Tony Romo threw to Terrell Owens for a 12-yard touchdown grab of his own, giving the game a 21–17 score at halftime.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 6: at Dallas Cowboys
In the third quarter, after a Patriots punt, an 8-yard touchdown catch from Romo to wide receiver Patrick Crayton put the Patriots behind 24–21. However, the Patriots offense continued to move the ball too, with a 77-yard drive ending on a one-yard touchdown reception by Kyle Brady. Following a Cowboys punt that gave the Patriots the ball in Cowboys territory, the Patriots appeared to extend their lead on a 43-yard Moss touchdown catch, but the play was reversed as Moss was found not have caught the ball.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 6: at Dallas Cowboys
A roughing the passer penalty was called on the play, though, setting up a 45-yard Gostkowski field goal to make the score 31–24. The Cowboys would punt early in the fourth quarter. Four plays later, Brady threw his fifth touchdown pass of the day, a franchise record. Stallworth's 69-yard catch gave the Patriots a 38–24 lead, but the Cowboys quickly responded with a 72-yard kickoff returnby Tyson Thompson. The Cowboys turned that return into three points on a 23-yard field goal by Folk.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 6: at Dallas Cowboys
The Patriots then ate more clock, moving 61 yards in just over six minutes, adding to their lead on a 22-yard Gostkowski field goal. Romo was intercepted by Seau on the next play, allowing the Patriots to run out more clock before Kyle Eckel ran in for a 1-yard touchdown. Romo then kneeled to end the game with a 48–27 final.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 7: at Miami Dolphins
A week after facing the undefeated Cowboys, the Patriots squared off against the winless Dolphins. The Patriots took the opening drive of the game 80 yards and capped it off with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Stallworth. After Dolphins quarterback Cleo Lemon fumbled to give the Patriots the ball on the Dolphins’ 28-yard line, the Patriots took a 14–0 lead with a 2-yard touchdown reception by Kyle Brady.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 7: at Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins cut the lead in half with a 4-yard Lemon touchdown run to end a 79-yard drive early in the second quarter, but Willie Andrews returned the ensuing kickoff 74 yards to give the Patriots another 14-point lead. Following a Dolphins punt, a 36-yard Welker reception set up a 35-yard Moss touchdown catch. After another Dolphins punt, Brady connected with Moss on a 50-yard touchdown strike, giving the Patriots a 35–7 lead.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 7: at Miami Dolphins
An exchange of punts left the Dolphins with the ball at their own 1-yard line, but a 49-yard punt by Brandon Fields and a holding penalty on Kelley Washington gave the Patriots the ball at their own 29-yard line. Still, Brady led the Patriots on another scoring drive, ending this one on a 14-yard Welker catch to give the Patriots a 42–7 lead going into halftime. The 42 points scored in the half were a franchise record.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 7: at Miami Dolphins
In the second half, the Dolphins drove to the Patriots’ 19-yard line on a drive that spanned more than nine minutes, but a Gay interception retained the Patriots’ 42–7 lead, one that remained for the duration of the third quarter. Following a Patriots punt, the Dolphins began a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended on a 1-yard Patrick Cobbs touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, cutting their deficit to 28 points.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 7: at Miami Dolphins
The Patriots replaced Brady with backup Cassel on the next drive, but after Cassel threw an interception to defensive end Jason Taylor which Taylor returned for a touchdown, Brady returned for the Patriots’ next possession. That drive spanned 59 yards and ended with a 16-yard Welker touchdown catch, Brady's sixth touchdown pass of the game, a Patriots record. On their penultimate drive of the game, the Dolphins drove 75 yards and ended the game's scoring with a 7-yard Jesse Chatman touchdown run.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 7: at Miami Dolphins
The Patriots ran the clock to within two minutes before punting; Lemon ended the game with a 12-yard sack by Seau near midfield. With their 49–28 win, the Patriots began a season 7–0 for the first time in team history. During the game, Tom Brady earned the first perfect passer rating of his career.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins
At home for the first time in three weeks, the Patriots, looking to remain unbeaten, faced off against the 4–2 Redskins. After spending the first seven weeks of the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, defensive end Richard Seymour was activated for the game, but did not start. Following a Redskins punt, in their first possession of the game, the Patriots drove 90 yards over more than 7 minutes, finishing the drive with a 3-yard Brady rushing touchdown, continuing a season-long opening drive scoring streak.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins
The teams exchanged punts into the second quarter, before a 67-yard Patriots drive was capped off with a 2-yard touchdown reception by Vrabel, his second for the season and the tenth of his career (including playoffs). On the Redskins’ ensuing possession, Warren recovered a Vrabel strip-sack of Jason Campbell at the Redskins’ 21-yard line, setting up a 36-yard Gostkowski field goal. The Redskins turned the ball over again on their next possession on a Samuel interception, only to regain it on the next play after Brady was strip-sacked by Phillip Daniels at the Patriots’ 40-yard line.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins
The string of turnovers continued as the Redskins drove 20 yards before another Vrabel strip-sack of Campbell was again recovered by Warren. With less than 2 minutes remaining in the first half, the Patriots drove 73 yards, and on a fake spike play from the Redskins’ 6-yard line, increased their lead to 24–0 on a touchdown catch by Moss from Brady. That touchdown pass was Brady's 29th of the season, eclipsing his career high set in 2004 and 2002, but with it only being week 8, accomplished this in only playing through the first eight of 16 games.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins
On the opening drive of the second half, an 85-yard Patriots drive ended in another Brady touchdown run, this one from 2 yards out. The Redskins committed their fourth turnover of the game on their next possession, as Vrabel strip-sacked Campbell for the third time in the game; this time Colvin recovered the fumble and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown to increase the Patriots’ lead to 38–0. The Redskins managed to reach the Patriots’ 13-yard line on their next drive, but on fourth down, the Redskins could not convert and turned the ball over again.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins
The Patriots began their next drive where they left off, going 88 yards on a 14-play drive that spanned into the fourth quarter. It was finished on a 2-yard touchdown reception by Welker that grew the Patriots lead to 45–0. Following a Redskins punt, on the Patriots’ next series, Cassel replaced Brady. A 21-yard pass from Cassel to Gaffney gave the Patriots their 33rd first down of the game, a new single-game franchise record.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins
Two plays later, Cassel ran it in for a touchdown from 15 yards out, and the first rushing touchdown of his career, increasing the Patriots’ lead to 52–0; the touchdown was the longest rushing touchdown by a Patriots quarterback in more than 20 years. The Redskins then drove 63 yards and scored their only points of the game on a 15-yard Chris Cooley touchdown reception. Third-string quarterback Matt Gutierrez replaced Cassel on the next possession, a three-and-out. The Redskins then punted back to the Patriots to end the game.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins
The Patriots’ 52–7 win gave them an 8–0 record heading into a Week 9 matchup against the 7–0 Colts. It also made Brady only the second quarterback to defeat the other 31 teams at least once; the Colts’ Peyton Manning was the first to accomplish the feat, having done so earlier that day.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts
For the second time in four weeks, a Patriots game set TV rating records: their game against the 7–0 Colts was the most-watched Sunday afternoon NFL regular season game since 1987, when network records began. The game was also notable for being the latest in an NFL season that two undefeated teams have ever faced off against each other. It was the first time that the last two unbeaten teams had met since 1997 when the Patriots lost to the Broncos and only the second time that the last two unbeaten teams had met since 1973.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts
After playing four of their last six games in Foxboro, the Patriots traveled to Indianapolis to face the Colts in a re-match of the 2006–07 AFC Championship game in a game some members of the media dubbed “Super Bowl XLI 1/2. “ On the game's opening series, the Colts drove 52 yards on 14 plays but left the field without scoring after former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri missed a 50-yard field goal, his first-ever miss in the RCA Dome.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts
On the ensuing drive, the Patriots failed to make a first down, the first opening drive of the season in which they failed to score. With the ball on their own 9-yard line, the Colts moved to the Patriots’ 3-yard line after two Joseph Addai rushes for 33 yards and a 37-yard defensive pass interference penalty on Asante Samuel. After two plays gaining no yards, the Colts were again forced to kick a field goal, this one good from 21 yards out, for the only points of the first quarter for either team.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts
After nine plays from scrimmage in the first quarter, the Patriots took a 7–3 lead early in the second quarter on a 4-yard touchdown catch by Moss. After a Gostkowski touchback on the next kickoff, the Colts again drove inside the Patriots’ 10-yard line on 34 receiving yards by Addai on three catches as well as a 40-yard defensive pass interference call against Hobbs. The Patriots’ red-zone defense, that had entered the game ranked last in the NFL, held the Colts to 1 yard on three plays and a 25-yard Vinatieri field goal to make the game 7–6.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts
On the next series, the Patriots drove to the Colts’ 23-yard line before a 15-yard personal foul penalty on Matt Light preceded a Brady interception (the third of the season), this one caught by Antoine Bethea at the Colts’ 2-yard line. With 1:46 remaining in the first half, the Colts moved the ball to their 27-yard line, and with 28 seconds remaining, Peyton Manning threw a screen pass to Addai, who proceeded to run 73 yards for the touchdown, giving the Colts a 13–7 lead at halftime.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts
For their first two drives of the third quarter, the Patriots were unable to gain a first down and were forced to punt. The Colts fared similarly, with Manning throwing an interception to Rodney Harrison on his first play of the half. On their third possession of the quarter, facing a 3rd and 7 from the Colts’ 41-yard line, Brady scrambled 19 yards for the first down.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts
After catches of 12 and 9 yards from Moss and Kevin Faulk, respectively, the Patriots reached the Colts’ 14-yard line but settled for a 34-yard Gostkowski field goal after Laurence Maroney ran for a 2-yard loss on 3rd and 1. A field goal was, once again, the only points of a quarter for either team; the third quarter ended with the Colts leading 13–10.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts
After a Colts punt and a Moss 14-yard catch on the first play of the 4th quarter, the Patriots had possession at the Colts’ 42-yard line. On the next play, Brady was intercepted again by linebacker Gary Brackett, who returned it for 28 yards; after another 15-yard penalty from Light, the Colts took possession at the Patriots 32-yard line. Despite Vrabel sacking Manning on the first play of the Colts’ drive, a 17-yard Dallas Clark reception helped set up a 1-yard Manning touchdown run to increase the Colts’ lead to 20–10 with 9:42 remaining in the game.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts
Starting from their own 27-yard line, Brady attempted passes to Moss on the first six plays of the drive. The second attempt was completed for 15 yards, while the fourth attempt went for 55 yards and put the Patriots on the Colts’ 3-yard line. On the fifth attempt, Moss was penalized 10 yards for offensive pass interference in the end zone. After an incompletion to Moss, Brady hit Welker for 10 yards and then again for 3 yards and a touchdown to cut the Colts’ lead to 20–17 with 7:59 remaining.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts
This touchdown also set the Patriots’ record for touchdown passes in a single season, breaking Babe Parilli’s record of 31. After two offensive line penalties by the Colts pushed them back 15 yards, Colvin strip-sacked Manning at the Colts’ 22-yard line, though Colts offensive tackle Charlie Johnson recovered the fumble. After Wes Welker returned the subsequent Colts punt 23 yards to the Patriots’ 49-yard line, a 5-yard pass to Moss and a 33-yard pass to Stallworth set up a 13-yard touchdown catch by Faulk to put the Colts behind 24–20 with 3:15 remaining.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts
That pass made this Brady's ninth consecutive game with at least three touchdown passes, breaking Peyton Manning's record of eight. After a Reggie Wayne 24-yard reception brought the Colts to their own 48-yard line, Green strip-sacked Manning three plays later; Colvin's recovery of that fumble gave the Patriots the ball, and set up a situation where a first down would allow them to win the game. Unlike a similar situation in the 2006 AFC Championship, where the Patriots were forced to punt, the Patriots converted on 3rd and 6 with a 10-yard pass to Welker. Brady took three kneel-down snaps to end the game, leaving the 9–0 Patriots the NFL's only remaining undefeated team heading into their bye week.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 11: at Buffalo Bills
Following their bye week, the Patriots traveled to Buffalo to play the Bills, who had won 5 of 7 since their 38–7 Week 3 loss to the Patriots. On the first drive of the game, Gay intercepted Losman to give the Patriots the ball at the Bills’ 21-yard line. Two plays later, Maroney ran it in from 6 yards out for a Patriots touchdown. After a Bills punt, the Patriots increased their lead to 14–0 after a 43-yard touchdown reception by Moss from Brady.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 11: at Buffalo Bills
The touchdown, Moss’ 13th on the season, broke Stanley Morgan’s franchise record of 12 touchdown passes in a single season. On the ensuing drive, a Green strip-sack of Losman was recovered by the Bills, and two plays later, Roscoe Parrish caught a 47-yard touchdown pass for the only Bills touchdown of the game. The Patriots’ next drive went for 72 yards and ended in a 16-yard Moss touchdown reception on the first play of the second quarter. A Bills punt on their next possession gave the Patriots the ball at their own 16-yard line.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 11: at Buffalo Bills
Aided by catches of 25, 15, 11, and 10 yards by Watson, Welker, Stallworth, and Faulk respectively, the Patriots drove 84 yards in under 7 minutes, capping off the drive with a 6-yard touchdown reception to Moss. That touchdown gave Brady the most career touchdown passes in Patriots franchise history, breaking Steve Grogan’s record of 182. Another Bills punt led to the Patriots’ fifth possession and fifth touchdown of the half, this time a 17-yard Moss touchdown catch ended another 72-yard drive. Moss’ fourth touchdown of the half tied an NFL record for touchdowns for a single player before halftime, and set the Patriots’ franchise record for touchdowns by a player in a game. Adalius Thomas also had 2.5 sacks in the half, setting a single-game career high.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 11: at Buffalo Bills
The Patriots began the second half where they left off in the first, driving 73 yards in more than 6 minutes for another touchdown, this one a 3-yard reception by Watson. The Bills responded with a 29-yard Terrence McGee kickoff return that led to a 52-yard Rian Lindell field goal to cut the Patriots lead to 42–10. The Patriots’ next series, their seventh of the game, also ended in their seventh touchdown of the game, setting a Patriots franchise single-season touchdown record (1961 and 1980, 52).


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 11: at Buffalo Bills
A Welker screen pass went 24 yards to put the Patriots in the Bills’ red zone, and a 1-yard Eckel touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter gave the Patriots a 49–10 lead. On the second play of the Bills’ next drive, Sanders forced a fumble by running back Dwayne Wright after a 5-yard reception, which Hobbs recovered and returned 35 yards for the Patriots’ eighth and final touchdown of the game. The Patriots’ 56 points tied a franchise record, and were the most points scored by a road team in the NFL since 1973. Their 46-point scoring margin was also the second-largest in team history. The Patriots’ 56–10 win brought their record to 10–0, the tenth time since 1970 a team started a season 10–0.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Due to Buffalo's loss to Jacksonville earlier in the day, the Patriots entered the game against the 5–5 Eagles as AFC East champions for the fifth consecutive season. Their clinch in the 11th game of the season was tied for the earliest in NFL history.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
On the first possession of the game, Eagles quarterback A. J. Feeley, starting in place of an injured Donovan McNabb, threw an interception to Samuel, who returned it for a touchdown. On the ensuing drive, the Eagles responded with a 14-play drive capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Brian Westbrook; thus, before the Patriots offense had its first possession, the game was tied 7–7. On that possession, Brady threw seven passes, was sacked once, and scrambled for 12 yards, before Evans had a 1-yard touchdown run (the first called run of the game for the Patriots).


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles tied the game again on their next possession when wide receiver Greg Lewis caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Feeley. After a successful onside kick attempt by the Eagles led to a three-and-out drive, the Patriots started at their own 20-yard line and moved the ball all the way to the Eagles’ 11-yard line before the drive stalled and Gostkowski converted a 23-yard field goal. The Eagles responded with another touchdown pass from Feeley to Lewis, this one from 18 yards out, to end a 68-yard drive. With less than 3 minutes to go in the first half the Patriots were trailing the Eagles, 21–17. The Patriots then converted three third downs on their last possession of the half, and Gaffney caught a 19-yard touchdown pass to give the Patriots a halftime lead, 24–21.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
After an exchange of punts to begin the second half, Maroney saw his first carries of the game on a drive that appeared to end in a 4-yard Moss touchdown pass before the catch was nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty. The next three plays were incomplete passes by Brady, and on fourth down, Gostkowski missed a 32-yard field goal to keep the score at 24–21 in favor of the Patriots. The Eagles responded with a 10-play, 78-yard drive, retaking the lead on an 8-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Brown.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
After an unsuccessful fourth down conversion attempt from the Eagles’ 33-yard line, the Patriots defense held the Eagles to a three-and-out, forcing a punt. On a third down in the middle of the Patriots’ next drive, Welker, who finished with 13 catches on the night, caught a 16-yard pass that moved the ball into the Eagles’ red zone. With 7:24 left in the game, Maroney put the Patriots ahead 31–28 with a 4-yard touchdown run.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles moved the ball to the Patriots’ 29-yard line on their next drive, but on 2nd and 4, Feeley was intercepted by Samuel in the end zone with 2:49 remaining in the game. The Patriots, unable to run out the clock, punted, giving the Eagles the ball back with 18 seconds remaining. Feeley's last pass attempt was intercepted by Sanders to seal the Patriots’ eleventh win of the season as they improved to 11–0.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens
For their third night game in as many weeks, the Patriots flew to M&T Bank Stadium to face the 4–7 Ravens. On the first drive of the game, a 42-yard Stallworth reception and three Ravens penalties helped set up a 1st and goal from the Ravens’ 3-yard line. The Patriots next four plays gained a net of zero yards, and Gostkowksi kicked a 21-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 3–0 lead. After an exchange of punts, the Ravens took the lead with Kyle Boller completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Mason after a 70-yard drive.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens
In the second quarter, Baltimore increased its lead when kicker Matt Stover converted a 29-yard field goal to cap a 12-play, 55-yard drive. On the ensuing drive, the Patriots responded with a 9-play, 60-yard drive that included two more Stallworth receptions and two more Ravens penalties and ended in a 1-yard Evans touchdown run. Two possessions later, with 56 seconds remaining the first half, Brady threw his fifth interception of the season, this one to safety Ed Reed, who proceeded to fumble on the return. Watson recovered the fumble and the Patriots went into halftime in a 10–10 tie.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens
On the opening drive of the second half, the Ravens drove 73 yards and regained the lead on a 17-yard run by Willis McGahee, his sixth rush of the 8-play drive. The Patriots answered on their next possession with an 11-play, 72-yard drive that included a dump-off pass to Maroney for 36 yards. A 3-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Moss tied the game again at 17–17. In the first minute of the fourth quarter, Baltimore got the lead again, 24–17, as Boller completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Wilcox after an 8-play, 56-yard drive.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens
The Patriots went 3-and-out on their next drive, and a 33-yard Yamon Figurs punt return coupled with a 5-yard Pierre Woods penalty gave the Ravens the ball at the Patriots’ 26-yard line with less than 13 minutes remaining in the game. After two McGahee runs for 1 yard and a false start penalty gave the Ravens a 3rd and 14 situation, Boller was intercepted at the Patriots’ 1-yard line by Sanders to hold the Ravens scoreless on the drive.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens
Sanders’ 42-yard return gave the Patriots the ball at their own 43-yard line, and another Maroney dump-off pass for 43 yards brought the Patriots to the Ravens’ 24-yard line. The Patriots then failed to make the first down, and Gostkowski kicked another field goal, this one from 38 yards out, to cut the Ravens’ lead to 24–20. The Patriots defense, which gave up almost 60 first half rushing yards to McGahee, held McGahee to 1 yard on the Ravens’ next drive and forced a 3-and-out.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens
The Patriots’ ensuing drive brought them to the Ravens’ 31-yard line before a 10-yard Dan Koppen penalty and incompletion forced another punt. With less than 6 minutes remaining, the Patriots defense again prevented the Ravens offense from completing a first down and got the ball back with 3:30 left in the game.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens
Starting from their own 27-yard line, the Patriots got to midfield on the second play of their drive with a 23-yard Watson reception. An incompletion and 9-yard Faulk catch brought 3rd and 1, where Brady rushed for 2 yards and the first down. After the two-minute warning, another 9-yard Faulk catch on 3rd and 10 gave the Patriots a 4th and 1 from the Ravens’ 30-yard line with 1:48 remaining. Brady attempted another sneak and was stopped short of the first, but the play was nullified by a timeout called by Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan just before the snap.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens
Heath Evans lost a yard on the Patriots’ next attempt, but a false start penalty by Russ Hochstein nullified the play and set up a 4th and 6. Brady scrambled for the first down and additionally, Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle was penalized for illegal contact to give the Patriots another 5 yards, moving them to the Ravens’ 18-yard line with 1:38 left on the clock. A 5-yard Faulk rush and two incompletions gave the Patriots another fourth down situation.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens
Brady's throw to Watson in the end zone fell incomplete, but the Patriots again received a fresh set of downs after Ravens defensive back Jamaine Winborne was called for defensive holding. On 1st and goal from the Ravens’ 8-yard line with 55 seconds remaining, the Patriots took their first lead since the first quarter on a Gaffney touchdown reception that was upheld by official review.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens
After the play, Ravens linebacker Bart Scott received two 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalties after throwing an official's flag into the stands, and Reed was flagged for being offsides on the extra point, setting up a Patriots kickoff from the Ravens’ 35-yard line. After a Gostkowski touchback on the kickoff, the Ravens completed two passes, bringing them to their own 45-yard line with 8 seconds remaining. Boller threw a Hail Mary pass that was caught by wide receiver Mark Clayton at the Patriots’ 3-yard line, but he was tackled shy of the end zone as time expired.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens
The Patriots became the sixth team in NFL history to begin a season 12–0.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Beginning a stretch of three straight home games, the Patriots faced off against the 9–3 Steelers in their first afternoon game in five weeks. Before the game, Steelers safety Anthony Smith guaranteed a win for the Steelers. After going three-and-out on their first drive, the Patriots fell behind 3–0 early on a 23-yard Jeff Reed field goal to cap an 8-minute, 15-play Steelers possession. A 39-yard Chad Jackson kickoff return gave the Patriots the ball at their own 48-yard line to begin a 9-play drive that ended in a 4-yard Moss touchdown catch to give the Patriots the lead.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Moss’ touchdown catch was his 18th of the season, surpassing Curtis Martin for the Patriots’ record for touchdowns by a single player in a season. After a Steelers three-and-out the Patriots, on their first offensive play of the second quarter, increased their lead to 14–3 on a 63-yard play action pass from Brady to Moss. A 30-yard Willie Parker run on the Steelers’ ensuing series set up a 32-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Najeh Davenport.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
After a Patriots drive in which a muffed punt recovery by Pittsburgh led to a missed 48-yard field goal attempt by Gostkowski, the Steelers mounted a 12-play drive that lasted almost 6 minutes before a 44-yard Reed field goal cut the Patriots’ lead to 14–13. With 2:29 left in the half, a 32-yard Gaffney reception helped the Patriots drive to the Steelers’ 24-yard line; after two Brady incompletions Gostkowski kicked a 42-yard Gostkowski field goal, giving the Patriots a 17–13 lead at halftime.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
On the Patriots’ first drive of the second half, on 1st and 10 from their own 44-yard line, after a Brady lateral pass to Moss fell short, Moss picked it up and threw it back to Brady, who then found Gaffney deep for a 56-yard touchdown. After another Steelers three-and-out, the Patriots’ second possession of the half also went for a touchdown, as a 2-yard Welker reception capped a 10-play drive that included one run, a 4-yard Brady scramble.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
In the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, the Steelers moved the ball to the Patriots’ 1-yard line, but failed to score on 3rd and goal and 4th and goal. The Patriots took the ball at their own 1-yard line and then began a 6-minute, 12 play drive, passing on every down. Using a no-huddle offense, Welker caught five straight passes to bring the Patriots to the Steelers’ 36-yard line. Brady completed four more passes to set up first-and-goal from the Steelers’ 10-yard line, but his next three passes were all incomplete, leading to a 28-yard Gostkowski field goal. The Steelers’ next possession, a 13-play drive, ended in another failed fourth down conversion. After a Patriots punt, the Steelers ran the ball three times to give the Patriots their 13th win of the season; with the win, the Patriots improved to 13–0 and also clinched a first-round playoff bye.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 15: vs. New York Jets
Coming off their win over the Steelers, the Patriots stayed at home for an AFC East rematch with the 3–10 Jets. The Patriots punted on their first drive of the game, giving the Jets the ball at their own 3-yard line. After a 1-yard Thomas Jones run, Jets quarterback Clemens threw an interception to Eugene Wilson, who returned it for a touchdown. Clemens was hit by Seymour and suffered an ankle injury on the play and did not return to the game.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 15: vs. New York Jets
Wilson also became the Patriots’ 21st player to score a touchdown on the season, tying an NFL record set by the Denver Broncos in 2000 and the Los Angeles Rams in 1987. On their ensuing possession, the Jets gained 49 yards on an option play to running back Leon Washington, but then failed a fourth down conversion from the Patriots’ 17-yard line. With 6:36 remaining in the first quarter, the Patriots began a drive that ended 17 plays later, in the 2nd quarter, on a 26-yard Gostkowski field goal.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 15: vs. New York Jets
After a Jets punt, the Patriots moved the ball to their own 40-yard line when a Chris Hanson punt attempt was blocked by David Bowens and returned for a touchdown to cut the Patriots’ lead to 10–7. On the Jets’ next possession, Washington blocked a Graham punt attempt to give the Patriots the ball at the Jets’ 3-yard line. A 1-yard Maroney touchdown run a play later gave the Patriots a 17–7 lead going into halftime. Gostkowski's extra point, his 67th of the season, broke Uwe von Schamann’s single-season record of 66 with the Miami Dolphins in 1984.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 15: vs. New York Jets
A Jets punt gave the Patriots the ball at their own 9-yard line early in the third quarter. After two Maroney rushes for a total of 5 yards, a Brady pass on third down intended to Moss was intercepted by Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. The Jets moved into the red zone, but were driven back on a Thomas Jones run for a 1-yard loss and a delay of game penalty. On third down, Pennington completed a 10-yard pass to Baker, who then fumbled. Wilson recovered it for the Patriots, but a subsequent exchange of punts kept the third quarter scoreless.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 15: vs. New York Jets
Another Hanson punt began the fourth quarter, giving the Jets the ball from their own 15-yard line. The Jets then embarked upon a 17-play drive where Pennington completed 10 passes on 12 attempts, none for more than 14 yards. The drive ended at the Patriots’ 15-yard line, where the Jets cut the Patriots’ lead to 17–10 on a 33-yard Mike Nugent field goal. The Patriots’ ensuing drive began with two incompletions intended for Moss.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 15: vs. New York Jets
On third down, Brady completed a 16-yard pass to Moss, and then a 46-yard pass to Moss to give the Patriots the ball at the Jets’ 14-yard line. A 4-yard Maroney run, incompletion, and sack for a loss of 6 yards set up a 33-yard Gostkowski field goal. The Jets’ next possession ended in a 35-yard missed Nugent field goal, and the Jets failed to score on their final drive to give the Patriots a 20–10 win. It gave the Patriots a 14–0 record, tying with the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the best record to start a season. The win also clinched home-field advantage for the Patriots throughout the playoffs.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 16: vs. Miami Dolphins
Playing their third consecutive home game, the Patriots tried to improve their record to 15–0 against the 1–13 Dolphins. For the first time of the season, 15-year wide receiver Troy Brown was active; he saw action early in the game, returning a Dolphins punt on their first drive 10 yards. The Patriots’ second first down of their first possession was their 349th of the season, breaking their 1994 franchise record. Six plays later, Brady connected with Moss for an 11-yard touchdown and a 7–0 Patriots lead.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 16: vs. Miami Dolphins
After three punts, the Patriots’ third drive of the game began on the final play of the first quarter, a 51-yard Maroney rush to give the Patriots the ball at the Dolphins’ 28-yard line. After a successful third-down conversion, Brady threw his second touchdown pass of the game to Moss from a yard out to give the Patriots a 14–0 lead.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 16: vs. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins’ punted again on their next drive, and the Patriots opened up a 21-point lead with a 59-yard Maroney touchdown run while also setting the franchise record for net yards on a season, breaking the record of 5,965 set in 1978. After the Dolphins’ fourth three-and-out of the game, a 38-yard Brandon Fields punt was muffed by Troy Brown and recovered by the Dolphins, who punted again three plays later.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 16: vs. Miami Dolphins
After moving the ball from their own 20-yard line to the Dolphins’ 48-yard line, Brady completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Gaffney on the Patriots’ 71st touchdown of the season, breaking the NFL record of 70 set by the 1984 Dolphins. The Dolphins drove the Patriots’ 4-yard line with 21 seconds remaining in the half, but Tedy Bruschi batted down a Lemon pass on fourth down intended for Justin Peelle to preserve the Patriots’ 28–0 lead heading into halftime.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 16: vs. Miami Dolphins
On the opening drive of the second half, Welker caught his 101st pass of the season, tying the Patriots’ individual franchise record Brown set in 2001. On the next play, Brady was intercepted by Jason Allen the end zone on a pass intended for Moss. After a 22-yard Chatman rush began the Dolphins’ ensuing drive, the Dolphins punted for the seventh time three plays later. On third down from their own 28-yard line, Brady threw his second interception of the game, this time picked off by linebacker Derrick Pope on a pass also intended for Moss.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 16: vs. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins moved the ball on their next drive from their own 46-yard line to the Patriots’ 1-yard line, where Lemon scrambled out of bounds short of the end zone on 4th and goal. The Dolphins challenged the ruling, which was upheld after review. The play gave the Patriots the ball from their own 1-yard line, where a three-and-out set up a 64-yard Hanson punt from the end zone, his longest of the season.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 16: vs. Miami Dolphins
A 22-yard Lorenzo Booker rush on the Dolphins’ next possession helped bring the Dolphins’ to the Patriots 21-yard line, where Lemon connected with Greg Camarillo to cut the Patriots lead to 28–7. The Patriots committed their fourth turnover of the game when Brady was strip-sacked by Joey Porter to give the Dolphins the ball at their own 28-yard line. Four punts and a scoreless fourth quarter later, the Patriots picked up their 15th win of the season as they improved to 15–0 and became the first 15–0 team in NFL history.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 16: vs. Miami Dolphins
The Patriots’ 15th win matched the win totals of the 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1998 Minnesota Vikings, 1985 Chicago Bears, and 1984 San Francisco 49ers, while their 15–0 regular season start was a first in NFL history. The Patriots’ 6–0 record against division opponents was a franchise first. The win also marked the Patriots’ 18th straight regular season victory since their December 2006 loss to the Dolphins, tying the Patriots’ 2003–2004 NFL record.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants
In their final regular season game, the 15–0 Patriots traveled to Giants Stadium, trying to win a record 16th game of the season. With the game scheduled to air on NFL Network, not available on some cable providers, the NFL arranged a three-way simulcast of the game with CBS and NBC, the first time an NFL game was broadcast on three networks, and the first national simulcast of any NFL game since Super Bowl I. The New York and Boston television markets both had a fourth channel, a local TV station in each respective market covering the game. In the week leading up to the game, the NFL Network aired a record 65.5 hours of game-specific coverage, including a six-hour pregame special which matched the longest NFL pregame show, including for a Super Bowl, on a single network.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants
The game was of very little importance with respect to the playoffs as both teams had already locked up their respective spots in the playoffs, with the Patriots in the AFC's #1 seed and the Giants in the NFC's #5 seed. The Patriots had already clinched a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the playoffs while the Giants were guaranteed to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild card playoffs.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants
Nevertheless, the Patriots were attempting to become the first team since the NFL's expansion to a 16-game regular season schedule to go undefeated and thus the game became the most heavily promoted game in the history of the NFL to that point and the most watched regular season game ever to that point.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants
On the second play of the game, the 10–5 Giants moved into the Patriots’ red zone on a 52-yard completion from Eli Manning to Plaxico Burress. Three plays later, The Giants took the lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Jacobs. The Patriots responded with a pair of 14-yard completions to Moss and Welker; Welker's catch, his 102nd of the season, set a Patriots franchise record. The Patriots then converted a fourth down, and on their next fourth down, they made a 37-yard Gostkowski field goal. The Patriots would regain the ball at midfield following a Giants three-and-out.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants
Completions to Stallworth and Welker put the Patriots in the Giants’ red zone, where Brady completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Moss, taking a 10–7 lead on the first play of the second quarter. On the play, three records were affected: the Patriots 560th point surpassed the 1998 Minnesota Vikings's record of 556 points in a season; the touchdown pass was Brady's 49th, tying Peyton Manning's 2004 record; and Moss recorded his 22nd touchdown catch of the season, tying Jerry Rice’s 1987 record.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants
As a result of a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after the touchdown, the Patriots kicked off from the 15-yard line. Giants wide receiver Domenik Hixon received it from the Giants’ 26-yard line and proceeded to run for a 74-yard touchdown return, retaking the lead for the Giants. Starting from their own 33-yard line, the Patriots moved into Giants territory on a 13-yard Maroney rush and 8-yard Faulk reception. Brady's 8 passing yards on the play gave him 4,557 for the season, breaking Drew Bledsoe’s 1994 franchise record of 4,555 yards.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants
After the drive stalled, Gostkowski's recorded his second field goal for the game, making the score 14–13 in favor of the Giants. Following a Giants punt, the Patriots mounted a drive that resulted in Gostkowski's third field goal of the night, from 37 yards, after a 3rd down end zone pass to Moss ricocheted off of linebacker Gerris Wilkinson's helmet. With 1:54 remaining the half and the Giants trailing 16–14, Manning completed five of his first seven passes to move from the Giants’ 15-yard line to the Patriots’ 3-yard line. On second down with 18 seconds remaining, Manning threw his second touchdown pass of the game, this time to Boss, to take a 21–16 lead at the half.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants
After the Patriots began the second half with a three-and-out, the Giants increased their lead to 12 points on a 19-yard touchdown catch by Burress from Manning. Facing their largest deficit of the season, the Patriots drove to the Giants’ 16-yard line with several Brady completions. A pass interference call against the Giants’ Wilkinson gave the Patriots the ball at the Giants’ 1-yard line. After an illegal formation penalty moved the Patriots back 5 yards, a 6-yard Maroney touchdown run cut the Giants’ lead to 28–23. Three consecutive drives resulted in punts, and the Patriots gained possession of the ball with less than 12 minutes remaining in the game.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants
On the second play of the drive, Brady attempted a deep pass to Moss, which was underthrown and dropped. On the next play, Brady attempted another deep pass to Moss, who caught this one for 65 yards, setting two more NFL records: Moss set the record for most touchdown receptions in a season (23) and Brady set one for touchdown passes (50). The touchdown, Brady's last of the game, also brought Brady's touchdown-to-interception margin to +42; Peyton Manning held the previous record, +39 during the 2003–2004 season. This also brought Brady's touchdown-to-interception ratio to 6.25:1, another NFL record.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants
Brady himself would shatter his own record three years later. The Patriots converted the subsequent two-point attempt, their only two-point conversion attempt of the season, on a Maroney rush to take a 31–28 lead with 11:15 remaining. On the Giants’ ensuing drive, Hobbs intercepted a Manning pass intended for Burress at the Patriots’ 48-yard line. After driving to the red zone, a 5-yard catch by Moss marked his 1,493rd reception yard for the season, breaking Stanley Morgan's 1986 franchise record of 1,491 yards.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants
On the subsequent play, Maroney scored his second touchdown of the game on a 5-yard run to give the Patriots a 38–28 lead. With 4:36 left in the game, the Giants drove the ball to the Patriots’ 4-yard line, and two plays later, Manning completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Burress, Manning's fourth for the game. After the Patriots’ Vrabel recovered the Giants’ onside kickoff, the Patriots knelt thrice to end the game as they finished the regular season 16–0.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants
The Patriots’ joined the 14–0 1972 Miami Dolphins, 11–0 1942 Chicago Bears, and 13–0 1934 Chicago Bears as the fourth team to record an undefeated regular season in the NFL (the 1948 Cleveland Browns were 14–0 in the All-America Football Conference, an accomplishment recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but not by the NFL.) The Pats also set a record for most regular season wins in a single season. The victory was the Patriots’ 19th consecutive regular season victory, breaking their own record set during the 2003–2004 season. Finally, the Patriots finished the season with a +315 point differential, breaking the 1942 Bears’ record of +292.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants, Network television coverage
The NFL Network had exclusive rights to broadcast the Patriots-Giants game, and in the weeks before the game, the network increasingly promoted the game via television commercials on other stations. It was clear the game was one of the most anticipated of the season, and could therefore serve as an important promotion for the NFL Network, which had tried unsuccessfully over the previous year to expand its viewership by becoming included as an “extended basic service” on the major American cable TV providers such as Comcast and Time Warner.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants, Network television coverage
Political pressure from the Northeast to make the game more widely viewable preceded the decision to simulcast the game on CBS and NBC. Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania senator who was the Republican ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the Committee's head, wrote the league a letter threatening to reconsider the antitrust exemption currently enjoyed by the NFL under United States law. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts had pressured the league and cable companies to settle their dispute so “no die-hard Pats fans will be shut out from watching their team take aim at football history."


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants, Network television coverage
In the end, 15.7 million viewers watched the game on CBS, 13.2 million on NBC, 4.5 million on the NFL Network, and 1.2 million on New York, Boston and Manchester, New Hampshire television stations. The game was the most watched program on television since the 2007 Academy Awards and the most watched regular season NFL game in more than 12 years.


2007 New England Patriots season, Regular season results, Week 17: at New York Giants, Network television coverage
The game's impact was summarized by Scott Graham on NFL Films' subsequent hour-long replay of the contest ("Perfect Ending", an episode of NFL Films Game Of The Week): “Never had a meaningless game carried more meaning."


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Divisional Round vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Playing in his first playoff game as a Patriot, Randy Moss, who led the NFL in receiving yards, had one reception. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady set the NFL record for completion percentage in a single game (92.9%) with 26 of 28 completions for 263 yards and 3 touchdowns, while running back Laurence Maroney added 162 total yards (122 on the ground). Overall, New England gained 401 yards and didn't punt the ball until 31 seconds remained in the fourth quarter.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Divisional Round vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville took the opening kickoff and went 80 yards in 9 plays, featuring two receptions by Marcedes Lewis for 57 yards, on the way to David Garrard's 9-yard touchdown pass to Matt Jones. The Patriots then went on a 74-yard drive and scored with Tom Brady’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Benjamin Watson. On Jacksonville's next possession, New England lineman Ty Warren forced a fumble while sacking Garrard, and linebacker Mike Vrabel recovered it at the Jaguars 29-yard line. Several plays later, Maroney scored a 1-yard touchdown run to give New England a 14–7 lead.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Divisional Round vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew muffed the ensuing kickoff and was downed at his own 5-yard line. The Jaguars then moved the ball 95 yards in 11 plays without facing a third down and scoring with Garrard's 6-yard touchdown pass to Ernest Wilford. For the third time in a row, New England drove deep into Jacksonville territory. But this time the drive stalled at the 17-yard line and ended with no points when Stephen Gostkowski missed a 35-yard field goal with 53 seconds left in the first half.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Divisional Round vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
On the opening drive of the second half, Brady completed 7 of 8 passes for 54 yards on an 82-yard drive. On the last play, he took a snap in shotgun formation with Kevin Faulk to his right, Brady jumped in the air with his arms raised to make it look like a play used by the Patriots before where Faulk took the direct snap. The Jaguars defense followed Faulk, leaving Wes Welker open in the end zone, and Brady threw him the ball for a touchdown to give the Patriots a 21–14 lead.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Divisional Round vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville responded with a drive to the New England 21-yard line, but receiver Dennis Northcutt dropped a pass on third down, forcing them to settle for a Josh Scobee 39-yard field goal, cutting the score to 21–17. On New England's next drive, Jacksonville's Derek Landri was assessed a roughing-the-passer penalty, turning Welker's 6-yard catch into a 21-yard gain. Maroney gained 40 yards with his next two carries, and following two more Welker receptions, Brady threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Watson giving New England a 28–17 lead.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Divisional Round vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
An unnecessary roughness penalty and a 25-yard reception by Reggie Williams on the Jacksonville's next drive set up a 25-yard field goal by Scobee, which cut the Jaguars deficit to one touchdown, 28–20. On the second play after the kickoff, Brady completed a 52-yard strike to Donté Stallworth, setting up Gostkowski's second field goal attempt to put New England back up by two scores, 31–20.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Divisional Round vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Then, with 3:46 left in the game, Pats safety Rodney Harrison, intercepted a pass from Garrard at the Patriots’ 31-yard line, ending any hope of a Jacksonville comeback. Harrison's interception was his 7th career postseason pick, a Patriots record. This was also his fourth consecutive postseason game with an interception, tying an NFL record held by Aeneas Williams.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Divisional Round vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
With this win, the Patriots advanced to the AFC title game for the second year in a row and extended their perfect record to 17–0, matching the final record of the 1972 Miami Dolphins.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, AFC Championship Game vs. San Diego Chargers
Despite 3 interceptions from Tom Brady, the Patriots still managed to defeat San Diego, holding them to four field goals while Laurence Maroney rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown for the second game in a row. With this win, the Patriots became the first NFL team to start with an 18–0 record and advanced to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in seven years.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, AFC Championship Game vs. San Diego Chargers
With just over 5 minutes left in the first quarter, Chargers defensive back Quentin Jammer intercepted a pass from Brady on the Patriots 40-yard line, setting up a 26-yard field goal by Nate Kaeding. New England responded by driving 65 yards and scoring with a 1-yard Maroney touchdown run to take a 7–3 lead.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, AFC Championship Game vs. San Diego Chargers
Kaeding kicked a 23-yard field goal in the second quarter to cut the score to 7–6, but after a punt, Patriots defensive back Asante Samuel intercepted a pass from Philip Rivers and returned it 10 yards to the Chargers 24-yard line. One play later, Brady's 12-yard touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney increased their lead to 14–6. Later on, a 26-yard run by Darren Sproles moved the ball to the New England 34-yard line. But once again, the Patriots defense kept San Diego out of the end zone, stopping them on 3rd and 1 and forcing them to settle for another Kaeding field goal, making the score 14–9 at halftime.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, AFC Championship Game vs. San Diego Chargers
On the opening drive of the second half, Brady threw his second interception of the game, this one to Drayton Florence at the New England 49-yard line. San Diego then moved the ball to the 4-yard line, but on 3rd and 1, linebacker Junior Seau tackled Michael Turner for a 2-yard loss and the Chargers had to settle for Kaeding's fourth field goal. New England responded with a drive to the San Diego 2-yard line, with Maroney gaining 39 yards on four running plays, but Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie ended the drive by intercepting Brady in the end zone.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, AFC Championship Game vs. San Diego Chargers
On their first drive of the fourth quarter, New England moved the ball 67 yards and scored with Brady's 6-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker, making the score 21–12. Following a Chargers punt, the Patriots ended the game with a 15-play drive that took the final 9:13 off the game clock. The Patriots’ overall record then improved to 18–0 en route to their appearance in Super Bowl 42 and becoming the 2007 AFC Champions.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
The Patriots’ opponents in the Super Bowl would be the Giants, a rematch of the regular season finale. After scoring a combined 73 points in their regular season meeting, the teams scored only a mere 10 points by the end of the third quarter, with the Patriots leading 7 to 3. The Patriots’ record-setting offense gave up five sacks and one lost fumble, while the Giants’ offense managed only five first downs in the second and third quarters.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
Yet in the fourth quarter, quarterback Eli Manning led two go-ahead touchdown drives, including the winning drive that culminated with a 17-yard touchdown to Plaxico Burress with 39 seconds remaining. The game marked the first time that a previously undefeated team had lost in a National Football League championship game since the 1942 Chicago Bears as the Patriots fell to 18–1 on the season.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
The Patriots were also the second team to enter the Super Bowl undefeated, joining the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who reached Super Bowl VII with a 16–0 record and won to become the first and to date only NFL team to win the league championship after going all the way through the regular season and playoffs undefeated and untied, but were the first undefeated and untied team to fail to win the Super Bowl.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
After calling tails to win the coin toss, the Giants started the game with the longest opening drive in Super Bowl history, a 16-play, 77-yard march that consumed 9 minutes, 59 seconds and featured four third-down conversions, the most ever on a Super Bowl opening drive. But New England halted the drive at their own 14-yard line, forcing the Giants to settle for a 32-yard field goal from Lawrence Tynes that gave New York a 3–0 lead.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
New England then responded with its own scoring drive as Laurence Maroney returned the kickoff 43 yards to the Patriots’ 44-yard line, after which he rushed twice for 15 yards. Quarterback Tom Brady then completed three passes for 23 yards, but after two incomplete passes, New England was faced with 3rd-and-10 on the Giants’ 17. However, on that play, New York linebacker Antonio Pierce committed pass interference by striking the helmet of tight end Benjamin Watson in the end zone, giving New England 1st-and-goal at the 1. This set up a Maroney 1-yard touchdown run two plays later, the first play of the second quarter, for a 7–3 lead. The two teams each only had one drive in the entire opening quarter, a Super Bowl record.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
On the Giants first drive of the second quarter, on 3rd-and-7, receiver Amani Toomer caught in a deep pass from Manning along the left sideline while dragging his feet in-bounds for a 38-yard gain, moving the ball to the Patriots’ 19. But three plays later, Manning threw a pass that bounced out of the arms of rookie receiver Steve Smith and into the hands of cornerback Ellis Hobbs for an interception.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
The Patriots’ ensuing drive resulted in a three-and-out as on 3rd-and-1 James Butler and Michael Strahan tackled Maroney for a two-yard loss and New England was forced to punt.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
Then on the Giants’ next drive, rookie running back Ahmad Bradshaw fumbled a Manning hand-off and it looked as though Patriots’ linebacker Pierre Woods had recovered the ball at the Giants’ 30. But after the officials picked through the pile, it was determined that Bradshaw had made the recovery. The Giants maintained possession and wound up punting. New England's next drive ended with consecutive Giants’ sacks, the first by linebacker Kawika Mitchell, the second by tackle Justin Tuck.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
On the Giants’ following drive, New York moved the ball to the New England 25, but linebacker Adalius Thomas sacked Manning and forced a fumble. Smith recovered the ball, however Bradshaw was penalized for illegally batting the ball forward before the recovery. The penalty pushed the Giants out of field goal range, and following an incompletion, they were forced to punt.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
After the punt, two 18-yard receptions by Moss and Donté Stallworth moved the ball to the Giants’ 44. But with 22 seconds left before halftime, Brady fumbled while being sacked by Tuck and defensive end Osi Umenyiora recovered the ball. The game then went to halftime with the Patriots leading 7–3.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
On the first drive of the second half, New England had a 4th-and-2 and chose to punt. However, after the play had been run, Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick challenged that New York had too many players on the field and replay confirmed that was the case as Giants linebacker Chase Blackburn was unable to get to the sidelines as the ball was being snapped. Therefore, referee Mike Carey reversed the play, and the Giants were penalized 5 yards for having too many players on the field, giving the Patriots a first down.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
The Patriots then drove to the Giants’ 25, but Strahan sacked Brady for a 6-yard loss on third down. Then on 4th-and-13, with the ball on the Giants’ 31, Belichick decided against a long field goal attempt by Stephen Gostkowski and tried to pick up a first down instead. Brady's pass to Jabar Gaffney was incomplete as it went out of the back of the end zone and the Giants took over on downs.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
On the Giants’ first drive of the fourth quarter, Manning completed a 45-yard pass to rookie tight end Kevin Boss. Following three runs by Bradshaw and a 17-yard reception by Smith on third down, Manning finished the 7-play, 80-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to David Tyree, giving New York a 10–7 lead with 11:10 left in the game.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
After consecutive three-and-outs by the Patriots and Giants, New England got the ball at its own 20 with 7:54 to play. Brady then completed a 5-yard pass to Wes Welker and a 10-yard pass to Moss, followed by a 9-yard run by Maroney to give the Patriots a first down at their own 44. Brady followed with a 13-yard pass to Welker, a four-yard completion to Kevin Faulk, and then a 10-yard pass to Welker for a first down at the Giants’ 29.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
After that, Brady found Moss for an 11-yard completion and Faulk for a 12-yard completion and New England now had 1st-and-goal from the Giants’ 6. Following two incomplete passes, New York cornerback Corey Webster slipped while backing into coverage, leaving Moss wide open in the end zone where Brady found him for a touchdown to give New England a 14–10 lead with 2:42 left in the game.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
On the ensuing kickoff, Ray Ventrone tackled Domenik Hixon after a 14-yard return, giving New York the ball on their own 17 with 2:39 left and three timeouts remaining. Following two receptions by Toomer for 20 yards, Brandon Jacobs kept the drive going with a 2-yard run on 4th-and-1. On the next series of downs, Patriots’ cornerback Asante Samuel nearly caught a possibly game-ending interception on a ball intended for Tyree, but the ball slipped through his fingertips. On the next play, the Giants faced 3rd-and-5 from their own 44 with 1:15 remaining.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
Manning spun out of the grasp of lineman Jarvis Green, righted himself, and threw a 32-yard completion to Tyree, who made a leaping catch while covered by Rodney Harrison and maintained possession by pinning the ball against his helmet with one hand as he fell to the ground. Two plays later, on 3rd-and-11, Manning found a wide-open Smith for a 12-yard gain to the New England 13.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
On the next play, the Giants sent four receivers into the pattern while the Patriots sent six pass rushers after Manning and flipped four pass defenders to the right side of the field – resulting in Patriots’ cornerback Ellis Hobbs being isolated on the left side to cover Giants’ wide receiver Plaxico Burress one-on-one. Rodney Harrison tried to adjust the unbalanced formation but his fellow defenders, including Junior Seau, were eager to sack Manning and the defense was left unchanged. Hobbs bit on a fake slant inside (a “slant-and-go” or “SluGo” route) and Manning lofted a pass to the end zone where Burress caught the ball for a touchdown to complete the 12-play, 83-yard drive and give Giants a 17–14 lead with 35 seconds left.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
New England began its next possession on its own 26 with 29 seconds remaining and three timeouts, but the Giants’ defense didn't allow a single yard—forcing an incompletion on first down, a 10-yard sack by rookie lineman Jay Alford on second down, and then two deep incomplete attempts to Moss, the first that was broken up by Webster, and the second of which, on 4th-and-20, was broken up by Giants’ safety Gibril Wilson and caused a turnover on downs with one second remaining.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
After the incompletion, the game clock briefly read zero (one second was re-added), and coaches, players, reporters, and fans crowded the field as if the game had ended. Belichick hugged Giants’ Coach Tom Coughlin at midfield, then an official explained to both coaches that the final second had to be run. The Patriots’ defense took the field, and Belichick left for the locker room, not staying for the final play.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
This early departure was later criticized by some sportswriters who felt Belichick was being a sore loser, while others noted that he had properly congratulated Coughlin (they also noted Coughlin was one of the few opposing coaches he didn't loathe) and that the game was over once the Patriots failed to convert on 4th down.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
The officials cleared the field, and restarted the clock. Manning took a knee, allowing the clock to expire, and consequently sealed the Super Bowl XLII championship for the Giants, while also ending the Patriots’ prospects of a 19–0 season as their overall record dropped to 18–1. With the loss, the Patriots’ Super Bowl record dropped to 3–3. They matched the 1984 San Francisco 49ers & the 1985 Chicago Bears, who both won the Super Bowl in their respective seasons.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
Six days before the game, the Boston Globe offered a book for presale documenting the Patriots’ 19–0 “historic championship season”. Following the Patriots’ loss, the book was cancelled.


2007 New England Patriots season, Postseason results, Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
The New England Patriots of 2007 are the only NFL team of the modern (Super Bowl) era to have an undefeated record during the regular season and not win the Super Bowl.


2007 New England Patriots season, Awards and honors
Bill Belichick, and numerous players, were the recipients of awards for their performances in the 2007 regular season:


2007 New England Patriots season, Awards and honors, Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections
Eight Patriots were elected to the 2008 Pro Bowl, the most since 1985. Quarterback Tom Brady, offensive tackle Matt Light, guard Logan Mankins, wide receiver Randy Moss, cornerback Asante Samuel, linebacker Mike Vrabel, and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork were all named as starters, while center Dan Koppen was named as a reserve.


2007 New England Patriots season, Awards and honors, Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections
Of those eight, five—Brady, Light, Moss, Samuel, and Vrabel—were selected to the NFL's All-Pro first team with Moss being a unanimous selection, and Brady receiving all but one-half vote (the other half was given to Brett Favre). Wilfork, Mankins, Koppen, and wide receiver Wes Welker were named to the second team.


2007 New England Patriots season, NFL and Franchise records set
The 2007 New England Patriots tied or broke many NFL and franchise records.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game
On December 29, 2007, during the final week of the 2007 season, the New England Patriots defeated the New York Giants, 38–35, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In what became a preview of Super Bowl XLII, the game was a close comeback win for the Patriots, giving them the first undefeated regular season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins and the only undefeated regular season since the league expanded to 16 games.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game
While the game was originally notable for its television coverage, the teams would later meet in Super Bowl XLII, in which the Giants won 17–14, ending the Patriots' hopes of a perfect season.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Network television coverage
When the NFL announced its 2007 regular season schedule, the game was scheduled to air exclusively on the NFL Network, as was the case with all Saturday NFL games beginning with the 2006 television contract in an attempt to boost carriage of the NFL Network by cable providers.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Network television coverage
The game was also offered to local stations in each team's home market under a long-standing league policy for games televised on cable networks. In the case of the Patriots–Giants game, the local rights were originally sold to WCVB-TV and WMUR-TV (both ABC affiliates owned by Hearst-Argyle Television) in the Boston / Manchester market, and MyNetworkTV owned-and-operated station WWOR-TV in the New York City market.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Network television coverage
It was a prime time matchup of regional rivals, but as the Patriots moved closer to a perfect season, the game become even more important. Therefore, the network increasingly promoted the game via television commercials on other stations. It was clear the game was one of the most anticipated in recent history, and could therefore serve as an important promotion for the NFL Network, which had tried unsuccessfully over the previous year to expand its viewership by becoming included as an "extended basic service" on the major American cable television providers such as Comcast and Time Warner Cable.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Network television coverage
Political pressure from the Northeast to make the game more widely viewable preceded the decision to simulcast the game on CBS and NBC. (NBC was the primary broadcast network for Sunday night games, while CBS normally held the rights to air games in which the road team belongs to the AFC.) The Senate Judiciary Committee's chairperson, Democrat Patrick Leahy of Vermont, and ranking minority member, Republican Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, sent a letter to the NFL threatening to reconsider the league's antitrust exemption under U.S. law. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts had pressured the league and cable companies to settle their dispute so "no die-hard Pats fans will be shut out from watching their team take aim at football history."


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Network television coverage
In the end, 15.7 million viewers watched the game on CBS, 13.2 million on NBC, 4.5 million on the NFL Network, and 1.2 million on the aforementioned local stations in New York, Boston, and Manchester. The game was the most watched program on television since the 2007 Academy Awards and the most watched regular season NFL game in more than 12 years. It marked the first time that an NFL game was simulcasted on two or more networks on a national level since Super Bowl I, which aired on CBS and NBC, the respective homes of the NFL and the American Football League at the time.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Network television coverage
The broadcast was a complete production of the NFL Network, and because the cable channel had a unique opportunity to promote its brand by being simulcast on network television, several unusual events occurred during the broadcast. First, CBS and NBC did not air their usual studio shows leading up to the game. Instead, the networks came on the air at 8:00 eastern time and simulcast the final 15 minutes of the NFL Network's 6+ hour pregame show.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Network television coverage
The NFL Network used that time mostly to promote the channel and its programming, encouraging viewers who did not receive NFLN to call their television providers and ask for it. A "demo reel" of NFL Network programs aired during the simulcast portion of the pregame as well. This demo reel and the encouragement to call television providers were repeated on the halftime and postgame reports, also NFL Network produced. During the game itself, several on-screen graphics were shown encouraging viewers to both call their television provider and go to the NFL's "Get NFL Network" website to send automated emails to television providers.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Network television coverage
Moreover, the NFL Network, which had devoted over 30 hours of programming in the week prior to the Patriots-Colts game in Week 9, devoted over 60 hours of programming to the game, consisting primarily of re-broadcasts of nine Patriots games from the 2007 season; they also had a special countdown clock for the game which appeared over 1,000 times in the week leading up to the game, and live coverage of Patriots press conferences that week. Moreover, NFL Network aired a six-hour pregame show devoted to the game; no NFL game, including Super Bowls, had received more coverage.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Network television coverage
In Canada, TSN held the rights to the game, as it did for all NFL Network regular-season telecasts. After the NBC / CBS simulcast was announced, TSN's parent broadcast network CTV announced it too would carry the game, allowing CTV simultaneous substitution rights over U.S. stations broadcasting the game. This meant that, in areas of eastern Canada receiving their "big three" network affiliates from Boston, the CTV signal was seen on four different basic-cable channels, in addition to TSN's broadcast (which only differed from CTV in terms of network identification and some commercials).


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Network television coverage
This controversy did not lead to the NFL offering the Thursday Night Football package to other networks, and so the games remained exclusively on NFL Network through 2013. The Thanksgiving night game, which was part of the package until 2011, was sold to NBC beginning in the 2012 season. On February 5, 2014, it was announced that CBS would air eight, early-season Thursday night games during the 2014 NFL season in simulcast with NFL Network, with the remainder airing on NFL Network exclusively.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Game summary
In their final regular season game, the 15–0 Patriots traveled to Giants Stadium, trying to win a record 16th game of the season. With the game scheduled to air on NFL Network, not available on some cable providers, the NFL arranged a three-way simulcast of the game with CBS and NBC, the first time an NFL game was broadcast on three networks, and the first national simulcast of any NFL game since Super Bowl I. The New York and Boston television markets both had a fourth channel, a local TV station in each respective market covering the game. In the week leading up to the game, the NFL Network aired a record 65.5 hours of game-specific coverage, including a six-hour pregame special which matched the longest NFL pregame show, including for a Super Bowl, on a single network.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Game summary
On the second play of the game, the 10–5 Giants moved into the Patriots' red zone on a 52-yard completion from Eli Manning to Plaxico Burress. Three plays later, the Giants took the lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Jacobs. The Patriots responded with a pair of 14-yard completions to Randy Moss and Wes Welker; Welker's catch, his 102nd of the season, set a Patriots franchise record. The Patriots then converted a fourth down, and on their next fourth down, Stephen Gostkowski made a 37-yard field goal.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Game summary
The Patriots would regain the ball at midfield following a Giants three-and-out. Completions to Donté Stallworth and Welker put the Patriots in the Giants' red zone, where Brady completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Moss, taking a 10–7 lead on the first play of the second quarter. The play broke one record and tied two others: the Patriots' 560th point of the season surpassed the 1998 Minnesota Vikings's record of 556 points; the touchdown pass was Brady's 49th, tying Peyton Manning's 2004 record; and Moss recorded his 22nd touchdown catch of the season, tying Jerry Rice's 1987 record.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Game summary
As a result of a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after the touchdown (Moss was flagged for dancing with Ben Watson in the endzone), the Patriots kicked off from the 15-yard line. Giants wide receiver Domenik Hixon received it from the Giants' 26-yard line and proceeded to run for a 74-yard touchdown return, retaking the lead for the Giants. Starting from their own 33-yard line, the Patriots moved into Giants territory on a 13-yard Maroney rush and 8-yard Faulk reception.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Game summary
Brady's 8 passing yards on the play gave him 4,557 for the season, breaking Drew Bledsoe's 1994 franchise record of 4,555 yards. After the drive stalled, Gostkowski recorded his second field goal for the game, reducing the Giants' lead to 14–13. Following a Giants punt, the Patriots mounted a drive that resulted in Gostkowski's third field goal of the night, from 37 yards, after a 3rd down end zone pass to Moss ricocheted off of linebacker Gerris Wilkinson's helmet.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Game summary
With 1:54 remaining the half and the Giants trailing 16–14, Manning completed five of his first seven passes to move from the Giants' 15-yard line to the Patriots' 3-yard line. On second down with 18 seconds remaining, Manning threw his second touchdown pass of the game, this time to Boss, to take a 21–16 lead at the half.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Game summary
After the Patriots began the second half with a three-and-out, the Giants increased their lead to 12 points on a 19-yard touchdown catch by Burress from Manning. Facing their largest deficit of the season, the Patriots drove to the Giants' 16-yard line with several Brady completions. A pass interference call against the Giants’ Wilkinson gave the Patriots the ball at the Giants' 1-yard line. Brady's end zone pass to linebacker Mike Vrabel was no good, and an illegal formation penalty moved the Patriots back 5 yards. Laurence Maroney then scored on a 6-yard touchdown run to cut the Giants' lead to 28–23. Three consecutive drives resulted in punts, and the Patriots gained possession of the ball with less than 12 minutes remaining in the game.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Game summary
On the second play of the drive, Brady attempted a deep pass to Moss, which was underthrown and dropped. On the next play, Brady attempted another deep pass to Moss, who caught this one for 65 yards, setting two more NFL records: Moss set the record for most touchdown receptions in a season (23) and Brady set one for touchdown passes (50). The touchdown, Brady's last of the game, also brought Brady's touchdown-to-interception margin to +42; Peyton Manning held the previous record, +39 during the 2004–05 season.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Game summary
Additionally, this gave Brady a 6.25:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio on the year, a new single season NFL record (Brady himself would shatter this record again three seasons later). The Patriots converted the subsequent two-point attempt, their only two-point attempt of the season, on a Maroney rush to take a 31–28 lead with 11:15 remaining. On the Giants' ensuing drive, Hobbs intercepted a Manning pass intended for Burress at the Patriots' 48-yard line. After driving to the red zone, a 5-yard catch by Moss marked his 1,493rd reception yard for the season, breaking Stanley Morgan's 1986 franchise record of 1,491 yards.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Game summary
On the subsequent play, Maroney scored his second touchdown of the game on a 5-yard run; Gostkowski converted his last PAT of the season to give the Patriots a 38–28 lead. Gostkowski finished the season a perfect 74-for-74 on PATs, eclipsing St. Louis Rams kicker Jeff Wilkins' 1999 record of 64-for-64.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Game summary
With 4:36 left in the game, the Giants drove the ball to the Patriots' 4-yard line, and two plays later, Manning completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Burress, Manning's fourth for the game. But when the Giants tried an onside kick, Vrabel recovered the ball, and Brady knelt thrice to end the game with a final score of 38–35 and seal the Patriots' undefeated regular season.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Game summary
The Patriots' joined the 14–0 1972 Miami Dolphins, 11–0 1942 Chicago Bears, and 13–0 1934 Chicago Bears as the fourth team to record an undefeated regular season. Their 16 wins also set a record for most regular season wins in a single season. The victory was the Patriots’ 19th consecutive regular season victory, breaking their own record set during the 2003–2004 season. Finally, the Patriots finished the season with a +315 point differential, breaking the 1942 Bears' record of +292, making 37–17 the average score of a Patriots game during the regular season.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Aftermath
With the win, the Patriots' joined the 1972 Miami Dolphins (14–0), 1942 Chicago Bears (11–0), and 1934 Chicago Bears (13–0) as the fourth team to record an undefeated, untied, regular season. Their 16 wins also set a record for most regular season wins in a single season. The victory was the Patriots’ 19th consecutive regular season victory, breaking their own record set during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. The Patriots finished the season with a +315 point differential, breaking the 1942 Bears' record of +292, making 37–17 the average score of a Patriots game during the regular season.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Aftermath
The game did not have an impact on the playoff seeding for either team. The Patriots already clinched the AFC's top seed, while the Giants were locked into the 5-seed, as they had already clinched the best record among NFC teams who did not win their division, but could not catch the division-leading Dallas Cowboys.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Aftermath
In the playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional Round, 31–20, and the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship Game, 21–12. This moved the Patriots to 18–0 and one win away from a perfect season. The Giants defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round, 24–14, the Cowboys in the Divisional Round, 21–17, and the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game, 23–20 in overtime, setting up a Super Bowl rematch.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Aftermath
The Giants won Super Bowl XLII, 17–14, denying the Patriots their perfect season and leaving the 1972 Dolphins as the only team to play an undefeated regular season and postseason. As of 2020, The 2007 Patriots remain the only team to post a 16–0 regular season record.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Aftermath
The next season, the Patriots won their first two games, extending their record regular season winning streak to 21 games. They lost to the Miami Dolphins in Week 3, ending the streak. This record winning streak would be later broken by the Indianapolis Colts, who won 23 straight regular season games from 2008–2009.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Aftermath
Four years later, the Giants and Patriots met in Super Bowl XLVI. The Giants would win this Super Bowl as well, by a score of 21–17.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Aftermath
Despite the controversy surrounding the broadcast of this game, the NFL kept the Thursday Night Football exclusively on the NFL Network through 2013. The package was then split between the NFL Network and CBS beginning from 2014 to 2015 and between the NFL Network, CBS, and NBC from 2016 to 2017. Fox purchased the rights to broadcast most TNF games from 2018 to 2022. In order to satisfy its cable carriage agreements, the NFL Network retains seven exclusive regular season broadcasts per year. These include TNF games in Weeks 2 and 3, Games played in London with a 9:30 am ET start, and late-season Saturday games.


2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, Aftermath
The game's impact was summarized by Scott Graham on NFL Films' subsequent hour-long replay of the contest ("Perfect Ending", an episode of NFL Films Game Of The Week): "Never had a meaningless game carried more meaning."


2007 New England Revolution season
The 2007 New England Revolution season was the twelfth season of the team's existence, and the third straight season to end in the MLS Cup Final. It began on April 7 with a 1–0 road loss against the Chicago Fire and ended on November 19 with a 2–1 loss to the Houston Dynamo in the finals of the MLS Cup, a repeat of the previous year's MLS Cup Final. To date, it is the only season where the Revs won any domestic competition, as they were the 2007 US Open Cup champions.


2007 New England Revolution season, Squad, First-team squad
As of October 13, 2007. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2007 New England Revolution season, Standings, Major League Soccer, Results
Last updated: October 21, 2007Source: Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won;  T = Matches tied;  L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference


2007 New Forest District Council election
The 2007 New Forest District Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members to the New Forest District Council, on the same day as other local elections. The election for Bramshaw, Copythorne North and Minstead was postponed due to the death of a candidate, and therefore a by-election was held on the 14th June.


2007 New Forest District Council election, Election Summary
The Conservatives won 13 seats new seats (14 including the Bramshaw, Copythorne North and Minstead by-election), increasing their majority, with the Liberal Democrats losing half (14) their seats, and the independent councillor Daniel Cracknell retaining his seat. Whilst not gaining representation, the Green and Labour parties increased their vote share.


2007 New Forest District Council election, Bramshaw, Copythorne North and Minstead by-election
Whilst an election for the ward of Bramshaw, Copythrone North and Minstead was due to take place alongside the other elections the death of a candidate lead to a by election being held in June, just over a month later.


2007 New Hampshire Wildcats football team
The 2007 New Hampshire Wildcats football team represented the University of New Hampshire in the 2007 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Wildcats were led by ninth-year head coach Sean McDonnell and played their home games at Cowell Stadium in Durham, New Hampshire. They were a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. They finished the season 7–5, 4–4 in CAA play. They received an at-large bid into the FCS playoffs, where they lost in the first round to Northern Iowa.


2007 New Jersey State Senate election
The 2007 New Jersey State Senate elections were held on November 4.


2007 New Jersey State Senate election
The election took place midway through Jon Corzine's term as Governor of New Jersey. Democrats gained an additional seat by winning two Republican seats in South Jersey, though one-term Senator Ellen Karcher lost re-election to Jennifer Beck. The Democratic gains in South Jersey laid the groundwork for a transfer of power within the Democratic Party, culminating in Steve Sweeney's election as Senate President midway through the 2008–12 term.


2007 New Mexico Bowl
The 2007 New Mexico Bowl was a post–season American college football bowl game held on December 22, 2007 at University Stadium on the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico as part of the 2007–08 NCAA bowl season. The game, telecast on ESPN, featured the Nevada Wolf Pack from the WAC and the hometown New Mexico Lobos from the Mountain West Conference.


2007 New Mexico Bowl
The Lobos topped the Wolf Pack 23–0 to earn their first bowl win since the 1961 Aviation Bowl, a 45–year drought that was the fifth-longest in the nation. Another streak ended in the game with the shutout of Nevada being the Wolf Pack's first since 1980. New Mexico quarterback Donovan Porterie made up for a poor 2006 New Mexico Bowl performance with two touchdown tosses and kicker John Sullivan tacked on three long field goals in the win.


2007 New Mexico Bowl, Game summary, First Quarter
New Mexico received the opening kickoff to begin the game. The kick was returned 27 yards and New Mexico began the first offensive drive of the game from its own 29-yard line. After two short plays, New Mexico quarterback Donovan Porterie threw short pass to the right side of the field that turned into a 66–yard reception by wide receiver Marcus Smith, who eluded the Nevada defenders for a touchdown. The score gave the Lobos an early 7–0 lead with 13:38 remaining in the quarter. The play was Smith's longest reception of the season.


2007 New Mexico Bowl, Game summary, First Quarter
On their first offensive possession, Nevada began operations at its own 25–yard line after a short kickoff return. Nevada proved unable to earn a first down and after just three plays was forced to punt the ball away. Punter Zachary Whited kicked the ball 47 yards and New Mexico took over on its 23–yard line to begin its second offensive possession of the game.


2007 New Mexico Bowl, Game summary, First Quarter
The Lobo offense began with a five-yard false start penalty but were helped by a 10–yard holding penalty against Nevada that gave New Mexico an automatic first down. Two plays later, the Lobos connected on a 22–yard pass that took them into Nevada territory. Three incomplete passes later, New Mexico was forced to punt after failing to pick up another first down. Punter Jordan Scott kicked the ball 35 yards, pinning Nevada at their own 10 to begin their second offensive drive.


2007 New Mexico Bowl, Game summary, First Quarter
On the second play, quarterback Colin Kaepernick connected with Marko Mitchell for Nevada's first first down of the game, a 16–yard pass. Two consecutive false start penalties, however, pushed the Nevada offense back 10 yards and prevented Nevada from gaining another first down. Nevada's 47–yard punt was returned 15 yards and New Mexico began with good field position at its own 46–yard line with 6:00 remaining in the quarter.


2007 New Mexico Bowl, Game summary, First Quarter
On the second play of the drive, Nevada's defense got its first big break of the game as New Mexico receiver Roland Bruno fumbled the ball after catching a short pass. Nevada's defense recovered the fumble and Nevada was able to take over on offense in New Mexico territory. The Wolf Pack offense continued to struggle, however and failed to pick up a first down after the turnover. Nevada again punted the ball away. The kick rolled into the end zone for a touchback and New Mexico began at its 20–yard line.


2007 New Mexico Bowl, Game summary, First Quarter
The first play of the drive resulted in a 23–yard completion to Travis Brown. A screen pass two plays later went for 21 yards and the Lobos again penetrated into Nevada territory. A false start penalty set the New Mexico offense back five yards, but two plays later, Porterie connected on 39–yard touchdown to Travis Brown. The touchdown came with 2:22 remaining in the quarter and gave New Mexico a 14–0 lead over Nevada.


2007 New Mexico Bowl, Game summary, First Quarter
Nevada began its final drive of the first quarter from its own 30–yard line desperately needing to score in order to keep the game from getting out of hand. As before, however, Nevada struggled to advance the ball. Wolf Pack quarterback Colin Kaepernick was forced to convert two third-down plays to keep the drive alive. As time ran out in the quarter, Nevada faced a second–and–12 situation on the New Mexico 41–yard line.


2007 New Mexico Bowl, Game summary, First Quarter
At the end of the first quarter, New Mexico led 14–0. Nevada had struggled on offense throughout the quarter, but had begun to put together what was then its longest drive of the game as time ran out.


2007 New Mexico Bowl, Game summary, Second Quarter
In the middle of its best drive thus far, Nevada completed a short pass but was stopped for a loss on the next play. Electing to attempt the fourth-down conversion, quarterback Colin Kaepernick kept the ball on a quarterback scramble but was pushed out of bounds one yard short of the first down. New Mexico took over on offense following the turnover on downs and again began to move the ball down the field. At midfield, New Mexico quarterback Donovan Porterie attempted to throw the ball deep but was intercepted by Nevada's Justin Jackson. After the interception, Nevada took over on its own 31–yard line. The Nevada offense picked up two first downs but two consecutive penalties on third down nullified two separate first-down plays and Nevada was again forced to punt.


2007 New Mexico Bowl, Game summary, Second Quarter
New Mexico took over at its 28–yard line with 9:13 remaining in the second quarter. A steady Lobo rushing attack picked up yards and first downs on the ground and New Mexico moved the ball downfield with success. After crossing into Nevada territory, however, the Lobos began to run into difficulty. Inside the Pack 40–yard line, Nevada forced a stop after Porterie was sacked for a 6-yard loss. All-American kicker John Sullivan came into the game to attempt a career–long 53–yard field goal for New Mexico. Sullivan, who had played the entire season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left (plant) leg, completed the kick, thus giving the Lobos a 17–0 lead with 5:55 remaining in the first half.


2007 New Mexico Bowl, Game summary, Second Quarter
Taking over at their own 25–yard line following the post-score kickoff, Nevada had just under six minutes to score before halftime. Any hope of doing just that, however, quickly came to an end as the Pack's first four plays resulted in –1 yards and a punt. Following the kick which came with 4:19 remaining in the half, New Mexico now had a chance to expand their lead before halftime. A 20–yard completion to tight end Chris Mark put the Lobos in position to do just that but New Mexico failed to earn a second first down. John Sullivan was sent in to attempt another field goal, this time a 45–yarder which was also successfully converted. The kick allowed Sullivan to tie an NCAA record for consecutive games with multiple field goals and gave New Mexico a 20–0 lead with 2:48 before halftime.