<span style=""> <span style="">MONDAY NIGHT, NOVEMBER 30, 2009</span>
<span style="">NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (7-3) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (10-0)</span>
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- The Patriots lead the all-time series, 8-3 and have captured the past three meetings between the two teams.
- This will be Head Coach Sean Payton's first game as a head coach against the Patriots, while New England head Coach Bill Belichick owns a 3-0 all-time record against the Saints.
- Last Game: 11/20/05: Saints 17 at Patriots 24. New England QB Tom Brady passes for 3 TDs & Patriots S Eugene Wilson intercepts pass in end zone as time expires to preserve win.
- Last Game at Site: 10/4/98: Patriots 30, Saints 27. New England K Adam Vinatieri kicks game-winning 27-yard FG with 3 seconds remaining.
- ESPN (7:30 PM CT): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden. Westwood One Radio: Kevin Harlan, Boomer Esiason, Mark Malone (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 124 (WW1), 126 (NE), 125 (NO). XM: 124 (WW1), 103 (NE), 102 (NO). The game can heard regionally on the Saints Radio Network (WWL 870 AM and 105.3 FM locally) with Jim Henderson handling play-by-play, Hokie Gajan serving as color analyst and Kristian Garic reporting from the Saints sidelines. A Spanish language broadcast can be heard on WFNO 830 AM with Emilio Peralta handling play-by-play and Marco Garcia serving as color analyst.
- The New Orleans Saints enter week 12 of NFL regular season with an unblemished 10-0 record and own a five game lead over their next closest rival, the 5-5 Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South.
- The Saints can clinch the NFC South Division title one of two ways this week:
- 1) With a Saints win and a loss or tie by the Atlanta Falcons
- 2) A tie by the Saints and a loss by the Atlanta Falcons.
- The Saints host the AFC East leading New England Patriots on Monday night, November 30. The Atlanta Falcons host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-9) on Sunday at noon central.
<span style="">NOTES</span>
<span style="">SAINTS:</span> Are 10-0 for 1st time in team history. Average 36.9 points per game, most in NFL…QB DREW BREES is 2-0 in career vs. NE with 118.4 rating. Aims for 5th in row on MNF with 300 yards. Has 1,289 yards (322.3 yards per game) with 10 TDs vs. 3 INTs for 109.6 rating in past 4 on MNF. Since joining NO in 2006, leads NFL with 16,656 pass yards…RB-PR REGGIE BUSH has 5 TDs (3 rush, 2 PR) in 4 games on MNF. RB MIKE BELL rushed for 2 TDs last week. RB PIERRE THOMAS has 4 TDs (3 rush, 1 rec.) in past 2 MNF games…WR MARQUES COLSTON aims for 4th MNF game in row with TD (4 TDs). WR ROBERT MEACHEM aims for 4th in row with TD. Has 4 TDs in past 3…DE WILL SMITH has 6 sacks in past 4 & aims for 5th in row with sack. Had 1.5 sacks & FF in last meeting. S DARREN SHARPER had INT in last game vs. NE. Has 3 INTs (2 INT-TDs) in past 2 vs. AFC. LB JONATHAN VILMA had INT last week & has INT in all 6 NFL seasons.
PATRIOTS: Aim for 7th consecutive win on MNF…Club has won 17 consecutive regular-season games vs. NFC, longest winning streak vs. opposite conference since 1970 merger…Team will make 1st visit to Superdome since SB XXXVI victory (2/3/02). Pats are 5-0 all-time at Superdome, incl. SB win…QB TOM BRADY (29,495) needs 163 passing yards to surpass DREW BLEDSOE (29,657) for most in NE history. Brady is 2-0 vs. NO & has 7 TDs vs. 0 INTs & 129.5 passer rating. Has posted 5 consecutive 300-yard passing games (career-long)…RB LAURENCE MARONEY aims for 6th game in row w/rush TD & needs 1 to surpass career-high (6 in '06 & '07)…WR RANDY MOSS aims for 4th consecutive game w/TD vs. NO. WR WES WELKER had career-high 15 rec. last week & aims for 6th consecutive game w/9 or more rec....CB LEIGH BODDEN tied Pats record w/3 INTs last week, incl. 53-yard INT-TD return.
