Sunday, August 18, 2002
Patriots 16, Eagles 15
By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer
FOXBORO, Mass. — Adam Vinatieri, who booted three field goals through a driving snowstorm against Oakland in last season's playoffs, kicked three more on a steamy Saturday night to beat Philadelphia 16-15 in the first football game at Gillette Stadium.
“It's hard to compare this early in the season,” Vinatieri said. “It was 90 degrees out and there wasn't much wind. We'll see what happens in November and December when it's cold.”
If it's anything like what happened Jan. 19, he'll be pleased.
He kicked a 45-yard field goal on the last play of the fourth quarter and a 23-yarder in overtime that gave New England a 16-13 win over the Raiders on its way to the Super Bowl championship.
The game-time temperature was 25 degrees then. It was 94 degrees Saturday against a team that almost made it to the Super Bowl but lost the NFC title game to St. Louis.
Vinatieri made the kicks against Oakland a few hundred yards away in since-demolished Foxboro Stadium. Saturday's football game drew a capacity crowd of 68,436 and was the first in Gillette Stadium, where several soccer games have been played.
“The crowd was fired up,” Vinatieri said. “They pretty much picked up where they left off last year.'
So did Vinatieri, although the Patriots (1-1) nearly lost as A.J. Feeley threw an 8-yard scoring pass to former Patriot Sean Morey with 50 seconds left. But Feeley's pass for a two-point conversion went incomplete off the hands of Corey McIntyre.
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb said the fact two of last year's top teams played wasn't a big consideration.
“But we were excited,” he said. “They are the Super Bowl champs. And it is a new stadium and we were excited about opening it.”
The Patriots ended last season with nine straight wins but lost their exhibition opener a week ago, 22-19 to the New York Giants in which Vinatieri made all four of his field-goal attempts after making both against St. Louis. He also hit his first three against the Eagles before missing a 41-yard attempt with 2:43 left in the game that ended his streak at nine.
“There are so many different opportunities for kickers to be successful,” said David Akers, who kicked three field goals for Philadelphia. “You just have to be in the right situation. Adam's kick last year against Oakland was the best field goal I had ever seen.”
The Eagles (1-1) opened their exhibition season with a 20-13 win over Green Bay a week earlier and handled Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady well Saturday.
He played all seven series of the first half, completing 11 of 19 passes for 116 yards and two interceptions. One interception was by Lito Sheppard in the end zone late in the first half.
“Our feeling tonight was this is our home. Let's break it in right,” Brady said, but “I was disappointed in my performance.”
McNabb played four series and finished 8-for-14 for 59 yards. Koy Detmer replaced him midway through the second quarter and was 1-for-3 for 7 yards before Tim Hasselbeck took over to start the third.
“Donovan played well and I thought we played well defensively,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said.
The Patriots went ahead on their second series on Vinatieri's 27-yard field goal. But Akers connected from 42 and 38 yards, the last with five seconds left in the half, to make it 6-3.
The Patriots regained the lead on Kevin Faulk's 1-yard run midway through the third quarter with Damon Huard at quarterback. Akers' 25-yard field goal made it 10-9 late in the period.
Then Vinatieri connected in the fourth quarter from 46 and 37 yards, making it 16-9 with 11:12 remaining.
Both teams were beset by penalties in the first half.
Philadelphia committed seven, including two reach by right tackles Jon Runyan and Steve Edwards. New England had six penalties in the half, but four came on Philadelphia's last possession that ended with Akers' go-ahead field goal.
The Eagles lost two players for the game to first-half injuries. Ike Reese, a backup linebacker and special teams player, hyperextended his left knee, and starting defensive end Brandon Whiting strained his right hamstring. They are scheduled to undergo MRI exams Sunday.
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Patriots 16, Eagles 15
