- TheHall: RT @Patriots: .@PriscoCBS' Top 100 Player Rankings: Brady (#2), Gronk (#10), Wilfork (#30), Welker (#42), Mankins (#87). Who else would ...
- TheHall: RT @Patriots: Robert Kraft ranks #1 on @TheBigLead's 2011 Owners Rankings: http://t.co/Ivx3sAG6
Artifact of the Month: August
8/17/11 2:00 PM
The first touchdown of the Robert Kraft ownership era also staked the Patriots to their first lead of the Kraft era. It came in the first quarter of the 1994 season opener at Miami's Joe Robbie Stadium.
Following a Terry Kirby fumble forced by Marty Moore and recovered by Myron Guyton, New England took over on its own 41 and drove 59 yards in 10 plays capped by a Kevin Turner 1-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 Patriots lead.
The Patriots eventually lost a shootout, 39-35, in Miami when former Patriots receiver Irving Fryar caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Dan Marino with 3:19 left to go in the game. A Ben Coates' fumble on the New England's ensuing possession all but ended their hopes of a season-opening win.
Second-year quarterback Drew Bledsoe completed 32-of-51 passes for 421 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions while Marino completed 23-of-42 passes for 473 yards with five touchdowns and one interception.
Since Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994, he has guided the franchise to the winningest record in the NFL while capturing 10 division titles, five conference titles and three Super Bowl titles. The Patriots have scored 754 touchdowns since Turner's 1-yard plunge.
