VS PRESEASON GAME 3 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AUGUST 24 2012 MEDIA INFORMATION TAMPA BAY (1-1) WELCOMES NEW ENGLAND (1-0) FOR SECOND PRESEASON IN A ROW GAME INFORMATION Date: Friday, August 24, 2012 2012 Schedule & Results Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET Preseason Site: Raymond James Stadium (65,908) Date Opponent (TV) Time/Result 2011 Records: Tampa Bay 4-12, New England 13-3 8/10 at Miami (WTSP) W, 20-7 Buccaneers Television: WTSP-TV 8/17 TENNESSEE (WTSP) L, 30-7 Play-By-Play: Chris Myers, Color: John Lynch, 8/24 NEW ENGLAND (WTSP) 7:30 Sideline: Dave Wirth 8/29 at Washington (WTSP) 7:30 Bucs Radio: US 103.5, flagship station (103.5 FM, 620 AM) Regular Season Play-by-Play: Gene Deckerhoff, Color: Dave Date Opponent (TV) Time Moore, Sideline: T.J. Rives 9/9 CAROLINA (FOX) 4:25 Up Next: Tampa Bay at Washington (8/29), New 9/16 at N.Y. Giants (FOX) 1:00 England at N.Y. Giants (8/29) 9/23 at Dallas (FOX) 1:00 9/30 WASHINGTON (FOX) 4:25 Bye Week LAST GAME RECAP 10/14 at Kansas City (CBS) 1:00 Tennessee 30, Tampa Bay 7 10/21 NEW ORLEANS (FOX) 1:00 Friday, August 17, 2012 TAMPA – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to the 10/25 at Minnesota (NFLN) 8:20 visiting Tennessee Titans, 30-7, during the second 11/4 at Oakland (FOX) 4:05 week of preseason play. Tampa Bay was first to 11/11 SAN DIEGO (CBS) 1:00 score, after S Ahmad Black intercepted Titans QB 11/18 at Carolina^ (FOX) 1:00 Jake Locker and took the ball 29 yards to the 11/25 ATLANTA^ (FOX) 1:00 Tennessee 2, setting up a touchdown pass from QB 12/2 at Denver^ (FOX) 4:05 Josh Freeman to WR Mike Williams. However, the 12/9 PHILADELPHIA^ (FOX) 1:00 Titans tied the game at 7-7 as the first quarter drew 12/16 at New Orleans^ (FOX) 1:00 to a close, when RB Chris Johnson scored with a 14- 12/23 ST. LOUIS^ (FOX) 1:00 yard run. In the second quarter, turnovers cost the 12/30 at Atlanta^ (FOX) 1:00 Buccaneers, as QB Dan Orlovsky fumbled the ball following a sack, which was recovered by the Titans and turned into a 24-yard field goal by K Rob Bironas HOME GAMES IN ALL CAPS - All Times Eastern to give the Titans a 10-7 lead. On the following *Nationally-Televised Game Buccaneers possession, Orlovsky was intercepted ^ Subject To Flexible Scheduling deep in Buccaneers territory, and the Titans capitalized again, this time with another 14-yard scoring rush by Johnson to make the score 17- 7. In the final minutes of the first half, Tennessee furthered its lead to 20-7 as Bironas hit a 48- yard field goal. Bironas connected on another field goal late in the third quarter, and QB Rusty Smith hit TE Cameron Graham for a 15-yard score in the fourth quarter, ending the game on the score 30-7. ALL-TIME SERIES The Buccaneers and Patriots have met nine times in the preseason, with Tampa Bay winning seven of the last eight contests. This year’s meeting is the eighth in Tampa, with the Bucs owning a 5-2 mark at home in the series. During the regular season, New England leads the series 5-2. The Buccaneers won, 21-16, at New England in the 2000 season opener. The Buccaneers also won, 27-7, in 1997 in Tampa. The first meeting between the two clubs was in the Bucs’ first season in 1976, a 31-14 New England win in Tampa. The Patriots also captured wins in 1985 (32-14 in Tampa), 1988 (10-7 in overtime in New England), 2005 (28-0 in New England) and their last meeting in 2009 (35-7 in London). PRESEASON MEETINGS Tampa Bay leads series 7-2 Year Score Site 1981 L, 17-16 Tampa 1983 W, 41-21 Tampa 1990 W, 44-10 Jacksonville 1999 W, 45-14 Tampa 2000 W, 31-21 Foxboro 2001 W, 20-3 Tampa 2007 W, 13-10 Tampa 2008 W, 27-10 Tampa 2011 L, 31-14 Tampa LAST MEETING (PRESEASON) Tampa Bay 14, New England 31 (8/18/11) TAMPA – Despite a hard-fought second half in which Tampa Bay outscored New England 14-3, the team was unable to overcome its slow start in the first half and fell to the visiting Patriots 31-14. New England’s offense, led by QB Tom Brady, challenged Tampa Bay’s young defense and scored on each of its three first-quarter possessions, while its defense took advantage of an off-rhythm night in the Tampa Bay offensive line, which kept pressure on QB Josh Freeman and impeded the Buccaneers’ effort to keep pace. Penalties also took a toll on Tampa Bay, as the team finished with 12 penalties for 95 yards, 10 calls and 85 yards of which came in the first half. The Buccaneers missed their first scoring opportunity of the night at the end of the second quarter, as K Connor Barth went wide right on a 47-yard attempt before halftime. Tampa Bay did not give in, however, and started the second half with a bang, as CB Elbert Mack intercepted QB Ryan Mallett’s deep pass attempt on the Patriots’ opening drive and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown. In New England’s ensuing possession, the Tampa Bay defense again made a big play when S Larry Asante forced a RB Stevan Ridley fumble that was recovered by LB Adam Hayward. Unfortunately, QB Josh Johnson was intercepted by CB Kyle Arrington to end the following Tampa Bay offensive drive. Mallett was sacked by DE George Johnson as he attempted to lead the Patriots back down the field, and S Corey Lynch and CB Anthony Gaitor both had tackles that pinned New England to fourth-and-two on the Tampa Bay 26-yard line and held the visiting team to a field goal. Johnson pieced together an impressive 12-play, 84- yard drive to begin the fourth quarter, complete with deep 21 and 28-yard passes to TE Daniel Hardy and WR Preston Parker, respectively, and 17 of his own rushing yards. Rookie sixth-round draft pick RB Allen Bradford also contributed throughout the drive, and was responsible for the final two-yard push to punch the ball into the end zone for the second Tampa Bay touchdown of the night. Third QB Rudy Carpenter led the Buccaneers from the Tampa Bay 15 to the New England 9 during the final minutes of the game, but his pass to WR Maurice Price fell 2 incomplete on fourth-and-five just inside the two-minute warning. New England recovered the ball and kneeled as time expired. LAST MEETING (REGULAR SEASON) New England 35, Tampa Bay 7 (10/25/09) LONDON – Playing out of the country for the first time in team history during the regular season, Tampa Bay trailed New England by two touchdowns in London as it entered the second half but was unable to cut into the lead. The Patriots grabbed an early 7-0 lead on the Buccaneers first drive of the game as S Brandon Meriweather intercepted QB Josh Johnson and ran 39 yards for a touchdown. Tampa Bay entered New England territory on its next possession, but Johnson was again picked off by Meriweather to end the threat. New England increased its lead to 14-0 late in the first quarter as QB Tom Brady hit WR Wes Welker for a 14-yard touchdown. Early in the second quarter, New England threatened to increase its lead, but S Tanard Jackson picked off Brady in the end zone. However, the Buccaneers were forced to punt on the resulting possession and three plays later, Brady hit WR Sam Aiken on a short pass over the middle that he turned into a 54-yard catch-and-run for a score and a 21-0 lead for the Patriots. Tampa Bay got on the board just before halftime as Johnson hit WR Antonio Bryant for a 33-yard score to trim the lead to 21-7. New England went back up by three touchdowns on the first drive of the second half as Brady hit TE Ben Watson for a 35-yard touchdown for the only scoring of the third quarter. Following a 10-play, 89-yard drive early in the fourth quarter, the Patriots put the game away as RB Laurence Maroney ran in from one yard out to make the score 35-7. Following the Patriots final score, rookie QB Josh Freeman made his professional debut as he engineered the Buccaneers final two drives. PRESEASON SERIES HIGHLIGHTS New England rallies from a 10-point deficit to defeat Tampa Bay 17-16 (8/15/81)… The Patriots scored a pair of touchdowns during a span of 2:52 in the third quarter, when Ken Toler recovered a fumble in the end zone for a score and RB Tony Collins scored on a two-yard run for the go-ahead touchdown… QB Jerry Golsteyn completed 8-of-11 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-21 rout over the Patriots (8/26/83)… WR Theo Bell hauled in three receptions for 116 yards, including a 69-yard scoring strike from QB Jack Thompson… Tampa Bay erupted for 35 second-half points in a 44-10 drubbing of New England (8/18/90)… The Buccaneers posted a pair of defensive touchdowns on S Thomas Everett’s 33-yard interception return and LB Broderick Thomas’ 56-yard fumble return… Tampa Bay posted its highest preseason point total ever en route to a 45-14 win at Raymond James Stadium (8/28/99)… The Bucs gained 436 total yards in the contest and did not commit a turnover… RB Warrick Dunn rushed for 115 yards on 12 carries in Tampa Bay’s 20-3 win vs.