Sports

5 Things You Need to Know About Sunday's Patriots Game vs. Arizona

The New England Patriots host the Arizona Cardinals in Sunday's home opener at Gillette Stadium. Kick-off is 1 p.m.

Football returns in Foxborough Sunday as the New England Patriots host the Arizona Cardinals in Sunday’s home opener at Gillette Stadium.

Parking lots open for game day at 9 a.m. Sunday. Gillette Stadium's gates open at 11 a.m. for admission to the game. So, if you're not going to the game, stay away from the Route 95/Route 495 intersection area.

The Patriots (1-0) are coming off an impressive, 34-13 victory in Tennessee last week to open the 2012-13 NFL season.

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Quarterback Tom Brady threw for two touchdowns while running back Stevan Ridley totaled 125 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Meanwhile, the Pats defense held Titans All-Pro running back Chris Johnson to just four yards on 11 carries.

The Pats will look to build on that momentum Sunday against the visiting Arizona Cardinals, who came from behind to win  their season opener last Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, 20-16.

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If you are not attending Sunday’s game at Gillette Stadium, you can watch the game on FOX at 1 p.m. Dick Stockton will handle play-by-play duties while John Lynch will provide analysis. If you are unable to watch the game on TV, you can listen to the game on the Patriots Radio Flagship Station, 98.5 The Sports Hub. Gil Santos will provide play-by-play while Scott Zolak will provide analysis. The 98.5 Sports Hub pregame show begins at 10 a.m.

Here's five things you need to know about Sunday's game:

1. Foxborough Parking Ban in Effect, Stadium Parking Information and Time Gates Open

Foxborough’s recently established parking bylaw that bans residents from parking vehicles on their property for a fee will be in effect Sunday. Those in violation of the parking ban will be subject to a $100 fine. Click here for more information.

Parking lots open for game day at 9 a.m. Sunday. Gillette Stadium's gates open at 11 a.m. for admission to the game.

General Parking Rates for Gillette Stadium Lots

  • $40 for cars
  • $125 for RVs (enter P10 N from the North, Enter P11 from the South)
  • $125 for Limos (enter P1 N from north or P7 S from the south)
  • $200 for buses (Enter P10 N from the North, Enter P11 from the South)
  • $40 for motorcycles (one per space)

All Lots are cash only.

View the PDF file in the photo gallery above for a parking map of Gillette Stadium.

2. Allow Plenty of Time for Traffic Around the Stadium

Drivers are advised to allow themselves plenty of time when travelling near the stadium on game day. Traffic restrictions will be in place on local roads before and after Sunday's game. Fans must use I-95, I-495 or Route 140 to access Gillette Stadium.

Click here to keep an eye on game day traffic with Patch’s live traffic feature.

3. The Dos and Don’ts at Gillette Stadium

No one wants to be "that fan" that doesn't know the stadium's security protocol. Be prepared on game day by reviewing the dos and don’ts at Gillette Stadium as well as other useful information about the facility:

4. Quick Hits About Sunday's Game at Gillette Stadium

  • NRG, a proud sponsor of the New England Patriots, will be stationed in Patriot Place starting at 9 a.m. Sunday. Fans will be able to participate in a variety of games for a chance to win a Patriots duffle bag. Look out for NRG employees riding Segways around Patriot Place to distribute NRG and Patriots towels to lucky fans.
  • Former Patriots Matt Light and Doug Flutie will be arriving at Patriot Place outside of Tastings at 11:30 a.m. to take photos with fans. These photos are available online through a photo access card you will be given after the picture is taken.
  • After the first quarter of Sunday’s game, NRG - with the help of Flutie and Light, will be unveiling the solar canopy at Patriot Place and distributing sunglasses to every fan in attendance. For more on Patriot Place going solar Sunday,
  • Troy Brown, the newest member of the New England Patriots Hall of Fame, will be honored at halftime. for more information.
  • Sunday’s game will be the first with full Wi-Fi access inside Gillette Stadium,
  • To support the Celebrate Volunteerism initiative’s education volunteerism focus this week, The Patriots Charitable Foundation will be conducting a book drive at the game. Fans can bring new or gently used children’s books and leave them in collection bins at the gates or in the ProShop. Click here for more information.
  • Bad Rabbits will be the pregame band in Patriot Place Plaza.

5. The Last Time the Cardinals and Patriots Met …

Patriots 47, Cardinals 7
Dec. 21, 2008
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough

The Cardinals headed to Foxborough for the final road game of the regular season and a

showdown with the Patriots in Week 15 of the 2008-2009 NFL season. Like Arizona, the Pats entered the game at 9-5. However, unlike the Cardinals, who clinched the NFC west two weeks earlier and were pretty much locked into their playoff spot, New England was in a three-way tie atop the AFC East and fighting for its postseason life.

In addition to the must-win Patriots, Arizona also had to contend with Mother Nature. A winter storm socked much of the east coast and the game was played amid a steady snowfall. The Cardinals had not played a game in snow in over 25 years (12/18/83 vs. Philadelphia at St. Louis) and it was clear New England was far more comfortable in the environment. The Arizona offense entered the game No. 2 in the NFL with a 26.6 points/game average but was limited to a season-low 7 points by New England’s defense. The Patriots offense was more successful and rolled up 514 total yards. It all added up to a very one-sided contest.

Of its six first half possessions, New England scored four touchdowns and a field goal. Conversely on its six drives, Arizona went 3-and-out five times and turned it over on downs once.

Those two factors resulted in a 31-0 New England halftime lead. LaMont Jordan capped each of the first two Patriot drives with short touchdown runs. Early in the second quarter, a 15-yard Matt Cassel pass to Kevin Faulk made it 21-0 and an 11-yard Cassel pass to Wes Welker on the next series made it 28-0. Stephen Gostkowski’s 38-yard FG in the closing seconds of the first half made it 31-0.

A bad situation for Arizona got even worse on the first play from scrimmage after intermission. Cassel hit Randy Moss with a quick screen at the line of scrimmage and the receiver took it 76 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown that made it a 38-0 score just 19 seconds into the second half.

The Pats then added Gostkowski field goals on their next three drives. Kurt Warner was replaced at quarterback by Matt Leinart late in the third quarter and he finished the game. It was Leinart’s 78-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald with 6:17 to play that kept the Cardinals from being shut out.

CARDINALS-PATRIOTS SERIES AT A GLANCE

The Cardinals and the Patriots meet for the 13th time in a series that is even at six games apiece.

Despite each team having six wins in the all-time series, the Cardinals have dropped five straight

to New England and have not defeated the Patriots since 1991. The Cardinals are making just their third trip to New England dating back to 1985 and the team makes just its second regular season visit to Gillette Stadium.

  • Overall Regular Season Series: 6-6
  • Cardinals on the road vs. New England: 2-2
  • Cardinals last win: Sept. 21, 1991 vs. New England, W, 24-10
  • First Meeting: Nov. 8, 1970 vs. Boston, W, 31-0
  • Last Meeting: Dec. 21, 2008 at New England, L, 47-7

Last 10 Meetings

(Date Site Result)

  • Dec. 21, 2008 New England L, 7-47
  • Sep. 19, 2004 Arizona L, 12-23
  • Oct. 31, 1999 Arizona L, 3-27
  • Sep. 15, 1996 New England L, 0-31
  • Oct. 10, 2003 Arizona L, 21-23
  • Sep. 29, 1991 Arizona W, 24-10
  • Nov. 25, 1990 Arizona W, 34-14
  • Dec. 2, 1984 New England W, 33-10
  • Nov. 29, 1981 New England W, 27-20
  • Sep. 10, 1978 St. Louis L, 6-16


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