With quarterback Kurt Warner holding a 3 p.m. ET press conference to announce his future plans -- the signs are pointing toward retirement -- the thought came to mind that the Patriots didn't see much of Warner over his 12-year career.
Suiting up for the Rams (1998-2003), Giants (2004) and Cardinals (2005-2009), Warner was an NFC guy and thus there were only three non-preseason games against the Patriots in his career:
Nov. 18, 2001 -- Rams 24, Patriots 17 -- Warner goes 30 of 42 for 401 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. It was the last loss of the Patriots season (and at Foxboro Stadium), dropping them to 5-5, but a performance that gave the team confidence to make an unexpected Super Bowl run.
Feb. 3, 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 -- Warner finishes 28 of 44 for 365 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions in a stunning Patriots upset in Super Bowl XXXVI at the Louisiana Superdome. One of his interceptions is returned for a touchdown by cornerback Ty Law.
Dec. 21, 2008 -- Patriots 47, Cardinals 7 -- Warner is 6 of 18 for 30 yards before being pulled in snowy conditions at Gillette Stadium, as the Cardinals -- having already clinched the NFC West title -- didn't come to play.
Looking back at comments made by Patriots coach Bill Belichick on Warner over the years, it seemed that Belichick felt Warner's intelligence was one of his greatest assets. He also checked out highly in the areas Belichick often cites as crucial for a quarterback -- accuracy and decision-making.
"He is not wrong too often," Belichick said in December of 2008. "His deal is to see it, make a quick decision and get the ball out there and put it on the money, and he does that very well."
Suiting up for the Rams (1998-2003), Giants (2004) and Cardinals (2005-2009), Warner was an NFC guy and thus there were only three non-preseason games against the Patriots in his career:
Nov. 18, 2001 -- Rams 24, Patriots 17 -- Warner goes 30 of 42 for 401 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. It was the last loss of the Patriots season (and at Foxboro Stadium), dropping them to 5-5, but a performance that gave the team confidence to make an unexpected Super Bowl run.
Feb. 3, 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 -- Warner finishes 28 of 44 for 365 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions in a stunning Patriots upset in Super Bowl XXXVI at the Louisiana Superdome. One of his interceptions is returned for a touchdown by cornerback Ty Law.
Dec. 21, 2008 -- Patriots 47, Cardinals 7 -- Warner is 6 of 18 for 30 yards before being pulled in snowy conditions at Gillette Stadium, as the Cardinals -- having already clinched the NFC West title -- didn't come to play.
Looking back at comments made by Patriots coach Bill Belichick on Warner over the years, it seemed that Belichick felt Warner's intelligence was one of his greatest assets. He also checked out highly in the areas Belichick often cites as crucial for a quarterback -- accuracy and decision-making.
"He is not wrong too often," Belichick said in December of 2008. "His deal is to see it, make a quick decision and get the ball out there and put it on the money, and he does that very well."
Mike Reiss
Patriots reporter, ESPNBoston.com- Covered Patriots since 1997
- Blogging on Pats since 2004
- Joined ESPNBoston.com in 2009
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Mike Reiss
Mike Reiss first started covering the Patriots in 1997 with the team's official newspaper, Patriots Football Weekly, before moving on to the MetroWest Daily News in his hometown of Framingham. From 2005 to 2009, he covered the Patriots for The Boston Globe, while also writing on the NFL. He started his popular Patriots blog in 2004. Send any questions or comments for Mike to his mailbag. Follow him on Twitter here.
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Chris Forsberg has been reporting on the Boston sports scene since 1999. With his video camera in tow, Forsberg covered everything from Massachusetts high school sports to Boston's pro sports teams. Follow him on Twitter.
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