3's Company-Pats win 3rd division in a row by blasting Bucs

The Patriots laid a whopping on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 28-0, to capture their 3rd strait division title, and 4th in 5 years. Yeah UB knows the game was on Saturday, 6 days ago, but he's been busy alright! Dang!

It is the 8th division championship for the Pats, to go along with their 5 AFC titles and 3 Super Bowls. The Pats won the AFL Eastern Division title in 1963, then didn't win their 1st NFL-AFC East crown until 1978. They also won division titles in 1986 (in 1985 they were a Wild Card in Super Bowl XX), 1996, 1997, 2001, 2003 and 2004.

The Bucs came in as a hot team with four wins in five games, but the Pats held rookie Carnell Williams to 23 yards on 14 carries, with his longest only 3 yards. Patriots defenders Richard Seymour (Pro Bowl selection) Roosevelt Colvin and Teddy Bruschi went wild pitching in on 7 total sacks.

Tom Brady's (Pro Bowl selection) status was unknown before the game but he threw three touchdown passes in his 85th consecutive start, and one of his completions came (above) with a facemask as well.

With the win the Patriots, who improve to 9-5, secure at least 1 home game during the playoffs. Next up is the 2-12 New Jersey Jets, in an alcohol-free Meadowlands Monday night.

Get these guys some new shirts...