Patriot Losing Streak Ends With 16-7 Win Over Colts

The New England Patriots ended the NFL’s longest losing streak the same way they got their last victory--three field goals by Jason Staurovsky in the Hoosier Dome.

Tommy Hodson passed for one touchdown, and the field goals by Staurovsky gave New England a 16-7 victory over Indianapolis on Sunday. It snapped a 14-game losing streak since a 16-14 victory over the Colts last year.

The end of the Patriots’ streak, however, gave Indianapolis its eighth consecutive season-opening loss, also the longest in the NFL. Dean Biasucci missed four field goal attempts for Indianapolis.

“During the game, I’m rooting against Dean because I want to win the game,” Staurovsky said. “After the game, I feel terrible for him, because he’s a friend and he’s a good kicker, and I hate to see him miss.

The victory gave Dick MacPherson a win in his NFL coaching debut.

The last victory for the Colts on opening day was at New England in 1983, the year before the franchise moved from Baltimore and when Indianapolis Coach Ron Meyer was the Patriots’ coach.

Hodson, who started the final six games last year, passed 23 yards to Marv Cook in the first quarter for the Patriots’ only touchdown. Staurovsky added field goals of 35 yards in the second quarter, 39 yards in the third quarter and 36 yards in the final quarter.

The Colts threatened repeatedly, and Biasucci’s four missed field goal attempts included one that was blocked by Brent Williams early in the fourth quarter.

“Two of the kicks, I just pulled to the left,” Biasucci said. “The long one (52 yards), I didn’t get enough foot into it. I just have to go back to practice and work on the things I’ve done all along. I had an awful game. I didn’t do my job.”

Meyer said the Colts “were in the vicinity several times but couldn’t make the plays. They kept having that one-upmanship, which we never did. But the Indianapolis Colts lost the game, not Dean Biasucci.”