![New England Patriots winning pct 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/New_England_Patriots_winning_pct_2010.png)
This article contains an in-depth explanation of the history of the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, a professional
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
team that competes in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(
NFL).
Earlier NFL experience
Boston had previously been home to several NFL teams. The first was the
Boston Bulldogs, which lasted only one season (1929). They were followed by the
Boston Braves/Redskins, from 1932 to 1936.
They played first at
Braves Field
Braves Field was a baseball park located in Boston, Massachusetts. Today the site is home to Nickerson Field on the campus of Boston University. The stadium was home of the Boston Braves of the National League from 1915 to 1952, prior to the B ...
and then at
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...
.
The team moved to Washington following the
1936 season.
The
Boston Yanks
The Boston Yanks were a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts, that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Any games that conflicted with the Boston Red Sox baseball schedule in the Ameri ...
played from 1944 to 1948 before moving to New York to become the
New York Yanks
The New York Yanks were an American football team that played in the National Football League under that name in the 1950 and 1951 seasons.
Season by season overview 1949
The team began in 1944 as the Boston Yanks, owned by Kate Smith's manag ...
.
1960–1969: AFL beginnings
On November 16, 1959,
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
business executive
Billy Sullivan was awarded the eighth and final franchise of the developing
American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...
(AFL). In addition to William and Joseph Sullivan, other initial investors in the team were John Ames, a lawyer, Dean Boylan, president of
Boston Sand & Gravel), George Sargent, an insurance executive,
Dom DiMaggio
Dominic Paul DiMaggio (February 12, 1917 – May 8, 2009), nicknamed "The Little Professor", was an American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 11-year baseball career for the Boston Red Sox (1940–1953). DiMaggio ...
, former
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
center fielder, Dan Marr, president of Marr Scaffolding Co, Ed McMann, president of the Northeast Packing Co, Paul Sonnabend, vice president of Hotel Corporation of America, and Edgar Turner, president of the 7-Up Distributors Corp.
Each of the founders invested $25,000 to capitalize the team.
The following winter, locals were allowed to submit ideas for the Boston football team's official name. The most common one, and the one that Sullivan selected, was the "Boston Patriots," with "
Patriots" referring to those colonists of the
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies, also known as the Thirteen British Colonies, the Thirteen American Colonies, or later as the United Colonies, were a group of Kingdom of Great Britain, British Colony, colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. Fo ...
who rebelled against
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
control during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
and in July
1776 declared the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
an independent nation. Immediately thereafter, artist Phil Bissell of ''
The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' developed the "
Pat Patriot
Pat Patriot, commonly referred to as "Pat The Patriot," is the mascot of the New England Patriots, a National Football League (NFL) franchise based in Foxborough, Massachusetts. He is depicted as a soldier of the American Revolution. The logo v ...
" logo.
On July 30, 1960, the Boston Patriots defeated the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
in the first AFL pre-season game. The
Boston Patriots played in the first-ever game in the
American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...
, against the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
on September 9, 1960, which they lost by a score of 10–13. The Boston Patriots defeated the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
in an AFL Eastern Division playoff game in 1963 and made it to the
AFL Championship
For its first nine seasons, 1960 through 1968, the American Football League determined its champion via a single playoff game between the winners of its two divisions (although ties in the standings in 1963 (Eastern) and 1968 (Western) necessitat ...
for the first time, but lost to the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
51–10. During
the 1963 season, nine Patriots made the AFL All-star team, including
Gino Cappelletti,
Nick Buoniconti, and
Babe Parilli. In 1964, Linebacker
Tom Addison, an original Patriot, founded and was selected President of the
AFL Players Association
The AFL Players Association (AFL PA, also simply known as AFL Players) is the representative body for all current and past professional Australian Football League (AFL) and AFL Women's (AFLW) players.
The AFL PA promotes and protects its membe ...
. In the late-1960s, fullback
Jim Nance
James Solomon "Big Jim" Nance (December 30, 1942 – June 17, 1992) was an American professional football player who was a fullback with the Boston Patriots during their days in the American Football League (AFL). He was inducted into the ...
became a top offensive player for the
Patriots, gaining 1,458 yards during
the 1966 season and 1,216 during
the 1967 season.
He was named the AFL MVP in 1966.
1970-1973: Post AFL-NFL merger
After the
AFL–NFL merger
The AFL–NFL merger was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). It paved the way for the combined league, w ...
in 1970, the league required that all teams reside in stadiums with at least 50,000 seats.
Prior to 1970, The Patriots didn't have a regular home stadium.
Nickerson Field
Nickerson Field is an outdoor athletic stadium in the Northeastern United States, on the campus of Boston University (BU) in Boston, Massachusetts. The stadium is owned by BU, and is the home field for some Boston University Terriers athletics pr ...
,
Harvard Stadium
Harvard Stadium is a U-shaped college football stadium in the northeast United States, located in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The stadium is owned and operated by Harvard University and is home to the Harvard Crimson footb ...
,
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...
, and
Alumni Stadium
Alumni Stadium is a football stadium located on the lower campus of Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, approximately west of downtown Boston. It is the home of the Boston College Eagles. Its present seating capacity is 44,500. Offic ...
, served as home fields during their time in the American Football League. None of the four stadiums the Patriots had used up to that point qualified, and there was little room in Boston for a new stadium.
Due to this, discussions about a possible relocation to
Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
occurred.
In 1971, the Patriots moved into a new stadium in suburban
Foxborough, Massachusetts
Foxborough is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, about southwest of Boston, northeast of Providence, Rhode Island and about northwest of Cape Cod. Foxborough is part of the Greater Boston area. The population was 18,618 at ...
, built on land granted by the
Bay State Raceway Bay State Raceway, later known as New England Harness Raceway, Foxboro Raceway, and Foxboro Park was a harness racing track located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States that operated from 1947 until 1997. It stood next to Foxboro Stadium and ...
. The team was renamed the New England Patriots on March 22, 1971, to reflect its new location. The original choice, Bay State Patriots was rejected by the NFL. The stadium, to be known as
Schaefer Stadium
Foxboro Stadium, originally Schaefer Stadium and later Sullivan Stadium, was an outdoor stadium in the New England region of the United States, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts. It opened in 1971 and served as the home of the New England Pa ...
, was built at a cost of about $6.2 million in only 327 days.
The stadium was one of the first stadiums in the country to be named after a corporate sponsor, as the
Schaefer Brewing Company paid $1 million for naming rights.
The first event held at the new Schaefer Stadium was a preseason game against the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
on August 15, 1971.
A massive traffic jam on Route 1 prevented many fans from getting in until halftime.
In
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6).
The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history.
Events
Ja ...
, the Patriots had a new quarterback,
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
winner
Jim Plunkett
James William Plunkett (born December 5, 1947) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for sixteen seasons. He achieved his greatest professional success during his final eight seasons with the ...
.
Plunkett, from
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
, was the first overall selection in the
1971 NFL Draft.
The Patriots also signed free agent
Randy Vataha, a wide receiver.
1973–1978: Fairbanks era
![John Hannah New England Patriots press photo 1976-1980](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/John_Hannah_New_England_Patriots_press_photo_1976-1980.jpg)
The Patriots added three players to the team from the
1973 NFL Draft; offensive guard
John Hannah, who became the first career Patriot to make the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
; running back
Sam Cunningham
Samuel Lewis Cunningham Jr (August 15, 1950 – September 7, 2021), nicknamed "Bam", was an American football fullback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football at ...
, the team's all-time leading rusher; and wide receiver
Darryl Stingley
Darryl Floyd Stingley (September 18, 1951April 5, 2007) was an American professional football player, a wide receiver whose career was ended at age 26 by an on-field spinal cord injury. He played his entire five-year career with the New England ...
.
In 1973, the team hired
Chuck Fairbanks
Charles Leo Fairbanks (June 10, 1933 – April 2, 2013) was a football coach who was a head coach at the high school, college and professional levels. He served as the head coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1967 to 1972 and at the Universi ...
, who had been head coach at the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...
, as head coach. The Patriots improved in Fairbanks's second season,
1974, finishing 7–7. During the
1975 season, QB Plunkett was injured and the team ended the season 3–11. Following the 1975 season, Plunkett was traded to the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
, and eventually would win two
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
s with the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
.
The draft picks acquired in the Plunkett trade were used to select defensive backs
Mike Haynes and
Tim Fox.
The
Patriots finished the
1976 season 11–3, their best record in team history to that point, and advanced to the
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
for the first time since 1963 as a wild card-berth.
1976 playoffs
The Patriots played the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
in the first round of the playoffs. Late in the game, the Patriots were leading the Raiders, 21–17.
On a 3rd-down play late in the 4th quarter, Patriots defensive tackle
Ray "Sugar Bear" Hamilton sacked Oakland quarterback
Ken Stabler
Kenneth Michael Stabler (December 25, 1945 – July 8, 2015) was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. Nicknamed "Snake", he played col ...
, which would have forced the Raiders into a 4th-down situation.
However, referee
Ben Dreith
Ben Dreith (February 1, 1925April 25, 2021) was an American professional football on-field official who worked from 1960 to 1969 in the American Football League (AFL) and from 1970 to 1990 in the NFL. Prior to his teaching and officiating career, ...
called a roughing the passer penalty on Hamilton, nullifying the sack and giving the Raiders an automatic 1st down.
The penalty was debated later, but gave the Raiders the opportunity to score.
Stabler scored on a short touchdown run with less than a minute left, and the Raiders held on for a 24–21 win.
1977-1978
The
1977 season was a disappointing one for the
Patriots, due in part to contract holdouts by offensive linemen John Hannah and
Leon Gray
Leon Gray (November 15, 1951 – November 11, 2001) was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the New England Patriots, Houston Oilers, and the New Orleans Saints. Gray played college football at Jackson Sta ...
. The Patriots finished 9–5, one game out of first place in the AFC East, and out of the
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
.
In a 1978 preseason game against the
Raiders, wide receiver Darryl Stingley was paralyzed from the neck down from a tackle by Oakland's
Jack Tatum
John David Tatum (November 18, 1948 – July 27, 2010) was an American football safety. He played 10 seasons, from 1971 through 1980, with the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers in the National Football League (NFL). He was popularly known as " ...
. The
Patriots finished 11–5 for their first post-merger AFC East championship. However, hours before the final game of the regular
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
, coach
Chuck Fairbanks
Charles Leo Fairbanks (June 10, 1933 – April 2, 2013) was a football coach who was a head coach at the high school, college and professional levels. He served as the head coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1967 to 1972 and at the Universi ...
announced he would be leaving the team to become head coach at the
University of Colorado
The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Co ...
. Owner
Billy Sullivan immediately suspended Fairbanks, and offensive coordinator
Ron Erhardt
Ronald Peter Erhardt (February 27, 1931 – March 21, 2012) was an American football coach at both the collegiate and professional levels. From 1979 to 1981 he served as head coach of the National Football League's New England Patriots.
Early l ...
and defensive coordinator
Hank Bullough
Henry Charles Bullough (January 24, 1934 – November 24, 2019) was an American football player and coach. He played college football at Michigan State and graduated in 1954. Bullough was a starting guard for the Spartans team that won the 19 ...
were left to coach the final game without a head coach. Fairbanks was reinstated for the playoffs, but the team lost its divisional
playoff
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
game 31–14 to the
Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...
, which also was the first Patriots post-season game at Schaefer Stadium.
1979–1984: Coaching changes
For the next two years, the Patriots would suffer late-season losses that denied them return trips to the playoffs. In
1979, after starting 7–3, the
team
A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal.
As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson (academic), Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interde ...
lost five out of their last eight games, to finish 9–7 and out of the playoffs. In
1980, with running back
Sam Cunningham
Samuel Lewis Cunningham Jr (August 15, 1950 – September 7, 2021), nicknamed "Bam", was an American football fullback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football at ...
holding out all season, the
Patriots started 6–1 but finished 10–6, again out of the playoffs. The
Patriots continued to slide in
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
, finishing 2–14.
Following the 1981 season, Erhardt was fired and replaced by
Ron Meyer
Ronald Shaw Meyer (February 17, 1941 – December 5, 2017) was an American college and professional football coach. He is best known for having been the head coach of Southern Methodist University, the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts ...
, who had been the head coach at
Southern Methodist University
, mottoeng = "The truth will make you free"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = SACS
, academic_affiliations =
, religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church
, president = R. Gerald Turner
, prov ...
. The Patriots had the top draft pick overall in the
1982 NFL Draft and selected
Kenneth Sims
Kenneth Wayne Sims (born October 31, 1959) is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League for eight seasons during the 1980s. He played college football at Texas, where he ...
, a defensive end from the
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
.
In the
strike-shortened 1982 season, the highlight of the
Patriots' campaign was the "
Snow Plow Game
The Snowplow Game was a regular-season game played between the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots on December 12, 1982, at Schaefer Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Due to icy conditions, the game remained scoreless until late in the f ...
", a controversial 3–0 late-season win over the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
.
The controversy came in the 4th quarter when the Patriots were preparing for a field goal attempt.
Mark Henderson, a convict on work release, used a tractor to clear a swath of field to aid the Patriots.
Kicker
John Smith's 33-yard attempt was good, and they were the only points scored by either team that afternoon.
The win helped put the Patriots in the playoffs, but the
first-round rematch in Miami was won by the Dolphins.
In 1983, the naming-rights deal for the stadium with Schaefer expired, and the stadium was renamed Sullivan Stadium. Also in
1983, quarterback
Tony Eason
Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason IV (born October 8, 1959) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. Taken 15th overall by the Patriots in t ...
was
drafted in the first round.
Eason played sparingly in 1983 NFL season, 1983, but became the Patriots' starting quarterback in 1984 NFL season, 1984.
The team ended the season 8-8.
The Patriots, with the top pick in the 1984 NFL Draft, selected Irving Fryar, a wide receiver from the Nebraska Cornhuskers football, University of Nebraska. With
Tony Eason
Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason IV (born October 8, 1959) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. Taken 15th overall by the Patriots in t ...
starting at quarterback, the 1984 New England Patriots season, Patriots got off to a 5–2 start. However, after a few losses, the Patriots fired head coach
Ron Meyer
Ronald Shaw Meyer (February 17, 1941 – December 5, 2017) was an American college and professional football coach. He is best known for having been the head coach of Southern Methodist University, the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts ...
and replaced him with former Baltimore Colts wide receiver Raymond Berry. The team won three of their first four games under Berry. The 1984 New England Patriots season, team lost several games late in the 1984 season, and finished out of the 1983–84 NFL playoffs, playoffs at 9–7.
1985: First Super Bowl appearance
![1986 Jeno's Pizza - 35 - Craig James](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/1986_Jeno%27s_Pizza_-_35_-_Craig_James.jpg)
After struggling to start the 1985 NFL season, 1985 season, and Eason suffering a shoulder injury in October, coach Raymond Berry replaced Eason with Grogan. Grogan broke his leg during the 12th game of the season and Eason took over as starting quarterback. New England won six straight games and finished 11–5.
They then beat the New York Jets 26–14, earning a wild card berth to the playoffs.
In the divisional playoff against the Los Angeles Raiders, the Patriots forced six turnovers and won 27–20.
Dawson started the game with a touchdown, then when the Patriots were kicking off in the 4th quarter, a fumble by the Raiders resulted in a touchdown for Jim Bowman (American football), Jim Bowman.
After beating the Raiders, the Patriots were set to play the 1985 Miami Dolphins season, Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship.
Days before the championship game, Irving Fryar was injured in a domestic incident and had to have his hand cast. The Patriots defeated the Dolphins 31–14.
Eason threw touchdowns to running back Tony Collins (American football), Tony Collins and tight end Derrick Ramsey early in the game.
Later, a touchdown by Mosi Tatupu won the Patriots the AFC Championship of 1985.
They went on to the Super Bowl XX, where they faced the Chicago Bears.
![1986 Jeno's Pizza - 11 - Jim McMahon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/1986_Jeno%27s_Pizza_-_11_-_Jim_McMahon.jpg)
In the Super Bowl, the Patriots took an early 3–0 lead after Walter Payton fumbled in the 1st quarter, resulting a field goal by Tony Franklin (kicker), Tony Franklin.
The Bears would scored 44 points, including a touchdown by rookie defensive lineman William Perry (American football), William "The Refrigerator" Perry. The Patriots made one touchdown, at the end to make the final score 46–10.
1986–1992: Ownership changes and struggles
Soon after the 1985 Super Bowl, Boston Globe sportswriter Ron Borges wrote a story alleging that six Patriots players, including Fryar, cornerback Raymond Clayborn, safety Roland James, and running back Tony Collins (American football), Tony Collins were marijuana users. In May 1986, allegations surfaced that Fryar was involved in gambling of NFL games. In July 1986, offensive lineman
John Hannah retired.
In 1986, the Patriots' strength was their passing game, led by Eason and receiver Stanley Morgan, who gained nearly 1,500 yards receiving. The Patriots led the AFC East with an 11–5 record and traveled to Mile High Stadium, Denver to take on the Denver Broncos, Broncos in the 1986–87 NFL playoffs, divisional playoffs. A 4th-quarter touchdown pass from John Elway to Vance Johnson won the game for Denver.
In 1987, the Patriots acquired Doug Flutie from Natick, Massachusetts, who won the Heisman Trophy for Boston College Eagles football, Boston College in 1984. He was acquired by the Patriots during the 1987 1987 NFL strike, players' strike and crossed the Picketing (protest), picket line to play his first game for the Patriots. However, late-season injuries put the 1987 New England Patriots season, Patriots out of playoff contention at 8–7. In 1988 NFL season, 1988, the 1988 New England Patriots season, Patriots finished the season 9–7, narrowly missed the playoffs.
During this time, the Sullivan family lost millions of dollars on poor investments, most notably from producing The Jackson 5 Victory Tour (The Jacksons tour), 1984 Victory Tour.
The Sullivans' losses from the Victory Tour impacted the operation of the Patriots.
The Sullivans had never been among the wealthier NFL owners, and had been forced to pledge Sullivan Stadium as collateral to finance the Victory Tour in 1984.
The losses from the Victory Tour were reportedly equivalent to the family's net worth, and the revenue from the Patriots was not enough to service the debt even after the team made it to the Super Bowl.
The losses from the Victory Tour forced the Sullivans to put the Patriots and Sullivan Stadium on the market in 1985.
By the start of 1988, the Sullivans were heading for bankruptcy and at one point had to get a $4 million advance from the league to make payroll.
Sullivan sought to sell 50 percent of the team's shares to the public. The NFL turned down this request out of hand.
[Billy Sullivan, 86, Founder Of Football Patriots, Dies](_blank)
New York Times. Accessed 20 October 2007. Instead, it appointed a four-man committee vested with what amounted to "wartime powers" to resolve the Patriots' finances by any means necessary–up to and including selling the team. However, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle made clear that it would be untenable for the Patriots to remain under the Sullivans' control. For all intents and purposes, the Sullivan era was over.
After an attempt to sell a stake in the team to Reebok CEO Paul Fireman fell through, the Sullivans sold the team to Remington Products magnate Victor Kiam in 1988 for $90 million,
though Billy Sullivan remained team president. However, the stadium lapsed into bankruptcy, and Kiam was outbid for it by Boston paper magnate Robert Kraft.
In 1988 NFL season, 1988, the 1988 New England Patriots season, Patriots missed the playoffs by one game. The 1989 NFL season, 1989 season was bad for the 1989 New England Patriots season, team. Three of the team's defense players, Andre Tippett, Garin Veris and Ronnie Lippett, were injured in the same preseason game. The team rotated the quarterback job throughout the season. The Patriots waived Eason during the season and he was picked up by the Jets. The Patriots finished the season 5–11.
Following the season, Flutie left for the Canadian Football League, and general manager Dick Steinberg left to take a job with the New York Jets. Berry was fired and replaced by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Rod Rust for 1990. The 1990 New England Patriots season, Patriots finished with the worst season in franchise history in 1990 NFL season, 1990 – a 1–15 record.
The day after the team's only win that year, ''Boston Herald'' reporter Lisa Olson accused several Patriots players of sexually and verbally assaulting her in the team's locker room.
Kiam called Olson a "classic bitch" after the report. Following an investigation into the accusations, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue fined the team $50,000, and players Zeke Mowatt, Michael Timpson and Robert Perryman $12,500, $5,000, and $5,000 respectively.
Their season finale against the New York Giants was a sellout; however, most of the fans at the game were Giants fans. The team lost that game, missing a game-tying field goal in the closing seconds.
After the 1990 season, the Patriots changed their front office. Rust was fired and replaced by Dick MacPherson, who had been the coach at Syracuse Orange football, Syracuse University. Additionally, Sam Jankovich, who had been athletic director at the Miami Hurricanes, University of Miami and oversaw the improvement of their athletic program, was brought on as Chief Executive Officer, CEO of the Patriots.
The 1991 New England Patriots season, Patriots improved in 1991. Hugh Millen took over as quarterback partway through the 1991 NFL season, season. The Patriots ended the season at 6–10 with several upsets over playoff teams, including wins against the 1991 Minnesota Vikings season, Minnesota Vikings and future AFC Champion 1991 Buffalo Bills season, Buffalo Bills.
In May 1992, St. Louis businessman James Orthwein purchased Kiam's majority ownership of the Patriots.
Rumors of a possible move of the Patriots to St. Louis, Missouri occurred given Orthwein's desired to bring an NFL team to his hometown of St. Louis.
The 1992 New England Patriots season, Patriots finished the 1992 NFL season, 1992 season, 2–14, leading to the departures of MacPherson and Jankovich.
1993–1996: Parcells era
1993
In 1993, the Patriots hired Bill Parcells, a two-time
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
winner, as head coach. Also in 1993, the uniforms and logo were changed.
The old "Pat Patriot" logo was retired and replaced with a Patriot head, designed in tandem with NFL Properties that many fans would eventually call "Flying Elvis". The team's primary color changed from red to blue, and the helmets from white to silver.
The Patriots had the first pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, and selected quarterback Drew Bledsoe from Washington State Cougars football, Washington State. They also drafted linebacker Chris Slade (American football), Chris Slade. Bledsoe started the season as the starting quarterback, but was injured and replaced with former Dolphins backup Scott Secules.
The 1993 season began with a 1–11 record, but ended the season by winning their last four games in a row, over Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland, Indianapolis Colts, Indianapolis, and over Miami Dolphins, Miami in overtime in the finale, eliminating the Dolphins from the playoffs.
1993–94 offseason: Bob Kraft Buys the Team
Throughout the 1993 season, rumors continued that the team was going to move to St. Louis. In the 1993 off-season, the issue reached its climax. Orthwein offered Robert Kraft, the team's landlord since 1988, $75 million to break the lease on Foxboro Stadium, which bound the team to continue playing there until at least 2002. However, Kraft refused.
Orthwein was not willing to continue operating the team in New England, and put it up for sale. Kraft knew that the terms of the operating covenant required any potential buyer to deal with him, and made an offer to buy the team himself for a then-NFL record $160 million in 1994.
Although future Los Angeles Rams, St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke offered more money than Kraft, Orthwein would have been saddled with all relocation costs, as well as any legal expenses resulting from breaking the lease. With Kraft making it clear that he would seek an injunction that would have forced Kroenke or any other potential buyer to keep the Patriots in Foxborough, Orthwein was all but forced to accept Kraft's bid.
On February 26, 1994, Kraft's first full day as owner of the Patriots, the team sold a record number of season tickets. In September, the Patriots sold out the entire 1994 season.
1994
![Bledsoephoto](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Bledsoephoto.jpg)
Halfway through the 1994 NFL season, 1994 season, the Patriots were 3–6 and had lost 4 straight games when they faced the Minnesota Vikings for Week 10. Drew Bledsoe started a second-half comeback by switching to a no-huddle offense.
Bledsoe set single-game records for pass attempts and completions, and the Patriots won the game 26–20 in overtime.
The Patriots won their last seven games of the regular season, finishing 10–6 and making the 1994–95 NFL playoffs, playoffs as a wild card. In the first round of the playoffs, the Patriots were beaten by the Cleveland Browns 20–13.
1995
The Patriots drafted Curtis Martin in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft. The Patriots won their opening day match against the Browns. Martin had a good season as a rookie, winning the conference rushing title and was named Rookie of the Year. Bledsoe struggled with injuries, the team struggled with inconsistency, and the Patriots finished 6–10.
During the 1995, the Patriots had their first home appearance on ''Monday Night Football'' since 1981.
During the Patriots' last appearance on the program, a number of fans in attendance proved to be rowdy and uncontrollable, and there were over 60 arrests at the game. As a result of this behavior, the Town of Foxborough and the NFL refused to schedule Monday night home games in New England. During 1995, Robert Kraft lobbied for the Town of Foxborough and the NFL to schedule the Patriots on a Monday night. The NFL granted Kraft's request, scheduling the Patriots on Monday, October 23, in a game against the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
.
The Patriots won the game, 27–14, and the crowd was peaceful and orderly, with only a handful of isolated disturbances and arrests.
Also during 1995, the primary home station for most Patriots regular season games changed. Since 1965, the games had aired on WBZ-TV, Boston's NBC affiliate. After owner Westinghouse Broadcasting switched the station's affiliation to CBS, WHDH-TV took on airing the ''NFL on NBC'' package locally.
1996: Second Super Bowl appearance
In the 1996 NFL Draft, the Patriots selected wide receiver Terry Glenn with their first round draft pick. The Patriots started out lackluster in 1996 NFL season, 1996. After an early-season loss to the 1996 Washington Redskins season, Redskins at home dropped the Patriots to 3–3, the Patriots won their next four games, and finished the season 11–5. The Patriots won the AFC East and earned a first-round bye in the 1996–97 NFL playoffs, playoffs as the #2 seed. The Patriots defeated the 1996 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh Steelers 28–3 in a divisional playoff game. They then beat the 1996 Jacksonville Jaguars season, Jacksonville Jaguars 20–6 in the first AFC Championship game played in Foxboro.
The team advanced to Super Bowl XXXI against the 1996 Green Bay Packers season, Green Bay Packers.
In the months and years after Kraft's purchase of the Patriots, relations between Kraft and Parcells were increasingly strained. This was primarily due to a struggle over Parcells' authority over football operations as Kraft wanted Parcells to yield some of his authority over personnel moves to a separate general manager. The conflict climaxed in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, with rumors that Parcells would leave the Patriots after the season to take the vacant head coaching job with the New York Jets. During the game the Patriots were close to the Green Bay Packers, Packers for much of the game, and took the lead briefly in the 2nd quarter. However, two long Brett Favre touchdown passes and a Super Bowl record 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Super Bowl Most Valuable Player, MVP Desmond Howard gave the Packers their 12th title.
The final score was 35–21.
1997–1999: Pete Carroll years
1997
After the Super Bowl, Parcells resigned from the Patriots. Kraft believed that Jets were trying to hire Parcells in time for him to have say in the Jets' selections in the 1997 NFL Draft.
Since The Jets couldn't hire Parcells as their head coach in 1997 because of an earlier contract renegotiation, they hired Parcells as a consultant and Bill Belichick as head coach.
Kraft requested a 1st-round draft pick in return for allowing Parcells to coach elsewhere.
He also called the Jets' agreement "a transparent farce" that "demonstrated it was the Jets' intention all along for Bill Parcells to become head coach of the Jets for the '97 season."
Parcells claimed the Jets had been given league permission for the consulting agreement, the NFL denied any permission was given,
and had commissioner Paul Tagliabue arrange an agreement between the two sides.
The Patriots received two picks in the 1997 NFL Draft, a second round pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, 1998 Draft, and a first round pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, 1999 Draft in return for allowing Parcells to become the Jets' head coach.
After former San Francisco 49ers head coach George Seifert turned down the job, Kraft hired Pete Carroll as the new head coach of the Patriots. In 1997 NFL season, 1997, the Patriots won the AFC East with a 10–6 record, but some key losses meant the team had to play in the wild card round in the 1997–98 NFL playoffs, playoffs. After beating the 1997 Miami Dolphins season, Miami Dolphins 17–3 in Foxboro, the Patriots played the 1997 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh. A late fumble won the game for Pittsburgh, 7–6.
1998
During the 1998 offseason, the Patriots offered restricted free agent running back Curtis Martin a $1.153 million contract. However, the Jets signed Martin, and per restricted free agency rules, ceded their 1st- and 3rd-round picks in the 1998 NFL Draft to the Patriots. With the 1st-round pick, the Patriots selected running back, Robert Edwards (gridiron football), Robert Edwards.
Their game against the 1998 Buffalo Bills season, Buffalo Bills on November 29, 1998 was controversial due to a series of questionable calls.
With under a minute to go and down by four points, the Patriots played a long drive.
However, the Buffalo defense appeared to stop the Patriots on 4th down with a juggled catch out of bounds.
The referees needed to determine whether receiver Shawn Jefferson was inbounds, caught the ball, and achieved first down yardage.
The referee on the sideline signaled first down after a conference with other officials.
Several Bills claimed one said "just give it to them" in the huddle.
Television instant replays showed that Jefferson was short of first down yardage, but the NFL had discontinued use of instant replay after the 1991 season.
This call was followed by a questionable pass interference decision made in the end zone on what would have been the game's final play.
Bledsoe hit tight end Ben Coates for a touchdown on the final untimed play of the game.
In protest, the Bills left the field.
Drew Bledsoe and Terry Glenn were both injured later the season, and the Patriots got the last playoff spot with a 9–7 record. The Patriots lost 25–10 against the 1998 Jacksonville Jaguars season, Jacksonville Jaguars in the first 1998–99 NFL playoffs, playoff game.
Although Robert Edwards had a promising rookie season, his career was derailed after he suffered a dislocated knee in Hawaii while playing a game of flag football on the beach.
Also during 1998, most Patriots games moved back to WBZ-TV after a three-year absence.
1999
Taking Edwards' place in 1999 New England Patriots season, 1999 were veteran Terry Allen (running back), Terry Allen and rookie Kevin Faulk. The Patriots opened with a 30–28 victory over the 1999 New York Jets season, New York Jets, followed by hosting the 1999 Indianapolis Colts season, Indianapolis Colts and second-year quarterback Peyton Manning.
Manning raced the Colts to a 28–7 halftime lead, but was limited to just 13 second-half passing yards as Drew Bledsoe threw three touchdowns.
After an Edgerrin James fumble, Adam Vinatieri kicked the winning field goal in a 31–28 final.
After a 27–3 win over the 1999 Arizona Cardinals season, Arizona Cardinals, Coates went to the media to protest that he was not being thrown to enough. After this, the team stumbled and finished 8–8 and out of the playoffs. Following the season, Carroll was fired, while Vice President of Player Personnel Bobby Grier (American football executive), Bobby Grier was retained only until the 2000 NFL Draft.
2000–2019: Brady/Belichick dynasty
2000: Belichick hired and Brady drafted
![Bill Belichick 2019 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Bill_Belichick_2019_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Pete Carroll was fired as head coach in January 2000 and owner Robert Kraft attempted to hire Jets assistant head coach Bill Belichick for the Patriots' head coaching position. Belichick had been an assistant coach under Parcells with the Patriots in 1996, but followed Parcells to the Jets.
After the 1999 New York Jets season, 1999 season, Parcells resigned as head coach of the Jets and retired from NFL coaching.
Belichick succeeded him as head coach,
but resigned at a press conference the following day, citing the uncertainty over the Jets' ownership after the death of Leon Hess as his reason. The Jets denied Belichick permission to speak with other teams and the NFL upheld Belichick's contractual obligations to the Jets. Belichick filed an Competition law, antitrust lawsuit against the NFL. After negotiations, the Patriots and Jets agreed to a compensation package that allowed Belichick to become the Patriots' head coach. The deal had the Patriots send their first round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft and fourth and seventh round picks in the 2001 NFL Draft, 2001 Draft to the Jets, while receiving the Jets' fifth round selection in 2001 and seventh round pick in 2002 NFL Draft, 2002.
Belichick restructured the team's personnel department in the offseason.
The Patriots finished the 2000 NFL season, 2000 season 5–11 and missing the playoffs. Also in 2000, the Patriots updated their uniforms.
2001: First Super Bowl Championship
In 2001, Drew Bledsoe signed a 10-year contract extension and offensive tackle Bruce Armstrong retired.
Wide receiver Terry Glenn didn't show up to training camp in August and was suspended by the NFL for the first four games of the season due to violating substance abuse policies. During the training camp, quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein died of cardiac arrest on August 6 at the age of 45.
The Patriots lost their opener to the 2001 Cincinnati Bengals season, Cincinnati Bengals, and in the first post-September 11, 2001 attacks, 9/11 game, against the 2001 New York Jets season, Jets, Bledsoe was injured, shearing a blood vessel in his chest after being tackled by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis.
Tom Brady, a sixth round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, took over for Bledsoe.
He remained the team's starting quarterback after Bledsoe was cleared to play two months later. During the season, first-round draft pick Richard Seymour anchored the defensive line and Antowain Smith, a free agent signed from Buffalo, ran over 1,000 yards. The Patriots won their final six games to capture the AFC East with an 11–5 record. The Patriots won a first-round bye as the #2 seed in the 2001–02 NFL playoffs, playoffs.
In the final game played at Foxboro Stadium, the Patriots hosted the 2001 Oakland Raiders season, Oakland Raiders in a snowstorm. This game became known as the "Tuck Rule Game", when a play originally ruled to be a Brady fumble was reversed by referee Walt Coleman as an incomplete pass based upon the obscure "Tuck rule (football), tuck rule."
After review, Coleman ruled that, because Brady's arm was moving forward when he lost the ball, he was deemed to have been in the act of throwing when he lost control of the ball.
Had the original ruling stood, the Raiders would have clinched the win.
Instead, the Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri tied the game with a 45-yard field goal in the final 30 seconds.
The Raiders did not attempt to run a play at the end of regulation and, after losing the coin toss to start overtime, didn't get the ball again.
The Patriots drove downfield on their opening possession and won the game, 16–13.
The Patriots faced the 2001 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Steelers in the 2001–02 NFL playoffs#AFC: New England Patriots 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 17, AFC Championship Game.
After Brady injured his ankle in the second quarter, Bledsoe came off the sideline and led the team to their only offensive touchdown of the game.
In the second half, with two special teams touchdowns and two fourth-quarter interceptions of passes thrown by Pittsburgh's Kordell Stewart, the Patriots upset the Steelers 24–17 to advance to Super Bowl XXXVI.
![Tom Brady 2016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Tom_Brady_2016.JPG)
In the Super Bowl, the Patriots faced the 2001 St. Louis Rams season, St. Louis Rams, led by league MVP Kurt Warner. During the game, Bill Belichick used a defensive game plan that used the blitz sparingly, but chipped the Rams receivers and running back Marshall Faulk as they went into their patterns. This plan forced three turnovers.
Belichick's defense held the Rams off until the 4th quarter, but after trailing 17–3 early in the quarter, St. Louis scored two touchdowns to tie the game at 17–17.
With 1:30 to go and no Time-out (sport)#Gridiron football, time-outs, Brady led New England's offense downfield to the Rams' 30-yard line, setting up Adam Vinatieri, who won the game with a 48-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Patriots their first Super Bowl win.
Brady was selected Super Bowl MVP.
The Patriots' victory parade in Boston was attended by approximately 1.2 million fans. During the offseason, Brady signed a long-term contract with the team and Bledsoe was traded to the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
for a 1st-round pick in the 2003 NFL Draft.
Gillette Stadium
![Gillette Stadium (Top View)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Gillette_Stadium_%28Top_View%29.jpg)
While owning the Patriots, Robert Kraft attempted to build a new stadium.
In 1998, Kraft came close to a deal with the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Massachusetts Legislature for to build a new stadium adjacent to the old stadium, with the state providing $75 million for infrastructure improvements.
However, Massachusetts House Speaker Tom Finneran refused to support the bill and the deal failed.
Afterwards, Kraft reached a deal with Governor of Connecticut, Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland to build a new stadium in Hartford, Connecticut.
However, after the stadium plan was approved by the Connecticut General Assembly,
problems were discovered with the proposed site that would delay construction. At this time, the NFL announced loan incentives where teams could borrow money from the league to build new stadiums.
In 1999, Kraft announced that he was abandoning the Hartford stadium project. Kraft reached a deal with the Massachusetts legislature for infrastructure improvements around the stadium. The stadium received approval from the citizens of Foxborough for the new stadium. The naming rights to the stadium were originally purchased by CMGI, CMGi, an e-commerce company based in nearby Waltham, Massachusetts.
CMGi Corporation sold the naming rights to Boston-based Gillette Company, Gillette.
2002: Narrowly missing the playoffs
Following their victory in Super Bowl XXXVI, the Patriots won their first game in the new Gillette Stadium in the NFL's prime-time ''Monday Night Football'' opener against the 2002 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh Steelers. After three wins to begin the season, including a 44–7 road win against the Jets–Patriots rivalry, division rival 2002 New York Jets season, New York Jets, the team lost five of its next seven games. In the final week of the season, the Patriots defeated the 2002 Miami Dolphins season, Miami Dolphins on an overtime Adam Vinatieri field goal to give both teams a 9–7 record.
The Jets also finished with a 9–7 record after a win over the 2002 Green Bay Packers season, Green Bay Packers.
Due to their record, the Jets won the tiebreaker for the division title, which eliminated the Patriots and Dolphins from the playoffs.
2003–04: Back-to-back Super Bowl titles
Days before the start of the season, safety Lawyer Milloy was released, prompting second-guessing of head coach Bill Belichick by fans. A report by ESPN analyst Tom Jackson (American football, born 1951), Tom Jackson stated that Patriots players "hated their coach".
The accusation was later denied by players.
Milloy signed with the 2003 Buffalo Bills season, Buffalo Bills, who defeated the Patriots 31–0 in the season opener.
After starting with a 2–2 record, the Patriots didn't lose another game.
The Patriots had the NFL's best record at 14–2 and earned the top seed in the AFC 2003–04 NFL playoffs, 2003–04 playoffs, earning home-field advantage. Their opponent in the divisional playoffs was the 2003 Tennessee Titans season, Tennessee Titans. Played in a temperature of 8 °F (−13 °C), the Patriots and Titans played close until Adam Vinatieri kicked the go-ahead field goal with 4 minutes left.
An incomplete Steve McNair pass on 4th down with 1:40 left won the game 17–14 for New England.
The Patriots faced the 2003 Indianapolis Colts season, Indianapolis Colts for the 2003–04 NFL playoffs, AFC Championship and won 24–14.
The Patriots returned to the Super Bowl, facing the Carolina Panthers.
The first half of Super Bowl XXXVIII was a defensive battle between the teams.
The teams traded touchdowns late in the 2nd quarter, then more quick strikes by both teams made the score 14–10 Patriots at halftime. The 3rd quarter was scoreless, but running back Antowain Smith scored on the first play of the 4th quarter to make it 21–10.
Carolina scored two more touchdowns, but failed to convert on both to take a 22–21 lead.
The Patriots played a trick pass to linebacker Mike Vrabel, followed by Kevin Faulk's run for a two-point conversion that put the Patriots up 29–22 with 2:51 left to play.
The Panthers drove downfield and Ricky Proehl's late touchdown catch tied the game, 29–29 with 1:08 to play.
Brady led the Patriots on a drive and Vinatieri kicked a 41-yard field goal with four seconds left.
The Patriots won their second Super Bowl, 32–29, and Brady was once again named MVP.
![Adam Vinatieri warms up prior to Super Bowl XXXIX](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Adam_Vinatieri_warms_up_prior_to_Super_Bowl_XXXIX.jpg)
Following their Super Bowl win, the Patriots traded a second-round draft pick for Cincinnati Bengals' running back Corey Dillon, who replaced Antowain Smith. The Patriots set the NFL record for consecutive regular season victories after winning their first six games of the season. During a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 31, cornerback Ty Law was injured. Combined with the loss of other starting cornerback Tyrone Poole two weeks earlier, the Patriots completed the regular season and playoffs with second-year cornerback Asante Samuel, undrafted free agent Randall Gay, and wide receiver Troy Brown at cornerback.
With a 14–2 record and the second seed in the American Football Conference, AFC 2004–05 NFL playoffs, playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts, Colts at home in the playoffs. The Patriots then defeated the top-seeded 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Steelers on the road, 41–27, in the AFC Championship Game. The Patriots' defeated the 2004 Philadelphia Eagles season, Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX 24–21 in their second straight Super Bowl victory. , the 2003–2004 New England Patriots are the most recent team to win back-to-back Super Bowls.
2005–06: Playoff losses
Two weeks after winning Super Bowl XXXIX, linebacker Tedy Bruschi suffered a stroke. Also during the off-season cornerback Ty Law was released. During Week 3, Rodney Harrison was injured and didn't play for the rest of the season. Beginning the season with a 4–4 record, the Patriots lost their first game at home since 2002 New England Patriots season, 2002 against the 2005 San Diego Chargers season, San Diego Chargers in Week 4. Bruschi returned to the field against the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
on October 31. The team ended the season on a 5–1 run to finish 10–6, earning their third straight AFC East title. With the #4 seed in the American Football Conference, AFC 2005–06 NFL playoffs, playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 28–3 in the Wild Card round. The Patriots fell to the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
27–13 on the road in the Divisional Playoffs, committing five turnovers in the game.
The Patriots entered the 2006 NFL season, 2006 season without their two starting wide receivers from 2005 New England Patriots season, 2005; David Givens left in free agency and Deion Branch was traded to Seattle after a contract hold out. They were replaced by Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney. Losses in November ended the team's streak of 57 games without consecutive losses, three games shy of the NFL record.
With a 12–4 record and their fourth straight division title, the Patriots entered the 2006–07 NFL playoffs, playoffs as the #4 seed, defeating the New York Jets 37–16 in the Wild Card game of the playoffs. A 24–21 win over the top-seeded
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
on the road set the Patriots up to face the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship. Despite a 21–3 lead in the 2nd quarter, the Patriots stumbled down the stretch and the Colts emerged with a 38–34 victory.
2007: 18–1 season
In 2007, the Patriots added Donte' Stallworth, a free agent, and traded for Wes Welker and Randy Moss. Welker led the NFL in receptions in 2007, and Moss set an NFL record with 23 touchdown catches. In September, head coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots were penalized by the NFL for videotaping opponents' defensive signals from an unauthorized location during their Week 1 game against the 2007 New York Jets season, New York Jets.
The press called this situation 2007 National Football League videotaping controversy, Spygate.
Belichick was fined $500,000, the maximum allowed under league rules, and the Patriots were fined $250,000 and required to forfeit their first round pick in the 2008 draft.
![Patriotsgiants 046](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Patriotsgiants_046.jpg)
The Patriots won the AFC East before their eleventh game, the fourth time since the NFL introduced the 16-game schedule in 1978 NFL season, 1978 that a team won a division title by its eleventh game. The Patriots finished the regular season with the first 16–0 record in NFL history. During the game, Brady and Moss connected on two touchdown passes, with Moss setting his 23-touchdown record and Brady setting a then-NFL record with 50 touchdown passes on the season.
It was the first undefeated regular season in the NFL since the 1972 Miami Dolphins season, 1972 Miami Dolphins finished 14–0.
Tom Brady earned his first National Football League Most Valuable Player Award, NFL MVP award, while the Patriots' offense broke multiple records, including those for points scored and total touchdowns.
With the #1 seed in the American Football Conference, AFC 2007–08 NFL playoffs, playoffs, the Patriots defeated both the Jacksonville Jaguars 31–20 and
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
21–12 before advancing to Super Bowl XLII. The Patriots had the chance for a perfect 19–0 season with a victory over the New York Giants and analysts saw the 2007 Patriots as being the greatest team in NFL history.
Despite being Super Bowl favorites, the Patriots faltered against a New York Giants, Giants drive late in the fourth quarter.
A Helmet Catch, dramatic pass from Eli Manning to David Tyree put the Giants deep in Patriots territory, and a Manning touchdown pass to Plaxico Buress gave the Giants a 17–14 lead with 35 seconds left.
2008: The Cassel year
In the 2008 season opener, quarterback Tom Brady suffered a serious knee injury and missed the remainder of the season. Backup quarterback Matt Cassel replaced Brady. During Cassel's first start in Week 2 he led the Patriots to a win, which extended the team's regular-season winning streak record to 21 games.
The Dolphins, Ravens and Patriots all finished the season with identical 11–5 records.
Miami qualified for the playoffs by winning the AFC East division over the Patriots on the fourth divisional tiebreaker.
Baltimore qualified for the playoffs as a wild card team, defeating the Patriots on the second wild card tiebreaker.
2008–09 offseason: Changes
During the offseason, the Patriots' offseason made a number of front office, coaching, and personnel changes. Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli departed to become the general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was hired as the head coach of the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
. Quarterback Matt Cassel, was traded to the Chiefs along with veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel in March. Defensive starters Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison both retired, while All-Pro defensive end Richard Seymour was traded to the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
for a 1st-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
2009–10: Early playoff exits
In the NFL Kickoff Game, 2009 season opener on ''Monday Night Football'', the Patriots celebrated their 50th season with an
American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...
"legacy game" against the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
.
Down 11 points late in the 4th quarter, the Patriots scored two touchdowns, winning the game.
It was also Brady's first game back after his injury in the 2008 opener. In November, the 6–2 Patriots traveled to face the undefeated Indianapolis Colts; with a six-point lead late in the 4th quarter, the Patriots tried to convert a 4th and 2 situation inside their own 30-yard line but failed, setting up a Colts touchdown and the Patriots' third loss of the 2009 NFL season, season. After losing two of their next three games, the Patriots went on to win three in a row to secure a division title. With the #3 seed in the 2009–10 NFL playoffs, AFC playoffs, the Patriots faced the Baltimore Ravens at home in the Wild Card Playoffs.
The Ravens opened up a 24–0 lead in the 1st quarter, and the Patriots ended their season with a 33–14 loss.
The Patriots went into 2010 NFL season, 2010 without either a named offensive or defensive coordinator following the departure of defensive coordinator Dean Pees. After beating Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati in the season opener, they lost 28–14 to the Jets. They finished the season 14–2.
By defeating the Bills in Week 16, New England swept that team for the sixth consecutive season, along with earning another AFC East title and the #1 seed.
Tom Brady finished the regular season with an NFL-record 335 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, while the Patriots committed an NFL-record low 10 turnovers on the season.
The Patriots were favored to go to Super Bowl XLV, but lost to the Jets team in the divisional playoffs.
2011: Return to the Super Bowl
During the 2010 off-season, the Patriots drafted Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett. The team also made two trades for defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth and wide receiver Chad Johnson (wide receiver), Chad Ochocinco.
In the first game of the 2011 season, the Patriots played the 2011 Miami Dolphins season, Miami Dolphins on ''Monday Night Football'', and New England won 38–24.
Brady set a personal single-game record with 517 passing yards, highlighted by an NFL record-tying 99-yard touchdown reception by Wes Welker.
They beat the 2011 San Diego Chargers season, San Diego Chargers in Week 2 in their home opener, but their 15-game win streak against the 2011 Buffalo Bills season, Buffalo Bills ended when Tom Brady threw four interceptions, and the Patriots lost 34–31 on a last-second field goal. The team then won three games in a row. During the Patriots' bye in Week 7, an incident occurred where tight end Rob Gronkowski was seen in a photo with an adult film actress wearing his game shirt. Following a 25–17 loss to the 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh Steelers, wide receiver Julian Edelman was arrested for indecent assault following an incident in a Back Bay nightclub on Halloween. The Patriots won their last eight games to take the top seed in the AFC playoffs.
After defeating the 2011 Denver Broncos season, Denver Broncos 45–10 in the Divisional Game, the Patriots won the AFC Championship Game over the 2011 Baltimore Ravens season, Baltimore Ravens 23–20, after Ravens receiver Lee Evans (American football), Lee Evans dropped a potential touchdown and kicker Billy Cundiff missed a game-tying 31-yard field goal attempt in the closing seconds. The Patriots lost to the NFC champion 2011 New York Giants season, New York Giants 21–17 in Super Bowl XLVI.
2012–13: Playoff Losses in AFC Championship
![Rob Gronkowski 20131201](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Rob_Gronkowski_20131201.jpg)
In their 2012 season opener, the Patriots defeated the 2012 Tennessee Titans season, Tennessee Titans before losing at home to the 2012 Arizona Cardinals season, Arizona Cardinals. In Week 3, New England lost to the 2012 Baltimore Ravens season, Baltimore Ravens 30–28 on a last-second field goal. The first three games of the season were officiated by replacement referees, as the regular referees were locked out during a contract dispute.
The replacement referees were criticized, and at the end of the Ravens game, Bill Belichick made contact with a referee as he was leaving the field to argue a call, which the league fined him for.
In Week 4, the Patriots defeated the 2012 Buffalo Bills season, Buffalo Bills 52–28. After that, the Patriots went on the defeat the 2012 Denver Broncos season, Denver Broncos 31–21, but lost to the 2012 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks 24–23 the following week. The Patriots then defeated the 2012 New York Jets season, New York Jets in overtime, 29–26, and continued on a seven-game win streak. The Patriots ended the season as the #2 seed in the AFC.
The Patriots were given a bye week before they had to face the 2012 Houston Texans season, Houston Texans, who they defeated 41–28.
They then had faced the Baltimore Ravens and lost 28–13.
The 2013 season saw turnover on the offensive side, as Wes Welker, signed a contract with the Denver Broncos, and tight end Aaron Hernandez was released from the team due to Murder of Odin Lloyd, legal issues. The Patriots opened the season 4–0 before losing to the 2013 Cincinnati Bengals season, Cincinnati Bengals 13–6 in Week 5. After a home win against the 2013 New Orleans Saints season, New Orleans Saints in Week 6, the Patriots fell to the rival 2013 New York Jets season, New York Jets 30–27 on a converted Nick Folk field goal following an unsportsmanlike penalty to rookie Chris Jones (defensive tackle, born 1990), Chris Jones. The team then had a pair of wins against the 2013 Miami Dolphins season, Miami Dolphins and the 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh Steelers, but lost 24–20 on ''Monday Night Football'' to the 2013 Carolina Panthers season, Carolina Panthers following the bye week on a controversial end-game interception by Luke Kuechly. New England finished as the AFC East champions, earning the No. 2 seed and a first round bye.
2014: Fourth Super Bowl Championship
In 2014, the Patriots finished 12–4 and won their sixth straight AFC East title.
They were the top seed, had a first round bye and had home field advantage for the AFC playoffs.
The Patriots defeated the 2014 Baltimore Ravens season, Baltimore Ravens 35–31 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. They then defeated the 2014 Indianapolis Colts season, Indianapolis Colts 45–7 to advance to Super Bowl XLIX against the defending Super Bowl champions 2014 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks. After a scoreless first quarter, both teams exchanged two touchdowns to make it 14–14 at halftime.
Seattle then scored a field goal and a touchdown to take a 10-point lead going into the final quarter.
The Patriots rallied, scoring two touchdowns to take a 28–24 lead with 2:02 remaining.
After the Seahawks drove all the way to the 1 yard line with under a minute to go, rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler caught an interception on Seattle's final offensive play, winning the game for the Patriots.
Brady won his third Super Bowl MVP award.
2015: AFC Championship Loss
The Patriots started the year 10–0, before losing on NBC Sunday Night Football, Sunday Night Football to the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
, 30–24 in overtime. During the season, multiple players were injured; at one point nineteen players were placed on injured reserve. At the end of the season, they earned a first round bye, with the second seed in the AFC.
In the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 27–20. Advancing to the AFC Championship game, the Patriots were matched up against the top-seeded Broncos. The final game in the Tom Brady–Peyton Manning rivalry was a defensive struggle.
The Broncos beat the Patriots 20–18 and advanced to Super Bowl 50.
2016: Fifth Super Bowl Championship
Due to sanctions on the team stemming from Deflategate, Tom Brady didn't play in the first four games of the 2016 season.
The Patriots used quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who helped the Patriots win their opening night game against the Arizona Cardinals.
After a shoulder injury to Garoppolo in the second game of the season against the Miami Dolphins, rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett entered the game and helped the Patriots win. On Thursday Night Football, Brissett helped the Patriots secure a 27–0 shutout victory against the Houston Texans. The Patriots lost their fourth game at home in a shutout to the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
. Brady returned the following week and helped the Patriots win four games. The Patriots closed the regular season winning seven straight games, along with their eighth consecutive division title and the #1 seed overall in the AFC.
In the playoffs, the Patriots hosted the Texans in the Divisional Round.
The first half was tight, but the Patriots pulled away from Houston, winning 34–16.
In the AFC Championship game, the Patriots beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 36–17 and advanced to the Super Bowl.
On February 5, 2017, the Patriots faced the Atlanta Falcons, which included NFL MVP Matt Ryan (American football), Matt Ryan, in Super Bowl LI. Three bad quarters resulted in the Patriots being down 28–3. The Patriots made a comeback with Tom Brady going 43-for-62 with 466 yards, two touchdowns and one interception to help the Patriots tie the score 28–28 in the closing minutes of the game.
In the first overtime in Super Bowl history, the Patriots won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball.
Brady led the Patriots down the field, to the 1-yard line of the Falcons.
Running back James White (running back), James White ran a toss into the end zone, giving the Patriots a 34–28 comeback victory and their second league title in three seasons.
Brady was named Super Bowl MVP for a record fourth time and surpassed Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw with his fifth Super Bowl victory as a quarterback, the most all-time.
2017: Fifth Super Bowl loss
The Patriots lost several players during the offseason, including halfback LeGarrette Blount and cornerback Logan Ryan. To fill these vacancies, the Patriots signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore and running backs Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead. They also traded a second round draft pick to the Carolina Panthers for defensive end Kony Ealy.
During their first game versus the Kansas City Chiefs, the Chiefs beat them at home 42–27. During the game, the Patriots' defense allowed 537 total yards. The Patriots then beat the New Orlean Saints, Saints and Houston Texans, Texans. After their loss at home to the Carolina Panthers, the Patriots went 11–1 for the rest of the season, finishing 13–3. In Week 15 at Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh, the Patriots came back in the fourth quarter to take the lead, 27–24.
On the ensuing drive by the Steelers, a short pass from Ben Roethlisberger to wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster turned into a gain, leading the Steelers to the 10-yard line with 34 seconds left.
On Roethelisberger's next throw, tight end Jesse James (tight end), Jesse James caught a potential game-winning touchdown, but it was overturned after a review where officials ruled that James lost control as the ball hit the ground.
The Patriots won 27–24, winning another AFC East title and #1 seed.
After beating the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round, the Patriots faced the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In the fourth quarter, Brady led the team back from a ten-point deficit to take the lead, 24–20.
The Patriots won and earned a trip to their eighth Super Bowl.
In Super Bowl LII, Brady set a Super Bowl record with 505 yards passing.
Brady tried to lead a comeback to win the game in the fourth quarter, but defensive end Brandon Graham strip-sacked Brady, and the ball was recovered by the Eagles.
This, along with a failed last-second Hail Mary pass, resulted in the Patriots losing 41–33.
2018: Sixth Super Bowl Championship
During the offseason, the Patriots lost left tackle Nate Solder, right tackle Cameron Fleming, wide receiver Brandin Cooks, starting running back Dion Lewis, and cornerback Malcolm Butler. Also during the offseason, they added left tackle Trent Brown, Bengals running back Jeremy Hill, and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. The Patriots also drafted left tackle Isaiah Wynn and running back Sony Michel in the first round.
In September, the Patriots signed Josh Gordon. During the Patriots week 5 game against the Indianapolis Colts Brady became the third Quarterback to throw 500 touchdowns in his career. The Patriots had a six-game winning streak until losing at the Tennessee Titans in Week 10. In weeks 14 and 15, the team had back-to-back losses against the Miami Dolphins, Dolphins and Steelers, both on the road. In late December, the Patriots lost Gordon, who left due to health reasons. They finished the season with an 11–5 record and a first-round bye.
The Patriots beat the Los Angeles Chargers in the divisional round, routing them 41–28, with rookie Sony Michel scoring 3 times on rushing touchdowns. In the AFC Championship, they faced the Kansas City Chiefs, Chiefs on the road. The Patriots had a 14–0 lead at halftime. Mahomes was able to rally back the Chiefs to a 21–17 lead in the 4th. The score went back and forth until the Chiefs kicked a field goal, sending the game to overtime at 31–31.
The Patriots won the coin toss and Brady drove the Patriots down the field to score a Rex Burkhead rushing touchdown resulting in a 37–31 victory.
In Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, the Patriots faced off against the Los Angeles Rams.
The game remained tied 3–3 until the 4th quarter, when Brady and Gronkowski completed two long passes to put the Patriots inside the Rams 5 yard line, where Sony Michel would score the game's only touchdown, winning the game 13–3.
Wide receiver Julian Edelman was named Super Bowl MVP, with 10 catches for 141 yards. The sixth Super Bowl victory tied the Patriots with the Steelers for most all time.
2019: The end of an era
![Brady_and_Michel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Brady_and_Michel.png)
Prior to the season, Tom Brady signed a two-year extension worth $70 million, but also allowed him to become a free agent after the 2019 season. On September 9, 2019, the Patriots signed Pro Bowl wide receiver Antonio Brown, whom was released by the 2019 Oakland Raiders season, Oakland Raiders following several off-the-field controversies, and a signing which some compared to the Randy Moss trade in 2007. Brown would last only one game with New England, getting released on September 22, 2019 due to more off-the-field issues. New England started the season with an 8–0 record. The streak ended with a loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The team won its 11th consecutive AFC East division title after a 24–17 win against the Buffalo Bills in Week 16, but New England didn't get a first-round bye for the playoffs.
The Patriots were the #3 seed in the AFC playoffs,
but lost to the 2019 Tennessee Titans season, Titans at home during the wild card round 20–13. This was Brady's last game with the Patriots.
On March 17, 2020, Brady announced that he would not re-sign with the Patriots.
On March 20, 2020, Brady signed a two-year, $50-million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On April 21, 2020, the Patriots traded the rights to retired tight end Rob Gronkowski to the Buccaneers along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
2020–present: Post-Brady era
2020
Prior to the season, the Patriots announced a uniform change, opting to go with their former NFL Color Rush jerseys as their new home uniforms with a corresponding white uniform with blue pants as their road outfits. Both uniforms featured truncated shoulder striping as a nod to the "Pat Patriot" uniforms.
Former Carolina Panthers quarterback, 2011 NFL draft first overall pick, and 2015 NFL season MVP Cam Newton was announced as New England's new starting quarterback prior to the season. In addition, several veteran players such as Patrick Chung, Brandon Bolden, Marcus Cannon, and Dont'a Hightower opted out of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the 2020 Buffalo Bills season, Buffalo Bills beat the 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh Steelers in week 14, the Patriots were out of contention for the AFC East championship. They were also eliminated from playoff contention with the loss to the Dolphins in week 15. This was only the 4th time since 2000 New England Patriots season, 2000 the Patriots had missed the playoffs and failed to win the division. In addition, their streak of 10+ win seasons that dated back to their 2003 New England Patriots season, 2003 Super Bowl-winning season, which was an NFL record, was also snapped.
2021
![Mac_1237_(1)_(2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Mac_1237_%281%29_%282%29.jpg)
The 2021 season started with the Patriots signing eleven free agents from other teams on the same day, including Hunter Henry, Nelson Agholor, Jonnu Smith, and Matthew Judon.
On August 31, 2021, the Patriots released quarterback Cam Newton during final preseason roster cuts. As a result, rookie Mac Jones became the starting quarterback for the team. The Patriots started the season 2–4, but went on to win seven consecutive games, battling Buffalo for the division crown throughout the season. New England finished the season 10–7 in the first NFL season with 17 games, clinching the #6 seed in the playoffs, their first without Brady since 1998. They would lose to the Bills 47–17 in the Wild Card round, their worst playoff loss under Belichick.
Despite the playoff loss, Jones broke several rookie quarterback records for the team.
Notes and references
{{DEFAULTSORT:New England Patriots History
New England Patriots
Boston Patriots
National Football League history by team, New England Patriots