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 wi ...
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 majo ...
(
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 ...
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 Boston Braves (baseball), since 1953, i ...
.
The team moved to Washington following the
1936 season.
The
Boston Yanks 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 w ...
, 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 British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. Founded in the 17th and 18th centu ...
who rebelled against
British 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 Revoluti ...
and in July
1776
Events January–February
* January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces.
* Januar ...
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 ve ...
" 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
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 ...
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 headquar ...
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 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
Gino Raymond Michael Cappelletti (March 26, 1934 – May 12, 2022) was an American professional football player. He played college football at University of Minnesota and was an All-Star in the American Football League (AFL) for the Boston ...
,
Nick Buoniconti
Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti (December 15, 1940 – July 30, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a middle linebacker in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played for the Boston Patrio ...
, and
Babe Parilli
Vito "Babe" Parilli (May 7, 1930 – July 15, 2017) was an American football quarterback and coach who played professionally for 18 seasons. Parilli spent five seasons in the National Football League (NFL), three in the Canadian Football League ...
. In 1964, Linebacker
Tom Addison
Thomas Marion Addison (April 12, 1936 – June 14, 2011) was a professional American football linebacker (1960–1967) and sports labor leader, and is a member of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.
Playing career
Addison attended the ...
, an original Patriot, founded and was selected President of the
AFL Players Association. 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 Pat ...
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,
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 Boston Braves (baseball), since 1953, i ...
, 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 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 the seat of Hillsborough ...
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 ...
, built on land granted by the
Bay State Raceway. 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, 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 divisio ...
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
J ...
, 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 har ...
winner
Jim Plunkett.
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 conside ...
, was the first overall selection in the
1971 NFL Draft
The 1971 National Football League draft was held January 28–29, 1971, at the Belmont Plaza Hotel in New York City, New York. The Boston Patriots, who did not officially change their name to New England Patriots until after the draft, used th ...
.
The Patriots also signed free agent
Randy Vataha
Randel Edward Vataha, (born December 4, 1948) is a former American football player, a wide receiver for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL), the first six with the New England Patriots.
Early years
Born in Santa Monica, Californi ...
, a wide receiver.
1973–1978: Fairbanks era
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, coa ...
; running back
Sam Cunningham, 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, who had been head coach at the
University of Oklahoma
, mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State"
, type = Public research university
, established =
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.7billion (2021)
, pr ...
, as head coach. The Patriots improved in Fairbanks's second season,
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
, 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 Nationa ...
, 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 gam ...
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 Ra ...
.
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 eit ...
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 Ra ...
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 c ...
, which would have forced the Raiders into a 4th-down situation.
However, referee
Ben Dreith 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. 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 eit ...
.
In a 1978 preseason game against the
Raiders
Raider(s) may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Paul Revere & the Raiders, an American rock band
* "Raider", a track from the 1969 album ''Farewell Aldebaran'', by Judy Henske and Jerry Yester
* "Raiders", a track from the 1987 album ''Young and ...
, 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 ...
, coach
Chuck Fairbanks 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 o ...
. Owner
Billy Sullivan immediately suspended Fairbanks, and offensive coordinator
Ron Erhardt and defensive coordinator
Hank Bullough 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
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...
, 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 of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to inf ...
lost five out of their last eight games, to finish 9–7 and out of the playoffs. In
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC.
* January 9 – In ...
, with running back
Sam Cunningham 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, 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
, p ...
. 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", 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 p ...
.
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, but became the Patriots' starting quarterback in
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
.
The team ended the season 8-8.
The Patriots, with the top pick in the
1984 NFL Draft
The 1984 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 1–2, 1984, at the Omni Park Cen ...
, selected
Irving Fryar, a wide receiver from the
University of Nebraska
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United State ...
. 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
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
Raymond Emmett Berry Jr. (born February 27, 1933) is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a split end for the Baltimore Colts from 1955 to 1967, and after several assist ...
. The team won three of their first four games under Berry. 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 of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to inf ...
lost several games late in the 1984 season, and finished 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 eit ...
at 9–7.
1985: First Super Bowl appearance
After struggling to start the
1985 season, and Eason suffering a shoulder injury in October, coach
Raymond Berry
Raymond Emmett Berry Jr. (born February 27, 1933) is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a split end for the Baltimore Colts from 1955 to 1967, and after several assist ...
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
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
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.
After beating the Raiders, the Patriots were set to play 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 p ...
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 and tight end
Derrick Ramsey early in the game.
Later, a touchdown by
Mosi Tatupu
Mosiula Faasuka Tatupu (April 26, 1955 – February 23, 2010) was an American professional football player who was a running back for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Southern Cal ...
won the Patriots the AFC Championship of 1985.
They went on to the
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
, where they faced the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
.
In the Super Bowl, the Patriots took an early 3–0 lead after
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American football running back who played ...
fumbled in the 1st quarter, resulting a field goal by
Tony Franklin.
The Bears would scored 44 points, including a touchdown by rookie defensive lineman
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
''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 Gl ...
sportswriter
Ron Borges wrote a story alleging that six Patriots players, including Fryar, cornerback
Raymond Clayborn
Raymond DeWayne Clayborn (born January 2, 1955 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for the New England Patriots (1977–1989) and Cleveland Browns (1990, 1991) of the National Football L ...
, safety
Roland James, and running back
Tony Collins were
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various t ...
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
Stanley Douglas Morgan (born February 17, 1955) is an American former football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. A "deep threat" receiver, he holds the ...
, who gained nearly 1,500 yards receiving. The Patriots led the AFC East with an 11–5 record and traveled to
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
to take on the
Broncos in the
divisional playoffs. A 4th-quarter touchdown pass from
John Elway
John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is an American professional football executive and former quarterback who is the president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL).
Elway played college fo ...
to
Vance Johnson
Vance Edward Johnson (born March 13, 1963), is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft.
Playing career
A 5'11", 174 lb. wide receiver, Johnson played ...
won the game for Denver.
In 1987, the Patriots acquired
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard Flutie (born October 23, 1962) is an American former football quarterback whose professional career spanned 21 seasons. He played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (CF ...
from
Natick, Massachusetts
Natick ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 37,006 at the 2020 census. west of Boston, Natick is part of the Greater Boston area. ...
, who won the Heisman Trophy for
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classified ...
in 1984. He was acquired by the Patriots during the 1987
players' strike and crossed the
picket line to play his first game for the Patriots. However, late-season injuries put the
Patriots out of playoff contention at 8–7. In
1988, the
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
The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...
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
Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle (; March 1, 1926 – December 6, 1996) was an American businessman and executive. Rozelle served as the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) for nearly thirty years, from January 1960 until his retirement i ...
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
Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...
CEO
Paul Fireman fell through, the Sullivans sold the team to
Remington Products
Remington Products, commonly known as simply Remington, is an American personal care brand which manufactures hair clippers, electric shavers, epilators, and haircare products. It is a subsidiary of Spectrum Brands and Oak Hill Capital.
Hist ...
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
Robert Kenneth Kraft (born June 5, 1941) is an American billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment ...
.
In
1988, the
Patriots missed the playoffs by one game. The
1989 season was bad for 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 of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to inf ...
. Three of the team's defense players,
Andre Tippett,
Garin Veris
Garin Lee Veris (born February 27, 1963 in Chillicothe, Ohio) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League, mainly for the New England Patriots.
Veris graduated from Chillicothe High School, where he starred in f ...
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
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a c ...
, and general manager Dick Steinberg left to take a job with the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
. Berry was fired and replaced by
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
defensive coordinator
Rod Rust
Rod, Ror, Ród, Rőd, Rød, Röd, ROD, or R.O.D. may refer to:
Devices
* Birch rod, made out of twigs from birch or other trees for corporal punishment
* Ceremonial rod, used to indicate a position of authority
* Connecting rod, main, coupling ...
for 1990. The
Patriots finished with the worst season in franchise history in
1990
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicis ...
– a 1–15 record.
The day after the team's only win that year, ''
Boston Herald
The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Puli ...
'' 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
Robert Lewis Perryman Jr. (October 16, 1964 – February 23, 2023) was an American football player. He played college football as a fullback for the University of Michigan from 1983 to 1986. He played professional football, principally as a ...
$12,500, $5,000, and $5,000 respectively.
Their season finale 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 divisio ...
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 University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
. Additionally,
Sam Jankovich
Sam Jankovich (September 10, 1934 – October 30, 2019) was an American sports administrator who held several positions, including athletic director at the Washington State University and the University of Miami. He also was the CEO of the New En ...
, who had been athletic director at the
University of Miami
The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, i ...
and oversaw the improvement of their athletic program, was brought on as
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
of the Patriots.
The
Patriots improved in 1991.
Hugh Millen
Hugh Breedlove Millen (born November 22, 1963) is a former professional football quarterback in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. He played college foo ...
took over as quarterback partway through the
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 ...
. The Patriots ended the season at 6–10 with several upsets over playoff teams, including wins against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
and future AFC Champion
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 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
Patriots finished the
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 gam ...
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 National Football League Properties, also known as NFL Properties (abbreviated NFLP), is the merchandising and licensing arm of the National Football League (NFL). The subsidiary of the league was founded in 1963 to maintain control of the brands of ...
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
The 1993 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 25–26, 1993, at the Marriot M ...
, and selected quarterback
Drew Bledsoe from
Washington State
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a U.S. state, state in the Northwestern United States, Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first President of the United States, U.S. p ...
. They also drafted linebacker
Chris Slade
Chris Slade (born Christopher Slade Rees; 30 October 1946) is a Welsh musician, best known for playing for the Australian rock band AC/DC. He drummed for the band from 1989 to 1994, performing on their 1990 album '' The Razors Edge'' along with ...
. 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
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...
,
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
,
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
, and over
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
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
Robert Kenneth Kraft (born June 5, 1941) is an American billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment ...
, 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
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
Halfway through the
1994 season, the Patriots were 3–6 and had lost 4 straight games when they faced the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
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
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 eit ...
as a wild card. In the first round of the playoffs, the Patriots were beaten by the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conferenc ...
20–13.
1995
The Patriots drafted
Curtis Martin in the third round of the
1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount ...
. 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
''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, ...
'' 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
Robert Kenneth Kraft (born June 5, 1941) is an American billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment ...
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
WBZ-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, airing programming from the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside independent station WSBK-TV (ch ...
, Boston's
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
affiliate. After owner
Westinghouse Broadcasting
The Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, also known as Group W, was the broadcasting division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It owned several radio and television stations across the United States and distributed television shows for syndicat ...
switched the station's affiliation to
CBS,
WHDH-TV took on airing the ''
NFL on NBC
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 ma ...
'' package locally.
1996: Second Super Bowl appearance
In the
1996 NFL Draft
The 1996 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 20–21, 1996, at the Paramount ...
, the Patriots selected wide receiver
Terry Glenn with their first round draft pick. The Patriots started out lackluster in
1996
File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone o ...
. After an early-season loss to the
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
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 eit ...
as the #2 seed. The Patriots defeated the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
28–3 in a divisional playoff game. They then beat the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
20–6 in the first AFC Championship game played in Foxboro.
The team advanced to
Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
against the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
.
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
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
. During the game the Patriots were close to the
Packers for much of the game, and took the lead briefly in the 2nd quarter. However, two long
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 2010 ...
touchdown passes and a Super Bowl record 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by
MVP Desmond Howard
Desmond Kevin Howard (born May 15, 1970) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior. Howard w ...
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
William Stephen Belichick (; born April 16, 1952) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Additionally, he exercises extensive authority over the Patri ...
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 Draft, and a first round pick in the
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
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
, 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
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 eit ...
. After beating 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 p ...
17–3 in Foxboro, the Patriots played the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
in Pittsburgh. A late fumble won the game for Pittsburgh, 7–6.
1998
During the 1998 offseason, the Patriots offered
restricted free agent
A restricted free agent (RFA) is a type of free agent in the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), or National Basketball Association (NBA). Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain ...
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.
Their 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 ...
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
Vanchi LaShawn "Shawn" Jefferson Sr. (born February 22, 1969) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the associate head coach & wide receivers coach for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He prev ...
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
Instant replay or action replay is a video reproduction of something that recently occurred which was both shot and broadcast live.
The video, having already been shown live, is replayed in order for viewers to see again and analyze what had j ...
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
Benjamin Terrence Coates, Jr. (born August 16, 1969) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League for 10 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Livingstone and wa ...
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
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
in the first
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.
Although Robert Edwards had a promising rookie season, his career was derailed after he suffered a dislocated knee in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
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
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
were veteran
Terry Allen and rookie
Kevin Faulk. The Patriots opened with a 30–28 victory over the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
, followed by hosting the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
and second-year quarterback
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with ...
.
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
Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 24 seasons with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Considered one of the greatest ...
kicked the winning field goal in a 31–28 final.
After a 27–3 win over the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play th ...
, 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 was retained only until the
2000 NFL Draft
The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15– 16, 2000, at the Thea ...
.
2000–2019: Brady/Belichick dynasty
2000: Belichick hired and Brady drafted
Pete Carroll was fired as head coach in January 2000 and owner
Robert Kraft
Robert Kenneth Kraft (born June 5, 1941) is an American billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment ...
attempted to hire Jets assistant head coach
Bill Belichick
William Stephen Belichick (; born April 16, 1952) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Additionally, he exercises extensive authority over the Patri ...
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 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
Leon Hess (March 14, 1914 – May 7, 1999) was an American businessman, the founder of the Hess Corporation and the owner of the New York Jets. Hess built an oil terminal in New Jersey after the Great Depression, building his first refinery i ...
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
antitrust
Competition law is the field of law that promotes or seeks to maintain market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies. Competition law is implemented through public and private enforcement. It is also known as 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
The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15– 16, 2000, at the Thea ...
and fourth and seventh round picks in the
2001 Draft to the Jets, while receiving the Jets' fifth round selection in 2001 and seventh round pick in
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
.
Belichick restructured the team's personnel department in the offseason.
The Patriots finished the
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
Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possi ...
on August 6 at the age of 45.
The Patriots lost their opener to the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...
, and in the first post-
9/11
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerci ...
game, against the
Jets, Bledsoe was injured, shearing a
blood vessel
The blood vessels are the components of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the human body. These vessels transport blood cells, nutrients, and oxygen to the tissues of the body. They also take waste and carbon dioxide awa ...
in his chest after being tackled by Jets linebacker
Mo Lewis.
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
, a sixth round pick in the
2000 NFL Draft
The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15– 16, 2000, at the Thea ...
, 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
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 eit ...
.
In the final game played at Foxboro Stadium, the Patriots hosted 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 Ra ...
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."
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
Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 24 seasons with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Considered one of the greatest ...
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
Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
in the
AFC Championship Game
The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
.
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.
In the Super Bowl, the Patriots faced the
St. Louis Rams, led by league MVP
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene Warner (born June 22, 1971) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. His career, which saw him ascend f ...
. 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
Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams. He is widely regarded as one of the gre ...
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-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 Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's (NFL) championship game. The winner is chosen by a panel of 16 football writer ...
.
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
While owning the Patriots, Robert Kraft attempted to build a new stadium.
In 1998, Kraft came close to a deal with the
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
Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland
John Grosvenor Rowland (born May 24, 1957) is an American politician, author, and convicted felon who served as the 86th Governor of Connecticut from 1995 to 2004. He served two nonconsecutive prison terms on various corruption charges. A Rep ...
to build a new stadium in
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since t ...
.
However, after the stadium plan was approved by the
Connecticut General Assembly
The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. ...
,
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
Steel Connect, Inc. is an American company that provides supply chain management services to software companies. During the dot-com bubble, the company, which was then known as CMGI, Inc., had a market capitalization of $41 billion and owned the n ...
, an
e-commerce
E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the activity of electronically buying or selling of products on online services or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain manag ...
company based in nearby
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, ...
.
CMGi Corporation sold the naming rights to Boston-based
Gillette
Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G).
Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The Gill ...
.
2002: Narrowly missing the playoffs
Following their victory in
Super Bowl XXXVI, the Patriots won their first game in the new
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is southwest of downtown Boston. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for both the New England Patriots of the National Foo ...
in the NFL's prime-time ''
Monday Night Football
''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, ...
'' opener against the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
. After three wins to begin the season, including a 44–7 road win against the
division rival New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
, the team lost five of its next seven games. In the final week of the season, the Patriots defeated 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 p ...
on an overtime
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 24 seasons with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Considered one of the greatest ...
field goal to give both teams a 9–7 record.
The Jets also finished with a 9–7 record after a win over the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
.
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
William Stephen Belichick (; born April 16, 1952) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Additionally, he exercises extensive authority over the Patri ...
by fans. A report by
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
analyst
Tom Jackson
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
stated that Patriots players "hated their coach".
The accusation was later denied by players.
Milloy signed with 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 ...
, 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 playoffs, earning
home-field advantage
In team sports, the term home advantage – also called home ground, home field, home-field advantage, home court, home-court advantage, defender's advantage or home-ice advantage – describes the benefit that the home team is said to g ...
. Their opponent in the divisional playoffs was the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
. Played in a temperature of 8 °F (−13 °C), the Patriots and Titans played close until
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 24 seasons with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Considered one of the greatest ...
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
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
for the
AFC Championship
The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
and won 24–14.
The Patriots returned to the Super Bowl, facing the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
.
The first half of
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Carolina Panthers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) ch ...
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
Michael George Vrabel (; born August 14, 1975) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned con ...
, 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.
Following their Super Bowl win, the Patriots traded a second-round draft pick for
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...
' 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
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
on October 31, cornerback
Ty Law
Tajuan Edward "Ty" Law (born February 10, 1974) is an American former football cornerback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Michigan and ...
was injured. Combined with the loss of other starting cornerback
Tyrone Poole
Tyrone Poole (born February 3, 1972) is a former American professional football player who played 13 seasons as a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers 22nd overall of the 1995 NFL Draft. He pl ...
two weeks earlier, the Patriots completed the regular season and playoffs with second-year cornerback
Asante Samuel, undrafted free agent
Randall Gay
Randall Jerome Gay, Jr. (born May 5, 1982) is a former American football cornerback of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at LSU.
Gay als ...
, and wide receiver
Troy Brown at cornerback.
With a 14–2 record and the second seed in the
AFC
AFC may stand for:
Organizations
* Action for Children, a UK children's charity
* AFC Enterprises, the franchisor of Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits
* Africa Finance Corporation, a pan-African multilateral development finance institution
* A ...
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 eit ...
, the Patriots defeated the
Colts at home in the playoffs. The Patriots then defeated the top-seeded
Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
on the road, 41–27, in the AFC Championship Game. The Patriots' defeated the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
in
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles to decide the National Football League ...
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
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles to decide the National Football League ...
, linebacker
Tedy Bruschi suffered a
stroke
A stroke is a disease, medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemorr ...
. Also during the off-season cornerback
Ty Law
Tajuan Edward "Ty" Law (born February 10, 1974) is an American former football cornerback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Michigan and ...
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
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
against 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 ...
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
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). There are currently four teams that reside in the division: the Buf ...
title. With the #4 seed in the
AFC
AFC may stand for:
Organizations
* Action for Children, a UK children's charity
* AFC Enterprises, the franchisor of Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits
* Africa Finance Corporation, a pan-African multilateral development finance institution
* A ...
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 eit ...
, the Patriots defeated the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
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 headquar ...
27–13 on the road in the Divisional Playoffs, committing five turnovers in the game.
The Patriots entered the
2006 season without their two starting wide receivers from
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...
;
David Givens
David Lamar Givens (born August 16, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre ...
left in free agency and
Deion Branch was traded to Seattle after a contract hold out. They were replaced by
Reche Caldwell
Donald Reche Caldwell Jr. ( or ; March 28, 1979 – June 6, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons in the 2000s with the San Diego Chargers, New Englan ...
and
Jabar Gaffney
Derrick Jabar Gaffney (born December 1, 1980) is an American former football wide receiver. He played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as a consensus All-American. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the ...
. 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
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 eit ...
as the #4 seed, defeating the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
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
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
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
Wesley Carter Welker (born May 1, 1981) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the San ...
and
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennesse ...
. Welker led the NFL in receptions in 2007, and Moss set an NFL record with 23 touchdown catches. In September, head coach
Bill Belichick
William Stephen Belichick (; born April 16, 1952) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Additionally, he exercises extensive authority over the Patri ...
and the Patriots were penalized by the NFL for videotaping opponents' defensive signals from an unauthorized location during their Week 1 game against the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
.
The press called this situation
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.
The Patriots won the AFC East before their eleventh game, the fourth time since the NFL introduced the 16-game schedule in
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd government).
* January 6 ...
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 finished 14–0.
Tom Brady earned his first
NFL MVP
The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award (NFL MVP) is an award given by various entities to the American football player who is considered the most valuable in the National Football League (NFL) during the regular season. Organizati ...
award, while the Patriots' offense broke multiple records, including those for points scored and total touchdowns.
With the #1 seed in the
AFC
AFC may stand for:
Organizations
* Action for Children, a UK children's charity
* AFC Enterprises, the franchisor of Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits
* Africa Finance Corporation, a pan-African multilateral development finance institution
* A ...
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 eit ...
, the Patriots defeated both the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
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
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
. The Patriots had the chance for a perfect 19–0 season with a victory over 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 divisio ...
and analysts saw the 2007 Patriots as being the greatest team in NFL history.
Despite being Super Bowl favorites, the Patriots faltered against a
Giants drive late in the fourth quarter.
A
dramatic pass from
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son ...
to
David Tyree
David Mikel Tyree (born January 3, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver and executive who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the New York Giants. He played college football at Syracuse an ...
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
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
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
Scott Pioli (born March 31, 1965) is an American football executive who most recently worked as the Assistant General Manager for the Atlanta Falcons. He was an NFL analyst for NBC Sports' '' Football Night in America'', NBC Sports Network's Pro ...
departed to become the general manager of the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The t ...
. 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 headquar ...
. Quarterback
Matt Cassel, was traded to the Chiefs along with veteran linebacker
Mike Vrabel
Michael George Vrabel (; born August 14, 1975) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned con ...
in March. Defensive starters
Tedy Bruschi and
Rodney Harrison both retired, while
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
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 Ra ...
for a 1st-round pick in the
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York ...
.
2009–10: Early playoff exits
In the
2009 season opener on ''
Monday Night Football
''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, ...
'', 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
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
; 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
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 ...
. 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
AFC playoffs, the Patriots faced the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
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
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
without either a named offensive or defensive coordinator following the departure of defensive coordinator
Dean Pees
Russell Dean Pees (born September 4, 1949) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the New England Patr ...
. After beating
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...
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
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
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
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
, 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
Albert George Haynesworth III (born June 17, 1981) is a former American football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at the University of Tennessee and was selected by th ...
and wide receiver
Chad Ochocinco.
In the first game of the 2011 season, the Patriots played 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 p ...
on ''
Monday Night Football
''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, ...
'', 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
Wesley Carter Welker (born May 1, 1981) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the San ...
.
They beat 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 ...
in Week 2 in their home opener, but their 15-game win streak 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 ...
ended when
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
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
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, wide receiver
Julian Edelman was arrested for indecent assault following an incident in a Back Bay nightclub on
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...
. The Patriots won their last eight games to take the top seed in the AFC playoffs.
After defeating 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 headquar ...
45–10 in the Divisional Game, the Patriots won the AFC Championship Game over the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
23–20, after Ravens receiver
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
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 divisio ...
21–17 in
Super Bowl XLVI
Super Bowl XLVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
.
2012–13: Playoff Losses in AFC Championship
In their 2012 season opener, the Patriots defeated the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
before losing at home to the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play th ...
. In Week 3, New England lost to the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
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
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 ...
52–28. After that, the Patriots went on the defeat 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 headquar ...
31–21, but lost to the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...
24–23 the following week. The Patriots then defeated the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
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
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their home games at NR ...
, 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
legal issues. The Patriots opened the season 4–0 before losing to the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...
13–6 in Week 5. After a home win against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
in Week 6, the Patriots fell to the rival
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
30–27 on a converted
Nick Folk
Nicholas Alexander Folk (born Niklaus Aleksandre Faulke, November 5, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona, where he received first-tea ...
field goal following an unsportsmanlike penalty to rookie
Chris Jones. The team then had a pair of wins against 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 p ...
and the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, but lost 24–20 on ''Monday Night Football'' to the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
following the bye week on a controversial end-game interception by
Luke Kuechly
Luke August Kuechly (; born April 20, 1991) is an American former professional football middle linebacker who played all eight seasons of his career with the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He is generally recognized as ...
. 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
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
35–31 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. They then defeated the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
45–7 to advance to
Super Bowl XLIX
Super Bowl XLIX was an American football game played to determine the champions of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2014 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Conf ...
against the defending Super Bowl champions
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...
. 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
Malcolm Terel Butler (born March 2, 1990) is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played his first four seasons with the Patriots, who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2014. After leaving New England, he was a member ...
caught an interception on Seattle's final offensive play, winning the game for the Patriots.
Brady won his third
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's (NFL) championship game. The winner is chosen by a panel of 16 football writer ...
award.
2015: AFC Championship Loss
The Patriots started the year 10–0, before losing on
Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football may refer to:
* ''NBC Sunday Night Football'', the Sunday night broadcast of American NFL games by NBC since 2006
* ''ESPN Sunday Night Football'', the Sunday night broadcast of American NFL games from 1987 to 2005 by ESPN
* ...
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 headquar ...
, 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
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The t ...
, 27–20. Advancing to the
AFC Championship
The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
game, the Patriots were matched up against the top-seeded Broncos. The final game in the
Tom Brady–Peyton Manning rivalry
The Tom Brady–Peyton Manning rivalry was a series of games that took place between 2001 and 2015 involving two quarterbacks in the National Football League (NFL): Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. It is considered by many to be the greatest in ...
was a defensive struggle.
The Broncos beat the Patriots 20–18 and advanced to
Super Bowl 50
Super Bowl 50 was an American football game to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2015 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) cha ...
.
2016: Fifth Super Bowl Championship
Due to sanctions on the team stemming from
Deflategate,
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
didn't play in the first four games of the 2016 season.
The Patriots used quarterback
Jimmy Garoppolo
James Richard Garoppolo (born November 2, 1991), nicknamed Jimmy G, is an American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Eastern Illinois, where he set the school r ...
, who helped the Patriots win their opening night game against the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play th ...
.
After a shoulder injury to Garoppolo in the second game of the season against 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 p ...
, rookie quarterback
Jacoby Brissett
Jacoby Jajuan Brissett (born December 11, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). Following a college football stint with Florida, he played at NC State and was selected in the t ...
entered the game and helped the Patriots win. On
Thursday Night Football
''Thursday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''TNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that broadcast primarily on Thursday nights. Most of the games kick off at 8:15 Eastern Time (8:20 prior to 2 ...
, Brissett helped the Patriots secure a 27–0 shutout victory against the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their home games at NR ...
. 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
The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
game, the Patriots beat the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
36–17 and advanced to the Super Bowl.
On February 5, 2017, the Patriots faced the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcon ...
, which included
NFL MVP
The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award (NFL MVP) is an award given by various entities to the American football player who is considered the most valuable in the National Football League (NFL) during the regular season. Organizati ...
Matt Ryan, in
Super Bowl LI
Super Bowl LI was an American football game played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017, to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2016 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New ...
. Three bad quarters resulted in the Patriots being down 28–3. The Patriots made a comeback with
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
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 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
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's (NFL) championship game. The winner is chosen by a panel of 16 football writer ...
for a record fourth time and surpassed
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
and
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). Since 1994, he has been a television sports analyst an ...
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
Logan may refer to:
Places
* Mount Logan (disambiguation)
Australia
* Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly
* Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud
* Logan City, local gove ...
. To fill these vacancies, the Patriots signed cornerback
Stephon Gilmore
Stephon Stiles Gilmore (born September 19, 1990) is an American football cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Carolina and was selected 10th overall by the Buffalo Bills ...
and running backs
Mike Gillislee
Michael B. Gillislee Jr. (born November 1, 1990) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Florida. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Early years
G ...
and
Rex Burkhead
Rex Burkhead (born July 2, 1990) is an American football running back for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Nebraska and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2013 ...
. They also traded a second round draft pick to the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
for defensive end
Kony Ealy
Kony Montoy Ealy (born December 21, 1991) is a gridiron football defensive end for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Missouri and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of th ...
.
During their first game versus the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The t ...
, the Chiefs beat them at home 42–27. During the game, the Patriots' defense allowed 537 total yards. The Patriots then beat the
Saints
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Orth ...
and
Texans. After their loss at home to the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
, the Patriots went 11–1 for the rest of the season, finishing 13–3. In Week 15 at
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, 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
Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the " Little Dixie" area of Western Missouri, James and his family maintained st ...
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
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
in the Divisional Round, the Patriots faced the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
.
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
Super Bowl LII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles defeated the American Football Conferen ...
, 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
Malcolm Terel Butler (born March 2, 1990) is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played his first four seasons with the Patriots, who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2014. After leaving New England, he was a member ...
. Also during the offseason, they added left tackle
Trent Brown
Trenton Jacoby Brown (born April 13, 1993) is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia Military College and Florida, and was drafted by the Sa ...
, Bengals running back
Jeremy Hill
Jeremy Hill (born October 20, 1992) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State University (LSU). After a promis ...
, 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
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
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
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
in Week 10. In weeks 14 and 15, the team had back-to-back losses against the
Dolphins
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (t ...
and
Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, 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
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...
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
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
Rex Burkhead (born July 2, 1990) is an American football running back for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Nebraska and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2013 ...
rushing touchdown resulting in a 37–31 victory.
In
Super Bowl LIII
Super Bowl LIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2018 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Confe ...
in Atlanta, the Patriots faced off against the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...
.
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
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
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 Ra ...
following several off-the-field controversies, and a signing which some compared to the
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennesse ...
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
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Gai ...
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
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
. 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
The 2020 NFL Draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2020 NFL season. The first round was held on April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on April 24. The ...
.
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
The NFL Color Rush was a promotion done in conjunction with the National Football League (NFL) and Nike that promotes so-called "color vs. color" matchups with teams in matchup-specific uniforms that are primarily one solid color with alternatin ...
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
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
quarterback,
2011 NFL draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York ...
first overall pick, and
2015 NFL season
The 2015 NFL season was the 96th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL), and the 50th in the Super Bowl era. To celebrate the 50th season of the Super Bowl, a gold-plated NFL logo and other various gold-themed promotions ...
MVP
Cam Newton
Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He has played for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Super Cam", he is the NF ...
was announced as New England's new starting quarterback prior to the season. In addition, several veteran players such as
Patrick Chung
Patrick Christopher Chung (born August 19, 1987) is a Jamaican-American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Oregon and wa ...
,
Brandon Bolden,
Marcus Cannon
Marcus Darell Cannon (born May 6, 1988) is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Prior to the 2011 NFL Draft, Cannon was considered one of the top offensive tackle prospects and ...
, and
Dont'a Hightower
Qualin Dont'a Hightower (born March 12, 1990) is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at Alabama, receiving consensus All-American honors and winning two BCS National Championships. Hightower was sele ...
opted out of the season due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
After 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 ...
beat the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
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
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
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 Super Bowl-winning season, which was an NFL record, was also snapped.
2021
The 2021 season started with the Patriots signing eleven free agents from other teams on the same day, including
Hunter Henry
Hunter Henry (born December 7, 1994) is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arkansas and was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of t ...
,
Nelson Agholor,
Jonnu Smith
Jonnu Andre Smith (born August 22, 1995) is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at FIU and was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of ...
, and
Matthew Judon.
On August 31, 2021, the Patriots released quarterback
Cam Newton
Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He has played for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Super Cam", he is the NF ...
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
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 ...