Brady–Belichick Era
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The Tom Brady–Bill Belichick era, also known as the Brady–Belichick era, the New England Patriots dynasty, or the Patriots dynasty, was a sports dynasty of the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) that lasted from the
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
to the 2019 season. The dynasty is named after quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
and head coach
Bill Belichick William Stephen Belichick ( ; born April 16, 1952) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Widely regarded as one of the greatest head coaches of all time, he holds numerous coaching records, inc ...
, who are regarded as among the greatest in their respective positions. Belichick and Brady are consistently credited with the Patriots' success and are considered responsible for one of the sport's longest and most dominant dynasties. They are also credited with helping to create and sustain the culture around the team, dubbed the "Patriot Way", where there is an emphasis on personal accountability, consistent improvement, and a focus on team success over personal gain. Under Belichick and Brady, the Patriots played in nine
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
s, more than any other NFL franchise, and won a league-record six (tied with 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
). They also had 19 consecutive winning seasons, 17 division titles (including 11 consecutive from
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
to
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
), 13
AFC Championship Game The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semifinal NFL playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football lea ...
appearances (including eight consecutive from
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
to
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
), and the league’s only ever undefeated 16-game regular season in
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
. The Patriots appeared in half of all Super Bowls played during Brady's 18 seasons as the primary starter and won two-thirds of those they played in. In addition to helping set the Patriots' franchise records, Brady and Belichick hold the records for the most Super Bowl appearances and victories by a player and head coach, respectively. Belichick also holds the records for the most playoff wins by a head coach (31) and Super Bowl appearances by an individual (12), while Brady holds the quarterback records for career wins (264), regular season wins (230), and playoff wins (34) and the record for Super Bowl MVP awards (five). The era came to an end when Brady parted ways with the Patriots as a free agent for the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
in March 2020. Belichick remained as head coach of the Patriots until the end of the
2023 NFL season The 2023 NFL season was the 104th season of the National Football League (NFL). The regular season began on September 7, 2023, with defending Super Bowl LVII champion Kansas City losing to Detroit in the NFL Kickoff Game, and ended on January ...
.


Bill Belichick

Belichick first joined the Patriots in 1996 as an assistant head coach and defensive backs coach for
Bill Parcells Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells ( ; born August 22, 1941) is an American former football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons. He came to prominence as the head coach of the New York Giants from 19 ...
. He previously spent 13 years with 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
from 1979 to 1990. During this period, he was the defensive coordinator during the Giants' 39–20 victory over the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
in
Super Bowl XXI Super Bowl XXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...
and 20–19 victory over the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
in
Super Bowl XXV Super Bowl XXV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...
. The Patriots went 11–5 in 1996 and earned a trip 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 ...
, but lost to 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
. Belichick subsequently served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
. When Parcells, then their head coach, retired in 1999, Belichick was supposed to be his successor, but resigned abruptly and went to
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
instead, this time as their head coach. During his tenure in New England, the Patriots missed the playoffs only six times: 2000 (5–11), 2002 (9–7), 2008 (11–5), 2020 (7–9), 2022 (8–9), and 2023 (4–13). In 2008, Belichick coached the Patriots to an 11–5 record despite losing franchise quarterback Tom Brady in Week 1 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
. A series of division tiebreakers left the 11–5
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
as
AFC East The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). There are currently four teams that reside in th ...
champions, making the 2008 Patriots the second team in NFL history to go 11–5 and miss the playoffs. In 2010, he was selected as the first team head coach in the
National Football League 2000s All-Decade Team The NFL 2000s All-Decade Team is composed of outstanding performers in the National Football League in the ten years spanning 2000–2009. Only a player or coach's performance in the 2000s is used as criteria for voting. The full team was ann ...
. He has won the AP Coach of the Year award three times in his career, all during his time with the Patriots. As head coach, Belichick is 225–79 (.740 winning percentage) in regular season games and has coached the Patriots to 40 postseason games, winning 30. From 2010 to 2017, Belichick coached the Patriots to 8 consecutive 12+ win seasons, an NFL record. The Patriots, since 2002, have lost more than 5 games just three times. As the Patriots head coach, Belichick has had just four losing seasons, in 2000, 2020, 2022 and 2023. In 21 seasons from 2001 onwards, the Patriots have won 16 AFC East titles and earned a wild-card berth in 2021. Such dominance in the salary cap era, which limits teams in how much they can pay players and therefore forces parity, is credited to Belichick's football prowess. Belichick is known for taking players that otherwise had lackluster or declining careers and making them productive for one or more seasons. He is credited for doing this with players such as RB
Corey Dillon Corey James Dillon (born October 24, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots. He played college fo ...
, who gained 1,738 yards from scrimmage, including 1,635 rushing yards. Hall of Fame wide receiver
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, Tennessee Tit ...
was traded to New England in 2007 after lackluster play for the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
, but went on to catch 23 touchdowns in 2007, setting an NFL record. Belichick drafted wide receiver
Julian Edelman Julian Francis Edelman (born May 22, 1986) is an American former professional American football, football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college footba ...
in the 7th round. Edelman went on to set a franchise record for postseason receptions and caught one of the most memorable catches in
Super Bowl LI Super Bowl LI was an American football game played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017, to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2016 NFL season, 2016 season. The American Football Confe ...
. He also earned a Super Bowl MVP award two years later. Most notably, Belichick is credited with drafting quarterback Tom Brady with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Brady went on to help the Patriots form a
dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...
that lasted from 2001 until 2019, and currently holds every NFL postseason passing record except yards per attempt and completion percentage. Belichick is third all-time for wins as a coach. He was the longest tenured active coach in the NFL at the time he left the Patriots. He also has the most postseason wins, with 31. He is the only coach to win three Super Bowls in four years and the only head coach to have won 6 Super Bowls.


Tom Brady

Brady attended college at the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
, where he battled for the starting role with Brian Griese and Drew Henson. He led the Wolverines to the 2000 Orange Bowl, with a record 10–2 as starter during the regular season. Despite trailing by two scores twice during the game, Brady led the Wolverines to an overtime win over the Alabama Crimson Tide, 35–34. His come-from-behind victory earned him the nickname "Comeback Kid". Due to questions about his starting ability in college and uninspiring physical measurables, Brady fell in the 2000 draft until he was selected in the 6th round by the New England Patriots. He spent his rookie year as backup to franchise quarterback
Drew Bledsoe Drew McQueen Bledsoe (born February 14, 1972) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football for Washi ...
and would not start a game until the next year when Bledsoe, who had just signed a 10-year, $103 million contract that offseason, was seriously injured by a sideline hit by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis on September 23, 2001. Brady went 11–3 as a starter in 2001, leading the Patriots to the Super Bowl against the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
. Despite trailing 17–3 in the second half, the Rams stormed back to tie the game 17–17 with 1:30 left in the game. With no time outs, the Patriots drove downfield to set up a 48-yard field goal by
Adam Vinatieri Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for 24 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Vinatieri is the ...
to win the game in the closing seconds. Brady currently holds the NFL postseason record for appearances, wins, pass attempts, completions, yards, and touchdowns. In the Super Bowl, Brady holds the record for most pass attempts, completions, touchdowns, and yards. In
Super Bowl LI Super Bowl LI was an American football game played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017, to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2016 NFL season, 2016 season. The American Football Confe ...
he helped the Patriots, who were down 28–3 in the third quarter against 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
, score 31 unanswered points and win the game in overtime, 34–28, and set a Super Bowl record in the process with 466 passing yards. The following year, he broke his own record by throwing for a record 505 yards in a loss to 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
. Brady currently holds every Super Bowl record in passing except for completion percentage and interceptions. In his 10 appearances in 22 years, he has come away with 7 wins and 5 Super Bowl MVPs (including 1 appearance, win and MVP with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
). With the Patriots, Brady threw touchdowns to 77 different players, setting an NFL record (previously held by
Vinny Testaverde Vincent Frank Testaverde Sr. (; born November 13, 1963) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning con ...
, with 70). Upon retirement, he extended his record to 96.


Brady–Belichick era

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 Theat ...
, first year head coach
Bill Belichick William Stephen Belichick ( ; born April 16, 1952) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Widely regarded as one of the greatest head coaches of all time, he holds numerous coaching records, inc ...
was looking for ways to improve a New England Patriots team that had not been to a Super Bowl since
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
. Belichick had been hired after 3rd-year head coach
Pete Carroll Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as head coach for the NCAA's ...
was fired following the 1999 season. Prior to the draft the Patriots sent quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein to scout quarterbacks for the draft. When Rehbein returned, he stated that Brady was the best quarterback prospect for the Patriots' system. Despite the Patriots already having a franchise quarterback in Drew Bledsoe, they drafted Tom Brady in the sixth round.


2000–2002: Beginnings and first Super Bowl

The Patriots went 5–11 in
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
, the last losing season the Patriots had until 2020. Belichick, after a loss during the season, claimed that "I can't win games with 40 good players while the other team has 53" after many players showed up to camp out of condition. In
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, Belichick made major reforms. The beginning of the culture he brought to New England, dubbed the "Patriot Way", was beginning to show with wide receiver Terry Glenn's contract holdout. The Patriots could not afford to raise Glenn's salary, and Belichick suspended Glenn indefinitely after repeated failed drug tests. Glenn did not receive a ring when the Patriots won
Super Bowl XXXVI Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
that year. The Patriots started 0–1, and faced a division rival in Week 2 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
. Late in the game, down 10–3, quarterback Drew Bledsoe rolled out of the pocket and tried to scramble down the sideline, until he was hit by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. In the hospital later that day, Bledsoe came perilously close to death resulting from internal bleeding sustained in the hit. The concussion alone had been more than enough to sideline him for the remainder of the game. The Patriots lost the game, moving to 0–2. Second year backup QB Tom Brady started the next 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
, the first of 17 games in the famous Tom Brady–Peyton Manning rivalry. Brady landed the opening salvo, taking the first of his 11 wins in the series, including two playoff games. The Patriots finished the season on an 11–3 run to go 11–5 overall. The playoffs saw New England beat the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
in the
Tuck Rule Game The 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff game, also known as the Tuck Rule Game or the Snow Bowl, and sometimes referred to as Snow Bowl 2, was a National Football League (NFL) NFL playoffs, playoff game between the 2001 New England Patriots season, New ...
that closed
Foxboro Stadium Foxboro Stadium, originally Schaefer Stadium and later Sullivan Stadium, was an outdoor stadium in the New England region of the United States, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts. It opened in 1971 and served as the home of the New England ...
, then 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
on the road; they ended the season with an upset of the heavily favored
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
in
Super Bowl XXXVI Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
, 20–17. The Patriots started off
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
hot, winning their first three games to open up the new
Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States. The stadium is southwest of Downtown Boston and 18 miles (29 km) northeast of Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and admi ...
, but losing the next four. They ended with a 9–7 record, but a series of division and conference tiebreakers forced the Patriots out of the playoffs. It was one of only two times in the Brady–Belichick era that the Patriots missed the playoffs, and the only time with Brady as their starting quarterback. (They also missed the playoffs in 2008, when Matt Cassel replaced an injured Brady.)


2003–04: Back-to-back Super Bowls

Ahead of the 2003 season, Bill Belichick surprisingly released strong safety Lawyer Milloy in the offseason due to contract issues. As a replacement he signed hard-hitting enforcer Rodney Harrison, whose career appeared to be on the decline until that point. By the time Harrison retired in 2008, he held the NFL record for most sacks by a defensive back (30.5) and became the first defensive player to have 30 sacks and 30 interceptions; he also holds the Patriots' team record for postseason interceptions, with seven. The Patriots lost their season opener 31–0 to the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
, who had signed Milloy days earlier. It was the worst loss of the Brady–Belichick era. What followed has been called one of the most successful two year stretches by a team in NFL history. The Patriots lost just three more games in 2003 and
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
combined, culminating in back-to-back Super Bowl victories (Super Bowls
XXXVIII 38 (thirty-eight) is the natural number following 37 and preceding 39. In mathematics *38 ! − 1 yields which is the 16th factorial prime. *There is no answer to the equation φ(''x'') = 38, making 38 a nontotient. * 37 and 38 are the first ...
over 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
and XXXIX over 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
). In 2004, they set the then-NFL record for consecutive victories, from Week 5, 2003 through Week 7, 2004. Until the 2023 Kansas City Chiefs, the 2003–04 Patriots were the last team to repeat as Super Bowl champions.


2005–06: Playoff disappointments

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
was somewhat of a down year for the Patriots as they finished with a 10–6 record. The 2005 season featured injuries to many key players including safety Rodney Harrison and forced the Patriots to start 45 different players throughout the season, an NFL record. Linebacker Tedy Bruschi suffered a stroke and missed the beginning of the season before returning for the October 30 game against the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
. Despite the injuries, the Patriots won the AFC East for the third straight time. They 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
in the Wild Card round, but lost to the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
in the Divisional round, committing five turnovers. In
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
, the Patriots came back strong, going 12–4 and winning the AFC East again. After beating 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
and
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
in the wildcard and divisional rounds, they squandered a 21–3 halftime lead 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
in the AFC Championship Game and lost 38–34.


2007: 16–0 record, close to perfection

In
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, the Patriots became the first team to win every regular season game since the NFL schedule was extended to 16 games. They outscored opposing teams by an average of 36–17. Brady won MVP for the first time in his career, throwing for 4800 yards and an NFL record 50 touchdowns. Wide receiver
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, Tennessee Tit ...
, traded to New England from the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
for a 4th round pick, caught an NFL record 23 touchdown passes, a record that still stands. After beating 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
and
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
in the playoffs, New England suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
in
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 ...
, 17–14, the same team New England had beaten in week 17 to cap the 16–0 record. Super Bowl XLII became renowned for the miraculous play made by
Eli Manning Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning family, he is the youngest ...
and David Tyree, which became known as the Helmet Catch. With the loss, the Patriots failed to match the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the only team in NFL history to complete a perfect season (regular season and playoffs).


2008–2010: Brady's injury and more playoff disappointments

The
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
season started off with disaster for the Patriots, when Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
. Despite the loss of Brady, Belichick coached the Patriots, with backup quarterback Matt Cassel under center, to a respectable 11–5 record. A series of division and conference tiebreakers made the 11–5
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
AFC East champions and allowed the 11–5
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
to clinch the sixth and final conference playoff berth. The 2008 Patriots became the second 11-win team in NFL history to not make the playoffs (the other being the 1985 Denver Broncos). The
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
season was important for several reasons. They started the year with a comeback against the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
to go 1–0. In week 6 the Patriots beat 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
59–0, tying the NFL record for the largest blowout since the 1970 merger. After a string of losses, including a heartbreaking road loss to 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
, the Patriots finished 10–6 but lost to the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
33–14 in the Wild Card round. Brady had a comeback year, throwing for 4,300 yards and 28 touchdowns. In
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
, the Patriots went 14–2 and won the AFC East outright. Brady became the first unanimous NFL MVP, as well as the Offensive Player of the year. Despite all of the regular season hype, the Patriots failed to live up to it in the playoffs, losing in the Divisional Round to 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
28–21.


2011–2013: Super Bowl loss and consecutive losses in the AFC Championship Game

In
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
, the Patriots had another strong year, finishing with a 13–3 record, winning the AFC East, and making it to the Super Bowl. Tom Brady threw for 5,235 yards, still short of the NFL single-season record which was set by
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is sec ...
in the same season. 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 ...
, 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, Brady was pressured again and had difficulty scoring points. Another miracle play for the Giants offense made by Eli Manning on a pass to Mario Manningham allowed the Giants offense to take a late lead over the Patriots in the fourth quarter. The Patriots again lost to Manning and the Giants, 21–17. For the 2012 season, Brady threw for 4,827 yards and rushing for a career-high 4 touchdowns. After beating the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
in the Divisional round, they lost to the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
in the AFC Championship Game 28–13. Brady and Belichick led the
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
Patriots team to a 12–4 record, earning the team a first round playoff bye week for the fourth year in a row even despite Brady only throwing 25 touchdowns and adding 11 interceptions. The premier victory of the Patriots regular season came in Week 6 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 National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
. Despite consecutive Patriots drives ending in a 3-and-out and Brady throwing a seemingly game-ending interception with 2:16 left in the fourth quarter, the Patriots defense forced the Saints to punt with 1:13 left in the game. Brady then led the Patriots to score with only 5 seconds left, throwing a touchdown to Kenbrell Thompkins in the corner of the end zone. In the playoffs, the Patriots easily made it to the AFC Championship Game, where they faced the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
and their record-breaking offense. In another Tom Brady–Peyton Manning rivalry game, the Broncos won 26–16.


2014: Fourth Super Bowl victory

The Patriots began the 2014 season with a rough 2–2 record, including an embarrassing loss to 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
in Week 4. Many sports writers were beginning to call for the end of the Patriots dynasty, which had not won a Super Bowl since the 2004 season. Still, the Patriots bounced back and went 10–2 down the stretch to finish the season 12–4. After coming back from two 14 point deficits to beat the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
in the divisional round, the Patriots routed 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
45–7 in the AFC Championship Game, earning their sixth Super Bowl appearance since 2001. In
Super Bowl XLIX Super Bowl XLIX was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2014 NFL season, 2014 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2014 New England Patriots season, New Eng ...
, after throwing two interceptions and leaving his team down by 10 points in the 4th quarter, Brady led the Patriots on two touchdown drives against 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
. The Patriots capped off the comeback with a touchdown pass to
Julian Edelman Julian Francis Edelman (born May 22, 1986) is an American former professional American football, football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college footba ...
with just over two minutes remaining in regulation. On the ensuing Seahawks drive, quarterback
Russell Wilson Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He has primarily played for the Seattle Seahawks. With the Sea ...
threw a deep pass to wide receiver Jermaine Kearse that was initially deflected by cornerback Malcolm Butler. Kearse juggled the ball on his chest and caught it, giving Seattle a first down on the 5 yard line. Color commentator
Cris Collinsworth Anthony Cris Collinsworth (born January 27, 1959) is an American former professional football player and sports broadcaster who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons (1981–1988) with the Cincinnati Bengal ...
compared the acrobatic catch to David Tyree's iconic Helmet Catch against the Patriots in
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 ...
. On the next play, running back
Marshawn Lynch Marshawn Terrell Lynch (born April 22, 1986) is an American actor and former professional American football, football player who was a running back for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Beast Mode", he spent the majori ...
rushed to the 1 yard line, where he was tackled by Dont'a Hightower. Then with 26 seconds left in the game, Wilson's pass for Ricardo Lockette was intercepted by undrafted rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler on the goal line. The Patriots prevailed, 28–24.


2015: AFC Championship loss

The Patriots had a hot start to the 2015 season, winning their first ten games. A series of injuries, including
Julian Edelman Julian Francis Edelman (born May 22, 1986) is an American former professional American football, football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college footba ...
,
Rob Gronkowski Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the Ne ...
, Brandon LaFell, Dion Lewis, and at one point, the entire offensive line, led to the Patriots to lose four of their next six games. After beating 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
in the Divisional round, Brady faced the vaunted
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
defense in the AFC Championship Game. The Patriots lost, 20–18 in what was Brady's last ever matchup with Peyton Manning in their rivalry, as Manning retired from the league following their Super Bowl victory over the Carolina Panthers.


2016: Fifth Super Bowl victory

As a result of his involvement in the Deflategate scandal, Brady was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season. With backups Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett, the Patriots started the year 3–1. With Brady back in Week 5, the Patriots lost just one game the rest of the season and dominated on the way to a 14–2 finish. After beating the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
in the playoffs, the Patriots, who finished as the #3 scoring offense and the #1 scoring defense 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
and their top-ranked scoring offense and 27th-ranked scoring defense in
Super Bowl LI Super Bowl LI was an American football game played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017, to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2016 NFL season, 2016 season. The American Football Confe ...
. Early on, the Patriots' defense could not stop the high-powered Falcons offense. Brady was inconsistent, off on his throws, and threw an interception to Robert Alford that was returned for a touchdown, the first pick-six in Brady's postseason career. By halftime, the score was 21–3. The Falcons scored again in the third quarter to make the score 28–3, a 25-point deficit. In the previous 50 Super Bowls, the largest deficit ever overcome was 10 points. The Patriots scored 31 unanswered points to win the Super Bowl 34–28 in overtime. It was the first Super Bowl to go to overtime, as well as the largest deficit overcome. Brady won his fourth Super Bowl MVP after setting a Super Bowl record with 466 passing yards. 30 Super Bowl records were broken or tied in
Super Bowl LI Super Bowl LI was an American football game played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017, to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2016 NFL season, 2016 season. The American Football Confe ...
.


2017: Super Bowl loss

The Patriots started off the 2017 season slow yet again, going 2–2 before going 11–1 down the stretch to win another
AFC East The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). There are currently four teams that reside in th ...
title and claiming the first seed in the AFC. Brady became the oldest MVP in the NFL, at 40. He also became the oldest quarterback to lead the NFL in passing with, 4,577 yards. After defeating 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
and
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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
in the playoffs, they faced backup quarterback
Nick Foles Nicholas Edward Foles (born January 20, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. A member of six teams, he achieved his greatest success wi ...
and the high-powered
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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
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. As a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX from 13 years earlier, the game was between the National Football Conferen ...
. The Patriots were aiming to be the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since they themselves won back-to-back from 2003 to 2004. In a high-scoring shootout, Brady's attempt to lead the Patriots to another comeback victory late in the fourth quarter was stopped when Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham strip sacked Brady and the Eagles recovered the ball, securing a Patriots defeat, 41–33. Brady set another Super Bowl record with 505 passing yards, breaking the record he had set the year before.


2018: Sixth Super Bowl victory

The Patriots drew much criticism in 2018 after losing to 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
and the winless
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
in the first three weeks; both teams ended below a .500 winning percentage for the season. The Patriots bounced back with a string of wins, including a Sunday Night thriller at home against the undefeated
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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
, who were led by young quarterback Patrick Mahomes; Mahomes threw over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns for the season and won the NFL MVP award. In Week 14 against the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
, the Patriots led with 7 seconds left in the game. On the last play, Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill passed the ball to Kenny Stills, who lateraled the ball to DeVante Parker, who in turn tossed the ball to Kenyan Drake. Drake then ran the remaining 53 yards for the touchdown with no time on the clock, immortalizing the play in NFL lore as the
Miracle in Miami The Miracle in Miami, also known as the Miami Miracle, was an American football play that took place at the end of a National Football League regular season game on December 9, 2018 NFL season, 2018, between the 2018 Miami Dolphins season, Mia ...
. For the first time in almost a decade, the Patriots finished the season with more than four losses, at 11–5, but secured the AFC East for a record 10th consecutive time and the AFC's second seed, behind the 12–4 Chiefs. After handily defeating the
Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...
by a score of 41–28 in the Divisional round, the Patriots faced Mahomes and the vaunted Chiefs offense in the AFC Championship Game. After leading 14–0 at halftime, the Patriots fought a comeback by the Chiefs and forced the game to overtime at 31–31. On the first drive of OT the Patriots quickly moved downfield through critical third down completions to
Julian Edelman Julian Francis Edelman (born May 22, 1986) is an American former professional American football, football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college footba ...
and
Rob Gronkowski Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the Ne ...
, setting up a touchdown run by Rex Burkhead. Belichick and Brady earned their third straight trip to the Super Bowl and their ninth overall, more than any other coach/quarterback duo. 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 ...
, the Patriots' stiff defense held the high-scoring
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
offense to three points all game, sacking quarterback
Jared Goff Jared Thomas Goff (born October 14, 1994) is an American professional football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, setting Pac-12 Conference single- ...
four times, intercepting him once, and allowing only a 57.6 passer rating. The Patriots' offense started slow, with Brady throwing an early interception. They came back late in the fourth quarter, with Brady lobbing a 29-yard pass to Gronkowski, capped by a two-yard touchdown run by rookie
Sony Michel Sony Michel (born February 17, 1995) is an American former professional American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Ge ...
. On the Patriots' next drive, kicker Stephen Gostkowski cemented the win, 13–3. It is the lowest-scoring Super Bowl ever, and Brady and Belichick's sixth and final Super Bowl win together.


2019: The end of the era

The Patriots started 8–0, but went 4–4 down the stretch to finish 12–4, including a stunning Week 17 loss to the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
at home, coached at the time by former Patriots assistant
Brian Flores Brian Francisco Flores (born February 24, 1981) is an American professional football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL career with the New England Patriots, ...
, who had coached for the Patriots organization from 2004 to 2018. The loss, which was their first home loss to the Dolphins since
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, cost New England a first-round playoff bye, forcing them to play a wild card game for the first time since
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
, in which they faced 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
, coached by ex-Patriots linebacker and former Brady teammate
Mike Vrabel Michael George Vrabel ( ; born August 14, 1975) is an American professional American football, football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college footba ...
, who played for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008. The Titans shocked the Patriots 20–13 at Gillette Stadium, avenging their 2003 and 2017 Divisional round defeats at the same venue and marking the first time the Patriots had not advanced to the AFC Championship Game since 2010 and was the Titans' first win at New England since
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
, when the club was known as the
Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 to 1996 Houston Oilers season, 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the Ame ...
. Brady's last pass as a Patriot was a pick-six to former teammate Logan Ryan, who joined the Titans in 2017 after spending his first four years with the Patriots and winning two Super Bowls (XLIX, LI).


Aftermath

Brady joined the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
on March 17, 2020, separating the Belichick and Brady duo, while the Patriots signed ex-
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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
quarterback and 2015 MVP
Cam Newton Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He is the NFL le ...
as their quarterback for the 2020 season. Brady and the Buccaneers won
Super Bowl LV Super Bowl LV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2020 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the American Football Conferen ...
in his first season in Tampa Bay, while Belichick, Newton, and Brian Hoyer, finished with the Patriots' first sub-.500 season in twenty years at 7–9. Following the season, the Patriots would draft quarterback
Mac Jones Michael McCorkle "Mac" Jones (born September 5, 1998) is an American professional football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). Jones played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he set t ...
with the 15th-overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Newton, Hoyer, Jarrett Stidham, and Jones competed for the starting quarterback position during training camp, with Jones winning the job. During week 4 of the 2021 season, Brady's Buccaneers visited the Patriots. Tampa Bay narrowly won 2021 Tampa Bay Buccaneers–New England Patriots game, the game 19–17 off a missed field goal in the final seconds from Patriots kicker Nick Folk. In the week leading up to the matchup, both Brady and Belichick spoke fondly of their time with one another in the press, with Brady calling Belichick a "great mentor" and Belichick calling Brady a "special player". Patriots owner Robert Kraft greeted Brady outside of the locker room hours before the game, and the two exchanged warm words. Brady received a standing ovation at Gillette Stadium when he took the field for warmups, with Patriots fans chanting his name. The stadium's video screens showed a tribute video shortly before kickoff highlighting Brady's accomplishments during his 20-year tenure with the team. While fans gave Brady a warm reception prior to the game, the cheers turned to boos when he took the field with the Buccaneers offense. During the game, Brady officially surpassed
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is sec ...
for the List of National Football League career passing yards leaders, most career passing yards in NFL history. With the victory over his former team, Brady became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to record a win against all 32 current teams in the league, joining Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is sec ...
. In addition, he became the sixth quarterback to have a victory against every incumbent NFL franchise after Fran Tarkenton and Joe Montana, as the league only had 28 teams during the latter two's respective tenures. Immediately after the Buccaneers victory, Brady and Belichick shared a quick embrace on the field before Brady greeted his former teammates and other members of the Patriots organization. Though fans criticized Belichick for his lack of warmth displayed towards his former quarterback, it was later reported that the two privately spoke at length in the Buccaneers locker room following the game. Brady's return to New England became the second most-watched ''Sunday Night Football'' game on NBC. The broadcast also scored a 43.8 rating and 70 share in Boston, making it the city's second-biggest audience for a regular season Patriots game after 2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game, New England clinched their undefeated season against the New York Giants in 2007. Brady would later announce his retirement from football on February 1, 2022, but later reversed course. He officially retired the next year on February 1, 2023, saying on social media that this was "for good." On September 10, Brady returned to Gillette Stadium for the first time as a non-player. In the presence of his family, he was honored by Kraft, Belichick, and the whole Patriots organization. In his speech, Brady declared that he was a "Patriot for life". On January 11, 2024, Belichick and the Patriots mutually agreed to part ways. Belichick went 29-38 (0.433) in his final four seasons following Brady's departure from the Patriots. A 10-part docuseries covering the Brady–Belichick era, titled ''The Dynasty'', aired on Apple TV+ in early 2024.


The "Patriot Way"

According to many writers and analysts, the culture that Bill Belichick upheld in New England, dubbed the "Patriot Way", helped to sustain the success the Patriots have enjoyed. Belichick has been known to be very punctual and attentive to detail in order to win. Players such as Brady, All-Pro Safety Devin McCourty, and longtime Patriot
Julian Edelman Julian Francis Edelman (born May 22, 1986) is an American former professional American football, football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college footba ...
were known to keep the culture around New England alive. For example, Brady consistently took pay cuts despite his elite performance. In 2017, Brady's cap value was only $14 million. Moreover, the total cash spent on Brady in 2017 was a mere $1 million. Despite such low pay, Brady played at an elite level and set several NFL records for a 40-year-old quarterback, culminating in an MVP award and a record-breaking 505 passing yards in a losing effort 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. As a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX from 13 years earlier, the game was between the National Football Conferen ...
. When asked why he accepted pay cuts and a salary below market value, Brady replied "I think the thing I've always felt for me in my life, winning has been a priority. And my wife (model Gisele Bündchen) makes a lot of money. I'm a little smarter than you think... Actually, it's a salary cap. You can only spend so much and the more that one guy gets is less for others. And for a competitive advantage standpoint, I like to get a lot of good players around me." Brady's willingness to take pay cuts allowed the Patriots to spend that money elsewhere on additional skill players. A famous example of this was in the signing of Hall of Fame wide receiver
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, Tennessee Tit ...
in 2007. According to Patriots executives, Brady restructured his contract to allow the Patriots to acquire the cap space needed to sign Moss. Moss went on to set the NFL single season receiving touchdown record. Another example of Belichick's disciplinarian demeanor is how he handled running back Jonas Gray. In Week 11 of the 2014 season against the Indianapolis Colts, Gray rushed for 201 yards and set a franchise record for touchdowns in a game with four. Despite this standout performance, he was active in only five more games for the Patriots, and was released less than a year later. The reason for this release was cited as him being late to practice a week after the Colts game, something Belichick is known not to tolerate.


Controversies

Spygate was an incident during the 2007 NFL season, when the Patriots were disciplined by the league for videotaping
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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
' defensive coaches' signals from an unauthorized location. Videotaping opposing coaches is not illegal in the NFL de jure, but there are designated areas allowed by the league to do such taping. Because the Patriots were instead videotaping the Jets' coaches from their own sideline, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell deemed it to be in violation of league rules, stating that the act represented a calculated and deliberate attempt to avoid long-standing rules designed to encourage fair play and promote honest competition. After an investigation, the NFL fined Belichick $500,000 (the maximum allowed by the league and the largest fine ever imposed on a coach in league history) for his role in the incident, fined the Patriots $250,000, and docked the team their first-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. After the original incident, several other allegations were made against the Patriots filming opposing teams. Deflategate was a controversy involving the allegation that Brady ordered the deliberate deflating of footballs used in the Patriots' victory against the Indianapolis Colts in the 2014-15 AFC Championship Game. The controversy resulted in Brady being suspended for four games, the Patriots being fined $1 million and losing two draft picks, and saw the NFL later change the procedure for monitoring football pressure. For his alleged part in the scandal, Brady was originally suspended by the league for four games of the 2015 regular season, but a federal judge later vacated his suspension and allowed Brady to resume his playing duties for the entirety of the 2015 season. However, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated Brady's four-game suspension, which became effective for the 2016 regular season. After serving his suspension, the Patriots would go on to win that season's
Super Bowl LI Super Bowl LI was an American football game played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017, to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2016 NFL season, 2016 season. The American Football Confe ...
.


Notes


References


Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Brady-Belichick era New England Patriots 2000 beginnings 2020 endings 2000s in North American sport 2010s in North American sport Tom Brady, Era 2020s in North American sport Bill Belichick