New England Patriots

**History** edit - **AFL years (1959–1970)** edit Running back Jim Nance set the AFL single-season rushing record with 1,458 yards in 1966—a year he was named AFL MVP—and followed up with 1,216 yards in 1967 The Patriots are named after the colonists who rebelled against British control during the Revolutionary War, which was locally relevant due to the colony of Massachusetts playing a pivotal role in American independence. (Image: Minute Man statue in Concord, Massachusetts) On November 16, 1959, Boston business executive Billy Sullivan was awarded the eighth and final franchise of the developing American Football League (AFL). The following winter, locals were allowed to submit ideas for the Boston football team's official name. The most popular choice – and the one that Sullivan selected – was the "Boston Patriots", with "Patriots" referring to the colonists of the Thirteen Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution and in July 1776 declared the United States of America an independent nation, which heavily involved the then–colony of Massachusetts. Immediately thereafter, artist Phil Bissell of The Boston Globe developed the "Pat Patriot" logo. The Patriots never had a regular home stadium in the AFL. Boston University Field, Harvard Stadium, Fenway Park (shared with Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox), and Boston College's Alumni Stadium all served as home fields during their time in the American Football League. The 1963 season saw the franchise's first playoff win over Buffalo to clinch the division. They subsequently lost the AFL Championship game to the San Diego Chargers 51–10. They did not appear again in an AFL or NFL post-season game for another 13 years. **Post-merger years (1970–2000)** edit When the NFL and AFL merged in 1970, the Patriots were placed in the American Football Conference (AFC) East division, where they still play. The following year, the Patriots moved to a new stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, their home for the next 30 years, and changed their name from the Boston Patriots to the Bay State Patriots, after the state of Massachusetts. The name was rejected by the NFL and on March 22, 1971, the team officially announced they would change its geographic name to New England. Anchored by offensive lineman John Hannah, widely regarded among the greatest at his position, along with future Hall of Famers Mike Haynes (cornerback) and Andre Tippett (linebacker), the Patriots achieved intermittent success during the 1970s and 1980s. Raymond Berry took over the coaching reins in 1984 and led the Patriots to a 51–41 record the next five and a half years. Berry's 1985 team had an 11–5 record, earned a wild-card playoff berth, and won three straight AFC playoff games on the road to advance to Super Bowl XX, which they lost to the Chicago Bears 46–10. Berry left the team after a disappointing 1989 season, and his replacement Rod Rust only lasted one season, 1990, during which the Patriots went 1–15. **Ownership turmoil** edit In the mid-1970s, team owner Billy Sullivan temporarily lost control of the Patriots despite holding a significant ownership stake (20% of the voting stock), but regained it after buying out minority partners and public shareholders. The buyout later led to a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling that the transaction was illegal and required additional compensation to shareholders. Financial difficulties intensified in the 1980s, particularly after heavy losses tied to financing The Jacksons' 1984 Victory Tour, which had been secured using Sullivan Stadium as collateral. Mounting debt ultimately forced the Sullivans to place both the Patriots and the stadium on the market in 1985, despite the team's Super Bowl appearance that season. In the years that followed, the team changed ownership several times. Victor Kiam purchased the Patriots in 1988, selling the team to James Orthwein in 1992. Though Orthwein's period as owner was short and controversial, he did oversee major changes to the team, first with the hiring of former New York Giants coach Bill Parcells in 1993. Orthwein and his marketing team then defied Patriots fans' overwhelming preference and commissioned the NFL to develop a new visual identity and logo, and changed their primary colors from the traditional red, white and blue to blue and silver for the team uniforms. Orthwein intended to move the team to his native St. Louis (where it would have been renamed as the St. Louis Stallions), but instead sold the team in 1994 for $175 million to Boston paper magnate Robert Kraft, who had bought the Patriots' then-home, Foxboro Stadium, out of bankruptcy in 1988. Continuing on as head coach under Kraft's ownership, Parcells would bring the Patriots to two playoff appearances, including Super Bowl XXXI following the 1996 season, which they lost to the Green Bay Packers by a score of 35–21. Pete Carroll, Parcells's successor, would also take the team to the playoffs twice in 1997 and 1998 before being dismissed as head coach after the 1999 season. **Brady–Belichick era (2000–2019)** edit Quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick were the pillars of the Patriots dynasty throughout the 2000s and 2010s. During that period (2001–2019), they led the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances, winning six. They are widely regarded as the greatest QB-HC tandem of all time. Tight end Rob Gronkowski, nicknamed "Gronk", is widely regarded as one of the greatest TEs of all time. He was a staple of the 2010s offenses. The Patriots made a pivotal move in 2000 by hiring Bill Belichick as head coach. Belichick, previously a defensive assistant under Parcells and former head coach of the Cleveland Browns (1991–1995), quickly shaped a competitive roster using a combination of veteran free agents, such as linebacker Mike Vrabel and running back Corey Dillon, and high-value draft picks, including linebacker Tedy Bruschi and cornerback Ty Law. Under Belichick, the Patriots became one of the most consistently dominant teams in the NFL, with many describing the team as a "dynasty". In 2001, an injury to starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe allowed sixth-round pick Tom Brady to take over the offense, leading the team to a Super Bowl victory over the St. Louis Rams 20–17. Brady would go on to become one of the NFL's top quarterbacks, guiding the Patriots to additional Super Bowl victories in the 2003 season (32–29 over the Carolina Panthers) and the 2004 season (24–21 over the Philadelphia Eagles). Their new home field, Gillette Stadium, opened in 2002 to replace the aging Foxboro Stadium. Before the 2007 season, New England acquired All-Pro wide receiver Randy Moss, and the team set numerous offensive records while completing a perfect 16–0 regular season. However, they were upset by the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII 17–14. That season was also marked by the "Spygate" controversy, in which the Patriots were penalized for videotaping the New York Jets sideline signals, resulting in fines for both Belichick and the team and the loss of a draft pick. Brady missed most of the 2008 season due to injury, and the team failed to make the playoffs despite an 11–5 record, but they returned to division-winning form in 2009. Moss was traded in 2010, yet the team remained among the league's highest-scoring offenses behind Brady, wide receiver Wes Welker, and tight end Rob Gronkowski, finishing with the AFC's best record in both 2010 and 2011, and reaching a Super Bowl rematch with the Giants, which they lost again 21–17. The Patriots continued to perform at a high level through the mid-2010s, recording 12–4 seasons and AFC championship appearances in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, New England again won 12 games and posted the best record in the AFC en route to winning a conference championship. They won Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks 28–24, though the season was later associated with the "Deflategate" controversy, resulting in a suspension for Brady and penalties for the team. In 2015, New England won another division title but fell in the AFC championship game. The following season, the Patriots went an NFL-best 14–2 and cruised through the postseason en route to another AFC championship. In Super Bowl LI, New England overcame a 25-point deficit against the Atlanta Falcons—the largest comeback in Super Bowl history—to secure their fifth championship, 34–28 in overtime. Tom Brady is seen celebrating the team's dramatic comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI In 2017, the team went 13–3, advanced to Super Bowl LII, and lost narrowly to the Philadelphia Eagles 41–33, marking their fifth Super Bowl loss. New England continued its dominance in 2018, earning the second seed in the AFC playoffs. After a convincing victory in the divisional round, the Patriots won a roller-coaster AFC championship game over the Kansas City Chiefs to qualify for a third straight Super Bowl. They defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13–3, in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl game in history, securing their sixth title and tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl victories in NFL history. In 2019, the Patriots extended their streak of consecutive AFC East titles to 11, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. In March 2020, Brady departed the team in free agency to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. **Post-Brady era (2019–present)** edit Following Tom Brady's departure, the Patriots posted a losing record in 2020 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. The team declined further in 2023, finishing 4–13, after which Belichick parted ways with the organization. In the 2024 NFL draft, the Patriots selected quarterback Drake Maye, but the team struggled again, finishing 4–13. Head coach Jerod Mayo was subsequently replaced by Mike Vrabel. Under Vrabel, New England experienced a dramatic turnaround in 2025, finishing 14–3 and winning the AFC East. The 10-game improvement matched an NFL record. 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