New England Patriots
2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Sports teams
| Year founded: 1960 | |||||
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| City | Foxboro, Massachusetts | ||||
| Other nicknames | The Pats | ||||
| Team colors | "Nautical" Blue, "New Century" Silver, Red, and White | ||||
| Head Coach | Bill Belichick | ||||
| Owner | Robert Kraft | ||||
| Mascot | Pat Patriot | ||||
| League/Conference affiliations | |||||
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American Football League (1960–69)
National Football League (1970–present)
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| Team history | |||||
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| Championships | |||||
League Championships (3)
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Conference Championships (5)
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Division Championships (9)
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| Home fields | |||||
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The New England Patriots, or "Pats" as frequently referred to by sports writers and fans are a professional American football team based in Foxboro, Massachusetts. They are currently members of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Originally called the Boston Patriots, the ownership changed the name after relocating the team to Foxborough in 1971.
After forming as an original member of the American Football League, the Patriots joined the NFL in the league merger of 1970. The team advanced to the playoffs four times before their first Super Bowl appearance, a loss in Super Bowl XX in 1986. The team also lost Super Bowl XXXI in 1997. Between 2001 and 2004, the Patriots became the second team in NFL history (after the Dallas Cowboys) to win three Super Bowls in four years ( Super Bowl XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX), and the seventh team to win consecutive Super Bowls (XXXVIII and XXXIX).
Franchise history
1959–1991
On November 16, 1959, Boston executive William H. "Billy" Sullivan Jr. 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 "Boston Patriots", which derived from the historical Patriots of the American Revolution. Several months later, Phil Bisell created the "Pat Patriot" logo (see section), and Lou Saban was selected as the team's first head coach.
The franchise's first training camp began on July 4, 1960, two months prior to their first official game. On September 9 of that year, the Boston Patriots played the Denver Broncos in the first-ever AFL regular season game. The Broncos defeated the Patriots by a score of 13–10. The franchise played first at legendary Braves Field in Boston, the old home of the Boston Braves that was eventually purchased by Boston University, where it was renamed Nickerson Field. From 1961 to 1969, the Patriots played at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox. 5,000 temporary seats covered the left field wall, and field goals were regularly kicked into the right field visitors' bullpen. The Patriots failed to reach the playoffs in each of their first four seasons, despite posting a cumulative 23-17 record. However, in 1963 the Patriots reached the AFL Championship for the first time, resulting in a loss to the San Diego Chargers by a score of 51–10. Although the franchise lost the championship, it was honored when eleven Patriots made the AFL All-star team, including Gino Cappelletti, Nick Buoniconti, Jim Lee Hunt, Houston Antwine, Bob Dee, and Babe Parilli.
Although Boston failed to reach the AFL playoffs for the remainder of the decade, the team was noted in 1966 when fullback Jim Nance gained 1,458 yards, and the title of the American Football League's MVP. Tom Addison, the first Patriot All-star, founded the AFL Players Association in the mid 1960s.
The Patriots' second decade began with significant changes. In 1970, the Patriots' franchise joined the NFL pursuant to the merger of the AFL and NFL that had been agreed to three years earlier. The Patriots were merged into the American Football Conference (AFC), where they remain to the present day. However, the Patriots' first season as part of the NFL resulted in a record of 2–12, sole possession of the newly merged league's worst record. Despite the lack of wins, local morale increased in 1971 when the Patriots moved into a new stadium in Foxborough (also known as Foxboro). The stadium, to be known as Schaefer Stadium, became Sullivan Stadium in 1983 and, ultimately, Foxboro Stadium in 1990. This marked stability for the Patriots, who shifted between four different Boston-area stadiums since its creation. In March 1971, the team was renamed the "New England Patriots" to reflect the relocation.
By the early 1970s, several new players were added to the lineup, including Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett and offensive lineman John Hannah, who became the first career Patriot to make the Hall of Fame in 1991.Despite the changes in personnel, the Patriots' series of losing seasons continued into the early 1970s. Chuck Fairbanks was hired as head coach and general manager in 1973 after leading a top-ten program at the University of Oklahoma. Fairbanks began assembling one of the most talented - but ultimately underachieveing - squads in the NFL of the 1970s. The Patriots finished 7–7 in 1974 and 3–11 in 1975, which resulted in offensive changes. Plunkett was traded to the San Francisco 49ers and replaced by second year player Steve Grogan.
After the string of losing seasons, the Patriots finished the 1976 season with an 11–3 mark — the best record in team history to that point — and a playoff slot for the first time since 1963. In the first round of the 1976 playoffs, the Patriots lost to the Oakland Raiders 24–21. In 1978, Fairbanks was fired as head coach when it was revealed he had been secretly hired as the new head coach of the University of Colorado. Fairbanks was replaced by Ron Erhardt, who coached the team to a playoff appearance later that year. The Patriots lost to the Houston Oilers in the first round and did not return to the tournament until 1982. Under new coach Ron Meyer, the Patriots were once again eliminated in the first game — this time by the Miami Dolphins. With the team consistently unable to assemble playoff victories, the Sullivans replaced head coach Ron Meyer with former wide receiver Raymond Berry in 1984.
In the 1985 regular season, the team finished with an 11-5 record and obtained a wild card playoff berth. The Patriots won three road playoff games on their way to Super Bowl XX — an NFL record. At Super Bowl XX, the Patriots surrendered a 3-0 first quarter lead and lost to the Chicago Bears by a score of 46-10. The following season, New England won the AFC East with another 11–5 record, but fell to the Broncos in the first round of the playoffs. Local resident Doug Flutie was a member of the Patriots during the 1987–1988 seasons, in which they finished with records of 8–7 and 9–7, respectively. Berry remained head coach through both seasons.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Patriots' lack of playoff appearances was underscored by personnel changes and controversy within the Sullivan ownership. The Sullivan family lost millions of dollars on expensive investments, including The Jacksons' 1984 Victory tour. Additional pressure was placed on the ownership when they calculated that $100 million was already invested in the franchise. These financial losses and demands forced the Sullivans to sell the team in 1988. The highest bidder was Victor Kiam, who purchased the team for $84 million — $16 million less than the cost of the team. Although Kiam was now the full owner, he decided to keep Billy Sullivan and his son, Pat Sullivan, as franchise president and General Manager respectively. Meanwhile, entrepreneur Robert Kraft began his involvement with the Patriots by purchasing Sullivan Stadium (previously Schaefer Stadium) on November 23, 1988. Essensially, Kraft owned the stadium and Kiam possessed the team. During this leadership change, head coach Berry was replaced by Rod Rust — a change that was short-lived.
The Patriots' worst season in franchise history — a 1-15 record — came under Rust in 1990. During the season, the Patriots were thrown into the middle of a sexual harassment scandal when Boston Herald reporter Lisa Olson was sexually and verbally assaulted by several Patriots players in the team's locker room — a bad situation made worse by Kiam first deriding the reporter as "a classic [explitive]" and by making lewd jokes at public events about the whole affair instead of allowing it to die quietly. Following an investigation into the scandal, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue fined the team $50,000, and players Zeke Mowatt, Michael Timpson and Robert Perryman $12,500, $5,000, and $5,000 respectively. Rust was fired and replaced by Dick MacPherson at the end of the season. The Olson scandal and the 1-15 record are cited as the two primary reasons why Rod Rust was told to leave.
1992–2001
In 1992, St. Louis businessman James Orthwein became sole owner of the Patriots franchise, sparking rumors of a possible franchise relocation to St. Louis. However, no move was scheduled for the 1992 season, despite a sub-par 1992 season. During the 1992-1993 offseason, the Patriots shifted gears by replacing MacPherson with Bill Parcells. The team's draft selections for the offseason included Drew Bledsoe, who quarterbacked the team until 2001. Despite these acquisitions, the 1993 season resulted in a losing record, and rumors about relocation to St. Louis resparked during the offseason. In order to save the team from relocation, Robert Kraft outbid an intense field of competition and obtained full ownership of the Patriots in 1994. Kraft implemented changes in organization and leadership, which culminated in a ten-season stadium sell-out streak from 1996 to the present.
New England entered the 1994 season after drafting first round and fourth overall pick Willie McGinest, who would later play linebacker on all three Super Bowl-winning teams. Although the team lost in the first round of the 1994 playoffs and finished the 1995 season with a 6–10 record, Kraft decided to keep Parcells. In 1996, the Patriots finished with an 11–5 record and an AFC East division championship. The team eventually advanced to Super Bowl XXXI, where they lost to the Green Bay Packers 35–21.
Due to rising tensions between Parcells and Kraft, Parcells resigned, and was replaced by Pete Carroll in 1997. Meanwhile, the Patriots and the New York Jets began switching players and coaches, including current Jets head coach Eric Mangini, the aforementioned Parcells, and running back Curtis Martin. Nevertheless, New England finished 1997 with a 10–6 record and first place in the AFC East. The Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins 17–3 at home in the opening round, before losing against the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 7–6. In the 1998 season, the Patriots finished 9–7, and lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the playoffs. A subpar 1999 season resulted in Carroll's firing.
2000-present
After Carroll was fired, Bill Belichick, hand-picked to be Parcells' successor with the Jets, quit after one day as Jets head coach to join New England. In 2000, Belichick's first season resulted in a 5–11 record. In 2001 Patriot quarterback Drew Bledsoe was injured early in the season on a hit by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis, and was replaced by Tom Brady, who led the team into the playoffs with an 11–5 record. The Patriots defeated the Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers and advanced to Super Bowl XXXVI, where they defeated the St. Louis Rams on a last-second Adam Vinatieri field goal. In New England's first Super Bowl victory, Brady was selected Super Bowl MVP. Bledsoe was traded to the Buffalo Bills in the 2002 off-season.
In 2002, Robert Kraft opened the new Gillette Stadium after privately funding its construction. After getting no support from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to build a new stadium, Kraft made a deal to move the team to Hartford, Connecticut in 1998. However, environmental cleanup problems with the Hartford site, combined with Massachusetts' eventual willingness to loan $57,000,000 in infrastructure costs around Foxboro to be repaid through parking revenue led to a reversal of the Hartford deal. As a result of threats of lawsuits by Connecticut Governor John Rowland, Kraft paid $2.4M to Connecticut to avoid any future litigation. The state-of-the-art stadium is widely considered to be one of the premier stadiums in NFL Football.
The Patriots missed the 2002 playoffs after finishing with a record of 9–7. In 2003, the Patriots started 2–2 but finished with a 14–2 record and fourteen straight wins on their way to Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Carolina Panthers. The Patriots won by a score of 32–29; the final three points came from another Adam Vinatieri field goal. Brady was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time in his career.
In 2004 the Patriots broke the all-time winning streak record of 18 consecutive wins, following a victory against the Miami Dolphins. Later in the season, the Patriots lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which halted their winning streak at 21 games. However, the NFL only counts regular-season wins in determining the consecutive wins record, so the Patriots' streak officially stands at 18 games.
After finishing the 2004 season with a 14-2 record, the Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers en route to Super Bowl XXXIX. The Patriots went on to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 24–21. The victory made the Patriots the first team in six years (and the eighth in history) to repeat as NFL Super Bowl champions, and the second team ever to win three Super Bowls in four years (next to the Dallas Cowboys).
After the 2004 season, Belichick's top two coordinators — Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel — left the team to pursue head coaching positions. Significant players moved on as well, including longtime Patriot cornerback Ty Law. Linebacker Tedy Bruschi missed half of the 2005 season while recovering from a mild stroke. During the 2005 season, the team lost several starters to injuries, including safety Rodney Harrison and offensive tackle Matt Light. In the final game of the season, Doug Flutie performed the first successful dropkick extra point since 1941. At the end of the season, the Patriots won the AFC East with a 10–6 record. The Patriots defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 28–3 in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the Broncos 27–13. New England became the seventh team in NFL history to fail on a chance to win the Super Bowl in three consecutive seasons, the last team to do so being the Broncos.
The 2006 off-season saw the departure and arrival of several personnel. Dean Pees took over as defensive coordinator when Eric Mangini left the team to become head coach of the New York Jets. Quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels was promoted to offensive coordinator after New England went one season without replacing Charlie Weis. Notable Patriot players David Givens, Willie McGinest, and Adam Vinatieri left New England for the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, and Indianapolis Colts respectively. Deion Branch would later be traded to the Seattle Seahawks. Despite this, they are still 8-3 and leading the AFC East.
The Kraft years have provided a major turnaround for the fan base of the Patriots. Prior to Kraft's arrival, the Patriots rarely played at Foxboro Stadium's maximum capacity (with the only exception being the highly successful 1986 season). The attendance was particularly low during the early 1990s, when poor performance and the aforementioned rumors of franchise relocation to St. Louis loomed; the average home attendance was below 60% of maximum capacity. However, the improvements made during Bill Parcells' coaching tenure (both on and off the field) resulted in a rejuvenation of the fan base. From the 1996 season onward, every Patriots home game has sold out, both at Foxboro and Gillette stadiums, including preseason games.
Logo and uniforms
The original Patriot logo was a stylized depiction of a Revolutionary War tricorne hat. Midway through the first season, it was replaced by an image of a New England Revolutionary War minuteman snapping a football, developed by artist Phil Bissell. Initial Patriots owner William Sullivan coined the logo's nickname — "Pat Patriot" — in late 1961. The team's original uniforms used a colour scheme matching that of the American flag — red and white shirts, blue stripes on the sleeves, and white pants and helmets. As with most NFL teams, the helmets featured the team logo on both sides.
In 1979, the Patriots enhanced the American flag colour arrangement by introducing red pants worn with the white and blue jerseys — a design that was used for home games. The pant design was reverted for the 1982 and 1983 seasons. In 1984, the Patriots introduced red jerseys and white pants, but in the 1985 season the team wore the white jerseys during all home games. However, in Super Bowl XX, the Patriots opted to wear their red jerseys as the designated home team against the Chicago Bears after road playoff victories over the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins wearing the red jerseys.
In 1993, changes to the Patriots' uniforms and logo were rolled out by owner James B. Orthwein and NFL Properties. The "Pat Patriot" logo was replaced with the silhouette of a Patriot head wearing a red-white-and-blue tricorne hat — a symbol that was nicknamed the "Flying Elvis" by fans. The team's jerseys were changed from red to "Patriot" (dark) blue, and both the helmets and pants from white to silver.
In 2000, the team introduced a darker shade of blue to the jerseys. Blue pants were introduced with the white jerseys, and twice during the 2002 season, the Patriots wore an all-blue combination. In 2003, the Patriots introduced a gray alternate jersey that is worn occasionally at home with the blue pants. When the Patriots wear the gray jersey, the visiting team is forced to don its dark jerseys.
Strategy
The Patriots are commonly noted for their emphasis on teamwork over individuality. For example, in Superbowl XXXVI, the Patriots rejected the individual introductions previously customary to the big game and instead entered the field as a collective group. The Patriots are also known for their emphasis on a strong middle class of B+ grade players over a small number of highly paid superstars. This has led to a number of high profile players, such as Ty Law and Deion Branch, leaving the team in order to seek greener, higher paying pastures elsewhere. The idea behind the Patriots' approach is that in the current salary cap era, one cannot allow one's team to be to dependant on a handful of players who can be easily decimated by injury. In addition, the team is also often recognized for its intelligent, hardworking, character driven and versatile players. The coaching staff of the Patriots commonly ask their players to alter their formations in order to take advantages of perceived weaknesses in their opponents. For example, in Superbowl XXXVI the Patriots surprised everyone by unveiling an unconventional bump and run defense featuring five or six defensive backs. Troy Brown, a wide receiver, sometimes plays on the defensive side of the ball as a nickel cornerback, and Mike Vrabel, a linebacker occasionally plays on the offensive side as a wide receiver.
The base Patriots defense is a 3-4 defense, which means that there are commonly three defensive linemen up front, four linebackers in the middle, and four defensive backs. This formation is preferred by the Patriots as it offers the most versatility for linebackers to attack unexpectedly or to drop back into coverage. The Dallas Cowboys, the Cleveland Browns, the Miami Dolphins, and the New York Jets are believed to run similar defensive systems.
This year, the Patriots are commonly employing a two tight end set on offense. This means that there is often only one running back in the backfield with the quarterback. In addition to the two wide receivers, the two tight ends also provide flexibility as they can either act as blockers or run short receiving routes.
Season-by-season records
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff Results |
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| Boston Patriots (AFL) | |||||
| 1960 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 4th AFL East | – |
| 1961 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 2nd AFL East | – |
| 1962 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 2nd AFL East | – |
| 1963 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 1st AFL East | Won Divisional Playoff ( Bills) Lost AFL Championship ( Chargers) |
| 1964 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 2nd AFL East | – |
| 1965 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 3rd AFL East | – |
| 1966 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2nd AFL East | – |
| 1967 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 5th AFL East | – |
| 1968 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 4th AFL East | – |
| 1969 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 3rd AFL East | – |
| Merged into NFL | |||||
| 1970 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 5th AFC East | – |
| New England Patriots | |||||
| 1971 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 3rd AFC East | – |
| 1972 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 5th AFC East | – |
| 1973 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 3rd AFC East | – |
| 1974 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3rd AFC East | – |
| 1975 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 4th AFC East | – |
| 1976 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 2nd AFC East | Lost Divisional Playoffs ( Raiders) |
| 1977 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 3rd AFC East | – |
| 1978 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1st AFC East | Lost Divisional Playoffs ( Oilers) |
| 1979 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2nd AFC East | – |
| 1980 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 2nd AFC East | – |
| 1981 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 5th AFC East | – |
| 1982 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 7th AFC Conf. | Lost First Round ( Dolphins) |
| 1983 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 2nd AFC East | – |
| 1984 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2nd AFC East | – |
| 1985 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 3rd AFC East | Won Wild Card Playoffs ( Jets) Won Divisional Playoffs ( L.A. Raiders) Won Conference Championship ( Dolphins) Lost Super Bowl XX (Bears) |
| 1986 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1st AFC East | Lost Divisional Playoffs ( Broncos) |
| 1987 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 2nd AFC East | – |
| 1988 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 3rd AFC East | – |
| 1989 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 4th AFC East | – |
| 1990 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 5th AFC East | – |
| 1991 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 4th AFC East | – |
| 1992 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 5th AFC East | – |
| 1993 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 4th AFC East | – |
| 1994 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 2nd AFC East | Lost Wild Card Playoffs ( Browns) |
| 1995 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 4th AFC East | – |
| 1996 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1st AFC East | Won Divisional Playoffs ( Steelers) Won Conference Championship ( Jaguars) Lost Super Bowl XXXI ( Packers) |
| 1997 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 1st AFC East | Won Wild Card Playoffs ( Dolphins) Lost Divisional Playoffs ( Steelers) |
| 1998 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 4th AFC East | Lost Wild Card Playoffs ( Jaguars) |
| 1999 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 5th AFC East | – |
| 2000 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 5th AFC East | – |
| 2001 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1st AFC East | Won Divisional Playoffs ( Raiders) Won Conference Championship ( Steelers) Won Super Bowl XXXVI ( Rams) |
| 2002 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2nd AFC East | – |
| 2003 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1st AFC East | Won Divisional Playoffs ( Titans) Won Conference Championship ( Colts) Won Super Bowl XXXVIII ( Panthers) |
| 2004 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1st AFC East | Won Divisional Playoffs ( Colts) Won Conference Championship ( Steelers) Won Super Bowl XXXIX ( Eagles) |
| 2005 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 1st AFC East | Won Wild Card Playoffs ( Jaguars) Lost Divisional Playoffs ( Broncos) |
| 2006* | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1st AFC East | As of November 26, 2006 |
| Totals | 343 | 336 | 9 | (regular season, 1960-2006) | |
| 17 | 11 | 0 | (playoffs, 1960-2005) | ||
| 359 | 347 | 9 | (all games, 1960-2006, including AFL & NFL playoffs) | ||
* = Current Standing
Players and coaches of note
Current roster
The following is accurate as of November 14, 2006.
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DEPTH CHART Quarterbacks
Halfbacks
Fullbacks
Receivers
Tight Ends
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Centers
Guards
Tackles
Defensive line
Linebackers
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Defensive backs
Special Teams
Physically Unable to Perform (PUP)
Injured Reserve
Practice Squad
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Pro Football Hall of Famers
- Nick Buoniconti LB
- John Hannah G
- Mike Haynes CB
Retired numbers
- 20 Gino Cappelletti K/WR
- 40 Mike Haynes CB
- 57 Steve Nelson LB
- 73 John Hannah G
- 78 Bruce Armstrong T
- 79 Jim Lee Hunt DL
- 89 Bob Dee DL
In addition to the seven players above, QB Steve Grogan (14), QB Babe Parilli (15), LB Andre Tippett (56) and LB Nick Buoniconti (85) were inducted into the Patriots' Hall of Fame. Although their numbers have not been officially retired, none were worn by Patriots players in the 2005 season. However, in the 2006 season, #14 is currently being worn by Vinny Testaverde, #15 by Ken Walter, and #85 by Doug Gabriel.
Other notable alumni
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Head coaches
- Lou Saban (1960–61)
- Mike Holovak (1961–68)
- Clive Rush (1969–70)
- John Mazur (1970–72)
- Phil Bengtson (interim) (1972)
- Chuck Fairbanks (1973–78)
- Ron Erhardt (1979–81)
- Ron Meyer (1982–84)
- Raymond Berry (1984–89)
- Rod Rust (1990)
- Dick MacPherson (1991–92)
- Bill Parcells (1993–96)
- Pete Carroll (1997–99)
- Bill Belichick (2000–present)