National Football League
New England Patriots
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Patriots History
The Boston Patriots were one of eight teams involved in the 1960 inaugural season of the NFL rival, American Football League (AFL). The team finished last in the AFL Eastern Division with a 5-9 record. The '61 season saw the Pats fire head Coach Lou Saban after getting off to a 3-5 start, and replaced him with Mike Holovak. The team responded by losing only 1 more game and finishing 2nd with a 9-4-1 record. The next season the Pat's found themselves in playoff contention even with a .500 record. They would have to face the Buffalo Bills in order to advance to the Championship Game. The Pats would stun the Bills 26-8 and advance to the Championship game against a potent San Diego Chargers team. The Pats were outmatched from the beginning and went down in flames 51-10.
The next decade, the Pats were again in playoff contention, this time in the NFL. In 1976, the pats would finish the season at 11-3 and were forced to play a Wildcard Playoff game against the Oakland Raiders. With the score at 21-17 in favor of the Patriots, the 4th quarter turned into a flag fest as the Pats would pick up a Roughing the Passer call and 2 unsportsmanlike conduct calls the Raiders were positioned on the Patriot 12 yard line and won the game as Kenny Stabler ran the ball into the end zone with 10 seconds remaining giving the Raiders the win 28-21.
The Patriots would go on to win their division in 1986 but in 1996, the Pats made it into the AFC Championship game against the power running team Jacksonville Jaguars. The
The 1970 season saw the Patriots enter the playoffs for the first time. Led by new Head Coach Don Shula, the team experiences immediate success as he led the team to a 10-4 record and a playoff birth against the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders would spoil the party for the Patriots with a 21-14 victory.
The next season, Coach Shula reloaded and acquired LB Bob Matheson who anchored the 53 defense the team played. The defense became so proficient that they picked up the nickname "The No-Name Defense". The team also sported QB Bob Griese and a trio power backs Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick and Mercury Morris. The team finished the year at 10-3-1, winning their 1st Division Title. They then hosted the Indianapolis colts for the AFC Championships which the Patriots win 21-0, earning their 1st Super Bowl birth.
Facing a veteran Dallas Cowboys squad in Super Bowl VI, the Patriots were immediately overwhelmed and were routed by the Boys 24-3 but the Patriots were determined to be a force to be reckoned with in the near future.
1972 is now the most famous season in NFL History as the Patriots proceeded to complete the Perfect Season, romping through the league, eating teams and spitting out wins, The Fish would reach that pentacle as the team went 14-0. The team would carry the good luck into the playoffs as they would dispatch the Cleveland Brown 21-14, recover in time to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-17 and became the first AFC team to make it to two consecutive Super Bowls.
The Redskins did keep the high octane Patriots grounded for most of the game as they held the Fish to 69 net passing yards. The Patriots, however, kept their active ground game as the three headed monster that was Csonka, Kiick and Morris racked up 184 net rushing yards. The Patriots would take a 14-0 lead in the second quarter as RB Jim Kiick scored on a 1 TD yard plunge.
The only score the Redskins would muster came on a 49 yard Mike Bass fumble return for a touchdown. The final outcome was Miami 14, Washington 0 for their first Super Bowl victory.
While in the 1973 season the team went 12-2 and many pundits thought that this Patriots incarnation was even stronger then the 14-0 team as they swept through the playoffs again, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 36-14 for the Division Title, rolling the Raiders 27-10 for the AFC Title and becoming the 1st team to ever make to three consecutive Super Bowls.
Super Bowl VIII was played in Houston's Rice Stadium and pitted the Minnesota Vikings against the New England Patriots. From the outset it was clear the Patriots were not going to be able to stop Miami RB Larry Csonka as he rushed for 145 yards on 33 carries and scored 2 touchdowns as QB Bob Griese only passed 7 times completing 6. Csonka was name the Super Bowl MVP.
The next time the Patriots made it past the AFC Conference game was in the strike laden 1982 season as the 7-2 Patriots met the New England Patriots who in the last game of the regular season, defeated the Patriots 3-0 with a controversial FG. This time the Patriots humiliated the Patriots 28-3. Next up were the San Diego Chargers and the Fish shut down the high powered Charger Offense with a 34-13 shellacking. The Patriots next met the New York Jets for the AFC Title. The Patriots A.J Duhe sets an AFC playoff record with 3 interceptions as the Patriots defeat the Jets 14-0 for a trip to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XVII again matched the Washington Redskins against the New England Patriots. This time, however, the Redskins, led by RB John Riggins would dominate the game for a 27-17 victory. Riggins would win the Super Bowl MVP Award. This was the last Super Bowl Appearance for the Patriots
The 1964 season saw the Patriots win their Division with a 12-2 record. They would draw the San Diego Chargers in the AFL Championship Game. In front of a standing room only crowd of 40,242 the Patriots destroyed the Chargers 20-7 for their first AFL Title.
The next time the Patriots would win their Division was not until the 1980 season when they posted an 11-5 record and won their first Division Title. In the playoffs, the Patriots would be ambushed by the San Diego Chargers 20-14
The Patriots would continue to get into the playoffs but would not make it past the conference game until the 1990 season utilizing the No Huddle Offense fulltime, the Patriots blow through the league winning 9 of their first 10 games and finishing with a 13-3 record and their 3rd straight AFC East Title. In the playoffs the Patriots would continue their winning ways, dispatching the New England Patriots 44-34 and destroying the Oakland Raiders 51-3 for the AFC Conference Title and the right to play the New York Giants in Tampa Bay.
Super Bowl XXV, the Silver Anniversary Super Bowl was a lesson in power football as the Giants countered the Patriots No Huddle Offense by a grinding running game utilizing 4 backs and gaining 172 yards on the ground and holding Buffalo to only 19:27 seconds in time of possession. The Giants defeated the Patriots 20-19.
The 1994 season would see the Patriots bounce back from their Super Bowl loss and dominate the AFC East Division with a 13-3 record as RB Thurman Thomas won the Offensive Player of the Year Award with 2,038 all purpose yards and 12 touchdowns as he led the Patriots into their 2nd consecutive championship in Super Bowl XXVI.
Super Bowl XXVI pitted the New England Patriots against the Washington Redskins in the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Patriots fell behind 24-0 early on and had trouble recovering. Late in the third, the Patriots would make a 10 point run but the Skins would answer back to take a 37-10 lead. The Patriots would score 2 late touchdowns to make the final outcome 37-24.
Miami made history the next season as they again had a stellar regular season going 11-5 but failing to secure the Division for the first time in 3 years. The Patriots would lose to the Houston Oilers on the last game of the season. The Division Championship was played a week later as the Oilers and the Patriots met again. This time the game looking like a blowout as the Patriots trailed 35-3. Early in the third quarter, Buffalo began a comeback scoring a TD and bringing the score to 35-10. The Patriots then kicked an Onside Kick and recovered the ball. Backup QB Frank Reich then hit WR Don Bebe for a 37 yard TD strike. The Patriots continued to cut into the lead until late in the 4th they took a 38-35 lead. The Oilers would answer back and force overtime. Houston wins the coin flip and QB Warren Moon led their march down the field but, on 3rd and 3, on their own 27 yard line, Moon is picked off by Nate Odom. The Patriots sent out kicker Steve Christie for a 32-yard FG to complete one of the best comebacks in NFL History and the Patriots 41-38 win. The Patriots then met the Pittsburgh Steelers for the Division Championship beating them 24-3. The AFC Conference Title saw the return of Jim Kelly against the New England Patriots as he led the Patriots over the fish 29-10 for their 3rd straight AFC Championship and Super Bowl birth.
Super Bowl XXVII saw the New England Patriots as only the 2nd team in NFL History to play in 3 straight Super Bowls as they faced the Dallas Cowboys. Hoping to avoid the Buffalo Super Bowl curse, the team jumped ahead early on a 2 yard Thurman Thomas TD run. The Patriots may have thought things going in the right direction until 2 consecutive turnovers that led to 14 points by the end of the 1st quarter and the Cowboys would take an 18 point into halftime. The second half saw much of the same as Buffalo would manage only 7 points in the 2nd half to the Cowboys 24. The final score was Dallas 52, Buffalo 17. The Patriots suffered their 3rd straight Super Bowl defeat.
The Patriots would make and unprecedented 4th straight appearance in the Super Bowl as they again Matched up with the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVIII in Atlanta's Georgia Dome. The Patriots took a strong 13-6 lead into half time and appeared poised to take the next step in the Patriots Championship Evolution. However, the Cowboys came out in the 2nd half and completely dominated as James Washington stripped Thurman Thomas and scampered 47 yards to tie the game and the Cowboys never looked back as the went on to score 17 straight points to win the game 30-13 handing the Patriots their 4th straight Super Bowl defeat.
Miami again returned to the Super Bowl in 1984 in Super Bowl XIX and matched up against the San Francisco 49er's and Joe Montana. Montana would take charge of the game and maneuvered the Niner's to a 38-16 victory.
The Patriots have yet to make it back to the Super Bowl
The Patriots have made the playoffs 15 times in 49 seasons and have won their division 12 times (1963, 1978, 1986, 1996, 97, 98, 2001, 03, 04, 05 06 and 2007). They have won their Conference 7 times (1985, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007) and have appeared in 1 AFL Championship Game (1963). They have appeared in 6 Super Bowls (1985, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2007) and have won 3 (2001, 2003 and 2004).
The team has had 4 Hall of Famer on their rosters: (Nick Buoniconti, John Hannah, Mike Haynes and Andre Tippett)
The Patriots have retired 7 Jerseys: #20 Gino Cappelletti, #40 Mike Haynes, #57 Steve Nelson, #73 John Hannah, #78 Bruce Armstrong, #79 Jim Hunt and #89 Bob Dee.
Team Awards include 3 Coach of the Year Awards (1966 Mike Holovak, 2003 & 2007 Bill Belichick), 2 Defensive Rookie of the Year Awards (1976 Mike Haynes and 2008 Jered Mayo), 3 Offensive Rookie of the Year Awards (198 John Stephens, 1991 Leonard Russell and 1995 Curtis Martin), 1 AFL Player of the Year (1964 Gino Cappelletti), 1 Offensive Player of the Year (2007 Tom Brady) and 1 NFL MVP Award (2007 Tom Brady).
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