Photo Credit
Established: November 16th, 1959
First Season: 1960
Play and headquartered in: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
American Football League: (AFL): 1960 – 1969
Eastern Division: 1960 – 1969
National Football League (NFL): 1970 – Present
American Football Conference (AFC): 1970 – Present
AFC East: 1970 – Present
Fight Song: “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”
Mascot: Pat Patriot
Owner: Robert Kraft
Head Coach: Jerod Mayo
Team History: Boston Patriots 1960 – 1970
New England Patriots: 1971 – Present
Team Nicknames:
First Season: 1960
Play and headquartered in: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
American Football League: (AFL): 1960 – 1969
Eastern Division: 1960 – 1969
National Football League (NFL): 1970 – Present
American Football Conference (AFC): 1970 – Present
AFC East: 1970 – Present
Fight Song: “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”
Mascot: Pat Patriot
Owner: Robert Kraft
Head Coach: Jerod Mayo
Team History: Boston Patriots 1960 – 1970
New England Patriots: 1971 – Present
Team Nicknames:
1. The Pats
2. The Evil Empire
3. The Boston TE Party (tight ends; 2010 – 2012)
4. The Boogeymen (Linebackers; 2019)
1. 2001 (XXXVI)
Playoff Appearances (28)
1. AFL: 1963
2. NFL: 1976, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1994,
Home Fields
1. Nickerson Field 1960 – 1962
2. Fenway Park 1963 – 1968
3. Alumni Stadium 1969
4. Harvard Stadium 1970
5. Foxboro Stadium 1971 – 2001
6. Gillette Stadium 2002 – Present
1960 – 1969: AFL beginnings
On November 16th, 1959, Boston business executive Billy Sullivan was awarded the eighth and final franchise of the developing American Football League (AFL). In addition to William and Joseph Sullivan, other initial investors in the team were John Ames, a lawyer, Dean Boylan, (president of Boston Sand & Gravel), George Sargent, an insurance executive, Dom DiMaggio, former Boston Red Sox center fielder, Dan Marr, president of Marr Scaffolding Co., Ed McMann, president of the Northeast Packing Co., Pual Sonnabend, vice-president of Hotel Corporation of America, and Edgar Turner, president of the 7-Up Distributors Corp. Each of the founders invested $25, 000 to capitalize the team.
The following winter, locals were allowed to send ideas for the Boston football team’s official name. The most common one, and the one that Sullivan selected, was the “Boston Patriots,” with “Patriots” referring to those colonists of the Thirteen Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution and in July 1776 declared the United States of America an independent nation. Immediately thereafter, artist Phil Bissell of The Boston Globe developed the “Pat Patriot” logo.
On July 30th, 1960, the Boston Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills in the first AFL pre-season game. The Boston Patriots played in the first-ever game in the American Football League (AFL), against the Denver Broncos on September 9th, 1960, which they lost by a score of 10 – 13. The Boston Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills in an AFL Eastern Division playoff game in 1963 and made it to the AFL Championship for the first time but lost to the San Diego Chargers 51 – 10. In 1963, nine Patriots made the AFL All-Star team, including Gino Cappelletti, Nick Buoniconti, and Babe Parilli. In 1964, Linebacker Tom Addison, an original Patriot, founded and was elected President of the AFL Players Association. In the late-1960’s, fullback Jim Nance became a top offensive player for the Patriots, gaining 1,458 yards during the 1966 season and 1,216 during the 1967 season. He was named the AFL MVP in 1966.
1970 – 1973: Post AFL-NFL merger
After the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the league required that all teams live in stadiums with at least 50,000 seats. Before 1970, The Patriots did not have a regular home stadium. Nickerson Field, Harvard Stadium, Fenway Park, and Alumni Stadium, served as home fields during their time in the American Football League. None of the four stadiums the Patriots used up to that point qualified, and there was little room in Boston for a new stadium. Due to this, discussions about a possible relocation to Tampa, Florida occurred.
In 1971, the Patriots moved into a new stadium in suburban Foxborough, Massachusetts, built on land granted by the Bay State Raceway. The team was renamed the New England Patriots on March 22nd, 1971, to reflect its new location. The original choice, Bay State Patriots was rejected by the NFL. The stadium, to be known as Schaefer Stadium, was built at a cost of about 6.2 million dollars in only 327 days. The stadium was one of the first stadiums in the country to be named after a corporate sponsor, as the Schaefer Brewing Company paid 1 million dollars for naming rights.
The first event held at the Schaefer Stadium was a preseason game against the New York Giants on August 15th, 1971. A massive traffic jam on Route 1 prevented fans from getting in until halftime.
In 1971, the Patriots had a new quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett. From Stanford University, Plunkett was the first overall choice in the 1971 NFL Draft. The Patriots also signed free agent Randy Vataha, a wide receiver.
1973 – 1978: Fairbanks era
The Patriots added three players to the team from the 1973 NFL Draft; offensive guard John Hannah, who became the first career Patriot to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame; running back Sam Cunningham, the team’s all-time leading rusher; and wide receiver Darryl Singley.
In 1973, the team hired Chuck Fairbanks, who had been head coach at the University of Oklahoma, as head coach. The Patriots improved in Fairbanks’s second season, 1974, finishing 7 – 7. During the 1975 season, QB Plunkett was traded to the San Francisco 49ers and eventually would win two Super Bowls with the Oakland Raiders.
The draft picks acquired in the Plunkett trade were used to select defensive backs, Mike Haynes and Tim Fox. The Patriots finished the 1976 season 11 – 3, their best record in team history to that point, and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 1963 as a wild card-berth.
1976 playoffs
The Patriots played the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the playoffs. The Patriots were leading the Raiders, 21 – 17. On a 3rd-down play late in the 4th quarter, Patriots defensive tackle Ray “Sugar Bear” Hamilton sacked Oakland quarterback Ken Stabler, which would have forced the Raiders into a 4th-down situation. However, referee Ben Dreith called a roughing the passer penalty on Hamilton, nullifying the sack and giving the Raiders an automatic 1st down. The penalty was debated later but allowed the Raiders to score. Stabler scored on a short touchdown run with less than a minute left, and the Raiders held on for a 24 – 21 win.
1977 – 1978
The 1977 season was a disappointing one for the Patriots, due in part to contract holdouts by offensive linesman John Hannah and Leon Gray. The Patriots finished 9 – 5, one game out of first place in the AFC East, and out of the playoffs.
In a 1978 preseason game against the Raiders, wide receiver Darryl Stingley was paralyzed from the neck down from a tackle by Oakland’s Jack Tatum. The Patriots finished 11 – 5 for their post-merger AFC East championship. However, hours before the final game of the regular season, coach Chuck Fairbanks announced he would be leaving the team to become head coach at the University of Colorado. Owner Billy Sullivan immediately suspended Fairbanks, and offensive coordinator Ron Erhardt and defensive coordinator Hank Bullough were left to coach the final game without a head coach. Fairbanks was reinstated for the playoffs, but the team lost its divisional playoff game 31 – 14 to the Houston Oilers, which also was the first Patriots post-season game at Schaefer Stadium.
1979 – 1984: Coaching Changes
For the next two years, the Patriots suffered late-season losses that denied them return trips to the playoffs. In 1979, after starting 7 – 3, the team lost five out of its last eight games to finish 9 – 7 and out of the playoffs. In 1980, with running back Sam Cunningham holding out all season, the Patriots started 6 – 1 but finished 10 – 6, again out of the playoffs. The Patriots continued to slide in 1981, finishing 2 – 14.
Following the 1981 season, Erhardt was fired and replaced by Ron Meyer, who had been the head coach at Southern Methodist University. The Patriots had the top draft pick overall in the 1982 NFL Draft and selected Kenneth Sims, a defensive end from the University of Texas at Austin.
In the strike-shortened 1982 season, the highlight of the Patriots’ campaign was the “Snowplow Game”, a controversial 3 – 0 late-season win over the Miami Dolphins. The controversy came in the 4th quarter when the Patriots were preparing for a field goal attempt. Mark Henderson, a convict on work release, used a tractor to clear a swath of field to aid the Patriots. Kicker John Smith’s 33-yard attempt was good, and they were the only points scored by either team that afternoon. The win helped put the Patriots in the playoffs, but the first-round rematch in Miami was won by the Dolphins.
In 1983, the naming rights deal for the stadium with Schaefer expired, and the stadium was renamed Sullivan Stadium. Also in 1983, quarterback Tony Eason was drafted in the first round. Eason played sparingly in 1983 but became the Patriots’ starting quarterback in 1984. The team ended the season 8 – 8.
The Patriots, with the top pick in the 1984 NFL Draft, selected Irving Fryar, a wide receiver from the University of Nebraska. With Tony Eason starting at quarterback, the Patriots 5 – 2 starts. However, after a few losses, the Patriots fired head coach Ron Meyer and replaced him with former Baltimore Colts wide receiver Raymond Berry. The team won three of their first four games under Berry. The team lost several games late in the 1984 season and finished out of the playoffs.
1985: First Super Bowl appearance
After struggling to start the 1985 season and suffering a shoulder injury in October, coach Raymond Berry replaced Eason with Grogan. Grogan broke his leg during the 12th game of the season, and Eason took over as starting quarterback. New England won six straight games and finished 11 – 5. They then beat the New York Jets 26 – 14, earning a wild-card berth in the playoffs.
In the divisional playoff against the Los Angeles Raiders, the Patriots forced six turnovers and won 27 – 20. Dawson started the game with a touchdown, then when the Patriots were kicking off in the 4th quarter, a fumble by the Raiders resulted in a touchdown for Jim Bowman. After beating the Raiders, the Patriots were set up to play the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship. Days before the championship game, Irving Fryar was injured in a domestic incident and had to have his hand cast. The Patriots defeated the Dolphins 31 – 14. Eason threw touchdowns to running back Tony Collins and tight end Derrick Ramsey early in the game. Later, a touchdown by Mosi Tatupu won the Patriots the AFC Championship of 1985. They went on to Super Bowl XX, where they faced the Chicago Bears.
In the Super Bowl, the Patriots took an early 3 – 0 lead after Walter Payton fumbled in the 1st quarter, resulting a field goal by Tony Franklin. The Bears scored 44 points, including a touchdown by rookie defensive lineman William “Refrigerator” Perry. The Patriots made one touchdown, at the end to make the final score 46 – 10.
1986 – 1992: Ownership changes and struggles
Soon after the 1985 Super Bowl, Boston Globe sportswriter Ron Borges wrote a story alleging that six Patriots players, including Fryar, cornerback Raymond Clayborn, safety Roland James, and running back Tony Collins were marijuana users. In May 1986, allegations surfaced that Fryar was involved in gambling on NFL games. In July 1986, offensive lineman John Hannah retired.
In 1987, the Patriots acquired Doug Flutie from Natick, Massachusetts, who won the Heisman Trophy for Boston College in 1984. He was acquired by the Patriots during the 1987 players’ strike and crossed the picket line to play in his first game for the Patriots. However, late-season injuries put the Patriots out of playoff contention at 8 – 7. In 1988, the Patriots finished the season 9 – 7 and narrowly missed the playoffs.
During this time, the Sullivan family lost millions of dollars on poor investments, most notably from producing The Jackson 5 1984 Victory Tour. The Sullivans’ losses from the Victory Tour impacted the operation of the Patriots. The Sullivans had never been among the NFL owners and had been forced to pledge Sullivan Stadium as collateral to finance the Victory Tour in 1984. The losses from the Victory Tour were reportedly equivalent to the family’s net worth, and the revenue from the Patriots was not enough to service the debt even after the team made it to the Super Bowl. The losses from the Victory Tour forced the Sullivans to put the Patriots and Sullivan Stadium on the market in 1985.
In August 1985, The Boston Globe reported that the Sullivans were looking to sell the Patriots, Sullivan Stadium, and their lease on Foxboro Raceway due to the family’s financial and legal problems. On April 10th, 1986, a group of six Pennsylvania businessmen led by Fran Murray and Drew Lewis purchased a three-year option to acquire the team, stadium, and racetrack lease. They later sold the option to Jeffery Chodorow, however, Chodorow and the Sullivans were unable to come to terms on a sale. Buddy LeRoux began negotiations to purchase the team in December 1986, however, due to a lack of progress on the deal, he withdrew his offer on March 17th, 1987(118)(119). The following year, the Sullivans entered negotiations to sell the team and stadium to Donald Trump, however, because Trump was funding a lawsuit against the league at that time, it was unlikely he would be approved by the league’s owners and the deal was abandoned(120)(121). Robert Tisch, Robert Kraft, Peter de Savary, and Joe O’Donnell also made offers for the team(122)(123)(124)(125).
By the start of 1988, the Sullivans were heading for bankruptcy and at one point had to get a 4 million dollar advance from the league to make payroll(112). Sullivan sought to sell 50 percent of the team’s shares to the public. The NFL turned down this request out of hand(126). Instead, it appointed a four-man committee vested with what amounted to “wartime powers” to resolve the Patriots’ finances by any means necessary – up to and including selling the team. However, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle made clear that it would be untenable for the Patriots to remain under Sullivan’s control. For all intents and purposes, the Sullivan era was over(127).
After an attempt to sell a stake in the team to Reebok CEO Paul Fireman fell through, the Sullivans sold the team to Remington Products magnate Victor Kiam in 1988 for 90 million dollars (128)(114), though Billy Sullivan remained team president(129). However, the stadium lapsed into bankruptcy, and Kiam was outbid for it by Boston paper magnate Robert Kraft(114).
In 1988, the Patriots missed the playoffs by one game(130). The 1989 season was bad for the team. Three of the team’s defense players, Andre Tippett, Garin Veris, and Ronnie Lippitt, were injured in the same preseason game(131). The team rotated the quarterback job throughout the season(132). The Patriots waived Eason during the season, and he was picked up by the Jets(133). The Patriots finished the season 5 – 11(134).
Following the season, Flutie left for the Canadian Football League(135), and general manager Dick Steinberg left to take a job with the New York Jets(136). Berry was fired and replaced by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Rod Rust in 1990(137). The Patriots finished with the worst season in franchise history in 1990 – a 1 – 15 record(138).
The day after the team’s only win that year, Boston Herald reporter Lisa Olson accused several Patriots players of sexually and verbally assaulting her in the team’s locker room(139). Kiam called Olson a “classic bitch” after the report(140). Following an investigation into the accusations, 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(139). Their season finale against the New York Giants was a sellout; however, most of the fans at the game were Giants fans(141). The team lost that game, missing a game-tying field goal in the closing seconds(142).
After the 1990 season, the Patriots changed their front office. Rust was fired(143) and replaced by Dick MacPherson, who had been the coach at Syracuse University(144). Additionally, Sam Jankovich, who had been athletic director at the University of Miami and oversaw the improvement of their athletic program, was brought on as CEO of the Patriots(145).
The Patriots improved in 1991. Hugh Millen took over as quarterback partway through the season(146). The Patriots ended the season at 6 – 10 with several upsets over playoff teams, including wins against the Minnesota Vikings and future AFC Champion Buffalo Bills(147)(148)(149).
In May 1992, St. Louis businessman and Anheuser-Busch heir James Orthwein purchased Kiam’s majority stake in the Patriots. Kiam was in severe financial straits and owed Orthwein millions. With most of his money tied up in either Remington or the Patriots, Kiam was forced to sell the team to repay Orthwein(150)(151). Rumors began swirling of a possible move of the Patriots to St. Louis, given Orthwein’s desire to return an NFL team to his hometown(150)(152)(153). The Patriots finished the 1992 season, 2 – 14(154), leading to the departures of MacPherson and Jankovich(155)(156).
1993 – 1996: The Parcells Era
1993
In 1993, the Patriots hired Bill Parcells, a two-time Super Bowl winner, as head coach(157). Also in 1993, the uniform and logo were changed(158). The old “Pat Patriot” logo was retired and replaced with a Patriot head, designed in tandem with NFL Properties that many fans would eventually call “Flying Elvis”(159)(160)(161). The team’s primary color changed from red to blue, and the helmets from white to silver(158).
The Patriots had the first pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, and selected quarterback Drew Bledsoe from Washington State(162). They also drafted linebacker Chris Slade(163). Bledsoe started the season as the starting quarterback but was injured and replaced with former Dolphins backup Scott Secules(164)(165)(166)(167).
The 1993 season began with a 1 – 11 record(168) but ended the season by winning their last four games in a row, over Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Miami in overtime in the finale, eliminating the Dolphins from the playoffs(169)(170)(171)(172).
1993 – 1994 offseason: Bob Kraft Buys the Team
Throughout the 1993 season, rumors continued that the team was going to move to St. Louis. In the 1993 off-season, the issue reached its climax. Orthwein offered Robert Kraft, the team’s landlord since 1988, $75 million to break the lease on Foxboro Stadium, which bound the team to continue playing there until at least 2002. However, Kraft refused(173). Orthwein was not willing to continue operating the team in New England and put it up for sale. Kraft knew that the terms of the operating covenant required any potential buyer to deal with him. He staged what amounted to a hostile takeover of the Patriots, offering to buy the team himself for a then-NFL record 160 million dollars in 1994(173)(174). Although future St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke offered more money than Kraft, Orthwein would have been saddled with as much as $20 million in relocation costs, as well as any legal expenses resulting from breaking the lease. With Kraft making it clear that he would seek an injunction that would have forced Kroenke or any other buyer to keep the Patriots in Foxborough, Orthwein was all but forced to accept Kraft’s bid(173)(175).
On February 26th, 1994, Kraft’s first full day as owner of the Patriots, the team sold a record number of season tickets(176). In September, the Patriots sold out the entire 1994 season(177). Every Patriots home game-preseason, regular season, and playoffs-has been sold out ever since.
1994
Halfway through the 1994 season, the Patriots were 3 – 6 and had lost 4 straight games when they faced the Minnesota Vikings for Week 10(178). Drew Bledsoe started a second-half comeback by switching to a no-huddle offense(179)(180). Bledsoe set single-game records for pass attempts and completions, and the Patriots won the game 26 – 20 in overtime(179). The Patriots won their last seven games of the regular season, finishing 10 – 6 and making the playoffs as a wild card(181). In the first round of the playoffs, the Patriots were beaten by the Cleveland Browns 20 – 13(182).
1995
The Patriots drafted Curtis Martin in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft(183). The Patriots won their opening-day match against the Browns(184). Martin had a good season as a rookie, winning the conference rushing title and was named Rookie of the Year(187), and the Patriots finished 6 – 10(188).
During the 1995 season, the Patriots had their first home appearance on Monday Night Football, since 1981(189). During the Patriots’ last appearance on the program, several fans in attendance proved to be rowdy and uncontrollable, and there were over 60 arrests at the game(190). As a result of this behavior, the town of Foxborough and the NFL refused to schedule Monday night home games in New England(191). In 1995, Robert Kraft lobbied for the Town of Foxborough and the NFL to schedule the Patriots on a Monday night(192). The NFL granted Kraft’s request, scheduling the Patriots on Monday, October 23rd, in a game against the Buffalo Bills(189). The Patriots won the game 27 – 14, and the crowd was peaceful and orderly, with only a handful of isolated disturbances and arrests(189).
Also, during 1995, the primary home station for most Patriots regular season games changed. Since 1965, the games have aired on WBZ-TV, Boston’s NBC affiliate(193). After owner Westinghouse Broadcasting switched the station’s affiliation to CBS, WHDH-TV TOOK on airing the NFL on NBC package locally(194).
1996: Second Super Bowl appearance:
In the 1996 NFL Draft, the Patriots selected Terry Glenn as their first-round pick(195). The Patriots started out lackluster in 1996. After an early-season loss to the Redskins at home dropped the Patriots to 3 – 3(196), the Patriots won their next four games(197) and finished the season 11 – 5(198). The Patriots won the AFC East and earned a first-round bye in the playoffs as the #2 seed(199). The Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 28 – 3 in a divisional playoff game(200). They then beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 20 – 6 in the first AFC Championship game played in Foxboro(201). The team advanced to Super Bowl XXXI against the Green Bay Packers(201).
In the months and years after Kraft purchased the Patriots, relations between Kraft and Parcells were increasingly strained. This was primarily due to a struggle over Parcells’ authority over football operations as Kraft wanted Parcells to yield some of his authority over personnel moves to a separate general manager(202). The conflict climaxed in the days leading to the Super Bowl, with rumors that Parcells would leave the Patriots after the season to take the vacant head coaching job with the New York Jets(203). During the game, the Patriots were close to the Packers for much of the game and took the lead briefly in the 2nd quarter(203). However, two long Brett Favre touchdown passes and a Super Bowl record 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by MVP Desmond Howard gave the Packers their 12th title(205). The final score was 35 – 21(205).
1997 – 1999 Pete Carroll years
1997
After the Super Bowl, Parcells resigned from the Patriots(206). Kraft believed that the Jets were trying to hire Parcells in time for him to have a say in the Jets’ selections in the 1997 NFL Draft(207). Since the Jets couldn’t hire Parcells as their head coach in 1997 because of an earlier contract renegotiation, they hired Parcells as a consultant and Bill Belichick as head coach(208)(209). Kraft requested a 1st-round draft pick in return for allowing Parcells to coach elsewhere(208). He also called the Jets’ agreement “a transparent farce” that “demonstrated it was the Jets’ intention all along for Bill Parcells to become head coach of the Jets for the ’97 season.”(207). Parcells claimed the Jets had been given league permission for the consulting agreement, the NFL denied any permission was given(208), and had commissioner Paul Tagliabue arrange an agreement between the two sides(210). The Patriots received two draft picks in the 1997 NFL Draft, a second-round pick in the 1998 Draft, and a first-round pick in the 1999 Draft in return for allowing Parcells to become the Jets’ head coach(210).
After former San Francisco 49ers head coach George Seifert turned down the job, Kraft hired Pete Carroll as the new head coach of the Patriots(211). In 1997, the Patriots won the AFC East with a 10 – 6 record, but some key losses meant the team had to play in the wild-card round in the playoffs(212). After beating the Miami Dolphins 17 – 3 in Foxboro, the Patriots played the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh(213). A late fumble won the game for Pittsburgh, 7 – 6(214).
1998
During the 1998 offseason, the Patriots offered restricted free agent running back Curtis Martin a 1.153 million dollar contract(215). However, the Jets signed Martin, and per restricted free agency rules, ceded their 1st – and 3rd-round picks in the 1998 NFL Draft to the Patriots(216)(217). With the 1st–round pick, the Patriots selected running back, Robert Edwards(218).
Their game against the Buffalo Bills on November 29th, 1998, was controversial due to a series of questionable calls(219). With under a minute to go and down by four points, the Patriots played a long drive(220). However, the Buffalo defense appeared to stop the Patriots on 4th down with a juggled catch out of bounds(220). The referees needed to determine whether receiver Shawn Jefferson was inbounds, caught the ball, and achieved first down yardage(220). The referee on the sideline signaled first down after a conference with other officials(221). Several Bills claimed one said “just give it to them” in the huddle(221). Television instant replays showed that Jefferson was short of first down yardage, but the NFL had discontinued use of instant replay after the 1991 season(221). This call was followed by a questionable pass interference decision made in the end zone on what would have been the game’s final play(222). Bledsoe hit tight end Ben Coates for a touchdown on the final untimed play of the game(222). In protest, the Bills left the field(219).
Drew Bledsoe and Terry Glenn were both injured later in the season,(223) and the Patriots got the last playoff spot with a 9 – 7 record(224). The Patriots lost 25 – 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first playoff game(225).
Although Robert Edwards had a promising rookie season, his career was derailed after he suffered a dislocated knee in Hawaii while playing a game of flag football on the beach(226).
Also, during 1998, most Patriots games moved back to WBZ-TV after a three-year absence(227).
1999
Taking Edwards’ place in 1999 was veteran Terry Allen and rookie Kevin Faulk(228). The Patriots opened with a 30 – 28 victory over the New York Jets(229), followed by hosting the Indianapolis Colts and second-year quarterback Payton Manning(230). Manning raced the Colts to a 28 – 7 halftime lead but was limited to just 13 second-half passing yards as Drew Bledsoe threw three touchdowns(230)(231). After an Edgerrin James fumble, Adam Vinatieri kicked the winning field goal in a 31 – 28 final(231). After a 27 – 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Coates went to the media to protest that he was not being thrown to enough(232). After this, the team stumbled and finished 8 – 8 and out of the playoffs(233). Following the season, Carroll was fired(234), while Vice President of Player Personnel Bobby Grier was retained only until the 2000 NFL Draft(235).
2000: Belichick hired, and Brady drafted
Pete Carroll was fired as head coach in January 2000(236) and owner Robert Kraft attempted to hire Jets’ assistant head coach Bill Belichick for the Patriots’ head coaching position(237). Belichick had been an assistant under Parcells with the Patriots in 1996 but followed Parcells to the Jets(208). After the 1999 season, Parcells resigned as the head coach of the Jets and retired from NFL coaching(238). Belichick succeeded him as head coach(238), but resigned at a press conference the following day, citing the uncertainty over the Jets’ ownership after the death of Leon Hess as his reason(239)(240). The Jets denied Belichick permission to speak with other teams and the NFL upheld Belichick’s contractual obligations to the Jets(241)(242). Belichick filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL(243). After negotiations, the Patriots and Jets agreed to a compensation package that allowed Belichick to become the Patriots’ head coach(244). The deal had the Patriots send their first-round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft and fourth and seventh-round picks in the 2001 Draft to the Jets while receiving the Jets’ fifth-round selection in 2001 and seventh-round pick in 2002(245).
Belichick restructured the team’s personnel department in the offseason(246). The Patriots finished the 2000 season 5 – 11 and missed the playoffs(247). Also, in 2000 the Patriots updated their uniforms(248).
2001: First Super Bowl Championship
In 2001, Drew Bledsoe signed a 10-year contract extension, and offensive tackle Bruce Armstrong retired(249)(250)(251). Wide receiver Terry Glenn didn’t show up to training camp in August and was suspended by the NFL for the first four games of the season due to violating substance abuse policies(252). During training camp, quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein died of cardiac arrest on August 6th, at the age of 45(253).
The Patriots lost their season opener to the Cincinnati Bengals(254), and in the first post-9/11 game, against the Jets, Bledsoe was injured, shearing a blood vessel in his chest after being tackled by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis(255)(256). Tom Brady, a sixth-round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, took over for Bledsoe(256). He remained the team’s starting quarterback after Bledsoe was cleared and was cleared to play two months later(257). During the season, first-round draft pick Richard Seymour anchored the defensive line(258) and Antowain Smith, a free agent signed from Buffalo, ran over 1,000 yards(259). The Patriots won their final six games to capture the AFC East with an 11 – 5 record(260). The Patriots won a first-round bye as the #2 seed in the playoffs(261).
In the final game played at Foxboro Stadium, the Patriots hosted the Oakland Raiders in a snowstorm(262). This game became known as the “Tuck Rule Game” when a play originally ruled to be a Brady fumble was reversed by referee Walt Coleman as an incomplete pass based upon the obscure “tuck rule”(263). After review, Coleman ruled that, because Brady’s arm was moving forward when he lost the ball, he was deemed to have been in the act of throwing when he lost control of the ball(263). Had the original ruling stood, the Raiders would have clinched the win(263). Instead, the Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri tied the game with a 45-yard field goal in the final 30 seconds(263). The Raiders did not attempt to run a play at the end of regulation and, after losing the coin toss to start overtime, didn’t get the ball again(264). The Patriots drove downfield on their opening possession and won the game, 16 – 13(264).
The Patriots faced the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game(265). After Brady injured his ankle in the second quarter, Bledsoe came off the sideline and led the team to their only offensive touchdown of the game(265)(266). In the second half, with two special teams touchdowns of the game(265)(266). In the second half, with two special teams touchdowns and two fourth-quarter interceptions of passes thrown by Pittsburgh’s Kordell Stewart, the Patriots upset the Steelers 24 – 17 to advance to Super Bowl XXXVI(266)(267).
In the Super Bowl, the Patriots faced the St. Louis Rams, led by league MVP Kurt Warner(268). During the game, Bill Belichick used a defensive game plan that used the blitz sparingly, but chipped the Rams receivers and running back Marshall Faulk as they went into their patterns(269). This plan forced three turnovers(270).
Belichick’s defense held the Rams off until the 4th quarter, but after trailing 17 – 3 early in the quarter, St. Louis scored two touchdowns to tie the game at 17 – 17(271). With 1:30 to go and no time-outs, Brady led New England’s offense downfield to the Rams’ 30-yard line, setting up Adam Vinatieri, who won the game with a 48-yard goal as time expired, giving the Patriots their first Super Bowl win(271)(272). Brady was selected Super Bowl MVP(272).
The Patriot’s victory parade in Boston was attended by approximately 1.2 million fans(273). During the offseason, Brady signed a long-term contract with the team and Bledsoe was traded to the Buffalo Bills for a 1st-round pick in the 2003 NFL Draft(274)(275).
Gillette Stadium
While owning the Patriots, Robert Kraft attempted to build a new stadium(276). In 1998, Kraft came close to a deal with the Massachusetts Legislature to build a new stadium adjacent to the old stadium, with the state providing $75 million for infrastructure improvements(276). However, Massachusetts House Speaker Tom Finneran refused to support the bill and the deal failed(277). Afterward, Kraft reached a deal with Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland to build a new stadium in Hartford, Connecticut(276). However, after the stadium plan was approved by the Connecticut General Assembly,(277) problems were discovered with the proposed site that would delay construction(278). At this time, the NFL announced loan incentives where teams could borrow money from the league to build new stadiums(279).
In 1999, Kraft announced that he was abandoning the Hartford stadium project(280). Kraft reached a deal with the Massachusetts legislature for infrastructure improvements around the stadium(281). The stadium received approval from the citizens of Foxborough for the new stadium(282). The naming rights to the stadium were originally purchased by CMGi, an e-commerce company based in nearby Waltham, Massachusetts(283). CMGi Corporation sold the naming rights to Boston-based Gillette(283).
2002: Narrowly missing the playoffs
Following their victory in Super Bowl XXXVI, the Patriots won their first game in the new Gillette Stadium in the NFL’s prime-time Monday Night Football opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers(284). After three wins to begin the season, including a 44 – 7 road win against the division rival New York Jets,(285) the team lost five of its next seven games(286). In the final week of the season, the Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins on an overtime Adam Vinatieri field goal to give both teams a 9 – 7 record(287). The Jets also finished with a 9 – 7 record after a win over the Green Bay Packers(287). Due to their record, the Jets won the tiebreaker for the division title, which eliminated the Patriots and Dolphins from the playoffs(288).
4. The Boogeymen (Linebackers; 2019)
League Championships (6)
Super Bowl Championships (6)
Super Bowl Championships (6)
1. 2001 (XXXVI)
2. 2003 (XXXVIII)
3. 2004 (XXXIX)
4. 2014 (XLIX)
5. 2016 (LI)
6. 2018 (LIII)
Conference Championships (11)
1. AFC: 1985,1996, 2001, 2003, 2004. 2007, 2011,
Conference Championships (11)
1. AFC: 1985,1996, 2001, 2003, 2004. 2007, 2011,
2014, 2016, 2017, 2018
Division Championships (22)
1. AFL East: 1963
2. AFC East: 1978, 1986, 1996, 1997, 2001,
Division Championships (22)
1. AFL East: 1963
2. AFC East: 1978, 1986, 1996, 1997, 2001,
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007,
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013,
2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018,
2019
Playoff Appearances (28)
1. AFL: 1963
2. NFL: 1976, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1994,
1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004,
2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011,
2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017,
2018, 2019, 2021
Home Fields
1. Nickerson Field 1960 – 1962
2. Fenway Park 1963 – 1968
3. Alumni Stadium 1969
4. Harvard Stadium 1970
5. Foxboro Stadium 1971 – 2001
6. Gillette Stadium 2002 – Present
1960 – 1969: AFL beginnings
On November 16th, 1959, Boston business executive Billy Sullivan was awarded the eighth and final franchise of the developing American Football League (AFL). In addition to William and Joseph Sullivan, other initial investors in the team were John Ames, a lawyer, Dean Boylan, (president of Boston Sand & Gravel), George Sargent, an insurance executive, Dom DiMaggio, former Boston Red Sox center fielder, Dan Marr, president of Marr Scaffolding Co., Ed McMann, president of the Northeast Packing Co., Pual Sonnabend, vice-president of Hotel Corporation of America, and Edgar Turner, president of the 7-Up Distributors Corp. Each of the founders invested $25, 000 to capitalize the team.
The following winter, locals were allowed to send ideas for the Boston football team’s official name. The most common one, and the one that Sullivan selected, was the “Boston Patriots,” with “Patriots” referring to those colonists of the Thirteen Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution and in July 1776 declared the United States of America an independent nation. Immediately thereafter, artist Phil Bissell of The Boston Globe developed the “Pat Patriot” logo.
On July 30th, 1960, the Boston Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills in the first AFL pre-season game. The Boston Patriots played in the first-ever game in the American Football League (AFL), against the Denver Broncos on September 9th, 1960, which they lost by a score of 10 – 13. The Boston Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills in an AFL Eastern Division playoff game in 1963 and made it to the AFL Championship for the first time but lost to the San Diego Chargers 51 – 10. In 1963, nine Patriots made the AFL All-Star team, including Gino Cappelletti, Nick Buoniconti, and Babe Parilli. In 1964, Linebacker Tom Addison, an original Patriot, founded and was elected President of the AFL Players Association. In the late-1960’s, fullback Jim Nance became a top offensive player for the Patriots, gaining 1,458 yards during the 1966 season and 1,216 during the 1967 season. He was named the AFL MVP in 1966.
1970 – 1973: Post AFL-NFL merger
After the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the league required that all teams live in stadiums with at least 50,000 seats. Before 1970, The Patriots did not have a regular home stadium. Nickerson Field, Harvard Stadium, Fenway Park, and Alumni Stadium, served as home fields during their time in the American Football League. None of the four stadiums the Patriots used up to that point qualified, and there was little room in Boston for a new stadium. Due to this, discussions about a possible relocation to Tampa, Florida occurred.
In 1971, the Patriots moved into a new stadium in suburban Foxborough, Massachusetts, built on land granted by the Bay State Raceway. The team was renamed the New England Patriots on March 22nd, 1971, to reflect its new location. The original choice, Bay State Patriots was rejected by the NFL. The stadium, to be known as Schaefer Stadium, was built at a cost of about 6.2 million dollars in only 327 days. The stadium was one of the first stadiums in the country to be named after a corporate sponsor, as the Schaefer Brewing Company paid 1 million dollars for naming rights.
The first event held at the Schaefer Stadium was a preseason game against the New York Giants on August 15th, 1971. A massive traffic jam on Route 1 prevented fans from getting in until halftime.
In 1971, the Patriots had a new quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett. From Stanford University, Plunkett was the first overall choice in the 1971 NFL Draft. The Patriots also signed free agent Randy Vataha, a wide receiver.
1973 – 1978: Fairbanks era
The Patriots added three players to the team from the 1973 NFL Draft; offensive guard John Hannah, who became the first career Patriot to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame; running back Sam Cunningham, the team’s all-time leading rusher; and wide receiver Darryl Singley.
In 1973, the team hired Chuck Fairbanks, who had been head coach at the University of Oklahoma, as head coach. The Patriots improved in Fairbanks’s second season, 1974, finishing 7 – 7. During the 1975 season, QB Plunkett was traded to the San Francisco 49ers and eventually would win two Super Bowls with the Oakland Raiders.
The draft picks acquired in the Plunkett trade were used to select defensive backs, Mike Haynes and Tim Fox. The Patriots finished the 1976 season 11 – 3, their best record in team history to that point, and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 1963 as a wild card-berth.
1976 playoffs
The Patriots played the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the playoffs. The Patriots were leading the Raiders, 21 – 17. On a 3rd-down play late in the 4th quarter, Patriots defensive tackle Ray “Sugar Bear” Hamilton sacked Oakland quarterback Ken Stabler, which would have forced the Raiders into a 4th-down situation. However, referee Ben Dreith called a roughing the passer penalty on Hamilton, nullifying the sack and giving the Raiders an automatic 1st down. The penalty was debated later but allowed the Raiders to score. Stabler scored on a short touchdown run with less than a minute left, and the Raiders held on for a 24 – 21 win.
1977 – 1978
The 1977 season was a disappointing one for the Patriots, due in part to contract holdouts by offensive linesman John Hannah and Leon Gray. The Patriots finished 9 – 5, one game out of first place in the AFC East, and out of the playoffs.
In a 1978 preseason game against the Raiders, wide receiver Darryl Stingley was paralyzed from the neck down from a tackle by Oakland’s Jack Tatum. The Patriots finished 11 – 5 for their post-merger AFC East championship. However, hours before the final game of the regular season, coach Chuck Fairbanks announced he would be leaving the team to become head coach at the University of Colorado. Owner Billy Sullivan immediately suspended Fairbanks, and offensive coordinator Ron Erhardt and defensive coordinator Hank Bullough were left to coach the final game without a head coach. Fairbanks was reinstated for the playoffs, but the team lost its divisional playoff game 31 – 14 to the Houston Oilers, which also was the first Patriots post-season game at Schaefer Stadium.
1979 – 1984: Coaching Changes
For the next two years, the Patriots suffered late-season losses that denied them return trips to the playoffs. In 1979, after starting 7 – 3, the team lost five out of its last eight games to finish 9 – 7 and out of the playoffs. In 1980, with running back Sam Cunningham holding out all season, the Patriots started 6 – 1 but finished 10 – 6, again out of the playoffs. The Patriots continued to slide in 1981, finishing 2 – 14.
Following the 1981 season, Erhardt was fired and replaced by Ron Meyer, who had been the head coach at Southern Methodist University. The Patriots had the top draft pick overall in the 1982 NFL Draft and selected Kenneth Sims, a defensive end from the University of Texas at Austin.
In the strike-shortened 1982 season, the highlight of the Patriots’ campaign was the “Snowplow Game”, a controversial 3 – 0 late-season win over the Miami Dolphins. The controversy came in the 4th quarter when the Patriots were preparing for a field goal attempt. Mark Henderson, a convict on work release, used a tractor to clear a swath of field to aid the Patriots. Kicker John Smith’s 33-yard attempt was good, and they were the only points scored by either team that afternoon. The win helped put the Patriots in the playoffs, but the first-round rematch in Miami was won by the Dolphins.
In 1983, the naming rights deal for the stadium with Schaefer expired, and the stadium was renamed Sullivan Stadium. Also in 1983, quarterback Tony Eason was drafted in the first round. Eason played sparingly in 1983 but became the Patriots’ starting quarterback in 1984. The team ended the season 8 – 8.
The Patriots, with the top pick in the 1984 NFL Draft, selected Irving Fryar, a wide receiver from the University of Nebraska. With Tony Eason starting at quarterback, the Patriots 5 – 2 starts. However, after a few losses, the Patriots fired head coach Ron Meyer and replaced him with former Baltimore Colts wide receiver Raymond Berry. The team won three of their first four games under Berry. The team lost several games late in the 1984 season and finished out of the playoffs.
1985: First Super Bowl appearance
After struggling to start the 1985 season and suffering a shoulder injury in October, coach Raymond Berry replaced Eason with Grogan. Grogan broke his leg during the 12th game of the season, and Eason took over as starting quarterback. New England won six straight games and finished 11 – 5. They then beat the New York Jets 26 – 14, earning a wild-card berth in the playoffs.
In the divisional playoff against the Los Angeles Raiders, the Patriots forced six turnovers and won 27 – 20. Dawson started the game with a touchdown, then when the Patriots were kicking off in the 4th quarter, a fumble by the Raiders resulted in a touchdown for Jim Bowman. After beating the Raiders, the Patriots were set up to play the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship. Days before the championship game, Irving Fryar was injured in a domestic incident and had to have his hand cast. The Patriots defeated the Dolphins 31 – 14. Eason threw touchdowns to running back Tony Collins and tight end Derrick Ramsey early in the game. Later, a touchdown by Mosi Tatupu won the Patriots the AFC Championship of 1985. They went on to Super Bowl XX, where they faced the Chicago Bears.
In the Super Bowl, the Patriots took an early 3 – 0 lead after Walter Payton fumbled in the 1st quarter, resulting a field goal by Tony Franklin. The Bears scored 44 points, including a touchdown by rookie defensive lineman William “Refrigerator” Perry. The Patriots made one touchdown, at the end to make the final score 46 – 10.
1986 – 1992: Ownership changes and struggles
Soon after the 1985 Super Bowl, Boston Globe sportswriter Ron Borges wrote a story alleging that six Patriots players, including Fryar, cornerback Raymond Clayborn, safety Roland James, and running back Tony Collins were marijuana users. In May 1986, allegations surfaced that Fryar was involved in gambling on NFL games. In July 1986, offensive lineman John Hannah retired.
In 1987, the Patriots acquired Doug Flutie from Natick, Massachusetts, who won the Heisman Trophy for Boston College in 1984. He was acquired by the Patriots during the 1987 players’ strike and crossed the picket line to play in his first game for the Patriots. However, late-season injuries put the Patriots out of playoff contention at 8 – 7. In 1988, the Patriots finished the season 9 – 7 and narrowly missed the playoffs.
During this time, the Sullivan family lost millions of dollars on poor investments, most notably from producing The Jackson 5 1984 Victory Tour. The Sullivans’ losses from the Victory Tour impacted the operation of the Patriots. The Sullivans had never been among the NFL owners and had been forced to pledge Sullivan Stadium as collateral to finance the Victory Tour in 1984. The losses from the Victory Tour were reportedly equivalent to the family’s net worth, and the revenue from the Patriots was not enough to service the debt even after the team made it to the Super Bowl. The losses from the Victory Tour forced the Sullivans to put the Patriots and Sullivan Stadium on the market in 1985.
In August 1985, The Boston Globe reported that the Sullivans were looking to sell the Patriots, Sullivan Stadium, and their lease on Foxboro Raceway due to the family’s financial and legal problems. On April 10th, 1986, a group of six Pennsylvania businessmen led by Fran Murray and Drew Lewis purchased a three-year option to acquire the team, stadium, and racetrack lease. They later sold the option to Jeffery Chodorow, however, Chodorow and the Sullivans were unable to come to terms on a sale. Buddy LeRoux began negotiations to purchase the team in December 1986, however, due to a lack of progress on the deal, he withdrew his offer on March 17th, 1987(118)(119). The following year, the Sullivans entered negotiations to sell the team and stadium to Donald Trump, however, because Trump was funding a lawsuit against the league at that time, it was unlikely he would be approved by the league’s owners and the deal was abandoned(120)(121). Robert Tisch, Robert Kraft, Peter de Savary, and Joe O’Donnell also made offers for the team(122)(123)(124)(125).
By the start of 1988, the Sullivans were heading for bankruptcy and at one point had to get a 4 million dollar advance from the league to make payroll(112). Sullivan sought to sell 50 percent of the team’s shares to the public. The NFL turned down this request out of hand(126). Instead, it appointed a four-man committee vested with what amounted to “wartime powers” to resolve the Patriots’ finances by any means necessary – up to and including selling the team. However, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle made clear that it would be untenable for the Patriots to remain under Sullivan’s control. For all intents and purposes, the Sullivan era was over(127).
After an attempt to sell a stake in the team to Reebok CEO Paul Fireman fell through, the Sullivans sold the team to Remington Products magnate Victor Kiam in 1988 for 90 million dollars (128)(114), though Billy Sullivan remained team president(129). However, the stadium lapsed into bankruptcy, and Kiam was outbid for it by Boston paper magnate Robert Kraft(114).
In 1988, the Patriots missed the playoffs by one game(130). The 1989 season was bad for the team. Three of the team’s defense players, Andre Tippett, Garin Veris, and Ronnie Lippitt, were injured in the same preseason game(131). The team rotated the quarterback job throughout the season(132). The Patriots waived Eason during the season, and he was picked up by the Jets(133). The Patriots finished the season 5 – 11(134).
Following the season, Flutie left for the Canadian Football League(135), and general manager Dick Steinberg left to take a job with the New York Jets(136). Berry was fired and replaced by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Rod Rust in 1990(137). The Patriots finished with the worst season in franchise history in 1990 – a 1 – 15 record(138).
The day after the team’s only win that year, Boston Herald reporter Lisa Olson accused several Patriots players of sexually and verbally assaulting her in the team’s locker room(139). Kiam called Olson a “classic bitch” after the report(140). Following an investigation into the accusations, 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(139). Their season finale against the New York Giants was a sellout; however, most of the fans at the game were Giants fans(141). The team lost that game, missing a game-tying field goal in the closing seconds(142).
After the 1990 season, the Patriots changed their front office. Rust was fired(143) and replaced by Dick MacPherson, who had been the coach at Syracuse University(144). Additionally, Sam Jankovich, who had been athletic director at the University of Miami and oversaw the improvement of their athletic program, was brought on as CEO of the Patriots(145).
The Patriots improved in 1991. Hugh Millen took over as quarterback partway through the season(146). The Patriots ended the season at 6 – 10 with several upsets over playoff teams, including wins against the Minnesota Vikings and future AFC Champion Buffalo Bills(147)(148)(149).
In May 1992, St. Louis businessman and Anheuser-Busch heir James Orthwein purchased Kiam’s majority stake in the Patriots. Kiam was in severe financial straits and owed Orthwein millions. With most of his money tied up in either Remington or the Patriots, Kiam was forced to sell the team to repay Orthwein(150)(151). Rumors began swirling of a possible move of the Patriots to St. Louis, given Orthwein’s desire to return an NFL team to his hometown(150)(152)(153). The Patriots finished the 1992 season, 2 – 14(154), leading to the departures of MacPherson and Jankovich(155)(156).
1993 – 1996: The Parcells Era
1993
In 1993, the Patriots hired Bill Parcells, a two-time Super Bowl winner, as head coach(157). Also in 1993, the uniform and logo were changed(158). The old “Pat Patriot” logo was retired and replaced with a Patriot head, designed in tandem with NFL Properties that many fans would eventually call “Flying Elvis”(159)(160)(161). The team’s primary color changed from red to blue, and the helmets from white to silver(158).
The Patriots had the first pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, and selected quarterback Drew Bledsoe from Washington State(162). They also drafted linebacker Chris Slade(163). Bledsoe started the season as the starting quarterback but was injured and replaced with former Dolphins backup Scott Secules(164)(165)(166)(167).
The 1993 season began with a 1 – 11 record(168) but ended the season by winning their last four games in a row, over Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Miami in overtime in the finale, eliminating the Dolphins from the playoffs(169)(170)(171)(172).
1993 – 1994 offseason: Bob Kraft Buys the Team
Throughout the 1993 season, rumors continued that the team was going to move to St. Louis. In the 1993 off-season, the issue reached its climax. Orthwein offered Robert Kraft, the team’s landlord since 1988, $75 million to break the lease on Foxboro Stadium, which bound the team to continue playing there until at least 2002. However, Kraft refused(173). Orthwein was not willing to continue operating the team in New England and put it up for sale. Kraft knew that the terms of the operating covenant required any potential buyer to deal with him. He staged what amounted to a hostile takeover of the Patriots, offering to buy the team himself for a then-NFL record 160 million dollars in 1994(173)(174). Although future St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke offered more money than Kraft, Orthwein would have been saddled with as much as $20 million in relocation costs, as well as any legal expenses resulting from breaking the lease. With Kraft making it clear that he would seek an injunction that would have forced Kroenke or any other buyer to keep the Patriots in Foxborough, Orthwein was all but forced to accept Kraft’s bid(173)(175).
On February 26th, 1994, Kraft’s first full day as owner of the Patriots, the team sold a record number of season tickets(176). In September, the Patriots sold out the entire 1994 season(177). Every Patriots home game-preseason, regular season, and playoffs-has been sold out ever since.
1994
Halfway through the 1994 season, the Patriots were 3 – 6 and had lost 4 straight games when they faced the Minnesota Vikings for Week 10(178). Drew Bledsoe started a second-half comeback by switching to a no-huddle offense(179)(180). Bledsoe set single-game records for pass attempts and completions, and the Patriots won the game 26 – 20 in overtime(179). The Patriots won their last seven games of the regular season, finishing 10 – 6 and making the playoffs as a wild card(181). In the first round of the playoffs, the Patriots were beaten by the Cleveland Browns 20 – 13(182).
1995
The Patriots drafted Curtis Martin in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft(183). The Patriots won their opening-day match against the Browns(184). Martin had a good season as a rookie, winning the conference rushing title and was named Rookie of the Year(187), and the Patriots finished 6 – 10(188).
During the 1995 season, the Patriots had their first home appearance on Monday Night Football, since 1981(189). During the Patriots’ last appearance on the program, several fans in attendance proved to be rowdy and uncontrollable, and there were over 60 arrests at the game(190). As a result of this behavior, the town of Foxborough and the NFL refused to schedule Monday night home games in New England(191). In 1995, Robert Kraft lobbied for the Town of Foxborough and the NFL to schedule the Patriots on a Monday night(192). The NFL granted Kraft’s request, scheduling the Patriots on Monday, October 23rd, in a game against the Buffalo Bills(189). The Patriots won the game 27 – 14, and the crowd was peaceful and orderly, with only a handful of isolated disturbances and arrests(189).
Also, during 1995, the primary home station for most Patriots regular season games changed. Since 1965, the games have aired on WBZ-TV, Boston’s NBC affiliate(193). After owner Westinghouse Broadcasting switched the station’s affiliation to CBS, WHDH-TV TOOK on airing the NFL on NBC package locally(194).
1996: Second Super Bowl appearance:
In the 1996 NFL Draft, the Patriots selected Terry Glenn as their first-round pick(195). The Patriots started out lackluster in 1996. After an early-season loss to the Redskins at home dropped the Patriots to 3 – 3(196), the Patriots won their next four games(197) and finished the season 11 – 5(198). The Patriots won the AFC East and earned a first-round bye in the playoffs as the #2 seed(199). The Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 28 – 3 in a divisional playoff game(200). They then beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 20 – 6 in the first AFC Championship game played in Foxboro(201). The team advanced to Super Bowl XXXI against the Green Bay Packers(201).
In the months and years after Kraft purchased the Patriots, relations between Kraft and Parcells were increasingly strained. This was primarily due to a struggle over Parcells’ authority over football operations as Kraft wanted Parcells to yield some of his authority over personnel moves to a separate general manager(202). The conflict climaxed in the days leading to the Super Bowl, with rumors that Parcells would leave the Patriots after the season to take the vacant head coaching job with the New York Jets(203). During the game, the Patriots were close to the Packers for much of the game and took the lead briefly in the 2nd quarter(203). However, two long Brett Favre touchdown passes and a Super Bowl record 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by MVP Desmond Howard gave the Packers their 12th title(205). The final score was 35 – 21(205).
1997 – 1999 Pete Carroll years
1997
After the Super Bowl, Parcells resigned from the Patriots(206). Kraft believed that the Jets were trying to hire Parcells in time for him to have a say in the Jets’ selections in the 1997 NFL Draft(207). Since the Jets couldn’t hire Parcells as their head coach in 1997 because of an earlier contract renegotiation, they hired Parcells as a consultant and Bill Belichick as head coach(208)(209). Kraft requested a 1st-round draft pick in return for allowing Parcells to coach elsewhere(208). He also called the Jets’ agreement “a transparent farce” that “demonstrated it was the Jets’ intention all along for Bill Parcells to become head coach of the Jets for the ’97 season.”(207). Parcells claimed the Jets had been given league permission for the consulting agreement, the NFL denied any permission was given(208), and had commissioner Paul Tagliabue arrange an agreement between the two sides(210). The Patriots received two draft picks in the 1997 NFL Draft, a second-round pick in the 1998 Draft, and a first-round pick in the 1999 Draft in return for allowing Parcells to become the Jets’ head coach(210).
After former San Francisco 49ers head coach George Seifert turned down the job, Kraft hired Pete Carroll as the new head coach of the Patriots(211). In 1997, the Patriots won the AFC East with a 10 – 6 record, but some key losses meant the team had to play in the wild-card round in the playoffs(212). After beating the Miami Dolphins 17 – 3 in Foxboro, the Patriots played the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh(213). A late fumble won the game for Pittsburgh, 7 – 6(214).
1998
During the 1998 offseason, the Patriots offered restricted free agent running back Curtis Martin a 1.153 million dollar contract(215). However, the Jets signed Martin, and per restricted free agency rules, ceded their 1st – and 3rd-round picks in the 1998 NFL Draft to the Patriots(216)(217). With the 1st–round pick, the Patriots selected running back, Robert Edwards(218).
Their game against the Buffalo Bills on November 29th, 1998, was controversial due to a series of questionable calls(219). With under a minute to go and down by four points, the Patriots played a long drive(220). However, the Buffalo defense appeared to stop the Patriots on 4th down with a juggled catch out of bounds(220). The referees needed to determine whether receiver Shawn Jefferson was inbounds, caught the ball, and achieved first down yardage(220). The referee on the sideline signaled first down after a conference with other officials(221). Several Bills claimed one said “just give it to them” in the huddle(221). Television instant replays showed that Jefferson was short of first down yardage, but the NFL had discontinued use of instant replay after the 1991 season(221). This call was followed by a questionable pass interference decision made in the end zone on what would have been the game’s final play(222). Bledsoe hit tight end Ben Coates for a touchdown on the final untimed play of the game(222). In protest, the Bills left the field(219).
Drew Bledsoe and Terry Glenn were both injured later in the season,(223) and the Patriots got the last playoff spot with a 9 – 7 record(224). The Patriots lost 25 – 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first playoff game(225).
Although Robert Edwards had a promising rookie season, his career was derailed after he suffered a dislocated knee in Hawaii while playing a game of flag football on the beach(226).
Also, during 1998, most Patriots games moved back to WBZ-TV after a three-year absence(227).
1999
Taking Edwards’ place in 1999 was veteran Terry Allen and rookie Kevin Faulk(228). The Patriots opened with a 30 – 28 victory over the New York Jets(229), followed by hosting the Indianapolis Colts and second-year quarterback Payton Manning(230). Manning raced the Colts to a 28 – 7 halftime lead but was limited to just 13 second-half passing yards as Drew Bledsoe threw three touchdowns(230)(231). After an Edgerrin James fumble, Adam Vinatieri kicked the winning field goal in a 31 – 28 final(231). After a 27 – 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Coates went to the media to protest that he was not being thrown to enough(232). After this, the team stumbled and finished 8 – 8 and out of the playoffs(233). Following the season, Carroll was fired(234), while Vice President of Player Personnel Bobby Grier was retained only until the 2000 NFL Draft(235).
2000: Belichick hired, and Brady drafted
Pete Carroll was fired as head coach in January 2000(236) and owner Robert Kraft attempted to hire Jets’ assistant head coach Bill Belichick for the Patriots’ head coaching position(237). Belichick had been an assistant under Parcells with the Patriots in 1996 but followed Parcells to the Jets(208). After the 1999 season, Parcells resigned as the head coach of the Jets and retired from NFL coaching(238). Belichick succeeded him as head coach(238), but resigned at a press conference the following day, citing the uncertainty over the Jets’ ownership after the death of Leon Hess as his reason(239)(240). The Jets denied Belichick permission to speak with other teams and the NFL upheld Belichick’s contractual obligations to the Jets(241)(242). Belichick filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL(243). After negotiations, the Patriots and Jets agreed to a compensation package that allowed Belichick to become the Patriots’ head coach(244). The deal had the Patriots send their first-round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft and fourth and seventh-round picks in the 2001 Draft to the Jets while receiving the Jets’ fifth-round selection in 2001 and seventh-round pick in 2002(245).
Belichick restructured the team’s personnel department in the offseason(246). The Patriots finished the 2000 season 5 – 11 and missed the playoffs(247). Also, in 2000 the Patriots updated their uniforms(248).
2001: First Super Bowl Championship
In 2001, Drew Bledsoe signed a 10-year contract extension, and offensive tackle Bruce Armstrong retired(249)(250)(251). Wide receiver Terry Glenn didn’t show up to training camp in August and was suspended by the NFL for the first four games of the season due to violating substance abuse policies(252). During training camp, quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein died of cardiac arrest on August 6th, at the age of 45(253).
The Patriots lost their season opener to the Cincinnati Bengals(254), and in the first post-9/11 game, against the Jets, Bledsoe was injured, shearing a blood vessel in his chest after being tackled by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis(255)(256). Tom Brady, a sixth-round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, took over for Bledsoe(256). He remained the team’s starting quarterback after Bledsoe was cleared and was cleared to play two months later(257). During the season, first-round draft pick Richard Seymour anchored the defensive line(258) and Antowain Smith, a free agent signed from Buffalo, ran over 1,000 yards(259). The Patriots won their final six games to capture the AFC East with an 11 – 5 record(260). The Patriots won a first-round bye as the #2 seed in the playoffs(261).
In the final game played at Foxboro Stadium, the Patriots hosted the Oakland Raiders in a snowstorm(262). This game became known as the “Tuck Rule Game” when a play originally ruled to be a Brady fumble was reversed by referee Walt Coleman as an incomplete pass based upon the obscure “tuck rule”(263). After review, Coleman ruled that, because Brady’s arm was moving forward when he lost the ball, he was deemed to have been in the act of throwing when he lost control of the ball(263). Had the original ruling stood, the Raiders would have clinched the win(263). Instead, the Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri tied the game with a 45-yard field goal in the final 30 seconds(263). The Raiders did not attempt to run a play at the end of regulation and, after losing the coin toss to start overtime, didn’t get the ball again(264). The Patriots drove downfield on their opening possession and won the game, 16 – 13(264).
The Patriots faced the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game(265). After Brady injured his ankle in the second quarter, Bledsoe came off the sideline and led the team to their only offensive touchdown of the game(265)(266). In the second half, with two special teams touchdowns of the game(265)(266). In the second half, with two special teams touchdowns and two fourth-quarter interceptions of passes thrown by Pittsburgh’s Kordell Stewart, the Patriots upset the Steelers 24 – 17 to advance to Super Bowl XXXVI(266)(267).
In the Super Bowl, the Patriots faced the St. Louis Rams, led by league MVP Kurt Warner(268). During the game, Bill Belichick used a defensive game plan that used the blitz sparingly, but chipped the Rams receivers and running back Marshall Faulk as they went into their patterns(269). This plan forced three turnovers(270).
Belichick’s defense held the Rams off until the 4th quarter, but after trailing 17 – 3 early in the quarter, St. Louis scored two touchdowns to tie the game at 17 – 17(271). With 1:30 to go and no time-outs, Brady led New England’s offense downfield to the Rams’ 30-yard line, setting up Adam Vinatieri, who won the game with a 48-yard goal as time expired, giving the Patriots their first Super Bowl win(271)(272). Brady was selected Super Bowl MVP(272).
The Patriot’s victory parade in Boston was attended by approximately 1.2 million fans(273). During the offseason, Brady signed a long-term contract with the team and Bledsoe was traded to the Buffalo Bills for a 1st-round pick in the 2003 NFL Draft(274)(275).
Gillette Stadium
While owning the Patriots, Robert Kraft attempted to build a new stadium(276). In 1998, Kraft came close to a deal with the Massachusetts Legislature to build a new stadium adjacent to the old stadium, with the state providing $75 million for infrastructure improvements(276). However, Massachusetts House Speaker Tom Finneran refused to support the bill and the deal failed(277). Afterward, Kraft reached a deal with Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland to build a new stadium in Hartford, Connecticut(276). However, after the stadium plan was approved by the Connecticut General Assembly,(277) problems were discovered with the proposed site that would delay construction(278). At this time, the NFL announced loan incentives where teams could borrow money from the league to build new stadiums(279).
In 1999, Kraft announced that he was abandoning the Hartford stadium project(280). Kraft reached a deal with the Massachusetts legislature for infrastructure improvements around the stadium(281). The stadium received approval from the citizens of Foxborough for the new stadium(282). The naming rights to the stadium were originally purchased by CMGi, an e-commerce company based in nearby Waltham, Massachusetts(283). CMGi Corporation sold the naming rights to Boston-based Gillette(283).
2002: Narrowly missing the playoffs
Following their victory in Super Bowl XXXVI, the Patriots won their first game in the new Gillette Stadium in the NFL’s prime-time Monday Night Football opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers(284). After three wins to begin the season, including a 44 – 7 road win against the division rival New York Jets,(285) the team lost five of its next seven games(286). In the final week of the season, the Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins on an overtime Adam Vinatieri field goal to give both teams a 9 – 7 record(287). The Jets also finished with a 9 – 7 record after a win over the Green Bay Packers(287). Due to their record, the Jets won the tiebreaker for the division title, which eliminated the Patriots and Dolphins from the playoffs(288).
Part 2 of this article will be posted on
Friday January 31, 2025
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