New England Patriots
Current season
Established 1959 Play in and headquartered in Gillette Stadium Foxborough, Massachusetts
Logo
League/conference affiliations
American Football League (1960–69) Eastern Division (1960–69) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference (1970–present) AFC East (1970–present)
Current uniform
Team colors	Nautical Blue, New Century Silver, Red, White
Mascot	Pat Patriot
Personnel
Owner(s)	Robert Kraft
Chairman	Robert Kraft
CEO	Robert Kraft
President	Jonathan Kraft
General manager	Bill Belichick
Head coach	Bill Belichick
Team history
Boston Patriots (1960–70) Bay State Patriots (February 1971 – March 1971) New England Patriots (1971–present)
Team nicknames
"The Pats"
Championships
League championships (3) Super Bowl Championships (3) 2001 (XXXVI), 2003 (XXXVIII), 2004 (XXXIX)
Conference championships (7) AFC: 1985, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011
Division championships (15) AFL East: 1963 AFC East: 1978, 1986, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 2012
Playoff appearances (19)
AFL: 1963, NFL: 1976, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Home fields
Nickerson Field (1960–62) Fenway Park (1963–68) Alumni Stadium (1969) Harvard Stadium (1970) Foxboro Stadium (1971–2001) a.k.a. Schaefer Stadium (1971–82) a.k.a. Sullivan Stadium (1983–89) Gillette Stadium (2002–present)

The New England Patriots, sometimes called the "Pats," are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The team changed its name from the original Boston Patriots after relocating to Foxborough in 1971, although Foxborough is a suburb of Boston, 22 miles (35 km) away.

An original member of the American Football League (AFL), the Patriots joined the NFL in the 1970 merger of those leagues. The team advanced to the playoffs four times before appearing in Super Bowl XX in January 1986, losing to the Chicago Bears. The team also appeared in Super Bowl XXXI in January 1997, losing to the Green Bay Packers.

Since the arrival of current head coach Bill Belichick in 2000, the Patriots became one of the most successful teams in NFL history. They are third in appearances in a Super Bowl with seven (the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys each have 8), and have the most appearances in the last 25 years. They have won all but two AFC East titles since 2001, and have not had a losing season since 2000. Before Belichick arrived, the Patriots had only notched consecutive playoff appearances twice in their history. Between 2001–2010, the Patriots set a record for most wins in a decade (121, different from conventionally bounded decades, 2000–2009, 1990–1999, etc.; this record references any ten-year stretch; 2nd is the 1984–1993 San Francisco 49ers, with 120 wins); they broke their own record in 2011 (2002-2011 - 123 wins), and again in 2012 (2003-2012 - 126 wins - nearly 13 regular season wins per season). Between 2001 and 2005, 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 eighth (and most recent) to win consecutive Super Bowls. The Patriots, however, were defeated by the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, after winning the first 18 games of their 2007 season. They were defeated again by the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. During Belichick's tenure with the team along with quarterback Tom Brady, the Patriots have also compiled the longest winning streak consisting of regular season and playoff games in NFL history, a 21-game streak from October 2003 – October 2004. The Patriots contest one of the most bitter rivalries in the NFL, with the New York Jets.

Franchise history

"Pat Patriot" logo, used through 1992.

On November 16, 1959, Boston business executive Billy Sullivan was awarded the eighth and final franchise of the developing American Football League (AFL). The following winter, locals were allowed to submit ideas for the Boston football team's official name. The most popular choice—and the one that Sullivan selected—was "Boston Patriots". Immediately thereafter, The Boston Globe artist Phil Bissell developed the "Pat Patriot" logo.^[1]

The Patriots' time in the AFL saw them struggle most years as they never had a regular home stadium. Nickerson Field, Harvard Stadium, Fenway Park, and Alumni Stadium all served as home fields during their time in the American Football League. They did play in one AFL championship game, following the 1963 season. They lost to the San Diego Chargers 51–10. They would not appear again in an AFL or NFL post-season game for another 13 years.^[1]

When the NFL and AFL merged in 1970, the Patriots were placed in the AFC East division, where they still play today. The following year, the Patriots moved to a new stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which would serve as their home for 30 years. As a result of the move, they announced they would change their name from the Boston Patriots to the Bay State Patriots. The name was rejected by the NFL and on March 23, 1971, the team officially announced they would become the New England Patriots.

During the 1970s, the Patriots had some success, earning a berth to the playoffs in 1976—as a wild card-team—and in 1978—as AFC East champions. They lost in the first round both times. In 1985, they returned to the playoffs, and made it all the way to Super Bowl XX, which they lost to the Chicago Bears 46–10. Following their Super Bowl loss, they returned to the playoffs in 1986, but lost in the first round. The team would not make the playoffs again for eight more years. During the 1990 season, the Patriots went 1-15. They changed ownership three times, being purchased from the Sullivan family first by Victor Kiam in 1988, who sold the team to James Orthwein in 1992. Orthwein intended to move the team to his native St. Louis, Missouri, but sold the team two years later to current owner Robert Kraft in 1994.^[1]

Though Orthwein's period as owner was short and controversial, he did oversee major changes to the team, first with the hiring of former New York Giants coach Bill Parcells in 1993. Also a change was made that same year to the Patriots uniforms, changing their primary colors from their traditional red and white to blue and silver, and introducing a new logo.^[2] Parcells would bring the Patriots to two playoff appearances, including Super Bowl XXXI, which they lost to the Green Bay Packers by a score of 35–21. Pete Carroll, Parcells's successor, would also take the team to the playoffs twice in 1997 & 1998 before being dismissed as head coach after the 1999 season.^[1]

The Patriots' current coach Bill Belichick was hired in 2000, and a new home field, Gillette Stadium was opened in 2002. Under Belichick, the team won three Super Bowls in four years, and finished the 2007 regular season with a perfect 16–0 record, becoming only the fourth team in league history to go undefeated in the regular season, and the only one since the league expanded its regular season schedule to 16 games.^[1] After advancing to Super Bowl XLII, the team's fourth Super Bowl in seven years, the Patriots were defeated by the Giants to end their bid for a 19–0 season. With the loss, the Patriots ended the year at 18–1, becoming only one of three teams to go 18–1 along with the 1984 San Francisco 49ers and the 1985 Chicago Bears.

Season-by-season records

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Patriots. For the full season-by-season franchise results, see List of New England Patriots seasons.

Season	Team	League	Conference	Division	Regular Season				Post Season Results	Awards
					Finish	Won	Lost	Ties
2007	2007	NFL	AFC *	East §	1st §	16	0	0	Won Divisional Playoffs (Jaguars) 31–20 Won Conference Championship (Chargers) 21–12 Lost Super Bowl XLII (Giants) 17–14	Bill Belichick (NFL COY)[3] Tom Brady (NFL MVP)[4] Tom Brady (NFL Off. POTY)[5]
2008	2008	NFL	AFC	East	2nd[k]	11	5	0		Jerod Mayo (Def. ROY)[6]
2009	2009	NFL	AFC	East §	1st §	10	6	0	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Ravens) 33–14	Tom Brady (CBPOY)[7]
2010	2010	NFL	AFC	East §	1st §	14	2	0	Lost Divisional Playoffs (Jets) 28–21	Bill Belichick (NFL COY)[3] Tom Brady (NFL MVP)[8] Tom Brady (NFL Off. POTY)[9]
2011	2011	NFL	AFC *	East §	1st §	13	3	0	Won Divisional Playoffs (Broncos) 45–10 Won Conference Championship (Ravens) 23–20 Lost Super Bowl XLVI (Giants) 21–17
Total						414	365	9	(1960–2011, includes only regular season)
						23	16	—	(1960–2011,[l] includes only playoffs)[10]
						437	381	9	(1960–2010, includes both regular season and playoffs)

Records

Tom Brady at Denver in December 2011

Rivalries

Super Bowl banners at Gillette Stadium

In terms of number of games played, the Patriots have competed most against teams either currently or formerly from the AFC East division. This includes the current teams, the New York Jets, the Miami Dolphins, and the Buffalo Bills, as well as former divisional opponents the Colts. Among those, however, a few run deeper than others.

New York Jets

The closest geographically has been the rivalry with the New York Jets. The Patriots and Jets have been in the same division (what is now the AFC East) since both teams' foundings in 1960, and have played each other at least twice a year since then. The rivalry between the Jets and Patriots has escalated since 1996, when Patriots head coach Bill Parcells left the Patriots under controversy to become the head coach of the Jets; he was replaced by former Jets coach Pete Carroll. Four years later Carroll was fired, and Parcells' assistant, Bill Belichick, resigned the day he was named the Jets' head coach to become the head coach of the Patriots. Six years after that, Eric Mangini, an assistant under Belichick, became the head coach of the Jets.

Bill Belichick achieved his 200th career head coaching win (regular season and playoffs) on November 23, 2012, defeating the Jets 49-19; it was his 163rd such win as Patriots coach.

Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts

The Patriots rivalry with the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts ran through the two clubs' tenure together in the AFC East (1970-2001). The two clubs clashed in several close games, such as on December 19, 1971 as a late Patriots touchdown decided a 21-17 New England win; on September 18, 1978 the Colts rallied to defeat the Patriots 34-27 on Monday Night Football on a virtual one-man scoring rampage by running back Joe Washington; on September 4, 1983 the Colts defeated the Patriots in overtime 29-23 in their final season in Baltimore. The Patriots defeated the Colts in back-to-back overtime games, 23-17 on December 8, 1991, and 37-34 on November 15, 1992.

Even though the two clubs were placed in separate divisions in the NFL's 2002 divisional realignment, their rivalry did not diminish. Indeed, it could be claimed that it intensified since that time as both teams were among the best in the AFC, and both were led by likely Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Payton Manning (for the Colts) and Tom Brady (for the Patriots) The teams met three times in four years (2003, 2004, 2006) in the playoffs, with the winner going on to win that season's Super Bowl each time. The Manning portion of the rivalry began in Manning's rookie season, 1998; in 1999 Manning suffered a bitter 31-28 loss in September as the Patriots behind Drew Bledsoe erased a 28-7 Colts lead, then defeated the Patriots 20-15 in Indianapolis on December 12. The Brady-Manning portion of the rivalry began on September 30, 2001 as Brady made his first NFL start in a 44-13 Patriots win at Foxboro; on October 21 the Patriots defeated the Colts at the RCA Dome 38-17.

After the Colts left the AFC East in 2002, they first met on November 30, 2003 in a 38-34 Patriots win decided on a last-second goal line stand by the Patriots. The Colts broke a six-game Patriot winning streak in the rivalry in November 2005, then won twice in 2006; in the AFC Championship Game the Colts erased a 21-6 halftime lead; the game lead tied or changed seven times in the second half before a late touchdown led to a 38-34 Colts win. The November 4, 2007 meeting involved both teams being unbeaten to that point; the 8-0 Patriots and the 7-0 Colts. The Patriots rallied to win 24-20. The Colts won again in 2008 and then erased a large Patriots lead in 2009's 4th and 2 game. Manning's final meeting with the Patriots as a Colt came in November 2010; a late interception sealed a 31-28 Patriots win.

In 2012 the Patriots faced the Colts, quarterbacked now by Andrew Luck, on November 18; the Patriots defeated the Colts 59-24.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens first met the New England Patriots in 1996, but the rivalry truly started in 2007 when the Ravens suffered a bitter 27–24 loss in the Patriots quest for perfection. The rivalry began to escalate in 2009 when the Ravens lost to the Patriots 27–21 in a game that involved a confrontation between Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs. Both players would go on to take verbal shots at each other through the media after the game. The Ravens defeated the Patriots in the 2009 AFC Wild Card playoff game 33–14. This was the first time the Ravens had ever defeated the Patriots. The Ravens faced the Patriots in Week 6 of the 2010 season; the Patriots ended up winning 23–20 in overtime; the game caused controversy due to a hit to the helmet of tight end Todd Heap by Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather.

The Ravens played the Patriots for the third consecutive season, in the 2012 AFC championship game in which the Ravens lost 23–20. The rivalry reached a new level of friction with this, the second career playoff game between the two clubs. The Ravens clawed to a 20–16 lead in the fourth quarter but Patriots quarterback Tom Brady dove into the end zone to make the score 23–20 with around 11 minutes remaining; this proved to be the winning touchdown. On the Ravens last possession of the game, quarterback Joe Flacco threw a pass to wide receiver Lee Evans in the corner of the end zone which looked to be the game winning touchdown, before a last second strip by Sterling Moore forced the ball from the hands of Evans, forcing the game to be decided on a last minute field goal by Ravens placekicker Billy Cundiff. With eleven seconds remaining on the clock, the kicker missed the 32-yard field goal attempt by a very wide margin, allowing the Patriots to kill the clock on their way to Super Bowl XLVI for a Super Bowl XLII rematch with the New York Giants.

The Ravens' first regular-season win over the Patriots came on September 23, 2012. The game was emotional as receiver Torrey Smith was competing following the death of his brother in a motorcycle accident just the night before. Smith caught two touchdowns in a back and forth game; the Ravens erased a 13–0 lead in the first half and led 14–13, but the Patriots scored at the end of the second quarter for a 20–14 lead. The lead changed twice in the third quarter and the Patriots led 30–21 in the fourth, but the Ravens scored on Smith's second touchdown catch. The Ravens were stopped on fourth down but the Patriots had to punt; in the final two minutes a pass interference penalty on Devin McCourty put the ball at the Patriots 7-yard line; new Ravens kicker Justin Tucker booted a 27-yard field goal on the final play; the ball sailed directly over the upright and was ruled good; the quality of officiating by replacement referees caused controversy as Bill Belichick angrily reached for one of the referees as they were leaving the field, leading to a $50,000 fine later that week.

The 2 teams met again on January 20, 2013 in the AFC Championship, where the Ravens won 28–13. The Patriots led at halftime, 13–7, but the Raven Defense gave up no points in the 2nd half. It was the first time ever that Tom Brady lost a game at home after leading at halftime, and the first time a road team beat the Patriots in the AFC Championship.

Strategy

Under head coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots have employed specific on-field and off-field strategies. On the field, the Patriots have typically utilized an "Erhardt-Perkins" offense and a "Fairbanks-Bullough" 3–4 defense, referred to commonly as a 2-gap 3–4 defensive system.^[11] Their philosophy in making personnel decisions and in game planning has focused on the "team" concept,^[12] stressing preparation, strong work ethic, versatility,^[13] and lack of individual ego.^[14] This approach, which led to three Super Bowl victories under Belichick, was analyzed in the 2004 book Patriot Reign.

When owner Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994, he did so for $175 million. Since then, the Patriots have sold out every home game in both Foxboro Stadium and Gillette Stadium.^{[citation needed]} By 2009, the value of the franchise had increased by over $1 billion, to a Forbes magazine estimated value of $1.361 billion, third highest in the NFL only behind the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins.^[15][16][17] As of July 2011^[update], the Patriots are the sixth most valuable sports franchise in world according to Forbes magazine.^[18]

Stadium

Gillette Stadium, home of the Patriots

Since 2002, the Patriots' home stadium has been Gillette Stadium, a $350 million facility privately financed by Kraft. It houses all administrative offices for the team and its owning entity, The Kraft Group, as well as the Kraft-owned Major League Soccer team, the New England Revolution. The field, which was originally natural grass, was replaced with a FieldTurf surface during the 2006 season. The area around the stadium was developed, beginning in 2007, into a $375 million "lifestyle and entertainment center" called Patriot Place; among its largest structures is a multi-floor restaurant and bar called CBS Scene.

Prior to 2002, the Patriots played in Foxboro Stadium dating back to 1971, the team's second year in the NFL after the AFL-NFL merger. During the team's days in the American Football League, the Boston Patriots were hosted by a number of fields in or around Boston - they played at Braves Field, Harvard Stadium, Fenway Park, and Alumni Stadium. In 1968 the Patriots played the NY Jets at Legion Field in Birmingham, AL.

Notable players

Current roster

Retired numbers

Hall of Famers

The New England Patriots feature 17 former players and one contributor in their team hall of fame, established in 1991. A committee of media and staff selected 11 players for enshrinement between 1991 and 2001, before a six-year span of no selections. In 2007, in advance of the 2008 opening of the Hall at Patriot Place, the Patriots introduced a new nomination committee to select three candidates, with the winner of an internet fan vote being enshrined in the hall of fame.^[19] In order to be eligible, players and coaches must be retired for at least four years.^[20] Beginning in 2011 and meeting every five years, a senior selection committee has the option of voting a player who has been retired for at least 25 seasons into the hall of fame.^[21]

Former owner Billy Sullivan was inducted by owner Robert Kraft in March 2009, the Patriots' 50th season, as a contributor.^[22]

Additionally, four former Patriots players have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Patriots have officially retired seven uniform numbers.

All-decade teams

1960s (AFL)

In November 1971, fans voted on a 10-year Patriots anniversary team, which coincided with the team's ten years in the then-defunct American Football League:^[23] Additional selections for returner, special teamer, and coach were added in 2009:^[24]

1970s, 1980s, 1990s

In March 2009, as part of the Patriots' 50th anniversary, a group of local media and other team figures selected all-decade teams for the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s:^[24]

2000s

On March 16, 2010, the Patriots Hall of Fame selection committee selected an all-decade team for the 2000s:

Anniversary teams

35th anniversary (1994)

In 1994, a group of local media selected a 35th anniversary team:^[23]

50th anniversary (2009)

In 2009, the Patriots Hall of Fame selection committee selected a 50th anniversary team:^[23]

All-time first-round draft picks

Coaches

Head coaches

Current staff

Cheerleaders and mascot

The Patriots Cheerleaders performing a routine in 2007

The Patriots NFL Cheerleaders are simply known as The Patriots Cheerleaders. In 2005, cheerleader Kristin Gauvin won Miss Massachusetts, in part from her local commitment with the Patriots.

The Patriots' mascot is Pat Patriot, a revolutionary minuteman wearing a Patriots home jersey.

During each game, about ten men dressed as minutemen line the back of each end zone. When the Patriots score a touchdown, field goal or point-after-touchdown, the militia behind the opposite end zone fire a round of blanks from flintlock muskets. ESPN writer Josh Pahigian named this one of the top ten celebrations in the league in 2007.^[25]

Radio and television

The Patriots' flagship radio station is WBZ-FM 98.5 FM, owned by CBS Radio. The larger radio network is called the New England Patriots Radio Network, whose 37 affiliate stations span 7 states. Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti are the longtime announcing team. Former Patriots QB Scott Zolak joined the radio team in the 2011 season as a sideline analyst.

Any preseason games not on national television are shown on CBS affiliate WBZ-TV, who also airs the bulk of Patriots regular season games by virtue of CBS having the rights to most AFC games. These games were broadcast on ABC affiliate WCVB-TV from 1995 until the change to WBZ in 2009. Don Criqui has been the play-by-play announcer the last several years, with Randy Cross as a color commentator and Mike Lynch as a sideline reporter. Lynch was replaced by WBZ reporter Steve Burton in 2009.

Other platforms

The widespread growth of mobile devices and social media have cause The Patriots to expand its team update information into other platforms. Some off-air news updates via social media take place including on: Facebook,^[26] Google+,^[27] and Twitter.^[28] Additionally, the Patriots maintain a team related mobile app for iPhone^[29] and Android^[30] smartphones.

See also

American football portal

• The Kraft Group

Notes and references

Further reading

• Fox, Larry (1979). The New England Patriots: Triumph & Tragedy. Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN 0-689-10992-X 
• Hlydburg, Bob (2009). Total Patriots: The Definitive Encyclopedia of the World-Class Franchise. Triumph Books. ISBN 1-60078-099-7 
• Holley, Michael (2004). Patriot Reign: Bill Belichick, the Coaches, and the Players Who Built a Champion. William Morrow and Company. ISBN 0-06-075794-9 
• Price, Christopher (2007). The Blueprint: How the New England Patriots Beat the System to Create the Last Great NFL Superpower. Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 0-312-36838-0 
• Lavin, James (2005). Management Secrets of the New England Patriots: From Patsies to Triple Super Bowl Champs; Vol. 1. Pointer Press. ISBN 0-9762039-5-2 
• Lavin, James (2005). Management Secrets of the New England Patriots: From Patsies to Triple Super Bowl Champs; Vol. 2. Pointer Press. ISBN 0-9762039-8-7 
• Glennon, Sean (2008). The Good, the Bad & the Ugly New England Patriots: Heart-pounding, Jaw-dropping, and Gut-wrenching Moments from New England Patriots History. Triumph Books. ISBN 1-60078-118-7 
• Felger, Michael (2004). Tales from the Patriots Sideline. Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 1-58261-525-X 
• Donaldson, Jim (2009). Then Belichick Said to Brady: The Best New England Patriots Stories Ever Told. Triumph Books. ISBN 1-60078-239-6 
• Donaldson, Jim (2005). Stadium Stories: New England Patriots. Globe Pequot. ISBN 0-7627-3788-3 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: New England Patriots

• New England Patriots official website
• New England Patriots 2012 at the iTunes Preview
• Sport E-Cyclopedia.org
• Works by or about New England Patriots in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• New England Patriots collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• New England Patriots collected news and commentary at The Wall Street Journal

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