The New England Patriots - A complete guide, history and notable moments
A profile of the New England Patriots, one of the NFL’s most successful franchises
Welcome to The Sporting Blog franchise overview series. In this series, we will review each National Football League franchise and give you an in-depth history of who they are and how they came to be.
In today’s edition, we are talking about the New England Patriots!
History of the Patriots
Longtime Boston businessman Billy Sullivan Jr. was the man who brought the Patriots to town. It was in 1959 that New England was awarded an AFL franchise. The original name of the franchise was the Boston Patriots and remained so when they played in the AFL. After the NFL merger, the team moved to Foxborough and became the New England Patriots.
The “Patriots” name was of course tied to the Revolution in the events that occurred in Boston in the colony days. In keeping with the New England heritage, the nickname "Patriots" was selected by a panel of Boston sportswriters in a contest to name the team.
The Patriots had just one playoff appearance in their entire AFL history but as you probably know, things turned around for them in the NFL.
Stadium - Foxborough - The Gillette Stadium
When the Patriots were getting started, the team was based in Boston. When they were in the AFL, the team played in four different stadiums throughout the years. At one point, the Patriots actually played in Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox and the oldest stadium in all of Major League Baseball.
When they joined the NFL, the Patriots moved to Foxborough Stadium. They would play there from 1971 to 2001. It was in 2001, that the team moved into the new Gillette Stadium. This stadium holds over 68,000 fans and is home to the Patriots, the Revolution and occasional college football games.
Gillette Stadium - Foxborough
Patriots Playoffs and Championships record
When it comes to the Patriots Championships, we could write an entire book on this section. For decades, the Patriots were a tortured franchise that had very little success. In 1985, the Pats finally won their first AFC Championship but were defeated in the Super Bowl by the dominant 1985 Chicago Bears. The team made another trip back there in 1996 but lost to the Atlanta Falcons.
Then Bill Belichick came to town and made Tom Brady his quarterback and the NFL changed because of it. Belichick and Brady went on the greatest NFL dynasty run to ever be had, winning six Super Bowls from 2001 to 2018. In addition to those six wins, the Patriots also went to another three that they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants, twice.
The Patriots have missed the playoffs just one time since 2003 and ultimately have a 37-21 record in the postseason.
The Best Coach in Team History
This decision is a pretty easy one. The best coach in Patriots history is also the best coach in NFL history, it’s Bill Belichick. Belichick became the New York Jets head coach in 2000 but the day after he agreed to the deal, he resigned and then became the head coach of the Patriots.
Since coming to New England, Belichick has compiled 238 wins and is third all-time in wins for a coach in the NFL. Belichick led the Patriots to an 18-1 season with their only loss coming in the Super Bowl, making them just the second team in NFL history to go undefeated in the regular season.
The Patriots have 17 playoff appearances with Belichick, missing just twice in 19 seasons. He has won six Super Bowls, been the Coach of the Year three different times and has been named to two NFL All-Decade teams as the head coach.
Three Best Players in Franchise History
Tom Brady - Quarterback
Of course, Tom Brady is the greatest Patriot of all-time, he may even be the greatest Boston sports figure ever. Brady is the guy who changed the Patriots forever and won six Super Bowls. He is considered by many the greatest quarterback to ever live and is the guy who turned his bad draft status into the career he has now.
Tom Brady - The GOAT?
Rob Gronkowski - Tight End
Speaking of Brady, Gronkowski is his all-time favourite target. Gronk will go down as one of the league’s top tight ends ever. Gronk had career-best marks of 90 receptions for 1,327 yards and a league-leading 17 touchdowns in 2011. He won three Super Bowls, was a Pro Bowler in five seasons and was named to four First-Team All-Pro honours.
John Hannah - Guard
Hannah isn’t the sexiest name on this list, but he is one of the all-time greats for the Pats. The left guard played in New England from 1973 to 1985. Hannah is second only to Tom Brady in approximate value with the Patriots, and his 147 scores. Brady is also the only Patriot with more Pro Bowls than Hannah. He is considered one of the greatest offensive lineman of all time.
Greatest Draft Pick in Team History
Whenever you take a player in the sixth round of the draft that plays more than 20 games, it is a great success. So imagine how the Patriots felt after drafting Tom Brady in the sixth round. Brady came out of Michigan and did not impress at the NFL combine. He slid into the Patriots depth chart and got his first shot when starting QB Drew Bledsoe left a game in 2001 with an injury. The rest is history for the Pats and Brady.
Best Free Agent Signing or Trade in Team History
The greatest trade in Patriots history came in 2007. The Pats needed a wide receiver and who better than Randy Moss to pair up with Tom Brady. The Patriots sent a measly fourth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for Moss.
During his four seasons with the Pats, he led them to an undefeated regular season, caught 50 touchdown passes and over 3000 yards. He went to one Pro Bowl and was selected to one First-Team All-Pro.
The Team’s Greatest Moment
The greatest moment in team history came in 2017. The Patriots were playing against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51. The Patriots were huge favourites coming into the game and it wasn’t supposed to be a close contest.
Instead, the Patriots found themselves down 28-3 at the half. It took the greatest Super Bowl victory in history for the Pats to storm back, force overtime and win the game. It was their fifth Super Bowl win in their eventual six-Super Bowl dynasty.
