New England Patriots

Lore & Background

Founded in 1959 as the Boston Patriots, the team was a charter member of the American Football League (AFL) before joining the NFL in 1970 through the AFL–NFL merger. The Patriots played their home games at various stadiums throughout Boston, including Fenway Park from 1963 to 1968, until the franchise moved to Foxborough in 1971. As part of the move, the team changed its name to the New England Patriots. Home games were played at Foxboro Stadium until 2002 when the stadium was demolished alongside the opening of Gillette Stadium.

The team began using Gillette Stadium for home games the same year. Generally mediocre until coming under the ownership of Robert Kraft, the Patriots experienced unexpected success in the 2001 season under head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, which started a period of dominance which lasted until the 2019 season. The Brady–Belichick era, regarded as one of the greatest sports dynasties, would see the Patriots claim nearly every major Super Bowl record.

The Patriots hold the records for most Super Bowl wins (6, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers), appearances (12), and losses (6). Other NFL records held by the franchise include the most wins in a 10-year period (126 from 2003 to 2012), the longest winning streak of regular season and playoff games (21 from October 2003 to October 2004), the most consecutive winning seasons (19 from 2001 to 2019), the most consecutive conference championship appearances (8 from 2011 to 2018), the most consecutive division titles (11 from 2009 to 2019), the only undefeated 16-game regular season (2007), the most postseason wins (40, tied with the San Francisco 49ers), and the highest postseason winning percentage (.638).

Reader's Guide

The Patriots are named after the colonists who rebelled against British control during the Revolutionary War, which was locally relevant due to the colony of Massachusetts playing a pivotal role in American independence. The team's home games are played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Key figures in team history include owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick, and quarterback Tom Brady.

Did You Know?

• The Patriots were originally named the Boston Patriots, with 'Patriots' referring to the colonists of the Thirteen Colonies who rebelled against British control.
• The team's 'Pat Patriot' logo was designed by artist Phil Bissell of The Boston Globe.
• Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994 for $175 million.