What was the first Super Bowl won by the New England Patriots?
American football rules
Super Bowl LI was the first Super Bowl to go into overtime with a 28-all tie between the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots, which the Patriots eventually won with James White scoring a touchdown on the Patriots' first drive.
Super Bowl
In Super Bowl LII, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the defending Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, 41–33. It was the Eagles' third Super Bowl appearance, and their first win in franchise history. It was the Patriots' tenth Super Bowl appearance, and their fourth appearance in ten years; had the Patriots won, they would have tied the Pittsburgh Steelers with the most Super Bowl wins (six).
Super Bowl LI
Super Bowl LI was an American football game played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017, to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2016 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots, after trailing by as many as 25 points (28–3) during the third quarter, defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Atlanta Falcons, 34–28 in overtime. The Patriots' 25-point comeback is the largest comeback in Super Bowl history, and Super Bowl LI was the first final to be decided in overtime.
Super Bowl LI
The game set the record for the largest deficit overcome to win the Super Bowl (the previous record was ten points, set by the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXII and matched by the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV and by the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX); it is the third-largest comeback win in NFL playoff history, behind The Comeback (32-point deficit; Buffalo Bills trailed 35–3 and won 41–38) and the between the Indianapolis Colts and the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2013–14 NFL playoffs (28-point deficit; Colts trailed 38–10 and won, 45–44). In addition to being the largest Super Bowl comeback, the game set the record for the largest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL playoff history, as no team had previously won a playoff game after trailing by 17 or more points entering the final quarter; the Patriots were trailing by 19 points at the start of the fourth quarter by a score of 28–9. The Patriots won their fifth franchise championship, all under the leadership of starting quarterback Tom Brady, the most by a single quarterback. Brady won his fourth Super Bowl MVP, the most such awards by a single player in history. This game represented the largest comeback in the history of the New England Patriots' regular season or post-season games, and Tom Brady's NFL career.
History of the New York Giants (1994–present)
In Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008, the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 17–14. The biggest play of the game was on third down on the Giants 44-yard line with 1:15 remaining. They were down 14–10 After the snap, Manning ran back and was surrounded by a cloud of defenders. Escaping three near sacks, he made a miraculous pass to David Tyree, who caught the ball against his own helmet, while being covered by veteran defender Rodney Harrison. This set up the Giants' final touchdown to win. Eli Manning was named MVP, completing 19 of 34 passes for 255 yards along with two touchdowns. The Giants pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history by handing the New England Patriots their first loss of the season and preventing them from becoming only the second team in the Super Bowl era to finish undefeated.Plaxico Burress hauled in the game-winning touchdown pass with 35 seconds left to play to give the Giants their first Super Bowl win since 1990. This game was also a rematch of their final regular season game, in which the Patriots came back from a 12-point deficit to finish the regular season 16–0.
Malcom Brown
On February 5, 2017, Brown was part of the Patriots team that won Super Bowl LI. In the game, he recorded one tackle as the Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 34–28 in overtime.
The game had the first overtime in Super Bowl history, and the largest comeback ever in the Super Bowl.
List of Super Bowl champions
The Pittsburgh Steelers (6–2) have won the most Super Bowls with six championships, while the New England Patriots (5–5), the Dallas Cowboys (5–3), and the San Francisco 49ers (5–1) have five wins. New England has the most Super Bowl appearances with eleven, while the Buffalo Bills (0–4) have the most consecutive appearances with four (all losses) from 1990 to 1993. The Miami Dolphins (1971–1973) and New England Patriots (2016–2018) are the only other teams to have at least three consecutive appearances. The Denver Broncos (3–5) and Patriots have each lost a record five Super Bowls. The Minnesota Vikings (0–4) and the Bills have lost four. The record for consecutive wins is two and is shared by seven franchises: the Green Bay Packers (1966–1967), the Miami Dolphins (1972–1973), the Pittsburgh Steelers (1974–1975 and 1978–1979, the only team to accomplish this feat twice), the San Francisco 49ers (1988–1989), the Dallas Cowboys (1992–1993), the Denver Broncos (1997–1998), and the New England Patriots (2003–2004). Among those, Dallas (1992–1993; 1995) and New England (2001; 2003–2004) are the only teams to win three out of four consecutive Super Bowls. The 1972 Dolphins capped off the only perfect season in NFL history with their victory in Super Bowl VII. The only team with multiple Super Bowl appearances and no losses is the Baltimore Ravens, who in winning Super Bowl XLVII defeated and replaced the 49ers in that position. Four current NFL teams have never appeared in a Super Bowl, including franchise relocations and renaming: the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans, though both the Browns (1950, 1954, 1955, 1964) and Lions (1935, 1952, 1953, 1957) had won NFL championship games prior to the creation of the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl
In Super Bowl LI, the Atlanta Falcons had a 28–3 lead late in the third quarter, but lost to the Patriots, 34–28, in the first Super Bowl to ever end in overtime.
History of the New York Jets
After Mangini's successful rookie season, New York had high hopes of further improvement. Following the team's opening loss against New England, the Jets accused the Patriots of videotaping their signals. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell fined the Patriots and Bill Belichick, and stripped New England of its 1st-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Struggling to a 1–7 start, the Jets benched Pennington in favor of backup Kellen Clemens. The Jets won only three games the rest of the way and finished with a record of 4–12. The Jets were again overshadowed by the Giants, who won their third Super Bowl by defeating the previously unbeaten Patriots.
Super Bowl
The Pittsburgh Steelers have won six Super Bowls, the most of any team; the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers have five victories each, while the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants have four Super Bowl championships. Fourteen other NFL franchises have won at least one Super Bowl. Eight teams have appeared in Super Bowl games without a win. The Minnesota Vikings were the first team to have appeared a record four times without a win. The Buffalo Bills played in a record four Super Bowls in a row and lost every one. Four teams (the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans) have never appeared in a Super Bowl. The Browns and Lions both won NFL Championships prior to the creation of the Super Bowl, while the Jaguars (1995) and Texans (2002) are both recent NFL expansion teams. (Detroit, Houston, and Jacksonville, however, have hosted a Super Bowl, leaving the Browns the only team to date who has neither played in nor whose city has hosted the game.) The Minnesota Vikings won the last NFL Championship before the merger but lost to the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV.
List of New England Patriots seasons
The modern NFL championship game, the Super Bowl, was founded in the 1966 season; the first four were contested between the champions of the AFL and the NFL. After the merger, the Super Bowl became the united league's championship. The Patriots made the 1963 AFL Championship Game, but struggled severely in the early years of the united league, not making the postseason until 1976. After a few good seasons including a Super Bowl appearance against a champion Bears outfit, the Patriots reached a nadir between 1989 and 1993 when they won only 19 of 80 games.
2002 New England Patriots season
Following their victory in Super Bowl XXXVI seven months earlier, the Patriots played their first game in the new Gillette Stadium in the NFL's prime-time Monday Night Football opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a win for the Patriots. After an additional two wins to begin the season, including a 44–7 road win against the division rival New York Jets, the team lost five of its next seven games, allowing an average of 137 rushing yards a game during that span. 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. A few hours later, the Jets, who defeated the Patriots the week prior, also finished with a 9–7 record with a win over the Green Bay Packers. Due to their record against common opponents, after the Jets won the tiebreaker for the division title, both the Patriots and Dolphins were eliminated from the playoff contention. As of 2018 this is the last season the Patriots failed to win at least 10 games.
Super Bowl XXXI
New England's defense then forced the Packers to punt from their own 17-yard line after a three-and-out, giving the Patriots the ball back after running back Dave Meggett received Craig Hentrich's 39-yard punt at the Patriots 43-yard line. After a 7-yard reception and a 2-yard run by Martin on their first two plays, Bledsoe completed a 44-yard pass to wide receiver Terry Glenn to advance to the Green Bay 4-yard line. From there, tight end Ben Coates' 4-yard touchdown reception gave New England a 14–10 lead. The Packers and Patriots combined for 24 points, the most ever scored in the 1st quarter of a Super Bowl. The Patriots became the first team in Super Bowl history to score 14 points in the first quarter and lose the game.
Super Bowl X
Super Bowl X was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1975 season. The Steelers defeated the Cowboys by the score of 21–17 to win their second consecutive Super Bowl. They were the third team to win back-to-back Super Bowls. (The Miami Dolphins won Super Bowls VII and VIII, and the Green Bay Packers won Super Bowls I and II.) It was also the first Super Bowl in which both participating teams had previously won a Super Bowl, as the Steelers were the defending champions and the Cowboys had won Super Bowl VI.
History of the New England Patriots
In the Super Bowl, though the Bears had not allowed a point in the playoffs, the Patriots took an early 3-0 lead after a Walter Payton fumble in the 1st quarter. This resulted a field goal by Tony Franklin.
History of the Green Bay Packers
By winning the 1967 NFL Championship Game, the Packers achieved a "three-peat" (three consecutive league championships) for only the second time in franchise history and the first time since they were named league champions following the 1929–31 seasons. To this day, no other NFL team has matched or surpassed this record. The Packers' back-to-back wins in the first two Super Bowls remains a Super Bowl record, and has since been tied seven times by six other franchises: the Miami Dolphins won Super Bowls VII and VIII following the 1972 and 1973 seasons, the Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowls IX and X following the 1974 and 1975 seasons as well as Super Bowls XIII and XIV following the 1978 and 1979 seasons and remain, to date, the only team to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles more than once, the San Francisco 49ers won Super Bowls XXIII and XXIV following the 1988 and 1989 seasons, the Dallas Cowboys won Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII following the 1992 and 1993 seasons, the Denver Broncos won Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII following the 1997 and 1998 seasons, and most recently, the New England Patriots won Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX following the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
2005 New England Patriots season
The Broncos converted four out of five turnovers into 24 points as they eliminated the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Patriots, 27–13, and won their first playoff game since defeating the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII. This game also ended New England's league-record ten-game postseason winning streak and gave quarterback Tom Brady his first ever postseason loss.
History of the Boston Red Sox
With the New England Patriots winning Super Bowl XXXVIII in February, Boston became the first city since Pittsburgh in 1979 to have both Super Bowl and World Series champions in the same year. Their winning Super Bowl XXXIX during the offseason made Boston the first city since Pittsburgh in 1979–1980 to have two Super Bowl and World Series championships over a span of 12 months. After the Bruins won the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, which made Boston the first city to win championships in all four sports leagues in the new millennium, Dan Shaughnessy of "The Boston Globe" ranked all seven championships by the Patriots, Red Sox in 2004 and , the Celtics in , and the Bruins and picked the Red Sox win in 2004 as the greatest Boston sports championship during the ten-year span.
Super Bowl V
Super Bowl V, the fifth edition of the Super Bowl and first modern-era National Football League (NFL) championship game, was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys to decide the NFL champion for the 1970 season. The Colts defeated the Cowboys by the score of 16–13. The game was played on January 17, 1971, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, the first Super Bowl game played on artificial turf, on first-generation Poly-Turf.
Super Bowl XXXVI
The game heralded the Patriots dynasty, being the first of nine Super Bowl appearances under the duo of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. The Patriots finished the 2002 NFL season 9-7, missing the playoffs. But they went on to win Super Bowl XXXVIII, Super Bowl XXXIX, thus winning three Super Bowls in four years. Then, they won their fourth and fifth Super Bowls (Super Bowl XLIX and Super Bowl LI) a decade after their third. Brady also won three more Super Bowl MVP awards in Super Bowl XXXVIII, Super Bowl XLIX, and Super Bowl LI, making him the only player to be named Super Bowl MVP four times. Super Bowl XXXVI later became part of the wider 2007 New England Patriots videotaping controversy, also known as "Spygate". In addition to other videotaping allegations, the "Boston Herald" reported, citing an unnamed source, that the Patriots had also taped the Rams' walkthrough practice prior to the game. After further investigations, the league determined that no tape of the Rams' Super Bowl walkthrough was made, and the "Herald" later issued an apology in 2008 for their article about the alleged walkthrough tape. Nevertheless, the Patriots finished the 2007 regular season with a perfect 16–0 record, but failed to record an undefeated 19–0 championship season after losing Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants. And at the conclusion of the 2015 NFL season, the Patriots held the NFL's best record since Spygate, compiling a 96-32 record from 2008 to 2015.
The Patriots' win in this Super Bowl, beyond just serving as a springboard to four more championships, also became the starting point for a decade of success in Boston sports, with the city's teams winning seven championships in the four major North American sports leagues (the NFL, the NBA, the NHL and MLB), including at least one in each league. Over the next fifteen years, in addition to the Patriots' four additional Super Bowls:
Tuck Rule Game
In the subsequent AFC Championship Game, the Patriots scored a 24–17 victory against the Steelers, and then defeated the NFC champion St. Louis Rams 20–17 in Super Bowl XXXVI on a last-second field goal by Vinatieri. The Super Bowl championship was the first in team history and began a period of dominance for the Patriots that included four more Super Bowl wins at XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX and LI.
New England Patriots
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 six of the 2010 season. The Patriots ended up winning 23–20 in overtime; the game caused controversy from 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, 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 11 seconds remaining on the clock, the kicker missed the 32-yard field goal attempt, allowing the Patriots to kill the clock on their way to Super Bowl XLVI for a rematch with the New York Giants.
Russell Wilson
The Seahawks became the first defending champion to return to the Super Bowl since the 2004 Patriots. They faced the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX, where they were defeated by a final score of 28–24. Although the Seahawks led 24–14 heading into the fourth quarter, the Patriots scored two consecutive touchdowns as they took a four-point lead with 2:02 remaining. Wilson led the Seahawks to the Patriots' one-yard line with 25 seconds remaining, but Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted a pass intended for Ricardo Lockette, sealing the victory for the Patriots.
Nick Foles
In Super Bowl LII, Foles caught a touchdown pass from tight end Trey Burton, becoming the first player to both throw and catch a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl, while also being the third quarterback to catch a pass in a Super Bowl, after John Elway in Super Bowl XXII and Jim Kelly in Super Bowl XXVI. The Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41–33 to win their first Super Bowl. Foles completed 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards, 3 passing touchdowns and 1 interception, and was named the Most Valuable Player of the game.
Adam Vinatieri
In 1996, Vinatieri was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent to be a placekicker. He played in New England for the first 10 years of his NFL career, during which he played in four Super Bowls, winning three titles. In his rookie season, he chased down and tackled Dallas Cowboys returner Herschel Walker on a kickoff, leading then-Patriots head coach Bill Parcells to tell his rookie kicker "You're not a kicker—you're a football player." His first Super Bowl appearance was in his rookie season of 1996, when he played with the Patriots in their 35–21 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. One of his kickoffs in the Super Bowl was returned by Desmond Howard for a Super Bowl-record 99 yards and a touchdown that ended the Patriots' bid for a comeback.
History of the New England Patriots
Despite being the overwhelming favorites in the game, the Patriots failed to protect a four-point lead on a Giants drive late in the fourth quarter. A dramatic pass from Eli Manning to David Tyree put the Giants deep in Patriots territory, and a Manning touchdown pass to Plaxico Buress gave the Giants a 17-14 lead with 35 seconds left. The loss left the 1972 Dolphins as the only undefeated champions in NFL history. The Patriots ended the season at 18–1, becoming one of only three teams to go 18–1 overall, including playoff games, along with the 1984 San Francisco 49ers and the 1985 Chicago Bears, both of whom won their respective Super Bowls (the 1984 49ers won Super Bowl XIX and the 1985 Bears won Super Bowl XX).
History of the New England Patriots
The Patriots came out with the #2 seed in the AFC. The Patriots were given the bye week before they had to face the Houston Texans in a rematch of the previous Week 14 matchup. The Patriots were the highly favored team in that game, and ultimately won again, 41-28. But they had to face the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of the previous year's AFC Championship. Despite the Patriots leading 13-7 at halftime, the Ravens scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to win 28-13. The Ravens would go on to win Super Bowl XLVII against the 49ers.
Super Bowl XLVIII
Super Bowl XLVIII was the first NFL championship game to be held in the New York metropolitan area since December 30, 1962, when the Green Bay Packers beat the New York Giants in the original Yankee Stadium, 16–7. Since then, two other major pro football leagues have held title games in the area:
Tom Brady
After playing college football for the University of Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Due to his late selection, Brady is considered the biggest "steal" in the history of the NFL Draft. In Brady's seventeen seasons as a starter, he has quarterbacked the Patriots to nine Super Bowls, and is one of only two quarterbacks to win the Super Bowl in their first season as a starter. He is also one of two players to have won five Super Bowls, and the only player to have won them all with a single franchise.
History of the New England Patriots
The Patriots then went to Pittsburgh to face the favored Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. After Brady injured his ankle in the second quarter, Bledsoe (in his last appearance as a Patriot) came off the sideline and immediately led the team to their only offensive touchdown of the game, with the drive culminating in a touchdown pass to David Patten. In the second half, thanks to help from two special teams touchdowns and two 4th-quarter interceptions of passes thrown by Pittsburgh's Kordell Stewart, the Patriots upset the Steelers 24–17 to advance to Super Bowl XXXVI. It would be the Patriots' third Super Bowl in team history, all of which to that point had been played in New Orleans.
In the Super Bowl, the Patriots faced the heavily favored St. Louis Rams, led by league MVP Kurt Warner and known as "The Greatest Show on Turf", who had beaten the Patriots in the regular season in Foxboro. The Patriots were introduced second, and rather than coming out player-by-player, which was customary at the time, they were introduced collectively as a team. The team introduction was met with great praise and admiration, and has since been used by each team at the Super Bowl. In contrast to the regular season game, Bill Belichick devised a defensive game plan that used the blitz very sparingly, but called for chipping the Rams receivers and running back Marshall Faulk as they went into their patterns, a game plan very similar to the one he employed against the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV. This disrupted the Rams' precise passing routes and the entire rhythm of the offense and caused the usually cool-under-pressure Warner to look shaky in the pocket, being sacked several times. The Patriots forced three turnovers, all of which led to scores (including an interception returned by Ty Law for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter).
Boston Duck Tours
In 2002, the Boston Duck Tour Ducks were first used as the parade vehicles for the New England Patriots after the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI over the St. Louis Rams. Since that time, the Boston Duck Tour Ducks have participated in eleven professional sports championship parades in Boston. There have been five for New England Patriots (2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017), four for the Boston Red Sox (2004, 2007, 2013, 2018), one for the Boston Celtics (2008), and one for the Boston Bruins (2011). The Duck Boats were first planned to be used for the New England Patriots in 1997 however they did not win Super Bowl XXXI. While much of the parade routes over the years consisted of the DUKWs staying on land, some featured the DUKWs traversing both the land and across the Charles River.
Minneapolis Miracle
With the win, the Vikings headed to Philadelphia to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. The Eagles , thus denying them the opportunity to become the first team to play in a Super Bowl in its home stadium. The Eagles went on to win Super Bowl LII, beating the New England Patriots, 41–33.
Super Bowl LI
The Patriots' victory was their fifth, moving them into a three-way tie with the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers for second place on the all-time Super Bowl wins list, trailing only the Pittsburgh Steelers who have six victories. New England, after finishing the regular season with a league-best 14–2 record, advanced to their record-setting ninth Super Bowl appearance, their second in three years, and their seventh under the leadership of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. The Falcons entered the game after completing an 11–5 regular season record, and were trying to win their first Super Bowl title, having lost their only previous appearance in Super Bowl XXXIII.
2017 New England Patriots season
The Patriots however became the first team to appear in and play in 10 Super Bowls. But, despite the fact that they are still tied with the Cowboys and 49ers for 5 franchise wins, this loss tied them with the Broncos for most Super Bowls lost with 5.
List of AFC champions
At the end of the 1966 season, the Super Bowl began to be played between the AFL champion and the NFL champion. After the AFL/NFL merger in 1970, the Super Bowl continued to be played between the AFC champion and the NFC champion. The AFL champion lost the first two Super Bowls. The 1968 AFL champion New York Jets with Joe Namath at quarterback became the first AFL team to win the Super Bowl. Starting with that Super Bowl, the AFL or AFC champion won 11 out of 13 Super Bowls. However, the AFC champion lost 13 consecutive Super Bowls, from the 1984 AFC champion Miami Dolphins through the 1996 AFC champion New England Patriots. Overall, the AFL or AFC champion has won 25 of the 52 Super Bowls played through the end of the 2017 season.
2017 New England Patriots season
With this loss, the Patriots were unable to defend their Super Bowl title from last year. The team finished the season with an overall record of 15-4. However, the 33 points scored is the most ever by a team that lost the Super Bowl. Tom Brady is also the first QB ever to throw for over 500 yards and lose the Super Bowl. His personal Super Bowl record dropped to 5-3. His record against the NFC East in Super Bowls also dropped to 1-3.
2001 New England Patriots season
The win was the 300th career victory, encompassing the regular season and postseason, in Patriots franchise history.The Rams scored first midway through the first quarter, driving 48 yards in 10 plays to set up a 50-yard field goal by kicker Jeff Wilkins. At the time, the field goal was the third longest in Super Bowl history. The rest of the quarter was scoreless.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins dominated the New England Patriots during the 1970s and the 1990s, but there were some notable moments as well, including a game now known as the Snowplow Game. Fortunes changed when Tom Brady became the franchise quarterback for the Patriots, and since then, the Patriots have virtually dominated the AFC, especially the AFC East. Miami did pose more of a challenge to the Brady-led Patriots in the 2000s, however, winning more games against them than the Bills or Jets did during that decade. Miami and New England are also the only two franchises to have posted undefeated regular season records since the NFL-AFL merger, with Miami going 14–0 in 1972 and New England going 16–0 in 2007, but only the 1972 Dolphins were able to win the Super Bowl.
Colts–Patriots rivalry
The Colts–Patriots rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots. It is considered one of the most famous rivalries in the NFL. The two teams have combined for six Super Bowl victories (five by the Patriots) and ten AFC Championships (eight by the Patriots) since 2001, while both are noted for their organizational excellence.
2003 New England Patriots season
However, Kasay kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, giving New England the ball on their own 40-yard line. Brady calmly led the Patriots offense down the field with a 13-yard pass to Brown on second down. An offensive pass interference penalty on Brown pushed New England back to their own 43-yard line, but another 13-yard reception to Brown and a 4-yard pass to Graham brought up a critical 3rd down and 3 from the Carolina 40-yard line. The Panthers defense could not prevent the Patriots from gaining the first down, as Brady completed a clutch 17-yard pass to Branch. On the next play, Vinatieri kicked a 41-yard field goal to give New England the lead, 32–29, with four seconds left in the game. Carolina failed on their last chance, as Rod Smart went nowhere on the resulting kickoff, and the Patriots had won their second Super Bowl in three years. This was the fourth Super Bowl to be decided on a field goal in the final seconds. Super Bowl V was won on a last second kick by Jim O'Brien, Super Bowl XXV as Scott Norwood missed his field goal chance, and Super Bowl XXXVI as Adam Vinatieri made his.Three Patriots were elected to the 2004 Pro Bowl. Cornerback Ty Law and defensive lineman Richard Seymour were both named as starters, while linebacker Willie McGinest was named as a reserve, replacing the injured Peter Boulware.
History of the New England Patriots
Bill Belichick, current head coach, was hired in 2000, and a new home field, Gillette Stadium was opened in 2002. Under Belichick, the team has won five Super Bowls, including three in four years (2001-2004), and finished the 2007 regular season with a perfect 16–0 record, becoming only the fourth team in league history to go undefeated, and the only one since the league expanded its regular season schedule to 16 games; however, they ended that season with an 18-1 record after their loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. The Patriots have made the playoffs in 14 of the 17 seasons that Belichick has been coach, missing them only in 2000 (his first season), 2002, and 2008. They later faced the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, 2015, and won by a score of 28-24. The Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium.
1985 New England Patriots season
The 1985 New England Patriots season was the 16th season for the team in the National Football League and 26th season overall. The Patriots had a record of eleven wins and five losses, and finished tied for second in the AFC East Division. They then became the first team in NFL history ever to advance to the Super Bowl by winning 3 playoff games on the road, defeating the New York Jets 26–14, the Los Angeles Raiders, 27–20, and the Miami Dolphins 31–14, in the AFC Championship game. The Patriots' win in Miami was their first victory in that stadium since 1969. The win over the Dolphins in the game has gone down as one of the greatest upsets in NFL history, as the Dolphins were heavily favored.
Super Bowl XXXVI
Coincidentally, this was the third straight time that the New England Patriots' Super Bowl appearance was hosted in New Orleans. The Patriots did not appear in a Super Bowl hosted by another city until the team played in Super Bowl XXXVIII two years later in Houston, Texas. They joined the Dallas Cowboys as the only teams to play three different Super Bowls in one stadium. The Cowboys played three at the old Miami Orange Bowl in the 1970s.
Super Bowl XVIII
The Raiders were the first team to score an offensive, defensive, and special teams touchdown in the same Super Bowl. The Redskins became the second defending champion to lose a Super Bowl (their divisional rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, were the first, losing Super Bowl XIII after winning Super Bowl XII). The Redskins would be joined by the Green Bay Packers in 1998 (won Super Bowl XXXI, lost Super Bowl XXXII), the Seattle Seahawks in 2015 (won Super Bowl XLVIII, lost Super Bowl XLIX), and the New England Patriots in 2018 (won Super Bowl LI, lost Super Bowl LII).
History of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Zereoue, filling in for Bettis, scored two touchdowns in the divisional playoff against the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, which the Steelers won 27–10. Pittsburgh then hosted its fourth AFC championship game in eight years, this one against the New England Patriots. Optimism was high as Bettis made his return. The Patriots jumped out to a big lead thanks to two special teams touchdowns, but the Steelers tried a third-quarter comeback with rushing touchdowns by Bettis and Zereoue. Kordell Stewart's final two drives both ended in interceptions, however, and the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots won the game 24–17.
History of the New Orleans Saints
The Super Bowl was played in Miami against the Colts, who had won Super Bowl XLI there three years earlier. Indianapolis jumped out to a 10-0 lead by the end of the 1st quarter. The Saints were unable to score a touchdown in the first half, and instead settled for two long Hartley field goals, making the score 10-6 at halftime. The 3rd quarter opened with New Orleans executing a surprise onside kick, and both teams got into an argument over who got hold of the ball. The Saints were ultimately ruled to have recovered it. A screen pass by Drew Brees to running back Pierre Thomas was good for a touchdown, giving the Saints a 13–10 lead, their first of the game. After another Colts touchdown, Hartley kicked another field goal to make it a 17–16 game. The Saints regained the lead with 5:42 remaining in the 4th quarter; a 2-yard touchdown pass from Brees to tight end Jeremy Shockey, followed by a two-point conversion by Lance Moore, made it a 24–17 Saints lead. On the Colts' ensuing drive, quarterback Peyton Manning was intercepted by Tracy Porter, who returned it 74 yards for the game-clinching touchdown. A strong defensive effort by New Orleans halted the Colts' attempt at another scoring drive, and the game ended 31–17. The Saints had finally won a championship after decades of futility, sending the city of New Orleans, and the region, into wild celebrations.
Super Bowl XVI
This was the first Super Bowl to feature two first-time participants since Super Bowl III (there has been only one since, Super Bowl XX between the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots). This was also the only Super Bowl to date between two teams who had losing records the previous season, although Super Bowl XXXIV matched a team that had a losing record in 1998 (St. Louis Rams) against a team that finished a mediocre 8–8 that year (Tennessee Titans). This is the most recent Super Bowl in which both teams had never appeared in "any" AFL/NFL title game before the merger.
2007 New England Patriots season
The Patriots finished the 2007 regular season by winning all sixteen of their games. They became only the fourth team in NFL history to finish a regular season undefeated, and first to do so since the 1972 Miami Dolphins. The Patriots were also the first team with a perfect regular season since the NFL expanded its schedule to sixteen games in 1978. Thus, they broke the record for victories in a single regular season that had been shared by the 1984 San Francisco 49ers, the 1985 Chicago Bears, the 1998 Minnesota Vikings, and the 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers, and later tied by the 2011 Green Bay Packers and 2015 Carolina Panthers, who each finished with a record of 15–1. The 1984 49ers and 1985 Bears would win Super Bowl XIX and Super Bowl XX, respectively, the 1998 Vikings and 2004 Steelers would lose their conference championship games, the 2011 Packers would lose their first playoff game, and the 2015 Panthers would lose Super Bowl 50.
Bills–Patriots rivalry
In the 1990 season, the Bills reached the Super Bowl for the first time, playing against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV. Although obviously not a game in the rivalry, the 1990 Giants were coached by Bill Parcells (who had been linebackers coach with the Patriots in 1980) and defensive coordinator Bill Belichick; both would become head coach of the Patriots. The Giants won 20–19.
2018 New England Patriots season
In the 2018–19 playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Chargers in the Divisional round 41–28, and advanced to the AFC Championship game for a record eighth-straight time. The Patriots defeated the Chiefs 37–31 in overtime to go to the Super Bowl for the third straight time, becoming only the third team in NFL history to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls (after the 1990–93 Buffalo Bills and the 1971–73 Miami Dolphins). In Super Bowl LIII, they will face the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a rematch of Super Bowl XXXVI, in which the Patriots defeated the then-St. Louis Rams in a shocking upset 20–17. The Patriots will attempt to win their sixth Super Bowl championship, hoping to tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers for most Super Bowl championships.
Raymond Berry
In the 1985 season, the team improved further, posting an 11–5 record and making the playoffs as a wild card team. They went on to become the first team in NFL history to advance to the Super Bowl by winning three playoff games on the road, defeating the New York Jets 26–14, the Los Angeles Raiders 27–20, and the Miami Dolphins 31–14. It was the first time the Patriots had beaten the Dolphins at the Orange Bowl (Miami's then-home stadium) since 1966, Miami's first season as a franchise. The Patriots had lost to the Dolphins there 18 consecutive times, including a 30–27 loss in Week 15 of the regular season. Despite their success in the playoffs, the Patriots were heavy underdogs to the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX. They lost 46–10 in what was at the time the most lopsided defeat in Super Bowl history. "We couldn't protect the quarterback, and that was my fault. I couldn't come up with a system to handle the Bears' pass rush", Berry acknowledged.
History of the New England Patriots
The Patriots defeated the Baltimore Ravens 35–31 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, advancing to their fourth consecutive AFC Championship game. There, they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 45–7 to advance to their eight Super Bowl appearance, making them only the third team to reach the Super Bowl eight times, with the other teams being the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. On February 1, 2015, the Patriots played the defending Super Bowl champions Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. After a scoreless first quarter, both teams exchanged two touchdowns to make it 14-14 at halftime. Seattle then scored a field goal and a touchdown to take a 10-point lead going into the final quarter. The Patriots rallied, scoring two touchdowns to take a 28-24 lead with 2:02 remaining. After the Seahawks drove all the way to the 1 yard line with under a minute to go, rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler caught a critical interception on Seattle's final offensive play that helped to seal the victory. Brady won his third Super Bowl MVP award.
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2004 season. The Patriots defeated the Eagles by the score of 24–21. The game was played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, the first time the Super Bowl was played in that city.
History of the New England Patriots
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, a suburb of Boston, which would serve as their home for 30 years; the team also changed their name to the New England Patriots to reflect the location change, as well as its following throughout the region as its only NFL team (though both New York City teams have substantial followings in parts of Connecticut as well). During the 1970s, the Patriots had some success, earning a berth to the playoffs in 1976—as a wild card-berth—and in 1978—as AFC East champions. They would lose both games. In 1985, they returned to the playoffs, and made it all the way to Super Bowl XX, which they lost against 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. They changed ownership several times in that period, 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, local businessman Robert Kraft in 1994.
New England Patriots
The Patriots first played the Miami Dolphins in 1966 in the AFL, when Miami was one of two expansion teams to debut that year in that league. The Dolphins dominated the Patriots in the 1970s and 1990s, but the two teams remained competitive with each other for years before the rise of Tom Brady. Brady, however, struggled occasionally against the Dolphins in the 2000s before reasserting dominance in the 2010s. The Patriots and Dolphins are the only two teams in the Super Bowl era to post undefeated regular season records, with Miami going 14-0 in 1972 and the Patriots going 16-0 in 2007. Notable moments between the clubs include the Snowplow Game, three playoff matchups, and the Dolphins revealing their Wildcat offense against the Patriots.
Super Bowl XXXI
This was the first Super Bowl played at the Superdome in which the home (and losing) team's point total was something other than 10. The Dallas Cowboys beat the Denver Broncos 27–10 in Super Bowl XII, the Oakland Raiders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 27–10 in Super Bowl XV, the Chicago Bears beat the New England Patriots 46–10 in Super Bowl XX, and the San Francisco 49ers beat the Denver Broncos 55–10 in Super Bowl XXIV.
Super Bowl XLII
When the New England Patriots arrived at Super Bowl XLII, they were already billed as the greatest team in NFL history. The Patriots were not only competing for a fourth Super Bowl title since the 2001 season; they were aiming to become the first team in NFL history to achieve a 19–0 record. Their perfect 16–0 record in the regular season was the first since the league moved to a 16 game regular season in 1978. It was also only the fourth undefeated and untied regular season in NFL history. New England set NFL records with 589 points scored (an average of 36.8 points per game) (since broken by the 2013 Broncos), 75 total touchdowns, and a net differential of +315 points (they gave up 274 points, fourth best in the league). Some experts have suggested that the Patriots' 16–0 record is the culmination of a larger trend towards better records for top NFL teams since the league realignment in 2002.
The team was led by quarterback Tom Brady who won his first NFL MVP & NFL Offensive MVP award, throwing for a career-high 4,806 yards and a then NFL record 50 touchdowns (22 more than his previous best season; since broken by Peyton Manning in 2013), and just eight interceptions. His passer rating of 117.2 was the second-highest season rating in NFL history. One often-cited reason for Brady's improved numbers was the acquisition of receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker. The Patriots acquired Moss, a nine-year veteran, from the Oakland Raiders for a fourth-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft after Moss had, statistically, the worst year of his career (with 42 receptions for 553 yards and three touchdowns). With the Patriots, though, Moss caught 98 receptions for 1,493 yards and an NFL record 23 touchdowns, and was selected a first-team All Pro. The Patriots also gave the Miami Dolphins second- and seventh-round picks for Welker; Welker tied for the league lead with 112 receptions for 1,175 yards and 8 touchdowns and was named a second-team All Pro. Welker and Moss both earned votes for Offensive Player of the Year. Other major contributors to the Patriots' passing game included Donté Stallworth, who added 697 yards and three touchdowns, and tight end Benjamin Watson, whose 36 receptions totaled 389 yards and six touchdowns.
Super Bowl
The New England Patriots became the dominant team throughout the early 2000s, winning the championship three out of four years early in the decade. They would become only the second team in the history of the NFL to do so (after the 1990s Dallas Cowboys). In Super Bowl XXXVI, first-year starting quarterback Tom Brady led his team to a 20–17 upset victory over the St. Louis Rams. Brady would go on to win the MVP award for this game. The Patriots also won Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX defeating the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles respectively. This four-year stretch of Patriot dominance was interrupted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 48–21 Super Bowl XXXVII victory over the Oakland Raiders.
Nick Foles
After stints with the Rams and the Chiefs, Foles returned to the Eagles in 2017. After Carson Wentz was injured late in the regular season, Foles led the Eagles to the franchise's third Super Bowl appearance. The Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII for their first Super Bowl title, and Foles was named the game's MVP.
Antowain Smith
The next season Smith rejuvenated his professional career when he joined the New England Patriots. He ran for 1,157 yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season. He also ran for 204 yards in the playoffs as the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI. The iconic moment of him being the first Patriot to run onto the field after Adam Vinatieri kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired is what Smith is remembered for the most in his career. Smith's numbers dropped off a bit in 2002 as he ran for 982 yards and 6 touchdowns. He did get more involved in the passing game however, and caught 31 balls including 2 touchdowns. 2003 was Smith's final season in New England and he managed just 642 yards, although he still led the team in rushing. His play improved in the playoffs that year as he ran for 252 yards and 2 scores as Smith and the Patriots won their second Super Bowl championship, Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Super Bowl XX
But the Patriots, under head coach Raymond Berry, defied the odds, beating the New York Jets 26–14, Los Angeles Raiders 27–20, and the Dolphins 31–14 – all on the road – to make it to the Super Bowl. The win against Miami had been especially surprising, not only because Miami was the only team to beat Chicago in the season, but also because New England had not won in the Orange Bowl (Miami's then-home field) since 1966, the Dolphins' first season (then in the AFL). The Patriots had lost to Miami there 18 consecutive times, including a 30–27 loss in their 15th game of the season. But New England dominated the Dolphins in the AFC Championship Game, recording two interceptions from quarterback Dan Marino and recovering 4 fumbles. New England remains the only team to finish third in their division and qualify for the Super Bowl in the same season.
2011 New York Giants season
In winning the Super Bowl, the Giants became the first team to have won Super Bowl games broadcast on all four U.S. national networks (CBS, ABC, Fox, and now NBC), as well as the first team to win Super Bowls in four different decades. The Giants-Patriots game was the 11th time that there was a rematch in a Super Bowl. In doing so, the 2011 Giants became the first team with fewer than 10 wins (9 wins – 7 losses) in the regular season to win a Super Bowl. Furthermore, Super Bowl XLVI marked just the second time in Super Bowl history that opening score of the title game occurred with a safety when Justin Tuck pressured Tom Brady, and he was called for intentional grounding; the first instance was Super Bowl IX, when Pittsburgh registered a safety on Hall of Fame coach Bud Grant's Vikings. Eli Manning won his second Super Bowl MVP award in four years after orchestrating another game-winning touchdown drive in the game's final moments.
2017 Philadelphia Eagles season
The Eagles defeated the Patriots 41-33 to win their first Super Bowl title in franchise history, and their first championship since 1960. During the game, a trick play, known as the Philly Special was called where three players combined for a touchdown at 4th-and-Goal before halftime. Nick Foles was named the Super Bowl MVP, the first backup player or quarterback to earn this award. Foles was 28-of-43 of his passes, threw for 373 yards, 3 touchdowns, an interception and even caught a score.
Logos and uniforms of the New York Giants
The Giants reached the Super Bowl, and since the AFC and NFC alternate "home team" designation in the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots wore their home blues, forcing the Giants to wear their road uniforms. The Giants ultimately won the game, marking their first Super Bowl victory in their road uniform.
Super Bowl XIII
The Cowboys were playing their third Super Bowl at the Orange Bowl, the first team to play three different Super Bowls in the same stadium. The New England Patriots have since done the same playing three Super Bowls at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Cowboys were 0–3 in Orange Bowl games and 5–0 in their other Super Bowls.
Oakland Raiders
The rivalry between the Raiders and New England Patriots dates to their time in the AFL, but was intensified during a 1978 preseason game, when Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley was permanently paralyzed after a vicious hit delivered by Raiders free safety Jack Tatum. Before that, New England also lost a playoff game in 1976 to the Raiders; the game is unofficially known as "The Ben Dreith Game" due to a controversial penalty by head referee Dreith. While based in Los Angeles, the team hosted New England in the divisional round of the playoffs in 1986. The game was won by New England and marred by a chaotic rumble between the teams in the end zone as players were leaving the field after the game. The brawl was especially notable for Matt Millen attacking Patriots GM Patrick Sullivan with his helmet. The two teams met in a divisional-round playoff game in 2002, which became known as the "Tuck Rule Game". Late in the game, an incomplete pass, ruled a fumble, by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was overturned, and New England went on to win in overtime and eventually won the Super Bowl against the heavily favored St. Louis Rams, the Raiders' former crosstown rivals in Los Angeles. Since that game, the Patriots have won five of the last six regular season contests between the two teams. The first contest being the following year during the 2002 season in Oakland, with the Raiders winning 27–20; they met in the 2005 season opener in New England with the Patriots ruining Randy Moss' debut as a Raider 30–20; the Patriots defeated the Raiders 49–26 in December 2008 in Bill Belichick's 100th regular season win as Patriots coach; a Patriots 31–19 win during the 2011 season; a scrappy 16–9 Patriots win in the third week of the 2014 season, and the Patriots' 33–8 win in Mexico City in 2017.
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Carolina Panthers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2003 season. The Patriots defeated the Panthers by a score of 32–29. The game was played at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, on February 1, 2004. At the time, this was the most watched Super Bowl ever with 144.4 million viewers.
Super Bowl VI
Super Bowl VI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Miami Dolphins to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1971 season. The Cowboys defeated the Dolphins by the score of 24–3, to win their first Super Bowl. The game was played on January 16, 1972, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, the second time the Super Bowl was played in that city. Despite the southerly location, it was unseasonably cold at the time, with the kickoff air temperature of making this the coldest Super Bowl ever played.
Bill Parcells
After a two-year hiatus, Parcells returned to the NFL in 1993 as the head coach for the New England Patriots. Within two years, he coached the team to a 10–6 record and its first playoff game in eight years. In 1996, he led the Patriots to their first division title in 11 years, and only the second and third home playoff games in franchise history. The Patriots went all the way to Super Bowl XXXI, but lost to the Green Bay Packers, 35–21, in New Orleans.
2007 NFL season
The New England Patriots became the first team to complete the regular season undefeated since the league expanded to a 16-game regular season in 1978. Four weeks after the playoffs began on January 5, 2008, the Patriots' bid for a perfect season was dashed when they lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, the league championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on February 3, by a score of 17–14.
2014 New England Patriots season
The 2014 season would mark the ten-year anniversary of the Patriots third Super Bowl win, when they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. Despite their championship drought, Bill Belichick’s Patriots remained historically dominant throughout much of the 2000s. They qualified for the playoffs nine times—missing only the 2008 postseason—reached the AFC Championship five times, appeared in two Super Bowls and, in the eyes of many, solidified Tom Brady’s status as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. In 2007, the Patriots completed only the second undefeated regular season in the history of the modern NFL (the first being the 1972 Miami Dolphins), as well as the first in since the league expanded its seasons to sixteen games. It was achievements such as these that made the Patriots a particularly intriguing target of interest to the media. A miserable loss in week four against the Kansas City Chiefs where they dropped to 2-2, the frequent off-field antics of tight-end Rob Gronkowski and the highly publicized Deflategate scandal were all important chronicles of the 2014 Patriots’ wild season, the latter of which would ultimately result in the four-game suspension of Brady for the beginning of the 2016 NFL season. Despite all this, the Patriots managed to emerge victorious in the end.
New England Patriots
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 (2001, 2003, and 2004). The Patriots 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. 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. The Patriots' returned to the Super Bowl in 2012 but lost again to the Giants, 21–17. In 2015, they won Super Bowl XLIX, defeating the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 28–24. The Patriots became the first team to reach nine Super Bowls in the 2016–17 playoffs and faced the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI, which ended up paving the way for their fifth Super Bowl victory, tying them with the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers for the second-most in NFL history, 1 behind the Pittsburgh Steelers with 6; the game was also the first Super Bowl to go into overtime.
2011 New York Giants season
The 2011 Giants were the first team in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl with a negative point differential (minus-6, 394 points scored, 400 points allowed). With a 9–7 record, the Giants became the third NFL team to win fewer than 10 games in a 16-game season, and reach the Super Bowl. but became the first of the three to win the Super Bowl. The previous teams to go 9–7 and reach the Super Bowl (the '79 Rams, who only needed two playoff wins were the first, and the 2008 Arizona Cardinals) were both defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Additionally, upon defeating the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI the Giants became the first NFC East Division champion to win the Super Bowl since the Dallas Cowboys in 1995 (the Giants were a Wild Card team when they won Super Bowl XLII). The Giants were also close to rematching the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2001.
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Meanwhile, the Patriots first defeated the Tennessee Titans, 17–14, in one of the coldest games in NFL history, with temperatures reaching 4 °F (−15 °C). New England jumped to 14–7 lead in the first half with a touchdown pass by Brady and a touchdown run from Smith. However, quarterback Steve McNair's 11-yard touchdown pass to receiver Derrick Mason tied the game in the third period. With 4:06 remaining in the game, Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri made a 46-yard field goal to take the lead. New England's defense later clinched a victory as they stopped the Titans from scoring on fourth down on their last drive of the game.
New York Jets
Since the inception of the American Football League, the Jets have maintained what is considered to be a marquee rivalry with the New England Patriots. The rivalry was relatively docile in its early years until 1966 when the Jets removed the Patriots, who had hopes of appearing in Super Bowl I, from playoff contention with a 38–28 defeat at Shea Stadium. The Patriots returned the favor in 1985 when the Jets lost to New England 26–14 in the wild card round; the Patriots went on to Super Bowl XX where they were defeated by the Bears.
History of the New York Giants
The New York Giants won Super Bowl XLVI against the New England Patriots by a score of 21–17. The winning touchdown drive began with a 38-yard reception by receiver Mario Manningham. As in Super Bowl XLII, Eli Manning was the game's MVP, defeating Tom Brady for a second time in the Super Bowl.
Curse of Billy Penn
On February 4, 2018, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII 41-33 to win their first Super Bowl in team history, and first championship since the 1960 NFL Championship.
Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1996 season. The Packers defeated the Patriots by the score of 35–21, earning their third overall Super Bowl victory, and their first since Super Bowl II. The Packers also extended their league record for the most overall NFL championships to 12. It was also the last in a run of 13 straight Super Bowl victories by the NFC over the AFC. The game was played on January 26, 1997 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Super Bowl
In the 2007 season, the Patriots became the fourth team in NFL history to have a perfect unbeaten and untied regular season record, the second in the Super Bowl era after the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and the first to finish 16–0. They easily marched through the AFC playoffs and were heavy favorites in Super Bowl XLII. However, they lost that game to Eli Manning and the New York Giants 17–14, leaving the Patriots' 2007 record at 18–1.
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 in the ensuing 14 years, 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 (where it would have been renamed as the St. Louis Stallions), but instead sold the team in 1994 to its current owner Robert Kraft.
History of the New England Patriots
On July 30, 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, against the Denver Broncos on September 9, 1960, a game which they lost by a score of 10-13. Although the team made only one AFL playoff appearance (in 1963), it had numerous stars. In 1963, eleven Patriots made the AFL All-star team, including Gino Cappelletti, Jim Colclough, Nick Buoniconti, and Babe Parilli. That year the Patriots made it to the AFL Championship for the first time ever, but lost to the San Diego Chargers 51–10. Linebacker Tom Addison, an original Patriot and the first Patriot all-star, founded and was selected President of the AFL Players Association in the mid-1960s. In the late-1960s, fullback Jim Nance became an offensive weapon for the Patriots, gaining 1,458 yards in 1966 and 1,216 in 1967, when he was the AFL MVP.
History of the New England Patriots
After routing the Denver Broncos 45–10 in the Divisional Game, the Patriots won the AFC Championship Game, defeating the Baltimore Ravens 23–20, after Ravens receiver Lee Evans dropped a potential go-ahead touchdown and kicker Billy Cundiff missed a game-tying 31-yard field goal attempt in the closing seconds. Seeking revenge from their defeat in the regular season, the Patriots came up short against the NFC champion New York Giants 21–17 in Super Bowl XLVI, a rematch of the team's previous Super Bowl loss.
2016 New England Patriots season
During the season, the New England Patriots became the first team that originated from the American Football League to reach 500 franchise wins—regular season and playoffs—with their Week 12 win over the New York Jets. In Week 15, the Patriots clinched their eighth straight AFC East division title, and in doing so surpassed the 1979 Los Angeles Rams for most consecutive division titles. With their Week 17 win over the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots clinched home field advantage throughout the entire AFC playoffs and ended the regular season with a league-best record of 14–2. With their win over the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round, the Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship Game for the sixth consecutive year, surpassing the 1977 Oakland Raiders for most consecutive appearances in conference championship games. After their win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots became the first organization to clinch a ninth Super Bowl berth. They surpassed the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, and Denver Broncos who are all tied at 8. Furthermore, Bill Belichick broke the record for a head coach by coaching his seventh Super Bowl, breaking a tie with Don Shula.
Tony Eason
The Patriots made their first appearance in a Super Bowl in franchise history that year, meeting the Chicago Bears with Jim McMahon and Walter Payton. The Bears' famed 46 defense defeated Eason and the Patriots in Super Bowl XX, and Eason became the first starting quarterback in Super Bowl history not to complete a pass, going 0-for-6. Eason was replaced with Steve Grogan, but the Patriots still lost the game, by a final score of 46–10, which was the largest winning margin of any Super Bowl up to that time.
NRG Stadium
NRG Stadium has hosted 2 Super Bowls Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl LI which were both won by the New England Patriots.
2007 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots of 2007 are the only NFL team of the modern (Super Bowl) era to have an undefeated record during the regular season and not win the Super Bowl.
Philadelphia Eagles
With Foles at the helm, Philadelphia started off the game strong, leading the Patriots 22–12 at halftime. New England's only lead was by one point in the fourth quarter, 33–32. The Eagles rallied back and scored an 11-yard touchdown to tight end Zach Ertz. The last score of the game was a 46-yard field goal by Jake Elliott to make the final score 41–33. The franchise won their first Super Bowl ever and their first championship since 1960. Foles won Super Bowl MVP going 28 out of 43 with 373 passing yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Foles became the first backup quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl since his opponent Tom Brady won as the backup for Drew Bledsoe in 2002's Super Bowl XXXVI.One of the NFL's oldest, this rivalry began on October 15, 1933
when the Giants defeated the newly founded Eagles 56–0. The all-time series is tied at 86–86–2. Three of the best known comebacks against the Giants are labeled as "Miracle In The Meadowlands – Herm Edwards", "Miracle In The Meadowlands II – Brian Westbrook" and "Miracle In The New Meadowlands – DeSean Jackson".
Yankees–Red Sox rivalry
In 2002, when the NFL's New England Patriots held their victory celebration after winning their first Super Bowl and the first championship for the city of Boston since the Celtics won the 1986 NBA Finals, linebacker Larry Izzo fired up the crowd, chanting "Yankees suck!" The chant would become a fixture of Patriots Super Bowl victory rallies following their victories in Super Bowls XXXVIII in 2004 and XXXIX in 2005, which were sandwiched around the Red Sox 2004 World Series win. Dan Shaughnessy wrote about the chant: "Can you imagine a Giants or a Jets celebration in New York City in which a New York player would take the time to chant, 'Red Sox suck? Shaughnessy opined that should such a thing occur, it would be more likely at a Jets celebration, as a Giants celebration, like those of the Mets and the Rangers, would be more likely to feature such chants made in reference to the Philadelphia teams, as one of the Giants' primary rivalries is with the Philadelphia Eagles.
2001 St. Louis Rams season
The Rams returned to the Super Bowl for a second time after shockingly winning their first title 2 years before, but this time against the 11-5 New England Patriots, led by Bill Belichick and sophomore quarterback Tom Brady. The Rams lost 17–20 and were expected by many to win their 2nd Super Bowl title. This was the Rams' last Super Bowl appearance until 2019, when they defeated the Saints 26–23 in the NFC Championship game.
NBC Sunday Night Football results
The first Super Bowl aired as part of this package took place on February 1 in Raymond James Stadium, with the Steelers winning over the Cardinals (who became the third consecutive team to lose in its first Super Bowl appearance; coincidentally, the last team to win in its first appearance were the Buccaneers, who call Raymond James Stadium home, and that Super Bowl was also called by Al Michaels, who was with ABC at the time; the streak was snapped by the Bucs' division rivals the New Orleans Saints the next year).
Nelson Agholor
During Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots, Agholor finished with 84 receiving yards as the Eagles won 41-33, earning their first Super Bowl championship in franchise history.
2007 New England Patriots season
The Patriots were not able to join the 1984 49ers and 1985 Bears as Super Bowl champions, losing the Super Bowl and failing to go 19–0 and claim their fourth Super Bowl victory. They would have become just the fourth team to win at least four Super Bowls (joining the 49ers, Steelers, and Dallas Cowboys, each of whom had won five at the time). In Super Bowl XLII, the New York Giants defeated the Patriots 17–14 in one of the biggest upsets in NFL history.
Super Bowl LI
After a scoreless first quarter, Atlanta scored 21 points before New England made a field goal with two seconds left in the second quarter, to make it a 21–3 halftime lead. The Falcons then increased their lead to 28–3 midway through the third quarter, with quarterback Matt Ryan completing his second touchdown pass. The Patriots then scored 25 unanswered points to tie the game, 28–28, with 57 seconds left in regulation. New England won the overtime coin toss, received the kickoff and drove 75 yards to win with a 2-yard touchdown run by running back James White. When the game ended, more than 30 team and individual Super Bowl records had been either broken or matched. White's 14 receptions and his 20 points scored (off of 3 touchdowns and a two-point conversion) were among these broken records. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who also broke single-game Super Bowl records with 43 completed passes, 62 pass attempts, and 466 passing yards, was named Super Bowl MVP for a record fourth time.
2017 Philadelphia Eagles season
The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Patriots by a score of 41–33. Nick Foles also was named Super Bowl MVP after the game. With this win, the Eagles finally won their first Super Bowl, and their first NFL title since 1960.
2016 New England Patriots season
In Super Bowl LI, the Patriots rallied from a 28–3 deficit – with 2:12 left in the third quarter – to win in overtime, with a score of 34–28. This would be the franchise's fifth Super Bowl title. Super Bowl LI was the first Super Bowl to be decided in overtime and constituted the first time the winner erased a deficit higher than ten points. This would also be a record fifth Super Bowl victory for the Brady–Belichick quarterback-head coach combo. For Tom Brady, this would be his fifth. With the Super Bowl win, he broke his tie with hall of fame quarterbacks Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw who both have four wins each. Moreover, head coach Bill Belichick's fifth Super Bowl meant he surpassed Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll (4) for most wins in the Super Bowl by a head coach.
Joshua Perkins
Perkins and the Falcons reached Super Bowl LI, where they faced the New England Patriots. In the Super Bowl, the Falcons fell in a 34–28 overtime defeat.
Patrick Chung
The New England Patriots finished as the top seed with a 14-2 record. They went on to reach the Super Bowl after defeating the Houston Texans 34–16 in the AFC Divisional Round and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game 36–17. On February 5, 2017, Chung recorded five combined tackles and two passes defended as the Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 34–28 in overtime to win Super Bowl LI. The Super Bowl featured the first overtime game and largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
Super Bowl LI
Bosher's 36-yard kick gave the Patriots the ball on their own 9-yard line with 3:30 left on the clock and two of their timeouts left. After two incompletions, Brady picked up a first down with a 16-yard pass to Chris Hogan. After an 11-yard pass to Mitchell, Brady threw a pass that was nearly intercepted by Alford. Instead, he batted the ball in the air, and it fell into the arms of Edelman, who made a diving catch and just barely managed to get his hands under the ball before it hit the ground, picking up 23 yards. Atlanta challenged the catch, but the referees confirmed the call on the field and Atlanta lost their final time out. Brady's next pass to Amendola gained 20 yards to the Falcons 21-yard line as the clock ran down below the two-minute warning. Two more passes to White gained 20 yards and gave New England a first down at the 1-yard line. With 58 seconds left, White scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, and Brady completed a 2-point conversion pass to Amendola, tying the score at 28. Atlanta started their drive deep in their own end with just under a minute and zero time outs. The Falcons failed to get in range to score a possible game-winning field goal and punted, with the Patriots fair catching the ball at their own 35-yard line. The Patriots considered, but ultimately declined, ending regulation on what would have been the first fair catch kick ever attempted in a Super Bowl. Instead, New England attempted a fake quarterback kneel running play for Dion Lewis. The play gained several yards but failed to score and sent the Super Bowl into overtime for the first time in the game's history. Super Bowl LI became the first NFL championship game to go into an overtime period since the historic 1958 NFL Championship Game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants.
History of the Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens and New England Patriots played for a spot in the Super Bowl. After a close 3 quarters which saw the ball being turned over several times, Tom Brady leaped over the goal line on a 4th and 1 to put the Patriots ahead 23–20. After another couple of turnovers on both ends the Ravens marched down the field with under a minute to go. Joe Flacco threw a pass to Lee Evans with 38 seconds left, who appeared to catch it for the winning touchdown but the ball was knocked out by Patriots defensive back Sterling Moore, resulting in an incomplete pass. After Joe Flacco threw a dropped pass to Lee Evans, Billy Cundiff came out onto the field with 15 seconds to go to try and tie the game up with a 32-yard field goal. The kick went well to the left of the Patriots' goal post, and New England advanced to Super Bowl XLVI for a rematch with the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
1974 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots finished the National Football League's 1974 season with a record of seven wins and seven losses, and finished tied for third in the AFC East Division. The Pats stunned the Super Bowl Champion Miami Dolphins in Week 1 at Schaffer Stadium. The Pats went on to win their first five games on their way to a 6–1 start. However, they struggled in the second half, winning only one game before finishing with a 7–7 record.
2016 New England Patriots season
For the first time in Super Bowl history, a game went into overtime. New England won the coin toss, calling "heads" and chose to receive the kick. After passes from Brady to White, Amendola, Chris Hogan, and Julian Edelman, as well as a 10-yard rush by White, the Patriots had first-and-10 at the Falcons' 15-yard line. A pass interference penalty against De'Vondre Campbell put the ball at the Atlanta 2. After an incomplete pass intended for Martellus Bennett, James White took a toss to the right and dove at the goal line for a touchdown, winning Super Bowl LI for the Patriots, 34–28.