New England Patriots

AFL years (1959–1970)

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 the "Boston Patriots", with "Patriots" referring to the colonists of the Thirteen Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution and in July 1776 declared the United States of America an independent nation, which heavily involved the then–colony of Massachusetts. Immediately thereafter, artist Phil Bissell of The Boston Globe developed the "Pat Patriot" logo.

The Patriots never had a regular home stadium in the AFL. Boston University Field, Harvard Stadium, Fenway Park (shared with Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox), and Boston College's Alumni Stadium all served as home fields during their time in the American Football League. The 1963 season saw the franchise's first playoff win over Buffalo to clinch the division. They subsequently lost the AFL Championship game to the San Diego Chargers 51–10. They did not appear again in an AFL or NFL post-season game for another 13 years.

Post-merger years (1970–2000)

When the NFL and AFL merged in 1970, the Patriots were placed in the American Football Conference (AFC) East division, where they still play. The following year, the Patriots moved to a new stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, their home for the next 30 years, and changed their name from the Boston Patriots to the Bay State Patriots, after the state of Massachusetts. The name was rejected by the NFL and on March 22, 1971, the team officially announced they would change its geographic name to New England.

Anchored by offensive lineman John Hannah, widely regarded among the greatest at his position, along with future Hall of Famers Mike Haynes (cornerback) and Andre Tippett (linebacker), the Patriots achieved intermittent success during the 1970s and 1980s. Raymond Berry took over the coaching reins in 1984 and led the Patriots to a 51–41 record the next five and a half years. Berry's 1985 team had an 11–5 record, earned a wild-card playoff berth, and won three straight AFC playoff games on the road to advance to Super Bowl XX, which they lost to the Chicago Bears 46–10. Berry left the team after a disappointing 1989 season, and his replacement Rod Rust only lasted one season, 1990, during which the Patriots went 1–15.

Ownership turmoil

In the mid-1970s, team owner Billy Sullivan temporarily lost control of the Patriots despite holding a significant ownership stake (20% of the voting stock), but regained it after buying out minority partners and public shareholders. The buyout later led to a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling that the transaction was illegal and required additional compensation to shareholders. Financial difficulties intensified in the 1980s, particularly after heavy losses tied to financing The Jacksons' 1984 Victory Tour, which had been secured using Sullivan Stadium as collateral. Mounting debt ultimately forced the Sullivans to place both the Patriots and the stadium on the market in 1985, despite the team's Super Bowl appearance that season.

In the years that followed, the team changed ownership several times. Victor Kiam purchased the Patriots in 1988, selling the team to James Orthwein in 1992. 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. Orthwein and his marketing team then defied Patriots fans' overwhelming preference and commissioned the NFL to develop a new visual identity and logo, and changed their primary colors from the traditional red, white and blue to blue and silver for the team uniforms. Orthwein intended to move the team to his native St. Louis (where it would have been renamed as the St. Louis Stallions), but instead sold the team in 1994 for $175 million to Boston paper magnate Robert Kraft, who had bought the Patriots' then-home, Foxboro Stadium, out of bankruptcy in 1988.

Continuing on as head coach under Kraft's ownership, Parcells would bring the Patriots to two playoff appearances, including Super Bowl XXXI following the 1996 season, 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 and 1998 before being dismissed as head coach after the 1999 season.

Brady–Belichick era (2000–2019)

The Patriots made a pivotal move in 2000 by hiring Bill Belichick as head coach. Belichick, previously a defensive assistant under Parcells and former head coach of the Cleveland Browns (1991–1995), quickly shaped a competitive roster using a combination of veteran free agents, such as linebacker Mike Vrabel and running back Corey Dillon, and high-value draft picks, including linebacker Tedy Bruschi and cornerback Ty Law. Under Belichick, the Patriots became one of the most consistently dominant teams in the NFL, with many describing the team as a "dynasty". In 2001, an injury to starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe allowed sixth-round pick Tom Brady to take over the offense, leading the team to a Super Bowl victory over the St. Louis Rams 20–17. Brady would go on to become one of the NFL's top quarterbacks, guiding the Patriots to additional Super Bowl victories in the 2003 season (32–29 over the Carolina Panthers) and the 2004 season (24–21 over the Philadelphia Eagles). Their new home field, Gillette Stadium, opened in 2002 to replace the aging Foxboro Stadium.

Before the 2007 season, New England acquired All-Pro wide receiver Randy Moss, and the team set numerous offensive records while completing a perfect 16–0 regular season. However, they were upset by the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII 17–14. That season was also marked by the "Spygate" controversy, in which the Patriots were penalized for videotaping the New York Jets sideline signals, resulting in fines for both Belichick and the team and the loss of a draft pick. Brady missed most of the 2008 season due to injury, and the team failed to make the playoffs despite an 11–5 record, but they returned to division-winning form in 2009. Moss was traded in 2010, yet the team remained among the league's highest-scoring offenses behind Brady, wide receiver Wes Welker, and tight end Rob Gronkowski, finishing with the AFC's best record in both 2010 and 2011, and reaching a Super Bowl rematch with the Giants, which they lost again 21–17.

The Patriots continued to perform at a high level through the mid-2010s, recording 12–4 seasons and AFC championship appearances in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, New England again won 12 games and posted the best record in the AFC en route to winning a conference championship. They won Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks 28–24, though the season was later associated with the "Deflategate" controversy, resulting in a suspension for Brady and penalties for the team. In 2015, New England won another division title but fell in the AFC championship game. The following season, the Patriots went an NFL-best 14–2 and cruised through the postseason en route to another AFC championship. In Super Bowl LI, New England overcame a 25-point deficit against the Atlanta Falcons—the largest comeback in Super Bowl history—to secure their fifth championship, 34–28 in overtime.

In 2017, the team went 13–3, advanced to Super Bowl LII, and lost narrowly to the Philadelphia Eagles 41–33, marking their fifth Super Bowl loss. New England continued its dominance in 2018, earning the second seed in the AFC playoffs. After a convincing victory in the divisional round, the Patriots won a roller-coaster AFC championship game over the Kansas City Chiefs to qualify for a third straight Super Bowl. They defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13–3, in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl game in history, securing their sixth title and tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl victories in NFL history. In 2019, the Patriots extended their streak of consecutive AFC East titles to 11, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. In March 2020, Brady departed the team in free agency to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Post-Brady era (2019–present)

Following Tom Brady's departure, the Patriots posted a losing record in 2020 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. The team declined further in 2023, finishing 4–13, after which Belichick parted ways with the organization. In the 2024 NFL draft, the Patriots selected quarterback Drake Maye, but the team struggled again, finishing 4–13. Head coach Jerod Mayo was subsequently replaced by Mike Vrabel. Under Vrabel, New England experienced a dramatic turnaround in 2025, finishing 14–3 and winning the AFC East. The 10-game improvement matched an NFL record. The Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos, 10–7, in the AFC Championship Game to advance to Super Bowl LX, but lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 29–13.

History

Since 2002, the Patriots' home stadium has been Gillette Stadium, located 22 miles outside Boston in Foxborough, Massachusetts. A $350 million facility privately financed by Robert Kraft, it houses the team's practice facilities, administrative offices, and its owning entity The Kraft Group, as well as the Kraft-owned Major League Soccer team, the New England Revolution. The field's natural grass was replaced with a FieldTurf surface during the 2006 season. The Patriots installed a new video board, the largest in the United States, in 2023. Gillette Stadium has hosted more postseason games than any other venue except Candlestick Park's 27. The Patriots had a 21–4 playoff record in this stadium after the 2025 NFL season. Beginning in 2007, the area around the stadium was developed 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. The stadium was originally known as CMGI Field, after an internet company based in Andover, Massachusetts, before the naming rights were bought by Gillette after the "dot-com" bust.

In 1960, the team established its first dedicated administrative front offices at 522 Commonwealth Avenue in Kenmore Square, Boston. In 1965, the club offices were relocated closer to their primary home field at Fenway Park, moving to 78 Lansdowne Street. During their first decade in the American Football League (AFL), the franchise did not own a stadium and frequently rotated through various collegiate and professional venues in Greater Boston due to scheduling conflicts and lease limitations.

Following the rejection of a $16 million stadium proposal in Boston, the Patriots selected Foxborough, in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, as their new home on April 4, 1970, citing superior highway infrastructure and a larger regional population base. Construction on the 62,000-seat Schaefer Stadium began on September 23, 1970, with a construction cost of approximately $6.2 million. The stadium was renamed Sullivan Stadium in 1983. Then in 1990, the name changed to Foxboro Stadium. The final game in this stadium was the 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff game which was a 16–13 overtime win over the visiting Oakland Raiders, known for the raging snowstorm and the "tuck rule" call.

New York Jets

Both the New York Jets and the Patriots were charter members of the American Football League. Before the Brady-Belichick era, there was general parity between the teams, with the Jets leading the overall series 43–36–1. However, once the Brady-Belichick era began, the Patriots thereafter dominated, now leading 77–56–1, with a record of 41–13 since the turn of the century.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins and Patriots have been division rivals since the Dolphins joined the AFL in 1966. The Dolphins generally dominated the series throughout the 20th century, and despite the success of the Brady-Belichick era, the Dolphins still hold the lead in the series 64–57.

Buffalo Bills

Like the rest of the current AFC East, the Patriots and Bills were rivals in the AFL, with both teams being charter members of that organization. Like the Jets, the series saw general parity (with the Patriots leading 41–38–1) until the 21st century, when the Patriots took the lead in the series 81–52–1, with a record of 40–14 since the turn of the century.

Indianapolis Colts

Although both teams have been rivals since the AFL-NFL merger (Due to them being in the same division before the 2002 realignment) the rivalry greatly intensified in the 2000s when Tom Brady and Peyton Manning emerged as two of the greatest quarterbacks of the decade for the Patriots and Colts respectively, with the teams frequently clashing in the playoffs. The Patriots lead the overall series 53–32.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers and Patriots' rise as Super Bowl contenders in the late 1990s and early 2000s has fueled a rivalry between the two teams, with the teams experiencing several playoff showdowns, such as the AFC Championship in 2001 and 2016. The Patriots currently lead the series 20–17.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens and the Patriots developed a rivalry with several playoff meetings in the late 2000s and 2010s. The Patriots lead the overall series 12–5, although both teams have beaten each other twice in the playoffs.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos and Patriots have met multiple times in the playoffs, though their rivalry was intensified when Peyton Manning joined the Broncos, with Brady and Manning facing off in the playoffs for the last time during the Broncos' Super Bowl winning season in 2015. Denver currently leads the series 31–25.

New York Giants

While the teams had been rivals prior, the Patriots' and Giants' matchups in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI has greatly intensified the rivalry between the two teams, particularly between quarterbacks Tom Brady and Eli Manning. the Patriots lead the overall series 8–7.

Super Bowl championships

The New England Patriots have won six Super Bowls, the league championship of the NFL. The franchise is tied for the most all-time with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team repeated as champions between the 2003 and 2004 NFL seasons, they are only among eight NFL franchises to accomplish the feat. Between 2001 and 2004, the Patriots became the second team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in four years (2001, 2003, and 2004).

AFC championships

The Patriots have won twelve AFC Championships, the record for the most conference championships all-time in the NFL.

Division championships

The Patriots have won 23 division championships, which is second place for the most all-time behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys, who are tied in first with 24. One of these divisional titles was won in the AFL in the AFL East (1963), the rest were won in the AFC East of the NFL.

Season-by-season results

This is a partial list of the Patriots' last six completed seasons.

Note: The finish, wins, losses, and ties columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play.