As a presumed newcomer to the New England Patriots fandom, here lies everything you need to know before tuning into the upcoming season staring on Sunday, September 10th!
Early History
Originally the “Boston Patriots” the team was founded in 1959 as part of the American Football League (AFL), and later joined the National Football League (NFL) in 1970 with the merger of the AFL and NFL. The Boston Patriots then underwent a name change to the “New England Patriots” one year later coinciding with the move to a new stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
Early Patriots history defines itself as extremely forgettable. With success in the NFL often measured in playoff prowess and Super Bowl wins, the Patriots represented a below average franchise for much of their existence in the 21st century. Only brief moments in the spotlight during the 1985/86 and 1996/1997 Super Bowl campaigns that both ultimately fell short, presented fans with any hope of raising the Lombardi Trophy in New England.
The Start of a Dynasty
Highlighted by a surprise hiring of Bill Belichick after he had agreed to and then suddenly resigned from the position of head coach for the New York Jets in 1999, the turn of the century marked a new beginning for the Patriots. This new era began with the drafting of none other than Tom Brady at pick number 199 in the 2000 NFL draft. At the time a seemingly forgettable pick, this decision by Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, set the team on a crash course with greatness. One year later in week 2 of the 2001/02 season, the Patriots’ starting quarterback, Drew Bledsoe, took a brutal hit from Mo Lewis of the New York Jets. This quick moment forever altered the careers of Drew Bledsoe, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick as it caused a collapsed lung which put Bledsoe out for the remainder of the season. Next in line for the keys to the Patriots’ offense was of course Tom Brady, who would go on a magical run as the starter for the rest of the season and bring a the Lombardi Trophy to New England for the first time ever.
No time was wasted during the next years seasons as Brady and Belichick won another two Super Bowls in 2004 and 2005, back to back. New England had officially cemented itself as a dynasty in the NFL. Brady proved over and over again why he deserves the title of “greatest football player of all time”, by leading his team to the playoffs 17 times, missing out only in 2002 and 2008 due to his season being ended prematurely as a result of injury. Some highlights of Brady’s career in New England include six Super Bowl wins, five Super Bowl MVP awards, three league MVP awards, records in passing yards and touchdowns in both the regular and post season, and the greatest comeback of all time against the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl in 2017.
All Good Things Must Come to and End
Unfortunately, after 20 seasons with the Patriots, Tom Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ahead of the 2020 season after his contract had run its course. Quickly a new debate arose. Who was more important to the Patriots’ success, Brady or Belichick? Since Brady’s departure, the Patriots relinquished some success fell and relatively weak seasons ensued compared to the standards of the previous dynasty. Brady’s replacement, Cam Newton, failed to lead the team to the playoffs in 2020 and since drafting quarterback Mac Jones in 2021, little success has been seen besides the short playoff birth in Jones’ rookie season that ended with a first round exit. As the 2023/24 season approaches rapidly, all New England fans can hope for is an elevated level of play from Mac Jones, supplemented by the new weapons brought on in the offseason with the likes of WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and RB Ezekiel Elliot, as well as the signing of new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien among other new additions. Time will tell whether the Patriots will once again rise to the top or crash and burn if the Brady vs, Belichick debate falls further towards the advantage of Brady.
