New England football · Since 1960
New England Patriots History & New England Football
From the Boston Patriots' AFL beginnings to Foxborough and six Super Bowl-winning seasons, explore the people, places and turning points behind New England's football history.
Start at the beginningBuilt by fans, not the franchise. This is an independent, celebratory guide—not an official team history. Every timeline item links to its source.
AFL roots, Foxborough and championship eras
The New England timeline
Playoff milestones are grouped with their NFL season, which can end in the following calendar year.
- 1959
Beginnings Boston receives an AFL franchise
Billy Sullivan secured an American Football League franchise on November 22. A naming contest led to the Patriots identity, connecting the new club to New England's history.
Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame (opens in a new tab) ↗ - 1960
AFL years The Boston Patriots begin play
The Patriots opened their first regular season with a 13–10 loss to Denver on September 9. Eight days later, a 28–24 victory over the New York Titans gave Boston its first regular-season win.
Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame (opens in a new tab) ↗ - 1963
First playoff run An Eastern Division breakthrough
The Patriots defeated Buffalo 26–8 in a playoff for the AFL Eastern crown. It was an early postseason breakthrough for coach Mike Holovak's team.
Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame (opens in a new tab) ↗ - 1971
A regional identity New England becomes the name
The club changed its name from Boston to New England Patriots and moved to a new stadium in Foxborough. The move established a permanent home after the team's early years at several Boston-area venues.
Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame (opens in a new tab) ↗ - 1985
First Super Bowl appearance Three road wins lead to Super Bowl XX
Raymond Berry's Patriots went 11–5 and entered the playoffs as a wild card. Three consecutive road playoff wins delivered the franchise's first AFC championship before Chicago won Super Bowl XX on January 26, 1986.
Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame (opens in a new tab) ↗ - 1994
A new ownership era Robert Kraft purchases the team
Kraft acquired the Patriots in 1994, following earlier ownership changes from Billy Sullivan to Victor Kiam and James Orthwein. His purchase began a new chapter for the franchise in New England.
Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame (opens in a new tab) ↗ - 1996
The Bledsoe years Back to the Super Bowl
The 1996 Patriots reached a second Super Bowl after beating Jacksonville 20–6 in the AFC Championship Game. Green Bay won Super Bowl XXXI 35–21 on January 26, 1997.
Source: New England Patriots (opens in a new tab) ↗ - 2001
Super Bowl XXXVI A first Lombardi Trophy
The 2001 season ended with a 20–17 victory over the St. Louis Rams on February 3, 2002. Adam Vinatieri's 48-yard field goal as time expired secured New England's first Super Bowl championship.
Source: New England Patriots (opens in a new tab) ↗ - 2002
Gillette Stadium A new home opens with a championship banner
Gillette Stadium hosted its first Patriots regular-season game on September 9. New England celebrated the previous season's championship and defeated Pittsburgh 30–14 in the new stadium's Monday night opener.
Source: The Patriots Hall of Fame (opens in a new tab) ↗ - 2003–04
Championship seasons Three titles in four seasons
New England beat Carolina 32–29 in Super Bowl XXXVIII on February 1, 2004, then Philadelphia 24–21 in Super Bowl XXXIX on February 6, 2005. Those wins completed a run of three championships in four football seasons.
Source: New England Patriots (opens in a new tab) ↗ - 2007
A record regular season A 16–0 regular season
A 38–35 win over the New York Giants on December 29 completed the first 16–0 regular season in NFL history. The Patriots reached Super Bowl XLII, where the Giants won 17–14 on February 3, 2008.
Source: New England Patriots (opens in a new tab) ↗ - 2014
Super Bowl XLIX Butler's interception seals a fourth championship
Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes and Malcolm Butler intercepted Seattle at the goal line with 20 seconds left. New England won 28–24 on February 1, 2015, completing its fourth Super Bowl-winning season.
Source: New England Patriots (opens in a new tab) ↗ - 2016
Super Bowl LI A comeback from 28–3
Trailing Atlanta by 25 points in the third quarter, New England rallied to win 34–28 in overtime on February 5, 2017. James White scored three touchdowns as the Patriots earned their fifth Super Bowl title.
Source: New England Patriots (opens in a new tab) ↗ - 2018
Super Bowl LIII Defense delivers a sixth title
The Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13–3 on February 3, 2019. Their sixth Super Bowl victory completed the championship stretch shared by head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.
Source: New England Patriots (opens in a new tab) ↗ - 2024
Preserving the legacy Tom Brady enters the Patriots Hall of Fame
Brady was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame on June 12 in a ceremony at Gillette Stadium. The honor recognized a New England career spanning the 2000–2019 seasons and six Super Bowl championships.
Source: The Patriots Hall of Fame (opens in a new tab) ↗
Sounds, styles and turning points
Eras & identities
Boston's AFL beginnings
The Patriots started as an AFL charter member and played as Boston through 1970. The early period brought an Eastern Division championship and a search for a lasting home before the move to Foxborough.
Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame ↗Foxborough and the first conference champions
The new regional name and home established the setting for the next generations. The 1985 and 1996 teams reached the Super Bowl before New England's championship breakthrough in the following decade.
Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame ↗The Belichick–Brady championships
Super Bowl wins after the 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 and 2018 seasons define the title-winning span. Last-second kicks, a goal-line interception, an overtime comeback and a defensive win gave those championships distinct stories.
Source: New England Patriots ↗Remembering the people behind the seasons
The Patriots Hall of Fame connects the franchise's eras through players, coaches and contributors. Its honorees include early stars, offensive linemen, defenders and specialists as well as the quarterbacks of the better-known championship years.
Source: The Patriots Hall of Fame ↗Verified franchise facts
Iconic numbers
Names across generations
Franchise players
A selection across eras for exploring the people who shaped New England football.
How this page was built
Sources & method
This independent overview uses New England Patriots historical records, the Patriots Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Timeline labels follow football seasons where relevant; descriptions give the calendar dates of postseason games. The championship count describes the six winning seasons from 2001 through 2018, not a prediction about later seasons. Player selections span eras and are not a ranking. Timeline entries, eras and figures link to their sources. Send corrections through the corrections process.