Patriots Shrine
The Brady/Belichick Era
The New England Patriots' greatest successes in the National Football League have come during the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era which has culminated into three Super Bowl wins and four appearances since 2000. The successes the Patriots achieved since 2000 all began with the hiring of Bill Belichick as head coach after the firing of Pete Carroll. Belichick's start in New England was quite mediocre as the team went onto finish last place in the AFC east with a 5-11 record and missed the playoffs. The following off-season starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe was re-signed to a 10 year contract extension, however the critics did not expect the Patriots to fare much better. For Patriots fans the 2001-2002 season could not have started worse as Drew Bledsoe was severely injured in the second game of the year leaving the rookie 2001 6th round draft pick Tom Brady to take over as the starter. Unexpectedly, Brady led the team to wins during Bledsoe's absence and earned the fans, players, and coach's praises. Brady remained as the starter despite Bledsoe returning to full health and led the team to an 11-5 record and an unlikely playoff berth. In the playoffs, Brady continued to play exceptionally as the Patriots defeated the Oakland Raiders and top AFC team the Pittsburgh Steelers resulting in a Super Bowl match- up with the heavily favoured St. Louis Rams who were nicknamed "The Greatest Show on Turf" led by NFL greats Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, and Torry Holt. With the game tied 17-17 with 1:30 to play in the fourth quarter and zero timeouts, Brady calmly led the offense down the field to set up a Adam Vinatieri field goal to win the first ever championship. Tom Brady was named the Super Bowl MVP as critics and pundits alike considered the season to be a "cinderella" story.
2002- 2006
The 2002 New England Patriots started the season with a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers at the new Gillette Stadium but unlike the previous season the Patriots struggled during parts of the season and finished with a 9-7 record. That record was good enough for second in the division but the Patriots failed to qualify for the playoffs.
After failing to qualify for the playoffs in 2002, the following season the Patriots posted a dominant 14-2 record as they won 12 straight games to end the season. The Patriots defense was dominant all season with the addition of safety Rodney Harrison as they allowed a measly 14.9 points per game. With the 14-2 record the Patriots earned a first-round bye in the playoffs and defeated the Tennessee Titans the following round. In the AFC championship game the stingy Patriots defense forced league MVP Peyton Manning to throw four interceptions as the Patriots qualified for the Super Bowl against the Carolina Panthers. In another tight Super Bowl match up, Tom Brady led the Patriots offense on another dramatic game-ending drive reminiscent of 2001. Adam Vinatieri kicked the game winning field goal and Brady was named the Super Bowl MVP for the second time in his career.
The defending Super Bowl champions entered the 2004-2005 season with a new addition to the backfield as Corey Dillon was acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals prior to the 2004 NFL entry draft. Although the Patriots kept winning football games, the team suffered key injuries as Pro-Bowl cornerback Ty Law as well as Tyrone Pool was injured during the season. The Pats were then forced to play inexperienced second year cornerback Asante Samuel and undrafted free agent Tyrone Pool among others. Despite the injuries the Patriots finished the year at 14-2 en route to the second seed in the AFC playoffs. After a first round bye to start the playoffs the Patriots faced off against the Colts and for a consecutive year they defeated Peyton Manning and company limiting their potent offense to just three points. After drubbing the Steelers on the road in Steel Town, the Pats took on the NFC champions Philadelphia Eagles. Brady and co. did not disappoint as they won their third Super Bowl in four years with wide receiver Deion Branch being awarded MVP of the Super Bowl after a 11 catch, 133 receiving yards performance. With the victory, Tom Brady became just one of four quarterbacks in NFL history to win at least three Super Bowls joining Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, and Troy Aikman. Many critics of the NFL labelled the Patriots a sports dynasty as they had won three of four Super Bowls between 2001 - 2005.
The 2005/2006 Patriots team was plagued with key injuries all year to players such as Tedi Bruschi and Rodney Harrison. Injuries caused the Patriots to start 45 different players throughout the course of the season as they finished with a 10-6 record to qualify for the playoffs before losing to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional playoffs. The 2006/2007 season began with changes at the wide receivers position as David Givens left in the off season via free agency while Deion Branch held out for a new contract before being traded in September to the Seattle Seahawks. These receivers were replaced with Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell and the Patriots went on to the playoffs with a 12-4 record. The Patriots met the arch-rival Colts in Indianapolis and despite opening up a 21-3 lead in the first half, the Patriots tumbled in the second half and finally lost to the Colts 38-34 for the first time in the playoffs in the Brady/Belichick era.
After failing to qualify for the playoffs in 2002, the following season the Patriots posted a dominant 14-2 record as they won 12 straight games to end the season. The Patriots defense was dominant all season with the addition of safety Rodney Harrison as they allowed a measly 14.9 points per game. With the 14-2 record the Patriots earned a first-round bye in the playoffs and defeated the Tennessee Titans the following round. In the AFC championship game the stingy Patriots defense forced league MVP Peyton Manning to throw four interceptions as the Patriots qualified for the Super Bowl against the Carolina Panthers. In another tight Super Bowl match up, Tom Brady led the Patriots offense on another dramatic game-ending drive reminiscent of 2001. Adam Vinatieri kicked the game winning field goal and Brady was named the Super Bowl MVP for the second time in his career.
The defending Super Bowl champions entered the 2004-2005 season with a new addition to the backfield as Corey Dillon was acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals prior to the 2004 NFL entry draft. Although the Patriots kept winning football games, the team suffered key injuries as Pro-Bowl cornerback Ty Law as well as Tyrone Pool was injured during the season. The Pats were then forced to play inexperienced second year cornerback Asante Samuel and undrafted free agent Tyrone Pool among others. Despite the injuries the Patriots finished the year at 14-2 en route to the second seed in the AFC playoffs. After a first round bye to start the playoffs the Patriots faced off against the Colts and for a consecutive year they defeated Peyton Manning and company limiting their potent offense to just three points. After drubbing the Steelers on the road in Steel Town, the Pats took on the NFC champions Philadelphia Eagles. Brady and co. did not disappoint as they won their third Super Bowl in four years with wide receiver Deion Branch being awarded MVP of the Super Bowl after a 11 catch, 133 receiving yards performance. With the victory, Tom Brady became just one of four quarterbacks in NFL history to win at least three Super Bowls joining Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, and Troy Aikman. Many critics of the NFL labelled the Patriots a sports dynasty as they had won three of four Super Bowls between 2001 - 2005.
The 2005/2006 Patriots team was plagued with key injuries all year to players such as Tedi Bruschi and Rodney Harrison. Injuries caused the Patriots to start 45 different players throughout the course of the season as they finished with a 10-6 record to qualify for the playoffs before losing to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional playoffs. The 2006/2007 season began with changes at the wide receivers position as David Givens left in the off season via free agency while Deion Branch held out for a new contract before being traded in September to the Seattle Seahawks. These receivers were replaced with Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell and the Patriots went on to the playoffs with a 12-4 record. The Patriots met the arch-rival Colts in Indianapolis and despite opening up a 21-3 lead in the first half, the Patriots tumbled in the second half and finally lost to the Colts 38-34 for the first time in the playoffs in the Brady/Belichick era.
2007/2008
The 2007/2008 New England Patriots can be named one of the greatest teams of all-time in NFL history despite failing to win the championships losing their first game of the season in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.
With a void in the offensive with the departure of Branch and Givens in the previous off-season, the Patriots were busy re-tooling their offense by signing receivers Dante Stallworth while trading for Wes Welker and future hall-of-famer Randy Moss. The Patriots steamrolled opponents throughout the whole season as the offense played at a record breaking level. The Pats clinched the division in week 11 and beat the New York Giants in the final regular season game to go undefeated 16-0, the first time an NFL team had ever achieved such a feat. Randy Moss went on to break Jerry Rice's NFL record for most receiving touchdowns in a season with 23 and Tom Brady broke Peyton Manning's single season touchdown record with 50. Brady was also named the NFL MVP for his accomplishments as the Patriot's offense broke numerous NFL regular season records. After making it through the playoffs, the Patriots faced off against the heavily underdog New York Giants. In the Superbowl game, Brady and the Pats were protecting a four point lead late in the fourth quarter. A dramatic pass from Eli Manning to David Tyree gave the Giants great field position and in the dying seconds Manning found Plaxico Buress in the endzone for a touchdown. The Patriots were unable to mount a comeback and for the first time in his career Tom Brady lost in the Superbowl.
With a void in the offensive with the departure of Branch and Givens in the previous off-season, the Patriots were busy re-tooling their offense by signing receivers Dante Stallworth while trading for Wes Welker and future hall-of-famer Randy Moss. The Patriots steamrolled opponents throughout the whole season as the offense played at a record breaking level. The Pats clinched the division in week 11 and beat the New York Giants in the final regular season game to go undefeated 16-0, the first time an NFL team had ever achieved such a feat. Randy Moss went on to break Jerry Rice's NFL record for most receiving touchdowns in a season with 23 and Tom Brady broke Peyton Manning's single season touchdown record with 50. Brady was also named the NFL MVP for his accomplishments as the Patriot's offense broke numerous NFL regular season records. After making it through the playoffs, the Patriots faced off against the heavily underdog New York Giants. In the Superbowl game, Brady and the Pats were protecting a four point lead late in the fourth quarter. A dramatic pass from Eli Manning to David Tyree gave the Giants great field position and in the dying seconds Manning found Plaxico Buress in the endzone for a touchdown. The Patriots were unable to mount a comeback and for the first time in his career Tom Brady lost in the Superbowl.
2008 - Current
#16 - Matt Cassel filling in for injured Brady
The New England Patriots 2008/2009 season began with a devastating blow as defending NFL MVP Tom Brady was severely injured in the opening game against the Kansas City Chiefs and was ruled out for the entire year. Back-up quarterback Matt Cassel would take over as the starter and would lead the Patriots to a respectable 10-5 record heading into the last week of the season. Despite winning the final game of the season to move to 11-5, the Patriots needed the Dolphins or Ravens to lose; however that was not the case as both teams secured victories and beat the Patriots on tiebreakers to advance to the playoffs. The Patriots became the first time since the 1985 Denver Broncos to finish with an 11-5 record and not make the playoffs.
The 2008/2009 offseason was marked by many changes in the front office, coaching, and personnel. VP of player personnel, Scott Pioli, left to become the General Manager of the Chiefs while offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels departed to Denver for the vacant head coach position. Matt Cassel was traded alongside veteran and Patriot great Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs, while Richard Seymour was traded to the Raiders for a 2011 1st Round pick in the NFL draft. The Patriots were also affected by retirements as defensive starters Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison retired.
The 2009/2010 season opened with many new faces as the Patriots dynasty of old had seemed to come to an end. Despite the changes in the organization the Patriots finished the season 10-6 to capture another division title and secured the third seed in the playoffs. The Patriots faced the Baltimore Ravens in their first playoff game but after falling behind 24-0 in the first quarter the Patriots were not able to come back and lost to the Ravens 33-14.
The 2008/2009 offseason was marked by many changes in the front office, coaching, and personnel. VP of player personnel, Scott Pioli, left to become the General Manager of the Chiefs while offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels departed to Denver for the vacant head coach position. Matt Cassel was traded alongside veteran and Patriot great Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs, while Richard Seymour was traded to the Raiders for a 2011 1st Round pick in the NFL draft. The Patriots were also affected by retirements as defensive starters Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison retired.
The 2009/2010 season opened with many new faces as the Patriots dynasty of old had seemed to come to an end. Despite the changes in the organization the Patriots finished the season 10-6 to capture another division title and secured the third seed in the playoffs. The Patriots faced the Baltimore Ravens in their first playoff game but after falling behind 24-0 in the first quarter the Patriots were not able to come back and lost to the Ravens 33-14.
