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126-612: During lunch with NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle in 1966, Tiffany & Co. vice president Oscar Riedner made a sketch on a cocktail napkin of what would become the Vince Lombardi Trophy: a football in a kicking position on a three concave sided stand. The original trophy was produced by Tiffany & Co. in Newark, New Jersey . Others have since been handcrafted by the company in Parsippany, New Jersey . As of 2017,

252-504: A football in a kicking position on a three concave sided stand, and is entirely made of sterling silver . The words "Vince Lombardi Trophy" along with the Roman numerals of that year's Super Bowl are engraved on and the NFL shield is affixed onto the base. After the trophy is awarded, it is sent back to Tiffany's to be engraved with the names of the participating teams, the date, location, and

378-787: A 22–17 victory over the Jets. As of 2023, the Patriots lead the all-time series 75–55–1. The Patriots and the Bills were both charter members of the AFL, and even competed with each other in an AFL playoff game. They have remained divisional rivals since the AFL–NFL merger. Prior to the rise of Tom Brady, the two teams shared a mellow, yet occasionally competitive rivalry, featuring highlights from players such as O. J. Simpson , Steve Grogan , Joe Ferguson , Jim Kelly , and Drew Bledsoe . However, Brady dominated

504-521: A 31–28 Patriots win. In 2012, the Patriots faced the Colts, quarterbacked now by Andrew Luck , on November 18; the Patriots defeated the Colts 59–24. The Patriots also beat the Colts on January 12, 2014, 43–22. The Patriots played the Colts in the playoffs again on January 18, 2015, in the AFC title game, winning 45–7. As of the 2023 season, the Patriots lead the all-time series 53–31. The Ravens first met

630-412: A 8–9 record and missed the postseason in the 2022 season. After a gloomy 4–13 record in the 2023 season, the Patriots mutually parted ways with Bill Belichick after 24 years on January 11, 2024, notably due to a series of poor decisions in his final years as general manager regarding offensive personnel, which culminated in a sharp decline of offensive production following the 2021 season. One day later,

756-458: A January 26, 1960, meeting. When he took office following the 1959 season, there were twelve teams in the NFL playing a twelve-game schedule to frequently half-empty stadiums, and only a few teams had television contracts. The NFL in 1960 was following a business model that had evolved from the 1930s. One of Rozelle's early accomplishments was helping the league adopt profit-sharing of gate and television revenues. The revenue-sharing

882-556: A back and forth game; the Ravens erased a 13–0 lead in the first half and led 14–13, but the Patriots scored at the end of the second quarter for a 20–14 lead. The lead changed twice in the third quarter and the Patriots led 30–21 in the fourth, but the Ravens scored on Smith's second touchdown catch. The Ravens were stopped on fourth down but the Patriots had to punt; in the final two minutes a pass interference penalty on Devin McCourty put

1008-552: A berth in 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. Berry left the team following a disappointing 1989 season, and his replacement Rod Rust only lasted one season, 1990, during which the Patriots went 1–15. During the late 1980s and early 1990s they changed ownership several times, being purchased from

1134-421: A blue outline around the numbers in 2010 and this was worn through 2012. The Patriots temporarily retired their alternate red uniforms in 2013, thanks to a new NFL rule outlawing throwback alternate helmets, and restricting teams to one helmet shell only. However, after the NFL reinstated the use of alternate helmets in 2022, the Patriots brought back the throwback red uniforms. In 2016, the Patriots took part in

1260-558: A complete identity overhaul before the 1993 season, starting with the introduction of the aforementioned "Flying Elvis" logo. The new uniforms consisted of a royal blue home jersey and a white away jersey. The helmet was silver with the Flying Elvis logo and no additional striping. Both uniforms used silver pants, originally with stripes designed to look like those flowing from the Flying Elvis, but these were changed to simple red and blue stripes after one season. When they debuted, both

1386-661: A former daughter-in-law of Jack Kent Cooke , owner of the Washington Redskins . On December 6, 1996, seven years after his retirement in 1989, Rozelle died of brain cancer at the age of 70 at Rancho Santa Fe , California, and was interred at El Camino Memorial Park in San Diego . Pound sign (#) denotes interim status # denotes de facto general manager Pound sign (#) denotes interim status New England Patriots National Football League ( 1970 –present) The New England Patriots are

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1512-545: A former quarterback with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers , won seven Super Bowls in his career, more than any single NFL franchise. As an individual coach, Bill Belichick , a defensive coordinator with the New York Giants and Head coach with New England Patriots, has won eight Super Bowls in his career, more than any single NFL franchise or player. The trophy has been presented on

1638-691: A minute to go, New England rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler made a critical interception on Seattle's final offensive play that helped to seal the victory. In the 2015 season, the Patriots won the division with a 12–4 record. The team defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round before falling to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship. New England became the first team to reach nine Super Bowls in

1764-404: A new era during the 2024 NFL draft , selecting Drake Maye third overall, the highest draft pick held by the Patriots in 31 years up to that point. The Patriots original helmet logo was a simple tricorne hat, used only for the 1960 season. From 1961 to 1992, the Patriots used a logo of a Revolutionary War minuteman hiking a football. The Patriots wordmark logo during this time consisted of

1890-582: 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

2016-492: A nod to the "Pat Patriot" uniforms. Coincidentally, the arrival of new jerseys occurred with the departure of long-time quarterback, Tom Brady , from the Patriots. Brady was in New England exactly between the last uniform change in 2000, and left before the 2020 uniform change in 2019. The Patriots brought back the silver pants to pair with the current uniforms in a 2022 Week 7 home game on Monday Night Football against

2142-533: A number of fields in or around Boston . The Patriots hold training camp and practices just outside of Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, with twin practice fields available for team use. Prior to 2003, the Patriots held training camp and practice at numerous locations. From 1976 to 2002, the team held training camp at Bryant College in Smithfield, Rhode Island . From 1960 to 1961, then from 1969 to 1975,

2268-516: 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 upset 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

2394-681: A professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The Patriots play home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts , which is 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Boston . The franchise is owned by Robert Kraft , who purchased

2520-569: A recruiting visit. Impressed by Rozelle, Newell helped arrange for him to get a full scholarship to work in a similar capacity at USF. Rozelle enrolled at USF that year and worked as a student publicist for the USF Dons athletic department. In addition to promoting the school's football team he was able to draw national attention to the Dons' 1949 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship basketball team . After graduating from USF in 1950 he

2646-425: A salary continuing at $ 50,000 per year. Less than five months later, he was granted a $ 10,000 bonus (for 1961 ) and his annual salary was increased by $ 10,000 to $ 60,000. After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, Rozelle wrestled with the decision of whether to cancel that Sunday's games. Rozelle and White House press secretary Pierre Salinger had been classmates at

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2772-643: A series of "raids" on each other's talent, both signed and unsigned. The leagues agreed to a merger in 1966. Among the conditions were a common draft and a championship game played between the two league champions first played in early 1967, the AFL-NFL World Championship Game, which would eventually become known as the Super Bowl. Rozelle led negotiations with AFL and NFL executives to merge the two leagues . In October 1966, he testified in front of Congress and convinced them to allow

2898-412: A stage constructed on the field since Super Bowl XXX in 1996. A personality from the network broadcasting the game handles the presentation ceremony. Terry Bradshaw has hosted every presentation for Fox since Super Bowl XXXI , with the exception of Super Bowl XLVIII , when Michael Strahan substituted for him. Jim Nantz has handled the duties for CBS since Super Bowl XXXV . Dan Patrick hosted

3024-461: A starter, and would serve as the franchise's starting quarterback for the next 18 years. Under Belichick and Brady, the Patriots became one of the most consistently dominant teams in the NFL, with many describing the team as a " dynasty ". Within the first few seasons of the 21st century, the team won three Super Bowls in four seasons ( 2001 , 2003 , and 2004 ), over the St. Louis Rams , Carolina Panthers , and Philadelphia Eagles , respectively. In

3150-409: A tricorne and transitions into a flowing banner-like design. It became popularly known as the "Flying Elvis" due to many observing its resemblance to the profile of a young Elvis Presley . A new script logo was introduced as well in tandem with the "Flying Elvis", utilizing a cursive font. In 2000, the blue color used on the tricorne of the "Flying Elvis" as well as the outline of the cursive wordmark

3276-463: A western-style font. The minuteman logo became known as the " Pat Patriot " logo, which later became the name of the team's mascot. In 1979, the Patriots worked with NFL Properties to design a new, streamlined logo, to replace the complex Pat Patriot logo. The new logo featured the blue and white profile of a minuteman in a tricorne hat set against a flag showing three red stripes separated by two white stripes. Team owner Billy Sullivan decided to put

3402-416: A year since then. The rivalry between the Jets and Patriots has escalated since 1996, when Patriots head coach Bill Parcells left the Patriots under controversy to become the head coach of the Jets; he was replaced by former Jets coach Pete Carroll . Four years later, Carroll was fired, and Parcells's assistant, Bill Belichick , resigned the day he was named the Jets' head coach to become the head coach of

3528-546: The 1984 San Francisco 49ers and the 1985 Chicago Bears . However, both the Bears and 49ers lost their only game during the regular season, and both would win their respective Super Bowl. In the first game of the 2008 season, Brady suffered a torn ACL against the Chiefs. Matt Cassell stepped in for the rest of the season and the team finished 11–5 but missed the postseason. In the 2009 season, Brady returned from his injury and led

3654-551: The 2016–17 playoffs and faced the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI . Losing 28–3 midway through the third quarter, the Patriots scored 25 unanswered points to tie the game in the final seconds of regulation. In the first overtime in Super Bowl history, the Patriots won the coin toss and scored a touchdown to claim their fifth Super Bowl victory. The Patriots extended their record to ten Super Bowl appearances in

3780-736: The 2017–18 playoffs but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII . The Patriots returned to the championship game for a third consecutive season in Super Bowl LIII , where they defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13–3 to win their sixth Super Bowl, tying them with the Pittsburgh Steelers for most Super Bowl victories in NFL history. Following a disappointing 2019 season, in which

3906-805: The Baltimore Ravens , the Denver Broncos , the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Las Vegas Raiders . Outside of the AFC, the Patriots also had a memorable rivalry with the New York Giants . The closest rivalry geographically has been that with the New York Jets . The Patriots and Jets have been in the same division (what is now the AFC East) since both teams' foundings in 1960, and have played each other at least twice

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4032-571: The Chicago Bears . Unlike the previous silver pants the team wore from 2000 to 2019, this design featured thicker red stripes, matching the same width as the middle blue stripe. During a Week 7 2024 road game at Wembley Stadium against the Jacksonville Jaguars , the Patriots paired their silver pants with the road white uniform for the first time since 1999. In 1994, the Patriots wore the "Pat Patriot" helmets and plain white striped pants from two seasons prior as alternates as part of

4158-407: The Denver Broncos ). Generally unsuccessful prior to the 21st century, the franchise enjoyed a period of dominance under head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady from 2001 to 2019. The Brady–Belichick era , regarded as one of the greatest sports dynasties , would see the Patriots claim nearly every major Super Bowl record . Other NFL records held by the franchise include

4284-641: The New England Patriots two weeks before) used the Super Bowl LIII Vince Lombardi trophy as a bat to bunt a practice pitch from wide receiver Julian Edelman during the Boston Red Sox season opener where he was to throw the ceremonial first pitch with his former teammates. It left a baseball-sized dent in the trophy, his third overall, and his former team's sixth. The humorous documentary-style video released by

4410-612: The Sydney Swans , two teams with small supporter bases. Rozelle was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985 while still serving as its commissioner. The NFL's annual Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award was established in 1989 to recognize "longtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football", and is awarded annually by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1990,

4536-670: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Since 2002, the Patriots' home stadium has been Gillette Stadium , a $ 350   million facility privately financed by Robert Kraft , located in Foxborough, Massachusetts . It houses the team's practice facilities, the team's administrative offices, as well as its owning entity's, The Kraft Group , along with the Kraft-owned Major League Soccer team, the New England Revolution . The field, which

4662-591: The Washington Redskins asked Coach Bill McPeak to send the game ball to the White House, thanking Rozelle for allowing the games to be played that weekend, saying that they were "playing...for President Kennedy and in his memory." There were players and news outlets that disagreed with the decision, and Rozelle subsequently thought it might have been wiser to cancel those games. The American Football League (AFL) and most major colleges did not play games that weekend. Citing his "aptitude for conciliation" with

4788-411: The 1998 season in which games aired at 8:20 p.m. Eastern Time, games aired at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The first broadcast announcing team was Don Meredith , Howard Cosell , and Keith Jackson . In 2006, Monday Night Football was moved to ABC's sister network ESPN . The NFL expanded by two more teams in 1976, with the addition of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks ; this brought

4914-589: The 2002 season. On two consecutive home games that season, the Patriots wore blue tops with their road blue pants and white socks; they lost both games (Week 6 vs. the Packers, and Week 8 vs. the Broncos). The team would not wear an all-blue set again until the introduction of the Color Rush uniforms in 2016. Throughout the 2011 season , the Patriots wore dark patches with white lettering on their uniforms with

5040-610: The 2005 season, the Patriots went 10–6 and won the division. The Patriots defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card Round before falling to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round. In the 2006 season, the Patriots went 12–4 and won the division. After defeating the Jets and the Chargers, the Patriots lost in the AFC Championship to the Colts. The Patriots finished the 2007 regular season with

5166-457: The AFC Championship, where the Ravens won 28–13. The Patriots led at halftime, 13–7, but the Ravens defense gave up no points in the 2nd half. It was the first time ever that Tom Brady lost a game at home after leading at halftime, and the first time a road team beat the Patriots in the AFC Championship. The two teams met once again at Gillette Stadium in the playoffs on January 10, 2015. The Patriots trailed by as much as 14 twice, before beating

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5292-694: The AFL. Boston University Field , Harvard Stadium , Fenway Park (shared with 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. When

5418-576: The Bills during his tenure as the Patriots' franchise quarterback, holding a 32–3 regular-season record over them. Though Patriots fans usually felt apathetic towards the Bills during the Brady era, Bills fans came to despise the Patriots more than any other rival. With the departure of Tom Brady after the 2019 season, the Bills swept the Pats in 2020, including a 38–9 Monday Night Football win that stands as

5544-663: The Colts at the RCA Dome 38–17. After the Colts left the AFC East in 2002, they first met on November 30, 2003, in a 38–34 Patriots win decided on a last-second goal line stand by the Patriots. The Colts broke a six-game Patriot winning streak in the rivalry in November 2005, then won twice in 2006; in the AFC Championship Game the Colts erased a 21–6 halftime lead; the game lead tied or changed seven times in

5670-501: The Colts rallied to defeat the Patriots 34–27 on Monday Night Football on a virtual one-man scoring rampage by running back Joe Washington ; on September 4, 1983, the Colts defeated the Patriots in overtime 29–23 in their final season in Baltimore. The Patriots defeated the Colts in back-to-back overtime games, 23–17 on December 8, 1991, and 37–34 on November 15, 1992. Even though the two clubs were placed in separate divisions in

5796-729: The Dolphins revealing their Wildcat offense against the Patriots, and the Miracle in Miami . As of 2023, the Dolphins lead the all-time series 62–55. The Patriots rivalry with the Indianapolis Colts ran through the two clubs' tenure together in the AFC East (1970–2001). The two clubs clashed in several close games, such as on December 19, 1971, as a late Patriots touchdown decided a 21–17 New England win; on September 18, 1978,

5922-660: The NFL added the Atlanta Falcons in 1966, and the New Orleans Saints in 1967. In 1970, the AFL was absorbed into the NFL and the league reorganized with the ten AFL franchises along with the previous NFL teams Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers becoming part of the newly formed American Football Conference (AFC), with all of the remaining pre-merger NFL teams forming the National Football Conference (NFC). By 1970,

6048-551: 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 , which would serve as their home for the next 30 years. As a result of the move, they announced they would change their name from the Boston Patriots to the Bay State Patriots , after

6174-576: The NFL move from a twelve-game schedule to a sixteen-game schedule. By the time of his retirement, many people considered him the most powerful commissioner in sports. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. Born in South Gate, California , Rozelle grew up in neighboring Lynwood during the Great Depression . He graduated from Compton High School in 1944, with Duke Snider , lettering in tennis and basketball . He

6300-528: The NFL's 2002 divisional realignment, their rivalry did not diminish. At that time, both teams were among the best in the AFC, and both were led by likely Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Peyton Manning (for the Colts) and Tom Brady (for the Patriots). The teams met three times in four years (2003, 2004, 2006) in the playoffs, with the winner going on to win that season's Super Bowl each time. The Manning portion of

6426-404: The NFL's 75th-anniversary celebration. In 2002, NFL teams were allowed to add a permanent third jersey to be worn in a maximum of two games. The Patriots reintroduced a red jersey as their alternate, complemented with the old-style "Pat Patriot" helmet. In 2003, the Patriots changed their alternate to a silver jersey with blue pants. For this uniform, the "Flying Elvis" helmet was used. The uniform

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6552-479: The NFL's Color Rush program, wearing monochrome navy uniforms on September 22 against the Houston Texans . The uniform tops were patterned after the 1980s Pat Patriot-era uniforms, while the pants featured thick white stripes with red accents. They have worn them a total of four times since 2016. In 2017, an all-white Color Rush uniform was introduced and used for the Patriots' Thursday night road game against

6678-503: The NFL's first "perfect offensive game" in history and the worst playoff loss of Belichick's career. As of 2023, the Patriots lead the all-time series 78–50–1. 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

6804-509: The NFL, but also in the Australian Football League , the major Australian-rules football competition. In 1986, The AFL Commission adopted a policy of equalization based on the method pioneered by Rozelle in the NFL. It is because of this decision that expansion clubs have been able to survive, as well as older clubs with smaller support bases. An example of this is the 1996 AFL Grand Final between North Melbourne and

6930-427: 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

7056-445: The Patriots about the incident became popular, with special teamer Matthew Slater , who witnessed the incident first hand, saying that if anyone can get away with it, it would be the "MVP (Edelman) and the future Hall of Famer (Gronkowski)." Patriots vice president of media relations Stacey James stated that, "Maybe they’ll fix it down the road. That’s something they can always fix in the future, but at least for now, we’re going to keep

7182-410: The Patriots for the third consecutive season in the 2011 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

7308-484: The Patriots have competed most against other teams in the AFC East division: the Buffalo Bills , Miami Dolphins , and New York Jets , who were all a part of the AFC East division since the AFL–NFL merger, as well as the former AFL Eastern division. The Patriots also share rivalries with several teams outside of their division, including the Indianapolis Colts , who were members of the AFC East from 1970 to 2001,

7434-535: The Patriots held training camp at University of Massachusetts Amherst . Between 1962 and 1968, the Patriots held training camp at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts . From 1971 until 2001, the Patriots would simply practice at Foxboro Stadium whenever the field was available, otherwise they would use the public football fields that were available in Foxborough. In 2017, the Patriots purchased two Boeing 767-300ERs for use as team planes, with one serving as

7560-437: The Patriots promoted the pair of Jerod Mayo , then-current linebackers coach and former player, and Eliot Wolf , director of scouting and son of Pro Football Hall of Fame general manager Ron Wolf , as head coach and de facto general manager to each succeed Belichick's duties. Mac Jones, after three seasons as the incumbent starter, was traded in the 2024 offseason due to his insufficient play. The Mayo-Wolf regime kickstarted

7686-428: The Patriots then became one of the few teams at the time to drop the rounded numbers and switch back to block numbers. The shade of blue was switched for the first time in the franchises' history, from royal to nautical blue. The jerseys once again had the number on the shoulders while the logo moved back to the sleeves. "New Century" silver stripes were also added to the home jersey, with nautical blue stripes appearing on

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7812-548: 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. In 2000, the Patriots hired head coach Bill Belichick , who had served as defensive coordinator under Parcells including during Super Bowl XXXI. Their new home field, Gillette Stadium , opened in 2002 to replace

7938-413: The Patriots won the AFC East with a 12–4 record. The team defeated the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round before falling to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship. In the 2013 season, the Patriots went 12–4 and won the division. The Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts 43–22 in the Divisional Round before falling to the Denver Bronos 26–16 in the AFC Championship. In 2014, the Patriots won

8064-457: The Patriots. Six years after that, Eric Mangini , an assistant under Belichick, became the head coach of the Jets. Bill Belichick achieved his 200th career head coaching win (regular season and playoffs) on November 22, 2012, defeating the Jets 49–19 ; it was his 163rd such win as Patriots coach. Belichick also passed George Halas for second most career head coaching wins (regular season and playoffs) with his 325th win on October 30, 2022, in

8190-403: The Sullivan family first by Victor Kiam in 1988, who sold 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

8316-412: The University of San Francisco, so Rozelle consulted with him. Salinger urged Rozelle to play the games, so he agreed for the schedule to proceed. Rozelle felt that way, saying: "It has been traditional in sports for athletes to perform in times of great personal tragedy. Football was Mr. Kennedy's game. He thrived on competition." After their win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia , players on

8442-443: The aging Foxboro Stadium. Long-time starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe , who was the franchise's star throughout the 1990s, went down with a sheared blood vessel in his chest in a week two match-up in 2001 against the rival New York Jets . Backup quarterback Tom Brady , drafted by the Patriots in sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft , became the starting quarterback. Brady's successful play led to Bledsoe never getting his job back as

8568-444: The away jersey. The Patriots, unsatisfied with the 1990s white-on-silver road look, also took the opportunity to introduce blue pants to be worn with the white jersey, offering a better contrast. To better match the blue pants, the number on the white jersey was switched from red to blue. Though the Patriots had generally worn silver pants with the blue jerseys, and navy pants with the white jerseys, they did wear an all-blue set during

8694-592: The backup, which were ready in time for the 2017 NFL season . This made them the first team in league history to own their own planes. At the time it was getting more difficult for professional sports teams to book private charter flights, with eight teams being dropped that season, as major commercial airlines were instead focusing on more profitable scheduled flights. The two jet airliners, N366AA and N39367, were previously operated by American Airlines from 1991 to 2016. The planes are known affectionately as "AirKrafts" after team owner Robert Kraft . Kraft has lent one of

8820-437: The ball at the Patriots 7-yard line; new Ravens kicker Justin Tucker booted a 27-yard field goal on the final play; the ball sailed directly over the upright and was ruled good; the quality of officiating by replacement referees caused controversy as Bill Belichick angrily reached for one of the referees as they were leaving the field, leading to a $ 50,000 fine later that week. The two teams met again on January 20, 2013, in

8946-399: The ceremony for NBC from Super Bowl XLIII to Super Bowl LII . Mike Tirico hosted the ceremony for NBC for Super Bowl LVI . The winning owner, winning coach, winning quarterback, and (if not a quarterback) the game MVP are usually recognized. "The Lombardi Trophy Theme," composed by David Robidoux in 2005, plays during the trophy handoff. From Super Bowl I to Super Bowl XXIX ,

9072-441: 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 . The Ravens' first regular-season win over the Patriots came on September 23, 2012. The game was emotional as receiver Torrey Smith was competing following the death of his brother in a motorcycle accident just the night before. Smith caught two touchdowns in

9198-657: 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

9324-500: The conclusion of the 2019 NFL season , the AFC playoffs consistently had the Patriots playing from home in 2001–2019. The area around the stadium was developed, beginning in 2007, 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 . Prior to 2002, the Patriots played in Foxboro Stadium dating back to 1971,

9450-494: The date that the Super Bowl was actually played: Although none of these teams have ever won three straight Super Bowls, two teams have won three Lombardi trophies in four years and one team twice won the trophy two out of three consecutive years: The Dallas Cowboys (1992, 1993, 1995) and the New England Patriots (2001, 2003, 2004) and (2014, 2016) and (2016, 2018). The Pittsburgh Steelers won four Super Bowls in six years (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979). As an individual player, Tom Brady ,

9576-469: The dent and tell the story." The Super Bowl is currently played in early February (the game originally took place in early to mid-January), culminating a regular season that generally begins in September of the previous calendar year. For example, Super Bowl 50 , which was played on February 7, 2016, determined the league champion for the 2015 NFL season . The years shown below refer to the season, not

9702-614: The division with a 12–4 record. The Patrios defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round and the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship. The Patriots reached a record-tying eighth Super Bowl, where they defeated the defending champion Seattle Seahawks by a score of 28–24 to win Super Bowl XLIX for their fourth title. After Seattle had driven the ball to New England's 1-yard line with under

9828-513: The field, including a league-worst 2–10 record in 1959 , he turned them into a business success in just three years. After Bert Bell 's death in October 1959 , the 33-year-old Rozelle was the surprise choice for his replacement as NFL commissioner. According to Howard Cosell in his 1985 book I Never Played the Game , the owners took 23 ballots before settling on Rozelle as NFL Commissioner at

9954-466: The franchise moved to Foxborough in 1971. As part of the move, the team changed its name to the New England Patriots. Home games were played at Foxboro Stadium until 2002 when the stadium was demolished alongside the opening of Gillette Stadium. The team began utilizing Gillette Stadium for home games the same year. The Patriots hold the records for most Super Bowl wins (6, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers ), appearances (11), and losses (5, tied with

10080-483: The game's final score. It is then sent back to the winning team for them to keep. Smaller replicas are made for each person on the winning team. For the first four championship games, both the NFL and the AFL logos were in the center of the trophy. Starting from Super Bowl V , only the NFL shield was on the front. Beginning with Super Bowl XXXVIII , the shield took on a frosted appearance. Starting with Super Bowl XLIII ,

10206-495: The highest postseason winning percentage (.638). 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

10332-417: The home and away jerseys used red block numbers with a blue and white outline, but after one season the home uniforms switched to the now-familiar white with a red outline. In 1995, the Patriots switched the block numbers to a more modern rounded number font with a dropshadow. The Patriots were one of the first adopters of custom numbers, a trend that would grow drastically over the next 20 years. In 2000,

10458-434: The initials 'MHK' in honor of Myra Kraft , the late long-time spouse of owner Robert Kraft. In 2020, the Patriots made some changes to their uniform. The all-blue "Color Rush" design became the primary home uniform, complete with a tweaked nameplate font and numbers, and blue/red/white socks. A corresponding white uniform was also unveiled, also paired with the blue pants. Both uniforms featured truncated shoulder striping as

10584-800: The league instituted the Pete Rozelle Trophy to honor the Super Bowl MVP , first awarded in the 1990 season at Super Bowl XXV on January 27, 1991. A month after Rozelle's death in December 1996, the NFL honored his legacy with a decal on the back of the helmets of the teams competing in Super Bowl XXXI . In 1990, Rozelle received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement . He

10710-460: The league to 28 teams, which would stand as such for the rest of Rozelle's tenure as commissioner. He enacted in 1963 and was the namesake of the Rozelle rule which required a team signing a free agent to compensate that player's former ballclub with other players and/or draft selections and that he was the lone arbiter in determining the compensation package. Exercised only four times, the rule

10836-509: The league's owners, his work in expanding the NFL, and his crackdown on player gambling, Sports Illustrated named Rozelle their " Sportsman of the Year " for 1963. By 1965 , the rival American Football League obtained a new NBC -TV contract and had signed a new superstar in Joe Namath . As the leagues battled to sign top talent, bonuses and salaries grew dramatically, especially after

10962-619: The legal settlement after the Colts made their infamous "Midnight Mayflower" relocation to Indianapolis, Indiana , on March 29, 1984. Both the relocated Colts and their successors, the Ravens , have since earned trophies in their own right. Since Super Bowl XLV , the Vince Lombardi Trophy has been prominently featured in the Super Bowl logo design. The Vince Lombardi Trophy stands 22 inches (56 cm) tall, weighs 107.3 ounces or approximately 7 pounds (3.2 kg) and depicts

11088-425: 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

11214-574: The merger. Rozelle played an important role in making the Super Bowl the most watched sporting event in the United States. Due to television contracts, the AFL and NFL operated as separate leagues until 1970, with separate regular season schedules, but they met in the preseason and in the championship game. Although Rozelle nominally remained the NFL commissioner, he was given broad authority over both leagues after AFL Commissioner Al Davis

11340-420: The most wins in a 10-year period (126 from 2003 to 2012), the longest winning streak of regular season and playoff games (21 from October 2003 to October 2004), the most consecutive winning seasons (19 from 2001 to 2019), the most consecutive conference championship appearances (8 from 2011 to 2018), the most consecutive division titles (11 from 2009 to 2019), the only undefeated 16-game regular season (2007), and

11466-407: The new logo up to a vote against Pat Patriot with the fans at the September 23 home game against the San Diego Chargers , using a sound level meter to judge the crowd's reaction. The new logo was decidedly rejected by the crowd in favor of Pat, and the concept was shelved. In 1993, a new logo was unveiled involving the gray face of a minuteman wearing a red, white and royal blue hat that begins as

11592-613: The newly reconstituted NFL stood at 26 teams. In 1970, Rozelle proposed his week-night prime time television concept, Monday Night Football , to Roone Arledge , then the president of ABC Sports . After selling his idea to ABC, Monday Night Football premiered in September 1970 with the Cleveland Browns against the New York Jets ; the Browns won the game, 31–21. The program is still broadcast today. Monday Night Football aired on ABC for 36 seasons (1970–2005). Except for

11718-549: The planes to transport students to the March for Our Lives demonstration in Washington, D.C. In 2020, the New England Patriots signed an agreement with Eastern Airlines to handle the operations of their planes. In July 2023, the Patriots filed a lawsuit against Eastern Airlines over an alleged breach of contract. Since February 2024, both planes now operate with Omni Air International . In terms of number of games played,

11844-479: The player's number, then with the "Pat Patriot" logo starting in 1961. A blue stripe was added to the two red helmet stripes in 1964. The numbers on both the home and away jerseys gained a blue outline in 1973. In 1979, the Patriots began the first of many sporadic runs of wearing red pants with the white jerseys. The red pants were dropped in 1981, but returned in 1984. After being dropped again in 1988, they were used again from 1990 to 1992. The Patriots underwent

11970-500: The playoffs with their first losing record, 7–9, in two decades. The team drafted Mac Jones in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft , and released Newton after naming Jones the starting quarterback prior to the team's first game of the 2021 season. Jones led the team to their first playoff berth without Brady since 1998, but they would lose 47–17 to the division rival Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round. The Patriots finished with

12096-475: 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,

12222-532: The rivalry began in Manning's rookie season, 1998; in 1999 Manning suffered a bitter 31–28 loss in September as the Patriots behind Drew Bledsoe erased a 28–7 Colts lead, then defeated the Patriots 20–15 in Indianapolis on December 12. The Brady–Manning portion of the rivalry began on September 30, 2001, as Brady made his first NFL start in a 44–13 Patriots win at Foxboro; on October 21 the Patriots defeated

12348-413: The second half before a late touchdown led to a 38–34 Colts win. The November 4, 2007, meeting involved both teams being unbeaten to that point; the 8–0 Patriots and the 7–0 Colts. The Patriots rallied to win 24–20. The Colts won again in 2008 and then erased a large Patriots lead in 2009's 4th and 2 game. Manning's final meeting with the Patriots as a Colt came in November 2010; a late interception sealed

12474-490: The slightly redesigned NFL shield began appearing on the trophy, still with a frosted appearance. Other than the logo, the trophy has had no significant changes made since the first Super Bowl . While no franchise possesses all four versions, the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers have three of the four designs. On April 9, 2019, Rob Gronkowski (who had retired from

12600-441: 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 . During the 1970s, the Patriots had some success under head coach Chuck Fairbanks , 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. Under his successor, Ron Erhardt ,

12726-431: The team finished one game out of the playoffs his first two years. The next coach, Ron Meyer , led the team to the playoffs in the strike-shortened 1982 season, and despite not having a losing record during his career, he was fired in 1984 due to poor relationships with players and management. Hall-of-Fame player Raymond Berry was hired as his replacement, and in 1985 , he brought the team to its first AFC Championship and

12852-580: The team in 1994. As of 2023, the Patriots are tied for the third-most valuable sports team in the world and have sold out every home game since 1994. Founded in 1959 as the Boston Patriots , the team was a charter member of the American Football League (AFL) before joining the NFL in 1970 through the AFL–NFL merger . The Patriots played their home games at various stadiums throughout Boston, including Fenway Park from 1963 to 1969 until

12978-480: The team lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Tennessee Titans, and in which the long-time Brady–Belichick partnership was strained due to Brady wanting to have more input in organizational decisions, Brady departed the Patriots after 20 seasons for free agency, signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . To replace him, the Patriots signed veteran quarterback Cam Newton . In 2020, the team missed

13104-616: The team to Los Angeles. Rozelle represented the NFL, testifying in court to block the Raiders' move. Ultimately, the NFL lost its court case with Davis, and the Oakland franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1982 . The tension between Rozelle and Davis, who had wanted to be NFL commissioner, was apparent throughout the case. In January 1981, just after the case was settled, the Oakland Raiders won Super Bowl XV and Rozelle as commissioner

13230-478: The team to a 10–6 record and a division title. The team's season in the Wild Card Round with a 33–14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Patriots went 14–2 and won the division in the 2010 season but were one-and-done in the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the New York Jets in a 28–21 loss. The Patriots returned to the Super Bowl in 2011 but lost again to the Giants , 21–17. In the 2012 season,

13356-489: The team's second year in the NFL after the AFL–NFL merger, and this venue was also privately funded. 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. During the team's days in the American Football League and its first year in the NFL, the Boston Patriots were hosted by

13482-600: The trophy on behalf of the Green Bay community after Super Bowl XXXI and Super Bowl XLV , respectively. Unlike trophies such as the Stanley Cup and the Grey Cup , a new Vince Lombardi Trophy is cast every year, and the winning team maintains permanent possession of it. The one exception is the trophy won by the then- Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V , possession of which the city of Baltimore retained as part of

13608-715: The trophy is produced at the Tiffany & Co. Forest Hill manufacturing facility in Cumberland, Rhode Island . The first trophy, inscribed with the words "World Professional Football Championship," was awarded to the Green Bay Packers on January 15, 1967, after they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl ;I . Following the death of Vince Lombardi in September 1970 , the trophy

13734-422: The trophy was held by the commissioner to begin the ceremony and the commissioner then handed the trophy directly to the team owner in the winning locker room. The lone exception to this was in Super Bowl V where the trophy presentation ceremony wasn't done by the commissioner but instead by Vince Lombardi 's widow, Marie. From Super Bowl XXX to Super Bowl XXXIX and from Super Bowl LIV to Super Bowl LVII ,

13860-465: The trophy was set on the stage to begin the ceremony and the commissioner handed the trophy directly to the team owner on the field. From Super Bowl XL to Super Bowl LIII , and again since Super Bowl LVIII , a former NFL player, usually a past Super Bowl MVP or notable figure of the host city's franchise, brought the Lombardi Trophy to the center of the stadium, as he walked past members of

13986-498: The winning team. Players who have partaken in Lombardi Trophy presentation ceremonies are listed below: Pete Rozelle Alvin Ray " Pete " Rozelle ( / r oʊ ˈ z ɛ l / ; March 1, 1926 – December 6, 1996) was an American professional football executive. Rozelle served as the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) for nearly thirty years, from January 1960 until his retirement in November 1989. He became

14112-421: 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

14238-483: The worst home loss of the Belichick era. It was their first time doing so since 1999, Belichick's first year as head coach and the year before Brady was drafted. In the 2021–22 NFL playoffs , the Bills defeated the Patriots 47–17 in the rivalry's first playoff matchup in nearly 60 years, with the Bills scoring seven consecutive touchdowns and never punting or attempting a field goal against the Pats defense, making for

14364-420: The youngest commissioner in NFL history at the age of just 33. He is credited with making the NFL into one of the most successful sports leagues in the world. During his tenure, Rozelle saw the NFL grow from 12 teams to 28, oversaw the creation of large television-rights deals and the creation of Monday Night Football in 1970, oversaw the 1970 AFL–NFL merger and the creation of the Super Bowl , and helped

14490-446: Was a major factor in stabilizing the NFL and guaranteeing the success of its small-market teams. Another important contribution was Rozelle's success in negotiating large television contracts to broadcast every NFL game played each season. In doing so, he deftly played one television network against the other. In early 1962, Rozelle was re-elected to a five-year contract to remain as commissioner, with

14616-530: Was declared a violation of antitrust laws by Judge Earl R. Larson in Mackey v. National Football League on December 30, 1975. The plaintiffs had successfully contended that the rule deterred teams from signing free agents out of fear of not knowing the compensation that would have to be surrendered. In the 1980s, Al Davis , owner of the Oakland Raiders franchise, sued the NFL in order to relocate

14742-529: Was drafted into the U.S. Navy in 1944 and served 18 months in the Pacific on an oil tanker. Rozelle entered Compton Community College in 1946. While there he worked as the student athletic news director and also worked part-time for the Los Angeles Rams as a public relations assistant. Pete Newell , head coach for the University of San Francisco Dons basketball team , came to Compton in 1948 for

14868-777: Was forced to resign and ultimately replaced by an AFL President subordinate to the NFL Commissioner. During this time, the NFL Commissioner's office came to resemble that of the Commissioner of Baseball and Rozelle unofficially became known as the Football Commissioner although that was never an official title. Meanwhile, the AFL expanded, adding the Miami Dolphins in 1966, and the Cincinnati Bengals in 1967. Also during this period,

14994-586: Was hired by the school as the full-time athletic news director. In 1952, he re-joined the Rams as a PR specialist. Leaving after three years, he held a series of public relations jobs in southern California , including marketing the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne , Australia for a Los Angeles-based company. In 1957 , he returned to the Rams, a disorganized, unprofitable team, lost in the growing L.A. market, as their general manager . In spite of continued struggles on

15120-729: Was honored with the "Lombardi Award of Excellence" from the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation in 1991. For his contribution to sports in Los Angeles, Rozelle was honored by Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum commissioners with a "Court of Honor" plaque at the Coliseum. Rozelle married Jane Coupe, an artist, in 1949. The couple had one child, Anne Marie, born in 1958. Rozelle was awarded full custody of Anne Marie after his 1972 divorce due to Coupe's alcoholism. Rozelle remarried in December 1973 to Carrie Cooke ,

15246-420: Was identical to the white jersey with any areas of white replaced by silver. These uniforms were dropped after 2007. No alternate uniform was used in 2008. In 2009, the red alternate was reintroduced, again accompanied by the "Pat Patriot" helmet. An alternate white road jersey was also worn with the older helmet for one game, using red numbers, in tribute to the 50th anniversary of the AFL. The red alternate gained

15372-407: Was not applied on the uniforms until the 2015 season due to NFL uniform policies. The Patriots' primary uniforms remained largely unchanged from the franchises' inaugural season until 1993. The Patriots originally wore red jerseys with white block numbering at home, and white jerseys with red block numbering on the road. Both uniforms used white pants and white helmets, first with the hat logo over

15498-632: Was officially renamed in his memory. It was presented for the first time as the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the Baltimore Colts after their victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V . Originally, the trophy was presented inside the winning team's locker room. Since Super Bowl XXX in January 1996, it has been presented to the owner of the winning team on the field. Packers team president and CEO Bob Harlan and Mark Murphy accepted

15624-404: Was originally 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. Despite not being around for more than 20 years, Gillette Stadium is home to the second most postseason games ever, Candlestick Park being first with 27 total. The Patriots have a 19–4 playoff record in this stadium as of

15750-453: Was switched from royal blue to nautical blue to coincide with the uniform change in the new millennium. On July 3, 2013, the Patriots unveiled a new wordmark to accompany the "Flying Elvis", which replaced the script of their previous cursive typeface with modernized block letters (colored in blue or white depending on the background), and modified the "Flying Elvis" to be underneath instead of flowing up-top. While appearing everywhere else, it

15876-579: Was tasked with handing the Super Bowl Trophy to Davis. The Raiders moved back to Oakland in 1995. Under Rozelle the NFL thrived and became an American institution, despite two players' strikes and two different competing leagues. He retired as commissioner on November 5, 1989 . By the time of his resignation, the number of teams in the league had grown to 28, and team owners presided over sizable revenues from U.S. broadcasting networks. Rozelle's legacy of equalization has been felt not only in

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