The New England Patriots are a National Football League team based in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Founded: 1960, as a charter American Football League member. Joined the NFL in the 1970 merger.

Formerly known as: Boston Patriots (1960-1970)

Head coach: Bill Belichick (2000-)

Home stadium: Gillette Stadium (2002-)

Former stadiums: Foxboro Stadium (1971-2001), Fenway Park (1963-1968), Nickerson Field (1960-1962)

Uniform colors: Blue, White, Red, and Silver

Helmet design: A man's face in silhouette, wearing a red-white-and-blue tricorn hat

Super Bowl Championships won (2): XXXVI (2001 Season), XXXVIII (2003 Season)

Super Bowl Appearances (4): XX (lost), XXXI (lost), XXXVI (won), XXXVIII (won)

Division Championships won: 1963, 1976, 1986, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2003

Franchise history

The Patriots have a long and storied history. The Boston Patriots played the first-ever game in the American Football League, against the Denver Broncos on September 9, 1960. Although the team made only two AFL playoff appearances, it had numerous stars. In 1963, eleven Patriots made the AFL All-star team, including Gino Cappelletti, Nick Buoniconti, and Babe Parilli. In the late 1960's, fullback Jim Nance became a powerful offensive weapon for the Patriots, gaining 1,458 yards in 1966 and 1,216 in 1967, when he was the American Football League's MVP.

With several winning seasons and many more losing seasons, under coach Raymond Berry in 1986, they won the American Football Conference title and made their first Super Bowl appearance, losing to the Chicago Bears in New Orleans by a score of 46-10. Under Bill Parcells, they won a second AFC title in 1997 and played in a second Super Bowl, losing to the Green Bay Packers by a score of 35-21, again in New Orleans.

In the 2001 season, under coach Bill Belichick, the team surprised many observers by winning the AFC East division title and upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC championship to earn the right to appear in Super Bowl XXXVI. Then, capping a surprising season, they defeated the heavily-favored (based on betting odds) Saint Louis Rams in New Orleans by a score of 20-17 to earn the franchise's first-ever World Championship.

In the 2003 season, the team won the AFC East division title and beat the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts to advance to Super Bowl XXXVIII, and on February 1, 2004 in Houston they beat the NFC-champion Carolina Panthers 32-29, with quarterback Tom Brady being selected Most Valuable Player.

Players of note

Pro Football Hall of Famers:

• Nick Buoniconti
• John Hannah
• Mike Haynes

Current stars:

• Tom Brady
• Troy Brown
• Tedy Bruschi
• Corey Dillon
• Ty Law
• Adam Vinatieri

Retired numbers:

• 20 Gino Cappelletti
• 40 Mike Haynes
• 56 Andre Tippett
• 57 Steve Nelson
• 73 John Hannah
• 78 Bruce Armstrong
• 79 Jim Lee Hunt
• 89 Bob Dee

Not to be forgotten:

• Julius Adams
• Houston Antwine (born 1939)
• Drew Bledsoe
• Ron Burton (1936-2003)
• Gino Cappelletti (born 1934)
• Jim Colclough (1936 - 2004)
• Bob Dee
• Larry Eisenhauer
• Doug Flutie
• Steve Grogan
• Jim Lee Hunt
• Harry Jacobs
• Pete Carroll
• Lawyer Milloy
• Jon Morris (born 1942)
• Jim Nance
• Ross O'Hanley
• Babe Parilli (born 1930)
• Jim Plunkett

• American Football League Hall of Fame
• List of American Football League players

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