Instruct: Given a question, retrieve relevant documents that answer the question.
Query: When were the New England Patriots formed?
The history of the New England Patriots began when Boston business executive William "Billy" Sullivan and Sullivan Brother Printers, owned by Joseph Sullivan, were awarded the eighth and final franchise of the developing American Football League (AFL) on November 16, 1959.[1] The following winter, locals submitted thousands of ideas for the Boston football team's official name. On February 20, 1960, Sullivan chose "Boston Patriots", with "Patriots" referring to those 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. "Patriots" as a nickname had been suggested by 74 fans, among them Larry Kepnes. Immediately thereafter, artist Phil Bissell developed the "Pat Patriot" logo.[2]
Opened in September 2008, The Patriots Hall of Fame is a museum that includes the New England Patriots Hall of Fame and displays the history of the New England Patriots – including historical wins and losses, the uniforms of famous players such as John Hannah, Mike Haynes, and Ben Coates, and Super Bowl trophies. The Hall is sponsored by Raytheon. On the first floor is the official Patriots Pro Shop, a large store selling various apparel and memorabilia themed to the New England Patriots.
The Dolphins dominated the New England Patriots during the 1970s and the 1990s, but there were some notable moments as well, including a game now known as the Snowplow Game. Fortunes changed when Tom Brady became the franchise quarterback for the Patriots, and since then, the Patriots have virtually dominated the AFC, especially the AFC East. Miami did pose more of a challenge to the Brady-led Patriots in the 2000s, however, winning more games against them than the Bills or Jets did during that decade. Miami and New England are also the only two franchises to have posted undefeated regular season records since the NFL-AFL merger, with Miami going 14–0 in 1972 and New England going 16–0 in 2007, but only the 1972 Dolphins were able to win the Super Bowl.
The Dolphins started the second half with the ball, but immediately turned it over on a failed trick play when Marty Booker dropped a hand-off from Chris Chambers and Vincent Wilfork jumped on the ball for New England. The Patriots reached the Miami red zone on a Brady completion to Patten, but then Brady was intercepted by Knight for the second time. Knight returned the ball to his own 40 yard line, and had a post-possession unnecessary roughness penalty on the Patriots' Matt Light tacked on. The Dolphins took advantage, driving deep into New England territory and scoring a touchdown when Travis Minor flipped into the end zone from 2 yards out, giving Miami a 17-14 lead. The Patriots responded with a drive assisted by two Miami personal fouls, and retook a 21-17 lead on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Dillon. The third quarter would end with the Dolphins going three-and-out after an attempted emergency shovel pass from Feeley to Morris went sour. The Patriots began driving as the fourth quarter started. Deion Branch had a 27-yard reception to get the Patriots near midfield but were stopped on a 3rd down and 1 and had to punt. Miami was forced to bring on Matt Turk for another punt, giving New England the ball at their own 35 yard line. A third down catch by Branch and longs run by Faulk and Dillon set up a 2-yard Brady touchdown pass to Daniel Graham.
The New England Patriots Cheerleaders are the official cheerleading squad of the NFL's New England Patriots. The Patriots Cheerleaders perform various dance stunts at Gillette Stadium. The squad was formed in 1971. The squad currently (as of the 2016 New England Patriots season) has 33 members. The squad also makes appearances off the field with Patriots mascot Pat Patriot. The group also has a "Junior Patriots Cheerleaders", with girls of ages 7–17 being allowed to join, with a fee of $425.00 per participant. The squad also releases a swimsuit calendar yearly. The Patriots Cheerleaders' auditions take place at Gillette Stadium. In 2008, the squad went to China to train Chinese dancers for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
McDonald was signed to the New England Patriots' practice squad on September 4, 2011. He was released from the squad on September 15, but was re-signed the following day. On December 3, 2011, he was promoted to the active roster to replace the released Taylor Price. McDonald was part of the Patriots postseason team for Super Bowl XLVI but his hopes for a second straight championship came short when the Patriots lost the game to the New York Giants. On July 31, 2013, McDonald was waived by the New England Patriots.
The Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots set up for their rivalry game at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts came in at 8–0 while the Patriots came in 6–2, both shooting for home field advantage during the playoffs. The Colts struck first with a 15-yard pass from Manning to Addai. However New England answered with 24 unanswered points in the first and second quarter. The Colts finally got back into the game with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne towards the end of the first half. The third quarter was scoreless with the Colts still trailing by 10, but the Patriots started the fourth with a touchdown pass to Randy Moss with the Patriots now leading 31–14. The Colts came back quickly scoring a touchdown, making it 31–21. After a New England field goal, the Colts scored a touchdown on an Addai run. The Patriots were still in the lead 34–28, however the Colts were hot with Peyton Manning ready to lead them to a win if the defense could hold the Patriot offense for one more drive. With less the two and a half minutes remaining in the game, the New England Patriots were faced with a fourth and two on the Indianapolis 28-yard line. Bill Belichick decided to go for it on a controversial play, where Brady threw to Kevin Faulk, who gained control of the ball behind the first down marker, forcing the Patriots to turn the ball over on downs. Having wasted their last time out on the preceding play and the play occurring before the two-minute warning, the Patriots couldn't challenge the ruling on the field. With a minute left Peyton Manning found Reggie Wayne for the touchdown to seal a 35–34 victory over the Patriots as the team improved to 9–0 and their winning streak continued with 17 games.
Amongst the clergy, more or less, the northern clergy were Loyalist and the southern clergy were Patriot. Partly, their pocketbook can explain clergy sympathies, as the New England colonies did not establish the Church of England and clergy depended on their SPG stipend rather than their parishioners' gifts, so that when war broke out in 1775, these clergy looked to England for both their paycheck and their direction. Where the Church of England was established, mainly the southern colonies, financial support was local and loyalties were local. Of the approximately three hundred clergy in the Church of England in America between 1776 and 1783, over 80 percent in New England, New York, and New Jersey were Loyalists. This is in contrast to the less than 23 percent Loyalist clergy in the four southern colonies. In two northern colonies, only one priest was a Patriot—Samuel Provoost, who would become a bishop, in New York and Robert Blackwell, who would serve as a chaplain in the Continental Army, in New Jersey.
The New York Jets (then known as the New York Titans) and the New England Patriots (then known as the Boston Patriots) were charter members of the American Football League (AFL)
The 1971 New England Patriots season was the team's twelfth, and second in the National Football League. The 1971 season was the first that the team played as the New England Patriots, changing their name from the Boston Patriots, briefly to the Bay State Patriots before changing it again to the New England Patriots, in an effort to regionalize the franchise's equal distance from Boston and Providence.
On a day when a victory would give the Patriots their third consecutive AFC East title, nothing seemed to go right for the Patriots as the Dolphins outplayed the Patriots to split the season series and give New England their first shutout since 2003, defeating the Patriots 21–0. The first half was a defensive struggle with the only points coming from Olindo Mare, in the form of a 35-yard and a 33-yard field goal. Even the punter, Donnie Jones, gave the Patriots issues as multiple punts resulted in the offensive unit starting within the five-yard line. The furthest the Patriots drove into Dolphin territory was in the third quarter with the Dolphins leading 13–0. Ending with a would-be touchdown reception by Watson, a play consisting of a lateral from Faulk to Brady was ruled penalty, as Faulk's lateral was an illegal forward pass. On the following possession, Matt Cassel took over the offense, but he too succumbed to the Dolphin defense and was sacked, fumbling the ball. The Dolphins marched within the New England 10-yard line again but knelt to burn out the clock. The loss gave the Patriots a 4–2 division record and 9–4 record overall.
The rivalry with the New England Patriots first started when both teams were original franchises in the American Football League prior to the NFL-AFL merger. After the rise of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady in New England, the Patriots have dominated the AFC East, including the Bills. The Bills-Patriots rivalry in particular has become lopsided as the Patriots are 29-5 against the Bills since Belichick became head coach. This has led many fans and players in the 2000s and beyond to replace the Dolphins with the Patriots as Buffalo's most hated rival. Overall, the Patriots lead the series 72-43-1 as of 2017.
A year after being crushed 31–0 in Ralph Wilson Stadium the Patriots carried a winning streak that had reached 17 games (regular season and playoff). New England led 7-3 early, however it appeared that Terrence McGee intercepted Tom Brady in the end zone to prevent further damage. But referee Scott Green (having taken over for an injured Johnny Grier earlier in the quarter) overturned the play on a Patriots instant replay challenge, allowing the Patriots to kick a field goal and lead 10-3. The Bills responded when McGee ran back the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for the tying touchdown. After a Patriots punt, Bledsoe was intercepted by Tyrone Poole. Brady then connected with David Patten for a 43-yard completion inside the Bills 10 yard line. However, Corey Dillon fumbled two plays later, giving the ball back to Buffalo. Several long rushes by Travis Henry got the Bills off of their goal line, however, the drive stalled and Brian Moorman came in to punt. Moorman dropped the snap, however he picked it up and ran all the way to the New England 41 yard line for a first down. On the next play Drew Bledsoe threw a touchdown to Eric Moulds. The Patriots responded and tied the game on a David Patten touchdown catch at the end of the half. In the fourth quarter, an offside penalty against the Bills on a Patriots field goal attempt gave New England a first down. The Patriots then went ahead on a Tom Brady touchdown to Daniel Graham, the fourth touchdown in three games for Graham. The Patriots then iced the game when Bledsoe was strip-sacked and Richard Seymour ran the ball 68 yards for the score, a 31–17 Patriots win.
When the NFL and AFL merged in 1970, the Patriots were placed in the American Football Conference (AFC) East division, where they still play today. 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. 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.
Halfway through the 1994 season, the Patriots looked flat. They were 3–6 and had lost 4 straight games when they faced the Minnesota Vikings at home for Week 10. With the season on the line, Drew Bledsoe sparked a second-half comeback by switching to a no-huddle offense. Bledsoe set single-game records for pass attempts and completions, and the Patriots won the game 26–20 in overtime. This led to the Patriots winning their last seven games of the regular season, finishing 10–6 and making the playoffs as a wild card. In their first playoff game in nine years, the Patriots were beaten in the first round by the Cleveland Browns 20–13. The Browns, coached by one-time Parcells assistant (and future Patriots head coach) Bill Belichick, were the last team to beat New England in the regular season.
The Patriots went outside the organization to hire Raymond Berry, who had been New England's receivers coach from 1978 to 1981 under coaches Chuck Fairbanks and Ron Erhardt. Berry had been working in the private sector in Medfield, Massachusetts, when the Patriots called him to replace Meyer. Berry's first order of business was to immediately rehire Rust.
The game saw several skirmishes between Patriot and Raven players, and controversy ensued when Ravens coach John Harbaugh accused the Patriots of using a formation that made unclear which receivers were eligible or ineligible, causing confusion on the field. The Patriots used this formation to gain a total of over 40 yards on their game-winning drive. Brady dismissed Harbaugh's comments in his postgame press conference. The NFL confirmed that the substitutions and plays by the Patriots were legal. Similar formations were used by the Jaguars, the Lions, and the Bengals during the season.
Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers (3) – Super Bowls X and XIII were won by Pittsburgh, and Super Bowl XXX was won by Dallas. See also Cowboys–Steelers rivalry. Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins (2) – Super Bowl VII was won by Miami, and Super Bowl XVII was won by Washington. Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers (2) – Super Bowls XVI and XXIII were both won by San Francisco. Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys (2) – Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII, the only rematch in consecutive seasons, were both won by Dallas. New England Patriots and New York Giants (2) – Super Bowls XLII and XLVI were both won by New York. New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles (2) – Super Bowl XXXIX was won by New England, Super Bowl LII was won by Philadelphia. New England Patriots and St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams (2) – Super Bowl XXXVI was won by New England, Super Bowl LIII's winner is yet to be determined.
Mandates set in the wake of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970 required that all teams reside in stadiums with at least 50,000 seats. None of the four stadiums the Patriots had used up to that point qualified, and because Boston is one of the oldest and most densely built cities in North America, there was little room in Boston for a new stadium. Rumors began to spread about a possible relocation to Tampa, Florida; these rumors ultimately never came to fruition (Tampa eventually got the Buccaneers instead).[6] In 1971 the Patriots moved into a hastily and inexpensively constructed stadium in suburban Foxborough (also known as Foxboro), on land granted by the Bay State Raceway. The team was renamed the New England Patriots in March 1971, to reflect its new location roughly halfway between Providence and Boston as well as a desire to better position itself as New England's regional NFL team (this would influence the name of the New England Whalers hockey team when they began play in 1972, like the Patriots, labeling themselves a New England team). The original choice, Bay State Patriots, was rejected by the NFL.[7][8] The stadium, to be known as Schaefer Stadium, was built at a cost of about $7.1 million in only 325 days. The stadium was one of the first stadiums in the country to be named after a corporate sponsor, as the Schaefer Brewing Company paid $150,000 for naming rights. Additionally, the town of Foxborough was one of the first in the country to assess a surtax on every ticket sold.
Despite 130 rushing yards from five Patriots backs New England fell at Miami 10-3; all scoring took place in the second quarter as Jim Mandich accounted for the game's only touchdown. The Patriots were also penalized eleven times for 80 yards.
The rivalry between the Raiders and New England Patriots dates to their time in the AFL, but was intensified during a 1978 preseason game, when Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley was permanently paralyzed after a vicious hit delivered by Raiders free safety Jack Tatum. Before that, New England also lost a playoff game in 1976 to the Raiders; the game is unofficially known as "The Ben Dreith Game" due to a controversial penalty by head referee Dreith. While based in Los Angeles, the team hosted New England in the divisional round of the playoffs in 1986. The game was won by New England and marred by a chaotic rumble between the teams in the end zone as players were leaving the field after the game. The brawl was especially notable for Matt Millen attacking Patriots GM Patrick Sullivan with his helmet. The two teams met in a divisional-round playoff game in 2002, which became known as the "Tuck Rule Game". Late in the game, an incomplete pass, ruled a fumble, by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was overturned, and New England went on to win in overtime and eventually won the Super Bowl against the heavily favored St. Louis Rams, the Raiders' former crosstown rivals in Los Angeles. Since that game, the Patriots have won five of the last six regular season contests between the two teams. The first contest being the following year during the 2002 season in Oakland, with the Raiders winning 27–20; they met in the 2005 season opener in New England with the Patriots ruining Randy Moss' debut as a Raider 30–20; the Patriots defeated the Raiders 49–26 in December 2008 in Bill Belichick's 100th regular season win as Patriots coach; a Patriots 31–19 win during the 2011 season; a scrappy 16–9 Patriots win in the third week of the 2014 season, and the Patriots' 33–8 win in Mexico City in 2017.
Since the inception of the American Football League, the Jets have maintained what is considered to be a marquee rivalry with the New England Patriots. The rivalry was relatively docile in its early years until 1966 when the Jets removed the Patriots, who had hopes of appearing in Super Bowl I, from playoff contention with a 38–28 defeat at Shea Stadium. The Patriots returned the favor in 1985 when the Jets lost to New England 26–14 in the wild card round; the Patriots went on to Super Bowl XX where they were defeated by the Bears.
The Patriots defeated the Colts 45-7 in the at Gillette Stadium on January 18, 2015 following Indianapolis playoff wins over Cincinnati and Denver and New England's divisional round win over Baltimore. With the victory the Patriots moved on to defeat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX to win their fourth championship. New England's victory has been controversial, as the Patriots were alleged to have deliberately or negligently underinflated footballs used in the game, which has been dubbed "Deflategate". The controversy was addressed by Bill Belichick in a snap press conference a week before Super Bowl XLIX and took a bizarre turn when Adam Schefter reported a league employee was fired after this game for stealing footballs and illegally selling them.The rivalry forms the basis of a Sprint telecommunications television ad for their service providing NFL updates to cell phones. In the ad, a cell phone opens up to form a miniature NFL stadium with the Patriots logo in one end zone and the Colts logo in the other (the only scenarios in which this type of field layout would occur are the Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibition game and the NFL International Series). As two men watch, a winning field goal is kicked and fireworks erupt. The winner is not named but evidence suggests the Patriots, as the "game" call is by New England's radio play-by-play announcer Gil Santos.
The rivalry is also referenced in a MasterCard ad in which Peyton Manning is staying in hotels in New England as well as San Diego and Cleveland while misunderstanding taunting comments made to him by fans of the opposing teams, as well as taking their taunts literally (In New England: "Going down" to 4th floor of the hotel; Cleveland: "Don't choke on it" Planning on cutting the fruit into a fruit salad so he won't choke on it; San Diego: "Take a hike" Literally planning on taking a hike).
The 7–4 Patriots hosted the 6–5 Colts as the AFC East looked to be another Buffalo Bills runaway with the Bills a game ahead of New England and two ahead of both Indianapolis and Miami. The Patriots took over the game from the opening quarter as Drew Bledsoe tossed touchdowns to Shawn Jefferson and Terry Glenn for a 17–0 halftime lead. A pair of Cary Blanchard field goals were answered by New England as Adam Vinatieri booted a second field goal and Curtis Martin's 141 rushing yards included a twelve-yard rushing score in the fourth. Jim Harbaugh was injured when Willie Clay was flipped over the line of scrimmage and landed on Harbaugh, who suffered a sprained left MCL. Backup Paul Justin drove the Colts downfield and threw a five-yard score to Marvin Harrison for a 27–13 Patriots final.
The New England Patriots are an American football team based in Foxborough, Massachusetts. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. Originally called the Boston Patriots, the team was founded as one of eight charter members of the American Football League (AFL) in 1960 under the ownership of Billy Sullivan. The team became part of the NFL when the two leagues merged in 1970. The following year, they moved from Boston to nearby Foxborough, and changed their name to the New England Patriots.