The Patriots were born in 1960 as part of the AFL and were then known as the Boston Patriots. The team never really had a true home in the league as they went from stadium to stadium, Despite that lack of stability, they were able to win the league championship in 1963. It would unfortunately be the last they would see for a very long time.
In 1970 the AFL and NFL merged, and the Patriots received a permanent stadium in Foxborough. Ma. They changed the geographic portion of their name to New England and thus became the only team in the league to represent a region as opposed to a city or state. When the expansion Carolina Panthers entered, they would make the second.
Although the team would not win the big prize for many years, that’s not to say all was bad. They went to the playoffs in ’76 and were division champs in ’78. In 1982 they were back in the playoffs, but the coach could not get along with players or management and in 1984, coach Meyer was fired.
New coach Raymond Berry had the team in the postseason in 1985 and ’86, going all the way to the Super Bowl in ’85. The fans almost lost their team in 1992, when then-owner James Orthwein wanted to move the team to St. Louis and rename them the Stallions. Luckily, they were instead sold to Robert Kraft and the Pats remained in Massachusetts.
The Patriots hired Bill Belichick as coach, and In a week two matchup in ’01, starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe went down with an injury, Fans were nervous as the backup was a young sixth-round draft pick named Tom Brady. With the pairing of Belichick and Brady the Evil Empire was born and Bledsoe would never see his job as Patriots starter again.
The Patriots went on an absolute tear, running roughshod over the league. The team would build a dynasty as fans had the pleasure of seeing their unknown backup become the greatest quarterback of all time. The Patriots were in the playoffs more often than not and became accustomed to division and even conference championships. The Super Bowl also became a regular stop for the Pats. Since that time they have won Super Bowls in ’01, ’03, ’04, ’14 ’16, and ’18. In 2010-2012 they had the help of their Boston TE party, and more recently, in 2018 the Boogeymen defense helped propel them forward.
There is no doubt the Patriots are a true NFL dynasty and don’t appear ready to end that run just yet. Mac Jones brought the team back to the playoffs in 2021 and with Belichick still at the helm, Patriot fans can look forward to an awesome 2023, and more trophies in the trophy case in Foxborough.
If you want to watch your Pats continue to make history and take on their rivals such as the New York Jets, NFL Webcast should be your new home! NFL Webcast is absolutely free of charge. Multiple live streams will make sure you have access to the entire game, every game of the season, with no annoying pop-up ads and no blackouts. Also, a live chat option will allow you to show your Bay State and Patriot pride all season long on NFL Webcast!