Major honours
An original AFL member founded as the Boston Patriots, the club went 40 years without a Super Bowl title. Then Bill Belichick arrived in 2000 and sixth-round pick Tom Brady became starter in 2001, opening one of the great dynasties in American pro sports. From 2001 through 2019: 17 AFC East titles in 19 seasons, nine Super Bowl trips, six wins, and 11 straight division crowns from 2009 to 2019. Eleven Super Bowl appearances are an NFL record; six wins tie Pittsburgh. The 2007 team went 16–0 in the regular season but lost Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants, falling one win short of perfection. The signature was not one scheme but weekly game plans rebuilt for each opponent and cold roster management under the salary cap.
Record comparison
Bars are scaled to the strongest team in this list.
Club legends
Rivalry
Through the 2000s, Brady versus Peyton Manning was New England versus Indianapolis, with three AFC Championship meetings. In-division heat with the New York Jets ran long, but the dynasty years tilted the record overwhelmingly toward the Patriots.