| 2016 New England Patriots season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Robert Kraft |
| Head coach | Bill Belichick |
| Offensive coordinator | Josh McDaniels |
| Defensive coordinator | Matt Patricia |
| Home field | Gillette Stadium |
| Local radio | New England Patriots Radio Network |
| Results | |
| Record | 14–2 |
| Division place | 1st AFC East |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Texans) 34–16 Won AFC Championship (vs. Steelers) 36–17 Won Super Bowl LI (vs. Falcons) 34–28 (OT) |
| Pro Bowlers | 4
|
| AP All-Pros | 7
|
| Uniform | |
 | |
The 2016 season was the New England Patriots' 47th in the National Football League (NFL), their 57th overall and their 17th under head coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots ended the regular season with a league-best record of 14–2 and reached a number of milestones along the way: they became the first team originating in the American Football League to reach 500 franchise wins,[i] set the record for most consecutive division titles at eight,[ii] became the seventh team to go 8–0 on the road,[iii] set the record for most pass attempts by a team without an interception to start a season,[4] set the record for fewest interceptions thrown by a team with just 2, and led the league for fewest points allowed (250) for the first time since the 2003 season.[5][6] Belichick moved into fourth place on the list for most wins as a head coach. Brady set the record for most wins by a starting quarterback[7] and the record for the best touchdown–interception ratio in a single season.[iv]
Patriots starting quarterback Tom Brady was suspended for the first four games of the season due to his alleged role in the Deflategate scandal, marking the first time since 2008 that Brady didn't start in a game.[9][10] Under backup quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett, the team went 3–1 during Brady's suspension.
In the playoffs, the Patriots appeared in the AFC Championship Game for a record sixth consecutive year[v] and advanced to a record ninth Super Bowl appearance.[vi] In Super Bowl LI, the Patriots rallied from a 28–3 deficit – with 2:12 left in the third quarter – to win in overtime, with a score of 34–28 against the Atlanta Falcons.[14] This was the first Super Bowl to be decided in overtime, and was the first time that the winner erased a deficit higher than ten points.[15] It was the franchise's fifth Super Bowl title,[16] where Belichick and Brady set record appearances (7) and wins (5) in the Super Bowl for a head coach and a quarterback respectively.[vii] Including the playoffs, the 2016 Patriots had an average per-game point differential of 12 points, still the largest for any of New England's six Super Bowl-winning teams.[21] They also became the first Super Bowl champions with more than 13 regular season wins since their 2004 team. They were the final team to win at least 17 games (regular season and playoffs) under the NFL's 16-game regular season format. The 2016 Patriots ranked #21 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.[22][23]
For the first time since the 2002 NFL season, the Patriots did not play their intra-conference rival Indianapolis Colts at all during this season.
- ^ Buchmasser, Bernd (November 28, 2016), "Patriots become first former AFL team to celebrate 500 victories", SB Nation Pats Pulpit, retrieved December 10, 2016
- ^ Bowers, Rachel (December 19, 2016). "Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and the Patriots' eight straight division titles". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
- ^ Fischer, Jake (January 2, 2017). "New England Patriots become seventh NFL team to finish 8-0 on the road". All 22. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
- ^ "Game Notes: Patriots set NFL record for most pass attempts without an interception to start a season". Patriots.com. November 14, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
- ^ Buchmasser, Bernd (January 2, 2017). "Patriots finish 2016 regular season as number one scoring defense in the NFL". Pats Pulpit. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
- ^ "Statistics". NFL.com.
- ^ Brow, Jason (December 4, 2016), Tom Brady Makes History: Patriots Quarterback Shatters Record For Most Wins In NFL, Hollywood Life, archived from the original on December 6, 2016, retrieved December 10, 2016
- ^ Hurley, Michael (January 1, 2017). "Tom Brady Sets NFL Record For Best TD-To-INT Ratio Of All Time". CBS Boston. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
- ^ Hohler, Bob (July 15, 2016). "Tom Brady drops appeal, accepts four-game Deflategate suspension". The Boston Globe. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ^ McD831993, Michael (October 3, 2016). "Patriots played flat against the Buffalo Bills, finish 3-1 without Tom Brady". Pats Pulpit. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Patriots advance to 6th AFC Championship game with bruising win over Texans". WCVB. January 15, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
- ^ Wesseling, Chris (January 22, 2017). "Patriots shred Steelers, advance to ninth Super Bowl". NFL.com. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ Cox, Zach (January 23, 2017). "Putting Patriots' Ninth Super Bowl Appearance Into Historical Context". NESN. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
- ^ Wilner, Barry; Press, Associated (February 5, 2017). "Super Bowl LI: Patriots overcome 25-point deficit to claim fifth title". MetroWest Daily News. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^ Iyer, Vinnie (February 6, 2017). "First overtime in Super Bowl history exposes format flaw, leaves Falcons helpless". Sporting News. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^ Freeman, Rick (February 6, 2017). "Brady Leads Comeback, New England Patriots Win Fifth Super Bowl". NECN. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^ Schwab, Frank. "Tom Brady and Patriots join Matt Ryan and Falcons for a fun Super Bowl LI matchup". Yahoo.com. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ Staff, NESN (February 6, 2017). "Tom Brady, Bill Belichick Share Touching Moment After Super Bowl Win". NESN. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^ McKenna, Henry (February 5, 2017). "Bill Belichick sets record for most Super Bowl wins for head coach". Patriots Wire. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^ Allen, Jaydeen (February 5, 2017). "Tom Brady sets record for most Super Bowl wins for quarterback". Patriots Wire. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^ "2016 New England Patriots". Pro Football Reference. Pro Football Reference. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ "NFL Top 100 Teams". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ "100 Greatest Teams: Numbers 100-1 SUPERCUT". NFL.com.
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