Looking back at the New England Patriots' first 11 Super Bowls

New England Patriots playing in Super Bowl for 12th time: Here’s how the first 11 games went

The Pats have a 6-5 record in the big game

Updated: 6:25 PM EST Feb 5, 2026

The New England Patriots will make their 12th Super Bowl appearance when they face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, extending their record for most appearances in the big game by an NFL team.The Patriots have a 6-5 record in the Super Bowl. The six Super Bowl wins are tied for the most in NFL history with the Pittsburgh Steelers but the five losses are also tied for the most in NFL history, a record shared by the Denver Broncos.Here’s a look back at New England’s first 11 Super Bowl appearances.Super Bowl XX: Chicago Bears 46, New England Patriots 10The Patriots’ first Super Bowl appearance came off an unprecedented playoff run. New England (11-5) earned the final wild-card spot on a tiebreaker and became the first team in NFL history to win three straight road playoff games to reach the Super Bowl.But at Super Bowl XX in New Orleans on Jan. 26, 1986, the Pats ran into the buzzsaw that was the 1985 Chicago Bears, one of the greatest teams in NFL history. The Bears were 17-1 entering the big game, featuring a dominant defense and legendary running back Walter Payton, who had already set the single-game and career NFL rushing records at this point in his career.The Patriots wound up scoring first when Tony Franklin made a 36-yard field goal just 1:19 into the game, the quickest points scored in Super Bowl history at the time, but it was all Bears from there.Chicago scored the game’s next 44 points en route to a 46-10 victory. The Bears recorded seven sacks in the game and limited the Patriots to just seven rushing yards. Defensive end Richard Dent was named Super Bowl MVP, recording three tackles, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles for Chicago. Payton rushed for 61 yards but did not score a touchdown in what was his only Super Bowl. Bears quarterback Jim McMahon scored two rushing touchdowns, while fullback Matt Suhey and defensive tackle William “The Refrigerator” Perry also found the end zone on the ground.Super Bowl XXXI: Green Bay Packers 35, New England Patriots 21In their fourth season under Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells, the Patriots won the AFC East and outscored their opponents 48-9 in two playoff games at Foxboro Stadium to reach the Super Bowl.New England faced the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI on Jan. 26, 1997, in New Orleans. The Packers, who had won the first two Super Bowls, were making their first appearance in the big game in nearly 30 years.On Green Bay’s second play from scrimmage, quarterback Brett Favre threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Andre Rison. The Packers would take a 10-0 lead just 6:18 into the game, but the Patriots scored touchdowns on their next two possessions to go up 14-10. The combined 24 points in the first quarter were the most in Super Bowl history.Just 56 seconds into the second quarter, Favre threw an 81-yard touchdown to Antonio Freeman, which set another Super Bowl record. Favre scored a rushing touchdown before halftime, and the Packers held a 27-14 lead at the break.Late in the third quarter, Curtis Martin ran into the end zone from 18 yards out to bring the Patriots back within six points. But on the ensuing kickoff, Desmond Howard returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. Green Bay took a 35-21 lead on a two-point conversion and that score would hold until the end of the game.Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns in the game, but he was also intercepted four times, including twice in the fourth quarter. Bledsoe was also sacked five times, including a Super Bowl-record three times by Hall of Famer Reggie White.Howard, the 1991 Heisman Trophy winner, was named Super Bowl MVP after tying a Super Bowl record with 244 total return yards.Parcells left the Patriots after the Super Bowl loss and went on to join the division rival New York Jets.Super Bowl XXXVI: New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17Things were looking grim for the Patriots just two games into the 2001 season. After back-to-back losses to start the campaign, New England fell to 5-13 under second-year head coach Bill Belichick. Starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe also suffered a sheared blood vessel in the Week 2 loss, so the Pats would have to turn to backup Tom Brady, a sixth-round pick in the 2000 NFL draft.But Brady and the Patriots wound up going 11-3 the rest of the regular season to win the AFC East, and had a six-game winning streak entering the playoffs. New England defeated the Oakland Raiders in the “Snow Bowl,” the divisional round playoff game that is also widely known as the “Tuck Rule Game.” In the AFC championship game, Brady got injured and was relieved by Bledsoe, who passed for 102 yards and a touchdown in the Pats’ 24-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.Once again, the Patriots played in a Super Bowl hosted by New Orleans — and it appears the third time was the charm.The Pats were heavy underdogs against the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI on Feb. 3, 2002. The Rams had won the Super Bowl two years prior behind an offense that was known as “The Greatest Show on Turf” and featured four future Hall of Famers: quarterback Kurt Warner, running back Marshall Faulk, wide receiver Isaac Bruce and left tackle Orlando Pace.New England’s defense was up to the task, forcing three St. Louis turnovers that resulted in 17 points. One of those turnovers was a second-quarter interception by Ty Law, which the future Hall of Famer returned 47 yards for a Patriots touchdown.The Patriots held a 17-3 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Rams would fight back to tie the game with 1:30 remaining in the game.With no timeouts remaining, Brady and the Patriots offense took over at their own 17-yard line. The 24-year-old quarterback then orchestrated a 53-yard drive that set up a 48-yard field goal attempt for Adam Vinatieri with just seconds remaining.Vinatieri’s kick had plenty of distance and went right down the middle. The final seconds ran off the clock and the Patriots were Super Bowl champions for the first time in franchise history.Brady was named Super Bowl MVP, as he completed 16 of 27 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown in the game.Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29After missing the playoffs on a tiebreaker in 2002, the Patriots came back with a vengeance in the 2023 season. New England finished a league-best 14-2 and in the postseason, they defeated the quarterbacks who wound up sharing the NFL MVP award: Steve McNair of the Tennessee Titans and Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts.On Feb. 1, 2004, the Patriots faced an upstart Carolina Panthers team in Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston.The defenses shined early, as it took a Super Bowl-record 26 minutes and 55 seconds for the first points of the game to be scored. The Patriots and Panthers offenses then traded blows in the final minutes of the second quarter, and New England held a 14-10 halftime lead.Neither team scored in the third quarter, but the Pats took a 21-10 lead on an Antowain Smith touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. The Panthers roared back and took a 22-21 lead on a Super Bowl-record 85-yard touchdown pass from Jake Delhomme to Muhsin Muhammad. After a failed Carolina two-point conversion, New England answered with a drive that ended with outside linebacker Mike Vrabel, who was lined up at tight end, catching a 1-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady. A two-point conversion by Kevin Faulk put the Patriots up 29-22 with 2:51 remaining in the game.The Panthers tied the game with 1:08 remaining on a touchdown pass from Delhomme to Ricky Proehl, who had scored the tying touchdown for the Rams against the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI two years earlier.The Patriots caught a break when the ensuing Panthers kickoff went out of bounds, giving New England the ball at its own 40-yard line. With 14 seconds left, Brady connected with Deion Branch for a 17-yard gain. That set up Adam Vinatieri, who made a 41-yard field goal that won the Pats their second Super Bowl in three seasons.Brady was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time, as he completed a Super Bowl-record 32 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns. Branch finished with 143 receiving yards on 10 catches, the second-most receptions in Super Bowl history.Super Bowl XXXIX: New England Patriots 24, Philadelphia Eagles 21After winning their final 15 games of the 2003 season, the Patriots opened the 2004 season by winning their first six games. The 21-game winning streak is an NFL record that still stands through the 2025 season.New England once again finished 14-2 but missed out on the AFC’s No. 1 seed to the 15-1 Pittsburgh Steelers, who defeated the Patriots 34-20 in Week 8 to snap the record winning streak.The Patriots opened the playoffs by defeating the Indianapolis Colts and back-to-back NFL MVP Peyton Manning 20-3 at Gillette Stadium. The Pats then got their revenge on the Steelers the following week, winning the AFC championship game 41-27 in Pittsburgh.Super Bowl XXXIX pitted the Patriots against the Philadelphia Eagles (15-3) on Feb. 6, 2005, in Jacksonville, Florida.The Eagles struck first early in the second quarter, taking a 7-0 lead after a touchdown pass from Donovan McNabb to L.J. Smith. The Patriots scored with 1:10 remaining in the first half on a Tom Brady touchdown pass to David Givens, and the game was tied 7-7 at halftime.New England opened the third quarter with a 69-yard drive punctuated by a touchdown catch from outside linebacker Mike Vrabel, who scored in a second consecutive Super Bowl while lined up at tight end. Philadelphia would answer later in the third with a touchdown drive of its own, and the game was tied 14-14 entering the fourth quarter.Corey Dillon scored on a two-yard touchdown run early in the fourth, capping off a drive in which fellow running back Kevin Faulk gained 20 yards on the ground and another 27 through the air.The Patriots’ defense then forced a three-and-out, and Adam Vinatieri made a 22-yard field goal to give New England a 24-14 lead with 8:40 remaining in the game.Linebacker Tedy Bruschi intercepted McNabb at New England’s 24-yard line with 7:20 to go, but Philadelphia forced a punt and got within three points after McNabb threw a 30-yard touchdown to Greg Lewis with 1:48 to play.Tight end Christian Fauria recovered an Eagles onside kick attempt, but Philadelphia once again forced a punt and got the ball back with 46 seconds remaining. Three plays later, Patriots safety Rodney Harrison intercepted McNabb for the second time in the game to seal a 24-21 win for New England.The Patriots became the eighth team in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles, and just the second to win three Super Bowls in four years, joining the 1990s Dallas Cowboys.Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch was named Super Bowl MVP. His 11 catches tied a then-Super Bowl record and he finished the game with 133 receiving yards.Brady finished the game 23 of 33 passing for 236 yards and two touchdowns. McNabb was 30 of 51 for 357 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions. The Patriots defense had also recovered a fumble to finish the game with four turnovers.Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens, a future Hall of Famer, had nine catches for 122 yards just seven weeks after he broke his right leg and tore a ligament in his right ankle.Super Bowl XLII: New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14While the Patriots were on the winning end of one of the biggest Super Bowl upsets of all-time in February 2002, they found themselves on the losing end of perhaps the greatest Super Bowl upset six years later.The Patriots went a perfect 16-0 in the regular season in 2007, as head coach and de facto general manager Bill Belichick had rebuilt the offense around Tom Brady by trading for two wide receivers in the offseason: Randy Moss, a future Hall of Famer who finished a single-season record 23 touchdown catches, and relative unknown Wes Welker, who wound up leading the NFL in receptions. Brady was named the NFL MVP after throwing for 4,806 yards and a then-NFL record 50 touchdown passes.New England defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-20 in the divisional round and the San Diego Chargers 21-12 in the AFC championship game to reach the Super Bowl with an 18-0 record.In Super Bowl XLII on Feb. 3, 2008, the Patriots faced a New York Giants team that finished 10-6 in the regular season but won three straight road playoff games to reach the big game in Glendale, Arizona.The Giants converted a 32-yard field goal on the game’s opening drive, which lasted nearly 10 minutes and became the longest game-opening drive in Super Bowl history. The Patriots responded with a touchdown drive sparked by running back Laurence Maroney, who returned a kickoff 43 yards and capped the 56-yard drive with a one-yard run into the end zone.New England held a 7-3 lead at halftime and held that advantage into the fourth quarter. Giants quarterback Eli Manning connected with David Tyree for a 5-yard touchdown with 11:05 to play, and New York would take a 10-7 lead.After the teams traded punts, Brady completed 8 of 11 passes on an 80-yard drive that ended with a 6-yard touchdown catch by Moss with 2:42 remaining in the game.Manning and the Giants started the ensuing possession on their own 17-yard line and eventually faced a 3rd-and-5 from their own 44 with 1:15 to go. Manning escaped multiple Patriots defenders and heaved a pass deep downfield, where Tyree pinned the ball against this helmet while battling Rodney Harrison. Tyree was able to hold on for a 32-yard catch that put the Giants at the Patriots’ 24-yard line. Steve Smith later made a 12-yard catch on a 3rd-and-11 to put New York at the New England 13-yard line. On the next play, Plaxico Burress caught a fade pass from Manning in the end zone, and the Giants took a 17-14 lead with 35 seconds remaining.The Patriots were unable to get anything going when they got the ball and went four-and-out, essentially ending the game.Manning was named Super Bowl MVP after completing 19 of 34 passes for 255 yards and two passing touchdowns. The Giants defense, led by future Hall of Famer Michael Strahan in his final game, was spectacular and sacked Brady five times.Brady finished the game 29 of 48 for 266 passing yards and a touchdown. Welker had 11 catches, which tied a Super Bowl record, for 103 yards.Super Bowl XLVI: New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17The Patriots and Giants met in the Super Bowl again, four years after New York’s upset of New England in the big game.New England did not go undefeated, but did earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 13-3 record. The Pats beat the Denver Broncos 45-10 in the divisional round and then edged the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 in the AFC championship game.New York won the NFC East with a 9-7 record and was the lowest-seeded division champion. The Giants defeated the Atlanta Falcons 24-2 to open the playoffs before upsetting the No. 1 seed and defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers 37-20. New York then topped the No. 2 seed San Francisco 49ers 20-17 in the NFC championship game.Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5, 2012, was the first to be played in Indianapolis and the scoring opened in a rare way.The Patriots forced the Giants to punt on the game’s opening drive, but Steve Weatherford’s kick pinned New England back to its own 6-yard line. On the Pats’ first offensive play, quarterback Tom Brady was pressured by defensive lineman Justin Tuck and forced him to throw deep down the middle of the field. There were no players in the vicinity, so the play resulted in an intentional grounding penalty. Since Brady was in the end zone when he threw the ball, it resulted in a Giants safety.After the ensuing free kick, the Giants drove 78 yards and scored a touchdown on a two-yard pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz.The Giants held a 9-0 lead until early in the second quarter, when the Patriots cut their deficit to six points with a 29-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski.The score remained 9-3 until late in the first half, when the Patriots drove 96 yards and found the end zone. Running back Danny Woodhead caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Brady with 15 seconds remaining in the second quarter, and New England took a 10-9 lead into halftime.The Patriots opened the second half with a 79-yard touchdown drive and took a 17-9 lead. The Giants answered with a field goal, forced a three-and-out on defense and added another field goal to make it 17-15 New England late in the third quarter.The Giants still trailed by two with less than 4 minutes to play and had the ball on their own 12-yard line. On the first play of the possession, Manning threw a pass to Mario Manningham deep down the left sideline. With two Patriots defenders in pursuit, Manningham kept his feet in bounds to secure a 38-yard catch.New York reached the New England 18-yard line at the 2-minute warning. The Giants faced a 2nd-and-goal from the 6-yard line with 1:04 to go when a large hole opened up for running back Ahmad Bradshaw. It appeared Bradshaw strongly considered going down at the 1-yard line, as the Patriots were down to one timeout and the Giants only needed a field goal to take the lead, but he fell backwards into the end zone for a touchdown. The Giants failed to convert a two-point attempt, but held a 21-17 lead with 57 seconds to play.Brady and the Patriots started on their own 20-yard line with 57 seconds remaining and one timeout left following a touchback on the Giants’ kickoff. Facing a 4th-and-16 with 39 seconds left, Brady completed a 19-yard pass to Branch for a first down to keep New England’s hopes alive.The Patriots eventually reached their own 49-yard line, but that’s as far as they would get, as a Hail Mary attempt fell incomplete to end the game.Manning won his second Super Bowl MVP award, as he completed 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown. He also became the first quarterback to open a Super Bowl with nine consecutive completions.Brady finished the game 27 of 41 for 276 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. His 276 passing yards helped Brady become the all-time passing leader in Super Bowl history. Brady also completed 16 straight passes at one point, which set a Super Bowl record.Super Bowl XLIX: New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24The Patriots won the AFC East for a sixth straight year in 2014 and their ninth division title in 10 seasons, but it had been a decade since they last won a Super Bowl.After going 12-4 in the regular season, the Pats defeated the Baltimore Ravens 35-31 in a hard-fought divisional playoff game and then trounced the Indianapolis Colts 45-7 in the AFC championship game.New England faced the defending champion Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, and the teams delivered an all-time classic in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 1, 2015.The Patriots broke through first in the second quarter, when Tom Brady threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell. The Seahawks tied the game after a 3-yard Marshawn Lynch touchdown run, which was set up by a 44-yard catch by Chris Matthews, his first career catch in the NFL.Brady and the Patriots scored with 31 seconds left in the first half, as he connected with tight end Rob Gronkowski on a 22-yard touchdown pass. The Seahawks answered again, as they drove 80 yards and tied it up at 14-14 after Russell Wilson threw an 11-yard touchdown to Matthews, marking the receiver’s first NFL touchdown.Seattle got into the red zone on the opening drive of the second half, thanks in large part to a 45-yard catch by Matthews. But the Patriots defense was able to force the Seahawks to settle for a field goal.On the next Patriots possession, Brady was intercepted by linebacker Bobby Wagner and the Seahawks capitalized on the mistake. Seattle took a 24-14 lead with less than 5 minutes remaining in the third quarter after Wilson threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin.After an exchange of punts, the Patriots faced a 3rd-and-14 with less than 11 minutes to play. Brady found Julian Edelman for a 21-yard gain for the first down, and another 21-yard connection between Brady and Edelman set up Danny Amendola’s 3-yard touchdown catch with 7:55 to go.New England’s defense forced a three-and-out and on the ensuing drive, Brady went a perfect 8 for 8 passing against the “Legion of Boom” defense and capped a 10-play, 64-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Edelman. With the extra point, the Patriots had a 28-24 lead with just over 2 minutes to play.On Seattle’s first play from scrimmage, Wilson threw a 31-yard pass to running back Marshawn Lynch that got the Seahawks to the Patriots’ 49-yard line at the 2-minute warning.Four plays later, Wilson threw a ball deep downfield to Jermaine Kearse. Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler tipped the ball, but Kearse was able to corral it while he was on his back. The miraculous 33-yard catch set the Seahawks up at the 5-yard line with 1:06 to go.Lynch gained four yards on a rush, but he was stopped short of the goal line by Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower. What came next was shocking on a number of levels.The Patriots had two timeouts remaining, but head coach Bill Belichick decided to let the clock continue to run. Instead of handing the ball to Lynch, one of the most powerful runners in the NFL, from the 1-yard line, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell called a pass play. Wilson dropped back and threw a quick pass to Ricardo Lockette, but Butler jumped the route and came away with a game-saving interception. Butler got a great assist on the play from Brandon Browner, who jammed Kearse at the line and freed Butler up to make his break on the ball.New England then ran out the clock to secure its fourth Super Bowl title.Brady won his third Super Bowl MVP award, finishing the game 37 of 50 passing with 328 yards and four touchdowns. His 20 first-half completions and 37 total completions were both Super Bowl records. Brady also ran his Super Bowl touchdown total to 13, which set another record.Patriots running back Shane Vereen caught 11 passes in the game, the most by a running back in a Super Bowl. New England punter Ryan Allen also set a Super Bowl record with a 64-yard punt.Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots 34, Atlanta Falcons 28 (OT)After falling 20-18 in the AFC championship game to end the 2015 season, the Patriots were able to return to the Super Bowl despite not having Tom Brady for the first four games of the 2016 season.Brady, who was suspended in connection with the “Deflategate” scandal, returned in Week 5 and led the Patriots to 11 wins in their final 12 games, including a seven-game win streak to finish the regular season.New England (14-2) outscored its playoff opponents 70-33 en route to Super Bowl LI, where the Pats faced the Atlanta Falcons and NFL MVP Matt Ryan, a Boston College alum, in Houston on Feb. 5, 2017.After a scoreless first quarter, the Falcons jumped out to a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter. The Patriots drove all the way to the Falcons’ 23-yard line in the closing minutes of the first half but Brady was intercepted by Robert Alford, who returned it 82 yards for a touchdown to extend Atlanta’s lead. New England was able to get on the board with a 41-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski right before halftime, but the Pats still trailed 21-3.The teams traded punts to start the second half, and the Falcons then drove 85 yards for another touchdown. Ryan connected with receiver Taylor Gabriel for some big plays before throwing a six-yard touchdown to running back Tevin Coleman to cap the scoring drive.Trailing 28-3 with 8:31 remaining in the third quarter, the Patriots then made the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.Patriots running back James White caught a 5-yard touchdown pass with 2:06 remaining in the third, but Gostkowski missed the extra point and the Falcons led 28-9.New England’s defense forced a three-and-out, but the Pats had to settle for a 33-yard field goal and trailed 28-12 with 9:44 remaining in the game.On the ensuing Falcons drive, Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower sacked Ryan and forced him to fumble. Defensive tackle Alan Branch then recovered the ball at Atlanta’s 25-yard line. New England capitalized on the turnover, as Brady found Danny Amendola for a 6-yard touchdown. White then ran in the two-point conversion attempt to cut the deficit to eight points with 5:56 to play.The Falcons drove deep into Patriots’ territory on their next drive, thanks to a spectacular 27-yard catch by Julio Jones. But Trey Flowers sacked Ryan for a loss of 12 yards later in the drive and a holding penalty pushed Atlanta out of field goal range.The Patriots got the ball back on their own 9-yard line with 3:40 remaining after the Falcons punt. On 3rd-and-10, Brady connected with receiver Chris Hogan for a gain of 16 yards. After an incompletion, Brady completed five passes in a row — including a 23-yard gain off a ball that was tipped in the air and snagged by Edelman just inches above the ground — to get New England to Atlanta’s 1-yard line. White ran in for a touchdown to make it 28-26. On the two-point conversion, Brady threw a quick screen to Amendola, who was able to get to the goal line to tie the game with 57 seconds to play.New England forced Atlanta to punt on the next possession and for the first time in NFL history, the Super Bowl went to overtime.The Patriots won the toss and elected to receive to start overtime. Brady completed the first five passes of the drive, making it 10 straight completions for him when including the final drive of regulation.White then ran for a gain of 10 yards to the Falcons’ 15-yard line, and an ensuing pass interference penalty on Atlanta got the ball down to the 2-yard line. After a pass was broken up, White got the ball again and ran it into the end zone to complete the comeback.Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick won their fifth Super Bowl together, the most Super Bowls won by a quarterback and head coach in NFL history.Brady also won his fourth Super Bowl MVP award, setting an NFL record. His 43 completions, 62 pass attempts and 466 passing yards in the game were Super Bowl records.White set a Super Bowl record with 14 catches and tied the record of three touchdowns scored in a single Super Bowl.Super Bowl LII: Philadelphia Eagles 41, New England Patriots 33The Patriots reached the Super Bowl for a second straight year after going 13-3 in the regular season, defeating the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round 35-14 and edging the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-20 in the AFC championship game.Tom Brady won his third career NFL MVP award after passing for 4,577 yards and 32 touchdowns in the regular season with just eight interceptions.The Patriots would face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis on Feb. 4, 2018. The Eagles were the NFC’s No. 1 seed and also had a 13-3 record, but they were considered underdogs because they were playing with their backup quarterback, Nick Foles.After each team kicked a field goal on its opening drive, former Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount broke off a 36-yard run, which set up a 34-yard touchdown pass from Foles to Alshon Jeffery. Eagles kicker Jake Elliott missed the extra point, but Stephen Gostkowski missed a 26-yard field goal attempt on the Patriots’ next possession and it remained 9-3 Philadelphia early in the second quarter.The Patriots defense forced a three-and-out, but the offense went for it on a 4th-and-5 from the Eagles’ 35-yard line and turned it over on downs.On the ensuing Philadelphia possession, Foles connected with Jeffery for a 22-yard gain and Blount ran it 21 yards to the end zone on the next play. The Eagles led 15-3 after a failed two-point conversion attempt.The Patriots answered with a 45-yard field goal from Gostkowski and on the ensuing Eagles’ drive, safety Duron Harmon came away with an interception for New England.With less than 3 minutes remaining in the first half, Brady connected with receiver Chris Hogan for 43-yard gain and James White ran for a 26-yard touchdown on the very next play. Gostkowski missed the extra point, so the Patriots trailed 15-12 with just over 2 minutes to go until halftime.The Eagles were able to drive 70 yards in the final two minutes, thanks in large part to a 55-yard catch and run by running back Corey Clement. A few plays later, Philadelphia faced a 4th-and-goal from the New England 1-yard line with 38 seconds left in the half. The Eagles ran a trick play called “Philly Special,” in which tight end Trey Burton — who played some quarterback in college — faked a reverse and floated a touchdown pass to a wide-open Foles.Trailing 22-12 at halftime, the Patriots opened the second half with a 75-yard drive that was full of big plays from star tight end Rob Gronkowski. Gronkowski caught four passes for 68 yards on the drive, including a 5-yard touchdown to help pull New England back within three points.The Eagles answered with an 85-yard scoring drive that was capped by a 22-yard touchdown pass from Foles to Clement. The Patriots countered with another 75-yard touchdown drive, as Brady found Hogan from 26 yards out. Gostkowski’s extra point made it 29-26 Philadelphia with 3:23 remaining in the third quarter.Early in the fourth quarter, Elliott made a 42-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 32-26 lead. Then for a third straight possession, the Patriots drove 75 yards for a touchdown. A 30-yard pass from Brady to Danny Amendola got New England into the red zone. Four plays later, Brady threw a four-yard touchdown to Gronkowski and the Patriots took their first lead of the game, 33-32, on a Gostkowski extra point with 9:22 remaining in the game.The Eagles then had a 14-play drive that took more than 7 minutes off the clock. Tight end Zach Ertz caught a 7-yard pass on a 3rd-and-6, a 2-yard pass on a 4th-and-1 and capped the 75-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown. Philadelphia’s two-point conversion was no good, but the Eagles held a 38-33 lead with 2:21 to play.On the second play of the ensuing Patriots drive, Brady was strip-sacked by defensive end Brandon Graham and the fumble was recovered by Derek Barnett, giving the ball back to Philadelphia in New England territory.The Eagles ran the ball three straight times, setting Elliott up for a 46-yard field goal attempt. He made the kick to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 41-33 with 1:05 remaining.Brady had 58 seconds to work with but no timeouts when he got the ball back. The Patriots got to their 49-yard line with 9 seconds left, but Brady’s Hail Mary attempt to Gronkowski in the end zone fell incomplete as time expired.Foles was named Super Bowl MVP after finishing the game 28 of 43 for 373 passing yards and three passing touchdowns, as well as a receiving touchdown.Brady completed 28 of 48 passes, throwing for a Super Bowl-record 505 yards. He finished the game with three touchdown passes. Gronkowski had nine catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns, Hogan had six receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown and Amendola caught eight passes for 152 yards.The Patriots and Eagles combined for a Super Bowl record 1,151 yards of total offense, 613 from New England and 538 from Philadelphia.This was the Eagles’ first Super Bowl title in franchise history.Super Bowl LIII: New England Patriots 13, Los Angeles Rams 3The Patriots won the AFC East title for the 10th straight season in 2018, overcoming a 1-2 start to the season to finish 11-5.In the playoffs, New England defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 41-28 at home in the divisional round. In the AFC championship game, the Patriots outdueled NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Kansas City, winning 37-31 in overtime to advance to their third straight Super Bowl.The Patriots faced the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3, 2019, in Atlanta. Seventeen years earlier to the day, the Pats won their first Super Bowl by defeating the Rams, who were then located in St. Louis.Both defenses shined in this Super Bowl meeting, as both teams were held scoreless in the first quarter.A 25-yard catch by receiver Julian Edelman early in the second quarter helped set up Stephen Gostkowski’s 42-yard field goal that opened the scoring. The Patriots defense limited the Rams to just 57 yards and two first downs in the first half, but LA’s defense was equal to the task and New England led 3-0 at the break.The teams traded punts twice in the third quarter before the Rams put a drive together that ended in a 53-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein.After another exchange of punts, the Patriots had a five-play, 69-yard touchdown drive that resulted in the only touchdown of the game. Tom Brady completed an 18-yard pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski before connecting with Edelman for 13 yards. After a 7-yard pass to running back Rex Burkhead, Brady completed a pass to Gronkowski for a 29-yard gain to the Rams’ 2-yard line. Rookie running back Sony Michel ran in for the touchdown, and New England took a 10-3 lead with 7 minutes remaining in the game.The Rams drove down to the Patriots’ 27-yard line on their next possession, but All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore intercepted a deep pass from Jared Goff that was intended for former Pats receiver Brandin Cooks with 4:17 to play.On the second play of the ensuing drive, Michel broke off a 26-yard run to advance the ball from the New England 5-yard line to the 31. Burkhead had a 26-yard run of his own later in the drive, and the Patriots were able to take 3 minutes and 5 seconds off the clock while adding three more points on a 41-yard field goal from Gostkowski.With no timeouts remaining, the Rams were able to reach the Patriots’ 30-yard line with eight seconds left. Los Angeles attempted a 53-yard field goal because it needed two scores, but Zuerlein’s kick sailed wide left, cementing New England’s 13-3 victory.The Patriots won their third Super Bowl in five years and sixth overall, tying the NFL record for most Super Bowl titles. This Super Bowl win was also the franchise’s 37th postseason victory, a new NFL record.Edelman was named Super Bowl MVP after finishing the game with 10 catches for 141 yards.This was the sixth Super Bowl title won by Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Brady became the first player to be a part of six Super Bowl-winning teams. Belichick joined George Halas and Curly Lambeau as the only head coaches to win six NFL championships. Halas and Lambeau won all of their titles in the pre-Super Bowl era.The 16 combined points between the Patriots and Rams marked the lowest-scoring game in Super Bowl history. New England’s defense recorded four sacks and forced nine punts. The Pats joined the 1971 Dallas Cowboys as the only team to allow only three points in a Super Bowl.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. —

The New England Patriots will make their 12th Super Bowl appearance when they face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, extending their record for most appearances in the big game by an NFL team.

The Patriots have a 6-5 record in the Super Bowl. The six Super Bowl wins are tied for the most in NFL history with the Pittsburgh Steelers but the five losses are also tied for the most in NFL history, a record shared by the Denver Broncos.

Here’s a look back at New England’s first 11 Super Bowl appearances.

Super Bowl XX: Chicago Bears 46, New England Patriots 10

The Patriots’ first Super Bowl appearance came off an unprecedented playoff run. New England (11-5) earned the final wild-card spot on a tiebreaker and became the first team in NFL history to win three straight road playoff games to reach the Super Bowl.

But at Super Bowl XX in New Orleans on Jan. 26, 1986, the Pats ran into the buzzsaw that was the 1985 Chicago Bears, one of the greatest teams in NFL history. The Bears were 17-1 entering the big game, featuring a dominant defense and legendary running back Walter Payton, who had already set the single-game and career NFL rushing records at this point in his career.

The Patriots wound up scoring first when Tony Franklin made a 36-yard field goal just 1:19 into the game, the quickest points scored in Super Bowl history at the time, but it was all Bears from there.

Chicago scored the game’s next 44 points en route to a 46-10 victory. The Bears recorded seven sacks in the game and limited the Patriots to just seven rushing yards. Defensive end Richard Dent was named Super Bowl MVP, recording three tackles, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles for Chicago. Payton rushed for 61 yards but did not score a touchdown in what was his only Super Bowl. Bears quarterback Jim McMahon scored two rushing touchdowns, while fullback Matt Suhey and defensive tackle William “The Refrigerator” Perry also found the end zone on the ground.

Super Bowl XXXI: Green Bay Packers 35, New England Patriots 21

In their fourth season under Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells, the Patriots won the AFC East and outscored their opponents 48-9 in two playoff games at Foxboro Stadium to reach the Super Bowl.

New England faced the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI on Jan. 26, 1997, in New Orleans. The Packers, who had won the first two Super Bowls, were making their first appearance in the big game in nearly 30 years.

On Green Bay’s second play from scrimmage, quarterback Brett Favre threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Andre Rison. The Packers would take a 10-0 lead just 6:18 into the game, but the Patriots scored touchdowns on their next two possessions to go up 14-10. The combined 24 points in the first quarter were the most in Super Bowl history.

Just 56 seconds into the second quarter, Favre threw an 81-yard touchdown to Antonio Freeman, which set another Super Bowl record. Favre scored a rushing touchdown before halftime, and the Packers held a 27-14 lead at the break.

Late in the third quarter, Curtis Martin ran into the end zone from 18 yards out to bring the Patriots back within six points. But on the ensuing kickoff, Desmond Howard returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. Green Bay took a 35-21 lead on a two-point conversion and that score would hold until the end of the game.

Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns in the game, but he was also intercepted four times, including twice in the fourth quarter. Bledsoe was also sacked five times, including a Super Bowl-record three times by Hall of Famer Reggie White.

Howard, the 1991 Heisman Trophy winner, was named Super Bowl MVP after tying a Super Bowl record with 244 total return yards.

Parcells left the Patriots after the Super Bowl loss and went on to join the division rival New York Jets.

Super Bowl XXXVI: New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17

Things were looking grim for the Patriots just two games into the 2001 season. After back-to-back losses to start the campaign, New England fell to 5-13 under second-year head coach Bill Belichick. Starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe also suffered a sheared blood vessel in the Week 2 loss, so the Pats would have to turn to backup Tom Brady, a sixth-round pick in the 2000 NFL draft.

But Brady and the Patriots wound up going 11-3 the rest of the regular season to win the AFC East, and had a six-game winning streak entering the playoffs. New England defeated the Oakland Raiders in the “Snow Bowl,” the divisional round playoff game that is also widely known as the “Tuck Rule Game.” In the AFC championship game, Brady got injured and was relieved by Bledsoe, who passed for 102 yards and a touchdown in the Pats’ 24-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Once again, the Patriots played in a Super Bowl hosted by New Orleans — and it appears the third time was the charm.

The Pats were heavy underdogs against the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI on Feb. 3, 2002. The Rams had won the Super Bowl two years prior behind an offense that was known as “The Greatest Show on Turf” and featured four future Hall of Famers: quarterback Kurt Warner, running back Marshall Faulk, wide receiver Isaac Bruce and left tackle Orlando Pace.

New England’s defense was up to the task, forcing three St. Louis turnovers that resulted in 17 points. One of those turnovers was a second-quarter interception by Ty Law, which the future Hall of Famer returned 47 yards for a Patriots touchdown.

The Patriots held a 17-3 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Rams would fight back to tie the game with 1:30 remaining in the game.

With no timeouts remaining, Brady and the Patriots offense took over at their own 17-yard line. The 24-year-old quarterback then orchestrated a 53-yard drive that set up a 48-yard field goal attempt for Adam Vinatieri with just seconds remaining.

Vinatieri’s kick had plenty of distance and went right down the middle. The final seconds ran off the clock and the Patriots were Super Bowl champions for the first time in franchise history.

Brady was named Super Bowl MVP, as he completed 16 of 27 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown in the game.

Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29

After missing the playoffs on a tiebreaker in 2002, the Patriots came back with a vengeance in the 2023 season. New England finished a league-best 14-2 and in the postseason, they defeated the quarterbacks who wound up sharing the NFL MVP award: Steve McNair of the Tennessee Titans and Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts.

On Feb. 1, 2004, the Patriots faced an upstart Carolina Panthers team in Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston.

The defenses shined early, as it took a Super Bowl-record 26 minutes and 55 seconds for the first points of the game to be scored. The Patriots and Panthers offenses then traded blows in the final minutes of the second quarter, and New England held a 14-10 halftime lead.

Neither team scored in the third quarter, but the Pats took a 21-10 lead on an Antowain Smith touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. The Panthers roared back and took a 22-21 lead on a Super Bowl-record 85-yard touchdown pass from Jake Delhomme to Muhsin Muhammad. After a failed Carolina two-point conversion, New England answered with a drive that ended with outside linebacker Mike Vrabel, who was lined up at tight end, catching a 1-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady. A two-point conversion by Kevin Faulk put the Patriots up 29-22 with 2:51 remaining in the game.

The Panthers tied the game with 1:08 remaining on a touchdown pass from Delhomme to Ricky Proehl, who had scored the tying touchdown for the Rams against the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI two years earlier.

The Patriots caught a break when the ensuing Panthers kickoff went out of bounds, giving New England the ball at its own 40-yard line. With 14 seconds left, Brady connected with Deion Branch for a 17-yard gain. That set up Adam Vinatieri, who made a 41-yard field goal that won the Pats their second Super Bowl in three seasons.

Brady was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time, as he completed a Super Bowl-record 32 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns. Branch finished with 143 receiving yards on 10 catches, the second-most receptions in Super Bowl history.

Super Bowl XXXIX: New England Patriots 24, Philadelphia Eagles 21

After winning their final 15 games of the 2003 season, the Patriots opened the 2004 season by winning their first six games. The 21-game winning streak is an NFL record that still stands through the 2025 season.

New England once again finished 14-2 but missed out on the AFC’s No. 1 seed to the 15-1 Pittsburgh Steelers, who defeated the Patriots 34-20 in Week 8 to snap the record winning streak.

The Patriots opened the playoffs by defeating the Indianapolis Colts and back-to-back NFL MVP Peyton Manning 20-3 at Gillette Stadium. The Pats then got their revenge on the Steelers the following week, winning the AFC championship game 41-27 in Pittsburgh.

Super Bowl XXXIX pitted the Patriots against the Philadelphia Eagles (15-3) on Feb. 6, 2005, in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Eagles struck first early in the second quarter, taking a 7-0 lead after a touchdown pass from Donovan McNabb to L.J. Smith. The Patriots scored with 1:10 remaining in the first half on a Tom Brady touchdown pass to David Givens, and the game was tied 7-7 at halftime.

New England opened the third quarter with a 69-yard drive punctuated by a touchdown catch from outside linebacker Mike Vrabel, who scored in a second consecutive Super Bowl while lined up at tight end. Philadelphia would answer later in the third with a touchdown drive of its own, and the game was tied 14-14 entering the fourth quarter.

Corey Dillon scored on a two-yard touchdown run early in the fourth, capping off a drive in which fellow running back Kevin Faulk gained 20 yards on the ground and another 27 through the air.

The Patriots’ defense then forced a three-and-out, and Adam Vinatieri made a 22-yard field goal to give New England a 24-14 lead with 8:40 remaining in the game.

Linebacker Tedy Bruschi intercepted McNabb at New England’s 24-yard line with 7:20 to go, but Philadelphia forced a punt and got within three points after McNabb threw a 30-yard touchdown to Greg Lewis with 1:48 to play.

Tight end Christian Fauria recovered an Eagles onside kick attempt, but Philadelphia once again forced a punt and got the ball back with 46 seconds remaining. Three plays later, Patriots safety Rodney Harrison intercepted McNabb for the second time in the game to seal a 24-21 win for New England.

The Patriots became the eighth team in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles, and just the second to win three Super Bowls in four years, joining the 1990s Dallas Cowboys.

Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch was named Super Bowl MVP. His 11 catches tied a then-Super Bowl record and he finished the game with 133 receiving yards.

Brady finished the game 23 of 33 passing for 236 yards and two touchdowns. McNabb was 30 of 51 for 357 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions. The Patriots defense had also recovered a fumble to finish the game with four turnovers.

Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens, a future Hall of Famer, had nine catches for 122 yards just seven weeks after he broke his right leg and tore a ligament in his right ankle.

Super Bowl XLII: New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14

While the Patriots were on the winning end of one of the biggest Super Bowl upsets of all-time in February 2002, they found themselves on the losing end of perhaps the greatest Super Bowl upset six years later.

The Patriots went a perfect 16-0 in the regular season in 2007, as head coach and de facto general manager Bill Belichick had rebuilt the offense around Tom Brady by trading for two wide receivers in the offseason: Randy Moss, a future Hall of Famer who finished a single-season record 23 touchdown catches, and relative unknown Wes Welker, who wound up leading the NFL in receptions. Brady was named the NFL MVP after throwing for 4,806 yards and a then-NFL record 50 touchdown passes.

New England defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-20 in the divisional round and the San Diego Chargers 21-12 in the AFC championship game to reach the Super Bowl with an 18-0 record.

In Super Bowl XLII on Feb. 3, 2008, the Patriots faced a New York Giants team that finished 10-6 in the regular season but won three straight road playoff games to reach the big game in Glendale, Arizona.

The Giants converted a 32-yard field goal on the game’s opening drive, which lasted nearly 10 minutes and became the longest game-opening drive in Super Bowl history. The Patriots responded with a touchdown drive sparked by running back Laurence Maroney, who returned a kickoff 43 yards and capped the 56-yard drive with a one-yard run into the end zone.

New England held a 7-3 lead at halftime and held that advantage into the fourth quarter. Giants quarterback Eli Manning connected with David Tyree for a 5-yard touchdown with 11:05 to play, and New York would take a 10-7 lead.

After the teams traded punts, Brady completed 8 of 11 passes on an 80-yard drive that ended with a 6-yard touchdown catch by Moss with 2:42 remaining in the game.

Manning and the Giants started the ensuing possession on their own 17-yard line and eventually faced a 3rd-and-5 from their own 44 with 1:15 to go. Manning escaped multiple Patriots defenders and heaved a pass deep downfield, where Tyree pinned the ball against this helmet while battling Rodney Harrison. Tyree was able to hold on for a 32-yard catch that put the Giants at the Patriots’ 24-yard line. Steve Smith later made a 12-yard catch on a 3rd-and-11 to put New York at the New England 13-yard line. On the next play, Plaxico Burress caught a fade pass from Manning in the end zone, and the Giants took a 17-14 lead with 35 seconds remaining.

The Patriots were unable to get anything going when they got the ball and went four-and-out, essentially ending the game.

Manning was named Super Bowl MVP after completing 19 of 34 passes for 255 yards and two passing touchdowns. The Giants defense, led by future Hall of Famer Michael Strahan in his final game, was spectacular and sacked Brady five times.

Brady finished the game 29 of 48 for 266 passing yards and a touchdown. Welker had 11 catches, which tied a Super Bowl record, for 103 yards.

Super Bowl XLVI: New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17

The Patriots and Giants met in the Super Bowl again, four years after New York’s upset of New England in the big game.

New England did not go undefeated, but did earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 13-3 record. The Pats beat the Denver Broncos 45-10 in the divisional round and then edged the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 in the AFC championship game.

New York won the NFC East with a 9-7 record and was the lowest-seeded division champion. The Giants defeated the Atlanta Falcons 24-2 to open the playoffs before upsetting the No. 1 seed and defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers 37-20. New York then topped the No. 2 seed San Francisco 49ers 20-17 in the NFC championship game.

Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5, 2012, was the first to be played in Indianapolis and the scoring opened in a rare way.

The Patriots forced the Giants to punt on the game’s opening drive, but Steve Weatherford’s kick pinned New England back to its own 6-yard line. On the Pats’ first offensive play, quarterback Tom Brady was pressured by defensive lineman Justin Tuck and forced him to throw deep down the middle of the field. There were no players in the vicinity, so the play resulted in an intentional grounding penalty. Since Brady was in the end zone when he threw the ball, it resulted in a Giants safety.

After the ensuing free kick, the Giants drove 78 yards and scored a touchdown on a two-yard pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz.

The Giants held a 9-0 lead until early in the second quarter, when the Patriots cut their deficit to six points with a 29-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski.

The score remained 9-3 until late in the first half, when the Patriots drove 96 yards and found the end zone. Running back Danny Woodhead caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Brady with 15 seconds remaining in the second quarter, and New England took a 10-9 lead into halftime.

The Patriots opened the second half with a 79-yard touchdown drive and took a 17-9 lead. The Giants answered with a field goal, forced a three-and-out on defense and added another field goal to make it 17-15 New England late in the third quarter.

The Giants still trailed by two with less than 4 minutes to play and had the ball on their own 12-yard line. On the first play of the possession, Manning threw a pass to Mario Manningham deep down the left sideline. With two Patriots defenders in pursuit, Manningham kept his feet in bounds to secure a 38-yard catch.

New York reached the New England 18-yard line at the 2-minute warning. The Giants faced a 2nd-and-goal from the 6-yard line with 1:04 to go when a large hole opened up for running back Ahmad Bradshaw. It appeared Bradshaw strongly considered going down at the 1-yard line, as the Patriots were down to one timeout and the Giants only needed a field goal to take the lead, but he fell backwards into the end zone for a touchdown. The Giants failed to convert a two-point attempt, but held a 21-17 lead with 57 seconds to play.

Brady and the Patriots started on their own 20-yard line with 57 seconds remaining and one timeout left following a touchback on the Giants’ kickoff. Facing a 4th-and-16 with 39 seconds left, Brady completed a 19-yard pass to Branch for a first down to keep New England’s hopes alive.

The Patriots eventually reached their own 49-yard line, but that’s as far as they would get, as a Hail Mary attempt fell incomplete to end the game.

Manning won his second Super Bowl MVP award, as he completed 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown. He also became the first quarterback to open a Super Bowl with nine consecutive completions.

Brady finished the game 27 of 41 for 276 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. His 276 passing yards helped Brady become the all-time passing leader in Super Bowl history. Brady also completed 16 straight passes at one point, which set a Super Bowl record.

Super Bowl XLIX: New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24

The Patriots won the AFC East for a sixth straight year in 2014 and their ninth division title in 10 seasons, but it had been a decade since they last won a Super Bowl.

After going 12-4 in the regular season, the Pats defeated the Baltimore Ravens 35-31 in a hard-fought divisional playoff game and then trounced the Indianapolis Colts 45-7 in the AFC championship game.

New England faced the defending champion Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, and the teams delivered an all-time classic in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 1, 2015.

The Patriots broke through first in the second quarter, when Tom Brady threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell. The Seahawks tied the game after a 3-yard Marshawn Lynch touchdown run, which was set up by a 44-yard catch by Chris Matthews, his first career catch in the NFL.

Brady and the Patriots scored with 31 seconds left in the first half, as he connected with tight end Rob Gronkowski on a 22-yard touchdown pass. The Seahawks answered again, as they drove 80 yards and tied it up at 14-14 after Russell Wilson threw an 11-yard touchdown to Matthews, marking the receiver’s first NFL touchdown.

Seattle got into the red zone on the opening drive of the second half, thanks in large part to a 45-yard catch by Matthews. But the Patriots defense was able to force the Seahawks to settle for a field goal.

On the next Patriots possession, Brady was intercepted by linebacker Bobby Wagner and the Seahawks capitalized on the mistake. Seattle took a 24-14 lead with less than 5 minutes remaining in the third quarter after Wilson threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin.

After an exchange of punts, the Patriots faced a 3rd-and-14 with less than 11 minutes to play. Brady found Julian Edelman for a 21-yard gain for the first down, and another 21-yard connection between Brady and Edelman set up Danny Amendola’s 3-yard touchdown catch with 7:55 to go.

New England’s defense forced a three-and-out and on the ensuing drive, Brady went a perfect 8 for 8 passing against the “Legion of Boom” defense and capped a 10-play, 64-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Edelman. With the extra point, the Patriots had a 28-24 lead with just over 2 minutes to play.

On Seattle’s first play from scrimmage, Wilson threw a 31-yard pass to running back Marshawn Lynch that got the Seahawks to the Patriots’ 49-yard line at the 2-minute warning.

Four plays later, Wilson threw a ball deep downfield to Jermaine Kearse. Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler tipped the ball, but Kearse was able to corral it while he was on his back. The miraculous 33-yard catch set the Seahawks up at the 5-yard line with 1:06 to go.

Lynch gained four yards on a rush, but he was stopped short of the goal line by Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower. What came next was shocking on a number of levels.

The Patriots had two timeouts remaining, but head coach Bill Belichick decided to let the clock continue to run. Instead of handing the ball to Lynch, one of the most powerful runners in the NFL, from the 1-yard line, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell called a pass play. Wilson dropped back and threw a quick pass to Ricardo Lockette, but Butler jumped the route and came away with a game-saving interception. Butler got a great assist on the play from Brandon Browner, who jammed Kearse at the line and freed Butler up to make his break on the ball.

New England then ran out the clock to secure its fourth Super Bowl title.

Brady won his third Super Bowl MVP award, finishing the game 37 of 50 passing with 328 yards and four touchdowns. His 20 first-half completions and 37 total completions were both Super Bowl records. Brady also ran his Super Bowl touchdown total to 13, which set another record.

Patriots running back Shane Vereen caught 11 passes in the game, the most by a running back in a Super Bowl. New England punter Ryan Allen also set a Super Bowl record with a 64-yard punt.

Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots 34, Atlanta Falcons 28 (OT)

After falling 20-18 in the AFC championship game to end the 2015 season, the Patriots were able to return to the Super Bowl despite not having Tom Brady for the first four games of the 2016 season.

Brady, who was suspended in connection with the “Deflategate” scandal, returned in Week 5 and led the Patriots to 11 wins in their final 12 games, including a seven-game win streak to finish the regular season.

New England (14-2) outscored its playoff opponents 70-33 en route to Super Bowl LI, where the Pats faced the Atlanta Falcons and NFL MVP Matt Ryan, a Boston College alum, in Houston on Feb. 5, 2017.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Falcons jumped out to a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter. The Patriots drove all the way to the Falcons’ 23-yard line in the closing minutes of the first half but Brady was intercepted by Robert Alford, who returned it 82 yards for a touchdown to extend Atlanta’s lead. New England was able to get on the board with a 41-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski right before halftime, but the Pats still trailed 21-3.

The teams traded punts to start the second half, and the Falcons then drove 85 yards for another touchdown. Ryan connected with receiver Taylor Gabriel for some big plays before throwing a six-yard touchdown to running back Tevin Coleman to cap the scoring drive.

Trailing 28-3 with 8:31 remaining in the third quarter, the Patriots then made the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.

Patriots running back James White caught a 5-yard touchdown pass with 2:06 remaining in the third, but Gostkowski missed the extra point and the Falcons led 28-9.

New England’s defense forced a three-and-out, but the Pats had to settle for a 33-yard field goal and trailed 28-12 with 9:44 remaining in the game.

On the ensuing Falcons drive, Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower sacked Ryan and forced him to fumble. Defensive tackle Alan Branch then recovered the ball at Atlanta’s 25-yard line. New England capitalized on the turnover, as Brady found Danny Amendola for a 6-yard touchdown. White then ran in the two-point conversion attempt to cut the deficit to eight points with 5:56 to play.

The Falcons drove deep into Patriots’ territory on their next drive, thanks to a spectacular 27-yard catch by Julio Jones. But Trey Flowers sacked Ryan for a loss of 12 yards later in the drive and a holding penalty pushed Atlanta out of field goal range.

The Patriots got the ball back on their own 9-yard line with 3:40 remaining after the Falcons punt. On 3rd-and-10, Brady connected with receiver Chris Hogan for a gain of 16 yards. After an incompletion, Brady completed five passes in a row — including a 23-yard gain off a ball that was tipped in the air and snagged by Edelman just inches above the ground — to get New England to Atlanta’s 1-yard line. White ran in for a touchdown to make it 28-26. On the two-point conversion, Brady threw a quick screen to Amendola, who was able to get to the goal line to tie the game with 57 seconds to play.

New England forced Atlanta to punt on the next possession and for the first time in NFL history, the Super Bowl went to overtime.

The Patriots won the toss and elected to receive to start overtime. Brady completed the first five passes of the drive, making it 10 straight completions for him when including the final drive of regulation.

White then ran for a gain of 10 yards to the Falcons’ 15-yard line, and an ensuing pass interference penalty on Atlanta got the ball down to the 2-yard line. After a pass was broken up, White got the ball again and ran it into the end zone to complete the comeback.

Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick won their fifth Super Bowl together, the most Super Bowls won by a quarterback and head coach in NFL history.

Brady also won his fourth Super Bowl MVP award, setting an NFL record. His 43 completions, 62 pass attempts and 466 passing yards in the game were Super Bowl records.

White set a Super Bowl record with 14 catches and tied the record of three touchdowns scored in a single Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LII: Philadelphia Eagles 41, New England Patriots 33

The Patriots reached the Super Bowl for a second straight year after going 13-3 in the regular season, defeating the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round 35-14 and edging the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-20 in the AFC championship game.

Tom Brady won his third career NFL MVP award after passing for 4,577 yards and 32 touchdowns in the regular season with just eight interceptions.

The Patriots would face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis on Feb. 4, 2018. The Eagles were the NFC’s No. 1 seed and also had a 13-3 record, but they were considered underdogs because they were playing with their backup quarterback, Nick Foles.

After each team kicked a field goal on its opening drive, former Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount broke off a 36-yard run, which set up a 34-yard touchdown pass from Foles to Alshon Jeffery. Eagles kicker Jake Elliott missed the extra point, but Stephen Gostkowski missed a 26-yard field goal attempt on the Patriots’ next possession and it remained 9-3 Philadelphia early in the second quarter.

The Patriots defense forced a three-and-out, but the offense went for it on a 4th-and-5 from the Eagles’ 35-yard line and turned it over on downs.

On the ensuing Philadelphia possession, Foles connected with Jeffery for a 22-yard gain and Blount ran it 21 yards to the end zone on the next play. The Eagles led 15-3 after a failed two-point conversion attempt.

The Patriots answered with a 45-yard field goal from Gostkowski and on the ensuing Eagles’ drive, safety Duron Harmon came away with an interception for New England.

With less than 3 minutes remaining in the first half, Brady connected with receiver Chris Hogan for 43-yard gain and James White ran for a 26-yard touchdown on the very next play. Gostkowski missed the extra point, so the Patriots trailed 15-12 with just over 2 minutes to go until halftime.

The Eagles were able to drive 70 yards in the final two minutes, thanks in large part to a 55-yard catch and run by running back Corey Clement. A few plays later, Philadelphia faced a 4th-and-goal from the New England 1-yard line with 38 seconds left in the half. The Eagles ran a trick play called “Philly Special,” in which tight end Trey Burton — who played some quarterback in college — faked a reverse and floated a touchdown pass to a wide-open Foles.

Trailing 22-12 at halftime, the Patriots opened the second half with a 75-yard drive that was full of big plays from star tight end Rob Gronkowski. Gronkowski caught four passes for 68 yards on the drive, including a 5-yard touchdown to help pull New England back within three points.

The Eagles answered with an 85-yard scoring drive that was capped by a 22-yard touchdown pass from Foles to Clement. The Patriots countered with another 75-yard touchdown drive, as Brady found Hogan from 26 yards out. Gostkowski’s extra point made it 29-26 Philadelphia with 3:23 remaining in the third quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, Elliott made a 42-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 32-26 lead. Then for a third straight possession, the Patriots drove 75 yards for a touchdown. A 30-yard pass from Brady to Danny Amendola got New England into the red zone. Four plays later, Brady threw a four-yard touchdown to Gronkowski and the Patriots took their first lead of the game, 33-32, on a Gostkowski extra point with 9:22 remaining in the game.

The Eagles then had a 14-play drive that took more than 7 minutes off the clock. Tight end Zach Ertz caught a 7-yard pass on a 3rd-and-6, a 2-yard pass on a 4th-and-1 and capped the 75-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown. Philadelphia’s two-point conversion was no good, but the Eagles held a 38-33 lead with 2:21 to play.

On the second play of the ensuing Patriots drive, Brady was strip-sacked by defensive end Brandon Graham and the fumble was recovered by Derek Barnett, giving the ball back to Philadelphia in New England territory.

The Eagles ran the ball three straight times, setting Elliott up for a 46-yard field goal attempt. He made the kick to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 41-33 with 1:05 remaining.

Brady had 58 seconds to work with but no timeouts when he got the ball back. The Patriots got to their 49-yard line with 9 seconds left, but Brady’s Hail Mary attempt to Gronkowski in the end zone fell incomplete as time expired.

Foles was named Super Bowl MVP after finishing the game 28 of 43 for 373 passing yards and three passing touchdowns, as well as a receiving touchdown.

Brady completed 28 of 48 passes, throwing for a Super Bowl-record 505 yards. He finished the game with three touchdown passes. Gronkowski had nine catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns, Hogan had six receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown and Amendola caught eight passes for 152 yards.

The Patriots and Eagles combined for a Super Bowl record 1,151 yards of total offense, 613 from New England and 538 from Philadelphia.

This was the Eagles’ first Super Bowl title in franchise history.

Super Bowl LIII: New England Patriots 13, Los Angeles Rams 3

The Patriots won the AFC East title for the 10th straight season in 2018, overcoming a 1-2 start to the season to finish 11-5.

In the playoffs, New England defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 41-28 at home in the divisional round. In the AFC championship game, the Patriots outdueled NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Kansas City, winning 37-31 in overtime to advance to their third straight Super Bowl.

The Patriots faced the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3, 2019, in Atlanta. Seventeen years earlier to the day, the Pats won their first Super Bowl by defeating the Rams, who were then located in St. Louis.

Both defenses shined in this Super Bowl meeting, as both teams were held scoreless in the first quarter.

A 25-yard catch by receiver Julian Edelman early in the second quarter helped set up Stephen Gostkowski’s 42-yard field goal that opened the scoring. The Patriots defense limited the Rams to just 57 yards and two first downs in the first half, but LA’s defense was equal to the task and New England led 3-0 at the break.

The teams traded punts twice in the third quarter before the Rams put a drive together that ended in a 53-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein.

After another exchange of punts, the Patriots had a five-play, 69-yard touchdown drive that resulted in the only touchdown of the game. Tom Brady completed an 18-yard pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski before connecting with Edelman for 13 yards. After a 7-yard pass to running back Rex Burkhead, Brady completed a pass to Gronkowski for a 29-yard gain to the Rams’ 2-yard line. Rookie running back Sony Michel ran in for the touchdown, and New England took a 10-3 lead with 7 minutes remaining in the game.

The Rams drove down to the Patriots’ 27-yard line on their next possession, but All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore intercepted a deep pass from Jared Goff that was intended for former Pats receiver Brandin Cooks with 4:17 to play.

On the second play of the ensuing drive, Michel broke off a 26-yard run to advance the ball from the New England 5-yard line to the 31. Burkhead had a 26-yard run of his own later in the drive, and the Patriots were able to take 3 minutes and 5 seconds off the clock while adding three more points on a 41-yard field goal from Gostkowski.

With no timeouts remaining, the Rams were able to reach the Patriots’ 30-yard line with eight seconds left. Los Angeles attempted a 53-yard field goal because it needed two scores, but Zuerlein’s kick sailed wide left, cementing New England’s 13-3 victory.

The Patriots won their third Super Bowl in five years and sixth overall, tying the NFL record for most Super Bowl titles. This Super Bowl win was also the franchise’s 37th postseason victory, a new NFL record.

Edelman was named Super Bowl MVP after finishing the game with 10 catches for 141 yards.

This was the sixth Super Bowl title won by Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Brady became the first player to be a part of six Super Bowl-winning teams. Belichick joined George Halas and Curly Lambeau as the only head coaches to win six NFL championships. Halas and Lambeau won all of their titles in the pre-Super Bowl era.

The 16 combined points between the Patriots and Rams marked the lowest-scoring game in Super Bowl history. New England’s defense recorded four sacks and forced nine punts. The Pats joined the 1971 Dallas Cowboys as the only team to allow only three points in a Super Bowl.

Looking back at the New England Patriots’ first 11 Super Bowls

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