# 2018 New England Patriots season

The 2018 season was the New England Patriots' 49th in the National Football League (NFL), their 59th overall and their 19th under head coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots entered the season as two-time defending AFC champions.
The Patriots' losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions in Week 2 and 3 marked the franchise's first back-to-back double-digit losses since 2002. After this slow 1–2 start, the Patriots improved to 7–2 after Week 9. Following a notable Week 14 loss to the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots could not match their 13–3 record from 2017. A defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15 meant the Patriots had lost five games for the first time since 2009. After a win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 16, the Patriots clinched the AFC East for the tenth consecutive season, surpassing the Dallas Cowboys (1975–1983) and the Indianapolis Colts (2002–2010) for the most consecutive playoff appearances. New England went undefeated at home with a Week 17 win over the New York Jets in which they clinched a first-round bye, and wrapped up the regular season with an 11–5 record that was good enough to give them the AFC's second seed in the postseason. Despite their five losses, the team achieved the rare distinction of going unbeaten against teams that qualified for the playoffs.
For the first time since 2010, the Patriots did not play the Denver Broncos during the regular season.
The 2018 Patriots became the second team ever in the four major American sports leagues to win at least 10 straight division titles, joining Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves (1991–2005, excluding the strike-shortened 1994 season). The Patriots also secured their 16th-straight 10-win season, tying the San Francisco 49ers' league record streak, set from 1983–98. Notable records set during the season include QB Tom Brady achieving the record for most career passing touchdowns (including playoffs).
In the playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Chargers in the Divisional round, 41–28, to advance to the AFC Championship game for a record eighth straight season. The Patriots defeated the Chiefs, 37–31 in overtime, to advance to the Super Bowl for a third straight year, becoming only the third team in NFL history to appear in three or more consecutive Super Bowls (joining the 1971–73 Miami Dolphins and 1990–93 Buffalo Bills). In Super Bowl LIII, they faced the Los Angeles Rams in a rematch of Super Bowl XXXVI, in which the Patriots defeated the St. Louis Rams 20–17. The Patriots won the rematch as well by a score of 13–3 to win their sixth Super Bowl, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for most Super Bowl championships in NFL history.
As of the 2024 season, this is the most recent season the Patriots have won a playoff game, with their Super Bowl victory being the most recent playoff win for the team.

## Offseason

On February 5, 2018, the Detroit Lions hired Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to serve as head coach.
On February 6, the Indianapolis Colts announced hiring Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as their new head coach. The next day, McDaniels abruptly rejected the offer citing personal reasons, and decided to stay a part of the Patriots' organization. The controversy surrounding this decision led McDaniels' agent Bob LaMonte to terminate their professional relationship.

## Roster changes
### Free agents
#### Unrestricted

| Position | Player | 2018 Team | Date signed | Contract |
| WR | Danny Amendola | Miami Dolphins | March 15, 2018 | two years, $12 million |
| CB | Johnson Bademosi | Houston Texans | March 16, 2018 | two years, $6.25 million |
| RB | Brandon Bolden | New England Patriots | February 24, 2018 | one year, $880,000 |
| RB | Rex Burkhead | New England Patriots | March 15, 2018 | three years, $9.75 million |
| CB | Malcolm Butler | Tennessee Titans | March 15, 2018 | five years, $61 million |
| SS | Nate Ebner | New England Patriots | March 13, 2018 | two years, $5 million |
| OT | Cameron Fleming | Dallas Cowboys | March 24, 2018 | one year, $3.5 million |
| OLB | Marquis Flowers | New England Patriots | March 22, 2018 | one year, $2.55 million |
| DT | Ricky Jean Francois | Detroit Lions | July 25, 2018 | one year, $1.01 million |
| RB | Dion Lewis | Tennessee Titans | March 15, 2018 | four years, $20 million |
| WR | Matthew Slater | New England Patriots | March 20, 2018 | two years, $5.2 million |
| OT | Nate Solder | New York Giants | March 15, 2018 | four years, $62 million |
| OT | LaAdrian Waddle | New England Patriots | March 22, 2018 | one year, $1.5 million |

#### Restricted

| Position | Player | 2018 Team | Date signed | Contract |
| SS | Brandon King | New England Patriots | March 8, 2018 | two year, $2.6 million |

### Signings

| Position | Player | Previous Team | Date signed | Contract |
| DE | Adrian Clayborn | Atlanta Falcons | March 17, 2018 | two years, $12 million |
| RB | Jeremy Hill | Cincinnati Bengals | March 17, 2018 | one year, $1.5 million |
| OT | Matt Tobin | Seattle Seahawks | March 17, 2018 | one year, $815,000 |
| TE | Troy Niklas | Arizona Cardinals | April 4, 2018 | one year, $940,000 |
| OG | Luke Bowanko | Baltimore Ravens | April 4, 2018 | one year, $835,000 |
| WR | Jordan Matthews | Buffalo Bills | April 6, 2018 | one year, $1 million |
| OT | Ulrick John | Green Bay Packers | April 24, 2018 | one year, $745,000 |
| OG | Jason King | Baltimore Ravens | May 18, 2018 | one year, $481,000 |
| WR | Devin Lucien | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | July 23, 2018 | one year, $480,000 |
| SS | Eddie Pleasant | Houston Texans | July 24, 2018 | one year, $875,000 |
| OG | Nate Theaker | New Orleans Saints | July 24, 2018 | one year, $480,000 |
| WR | Paul Turner | New Orleans Saints | July 27, 2018 | one year, $555,000 |
| C | Brian Schwenke | Tennessee Titans | July 31, 2018 | one year, $790,000 |
| FB | Henry Poggi | Oakland Raiders | August 1, 2018 | one year, $480,000 |
| WR | Eric Decker | Tennessee Titans | August 3, 2018 | one year, $1.9 million |
| WR | K.J. Maye | Tennessee Titans | August 27, 2018 | one year, $480,000 |
| RB | Kenneth Farrow | Los Angeles Chargers | August 27, 2018 | one year, $480,000 |
| RB | Khalfani Muhammad | Tennessee Titans | August 27, 2018 | one year, $480,000 |
| WR | Amara Darboh | Seattle Seahawks | September 2, 2018 | |
| WR | Chad Hansen | New York Jets | September 2, 2018 | |
| C | Brian Schwenke | New England Patriots | September 4, 2018 | one year, $790,000 |
| WR | Corey Coleman | Buffalo Bills | September 11, 2018 | one year, $630,000 |
| WR | Bennie Fowler III | Chicago Bears | September 11, 2018 | one year, $705,000 |
| RB | Kenjon Barner | Carolina Panthers | September 11, 2018 | one year, $790,000 |
| CB | Cyrus Jones | Baltimore Ravens | September 17, 2018 | two years, $1,810,000 |
| RB | Kenjon Barner | New England Patriots | September 26, 2018 | |
| DE | John Simon | Indianapolis Colts | September 26, 2018 | |
| RB | Kenjon Barner | New England Patriots | October 8, 2018 | |
| LB | Albert McClellan | Baltimore Ravens | November 6, 2018 | |
| S | Obi Melifonwu | Oakland Raiders | November 6, 2018 | |
| OT | Matt Tobin | New England Patriots | November 7, 2018 | |
| LB | Ramon Humber | Buffalo Bills | November 14, 2018 | |
* Indicates that the player was a free agent at the end of his respective team's 2017 season.

### Released/Waived

| Position | Player | 2018 Team | Date released |
| DE | Caleb Kidder | | March 6, 2018 |
| WR | Bernard Reedy | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | March 7, 2018 |
| LB | Shea McClellin | | March 19, 2018 |
| G | Jason King | New England Patriots | May 10, 2018 |
| OT | Antonio Garcia | New York Jets | May 11, 2018 |
| WR | Darren Andrews | New England Patriots | May 14, 2018 |
| WR | Chris Lacy | Detroit Lions | May 18, 2018 |
| WR | Cody Hollister | New England Patriots | July 24, 2018 |
| S | David Jones | Detroit Lions | July 27, 2018 |
| TE | Troy Niklas | | July 27, 2018 |
| TE | Shane Wimann | | July 31, 2018 |
| G | Nate Theaker | | August 2, 2018 |
| WR | Malcolm Mitchell | | August 6, 2018 |
| WR | Jordan Matthews | Philadelphia Eagles | August 8, 2018 |
| WR | Kenny Britt | | August 22, 2018 |
| S | Eddie Pleasant | Arizona Cardinals | August 27, 2018 |
| WR | Paul Turner | | August 31, 2018 |
| WR | Devin Lucien | | August 31, 2018 |
| RB | Khalfani Muhammad | Denver Broncos | August 31, 2018 |
| DT | Frank Herron | New England Patriots | August 31, 2018 |
| CB | Ryan Lewis | Buffalo Bills | August 31, 2018 |
| DT | John Atkins | Detroit Lions | September 1, 2018 |
| P | Corey Bojorquez | Buffalo Bills | September 1, 2018 |
| RB | Brandon Bolden | Miami Dolphins | September 1, 2018 |
| G | Luke Bowanko | Washington Redskins | September 1, 2018 |
| OT | Cole Croston | New England Patriots | September 1, 2018 |
| QB | Danny Etling | New England Patriots | September 1, 2018 |
| RB | Kenneth Farrow | | September 1, 2018 |
| C | James Ferentz | New England Patriots | September 1, 2018 |
| LB | Marquis Flowers | Detroit Lions | September 1, 2018 |
| RB | Mike Gillislee | New Orleans Saints | September 1, 2018 |
| DE | Trent Harris | New England Patriots | September 1, 2018 |
| CB | Cyrus Jones | Baltimore Ravens | September 1, 2018 |
| G | Jason King | | September 1, 2018 |
| LB | Harvey Langi | New York Jets | September 1, 2018 |
| DE | Eric Lee | Detroit Lions | September 1, 2018 |
| WR | K.J. Maye | | September 1, 2018 |
| WR | Riley McCarron | New England Patriots | September 1, 2018 |
| CB | A.J. Moore | Houston Texans | September 1, 2018 |
| FB | Henry Poggi | | September 1, 2018 |
| G | Brian Schwenke | New England Patriots | September 1, 2018 |
| OT | Matt Tobin | San Francisco 49ers | September 1, 2018 |
| S | Damarius Travis | | September 1, 2018 |
| TE | Will Tye | Philadelphia Eagles | September 1, 2018 |
| DT | Vincent Valentine | New England Patriots | September 1, 2018 |
| RB | Ralph Webb | New England Patriots | September 1, 2018 |
| CB | Jomal Wiltz | New England Patriots | September 1, 2018 |
| WR | Amara Darboh | Seattle Seahawks | September 4, 2018 |
| WR | Chad Hansen | Tennessee Titans | September 10, 2018 |
| WR | Riley McCarron | New England Patriots | September 10, 2018 |
| WR | Bennie Fowler III | New York Giants | September 15, 2018 |
| WR | Corey Coleman | New York Giants | September 17, 2018 |
| RB | Kenjon Barner | New England Patriots | September 19, 2018 |
| RB | Kenjon Barner | New England Patriots | October 4, 2018 |
| CB | Cyrus Jones | Baltimore Ravens | October 6, 2018 |
| OT | Cole Croston | New England Patriots | November 6, 2018 |
| DE | Geneo Grissom | Indianapolis Colts | November 7, 2018 |
| RB | Kenjon Barner | Carolina Panthers | November 13, 2018 |
| LB | Nicholas Grigsby | Detroit Lions | November 13, 2018 |
| OT | Matt Tobin | | November 26, 2018 |

### Retirements

| Position | Player | Date retired |
| LB | David Harris | February 23, 2018 |
| TE | Martellus Bennett | March 7, 2018 |
| LB | James Harrison | April 16, 2018 |
| OT | Andrew Jelks | July 19, 2018 |
| WR | Eric Decker | August 26, 2018 |

### Trades

* On March 10, the Patriots traded their 2019 third-round selection to the Cleveland Browns for defensive tackle Danny Shelton and Cleveland's 2018 fifth-round selection (No. 159 overall).
* On March 15, the Patriots traded their 2018 sixth-round selection (No. 205) to the Cleveland Browns for cornerback Jason McCourty and Cleveland's 2018 seventh-round selection (No. 219 overall).
* On March 18, the Patriots traded their 2018 fifth-round selection (No. 159) to the Oakland Raiders for wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and a 2018 sixth-round selection (No. 210 overall).
* On April 3, the Patriots traded wide receiver Brandin Cooks and their 2018 fourth-round selection (No. 136) to the Los Angeles Rams for their first-round (No. 23) and sixth-round (No. 198) selections.
* On April 28, the Patriots traded their third-round selection (95th overall) to San Francisco in exchange for San Francisco's fifth-round selection (143rd overall) and offensive tackle Trent Brown.
* On August 31, the Patriots traded safety Jordan Richards to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2020 conditional seventh-round pick.
* On September 17, the Patriots traded a conditional fifth-round selection to the Cleveland Browns for wide receiver Josh Gordon.

### Draft

2018 New England Patriots Draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 23 | Isaiah Wynn | OT | Georgia | from Los Angeles Rams |
| 1 | 31 | Sony Michel | RB | Georgia | |
| 2 | 56 | Duke Dawson | CB | Florida | from Tampa Bay |
| 5 | 143 | Ja'Whaun Bentley | LB | Purdue | from San Francisco |
| 6 | 178 | Christian Sam | LB | Arizona State | from Cleveland |
| 6 | 210 | Braxton Berrios | WR | Miami (FL) | from Oakland |
| 7 | 219 | Danny Etling | QB | LSU | from Cleveland |
| 7 | 243 | Keion Crossen | CB | Western Carolina | from Kansas City |
| 7 | 250 | Ryan Izzo | TE | Florida State | from Philadelphia |
Draft trades
* The Patriots traded Brandin Cooks and their fourth-round selection (136th overall) to Los Angeles in exchange for their 23rd and sixth-round (No. 198) selections.
* The Patriots traded quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco in exchange for San Francisco's second-round selection (43rd overall).
* The Patriots traded their second-round selection (43rd overall) to Detroit in exchange for Detroit's second and fourth-round selections (51st and 117th overall).
* The Patriots traded their second-round selection (51st overall) to Chicago in exchange for Chicago's fourth-round selection (105th overall) and their 2019 second-round selection.
* The Patriots traded their second and fourth-round selections (63rd and 117th overall) to Tampa Bay in exchange for Tampa Bay's second-round selection (56th overall).
* The Patriots traded their third-round selection (95th overall) to San Francisco in exchange for San Francisco's fifth-round selection (143rd overall) and offensive tackle Trent Brown.
* The Patriots traded their fourth-round selection (105th overall) to Cleveland in exchange for Cleveland's fourth and sixth-round selections (114th and 178th overall).
* The Patriots traded their fourth-round selection (114th overall) to Detroit in exchange for Detroit's 2019 third-round selection.
* The Patriots traded their fourth-round selection (131st overall) to Philadelphia in exchange for cornerback Eric Rowe.
* The Patriots traded the fifth-round selection they acquired from Cleveland (131st overall) to Oakland in exchange for Oakland's sixth-round selection (210th overall) and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.
* The Patriots traded their third-round selection in 2019 to Cleveland in exchange for Cleveland's fifth-round selection (159th overall) and defensive tackle Danny Shelton.
* The Patriots traded their fifth- and seventh-round selections (168th and 270th overall) to Seattle in exchange for defensive end Cassius Marsh.
* The Patriots traded their sixth-round selection (198th overall) to Kansas City in exchange for Kansas City's seventh-round selections (233rd and 243rd overall).
* The Patriots traded their sixth-round selection (205th overall) to Cleveland in exchange for Cleveland's seventh-round selection (219th overall) and cornerback Jason McCourty.
* The Patriots traded their seventh-round selection (233rd overall) to Philadelphia in exchange for Philadelphia's seventh-round selection (250th overall) and their 2019 seventh-round selection.
* The Patriots traded their seventh-round selection (249th overall) to Cincinnati in exchange for linebacker Marquis Flowers.
* The Patriots traded cornerback Justin Coleman to Seattle in exchange for Seattle's seventh-round selection they acquired from Philadelphia (250th overall).

### Undrafted Free Agents

| Player | Position | College | Date Signed |
| Darren Andrews | WR | UCLA | May 11, 2018 |
| John Atkins | DT | Georgia | May 11, 2018 |
| Trent Harris | DE | Miami (FL) | May 11, 2018 |
| Frank Herron | DT | LSU | May 11, 2018 |
| J. C. Jackson | CB | Maryland | May 11, 2018 |
| Chris Lacy | WR | Oklahoma State | May 11, 2018 |
| A.J. Moore | CB | Ole Miss | May 11, 2018 |
| Ralph Webb | RB | Vanderbilt | May 11, 2018 |
| Shane Wimann | TE | Northern Illinois | May 11, 2018 |
| Corey Bojorquez | P | New Mexico | May 14, 2018 |
| Source: ||||
* Made regular season roster

### Suspensions

Wide receiver Julian Edelman was suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. Edelman, who missed the entire 2017 season due to a torn ACL suffered during the preseason, unsuccessfully appealed the suspension, and returned to the Patriots' roster for the team's Week 5 Thursday Night game vs. the Indianapolis Colts on October 4.
On December 20, 2018, Wide receiver Josh Gordon was suspended indefinitely for violating the terms of his reinstatement under the league's substance abuse policy. This is the second time Gordon was suspended indefinitely by the league.

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | August 9 | Washington Redskins | W 26–17 | 1–0 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 16 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 37–20 | 2–0 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 24 | at Carolina Panthers | L 14–25 | 2–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | at New York Giants | W 17–12 | 3–1 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

The Patriots' schedule was announced on April 19.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | September 9 | Houston Texans | W 27–20 | 1–0 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 16 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 20–31 | 1–1 | TIAA Bank Field | Recap |
| 3 | September 23 | at Detroit Lions | L 10–26 | 1–2 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 4 | September 30 | Miami Dolphins | W 38–7 | 2–2 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 4 | Indianapolis Colts | W 38–24 | 3–2 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 14 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 43–40 | 4–2 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 21 | at Chicago Bears | W 38–31 | 5–2 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 8 | October 29 | at Buffalo Bills | W 25–6 | 6–2 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 9 | November 4 | Green Bay Packers | W 31–17 | 7–2 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 11 | at Tennessee Titans | L 10–34 | 7–3 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 12 | November 25 | at New York Jets | W 27–13 | 8–3 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 2 | Minnesota Vikings | W 24–10 | 9–3 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 9 | at Miami Dolphins | L 33–34 | 9–4 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 16 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 10–17 | 9–5 | Heinz Field | Recap |
| 16 | December 23 | Buffalo Bills | W 24–12 | 10–5 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 30 | New York Jets | W 38–3 | 11–5 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| Patriots | 7 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: September 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), cloudy and cool
* Game attendance: 65,878
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Rob Gronkowski 21-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 11:50. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards, 1:08.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 42-yard field goal, 2:33. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, −7 yards, 1:33.
Second quarter
NE – James White 12-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:38. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:55.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 36-yard field goal, 9:01. Patriots 14–6. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 3:37.
NE – Phillip Dorsett 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:14. Patriots 21–6. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 1:14.
Third quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 39-yard field goal, 6:02. Patriots 24–6. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 3:50.
HOU – Alfred Blue 1-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:52. Patriots 24–13. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:10.
Fourth quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 35-yard field goal, 9:48. Patriots 27–13. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 7:04.
HOU – Bruce Ellington 5-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 2:08. Patriots 27–20. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:24.
Top passers
HOU – Deshaun Watson – 17/34, 176 yards, TD, INT
NE – Tom Brady – 26/39, 277 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
HOU – Lamar Miller – 20 carries, 98 yards
NE – Rex Burkhead – 18 carries, 64 yards
Top receivers
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 8 receptions, 78 yards
NE – Rob Gronkowski – 7 receptions, 123 yards, TD :
With the win, the Patriots started 1–0.

#### Week 2: at Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 20 |
| Jaguars | 14 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
* Date: September 16
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 97 °F (36 °C)
* Game attendance: 68,527
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
JAX – Donte Moncrief 4-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Josh Lambo kick), 7:46. Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 3:52.
JAX – Keelan Cole 24-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Josh Lambo kick), 2:10. Jaguars 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 3:52.
Second quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 29-yard field goal, 2:45. Jaguars 14–3. Drive: 16 plays, 83 yards, 8:20.
JAX – Austin Seferian-Jenkins 4-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Josh Lambo kick), 0:09. Jaguars 21–3. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 2:36.
Third quarter
JAX – Josh Lambo 28-yard field goal, 7:50. Jaguars 24–3. Drive: 15 plays, 71 yards, 7:10.
NE – Chris Hogan 7-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:42. Jaguars 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:06.
Fourth quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 46-yard field goal, 14:10. Jaguars 24–13. Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 1:27.
JAX – Dede Westbrook 61-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Josh Lambo kick), 7:35. Jaguars 31–13. Drive: 1 play, 61 yards, 10:13.
NE – Chris Hogan 29-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:40. Jaguars 31–20. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:55.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 24/35, 234 yards, 2 TD
JAX – Blake Bortles – 29/45, 377 yards, 4 TD, INT
Top rushers
NE – Sony Michel – 10 rushes, 34 yards
JAX – T.J. Yeldon – 10 rushes, 58 yards
Top receivers
NE – James White – 7 receptions, 73 yards
JAX – Keelan Cole – 7 receptions, 116 yards, TD :
The Patriots faced the Jaguars in a rematch of the previous season's AFC Championship game. The Patriots started off well, reaching Jaguars territory in just four plays, but the drive stalled, and Stephen Gostkowski missed a 54-yard field goal attempt. With great field position, the Jaguars raced 56 yards in 9 plays, scoring on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Blake Bortles to Donte Moncrief for the early lead. After a three-and-out, Patriots' punter Ryan Allen pinned the Jaguars back at their own 16-yard line. The Jaguars took the ball and cashed in, marching 84 yards on just 7 plays, with Bortles hitting Keelan Cole on a 24-yard touchdown pass, extending the Jags lead to 14–0. After stopping the Jaguars early in the second quarter, the Patriots drove 83 yards in over 8 minutes, but were forced to settle for a 29-yard field goal, trimming the deficit to 14–3. However, the Patriots defense was gashed again, with the Jags racing 75 yards, concluding with Bortles 4-yard touchdown pass to Austin Seferian-Jenkins and a 21–3 Jaguars lead with 0:09 seconds remaining in the half. The Jags started right where they left off, taking the opening drive of the second half all the way to the Patriots 10, but were held to a 28-yard field goal by Josh Lambo. After another Patriots punt, Bottles hit D. J. Chark for a 13-yard gain to the Jaguars 49, but Stephon Gilmore forced him to fumble with Duron Harmon recovering at the Jags 46. With the excellent field position, the Patriots finally reached the endzone with Brady finding Chris Hogan for a 7-yard touchdown pass to cap off the 46-yard drive, trimming the deficit to 24–10. After a Jaguars three-and-out, the Patriots drove all the way to the Jags 28, but settled for a 46-yard field goal, making the score just 24–13. Bortles made his only real mistake on the next drive, throwing an interception to Kyle Van Noy at the Jags 25 early in the fourth quarter. The Patriots were set up perfectly, it appeared to be a vintage Brady comeback, but on 3rd down, Dante Fowler stripped Brady and recovered the resultant fumble at the Jags 32. The Patriots forced a Jaguars punt and had another shot, but went three-and-out. On the next play from scrimmage for Jacksonville, Bottles hit Dede Westbrook for a 61-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 31–13. The Patriots marched 75 yards in 8 plays on their next drive with Brady connecting with Hogan again for a 29-yard touchdown pass, making the score 31–20; however, by now less than 4 minutes remained in the game. The Jags ran out the rest of the clock to win the game, their first ever regular season victory over the Pats, while the Patriots fell to 1–1.

#### Week 3: at Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Lions | 3 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 26 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: September 23
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 61,769
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Matt Prater 38-yard field goal, 5:55. Lions 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 7:37.
Second quarter
DET – Kenny Golladay 4-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 14:12. Lions 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 5:41.
DET – Matt Prater 25-yard field goal, 4:58. Lions 13–0. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 7:28.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 36-yard field goal, 0:40. Lions 13–3. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 4:18.
Third quarter
NE – James White 10-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 10:03. Lions 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:31.
DET – Marvin Jones 33-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 3:45. Lions 20–10. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 6:18.
Fourth quarter
DET – Matt Prater 32-yard field goal, 12:44. Lions 23–10. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:14.
DET – Matt Prater 30-yard field goal, 1:56. Lions 26–10. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:20.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 14/26, 133 yards, TD, INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 27/36, 262 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
NE – Sony Michel – 14 carries, 50 yards
DET – Kerryon Johnson – 16 carries, 101 yards
Top receivers
NE – Rob Gronkowski – 4 receptions, 51 yards
DET – Marvin Jones – 4 receptions, 69 yards, TD :
After a Patriots three-and-out opened the game, the Lions marched 65 yards in 12 plays, taking over 7 minutes off the clock and facing only one 3rd down before settling for a 38-yard field goal by Matt Prater. After another Patriots three-and-out and set up with good field position, the Lions marched 60 yards in over 5 minutes to score on a 4-yard pass from Matthew Stafford to Kenny Golladay. Stafford completed all 5 pass attempts on the drive for 44 yards and the Lions didn't even face a 3rd down. The Patriots offense continued to appear lifeless with another three-and-out. Meanwhile, the Lions' efficiency shined again by slowly moving 71 yards, converting three 3rd downs and eating over seven more minutes off the clock, before settling for a 25-yard field goal, upping the Lions lead to 13–0. After 9 plays for 13 yards on their first three drives combined, the Patriots marched 57 yards to the Lions' 18, settling for a 36-yard field goal and trailed 13–3 at halftime. On 3rd down, just over a minute into the third quarter, Stafford was intercepted by linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley at the Patriots 48. The Patriots look excellent on their next drive, racing 52 yards in just 7 plays with Brady hitting James White for a 10-yard touchdown, trimming the deficit to 13–10. The Lions continued their clock-draining game plan on their next drive, tracking 75 yards in over six minutes and converting three 3rd downs before Stafford bombed Marvin Jones Jr. for a 33-yard touchdown, pushing the score to 20–10 late in the 3rd quarter. After a Patriots' punt, the Lions drove all the way to the Patriots' 14, but settled for a 32-yard field goal, increasing their lead to 23–10 a few minutes into the fourth quarter. Two possessions later, from the Patriots' 43, Brady heaved a desperation pass that was intercepted by Darius Slay, who returned it 34 yards to the Lions' 49, but an illegal block penalty sent the ball back to the 19. After a Lions' punt, the Patriots turned the ball over on downs. The Lions closed out the scoring with a 30-yard field goal, making the final score 26–10. The Patriots drove to the Lions' 40, but the clock expired.
With the loss (their first to Detroit since the 2000 season), the Patriots fell to 1–2 for the first time since the 2012 season. The Lions were able to blanket the Patriots' receivers, stifling the Patriots' offense. The Lions had an excellent balanced attack with 159 yards rushing to go along with 255 yards passing from Stafford. The Patriots newest acquisition, superstar wide receiver Josh Gordon, was inactive for the game. Ironically, the Patriots' last loss to the Lions in 2000 was also Tom Brady's first ever NFL game, where he only appeared in the final seconds and completed one-of-three passes for 6 yards in a 34–9 loss.

#### Week 4: vs. Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Patriots | 3 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: September 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), sunny and warm
* Game attendance: 65,878
* Referee: Alex Kemp
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and Steve Tasker
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 20-yard field goal, 5:28. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 6:37.
Second quarter
NE – Cordarrelle Patterson 55-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:10. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards, 2:08.
NE – James White 22-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:29. Patriots 17–0. Drive: 1 plays, 22 yards, 0:07.
NE – Phillip Dorsett 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:18. Patriots 24–0. Drive: 15 plays, 85 yards, 5:31.
Third quarter
NE – James White 14-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 6:49. Patriots 31–0. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 5:01.
Fourth quarter
NE – Sony Michel 10-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 13:43. Patriots 38–0. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 6:30.
MIA – Frank Gore 6-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Jason Sanders kick), 2:42. Patriots 38–7. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 7:10.
Top passers
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 11/20, 100 yards, INT
NE – Tom Brady – 23/35, 274 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
MIA – Frank Gore – 11 carries, 41 yards
NE – Sony Michel – 25 carries, 112 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIA – Albert Wilson – 4 receptions, 19 yards
NE – James White – 8 receptions, 68 yards, TD :
After taking the opening kickoff, a 22-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill to Kenny Stills helped the Dolphins reach midfield. On 2nd-and-7 from midfield, Dolphins offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore was flagged for holding, killing the drive, and the Dolphins punted. Starting at their own 24, the Patriots reached as far as the Dolphins 1-yard line, but were forced to settle for a 20-yard field goal and a 3–0 lead. After a Dolphins punt, the Patriots gave it right back when Brady was intercepted at the Dolphins 36 by Bobby McCain. The Dolphins went three-and-out, but the Patriots drove 67 yards to score on Brady's 55-yard touchdown pass to Cordarrelle Patterson, extending the Patriots lead to 10–0. Both teams punted on their next drive, but midway through the 2nd quarter, Tannehill fumbled the snap with Kyle Van Noy recovering for the Patriots at the Dolphins 22. On the very next play, James White scampered to the end zone on a 22-yard run, giving the Patriots a 17–0 lead which was their largest of the season to this point. The Dolphins offense continued to go in reverse on another three-and-out. The Patriots responded by converting four 3rd downs on a 15-play, 85-yard drive, scoring with Brady's 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Phillip Dorsett to go up 24–0 with 0:17 seconds remaining in the first half. After both teams punted on their initial second-half possession, the Patriots marched 59 yards in just over five minutes, with Brady capping off another touchdown drive with his 14-yard touchdown pass to White, blowing the game open with a 31–0 lead. The Dolphins reached the Patriots 45 on their next possession, but Tannehill's desperation pass was intercepted at the 10-yard line by J. C. Jackson. The Patriots hot streak continued with a 12 play, 90-yard drive, scoring on a 12-yard touchdown run from rookie running back Sony Michel, his first career rushing touchdown. After yet another three-and-out from the Dolphins, the Patriots drove to the Dolphins 32, but Brady was intercepted at the Dolphins 14 by Minkah Fitzpatrick who returned it 11 yards to the Dolphins 25. With Tannehill pulled from the game, old Patriots' nemesis Brock Osweiler led the Dolphins 75 yards in 7:30, scoring on his 6-yard touchdown pass to Frank Gore, making the score 38–7 with less than three minutes remaining in the game. The Patriots ran the rest of the clock out to end the game. With the exception of the two turnovers, the Patriots dominated the Dolphins in every aspect of the game, outgaining them 446–172 and holding the ball for 14 minutes longer. Tom Brady threw for 274 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Michel had his best game of the season to date with 25 carries for 112 yards and a touchdown. White had the best day overall with 16 touches for 112 total yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. The Patriots avoided a 3-game losing streak for the first time since 2002 or a 1–3 start for the first time since their 2001 Super Bowl-winning season.

#### Week 5: vs. Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
| Patriots | 7 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 38 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: October 4
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), mostly cloudy
* Game attendance: 65,878
* Referee: Shawn Hochuli
* TV announcers (Fox/NFLN): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink; Amazon Video: Hannah Storm and Andrea Kremer
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Cordarrelle Patterson 1-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 8:58. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:02.
Second quarter
NE – Tom Brady 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:14. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:44.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 54-yard field goal, 8:49. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 3:25.
NE – James White 6-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:34. Patriots 21–3. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 3:49.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 45-yard field goal, 0:13. Patriots 24–3. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 0:25.
Third quarter
IND – Eric Ebron 14-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:48. Patriots 24–10. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 1:56.
Fourth quarter
IND – Erik Swoope 13-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 12:48. Patriots 24–17. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:38.
NE – Josh Gordon 34-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:19. Patriots 31–17. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:29.
NE – Sony Michel 34-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:08. Patriots 38–17. Drive: 1 plays, 34 yards, 0:07.
IND – Eric Ebron 1-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:11. Patriots 38–24. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 1:52.
Top passers
IND – Andrew Luck – 38/59, 365 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
NE – Tom Brady – 34/44, 341 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
IND – Nyheim Hines – 15 carries, 45 yards
NE – Sony Michel – 18 carries, 98 yards, TD
Top receivers
IND – Eric Ebron – 9 receptions, 105 yards, 2 TD
NE – James White – 10 receptions, 77 yards, TD :
The Patriots faced the Colts on Thursday Night Football, with Brady hoping to remain undefeated against Andrew Luck.
The Patriots took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in over 6 minutes, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Cordarrelle Patterson for the early lead. The next possession ended in a punt for both teams, but on the Colts' second possession, they drove from their own 6 to the Patriots 20, but ageless wonder Adam Vinatieri missed a 38-yard field goal attempt off the left upright. The Patriots took advantage off the missed opportunity and raced 72 yards to score on Brady's 1-yard touchdown run, extending the Patriots' lead to 14–0 early in the second quarter. The Colts drove to the Patriots 36 on their next drive and Vinatieri redeemed himself with a 54-yard field goal. After both teams punted on their resultant drive, the Patriots raced 68 yards to score on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Brady to James White for a 21–3 lead. Following this, Luck was intercepted at the Patriots 49 by Patrick Chung who returned it 2 yards to the 49 of the Colts with less than a minute remaining in the first half. With the excellent field position, the Patriots reached the Colts' 27 and took a commanding 24–3 lead into halftime after a 45-yard field goal from placekicker Stephen Gostkowski. Early in the third quarter, Chester Rogers returned a punt from Ryan Allen 33 yards to Patriots 35. It took the Colts just 4 plays to score on a 14-yard pass from Luck to Eric Ebron, trimming the deficit to 24–10. The Patriots drove to the Colts 30 on their next drive, but Matthias Farley intercepted Brady's pass at the 23 and returned it 7 yards to the Colts' 30. But four plays later, Jordan Wilkins fumbled after a 9-yard catch with Devin McCourty recovering for the Patriots at midfield. The Patriots drove to the Colts' 25, but the turnover streak continued when Brady was intercepted at the Colts' 4 by Najee Goode who returned it 16 yards to the Colts' 20. The Colts proceeded to drive 80 yards in 10 plays with Luck finding Erik Swoope for a 13-yard touchdown pass, trimming the Patriots' lead to a thin 24–17 early in the fourth quarter. However, any hope for a Colts comeback died when the Patriots marched 75 yards to score on a 34-yard touchdown bomb from Brady to Josh Gordon, widening the Patriots lead to 31–17. Any chance of a miraculous comeback died on the Colts' next drive when Luck was intercepted at the Patriots 38 by Jonathan Jones who returned it 28 yards to the Colts' 34. On the very next play, Sony Michel scored on a 34-yard touchdown burst, putting the game out of reach with a 38–17 Patriots lead. The Colts turned the ball over on downs on their next drive, but after forcing the Patriots to punt, marched 60 yards to score on Luck's 1-yard touchdown pass to Ebron. The Patriots ran out the rest of the clock to win the game 38–24.
Tom Brady completed 34/44 passes for 341 yards and 3 TDs but threw 2 interceptions while Michel ran the ball 18 times for 98 yards and a touchdown. Andrew Luck threw for 365 yards and 3 TDs but threw 2 costly interceptions.

#### Week 6: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 6 | 3 | 17 | 14 | 40 |
| Patriots | 10 | 14 | 3 | 16 | 43 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: October 14
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 65,878
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Harrison Butker 42-yard field goal, 9:05. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:26.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 48-yard field goal, 5:18. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 3:47.
NE – Sony Michel 4-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 4:57. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 1 play, 4 yards, 0:04.
KC – Harrison Butker 43-yard field goal, 3:25. Patriots 10–6. Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 1:32.
Second quarter
NE – Julian Edelman 17-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:52. Patriots 17–6. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:33.
KC – Harrison Butker 24-yard field goal, 6:21. Patriots 17–9. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 6:31.
NE – Sony Michel 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:57. Patriots 24–9. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:24.
Third quarter
KC – Kareem Hunt 67-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 13:27. Patriots 24–16. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:33.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 24-yard field goal, 7:17. Patriots 27–16. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 6:10.
KC – Harrison Butker 30-yard field goal, 3:36. Patriots 27–19. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 3:41.
KC – Tyreek Hill 14-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 0:56. Patriots 27–26. Drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 1:27.
Fourth quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 39-yard field goal, 10:22. Patriots 30–26. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 5:34.
KC – Tyreek Hill 1-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 8:38. Chiefs 33–30. Drive: 3 plays, 3 yards, 1:44.
NE – Tom Brady 4-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:25. Patriots 37–33. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:13.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 50-yard field goal, 3:15. Patriots 40–33. Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 0:35.
KC – Tyreek Hill 75-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 3:03. Tied 40–40. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:12.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 28-yard field goal, 0:00. Patriots 43–40. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:03.
Top passers
KC – Patrick Mahomes – 23/36, 352 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
NE – Tom Brady – 24/35, 340 yards, TD
Top rushers
KC – Kareem Hunt – 10 carries, 80 yards
NE – Sony Michel – 24 carries, 106 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
KC – Tyreek Hill – 7 receptions, 142 yards, 3 TD
NE – Rob Gronkowski – 3 receptions, 97 yards :
With the win, the Patriots improved to 4–2.

#### Week 7: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
| Bears | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: October 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 62,389
* Referee: Clay Martin
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Julian Edelman 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 11:00. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:00.
CHI – Cody Parkey 46-yard field goal, 3:50. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:44.
CHI – Mitchell Trubisky 8-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 0:59. Bears 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 24 yards, 2:45.
Second quarter
CHI – Jordan Howard 2-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 11:05. Bears 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 36 yards, 3:46.
NE – Cordarrelle Patterson 95-yard kickoff return (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 10:48. Bears 17–14. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:17.
NE – James White 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:58. Patriots 21–17. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 5:48.
Third quarter
CHI – Tarik Cohen 6-yard pass from Mitchell Trubisky (Cody Parkey kick), 12:04. Bears 24–21. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:56.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 29-yard field goal, 7:48. Tied 24–24. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:16.
NE – Kyle Van Noy 29-yard return of block punt (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:53. Patriots 31–24.
Fourth quarter
NE – James White 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 8:40. Patriots 38–24. Drive: 9 plays, 96 yards, 4:25.
CHI – Trey Burton 11-yard pass from Mitchell Trubisky (Cody Parkey kick), 4:13. Patriots 38–31. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 2:11.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 25/36, 277 yards, 3 TD, INT
CHI – Mitchell Trubisky – 26/50, 333 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
NE – James White – 11 carries, 40 yards
CHI – Mitchell Trubisky – 6 carries, 81 yards, TD
Top receivers
NE – James White – 8 receptions, 57 yards, 2 TD
CHI – Trey Burton – 9 receptions, 126 yards, TD :
With the win, the Patriots improved to 5–2.

#### Week 8: at Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 3 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 25 |
| Bills | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: October 29
* Game time: 8:15 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 70,109
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 25-yard field goal, 4:46. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 5:15.
Second quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 40-yard field goal, 11:47. Patriots 6–0. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 4:53.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 38-yard field goal, 5:42. Patriots 9–0. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 4:27.
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 47-yard field goal, 1:39. Patriots 9–3. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:03.
Third quarter
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 51-yard field goal, 7:39. Patriots 9–6. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:37.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 25-yard field goal, 2:03. Patriots 12–6. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 0:52.
Fourth quarter
NE – James White 1-yard run (pass failed), 9:58. Patriots 18–6. Drive: 10 plays, 94 yards, 4:50.
NE – Devin McCourty 84-yard interception return (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:54. Patriots 25–6.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 29/45, 324 yards
BUF – Derek Anderson – 22/39, 290 yards, INT
Top rushers
NE – Cordarrelle Patterson – 10 carries, 38 yards
BUF – Chris Ivory – 6 carries, 34 yards
Top receivers
NE – Julian Edelman – 9 receptions, 104 yards
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 5 receptions, 73 yards :
With the win, the Patriots improved to 6–2. Devin McCourty's interception return marked the first defensive touchdown for the Patriots since the 2015 season, breaking a league-leading 40-game drought.

#### Week 9: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Patriots | 7 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 31 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: November 4
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C), clear and cool
* Game attendance: 65,878
* Referee: Brad Allen
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – James White 8-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 11:40. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 3:20.
GB – Mason Crosby 29-yard field goal, 5:05. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 62 yards, 6:35.
Second quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 28-yard field goal, 13:30. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 1:44.
GB – Davante Adams 2-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 4:49. Tied 10–10. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 6:48.
NE – Cordarrelle Patterson 5-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:57. Patriots 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:52.
Third quarter
GB – Jimmy Graham 15-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 11:18. Tied 17–17. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:42.
Fourth quarter
NE – James White 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 10:06. Patriots 24–17. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 4:46.
NE – Josh Gordon 55-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:20. Patriots 31–17. Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:10.
Top passers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 24/43, 259 yards, 2 TD
NE – Tom Brady – 22/35, 294 yards, TD
Top rushers
GB – Aaron Jones – 14 carries, 76 yards
NE – Cordarrelle Patterson – 11 carries, 61 yards, TD
Top receivers
GB – Marquez Valdes-Scantling – 3 receptions, 101 yards
NE – Josh Gordon – 5 receptions, 130 yards, TD :
Rematch between Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. With the win, the Patriots improved to 7–2. This was the first game of the season where the Patriots defense did not record an interception, after recording at least one in each of their first eight games.

#### Week 10: at Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Titans | 17 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
* Date: November 11
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 69,363
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
TEN – Jonnu Smith 4-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 11:29. Titans 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:31.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 52-yard field goal, 9:19. Titans 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 2:10.
TEN – Corey Davis 23-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 5:58. Titans 14–3. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:21.
TEN – Ryan Succop 33-yard field goal, 2:35. Titans 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 1:36.
Second quarter
NE – James Develin 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:49. Titans 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:46.
TEN – Derrick Henry 1-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 1:08. Titans 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 4:17.
Third quarter
TEN – Ryan Succop 31-yard field goal, 4:15. Titans 27–10. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 4:51.
Fourth quarter
TEN – Derrick Henry 10-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 7:13. Titans 34–10. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 3:35.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 21/41, 254 yards
TEN – Marcus Mariota – 16/24, 228 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
NE – Sony Michel – 11 carries, 31 yards
TEN – Derrick Henry – 11 carries, 58 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
NE – Julian Edelman – 9 receptions, 104 yards
TEN – Corey Davis – 7 receptions, 125 yards, TD :
This was the Pats' first loss to Tennessee in 16 years; coincidentally, it was also at Nissan Stadium (then known as Adelphia Coliseum). The blowout loss ended the Pats' six-game winning streak as they fell to 7–3. It was also the Pats’ first time meeting with former players Malcolm Butler and Dion Lewis since leaving the Pats to join the Titans in free agency.

#### Week 12: at New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 7 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
| Jets | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: November 25
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 77,982
* Referee: Shawn Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NYJ – Jermaine Kearse 16-yard pass from Josh McCown (Jason Myers kick), 4:02. Jets 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:05.
NE – Rob Gronkowski 34-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:11. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:51.
Second quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 34-yard field goal, 2:27. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 4:58.
NYJ – Jason Myers 55-yard field goal, 0:03. Tied 10–10. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 0:48.
Third quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 32-yard field goal, 8:34. Patriots 13–10. Drive: 15 plays, 61 yards, 6:26.
NYJ – Jason Myers 38-yard field goal, 4:00. Tied 13–13. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 4:34.
NE – Julian Edelman 21-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:52. Patriots 20–13. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:08.
Fourth quarter
NE – Sony Michel 1-yard rush (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 8:54. Patriots 27–13. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:29.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 20/31, 283 yards, 2 TD
NYJ – Josh McCown – 26/45, 276 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
NE – Sony Michel – 21 carries, 133 yards, TD
NYJ – Isaiah Crowell – 6 carries, 30 yards
Top receivers
NE – Julian Edelman – 4 receptions, 84 yards, TD
NYJ – Jermaine Kearse – 6 receptions, 66 yards, TD :
With the win, the Patriots improved to 8–3.

#### Week 13: vs. Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Patriots | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: December 2
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 65,878
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – James Develin 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:33. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 81 yards, 3:52.
Second quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 20-yard field goal, 5:45. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 15 plays, 68 yards, 8:16.
MIN – Adam Thielen 5-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dan Bailey kick), 0:15. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 1:37.
Third quarter
MIN – Dan Bailey 39-yard field goal, 2:20. Tied 10–10. Drive: 12 plays, 41 yards, 4:01.
NE – Josh Gordon 24-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick, 0:35. Patriots 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:45.
Fourth quarter
NE – James Develin 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 10:54. Patriots 24–10. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 3:12.
Top passers
MIN – Kirk Cousins – 32/44, 201 yards, TD, 2 INT
NE – Tom Brady – 24/32, 311 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
MIN – Dalvin Cook – 9 rushes, 84 yards
NE – Sony Michel – 17 rushes, 63 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Stefon Diggs – 5 receptions, 49 yards
NE – James White – 9 receptions, 92 yards :
With the win, the Patriots improved to 9–3.

#### Week 14: at Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 6 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 33 |
| Dolphins | 7 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 34 |
at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: December 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), mostly cloudy
* Game attendance: 66,087
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – James Develin 2-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski missed PAT), 8:13. Patriots 6–0. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:47
MIA – Kenny Stills 7-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Jason Sanders kick), 2:41. Dolphins 7–6. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:41
Second quarter
NE – Julian Edelman 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 14:14. Patriots 13–7. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:04
MIA – Brandon Bolden 54-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 13:26. Dolphins 14–13. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:48
NE – Cordarrelle Patterson 37-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 10:32. Patriots 20–14. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:54
MIA – Brandon Bolden 6-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 7:28. Dolphins 21–20. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:04
NE – Rob Gronkowski 16-yard pass from Tom Brady, 3:49. Patriots 27–21. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:39
Third quarter
MIA – Brice Butler 23-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Jason Sanders kick), 3:58. Dolphins 28–27. Drive: 4 plays, 68 yards, 2:23
Fourth quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 32-yard field goal, 6:50. Patriots 30–28. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:43
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 22-yard field goal, 0:21. Patriots 33–28. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 4:10
MIA – Kenyan Drake 69-yard pass play by Ryan Tannehill. Dolphins 34–33. Drive: 1 play, 69 yards, 0:16
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 27/43, 358 yards, 3 TD
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 14/19, 265 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
NE – Sony Michel – 20 carries, 57 yards
MIA – Frank Gore – 12 carries, 92 yards
Top receivers
NE – Rob Gronkowski – 8 receptions, 107 yards, TD
MIA – Kenny Stills – 8 receptions, 135 yards, TD :
The Patriots lost to the Dolphins on a last second lateral at the end of regulation. With the heartbreaking loss, the Patriots fell to 9–4 for the first time since 2006.

#### Week 15: at Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Steelers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Date: December 16
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 65,280
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – Vance McDonald 5-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 8:45. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:20.
NE – Chris Hogan 63-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 6:58. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 77 yards, 1:52.
Second quarter
PIT – Antonio Brown 17-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 12:07. Steelers 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 92 yards, 4:17.
Third quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 33-yard field goal, 0:20. Steelers 14–10. Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 8:15.
Fourth quarter
PIT – Chris Boswell 48-yard field goal, 2:34. Steelers 17–10. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 5:13.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 25/36, 279 yards, TD, INT
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 22/34, 235 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
NE – Sony Michel – 13 rushes, 59 yards
PIT – Jaylen Samuels – 19 rushes, 142 yards
Top receivers
NE – Julian Edelman – 7 receptions, 90 yards
PIT – James Washington – 3 receptions, 65 yards :
This was the Pats' first loss to Pittsburgh since 2011 with a final score of 10–17. With the loss, the Patriots fell to 9–5 for the first time since 2008.

#### Week 16: vs. Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| Patriots | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: December 23
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C), clear and cold
* Game attendance: 65,878
* Referee: Shawn Smith
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Bruce Arians and Melanie Collins
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Sony Michel 4-yard rush (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:32. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 3:22.
Second quarter
NE – James White 27-yard rush (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:59. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:20.
Third quarter
BUF – Steven Hauschka 35-yard field goal, 13:29. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:19.
BUF – Steven Hauschka 41-yard field goal, 10:06. Patriots 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 1:10.
NE – Julian Edelman 32-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:05. Patriots 21–6. Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 5:01.
Fourth quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 24-yard field goal, 7:44. Patriots 24–6. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 3:11.
BUF – Zay Jones 31-yard pass from Josh Allen (pass failed), 1:08. Patriots 24–12. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 1:51.
Top passers
BUF – Josh Allen – 20/41, 217 yards, TD, 2 INT
NE – Tom Brady – 13/24, 126 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
BUF – Keith Ford – 7 carries, 33 yards
NE – Sony Michel – 18 carries, 116 yards, TD
Top receivers
BUF – Zay Jones – 5 receptions, 67 yards, TD
NE – Julian Edelman – 6 receptions, 70 yards, TD :
After receiver Josh Gordon left the team and was later suspended, the Patriots relied on their run game and defense against Buffalo. The Pats clinched their 10th straight AFC East title with the win (though in the event of a loss to Buffalo, Miami's loss to Jacksonville also would've clinched the division for New England), improving their record to 10–5, and for the second time this season, denied a 3-game losing streak for the first time since 2002. With the Houston Texans' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Patriots moved to the #2 seed in the AFC, and would have the chance to secure a playoff bye with a win in the following week's game. Tom Brady eclipsed 4,000 yards at the same time as Philip Rivers, becoming the third and fourth quarterback in NFL history to reach 4,000 yards in 10 seasons or more, joining Peyton Manning & Drew Brees.

#### Week 17: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Patriots | 7 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: December 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C), sunny and cold
* Game attendance: 65,878
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – James White 17-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:16. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 5:00.
NYJ – Jason Myers 40-yard field goal, 0:54. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 4:22.
Second quarter
NE – Rex Burkhead 18-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:53. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:01.
NE – Phillip Dorsett 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 11:03. Patriots 21–3. Drive: 5 plays, 8 yards, 1:40.
Third quarter
NE – Kyle Van Noy 46-yard fumble return (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 10:48. Patriots 28–3.
Fourth quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 38-yard field goal, 9:40. Patriots 31–3. Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 2:53.
NE – Julian Edelman 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:26. Patriots 38–3. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 5:06.
Top passers
NYJ – Sam Darnold – 16/28, 167 yards
NE – Tom Brady – 24/33, 250 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
NYJ – Elijah McGuire – 18 carries, 41 yards
NE – Sony Michel – 14 carries, 50 yards
Top receivers
NYJ – Deontay Burnett – 5 receptions, 73 yards
NE – Julian Edelman – 5 receptions, 69 yards, TD :
The Pats finish the 2018 season undefeated at home, and an 11–5 record overall, their first in 10 years and with the win, the Patriots clinched a 1st round bye for the 9th straight year.

### Standings
#### Division

AFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(2)}$ New England Patriots | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | 436 | 325 | W2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 319 | 433 | L3 |
| Buffalo Bills | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 269 | 374 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 333 | 441 | L3 |

#### Conference

AFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .480 | .401 | W1 |
| 2 | New England Patriots | East | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .482 | .494 | W2 |
| 3 | Houston Texans | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .471 | .435 | W1 |
| 4 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .496 | .450 | W3 |
| Wild Cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Los Angeles Chargers | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .477 | .422 | W1 |
| 6 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .465 | .456 | W4 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 9 | 6 | 1 | .594 | 4–1–1 | 6–5–1 | .504 | .448 | W1 |
| 8 | Tennessee Titans | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .520 | .465 | L1 |
| 9 | Cleveland Browns | North | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 3–2–1 | 5–6–1 | .516 | .411 | L1 |
| 10 | Miami Dolphins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .469 | .446 | L3 |
| 11 | Denver Broncos | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .523 | .464 | L4 |
| 12 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .535 | .448 | L2 |
| 13 | Buffalo Bills | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .523 | .411 | W1 |
| 14 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .549 | .463 | L1 |
| 15 | New York Jets | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .506 | .438 | L3 |
| 16 | Oakland Raiders | West | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .547 | .406 | L1 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Kansas City finished ahead of LA Chargers in the AFC West based on division record, claiming the No. 1 seed. 1 2 New England claimed the No. 2 seed over Houston based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 3 Denver finished ahead of Cincinnati and Buffalo based on strength of victory. Cincinnati finished ahead of Buffalo based on record vs. common opponents. Cincinnati's cumulative record against Baltimore, Indianapolis, the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami was 3–2, compared to Buffalo's 1–4 cumulative record against the same four teams. 1 2 NY Jets finished ahead of Oakland based on strength of victory. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division. ||||||||||||

## Postseason
### Schedule

| Playoff round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | NFL.com recap |
| Wild Card | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye |
| Divisional | January 13, 2019 | Los Angeles Chargers (5) | W 41–28 | 1–0 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| AFC Championship | January 20, 2019 | at Kansas City Chiefs (1) | W 37–31 (OT) | 2–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| Super Bowl LIII | February 3, 2019 | vs. Los Angeles Rams (N2) | W 13–3 | 3–0 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (5) Los Angeles Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| Patriots | 14 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 41 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: January 13, 2019
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 26 °F (−3 °C), sunny and cold
* Game attendance: 65,878
* Referee: Ronald Torbert
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Sony Michel 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:49. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 83 yards, 7:11.
LAC – Keenan Allen 43-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Michael Badgley kick), 4:56. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:53.
NE – Sony Michel 14-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:35. Patriots 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:21.
Second quarter
NE – Phillip Dorsett 15-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:17. Patriots 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:07.
NE – Rex Burkhead 6-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 6:04. Patriots 28–7. Drive: 6 plays, 87 yards, 3:08.
NE – Sony Michel 5-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:43. Patriots 35–7. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 1:40.
Third quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 28-yard field goal, 6:31. Patriots 38–7. Drive: 14 plays, 57 yards, 7:22.
LAC – Melvin Gordon 1-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 1:16. Patriots 38–14. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 5:15.
Fourth quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 30-yard field goal, 12:23. Patriots 41–14. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 3:53.
LAC – Virgil Green 1-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Philip Rivers–Keenan Allen pass), 7:38. Patriots 41–22. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:01.
LAC – Antonio Gates 8-yard pass from Philip Rivers (pass failed), 0:59. Patriots 41–28. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 2:00.
Top passers
LAC – Philip Rivers – 25/51, 331 yards, 3 TD, INT
NE – Tom Brady – 34/44, 343 yards, TD
Top rushers
LAC – Melvin Gordon – 9 rushes, 15 yards, TD
NE – Sony Michel – 24 rushes, 129 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
LAC – Tyrell Williams – 5 receptions, 94 yards
NE – Julian Edelman – 9 receptions, 151 yards :

#### AFC Championship: at (1) Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Patriots | 7 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 6 | 37 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 24 | 0 | 31 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: January 20, 2019
* Game time: 6:40 p.m. EST/5:40 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 19 °F (−7 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 77,034
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson, Evan Washburn and Jay Feely
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First Quarter
NE — Sony Michel 6-yard run, (Stephen Gostkowski kick) 6:55. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 8:05
Second Quarter
NE — Phillip Dorsett 29-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostowski kick), 0:27. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 2:41
Third Quarter
KC — Travis Kelce 12-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 12:56. Patriots 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 2:04
NE — Stephen Gostowski 47-yard field goal, 4:07. Patriots 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 8 yards, 3:36.
Fourth Quarter
KC — Damien Williams 1-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 14:51. Patriots 17–14 . Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:11
KC – Damien Williams 23-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 7:45. Chiefs 21–17. Drive: 2 plays, 23 yards, 0:10.
NE – Sony Michel 10-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:32. Patriots 24–21. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:13.
KC – Damien Williams 2-yard run (Harrison Butker kick), 2:03. Chiefs 28–24. Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 1:29.
NE – Rex Burkhead 4-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:39. Patriots 31–28. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 1:24.
KC – Harrison Butker 39-yard field goal, 0:11. Tied 31–31. Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 0:31.
Overtime
NE – Rex Burkhead 2-yard run, 10:10. Patriots 37–31. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 4:52.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 30/46, 348 yards, TD, 2 INT
KC – Patrick Mahomes – 16/31, 295 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
NE – Sony Michel – 29 rushes, 113 yards, 2 TD
KC – Damien Williams – 10 rushes, 30 yards, TD
Top receivers
NE – Julian Edelman – 7 receptions, 96 yards
KC – Sammy Watkins – 4 receptions, 114 yards :

#### Super Bowl LIII: vs. (N2) Los Angeles Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 13 |
| Rams | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: February 3, 2019
* Game time: 6:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 70,081
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson, Evan Washburn and Jay Feely
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
NE — Stephen Gostkowski 42-yard field goal, 10:29. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:29.
Third quarter
LAR — Greg Zuerlein 53-yard field goal, 2:11. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 4:22.
Fourth quarter
NE — Sony Michel 2-yard run, (Stephen Gostkowski kick) 7:00. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 2:49.
NE — Stephen Gostowski 41-yard field goal, 1:12. Patriots 13–3. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 3:05.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 21/35, 262 yards, INT
LAR – Jared Goff – 19/38, 229 yards, INT
Top rushers
NE – Sony Michel – 18 rushes, 94 yards, TD
LAR – Todd Gurley – 10 rushes, 35 yards
Top receivers
NE – Julian Edelman – 10 receptions, 141 yards
LAR – Brandin Cooks – 8 receptions, 120 yards :