New England Patriots The New England Patriots , commonly called the " Pats " , are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area , playing their home games in the town of Foxborough , Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium . The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference ( AFC ) in the National Football League ( NFL ) . The team changed its name from the original Boston Patriots after relocating to Foxborough in 1971 , although Foxborough is a suburb of Boston , away . An original member of the American Football League ( AFL ) , the Patriots joined the NFL in the 1970 merger of those leagues . The team advanced to the playoffs four times before appearing in Super Bowl XX in January 1986 , losing to the Chicago Bears . The team also appeared in Super Bowl XXXI in January 1997 , losing to the Green Bay Packers . Between 2001 and 2005 , the Patriots became the second team in NFL history ( after the Dallas Cowboys ) to win three Super Bowls in four years ( Super Bowl XXXVI , XXXVIII , and XXXIX ) , and the eighth to win consecutive Super Bowls . The Patriots , however , were defeated by the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII , after winning the first 18 games of their 2007 season . Under quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick , the Patriots have also compiled the longest winning streak consisting of regular season " and " playoff games in NFL history , a 21 - game streak from October 2003 – October 2004 . Franchise history . On November 16 , 1959 , Boston business executive Billy Sullivan was awarded the eighth and final franchise of the developing American Football League ( AFL ) . The following winter , locals were allowed to submit ideas for the Boston football team ' s official name . The most popular choice — and the one that Sullivan selected — was " Boston Patriots " . Immediately thereafter , Boston Globe artist Phil Bissell developed the " Pat Patriot " logo . The Patriots ' time in the AFL saw them struggle most years as they never had a regular home stadium . Nickerson Field , Harvard Stadium , Fenway Park , and Alumni Stadium all served as home fields during their time in the American Football League . They did play in one AFL championship game , following the 1963 season . They lost to the San Diego Chargers 51 – 10 . They would not appear again in an AFL or NFL post - season game for another 13 years . When the NFL and AFL merged in 1970 , the Patriots were placed in the AFC East division , where they still play today . The following year , the Patriots moved to a new stadium in Foxborough , Massachusetts , which would serve as their home for 30 years . As a result of the move , they announced they would change their name from the Boston Patriots to the Bay State Patriots . The name was rejected by the NFL and on March 23 , 1971 , the team officially announced they would become the New England Patriots . During the 1970s , the Patriots had some success , earning a berth to the playoffs in 1976 — as a wild card - team — and in 1978 — as AFC East champions . They lost in the first round both times . In 1985 , they returned to the playoffs , and made it all the way to Super Bowl XX , which they lost to the Chicago Bears 46 – 10 . Following their Super Bowl loss , they returned to the playoffs in 1986 , but lost in the first round . The team would not make the playoffs again for eight more years . They changed ownership three times , being purchased from the Sullivan family first by Victor Kiam in 1988 , who sold the team to James Orthwein in 1992 . Orthwein intended to move the team to his native St . Louis , Missouri , but sold the team two years later to current owner Robert Kraft in 1994 . Though Orthwein ' s period as owner was short and controversial , he did oversee major changes to the team , first with the hiring of former New York Giants coach Bill Parcells in 1993 . Also a change was made that same year to the Patriots uniforms , changing their primary colors from their traditional red and white to blue and silver , and introducing a new logo . Parcells would bring the Patriots to two playoff appearances , including Super Bowl XXXI , which they lost to the Green Bay Packers by a score of 35 – 21 . Pete Carroll , Parcells ' s successor , would also take the team to the playoffs twice in 1997 & 1998 before being dismissed as head coach after the 1999 season . The Patriots ' current coach Bill Belichick was hired in 2000 , and a new home field , Gillette Stadium was opened in 2002 . Under Belichick , the team won three Super Bowls in four years , and finished the 2007 regular season with a perfect 16 – 0 record , becoming only the fifth team in league history to go undefeated in the regular season , and the only one since the league expanded its regular season schedule to 16 games . After advancing to Super Bowl XLII , the team ' s fourth Super Bowl in seven years , the Patriots were defeated by the Giants to end their bid for a 19 – 0 season . With the loss , the Patriots ended the year at 18 – 1 , becoming only one of three teams to go 18 – 1 along with the 1984 San Francisco 49ers and the 1985 Chicago Bears . Those teams , however , won the Super Bowl . Rivalries . The Patriots have maintained a rivalry with the New York Jets , who have also been members of the AFC East since its inception in 1970 . Prior to that , both teams competed in the American Football League since both teams ' foundings in 1960 . The rivalry between the Jets and Patriots has escalated since 1996 , when Patriots head coach Bill Parcells left the Patriots under controversy to become the head coach of the Jets . Four years later , Parcells ' assistant , Bill Belichick , resigned the day he was named the Jets ' head coach to become the head coach of the Patriots . Six years after that , Eric Mangini , an assistant under Belichick , became the head coach of the Jets . Meanwhile , the rise of quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in the early 2000s led to an increased rivalry between Manning ' s Indianapolis Colts and Brady ' s Patriots . The teams met three times in four years ( 2003 , 2004 , 2006 ) in the playoffs , with the winner going on to win that season ' s Super Bowl each time . Strategy . Under head coach Bill Belichick , the Patriots have employed specific on - field and off - field strategies . On the field , the Patriots have typically utilized an " Erhardt - Perkins " offense and a " Fairbanks - Bullough " 3 – 4 defense , referred to commonly as a 2 - gap 3 – 4 defensive system . Their philosophy in making personnel decisions and in game planning has focused on the " team " concept , stressing preparation , strong work ethic , versatility , and lack of individual ego . This approach , which led to three Super Bowl victories under Belichick , was analyzed in the 2004 book " Patriot Reign " . When owner Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994 , he did so for $ 175 million . Since then , the Patriots have sold out every home game in both Foxboro Stadium and Gillette Stadium . By 2009 , the value of the franchise had increased by over $ 1 billion , to a Forbes Magazine estimated value of $ 1 . 361 billion , third highest in the NFL . Stadium . Since 2002 , the Patriots ' home stadium has been Gillette Stadium , a $ 350 million facility privately financed by Kraft . It houses all administrative offices for the team and its owning entity , The Kraft Group , as well as the Kraft - owned Major League Soccer team , the New England Revolution . The field , which was originally natural grass , was replaced with a FieldTurf surface during the 2006 season . The area around the stadium was developed , beginning in 2007 , into a $ 375 million " lifestyle and entertainment center " called Patriot Place . Prior to 2002 , the Patriots played in Foxboro Stadium dating back to 1971 , the team ' s second year in the NFL after the AFL - NFL merger . During the team ' s days in the American Football League , the Boston Patriots were hosted by a number of fields in or around Boston . Notable players . Hall of Famers and retired numbers . The New England Patriots feature 16 former players and one contributor in their team hall of fame , established in 1991 . A committee of media and staff selected 11 players for enshrinement between 1991 and 2001 , before a six - year span of no selections . In 2007 , in advance of the 2008 opening of the Hall at Patriot Place , the Patriots introduced a new nomination committee to select three candidates , with the winner of an internet fan vote being enshrined in the hall of fame . In order to be eligible , players and coaches must be retired for at least four years . Beginning in 2011 and meeting every five years , a senior selection committee has the option of voting a player who has been retired for at least 25 seasons into the hall of fame . Former owner Billy Sullivan was inducted by owner Robert Kraft in March 2009 , the Patriots ' 50th season , as a contributor . Additionally , four former Patriots players have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame . The Patriots have officially retired seven uniform numbers . Cheerleaders and mascot . The Patriots NFL Cheerleader s are simply known as The Patriots Cheerleaders . In 2005 , cheerleader Kristin Gauvin won Miss Massachusetts , in part from her local commitment with the Patriots . The Patriots ' mascot is Pat Patriot , a revolutionary minuteman wearing a Patriots home jersey . During each game , about 10 men dressed as minutemen line the back of each end zone . When the Patriots score a touchdown , field goal or point - after - touchdown , the militia behind the opposite end zone fire a round of blanks from flintlock muskets . ESPN named this one of the top ten celebrations in the league in 2007 . Radio and television . The Patriots ' flagship radio station is WBZ - FM 98 . 5 FM , owned by CBS Radio . The larger radio network is called the New England Patriots Radio Network , whose 37 affiliate stations span 7 states . Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti are the longtime announcing team . Any preseason games not on national television are shown on CBS affiliate WBZ - TV . These games were broadcast on ABC affiliate WCVB - TV from 1995 until the change to WBZ in 2009 . Don Criqui has been the play - by - play announcer the last several years , with Randy Cross as a color commentator and Mike Lynch as a sideline reporter . Lynch was replaced by WBZ reporter Steve Burton in 2009 .