Here are records the Patriots could set (or come close to setting) this season
The Patriots begin the quest of defending the Super Bowl title this season with the chance to win back-to-back titles for the second time in franchise history.
Here are the records or marks the team, the coach, the quarterback, and other notable players could achieve or come close to achieving this season:
The team
The Patriots can…
- Tie the Pittsburgh Steelers for most Super Bowl championships by one club in league history
- Extend their record of eight straight division titles
- Set the record for the most consecutive seasons with at least one playoff win. They are currently tied with the 1991-96 Cowboys with a playoff win in six straight years.
- Set the record for most consecutive winning seasons since the 1970 merger. They are currently tied with the San Francisco 49ers for the most with 16.
The coach
Bill Belichick can…
- Pull even with George Halas and Curly Lambeau as head coaches with six championships—the most in league history—since postseason play began in 1933.
- Claim the record for most postseasons games coached. He is currently tied with Tom Landry and Don Shula at 36.
- Leapfrog Landry to move into third for most wins all-time. He enters the season fourth all-time with 263 wins. Landry recorded 270 career wins, behind Halas (324) and Shula (347).
- Become the third coach to win back-to-back championships twice. Chuck Noll achieved the mark with the Steelers in 1974-75 and 1978-79, and Vince Lombardi did it with the Packers in 1961-62 and 1966-67.
The quarterback
As Tom Brady enters his 18th season with the Patriots, he surpasses San Francisco’s John Brodie and Miami’s Dan Marino for most seasons with a single team by a quarterback. And after his sixth start this year, he will move into third all-time for most starts at quarterback. He enters the season with 235 starts behind Favre (298), Manning (265), Marino (240), and Fran Tarketon (239).
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Brady also can…
- Surpass Peyton Manning and Brett Favre for most regular-season wins in league history. He enters the season with 183, while Manning and Favre finished their careers with 186 each.
- Become the fourth quarterback to throw 30 touchdowns in seven seasons, joining Favre, Manning, and Drew Brees.
- Become the first quarterback to throw 35 touchdowns in five different seasons, which would surpass Manning, Brees, and Aaron Rodgers, who have each done it four times.
- Join Brees and Manning as the only players to have thrown for 4,000 yards in nine seasons.
- Set the record for most 12-win seasons. He enters the season tied with Manning for the most, having each reached the mark 11 times.
- Can set the record for most playoff games with three or more touchdown passes. He is currently tied with Joe Montana for the most all-time with nine games.
- Beat out Manning for most games with three touchdown passes and no picks. He enters the season tied with Manning with 51 such performances.
- Extend his record for most conference championship game appearances (11).
Other players
Stephen Gostkowski can…
- Set the record for most seasons leading the league in scoring. He enters the year having achieved it five times—tied with Don Hutson and Gino Cappelletti.
- Tie the record for most seasons with 30 or more field goals. He enters the season having done it four times, only behind David Akers and John Carney.
Julian Edelman can…
- Surpass Reggie Wayne for second-most postseason receptions all-time. Edelman enters the year with 89 postseason catches, behind Wayne’s 93 and Jerry Rice’s 151.
Rob Gronkowski can…
- Tie Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten for most seasons with 1,000 yards receiving by a tight end. He has done it three times to Gonzalez’s and Witten’s four.
- Extend his record of five seasons with at least 10 touchdowns by a tight end.
- Pull even with Vernon Davis and Keith Jackson for most 100-yard playoff games by a tight end. He enters the season with three, behind Davis’s and Jackson’s four each.
