10 standout stats from the Patriots’ regular season
Another year, another impressive Patriots regular season. As Bill Belichick’s team looks to make its eighth consecutive AFC Championship Game appearance, New England fans can also enjoy the fact that their team enters the playoffs as the number one seed for the seventh time since 1990:
The @Patriots clinch their seventh No. 1 playoff seed since 1990, most by any team in that span.
This is their seventh 13-win season, second-most in the Super Bowl era. pic.twitter.com/UM2duiLRoQ
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 31, 2017
Given all of the postseason success in the Brady-Belichick era, it’s possible for Patriots fans to lose appreciation for the achievements of the regular season. Clearly, the ultimate prize remains the Super Bowl. Yet the 2017 Patriots were impressive for a number of reasons.
Here’s a quick look at a few of the notable stats from the regular season:
Tom Brady became the first 40-year-old to lead the NFL in passing yards:
#ICYMI: Tom Brady finished the regular season with 4,577 yards, passing Fran Tarkenton as the oldest QB to lead the #NFL in passing yards (3,468 yards at age 38 in 1978). https://t.co/89U7esrd9z
— The Hall presented by RTX (@TheHall) January 2, 2018
Additionally, Brady set a new standard for quadragenarian quarterbacks:
Tom Brady is the first player in NFL history to throw for 4,500+ yards at age-40 or older https://t.co/g5KzFJL5W2 pic.twitter.com/Dt0JvKDJDx
— Pro Football Reference (@pfref) January 2, 2018
Despite being prolific in previous years, the 2017 Brady-led offense made its own mark:
Three @Patriots have reached 1,000 scrimmage yards in the same season for the first time in team history:
Brandin Cooks
Rob Gronkowski
Dion Lewis— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 31, 2017
For the first time in the Belichick era, three Patriots scored at least five rushing touchdowns. The closest New England came to this in any other season since 2001 was 2008 (LaMont Jordan needed one more touchdown):
https://twitter.com/patriots/status/942553224560615424?lang=en
Rob Gronkowski finished with 69 catches in the regular season. And he was certainly aware of it:
Hey Rob Gronkowski, did you know how many catches you finished with this year? pic.twitter.com/ivbllH99iJ
— Ryan Hannable (@RyanHannable) December 31, 2017
Gronkowski also became the first Patriots tight end to lead the team in receptions in separate seasons since Ben Coates (who did so five times between 1993-1998):
🚨🚨 PICK-6 ALERT! 🚨🚨#GoBills https://t.co/dXLfAcR4Vb
— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2017
The Patriots led the NFL in total first downs (389). The difference between New England and second place Tampa Bay is the same as the difference between Tampa Bay and 12th place Carolina:
.@brandincooks is too fast!
Gain of 52! #GoPats #NFLMexico https://t.co/iz4YlFOnat
— NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2017
Dion Lewis broke the record of a Hall of Fame running back:
Dion Lewis had a catch percentage of 91.4% this season (32 receptions on 35 targets). That’s the best percentage for a RB in Patriots franchise history beating Curtis Martin’s 88.5%.
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) January 3, 2018
Lewis also ranked among the NFL’s top running backs in several advanced stats, including yards after contact and tackles avoided.
The Patriots defense ranked 29th in yards allowed, but fifth in points allowed:
PICKED! 😱😱😱 #NEvsPIT https://t.co/4OerTkMB5c
— NFL (@NFL) December 18, 2017
James Harrison’s two sacks in his Patriots debut were also the final two plays of the regular season. It was his 18th multi-sack game of his career:
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/947596887313416192
