Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
14 moments that defined the Patriots’ first 14-win season since 2016
The Patriots are back on top as AFC East champs. Here are the moments that stood out along the way.
During his introductory press conference last January, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel laid out three goals for this season: Win the AFC East, host home playoff games, and compete for championships.
Almost exactly one year after he uttered those words, the Patriots are once again AFC East champions.
They are set to host the Chargers in the wild-card round at Gillette Stadium on Sunday night. With No. 2 seed in the AFC secured, the Patriots have established themselves as contenders in these upcoming playoffs.
New England completed one of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history, going from four wins last season to 14 wins this season. There were plenty of memorable moments along the way. Here’s a look at 14 moments that helped them get there.
Patriots hire Mike Vrabel
The Patriots moved forward quickly with their decision to hire Vrabel. They fired Jerod Mayo on January 5th after one season at the helm. Team owner Robert Kraft called it one of the hardest decisions he had ever made, citing his history with Mayo which dates back to 2008 when New England drafted him.
Eight days later, on January 13th, the Patriots introduced Vrabel as the 16th head coach in franchise history. Vrabel vowed to get rid of the entitlement he saw amongst the players and set the tone for the kind of environment that he wanted to build.
Big splashes on Day 1 of free agency
The Patriots hit the ground running in free agency, landing Milton Williams, Carlton Davis, Morgan Moses, Robert Spillane, and Harold Landry on March 10th.
Williams instantly made his presence felt up front, Spillane led the team in tackles with 97, Landry led the team in sacks with 8.5, Davis helped bolster a secondary that is eighth in passing yards allowed per game (295.2), and Moses started all 17 games at right tackle.
Antonio Gibson’s kick return against Miami
After dropping the season opener at home against the Raiders, the Patriots were in danger of dropping to 0-2 against the Dolphins in Week 2.
Advertisement:
Malik Washington gave the Dolphins the lead with a 74-yard punt return for touchdown with 7:18 to go in the fourth quarter, but Gibson snatched it right back with a 90-yard kick return for touchdown 12 seconds later. Vrabel sprinted down the sideline to celebrate when he saw Gibson break free.
The Patriots held on for the win, the first of a perfect 8-0 mark on the road. Gibson’s touchdown was one of six kick returns for touchdowns in the NFL this season.
Vrabel sticks with Stevenson amid fumbling woes
The Patriots fumbled their chances away in their Week 3 loss to Pittsburgh. They lost four fumbles, including two from Rhamondre Stevenson. He lost the ball on the 1-yard line on a third-quarter run that nearly tied the game at 14.
Instead of benching Stevenson, Vrabel offered a vote of confidence for Stevenson, saying that the team needed him. Stevenson, who tied his career-high for touchdowns with seven, has not fumbled since Oct. 5.
Advertisement:
He earned AFC offensive player of the week honors for his performance in the regular-season finale against the Dolphins.
Stefon Diggs takes over against his former team
Diggs played an instrumental role in the Patriots’ upset win over the Bills in Week 5, catching 10 of his 12 targets for a season-high 146 yards.
Drake Maye got Diggs involved early, completing his first pass of the game to the former Bill. The pair also helped close out the game, connecting for a tough completion right before the two-minute warning on the Patriots’ final drive.
The Patriots split the season-series with Buffalo and clinched the Division when the Bills lost to the Eagles on Dec. 28.
Marcus Jones runs wild on the Panthers
Jones was dominant in the return game against New England’s Week 4 win against Carolina. He averaged 55.7 yards on his three punt returns in that game.
He put the Patriots on the board with an 87-yard punt return touchdown in the first quarter. Then he set up a scoring drive with a 61-yard punt return in the second quarter.
He also chipped in five tackles on defense as the Patriots cruised to a 42-13 victory.
Patriots crush Titans after Vrabel’s replacement was fired
The Titans, who fired Vrabel in 2023, fired Vrabel’s successor Brian Callahan ahead of their matchup with the Patriots in Week 7.
New England rolled to a 31-13 victory, holding the Titans to 39 rushing yards and sacking rookie quarterback Cam Ward five times. Maye completed 21 of his 23 passing attempts.
John Parker Romo’s missed extra point keeps streak alive
Atlanta kicker John Parker Romo, who spent training camp with the Patriots and narrowly lost his position battle to rookie Andres Borregales, had a chance to tie the game at 24 with 4:40 to go.
He missed the extra point attempt, and the Patriots hung on for a 24-23 victory in Week 9, extending their winning streak to six games.
Rookies make big plays against Bucs
The Patriots sent the Bucs sliding into a three-game losing streak in Week 10. Tampa Bay has lost seven of its last nine since the Patriots beat them.
Advertisement:
TreVeyon Henderson had a breakout game, rushing for 147 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Kyle Williams hauled in a 72-yard touchdown pass.
The Patriots had 21 of their 28 points come from rookies in that game.
Will Campbell goes down and eventually returns
The Patriots got a scare during the third quarter of their Week 12 win against the Bengals when rookie left tackle Will Campbell was carted off the field with a lower body injury.
Campbell draped a towel over his head, and some feared that the injury might be season-ending. It turned out to be a sprained MCL. Campbell spent several weeks on injured reserve, but ultimately returned against the Dolphins in Week 18.
Drake Maye springs a lead block for TreVeyon Henderson
The Patriots were unable to sweep the season series against the Bills. Josh Allen led Buffalo to 21 unanswered points, handing the Patriots their third and final loss of the regular-season in Week 15.
One of Maye’s highlights had nothing to do with his throwing ability. He sprinted down the field as a lead blocker on a 65-yard run from TreVeyon Henderson, going step-for-step with one of the fastest players on the team.
K’Lavon Chaisson’s punch out against Ravens
Chaisson helped seal the Patriots win against Baltimore by chasing down Zay Flowers and punching the ball out late in the fourth quarter.
The Patriots, up by 4, thwarted Baltimore’s final drive and got the ball back with less than two minutes remaining, allowing them to run out the clock in Week 16..
Drake Maye gets a special game ball from Vrabel
Maye posted the highest QBR (99.8) of all time during the Patriots’ 42-10 shellacking of the Jets on Dec. 28. He had five touchdowns, all in the first half, and he completed 19 of his 21 passing attempts.
His performance earned him a special game ball from Vrabel that marked the completion of a perfect road record. Vrabel joked that Maye better bring the ball into the quarterback room because he spent a lot of time decorating it.
Vrabel says allegations against Diggs, Barmore are “not disappointing“
The Patriots enter this postseason with two players facing charges.
Advertisement:
Diggs is facing a felony charge of strangulation or suffocation and a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery after an alleged incident involving a dispute with a personal chef over money.
Christian Barmore is facing a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery on a household or family member after allegedly throwing the mother of his child to the floor.
When asked about the cases on New Year’s Eve, Vrabel said it was “not disappointing at all” for the team to be facing such distractions as they head into the playoffs.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com