New England Patriots – Team History
New England Patriots, professional football team and one of four teams in the East Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) of the National Football League (NFL). Formerly called the Boston Patriots, the team plays its home games at Gillette Field in Foxboro, Massachusetts, and wears uniforms of blue, red, silver, and white. The team’s name was inspired by Boston’s role in the American Revolution (1775-1783).
The Patriots fielded several strong teams during the 1970s and 1980s, reaching the playoffs five times from 1976 to 1986. Star players during the period included quarterback Tony Eason, tight end Russ Francis, future Hall of Fame offensive guard John Hannah, cornerback Mike Haynes, and linebacker Steve Nelson. Following the 1985 season, the club played in the Super Bowl but lost to the Chicago Bears. In the mid-1990s, New England again became a powerhouse in the Eastern Division. It won the 1996 AFC championship and then lost to the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl. The Patriots finally triumphed in their third Super Bowl visit, defeating the favored St. Louis Rams in 2002.
The Boston Patriots joined the American Football League (AFL) as a charter member in 1960. In its second season the team compiled a winning record. Eleven Patriots played in the 1963 AFL All-Star Game as head coach Mike Holovak steered Boston to a tie for the Eastern Division title. The team boasted many stars, including linebackers Tom Addison and Nick Buoniconti, wide receiver—placekicker Gino Cappelletti, running back Jim Nance, and quarterback Babe Parilli.
The Patriots struggled from 1964 to 1969, posting winning records in only two of six seasons. In 1967 Nance received the league’s most valuable player (MVP) award. The club joined the NFL in 1970, establishing its home in Foxboro. Because the team played its games outside of Boston, the franchise was renamed in 1971 as the New England Patriots to appeal to a greater number of fans. The Patriots had a slow start in the NFL, winning no more than seven games in a season from 1970 to 1975.
New England made a remarkable turnaround in 1976, finishing with an 11-3 win-loss record and earning a wildcard berth to the playoffs under head coach Chuck Fairbanks. The team starred Russ Francis, John Hannah, Mike Haynes, and Steve Nelson. In 1978, led by second-year quarterback Steve Grogan, the Patriots won their first NFL Eastern Division crown. In the early 1980s, however, New England again dropped to the bottom of the division.
Coached by Raymond Berry, the Patriots made back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time in franchise history in 1985 and 1986. A wildcard team in 1985, New England won three hard-fought AFC playoff games to reach Super Bowl XX, where they lost to the Chicago Bears, 46-10. In 1986 quarterback Tony Eason surpassed the 3,000-yard mark for the second time, while wide receiver Stanley Morgan led the AFC in yardage with his third 1,000-yard season. Cornerback Raymond Clayborn and linebacker Andre Tippett starred defensively. New England, however, lost in the divisional playoffs to the Denver Broncos, 22-17.
The Patriots floundered from 1987 to 1993, bottoming out in 1990 with a 1-15 record. The team rebounded in 1994 behind second-year quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who led the NFL in passing yards. Former New York Giants coach Bill Parcells coached the Patriots to two more playoff appearances in 1995 and 1996. Powered by Bledsoe and running back Curtis Martin, New England captured the AFC championship in 1996 before losing in the Super Bowl to the Green Bay Packers, 35-21. After the loss, Parcells resigned and former San Francisco 49ers defensive coodinator Pete Carroll was hired to replace him. Before the 2000 season, former Cleveland Browns head coach Bill Belichick replaced Carroll. Despite a 5-11 record in his first year, Belichick built a contender that went 11-5 in 2001. The Patriots then pulled off a series of postseason upsets, culminating in a 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams in the 2002 Super Bowl. Quarterback Tom Brady, who replaced Bledsoe early in the season, was named the game’s most valuable player (MVP). Brady repeated as MVP with the Patriots’ victory in the 2004 Super Bowl. In a remarkable season, again led by head coach Belichick, the Patriots ran off 15 straight victories, including the Super Bowl, the second longest winning streak in NFL history.
1986 Super Bowl XX Lost to Chicago Bears, 46-10
1997 Super Bowl XXXI Lost to Green Bay Packers, 35-21
2002 Super Bowl XXXVI Defeated St. Louis Rams, 20-17
2004 Super Bowl XXXVIII Defeated Carolina Panthers, 32-29
Philadelphia Eagles – Team History
Philadelphia Eagles, professional football team and one of five teams in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). The Eagles play at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and wear uniforms of green, silver, black, and white. The team began play in 1924 as the Frankford (Pennsylvania) Yellow Jackets. Owners Bert Bell and Lud Wray moved the team to Philadelphia in 1933 and changed its name to the Eagles after the symbol of the National Recovery Administration, which had been created as part of the New Deal.
The Eagles captured three NFL titles from 1948 to 1960, earning consecutive crowns in 1948 and 1949 under head coach Earle "Greasy" Neale. His potent offensive squad starred future Hall of Fame members end Pete Pihos, halfback Steve Van Buren, and center Chuck Bednarik, who also played linebacker for the defensive unit.
Led by wide receiver Harold Carmichael and quarterback Ron Jaworski, Philadelphia played in Super Bowl XV in 1981 but lost to the Oakland Raiders. The club qualified for the playoffs six times from 1988 to 1996, with lineups starring wide receiver Fred Barnett, quarterback Randall Cunningham, running backs Herschel Walker and Ricky Watters, and defensive end Reggie White.
In 1933 Bert Bell and Lud Wray bought the NFL’s Frankford Yellow Jackets and moved the team to Philadelphia. Renamed the Eagles, the club struggled, posting losing records in each of its first ten seasons.
By the mid-1940s, however, the Eagles had improved. From 1947 to 1949, Greasy Neale piloted the club to three consecutive Eastern Division crowns and two league titles. Steve Van Buren, a mainstay of these teams, captured three of his four NFL rushing titles from 1947 to 1949. Pete Pihos led the league in receptions three times during his career and in receiving yards twice. Chuck Bednarik missed just three games in 14 seasons in Philadelphia.
After posting five losing records in the 1950s, the Eagles won their third NFL crown in 1960. Quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, playing his final season, was named the league’s most valuable player (MVP) after passing for nearly 2500 yards. Van Brocklin’s favorite targets, wide receivers Tommy McDonald and Pete Retzlaff, helped Philadelphia rally to defeat the Green Bay Packers in the championship game.
In 1961 Van Brocklin was replaced at quarterback by another eventual Hall of Fame member, Sonny Jurgensen. In his first full season Jurgensen threw for a league-record 3723 yards, breaking the previous mark by more than 600 yards. (The record is now held by Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins, who threw for 5084 yards in 1984.) Nearly a third of Jurgensen’s yards went to McDonald, who led the league in yardage (1144) and touchdowns (13).
From 1962 through 1977 Philadelphia employed six different head coaches, but the team could not remain an NFL force. Although the Eagles boasted individual stars in running back Timmy Brown, wide receiver Harold Jackson, quarterback Roman Gabriel, and linebacker Bill Bergey, the Eagles did not reach the playoffs until 1978, Dick Vermeil’s second year as head coach.
From 1978 to 1981 Vermeil guided the Eagles to four consecutive playoff appearances. In 1981 the team advanced to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Oakland Raiders 27-10.
After a six-year playoff drought, Philadelphia qualified for the postseason four times from 1988 to 1992. Guided by former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, the Eagles developed a slashing offense centered around Randall Cunningham, who became a skilled passer and also emerged as one of the greatest running quarterbacks in NFL history. Cunningham was the Eagles’ top rusher each year from 1987 to 1990; in 1990 he threw for 30 touchdowns and rushed for more than 1000 yards. Under head coach Ray Rhodes, Philadelphia earned Wild Card berths in the playoffs in 1995 and 1996.
1981 Super Bowl XV Lost to Oakland Raiders, 27-10
