2019 New England Patriots season
Owner	Robert Kraft
Head coach	Bill Belichick
Home stadium	Gillette Stadium
Results
Record	12–4
Division place	1stAFC East
Playoffs	LostWild Card Playoffs (vs.Titans) 13–20
All-Pros	LGJoe Thuney(2nd team) CB Stephon Gilmore(1st team) ST Matthew Slater(1st team)
Pro Bowlers	3 CBStephon Gilmore LBDont'a Hightower STMatthew Slater
Uniform
← 2018 Patriots seasons 2020 →

The2019 season was theNew England Patriots' 50th in theNational Football League (NFL), their 60th overall and their 20th underhead coachBill Belichick. They entered the season as the defendingSuper Bowl champions, after winningSuper Bowl LIII, and as three-time defendingAFC champions. The Patriots won theAFC East for the 11th straight season, and improved on their 11–5 record fromthe previous season, but they wereupset by theTennessee Titans in the Wild Card game, their first Wild Card game since the2009 season. This marked the first time the Patriots lost a home postseason game since the2012 AFC Championship Game where they lost to the later Super Bowl champion Ravens 28–13, and the first time the Patriots failed to reach theAFC Championship Game since2010. The Patriots were also the only NFL team that made the playoffs, and had a winning season, in every year of the 2010s decade.

Catalyzed by their defense's historically dominant play, the Patriots started the season extremely well at 8–0 for the third time in franchise history, and early on there was conversation as to if they could repeat the undefeated2007 regular season. However, their winning streak would soon end as a result of their Week 9 loss to theBaltimore Ravens, which was also their first loss to the Ravens since the 2012 AFC Championship game. In Week 12, the Patriots set a new NFL record with their 17th consecutive 10-win season, surpassing theSan Francisco 49ers, who set the original record of 16 consecutive 10-win seasons from1983–1998.

For the first time since2009,Rob Gronkowski, the team's former startingtight end, was not on the active roster as he announced his retirement on March 24, 2019.^[1] Also, for the first time since2010, the Patriots had a different kicker on the regular season roster as the strugglingStephen Gostkowski was placed onIR; he was replaced by midseason signingsMike Nugent,^[2]Nick Folk,^[3] andKai Forbath. Long-time assistantBrian Flores was not part of the Patriots coaching staff for the first time since2003, as he left to become the head coach of theMiami Dolphins on February 4, 2019.

With their win over theBuffalo Bills in Week 16, the Patriots clinched the AFC East for the 11th consecutive year. However, despite entering December with a 10–1 record, the Patriots failed to clinch a first-round bye for the first time since2009 thanks to a late-season collapse that culminated in Week 17 with a 27–24 loss to the 4–11Dolphins while theKansas City Chiefs defeated theLos Angeles Chargers. The Patriots' loss and the Chiefs' win gave the Chiefs the #2 seed in the playoffs. It was the Patriots' first home loss to the Dolphins since2008 and their first since2005 withTom Brady as starting quarterback.

This was alsoTom Brady's last season with the team, as he announced he was entering free agency and later signed with theTampa Bay Buccaneers on March 20, 2020. This was the last year of theBrady–Belichick era.^[4][5]

On February 4, 2019,de facto defensive coordinator/linebackers coachBrian Flores was hired as the head coach of theMiami Dolphins.^[6] The Dolphins also hired wide receivers coachChad O'Shea to be their offensive coordinator and cornerbacks coachJosh Boyer to serve in that same capacity, in addition to a role as the defensive pass game coordinator.^[7]

Defensive line coachBrendan Daly was hired by theKansas City Chiefs to serve in that same capacity.^[8]

In February 2019, it was announced thatGreg Schiano was hired to join the Patriots as their defensive coordinator, but prior to the Patriots confirming this report,^[9] Schiano unexpectedly resigned from the Patriots on March 28, citing a desire to spend more time on his "faith and family".^[10]

To replace these losses, the Patriots hired and promoted individuals. On offense,Mick Lombardi was hired as the assistantquarterbacks coach andJoe Judge was given an additional role to hisspecial teams coordinator aswide receivers coach. On defense, former Patriots' playerJerod Mayo was hired as theinside linebackers coach,Mike Pellegrino was promoted from coaching assistant tocornerbacks coach,Demarcus Covington was promoted from coaching assistant tooutside linebackers coach, andBret Bielema was promoted from consultant to the head coach to thedefensive line coach. In addition, the defensive coordinator position was left vacant withhead coachBill Belichick now involving himself more greatly in that role.^[11]

• March 14: the Patriots traded their2020 fifth-round selection to thePhiladelphia Eagles in exchange fordefensive endMichael Bennett and a 2020 seventh-round pick.^[171][172]
• April 29: the Patriots tradedtight endJacob Hollister to theSeattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2020 seventh-round selection.^[173]
• August 12: the Patriots traded a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick to theAtlanta Falcons in exchange for tight endEric Saubert.^[174]
• August 28: the Patriots traded a 2020 sixth round-selection to theArizona Cardinals foroffensive tackleKorey Cunningham.^[175]
• August 28: the Patriots traded a 2020 fourth-round pick to theBaltimore Ravens for a sixth-round pick andoffensive guardJermaine Eluemunor.^[176]
• August 30: the Patriots tradedcornerbackDuke Dawson and a 2020 seventh round draft pick to theDenver Broncos for a 2020 sixth round pick.^[177]
• August 30: the Patriots traded a sixth-round selection to theBuffalo Bills forcenterRussell Bodine.^[178]
• August 31: the Patriots traded cornerbackKeion Crossen to theHouston Texans for a2021 sixth-round selection.^[179]
• September 10: the Patriots tradedwide receiverDemaryius Thomas to theNew York Jets for a 2021 sixth-round selection.^[180]
• October 22: the Patriots traded a2020 second-round pick toAtlanta for wide receiverMohamed Sanu.^[181]
• October 24: the Patriots traded defensive endMichael Bennett to theDallas Cowboys for a 2021 seventh-round selection that may turn into a sixth-round selection.^[182]

Notes

• As the result of the Patriots having more qualifying free agent depart during the2018 free agency period than they signed, the team received four compensatory selections for the 2019 draft (No. 97 and 101 in the third round, No. 205 in the sixth round, and No. 252 in the seventh round).

• Tight endBenjamin Watson was suspended for four games at the start of the season for failing a drug test from March.^[190]
• Tight endLance Kendricks was suspended for the season-opener by violating the league's policy on substances of abuse.^[191]

• May 8:Wide receiverBruce Ellington was released with an injury designation.^[117]
• July 25: Wide receiverJulian Edelman injured his thumb playing catch a few weeks prior. He would be set to miss "a few weeks" including possibly all of preseason.^[192] He returned on August 19, just before Week 3 of preseason.^[193]
• August 8: Wide receiverN'Keal Harry suffered an ankle injury during training camp and a "minor" hamstring injury while going up for a catch in the Patriots' first preseason game against theDetroit Lions.^[194] He was placed oninjured reserve on September 2, 2019, after missing multiple weeks of practice.^[80]
• August 12:CornerbackD'Angelo Ross was waived with an injury designation. The following day, he was placed on the injury report after having cleared waivers.^[195]
• August 15: Wide receiverMaurice Harris sustained a leg injury in the Patriots' first joint practice with theTennessee Titans. His recovery period was described as "a while".^[196] Although, while still limited by his injury, he returned on August 20 after missing only a few days.^[197] Ultimately, he was released with an injury designation on August 25. He was placed on the injury report the next day after clearing waivers.^[133]
• August 17: Defensive endDerek Rivers suffered a leg injury during the Patriots' Week 2 preseason game against the Tennessee Titans.^[198] He was placed on injured reserve week later.^[146]
• August 25:Defensive endKeionta Davis was placed on the injury report.^[133]
• August 25:Outside linebackerBrandon King suffered torn quadriceps in the Patriots' preseason game against theCarolina Panthers. He was placed on injured reserve days later.^[199]
• August 31:CenterDavid Andrews was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lungs on August 26.^[200] He was placed on injured reserve days later.^[146]
• August 31: Wide receiverCameron Meredith was kept on thephysically unable to perform list, still dealing with issues with his knee from anACL injury he suffered during the2017 NFL season.^[146]
• August 31:Offensive guardHjalte Froholdt was placed on injured reserve as a result of the neck injury he sustained during Week 4 of preseason against theNew York Giants.^[201]
• August 31:Strong safety Malik Gant was placed on injured reserve.^[146]
• September 8:Offensive tackleMarcus Cannon suffered a shoulder injury against thePittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter of the Week 1 matchup. The injury will be a setback for the Patriots' offensive line, although not season-ending for Cannon.^[202]
• September 15: Offensive tackleIsaiah Wynn sustained a toe injury in the Patriots' Week 2 game against theMiami Dolphins.^[203] He was placed on injured reserve on September 17, 2019.^[204]
• September 22: Julian Edelman suffered a rib injury in the Patriots' Week 3 game against theNew York Jets.^[205]
• September 23:FullbackJames Develin was placed on injured reserve due to a neck injury he suffered in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins and is set to be out for at least 8 weeks.^[206]
• October 2:KickerStephen Gostkowski was placed on injured reserve as a result of a left hip injury.^[207]
• October 14: FullbackJakob Johnson was placed on injured reserve due to a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 5 against theWashington Redskins.^[208]
• October 23: Wide receiverJosh Gordon was placed due to a knee injury he suffered in Week 6 against theNew York Giants.^[209]
• November 19: Wide receiverGunner Olszewski was placed on injured reserve with ankle and hamstring injuries.^[210]

As of the Patriots' first training camp practice atGillette Stadium on July 25, they had the NFL maximum of 90 players signed. As a result of the NFL'sInternational Player Pathway program, the Patriots were granted an additional 91st spot which was allocated to GermanfullbackJakob Johnson.

Note: Intra-division opponents are inbold text.

The Patriots hosted thePittsburgh Steelers duringprimetime in their first game of the 2019 season. In commemoration of theirSuper Bowl LIII victory from theprevious season, the Patriots unveiled their sixth "World Champions" banner, with former Patriots in attendance like recently retiredRob Gronkowski,^[211] as well as Patriots Hall of FamersDrew Bledsoe,Ty Law,Willie McGinest, Super Bowl ChampionsRob Ninkovich, andMartellus Bennett, who joined Patriots ownerRobert Kraft on the field before the Patriots came out onto the Gillette Stadium turf. The team also wore "Super Bowl LIII Champions" patches for the game.^[212]

The Steelers won the coin toss and elected to kick. The first drives ended in punts for both teams, but on the Patriots' second possession, they managed to race down the field on a seven-play, 82-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass toJosh Gordon, in which he broke two tackles after the catch. After forcing the Steelers to go three-and-out, due in part to a holding call onAlejandro Villanueva, the Patriots marched down the field, only for the drive to stall at the Pittsburgh 7-yard line, and the Patriots were forced to settle for a field goal, now leading 10–0 in the second quarter. New England went three-and-out on their following drive but scored on a 25-yard pass toPhillip Dorsett thereafter. In the Patriots' last possession of the first half, even with good field position, they failed to capitalize with a touchdown, settling for another field goal. Beginning the second half, the Patriots led 20–0. This lasted only briefly, as their defense gave up three points on the Steelers' first drive of the third quarter.Tom Brady and the offense responded quickly with a 58-yard pass to Dorsett, his second touchdown catch of the game. On their subsequent possessions, the Patriots scored field goals. Meanwhile,Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted byDevin McCourty. In Pittsburgh's final drive, they managed to advance 50 yards down the field, but failed to score with time running out. Ultimately, the Patriots defeated the Steelers 33–3, starting 1–0 for the season.^[213]

Beginning his 20th season in the league,Tom Brady finished the game with 341 yards and three touchdowns,^[214] whileJulian Edelman recorded his 500th reception with the Patriots, becoming the fifth player to reach that milestone.^[215]Phillip Dorsett had a spectacular game, leading the Patriots in receiving yards and touchdowns, catching four passes on four targets for 95 yards and two touchdowns.^[216] Meanwhile,Josh Gordon had three receptions for 73 yards in his first game since Week 13 of the2018 season.^[217] Moreover, the Patriots defense played well, holding the Steelers to 308 yards and just three points.^[218]

Coming off their Week 1 victory, the Patriots flew toHard Rock Stadium for a Week 2AFC East duel with theMiami Dolphins. After forcing the Dolphins to go three-and-out, the Patriots countered with a drive in whichTom Brady targeted newly acquiredwide receiverAntonio Brown three times for gains of 18, 10, and 8 yards. They finished the possession with a 1-yard touchdown run bySony Michel. The next three drives ended in punts. Though, on the first,Ryan Fitzpatrick was sacked byAdam Butler on third down just after reaching midfield. On the Patriots' ensuing possession, they drove to the Dolphins 30 butStephen Gostkowski missed the first of a number of field goals that day. Despite the offense's lack of scoring, the New England defense played stoutly, forcing Miami to go three-and-out on their next two drives. The Patriots scored on a 65-yard possession that ended with a 20-yard pass from Tom Brady to Antonio Brown. Gostkowski missed the extra point and the Patriots led 13–0. In the second half, the New England offense failed to advance on their first drive. Meanwhile, Ryan Fitzpatrick was intercepted byDevin McCourty. Now, with great field position, at the Miami 36, the Patriots failed to take advantage and were forced to settle for a field goal. The Dolphins' offense was unable to make anything of their next two drives going three-and-out on both while obtaining −2 yards and −11 yards on their first and second respectively. The Patriots offense made the best of their defense's solid play, marching down the field on an eight-play, 65-yard possession which ended with a 1-yard QB sneak by Brady. Later, New England's defense continued its sensational performance by forcing Miami to go three-and-out yet again. Upon entering the third quarter, Miami's offense had amassed a mere 28 yards. The Patriots' offense struggled, however, being unable to obtain a first-down. This proved irrelevant as the New England defense had pick-sixes on back-to-back drives:Stephon Gilmore returned the first 54-yards after a bad decision by Fitzpatrick andJamie Collins returned the second 69-yards after a dropped pass. The Patriots now led 37–0. Ryan Fitzpatrick was replaced by backupJosh Rosen on the ensuing drive. The Patriots scored another touchdown on a 10-yard reception byJames White. On Miami's final possession, they marched 67-yards to the New England 8 but failed to score due to an interception by Jamie Collins.^[219]

This was the Patriots' first win in Miami since Week 17 of the2016 season, and their first shutout since Week 3 of that same season.^[220] Additionally, New England's defense held the Dolphins' offense to just 184 yards and forced four turnovers.^[221] By holding the Dolphins to 0 points and the Steelers to 3 points a week prior, the defense made history, in fact, it tied the record for fewest points allowed through two games during the Super Bowl era.^[222] After much speculation over whetherAntonio Brown would debut against the Dolphins as a result of his rape lawsuit, he indeed started and had four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown.^[223] This proved to be to Brown's sole game with the Patriots as he was released days later on September 20, as a result of his response to further allegations.^[154] As of 2024 this was the last time the Patriots won in Miami.

The Patriots flew home to face theNew York Jets for their Week 3 matchup. They faced a Jets team that was greatly hindered by numerous starters missing. In particular, the Jets entered the game with their third-string quarterback,Luke Falk, as a result of injuries to starterSam Darnold suffering from illness and backupTrevor Siemian sustaining a calf injury.^[224]

New York's first drive ended with a punt and the Patriots responded with a nine-play, 88-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard run bySony Michel. Continuing his struggles onspecial teams,Stephen Gostkowski missed his third extra-point of the year. On the Jets' ensuing drive, they went three-and-out as a result of a sack byJamie Collins. Meanwhile, New Englands' offense would score yet another touchdown, this time on a 25-yard catch-and-run byPhillip Dorsett. New York's offense failed to obtain any first-downs for the rest of the first half, and the Patriots would score an additional touchdown on a 3-yard pass fromTom Brady toJulian Edelman. Although, the rest of their drives ended in punts. Entering the second half, New England led 20–0. The Patriots started with the ball but were unable to reach midfield and were forced to punt. On the following drive, Luke Falk threw an underthrowninterception toDevin McCourty which was returned 24-yards to the New York 17. Unfortunately, the Patriots were unable to take advantage and settled for a 37-yard field goal. The defense would still play stoutly, forcing the Jets to go three-and-out on their ensuing drive, caused, in part, by a holding penalty onKelechi Osemele. The Patriots countered with a 10-play, 60-yard drive which ended with a 2-yard rush touchdown byRex Burkhead, leading 30–0. Notably,Josh Gordon caught a spectacular 28-yard reception on third and 22, saving the drive from stalling and entering thered zone. On New York's next drive, they managed the reach near midfield but the drive was halted by a sack byDont'a Hightower andAdam Butler. The punt would prove disastrous for New England asrookieGunner Olszewski muffed the ball andArthur Maulet, of the Jets, recovered it in theend zone for a touchdown: this was the first touchdown the Patriots had allowed all season. The ensuing two drives ended in punts. Although, on the Patriots' subsequent possession thereafter, Tom Brady was substituted by rookieJarrett Stidham with 8:41 left in the fourth. Stidham threw a badly missed pass which was intercepted byJamal Adams and returned 61 yards for a touchdown. For the remaining drives, both teams punted and New England won the game 30–14.^[225]

With the win, the Patriots improved to 3–0 for the first time since the2016 season. Furthermore, New England's defense continued its dominant play by shutting out the Jets' offense and sackingLuke Falk five times. Overall, they forced New York to go 0–12 on third downs.^[226] The Patriots' defense has not allowed a touchdown in 17 quarters, last occurring in the fourth quarter of the2018AFC Championship game.^[227] Also, this was the fifth consecutive game, including playoffs, in which the Patriots did not allow any touchdowns in the first half, tracing back to the 2018 AFC Championship.

Hoping to solidify their prowess in theAFC East, the Patriots flew toNew Era Field for their Week 4 matchup against a division rival – the 3–0Buffalo Bills. The Patriots began with the ball and started well with a 15-yard rush bySony Michel on the first play. Though the drive faltered thereafter and they were forced to punt. In contrast, the defense maintained its tremendous play by interceptingJosh Allen on the Bills' first drive;Devin McCourty claimed his fourth pick of the season. Taking advantage of the turnover, New England's offense marched 50 yards down the field for a 4-yard touchdown run byBrandon Bolden. Tom Brady also threw a catch-and-run pass toJames White for 26 yards despite great coverage byMatt Milano. On the extra point attempt,Stephen Gostkowski missed yet another extra point, his fourth of the season. On the ensuing possession, the Bills struggled to obtain yards and went three-and-out. On the resulting punt,J. C. Jackson blockedCorey Bojorquez's kick which was recovered and returned byMatthew Slater for a touchdown to put the Patriots up 13–0. Both teams' offenses failed to reach midfield and punted on the next two drives. However, on the possession after that, Josh Allen threw another pick, which was intercepted by J. C. Jackson. Without much momentum and at their own 25, New England went three-and-out, although Buffalo went three-and-out as well. Now at their own 5-yard line, the Patriots offense finally managed an effective drive for once. They drove 93 yards to the Buffalo 2-yard line, but the drive stalled and Brady threw a terrible pick toMicah Hyde in the endzone. Buffalo capitalized with a 46-yard field goal byStephen Hauschka. Unable to counter, New England went three-and-out once more and the Bills drove to the New England 31 but failed to score as Hauschka missed a 49-yard field goal with time running out in the first half. Entering the second half, the Patriots led 13–3. The Bills' first drive was very effective as they marched 75 yards down the field and scored on a 1-yard QB sneak by Allen. This was the first touchdown allowed by the Patriots' defense all season. On the subsequent three possessions, both offenses only experienced only three-and-outs. Afterward, J. C. Jackson intercepted Josh Allen for his second pick of the day. Even with great field position at the Buffalo 42, the Patriots only managed to reach the Buffalo 4-yard line where they settled for a field goal. Josh Allen was concussed from a hit byJonathan Jones on the ensuing drive while he attempted to scramble for a first down. Allen would be replaced by backupMatt Barkley who continued to lead the offense to the New England 3-yard line where the Bills failed to score on 4th-and-goal. Both teams' offenses were unable to create any effective drives after this point. Nonetheless, Buffalo's offense managed to reach midfield on their final possession but Matt Barkley threw an easy interception toJamie Collins as a result of pressure fromKyle Van Noy. This pick clinched the game for New England and they won 16–10.^[228]

Although the Patriots overcame the Bills, this proved to be an extremely sloppy game for their offense, asTom Brady recorded his first interception of the year at the Buffalo 2-yard line and a completion rate under 50%, having gone 18 of 39. New England's offense went a mere 5/18 on third down conversions and only obtained 11 first-downs. The defense, however, recorded four interceptions (three onJosh Allen and one onMatt Barkley) as well as five sacks but also allowed 109 yards of rushing fromFrank Gore and 23 first-downs. In the end, the defense still came through by making a critical stop on the Bills' final possession.^[229] Regardless, with the victory, the Patriots improved to 4–0 for the first time since the2015 season.Special teams aceMatthew Slater also scored his first career touchdown on an 11-yard blocked punt return.^[230] Furthermore, with his interception offJosh Allen,Devin McCourty became the first player to record four interceptions in the first four games of a season sinceMinnesota Vikings safetyBrian Russell in 2003.^[231]

On the road for the second straight week, the Patriots flew toFedExField to face the 0–4Washington Redskins. Initially, both teams traded punts, but on the succeeding possession, Patriots' defenders missed numerous tackles and Washington scored on a 65-yard run bySteven Sims. This was the first time the Patriots had trailed all season. However, New England responded quickly with a no-huddle offense and marched 75 yards, scoring on a 6-yard catch byJulian Edelman. On the extra-point, newly signedkickerMike Nugent missed the kick, his first as a Patriot. Washington's next drive was halted by a sack fromDanny Shelton. Neither team could reach midfield on any of the remaining possessions of the first quarter. With the Patriots' first drive in the second, they raced down the field to the Washington 19, but were stalled and forced to settle for a 37-yard field goal. Both teams went three-and-out on their next drives. Although, on the possession thereafter,Jonathan Jones forced a fumble onTrey Quinn andJamie Collins recovered. New England's offense failed to score despite being in the redzone, asTom Brady threw an awful interception toMontae Nicholson. Even with this turnover, the Redskins offense lacked momentum and failed to advance. On the next Washington possession,Colt McCoy was picked byJason McCourty. At the Washington 11-yard line, the Patriots went three-and-out and settled for a field goal with the score being 12–7 at the end of the first half. With the passing game being mostly unreliable, New England's offense began relying on and utilizing its running game far more. This proved vital as the Patriots advanced rapidly behindSony Michel's rushing attack and they scored on a 29-yard pass toBrandon Bolden. On the ensuing New England drive, they would score on a 14-yard run by Michel. Both teams exchanged punts for the rest of the game and the Patriots would score an additional touchdown on a 10-yard pass toRyan Izzo in a 10-play, 58-yard possession. At the end of regulation, New England defeated the Redksins in a final score of 33–7.^[232]

The Patriots continued their win streak on the road by beating theWashington Redskins in a blowout win. They improved to 5–0 for the fourth time under theBrady-Belichick tandem and the fifth time in franchise history. After the game,Julian Edelman became the first Patriot to record at least 100 yards this season.^[233] In addition, during the matchup, Tom Brady surpassedBrett Favre for third on theall-time passing list and finished only 17 yards behindPeyton Manning.^[234]Sony Michel had his break-out game, rushing for 91 yards and a touchdown on 16 attempts; he also caught three passes for 32 yards. This was due, in part, to great run blocking by the offensive line andfullbackJakob Johnson.^[235] On defense, they continued their stout play by forcing two turnovers (one on a fumble and one on an interception) and six sacks. Disregarding the 65-yard run bySteven Sims, New England's defense allowed just 155 yards.^[236] The Patriots defense also accomplished a historic feat by allowing only 20 points through five games, the fewest in modern NFL history.^[237]

The Patriots returned home to play theNew York Giants, who were led by rookiequarterbackDaniel Jones. Both teams traded punts on the first three possessions. Though, on the Giants' second drive, Jones threw a pass that was tipped byStephon Gilmore and intercepted byJohn Simon. Now at the New York 43, due to miscommunication,Tom Brady threw a pass intended forJulian Edelman, but was picked byJanoris Jenkins. With neither offense being able to advance past midfield, they punted for the next six possessions. However, during one of these drives,Brandon Bolden blocked a punt byRiley Dixon that was returned byChase Winovich for a touchdown. With this, the Patriots led 7–0. A few possessions later, Daniel Jones was picked off again, this time byDuron Harmon. With great field position at the Giants 20,Jakobi Meyers caught a great 23-yard pass that set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Brandon Bolden. New York responded quickly by scoring on a 64-yard catch-and-run byGolden Tate in which the numerous Patriots missed tackles. On the ensuing drive, Brady was strip-sacked byLorenzo Carter, andMarkus Golden returned the fumble for a Giants touchdown. Unfortunately,Josh Gordon suffered ankle and knee injuries while trying to make the tackle. He would be out for the remainder of the game which further hindered the Patriots' already depleted offense withPhillip Dorsett having been ruled out prior to the matchup.^[238] New England would counter on their next drive by scoring on a 1-yardquarterback sneak by Brady. Entering the second half, the Patriots led 21–14. On the very first possession, Jones was intercepted for the third time of the game, this time by Stephon Gilmore. New England marched 60 yards down the field, but the drive stalled at the New York 22.Mike Nugent missed the 40-yard field goal, his first atGillette Stadium. Both teams exchanged punts thereafter. New England would score on a forced fumble byJamie Collins which was returned byKyle Van Noy for a touchdown. Additionally, on the next New England possession, they scored another touchdown on a 1-yard QB sneak by Brady. With no score changes for the remainder of the game, the Patriots finished with a 35–14 victory.^[239]

Although the score remained close in the first half, the Patriots gradually pulled away in the second half thanks to their defense. On New England's first possession,Tom Brady surpassedPeyton Manning for second on theall-time passing list.^[240] WithJosh Gordon andPhillip Dorsett both having sustained injuries, the offense had to increasingly rely on other contributors;Julian Edelman particularly stood out with his nine receptions for 113 yards, while Sony Michel rushed for 86 yards on 22 carries. Brady also had an unexpected two rushing touchdowns, both onquarterback sneaks.Rookie wide receiversJakobi Meyers andGunner Olszewski had their best games of the season thus far, combining for almost 100 yards receiving.^[241] The defense intercepted Jones three times and forced a fumble that was returned for a touchdown.^[242] Onspecial teams,Chase Winovich returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.^[243]

Facing theNew York Jets for the second time of the season, the Patriots hoped to continue their win streak. Unlike last time,Sam Darnold returned from his injury and was healthy to start the game. New England started with the ball and scored on a 3-yard run bySony Michel in a 16-play, 78-yard drive that drained 8:47 off the clock. The Jets sought to respond with a score but Darnold threw a hurried pass due to the blitz and was intercepted byDevin McCourty, his fifth this season. After failing to obtain a first down, New England settled for a 34-yard field goal. On the ensuing drive, New York went three-and-out and the Patriots took advantage by scoring on a 26-yard pass toPhillip Dorsett. With this touchdown, New England was up 17–0.John Simon had a strip sack on Darnold andKyle Van Noy recovered. The Patriots would score off another turnover, this time on another run by Sony Michel. New York finally gained momentum on a drive, reaching the Patriots 19, but Darnold made another ill-advised decision on a pass that was intercepted byDuron Harmon. Starting at their own 1, the Patriots' offense went three-and-out. Although the defense managed to make another stop on New York's struggling offense. Neither team scored for the rest of the half and the Patriots led 24–0 entering the second half. On the Jets' very first drive, Darnold was picked byStephon Gilmore. New England failed to capitalize off the turnover but the defense recorded a safety after a high snap by Jets centerRyan Kalil. Unfortunately for the Patriots, Tom Brady was hit while trying to throw the ball and was intercepted byTrumaine Johnson. Despite being at the New England 33, the Jets failed to score as Darnold was picked off for the fourth time, this time byTerrence Brooks. For much of the remainder of the matchup, both teams only punted. Though, New England would score one final touchdown on a 1-yard run bySony Michel, giving them a 33–0 shutout win.^[244]

The Patriots defense continued their historic dominance in a 33–0 shutout over theNew York Jets. They became the second team to have multiple 30-points shutouts since the1942 Chicago Bears. Additionally, New England has outscored their opponents in a 223–48 margin thus far, a 175-point difference.^[245] Their win also allowed them to improve to 7–0 for the third time in franchise history after the2007 and2015 seasons. This was the twelfth consecutive victory (including playoffs) for New England, stemming back to the Week 16 of the2018 season. Also of significance,Devin McCourty obtained his fifth interception of the season, leading the league in this category as of Week 7. JetsquarterbackSam Darnold struggled immensely, finishing with a mere 3.6 QB rating and four interceptions.^[246]

On a rainy Sunday evening, the Patriots faced theCleveland Browns, whom were coming off a bye week. Starting with the ball, New England had a slow start on offense.Sony Michel rushed for 10 yards on the first play, but the drive would soon stall. Cleveland went three-and-out on their first possession; and on the ensuing Patriots possession, they reached the Browns' 2 but were forced to settle for a field goal. They would score again afterKyle Van Noy returned 26-yard fumble – in whichNick Chubb lost the ball after his own lineman's foot knocked it loose – for a touchdown. Notably during the kickoff,rookiepunterJake Bailey completed his first kick as the replacement for the recently injuredStephen Gostkowski. Surprisingly, Chubb, on the Browns' next drive, would fumble again after rushing past New England defenders to the Patriots 16 andJonathan Jones striking the ball out. The Patriots would soon punt after gaining possession. On Cleveland's first play,Baker Mayfield threw a shovel pass pick toLawrence Guy who returned it to the Browns' 11.Tom Brady would hitJulian Edelman on an 8-yard touchdown, two plays later. Finally ending their streak of turnovers, the Browns reached midfield and punted. New England would go three-and-out on the next possession, and the Browns responded with a 21-yard touchdown pass toDemetrius Harris in an 8-play, 54-yard drive. Seeking to counter, New England attempted a field goal at the Browns 11, but it was blocked byDenzel Ward. Entering the second half, the Patriots were leading 17–7. On the first possession, Cleveland marched to the New England 11, however, aJamie Collins sack halted their advance. The Patriots answered with a touchdown. During the drive,James White recorded a 59-yard catch-and-run on a screen and Brady connected with Edelman for their second touchdown of the day. Both teams traded punts for the rest of the third quarter. New England would manage to reach thered zone once again, but yet another possession was hampered, and they obtained a field goal. After a series of sacks and penalties on Cleveland, their drive lost momentum immediately and they failed to convert on 4th and 16 at their own 19. The Patriots sought to capitalize off the stop, butMike Nugent missed his field goal wide left in what was his last game as a Patriots; he was cut from the team just days later. The Browns would score a field goal on the following possession and neither team would gain anything in particular thereafter. The Patriots won the game 27–13.^[247][248]

The defense helped the Patriots quickly gain an insurmountable 17-point lead through a sequence of turnovers. In fact, they forced turnovers on three consecutive drives by forcing two fumbles onNick Chubb and interceptingBaker Mayfield on a shovel pass. On one of the fumbles,Dont'a Hightower recovered and registered his first touchdown since Week 1 of the2012 season.Lawrence Guy managed to record his first career interception off of the botched shovel pass.^[249][250] Meanwhile, despite the weather obstructions,Tom Brady managed to play well, recording two touchdowns and completing multiple remarkable throws.Julian Edelman caught both of Brady's touchdowns and had 8 receptions and 78 yards for the day. Also, without soon-to-be releasedwideoutJosh Gordon, Brady targeted newly acquired receiverMohamed Sanu, who caught two receptions for 23 yards in his Patriots debut.^[251] With this victory, Patriotshead coachBill Belichick obtained his300th win.^[252]

The Patriots came into this game 8–0 as one of two undefeated teams in the NFL alongside theSan Francisco 49ers. In the first drive of the game, the Ravens converted twice on 3rd down. Seven of the Ravens' plays in their first drive were runs by Lamar Jackson, Mark Ingram II, andGus Edwards. On 3rd down, the Patriots seemingly held the Ravens to a field goal attempt, but a neutral zone infraction by Shilque Calhoun gave the Ravens a first down which then led to a 3-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Lamar Jackson. On the Patriots' first possession, Tom Brady threw 3 straight incomplete passes which led to a punt. The next drive, the Patriots defense showed improvement, holding the Ravens to a field goal. The Patriots, however, did not improve offensively as they had to punt after a 9-yard sack by Patrick Onwuasor. After the first quarter the Ravens led 10–0.

The next drive was highlighted by a 53-yard run by Mark Ingram II, and finished with a 12-yard rushing touchdown by Gus Edwards pushing the Ravens lead to 17–0. The Patriots once again failed to score after another three-and-out, but caught a break after former Patriot Cyrus Jones muffed a punt by Jake Bailey (recovered by newly acquired special teamer Justin Bethel at the Baltimore 20 yard line). This led to a touchdown by newly acquired receiver Mohamed Sanu, who become the 74th player to catch a touchdown pass from Tom Brady. After a three-and-out by the Ravens, the Patriots sustained a drive, only to have a holding penalty on Marshall Newhouse and an intentional grounding call lead to a punt. The Patriots were set up in good field position after a fumble recovered by Lawrence Guy at the Ravens' 19 yard line; however, the drive stalled at the 4 yard line. The resulting field goal closed the score to 17–10. After a Ravens punt, the Patriots reached the Baltimore 1 yard line after a touchdown by James White was reversed on replay. Controversially, Patriots coach Belichick chose to kick a field goal on 4th and Goal at the 1, leaving the game 17–13 at the half.

At the start of the 3rd quarter the Patriots advanced to the Baltimore 30 led by receptions of 11 and 15 yards by Mohamed Sanu. A fumble by Julian Edelman was then returned 70 yards by Marlon Humphrey for a touchdown, widening the Ravens' lead to 24–13. The Patriots scored on their next drive on a 4-yard rushing touchdown on 3rd and 3 by James White. However, on the next drive, which lasted 14 plays and took 8:09 off the clock, the Ravens scored again, assisted by 16 and 18 yard receptions by Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews. The drive climaxed in a 5-yard pass to Nick Boyle to make the lead 30–20 (the PAT missed by Justin Tucker).

In the 4th quarter, down two scores, Brady threw an interception to Earl Thomas which ultimately killed any chance of winning for the Patriots. Lamar Jackson ran for a 1-yard touchdown after a 14 play drive, icing the game at 37–20. The game was viewed as an impressive win by the Ravens, with Lamar Jackson becoming a front runner for MVP.

This was the Patriots' first loss since December 16, 2018 against thePittsburgh Steelers, snapping a 13-game winning streak (including postseason). It was also their first loss to Baltimore since the 2012 AFC Championship game.

In a rematch ofSuper Bowl LII, the Patriots won a defensive battle 17–10. Their only touchdown came on a trick play in the third quarter, in whichTom Brady threw a screen pass toJulian Edelman who then proceeded to throw a touchdown pass toPhillip Dorsett. With this win, the Patriots secured a winning season for the 19th year in a row.

With the win, the Patriots set a new NFL record with 17 consecutive 10-win seasons, surpassing the San Francisco 49ers, who set the original record of 16 consecutive 10-win seasons from 1983 to 1998. They also defeated all four of their NFC opponents for the first time since 2010.

The loss snapped the Patriots' eight-game winning streak against the Texans, losing to them for the first time since the2009 season.^[253]

This was the Pats' second loss in a row this season, and their first home loss since October 1,2017 against theCarolina Panthers. A game tying drive in the fourth quarter was halted by a turnover on downs with 1:11 left. Following the loss, Tom Brady posted "We're on to Cincinnati", referencing Bill Belichick's famous line from a press conference following a loss in 2014 against the Chiefs, where the Patriots were also scheduled to play the Bengals the following week.^[254]

This was the Pats' first win in Cincinnati since 2007, the same year the Pats became the first team to win all regular season games since the league expanded to 16 games in 1978. They also avoided a possible 3-game losing streak for the first time since2002.

Despite dominating time of possession in the first half, New England found itself tied with Buffalo by halftime due to aRex Burkhead fumble on the opening drive and a failed fourth down conversion, which led to points for the Bills. After a back-and-forth third quarter, New England regained the lead as Burkhead scored a go-ahead touchdown with just over 5 minutes to go. Buffalo drove down the field on its final drive, but the Patriots defense stifled Josh Allen and the Bills offense as the drive stalled at the New England 14-yard line. With the win, the Patriots improved to 12–3, clinching the AFC East divisional title for the 11th straight year.^[255] This would end up being Tom Brady's final win in a Patriots uniform. This also marked the last time the Patriots clinched AFC East and swept the Bills as of2024.

This was Dolphins head coachBrian Flores's first return to Gillette Stadium since leaving the Patriots following the win inSuper Bowl LIII. Flores served 15 years as a scout and assistant toBill Belichick. This was the Pats' first loss to Miami at home since2008, which was also the last season the Patriots failed to win their division or make the playoffs. With the loss, coupled with a Kansas City Chiefs win, the Patriots failed to earn a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs for the first time since 2009. This was the only game all season in which the Patriots defense allowed 300 yards passing. This also ended up being quarterbackTom Brady's last regular season game in a Patriots uniform, as he announced on March 17, 2020, that he would leave the Patriots after 20 years with the team and subsequently signed with theTampa Bay Buccaneers the same day.