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62nd season in franchise history

2021New England Patriots season
Owner	Robert Kraft
Head coach	Bill Belichick
Home field	Gillette Stadium
Results
Record	8–4
Division place	1st AFC East
Uniform

← 2020 Patriots seasons 2022 →

The 2021 season is the New England Patriots' 52nd season in the National Football League, their 62nd overall, their 20th playing home games at Gillette Stadium and their 22nd under head coach Bill Belichick. They improved on their 7–9 season from the previous year and will attempt to return to the playoffs for the first time in the post-Tom Brady era.

Two longtime players, Super Bowl LIII MVP wide receiver Julian Edelman and safety Patrick Chung, announced their retirements, marking the first time without them on the roster since 2008. Quarterback Cam Newton was released on August 31, 2021 after one season with the team, opening the way for first-round draft pick Mac Jones to be the starter. Another notable roster change was the return of former Patriots linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins. All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who spent much of the 2020 season injured, began the 2021 season in a contract dispute with the Patriots and was traded to the Carolina Panthers in October.

The Patriots began the season 2–4, including a loss to former Patriot Tom Brady's return to New England, before going on an six game winning streak. With a Week 12 win against the Tennessee Titans the Patriots improved upon their 7–9 record from the previous season.

Roster changes [edit]

Free agency [edit]

Unrestricted [edit]

Position	Player	2021 team	Date signed	Contract
C	David Andrews	New England Patriots	March 22, 2021^[1]	4 years, $19 million^[2]
CB	Justin Bethel	New England Patriots	March 12, 2021^[3]	3 years, $6 million^[2]
FS	Terrence Brooks	Houston Texans	March 23, 2021^[4]	1 year, $1.75 million^[5]
RB	Rex Burkhead	Houston Texans	June 1, 2021^[4]	1 year, $1.5 million^[6]
DT	Adam Butler	Miami Dolphins	March 18, 2021^[7]	2 years, $7.5 million^[8]
WR	Damiere Byrd	Chicago Bears	May 4, 2021^[9]	1 year, $1.128 million^[10]
OLB	Shilique Calhoun	San Francisco 49ers	August 10, 2021^[11]	1 year, $990,000^[12]
OLB	Brandon Copeland	Atlanta Falcons	March 19, 2021^[13]	1 year, $1.04 million^[14]
DT	Carl Davis	New England Patriots	March 15, 2021^[1]	1 year, $1.078 million^[2]
FS	Cody Davis	New England Patriots	March 19, 2021^[1]	2 years, $4.3 million^[2]
OT	Jermaine Eluemunor	Miami Dolphins	June 14, 2021^[7]	1 year, $1.128 million^[15]
C	James Ferentz	New England Patriots	May 17, 2021^[1]	1 year, $1.020 million^[16]
K	Nick Folk	New England Patriots	March 23, 2021^[1]	1 year, $1.625 million^[17]
DT	Lawrence Guy	New England Patriots	March 30, 2021^[1]	4 years, $11.5 million^[2]
QB	Brian Hoyer	New England Patriots	May 18, 2021^[1]	1 year, $1.075 million^[18]
CB	Jason McCourty	Miami Dolphins	May 7, 2021^[7]	1 year, $1.213 million^[19]
WR	Donte Moncrief	Houston Texans	March 22, 2021^[4]	1 year, $1.15 million^[20]
QB	Cam Newton	New England Patriots	March 12, 2021^[21]	1 year, $5.1 million^[22]
DE	John Simon	Tennessee Titans	July 25, 2021^[23]	1 year, $1.075 million^[24]
G	Joe Thuney	Kansas City Chiefs	March 18, 2021^[25]	5 years, $80 million^[26]
RB	James White	New England Patriots	March 25, 2021^[1]	1 year, $2.463 million^[2]
DE	Deatrich Wise Jr.	New England Patriots	March 19, 2021^[1]	4 years, $22 million^[2]

Restricted [edit]

Position	Player	2021 team	Date signed	Contract
CB	J. C. Jackson	New England Patriots	April 16, 2021^[1]	Tendered (second-round) for 1 year, $3.384 million^[2]

Exclusive-rights [edit]

Position	Player	2021 team	Date signed	Contract
WR	Quincy Adeboyejo
FB	Jakob Johnson	New England Patriots	March 25, 2021^[1]	1 year, $850,000^[2]

Signings/ waiver claims [edit]

Position	Player	Previous team	Date signed	Contract
DE	Montravius Adams	Green Bay Packers	March 19, 2021^[1]	1 year, $1.095 million^[27]
WR	Nelson Agholor	Las Vegas Raiders		2 years, $22 million^[2]
DE	Henry Anderson	New York Jets		2 years, $7 million^[2]
WR	Kendrick Bourne	San Francisco 49ers		3 years, $15 million^[2]
TE	Hunter Henry	Los Angeles Chargers		3 years, $37.5 million^[2]
LB	Matthew Judon	Baltimore Ravens		4 years, $54.5 million^[2]
C	Ted Karras	Miami Dolphins		1 year, $3 million^[2]
LB	Raekwon McMillan	Las Vegas Raiders		1 year, $1.149 million^[2]
CB	Jalen Mills	Philadelphia Eagles		4 years, $24 million^[2]
TE	Jonnu Smith	Tennessee Titans		4 years, $50 million^[2]
LB	Kyle Van Noy	Miami Dolphins		2 years, $12 million^[2]
DT	Davon Godchaux	Miami Dolphins	March 23, 2021^[1]	2 years, $15 million^[2]
LB	LaRoy Reynolds	Atlanta Falcons	March 24, 2021^[28]	1 year, $1.213 million^[29]
LB	Harvey Langi	New York Jets	May 10, 2021^[1]	1 year, $1.057 million^[2]
G	Alex Redmond	Cincinnati Bengals	May 17, 2021^[1]	1 year, $1.080 million^[30]
LS	Wesley Farnsworth	Denver Broncos	May 20, 2021^[1]	1 year, $660,000^[31]
FS	Adrian Colbert	New York Giants	May 21, 2021^[1]	1 year, $990,000^[32]
RB	Tyler Gaffney	San Francisco 49ers	May 21, 2021^[1]	1 year, $660,000^[33]
TE	Troy Fumagalli	Denver Broncos	May 27, 2021^[1]	1 year, $850,000^[34]
WR	Marvin Hall	Cleveland Browns	June 4, 2021^[1]	1 year, $1.015 million^[35]
G	R. J. Prince	Baltimore Ravens	June 17, 2021^[1]	1 year, $780,000^[36]
WR	Devin Ross	New England Patriots	June 21, 2021^[1]	1 year, $660,000^[37]
TE	David Wells	New England Patriots	July 23, 2021^[1]	1 year, $660,000^[38]
QB	Jake Dolegala	Green Bay Packers	July 28, 2021^[1]	1 year, $780,000^[39]
OT	Jerald Hawkins	Pittsburgh Steelers	July 30, 2021^[1]	1 year, $920,000^[40]
LB	Cassh Maluia	New England Patriots	August 7, 2021^[1]	1 year, $780,000^[41]
LS	Brian Khoury	Baltimore Ravens	August 9, 2021^[1]	1 year, $660,000^[42]
SS	Malik Gant	New England Patriots	August 10, 2021^[1]	1 year, $660,000^[43]
TE	Kahale Warring	Houston Texans	August 24, 2021^[1]	4 years, $3.640 million^[44]
WR	Malcolm Perry	Miami Dolphins	September 2, 2021^[1]	4 years, 3.370 million^[2]
LB	Jamie Collins	Detroit Lions	October 6, 2021^[1]	1 year, 1.075 million^[45]

Releases / waivers [edit]

Position	Player	Date released/waived
DT	Beau Allen	March 18, 2021^[1]
WR	Marqise Lee	March 18, 2021^[1]
LB	Cassh Maluia	March 23, 2021^[1]
LB	Michael Pinkney
K	Justin Rohrwasser
G	Ross Reynolds	April 9, 2021^[1]
DT	Michael Barnett	April 12, 2021^[1]
C	Dustin Woodard	April 16, 2021^[1]
QB	Jake Dolegala	April 30, 2021^[1]
G	Najee Toran	May 18, 2021^[1]
LB	LaRoy Reynolds	May 27, 2021^[1]
FB	Danny Vitale	May 27, 2021^[1]
K	Roberto Aguayo	June 17, 2021^[1]
LS	Wesley Farnsworth	June 17, 2021^[1]
WR	Devin Smith	July 27, 2021^[1]
QB	Jake Dolegala	August 9, 2021^[1]
RB	Tyler Gaffney	August 10, 2021^[1]
DE	Rashod Berry	August 15, 2021^[1]
WR	Marvin Hall
TE	David Wells
OT	Jerald Hawkins	August 16, 2021^[1]
TE	Troy Fumagalli	August 17, 2021^[1]
SS	Malik Gant	August 24, 2021^[1]
LS	Brian Khoury
LB	Cassh Maluia
G	R. J. Prince
WR	Devin Ross
TE	Kahale Warring	August 27, 2021^[1]
DT	Montravius Adams	August 31, 2021^[1]
DE	Tashawn Bower
CB	Myles Bryant
FS	Adrian Colbert
OT	Korey Cunningham
C	James Ferentz
K	Nick Folk
QB	Brian Hoyer
CB	Mike Jackson Sr.
TE	Matt LaCosse
DT	Bill Murray
QB	Cam Newton
WR	Tre Nixon
G	Alex Redmond
CB	D'Angelo Ross
OT	Will Sherman
DT	Akeem Spence
DT	Nick Thurman
CB	Dee Virgin
WR	Kristian Wilkerson
WR	Isaiah Zuber

Retirements [edit]

Position	Player	Date retired
S	Patrick Chung	March 18, 2021^[46]
WR	Julian Edelman	April 12, 2021^[47]

Trades [edit]

March 18 - Offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, the Patriots' 2021 fifth-round selection (No. 158 overall), and 2021 sixth-round selection (No. 194 overall) were traded to the Houston Texans for the Texans' 2021 fourth-round selection (No. 122 overall, originally acquired from Arizona) and 2021 sixth-round selection (No. 187 overall).^[1]
March 18 - The Patriots' 2022 fifth-round selection was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders for offensive tackle Trent Brown and the Raiders' 2022 seventh-round selection.^[1]
March 23 - Tight end Ryan Izzo was traded to the Houston Texans for the Texans' 2022 seventh-round selection.^[4]
August 25 - Running back Sony Michel was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for the Rams' 2022 sixth and 2023 fourth round selections.^[1]
August 26 - The Patriots' 2022 seventh-round selection (originally acquired from Houston) and 2023 fifth-round selection were traded to the Baltimore Ravens for cornerback Shaun Wade.^[1]
August 31 - The Patriots' 2022 seventh-round selection was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for offensive tackle Yasir Durant.^[1]
October 6 - Cornerback Stephon Gilmore was traded to the Carolina Panthers for the Panthers' 2023 sixth-round selection.^[48]

Draft [edit]

2021 New England Patriots Draft
Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	15	Mac Jones	QB	Alabama
2	38	Christian Barmore	DT	Alabama	from Cincinnati
3	—	Selection forfeited
3	96	Ronnie Perkins	DE	Oklahoma	Compensatory pick
4	120	Rhamondre Stevenson	RB	Oklahoma
5	177	Cameron McGrone	LB	Michigan	Compensatory pick
6	188	Joshuah Bledsoe	FS	Missouri	from Houston
6	197	William Sherman	OT	Colorado
7	242	Tre Nixon	WR	UCF

Notes

The Cincinnati Bengals' 2021 second-round selection (No. 38 overall) was acquired in a trade that sent the Patriots' 2021 second-round selection (No. 46 overall) and two fourth-round selections (No. 122 and 139 overall) to the Bengals.
The Patriots forfeited their third-round selection as the punishment for illegal filming of the field and sidelines by the team's television crew of a 2019 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns.^[49]
The Houston Texans' 2021 fourth-round selection selection (No. 122 overall) and 2021 sixth-round selection (No. 188 overall) were acquired in a trade that sent offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, the Patriots' 2021 fifth-round selection (No. 158 overall), and the previously-acquired Dallas Cowboys 2021 sixth-round selection (No. 194 overall) to the Texans.^[50]
A sixth-round selection (No. 185 overall) was acquired in a trade that sent wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to the New York Jets.^[51] The Jets re-acquired this selection when the Patriots traded two of their 2020 fourth-round selections and this 2021 sixth-round selection in exchange for a 2020 third-round selection.^[52]
An additional sixth-round selection (No. 194 overall) was obtained in the trade that sent defensive end Michael Bennett to the Dallas Cowboys.^[53]

Undrafted free agents [edit]

Position	Player	School	Date signed
K	Quinn Nordin	Michigan	May 6, 2021^[1]

Staff [edit]

July 23: Cole Popovich left the team as co-offensive line coach after refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.^[54]

**New England Patriots staff**

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	Front office Chairman/CEO – Robert Kraft President – Jonathan Kraft Director of player personnel – Dave Ziegler Personnel coordinator – Brian Smith College scouting coordinator – Matt Groh Pro scouting coordinator – Steve Cargile Director of scouting administration – Nancy Meier Director of football/head coach administration – Berj Najarian Scouting consultant – Eliot Wolf Head coach Head coach/general manager – Bill Belichick Senior football advisor – Matt Patricia Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – Josh McDaniels Running backs – Ivan Fears Running backs – Vinnie Sunseri Wide receivers – Mick Lombardi Wide receivers/kick returners - Troy Brown Tight ends/fullbacks – Nick Caley Offensive line – Carmen Bricillo Assistant offensive line – Billy Yates Quality control/quarterbacks – Bo Hardegree	Defensive coaches Defensive line – DeMarcus Covington Outside linebackers/Defensive Playcaller – Steve Belichick Inside linebackers – Jerod Mayo Cornerbacks – Mike Pellegrino Safeties – Brian Belichick NFL coaching fellowship/defense – Ross Douglas Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Cameron Achord Assistant special teams – Joe Houston Assistant coaches Coaching assistant – Tyler Hughes Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – Moses Cabrera Assistant strength and conditioning – Deron Mayo → Coaching staff → Management → More NFL staffs
AFC East BUF MIA NE NYJ North BAL CIN CLE PIT South HOU IND JAX TEN West DEN KC LV LAC NFC East DAL NYG PHI WAS North CHI DET GB MIN South ATL CAR NO TB West ARI LAR SF SEA

Current roster [edit]

**New England Patriots roster**

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Quarterbacks 5 Brian Hoyer 10 Mac Jones 4 Jarrett Stidham Running backs 25 Brandon Bolden 37 Damien Harris 47 Jakob Johnson FB 38 Rhamondre Stevenson Wide receivers 15 Nelson Agholor 84 Kendrick Bourne 1 N'Keal Harry 16 Jakobi Meyers 80 Gunner Olszewski 18 Matthew Slater Tight ends 86 Devin Asiasi 85 Hunter Henry 81 Jonnu Smith		Offensive linemen 60 David Andrews C 77 Trent Brown T 72 Yodny Cajuste T 70 Yasir Durant G 75 Justin Herron T 67 Ted Karras C 69 Shaq Mason G 71 Michael Onwenu G 76 Isaiah Wynn T Defensive linemen 90 Christian Barmore DT 98 Carl Davis DT 92 Davon Godchaux DT 93 Lawrence Guy DT 51 Ronnie Perkins DE 50 Chase Winovich DE 91 Deatrich Wise Jr. DE		Linebackers 8 Ja'Whaun Bentley MLB 54 Dont'a Hightower MLB 9 Matthew Judon OLB 36 Brandon King OLB 43 Calvin Munson MLB 48 Jahlani Tavai MLB 53 Kyle Van Noy OLB Defensive backs 29 Justin Bethel CB 41 Myles Bryant CB 22 Cody Davis FS 27 J. C. Jackson CB 32 Devin McCourty FS 2 Jalen Mills CB 21 Adrian Phillips SS 26 Shaun Wade CB 33 Joejuan Williams CB Special teams 7 Jake Bailey P 49 Joe Cardona LS 6 Nick Folk K				Reserve lists 94 Henry Anderson DE (IR) 24 Joshuah Bledsoe FS (NF-Inj.) 58 Jamie Collins OLB (IR) 99 Byron Cowart DT (PUP) 23 Kyle Dugger SS (COVID-19) 88 Troy Fumagalli TE (IR) 59 Terez Hall OLB (PUP) 59 Anfernee Jennings OLB (IR) 31 Jonathan Jones CB (IR) 44 Dalton Keene TE (IR) 52 Harvey Langi MLB (IR) 45 Cameron McGrone OLB (NF-Inj.) 46 Raekwon McMillan MLB (IR) 42 J. J. Taylor RB (COVID-19) 55 Josh Uche OLB (IR) 28 James White RB (IR) Practice squad 13 De'Vante Bausby CB 30 Sean Davis FS 95 Daniel Ekuale DT 65 James Ferentz C 14 Garrett Gilbert QB 83 Matt LaCosse TE 97 Bill Murray DT 87 Tre Nixon WR 34 Devine Ozigbo RB 64 Alex Redmond G 39 D'Angelo Ross CB 68 William Sherman T 19 Corliss Waitman P 17 Kristian Wilkerson WR Rookies in italics Roster updated December 1, 2021 Depth chart Transactions 51 active, 16 inactive, 14 practice squad → AFC rosters → NFC rosters

Preseason [edit]

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 12	Washington Football Team	W 22–13	1–0	Gillette Stadium	Recap
2	August 19	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 35–0	2–0	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
3	August 29	at New York Giants	W 22–20	3–0	MetLife Stadium	Recap

Regular season [edit]

Schedule [edit]

The Patriots' 2021 schedule was announced on May 12.

Week	Date	Time (ET)	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	TV	Recap
1	September 12	4:25 p.m.	Miami Dolphins	L 16–17	0–1	Gillette Stadium	CBS	Recap
2	September 19	1:00 p.m.	at New York Jets	W 25–6	1–1	MetLife Stadium	CBS	Recap
3	September 26	1:00 p.m.	New Orleans Saints	L 13–28	1–2	Gillette Stadium	Fox	Recap
4	October 3	8:20 p.m.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 17–19	1–3	Gillette Stadium	NBC	Recap
5	October 10	1:00 p.m.	at Houston Texans	W 25–22	2–3	NRG Stadium	CBS	Recap
6	October 17	4:25 p.m.	Dallas Cowboys	L 29–35 (OT)	2–4	Gillette Stadium	CBS	Recap
7	October 24	1:00 p.m.	New York Jets	W 54–13	3–4	Gillette Stadium	CBS	Recap
8	October 31	4:05 p.m.	at Los Angeles Chargers	W 27–24	4–4	SoFi Stadium	CBS	Recap
9	November 7	1:00 p.m.	at Carolina Panthers	W 24–6	5–4	Bank of America Stadium	CBS	Recap
10	November 14	1:00 p.m.	Cleveland Browns	W 45–7	6–4	Gillette Stadium	CBS	Recap
11	November 18	8:20 p.m.	at Atlanta Falcons	W 25–0	7–4	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Fox/NFLN/ Prime Video	Recap
12	November 28	1:00 p.m.	Tennessee Titans	W 36–13	8–4	Gillette Stadium	CBS	Recap
13	December 6	8:15 p.m.	at Buffalo Bills			Highmark Stadium	ESPN
14	Bye
15	December 18	8:20 p.m.	at Indianapolis Colts			Lucas Oil Stadium	NFLN
16	December 26	1:00 p.m.	Buffalo Bills			Gillette Stadium	CBS
17	January 2	1:00 p.m.	Jacksonville Jaguars			Gillette Stadium	CBS
18	January 9	1:00 p.m.	at Miami Dolphins			Hard Rock Stadium	CBS

Notes:

Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Networks and times from Weeks 16–18 are subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling.
Week 18 is subject to being flexed to Saturday, January 8.

Game summaries [edit]

Week 1: vs. Miami Dolphins [edit]

Game information

First quarter

MIA – Tua Tagovailoa 3-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 5:29. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:05.

Second quarter

NE – Nick Folk 27-yard field goal, 10:17. Dolphins 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 65 yards, 6:56.
NE – Nelson Agholor 7-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 2:35. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:36.
MIA – Jason Sanders 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 10–10. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 2:30.

Third quarter

MIA – Jaylen Waddle 3-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 10:51. Dolphins 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:09.
NE – Nick Folk 42-yard field goal, 2:50. Dolphins 17–13. Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards, 8:01.

Fourth quarter

NE – Nick Folk 33-yard field goal, 10:36. Dolphins 17–16. Drive: 14 plays, 57 yards, 5:37.

Top passers

MIA – Tua Tagovailoa – 16/27, 202 yards, TD, INT
NE – Mac Jones – 29/39, 281 yards, TD

Top rushers

MIA – Myles Gaskin – 9 rushes, 49 yards
NE – Damien Harris – 23 rushes, 100 yards

Top receivers

MIA – Jaylen Waddle – 4 receptions, 61 yards, TD
NE – Nelson Agholor – 5 receptions, 72 yards, TD

In rookie quarterback Mac Jones' first NFL start, a back-and-forth affair against divisional opponent Miami was sealed when Patriots running back Damien Harris fumbled the ball in the fourth quarter, allowing the Dolphins to run out the clock.^[55] With the close loss, the Patriots began the season 0–1 for the first time since 2017.

Week 2: at New York Jets [edit]

Week 2: New England Patriots at New York Jets – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	10	3	9	3	25
Jets	0	3	0	3	6

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: September 19
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Sunny, 73 °F (23 °C)
Game attendance: 75,626
Referee: Shawn Hochuli
TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

NE – Nick Folk 46-yard field goal, 4:46. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 7 yards, 2:59.
NE – James White 7-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 0:57. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:13.

Second quarter

NYJ – Matt Ammendola 21-yard field goal, 9:52. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 6:05.
NE – Nick Folk 49-yard field goal, 0:13. Patriots 13–3. Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 1:56.

Third quarter

NE – Damien Harris 26-yard run (kick failed), 10:24. Patriots 19–3. Drive: 2 plays, 35 yards, 0:51.
NE – Nick Folk 32-yard field goal, 1:09. Patriots 22–3. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 3:31.

Fourth quarter

NYJ – Matt Ammendola 35-yard field goal, 6:11. Patriots 22–6. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 5:01.
NE – Nick Folk 26-yard field goal, 1:57. Patriots 25–6. Drive: 7 plays, 17 yards, 2:34.

Top passers

NE – Mac Jones – 22/30, 186 yards
NYJ – Zach Wilson – 19/33, 210 yards, 4 INT

Top rushers

NE – Damien Harris – 16 rushes, 62 yards, TD
NYJ – Michael Carter – 11 rushes, 59 yards

Top receivers

NE – James White – 6 receptions, 45 yards
NYJ – Braxton Berrios – 7 receptions, 73 yards

A battle of rookie quarterbacks saw Zach Wilson of the Jets throw four interceptions to the Patriots defense, allowing New England to coast to a 25–6 win, its 11th straight win over divisional rival New York. Mac Jones completed over 70% of his passes for the second game in a row.^[56]

Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints [edit]

Week 3: New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	7	7	7	28
Patriots	0	3	3	7	13

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Date: September 26
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Sunny, 70 °F (21 °C)
Game attendance: 65,878
Referee: John Hussey
TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Shannon Spake
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

NO – Alvin Kamara 11-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Aldrick Rosas kick), 7:35. Saints 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 4:58.

Second quarter

NO – Marquez Callaway 7-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Aldrick Rosas kick), 1:44. Saints 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards, 1:00.
NE – Nick Folk 45-yard field goal, 0:34. Saints 14–3. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 1:10.

Third quarter

NO – Malcolm Jenkins 34-yard interception return (Aldrick Rosas kick), 14:51. Saints 21–3.
NE – Nick Folk 26-yard field goal, 1:32. Saints 21–6. Drive: 16 plays, 72 yards, 9:05.

Fourth quarter

NE – Kendrick Bourne 22-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 9:22. Saints 21–13. Drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, 1:06.
NO – Taysom Hill 4-yard run (Aldrick Rosas kick), 2:37. Saints 28–13. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:45.

Top passers

NO – Jameis Winston – 13/21, 128 yards, 2 TD
NE – Mac Jones – 30/51, 270 yards, TD, 3 INT

Top rushers

NO – Alvin Kamara – 24 rushes, 89 yards
NE – Mac Jones – 6 rushes, 28 yards

Top receivers

NO – Marquez Callaway – 4 receptions, 41 yards, TD
NE – Kendrick Bourne – 6 receptions, 96 yards, TD

Jones threw three interceptions, including a pass bobbled by tight end Jonnu Smith before being returned by P. J. Williams for a touchdown, as the Patriots lost to the Saints 28–13 and dropped to 1–2.^[57]

Week 4: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [edit]

Game information

First quarter

TB – Ryan Succop 45-yard field goal, 4:49. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 3:53.

Second quarter

NE – Hunter Henry 11-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 8:28. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 6:21.
TB – Ryan Succop 44-yard field goal, 0:13. Patriots 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 1:36.

Third quarter

TB – Ronald Jones II 8-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 3:29. Buccaneers 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 3:48.

Fourth quarter

NE – Jonnu Smith 1-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 14:57. Patriots 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:32.
TB – Ryan Succop 27-yard field goal, 7:58. Buccaneers 16–14. Drive: 15 plays, 68 yards, 6:59.
NE – Nick Folk 27-yard field goal, 4:34. Patriots 17–16. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 3:24.
TB – Ryan Succop 48-yard field goal, 1:57. Buccaneers 19–17. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:37.

Top passers

TB – Tom Brady – 22/43, 269 yards
NE – Mac Jones – 31/40, 275 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

TB – Leonard Fournette – 20 rushes, 91 yards
NE – Nelson Agholor – 1 rush, 4 yards

Top receivers

TB – Mike Evans – 7 receptions, 75 yards
NE – Jakobi Meyers – 8 receptions, 70 yards

This game marked former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's first return to Gillette Stadium since leaving the Patriots after the 2019 season, as he was cheered by the Patriots' home crowd during pre-game introductions before being jeered during the game. During the rain-soaked, back-and-forth contest, Brady was held without a touchdown and completed just over half of his passes; he was held to his third lowest passer rating - 70.8 - since joining the Buccaneers but led them to a go-ahead field goal just after the two-minute warning. Jones, who passed for 2 touchdowns and an interception, led the Patriots into position for their own field goal, but Nick Folk's 56-yard attempt hit the left upright, sealing the loss for the Patriots to their former franchise quarterback.^[58]

Week 5: at Houston Texans [edit]

Game information

First quarter

HOU – Antony Auclair 11-yard pass from Davis Mills (kick failed), 4:45. Texans 6–0. Drive: 18 plays, 79 yards, 10:06.

Second quarter

NE – Damien Harris 1-yard run (kick failed), 14:17. Tied 6–6. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:37.
HOU – Chris Moore 67-yard pass from Davis Mills (kick failed), 12:56. Texans 12–6. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:21.
HOU – Ka'imi Fairbairn 33-yard field goal, 1:37. Texans 15–6. Drive: 15 plays, 65 yards, 7:11.
NE – Nick Folk 52-yard field goal, 0:02. Texans 15–9. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 1:35.

Third quarter

HOU – Chris Conley 37-yard pass from Davis Mills (Ka'imi Fairbairn kick), 13:31. Texans 22–9. Drive: 2 plays, 44 yards, 0:42.
NE – Nick Folk 52-yard field goal, 8:25. Texans 22–12. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:57.
NE – Nick Folk 32-yard field goal, 1:50. Texans 22–15. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:58.

Fourth quarter

NE – Hunter Henry 13-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 9:31. Tied 22–22. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:54.
NE – Nick Folk 21-yard field goal, 0:15. Patriots 25–22. Drive: 15 plays, 84 yards, 7:00.

Top passers

NE – Mac Jones – 23/30, 231 yards, TD, INT
HOU – Davis Mills – 21/29, 312 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

NE – Damien Harris – 14 rushes, 58 yards, TD
HOU – Mark Ingram Jr. – 16 rushes, 41 yards

Top receivers

NE – Hunter Henry – 6 receptions, 75 yards, TD
HOU – Chris Moore – 5 receptions, 109 yards, TD

Despite being down 22–9 to Houston at one point, the Patriots came back to win — coincidentally in the same stadium where they overcame a 28–3 deficit to the Atlanta Falcons to win Super Bowl LI. Aside from a missed extra point in the first half, Nick Folk made four field goals during the game, including the game-winner with 15 seconds left in the game.^[59] With the win, New England improved to 2–3, taking sole possession of 2nd place in the AFC East.

Week 6: vs. Dallas Cowboys [edit]

Week 6: Dallas Cowboys at New England Patriots – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Cowboys	7	3	7	12	6	35
Patriots	14	0	0	15	0	29

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Date: October 17
Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 61 °F (16 °C)
Game attendance: 65,878
Referee: Brad Allen
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Gene Steratore
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

NE – Damien Harris 4-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 10:20. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 34 yards, 1:41.
DAL – Blake Jarwin 1-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Greg Zuerlein kick), 6:43. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:37.
NE – Hunter Henry 20-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 4:50. Patriots 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:53.

Second quarter

DAL – Greg Zuerlein 30-yard field goal, 6:39. Patriots 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 3:26.

Third quarter

DAL – CeeDee Lamb 1-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Greg Zuerlein kick), 4:49. Cowboys 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 91 yards, 4:29.

Fourth quarter

DAL – Greg Zuerlein 45-yard field goal, 13:13. Cowboys 20–14. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 3:45.
NE – Rhamondre Stevenson 1-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 6:23. Patriots 21–20. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:50.
DAL – Trevon Diggs 42-yard interception return (pass failed), 2:27. Cowboys 26–21.
NE – Kendrick Bourne 75-yard pass from Mac Jones (Mac Jones-Jakobi Meyers pass), 2:11. Patriots 29–26. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:16.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 49-yard field goal, 0:20. Tied 29–29. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 1:51.

Overtime

DAL – CeeDee Lamb 35-yard pass from Dak Prescott, 3:52. Cowboys 35–29.

Top passers

DAL – Dak Prescott – 36/51, 445 yards, 3 TD, INT
NE – Mac Jones – 15/21, 229 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 17 rushes, 69 yards, TD
NE – Damien Harris – 18 rushes, 101 yards, TD

Top receivers

DAL – CeeDee Lamb – 9 receptions, 149 yards, 2 TD
NE – Kendrick Bourne – 1 reception, 75 yards, TD

This was the Patriots' first overtime game since the 2018 AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs. This was the Pats' first loss to the Cowboys in 25 years and their first home loss to them in 34 years.

Week 7: vs. New York Jets [edit]

Week 7: New York Jets at New England Patriots – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	0	7	6	0	13
Patriots	14	17	3	20	54

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Date: October 24
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Sunny, 54 °F (12 °C)
Game attendance: 65,878
Referee: Brad Rogers
TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Amanda Balionis
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

NE – Nelson Agholor 25-yard pass from Kendrick Bourne (Nick Folk kick), 12:43. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards, 2:17.
NE – Damien Harris 1-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 7:21. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:25.

Second quarter

NE – Nick Folk 39-yard field goal, 14:10. Patriots 17–0. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 2:38.
NYJ – Corey Davis 3-yard pass from Mike White (Matt Ammendola kick), 10:39. Patriots 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 3:31.
NE – Brandon Bolden 15-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 5:29. Patriots 24–7. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 5:10.
NE – Hunter Henry 1-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 0:27. Patriots 31–7. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 1:28.

Third quarter

NYJ – Elijah Moore 19-yard run (run failed), 11:38. Patriots 31–13. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:22.
NE – Nick Folk 50-yard field goal, 7:03. Patriots 34–13. Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 4:35.

Fourth quarter

NE – Damien Harris 3-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 13:29. Patriots 41–13. Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 2:39.
NE – J. J. Taylor 1-yard run (kick failed), 9:10. Patriots 47–13. Drive: 4 plays, 53 yards, 2:04.
NE – J. J. Taylor 1-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 2:59. Patriots 54–13. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:43.

Top passers

NYJ – Mike White – 20/32, 202 yards, TD, 2 INT
NE – Mac Jones – 24/36, 307 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

NYJ – Michael Carter – 11 rushes, 37 yards
NE – Damien Harris – 14 rushes, 106 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

NYJ – Michael Carter – 8 receptions, 67 yards
NE – Brandon Bolden – 6 receptions, 79 yards, TD

With the win, the Patriots improved to 3–4 and swept the Jets for the sixth consecutive season and have won 12 straight meetings.

Week 8: at Los Angeles Chargers [edit]

Game information

First quarter

LAC – Austin Ekeler 5-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 10:54. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:06.
NE – Damien Harris 1-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 6:26. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:28.

Second quarter

LAC – Keenan Allen 5-yard pass from Justin Herbert (Dustin Hopkins kick), 12:35. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 86 yards, 2:16.
NE – Nick Folk 24-yard field goal, 3:29. Chargers 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 30 yards, 3:22.
NE – Nick Folk 48-yard field goal, 0:10. Chargers 14–13. Drive: 5 plays, 10 yards, 0:47.

Third quarter

NE – Nick Folk 48-yard field goal, 3:39. Patriots 16–14. Drive: 10 plays, 31 yards, 5:09.
LAC – Dustin Hopkins 48-yard field goal, 0:39. Chargers 17–16. Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 3:00.

Fourth quarter

NE – Adrian Phillips 26-yard interception return (Mac Jones-Jakobi Meyers pass), 10:11. Patriots 24–17.
NE – Nick Folk 30-yard field goal, 2:19. Patriots 27–17. Drive: 14 plays, 54 yards, 6:56.
LAC – Josh Palmer 24-yard pass from Justin Herbert (Dustin Hopkins kick), 0:40. Patriots 27–24. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 1:39.

Top passers

NE – Mac Jones – 18/35, 218 yards
LAC – Justin Herbert – 18/35, 223 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

NE – Damien Harris – 23 rushes, 80 yards, TD
LAC – Justin Jackson – 3 rushes, 79 yards

Top receivers

NE – Nelson Agholor – 3 receptions, 60 yards
LAC – Keenan Allen – 6 receptions, 77 yards, TD

With the win, the Patriots improved to 4-4 on the season. It was the Patriots' seventh straight win over the Chargers. Their last loss came on October 12, 2008 in San Diego.

Week 9: at Carolina Panthers [edit]

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

CAR – Zane Gonzalez 39-yard field goal, 12:07. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 12 yards, 3:23.
NE – Damien Harris 3-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 8:19. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:48.
CAR – Zane Gonzalez 49-yard field goal, 4:28. Patriots 7–6. Drive: 6 plays, 3 yards, 1:54.
NE – Hunter Henry 7-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 0:24. Patriots 14–6. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:04.

Third quarter

NE – J. C. Jackson 88-yard interception return (Nick Folk kick), 6:55. Patriots 21–6.
NE – Nick Folk 37-yard field goal, 2:20. Patriots 24–6. Drive: 6 plays, 24 yards, 1:44.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays

Top passers

NE – Mac Jones – 12/18, 139 yards, TD, INT
CAR – Sam Darnold – 16/33, 172 yards, 3 INT

Top rushers

NE – Rhamondre Stevenson – 10 rushes, 62 yards
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 14 rushes, 52 yards

Top receivers

NE – Rhamondre Stevenson – 2 receptions, 44 yards
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 4 receptions, 54 yards

The Patriots intercepted Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold three times en route to victory, including an 88 yard pick-six by J.C. Jackson. New England improved to 5-4 on the year and 4-0 all-time vs. Darnold.

Week 10: vs. Cleveland Browns [edit]

Week 10: Cleveland Browns at New England Patriots – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	7	0	0	0	7
Patriots	7	17	7	14	45

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Date: November 14
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Cloudy, 48 °F (9 °C)
Game attendance: 65,878
Referee: John Hussey
TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

CLE - Austin Hooper 2-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 10:05. Browns 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 84 yards, 4:55.
NE – Hunter Henry 3-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 0:26. Tied 7–7. Drive: 15 plays, 83 yards, 9:39.

Second quarter

NE – Rhamondre Stevenson 5-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 14:43. Patriots 14–7. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:05.
NE – Kendrick Bourne 23-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 5:40. Patriots 21–7. Drive: 11 plays, 99 yards, 6:11.
NE – Nick Folk 38-yard field goal, 0:17. Patriots 24–7. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 3:31.

Third quarter

NE – Rhamondre Stevenson 5-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 5:04. Patriots 31–7. Drive: 8 plays, 92 yards, 5:06.

Fourth quarter

NE – Hunter Henry 3-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 13:33. Patriots 38–7. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 2:59.
NE – Jakobi Meyers 11-yard pass from Brian Hoyer (Nick Folk kick), 4:13. Patriots 45–7. Drive: 6 plays, 92 yards, 4:02.

Top passers

CLE – Case Keenum – 8/12, 81 yards
NE – Mac Jones – 19/23, 198 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

CLE – D'Ernest Johnson – 19 rushes, 99 yards
NE – Rhamondre Stevenson – 20 rushes, 100 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

CLE – D'Ernest Johnson – 7 receptions, 58 yards
NE – Kendrick Bourne – 4 receptions, 98 yards, TD

The Patriots outplayed the Browns on both sides of the ball. Mac Jones had one of his better games as a rookie and the defense only allowed points on the first drive of the game. Rhamondre Stevenson stole the show at RB and was relied on heavily throughout the game. The Patriots improved to 6-4, their best 10-game start in two seasons.

Week 11: at Atlanta Falcons [edit]

Game information

First quarter

NE – Nick Folk 32-yard field goal, 5:14. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 4:38.

Second quarter

NE – Nelson Agholor 19-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 13:44. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:29.
NE – Nick Folk 44-yard field goal, 0:00. Patriots 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 1:48.

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

NE – Nick Folk 53-yard field goal, 6:39. Patriots 16–0. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 5:21.
NE – Nick Folk 33-yard field goal, 1:55. Patriots 19–0. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:14.
NE – Kyle Van Noy 35-yard interception return (kick failed, wide left), 1:22. Patriots 25–0.

Top passers

NE – Mac Jones – 22/26, 207 yards, TD, INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 19/28, 153 yards, 2 INT

Top rushers

NE – Rhamondre Stevenson – 12 rushes, 69 yards
ATL – Qadree Ollison – 9 rushes, 34 yards

Top receivers

NE – Kendrick Bourne – 4 receptions, 42 yards
ATL – Russell Gage – 5 receptions, 49 yards

The Patriots defense intercepted all three quarterbacks on the Falcons—Matt Ryan, Josh Rosen, and Feleipe Franks—as New England coasted to a 25–0 win over Atlanta on Thursday Night Football, improving to 7–4.^[60] They would gain the AFC East division lead later in the week after the Buffalo Bills lost to the Indianapolis Colts.

Week 12: vs. Tennessee Titans [edit]

Week 12: Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Titans	0	13	0	0	13
Patriots	7	9	10	10	36

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Date: November 28
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Cloudy, 37 °F (3 °C)
Game attendance: 65,878
Referee: Alex Kemp
TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

NE – Kendrick Bourne 4-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 7:37. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 4:46.

Second quarter

TEN – Nick Westbrook-Ikhine 1-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (kick failed), 14:28. Patriots 7–6. Drive: 14 plays, 74 yards, 8:09.
NE – Nick Folk 22-yard field goal, 9:50. Patriots 10–6. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:38.
NE – Nick Folk 37-yard field goal, 3:04. Patriots 13–6. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 2:57.
NE – Nick Folk 44-yard field goal, 0:58. Patriots 16–6. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 0:53.
TEN – Dontrell Hilliard 68-yard run (Randy Bullock kick), 0:37. Patriots 16–13. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:21.

Third quarter

NE – Nick Folk 28-yard field goal, 11:13. Patriots 19–13. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 3:47.
NE – Kendrick Bourne 41-yard pass from Mac Jones (Nick Folk kick), 5:01. Patriots 26–13. Drive: 4 plays, 56 yards, 1:43.

Fourth quarter

NE – Nick Folk 52-yard field goal, 6:09. Patriots 29–13. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 5:50.
NE – Damien Harris 14-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 4:38. Patriots 36–13. Drive: 2 plays, 21 yards, 0:48.

Top passers

TEN – Ryan Tannehill – 11/21, 93 yards, TD, INT
NE – Mac Jones – 23/32, 310 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

TEN – Dontrell Hilliard – 12 rushes, 131 yards, TD
NE – Rhamondre Stevenson – 9 rushes, 46 yards

Top receivers

TEN – Nick Westbrook-Ikhine – 2 receptions, 25 yards, TD
NE – Jakobi Meyers – 5 receptions, 98 yards

The Patriots defense put up a show against a banged up Titans team. The offense was only forced to punt once but struggled to finish drives and get the run game going, resulting in five Nick Folk field goals. Mac Jones threw for 310 yards, and completed a pair of touchdown passes to Kendrick Bourne, with Damien Harris adding a touchdown late in the fourth quarter on the ground. Cornerback J. C. Jackson secured his seventh interception of the season, while the rest of the defense forced five fumbles, three of which were recovered by the Patriots. The Patriots improved to 8-4 for the AFC East division lead and an overall second place in the AFC.

Week 13: at Buffalo Bills [edit]

Standings [edit]

Division [edit]

AFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
New England Patriots	8	4	0	.667	2–1	6–1	336	190	W6
Buffalo Bills	7	4	0	.636	3–0	5–4	326	182	W1
Miami Dolphins	5	7	0	.417	2–2	4–5	234	279	W4
New York Jets	3	8	0	.273	0–4	3–6	199	334	W1

Conference [edit]

AFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	Baltimore Ravens	North	8	3	0	.727	1–1	5–3	.472	.450	W2
2^[a]	New England Patriots	East	8	4	0	.667	2–1	6–1	.464	.418	W6
3^[a]	Tennessee Titans	South	8	4	0	.667	3–1	5–3	.478	.473	L2
4	Kansas City Chiefs	West	7	4	0	.636	1–1	2–4	.571	.531	W4
Wild cards
5^[b]	Cincinnati Bengals	North	7	4	0	.636	3–1	5–2	.443	.422	W2
6^[b]	Buffalo Bills	East	7	4	0	.636	3–0	5–4	.425	.400	W1
7^[c]	Los Angeles Chargers	West	6	5	0	.545	2–1	4–3	.556	.507	L1
In the hunt
8^[c] ^[d]	Las Vegas Raiders	West	6	5	0	.545	1–2	4–3	.528	.543	W1
9^[c] ^[d]	Denver Broncos	West	6	5	0	.545	1–1	3–4	.472	.418	W1
10^[e]	Indianapolis Colts	South	6	6	0	.500	2–2	5–3	.496	.373	L1
11^[e] ^[f]	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	5	5	1	.500	1–2	3–4	.500	.464	L2
12^[f]	Cleveland Browns	North	6	6	0	.500	1–2	3–5	.511	.371	L1
13	Miami Dolphins	East	5	7	0	.417	2–2	4–5	.496	.456	W4
14	New York Jets	East	3	8	0	.273	0–4	3–6	.528	.500	W1
15^[g]	Houston Texans	South	2	9	0	.182	2–1	2–6	.520	.435	L1
16^[g]	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	2	9	0	.182	0–3	2–5	.516	.522	L3
Tiebreakers ^[h]
^ ^a ^b New England wins tiebreaker over Tennessee based on head-to-head victory. ^ ^a ^b Cincinnati wins tiebreaker over Buffalo based on conference record. ^ ^a ^b ^c LA Chargers wins tiebreaker over Denver and Las Vegas based on division record. ^ ^a ^b Las Vegas wins tiebreaker over Denver based on head-to-head victory. ^ ^a ^b Indianapolis wins tiebreaker over Pittsburgh based on conference record. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Cleveland (see below). ^ ^a ^b Pittsburgh wins tiebreaker over Cleveland based on head-to-head victory. ^ ^a ^b Houston wins tiebreak over Jacksonville based on head-to-head victory. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

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