2017 New England Patriots season

The 2017 season was the New England Patriots' 48th in the National Football League (NFL), their 58th overall and their 18th under head coach Bill Belichick.

2017 New England Patriots season
Owner	Robert Kraft
Head coach	Bill Belichick
Home field	Gillette Stadium
Results
Record	13–3
Division place	1st AFC East
Playoff finish	Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Titans) 35–14 Won AFC Championship (vs. Jaguars) 24–20 Lost Super Bowl LII (vs. Eagles) 33–41
Pro Bowlers	4 Selected but did not participate due to participation in Super Bowl LII: QB Tom Brady FB James Develin TE Rob Gronkowski ST Matthew Slater
All-Pros	3 QB Tom Brady (1st team) TE Rob Gronkowski (1st team) ST Matthew Slater (2nd team)
Team MVP	Tom Brady
Team ROY	Deatrich Wise Jr.
Uniform
← 2016 Patriots seasons 2018 →

The Patriots entered the season as the defending champions of Super Bowl LI.^[1] They failed to match their 14–2 record from last season with their Week 14 loss to the Miami Dolphins.^[2] Despite that, in Week 15, the Patriots secured their 9th consecutive AFC East title, their 15th of the last 17 seasons, with their victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.^[3] With their win over the Buffalo Bills in week 16, the Patriots obtained their 8th consecutive 12-or-more win season stretching all the way from 2010, an NFL record.^[4] Their Week 17 victory over the New York Jets clinched their top seed in the AFC for the second straight year, thus giving the Patriots home-field advantage throughout the entire AFC playoffs for the second year in a row.^[5]

The Patriots defeated the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round 35–14, and the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship game 24–20, claiming their second consecutive AFC title.^[6] This was their seventh consecutive AFC Championship appearance, adding onto their record from the previous year.^[7] The win also made Tom Brady the oldest quarterback (40 years, 163 days) to win a playoff game, surpassing Brett Favre for the record.^[8] It was also the second time they advanced to the Super Bowl two consecutive seasons, the first being 2004. They faced the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX. This also made the Patriots the only team in NFL history to appear in ten Super Bowls, and gave the Patriots a chance to repeat as Super Bowl Champions for the second time in franchise history, and for the first time since 2004. In addition, they had the chance to tie the Pittsburgh Steelers for the record of most Super Bowl wins by a team in NFL history with 6. However, due to a late strip-sack of Brady by Brandon Graham and a failed Hail Mary pass, the Patriots lost Super Bowl LII to the Eagles by a score of 41–33, ending New England's chance at a sixth Super Bowl title and resulting in their first Super Bowl loss since 2011. The loss prevented the Patriots from repeating their three-in-four Super Bowl run that they managed from 2001 to 2004. Also with the loss, the Patriots tied the NFL record for most Super Bowl losses with five, and made them the fifth defending Super Bowl champion to lose the next year's game, after the 1978 Dallas Cowboys, the 1983 Washington Redskins, the 1997 Green Bay Packers, and the 2014 Seattle Seahawks.^[9] They would later be joined by the 2020 Kansas City Chiefs.

Coaching changes

Departures

February 20: Long time Patriots coach, Brian Daboll, was named as the offensive coordinator for the University of Alabama football team after serving as the Patriots tight ends coach for three years.^[10]

Promotions

February 27: After serving as a Patriots coaching assistant for 2 years, Nick Caley was named as the Patriots tight ends coach, replacing former Patriots tight ends coach Brian Daboll for the job.^[11]

Roster changes

Free agents

Unrestricted

Position	Player	2017 Team	Date signed	Contract
TE	Martellus Bennett	Green Bay Packers	March 10, 2017[12]	three years, $21 million[13]
RB	LeGarrette Blount	Philadelphia Eagles	May 17, 2017[14]	one year, $2.8 million[14]
RB	Brandon Bolden	New England Patriots	April 5, 2017[15]	one year, $775,000[16]
DT	Alan Branch	New England Patriots	March 9, 2017[17]	two years, $12 million[13]
FB	James Develin	New England Patriots	March 6, 2017[18]	two years, $2.85 million[13]
WR	Michael Floyd	Minnesota Vikings	May 10, 2017[19]	one year, $1.5 million [19]
FS	Duron Harmon	New England Patriots	March 9, 2017[20]	four years, $17 million[13]
MLB	Dont'a Hightower	New England Patriots	March 15, 2017[21]	four years, $43.5 million[13]
DE	Chris Long	Philadelphia Eagles	March 28, 2017[22]	two years, $4.8 million[23][24]
OLB	Barkevious Mingo	Indianapolis Colts	March 9, 2017[25]	one year, $2.5 million[13]
CB	Logan Ryan	Tennessee Titans	March 10, 2017[26]	three years, $30 million[13]
TE	Greg Scruggs
DE/OLB	Jabaal Sheard	Indianapolis Colts	March 10, 2017[27]	three years, $25.5 million[13][28]

Restricted

Position	Player	2017 Team	Date signed	Contract
CB	Malcolm Butler	New England Patriots	April 18, 2017[29]	assigned tender (first-round) on March 7, 2017 ($3.91 million)[30][13]
OT	Cameron Fleming	New England Patriots	April 10, 2017[31]	assigned tender (original-round) on March 7, 2017 ($1.797 million)[32][13]
TE	Michael Williams	New England Patriots	March 9, 2017[33]	one year, $540,000[13]

Exclusive-Rights

Position	Player	2017 Team	Date signed	Contract
CB	Justin Coleman	New England Patriots	March 16, 2017[34]	assigned tender on March 7,[35] one year, $615,000[36]
SS	Brandon King	New England Patriots	April 11, 2017[37]	assigned tender on March 8,[13] one year, $615,000[38]
TE	Matt Lengel	New England Patriots	April 18, 2017[39]	assigned tender on March 7,[35] one year, $540,000[40]

Signings

Position	Player	Previous team	Date signed	Contract
TE	Rob Housler	Chicago Bears	January 19, 2017[41]	future contract [41]
CB	Stephon Gilmore	Buffalo Bills	March 10, 2017[42][43]	five years, $65 million[44]
DT	Lawrence Guy	Baltimore Ravens	March 11, 2017[45]	four years, $13.4 million[46]
RB	Rex Burkhead	Cincinnati Bengals	March 14, 2017[47]	one year, $3.15 million[48]
RB	Mike Gillislee	Buffalo Bills	April 24, 2017[49]	two years, $6.4 million[49]
WR	Devin Street	Indianapolis Colts	May 2, 2017[50]	claimed off waivers[50]
C	James Ferentz	Denver Broncos	May 18, 2017[51]	one year, $615,000[52]
WR	DeAndrew White	New England Patriots	May 21, 2017[53]	one year, $540,000[54]
WR	Andrew Hawkins	Cleveland Browns	May 24, 2017[55]	one year, $980,000[56]
LB	David Harris	New York Jets	June 21, 2017[57]	two years, $5 million[57]
DE	Caleb Kidder	Minnesota Vikings	July 26, 2017[58]	one year, $465,000[59]
WR	Tony Washington	Jacksonville Jaguars	July 27, 2017[60]	one year, $540,000[61]
WR	K. J. Maye	Tennessee Titans	July 30, 2017[62]	one year, $465,000[63]
DE	Michael Bart	Arizona Cardinals	August 28, 2017[64]	one year, $465,000[65]
DE	Nick Usher	Seattle Seahawks	August 28, 2017[64]	one year, $465,000[66]
RB	Brandon Bolden	New England Patriots	Re-signed September 4, 2017[67]	one year, $775,000[66]
QB	Brian Hoyer	San Francisco 49ers	November 1, 2017[68]	three years, $4,441,470[69]
DE	Ricky Jean Francois	Green Bay Packers	November 7, 2017[70]	one year, $990,000[71]
TE	Martellus Bennett	Green Bay Packers	November 9, 2017[72]	two years, $14 million[73]
DE	Eric Lee	Buffalo Bills	November 21, 2017[74]	two years, $1,020,000[75]
LB	Nicholas Grigsby	Baltimore Ravens	November 28, 2017[76]	two years, $1,170,000[77]
OG	Jason King	Baltimore Ravens	November 28, 2017[76]	one year, $465,000[78]
LB	Jonathan Freeny	Jacksonville Jaguars	Re-signed December 6, 2017[79]	one year, $775,000[80]
WR	Kenny Britt	Cleveland Browns	December 12, 2017[81]	two years, $2.4 million[82]
DE	Ricky Jean Francois	New England Patriots	Re-signed December 13, 2017[83]	one year, $900,000[84]
OLB	James Harrison	Pittsburgh Steelers	December 26, 2017[85]	one year, $1,000,000[86]
WR	Bernard Reedy	New England Patriots	Re-signed January 17, 2017[87]	one year, $225,000[88]

Indicates that the player was a free agent at the end of his respective team's 2016 season.

Departures

Position	Player	Notes
OT	Sebastian Vollmer	Released March 3, 2017[89]
RB	Tyler Gaffney	Waived March 20, 2017[90]
OG	Tre' Jackson	Waived April 18, 2017[91]
TE	Michael Williams	Released May 12, 2017[92]
TE	Rob Housler	Released May 17, 2017[93]
OG	Chris Barker	Released May 18, 2017[51]
WR	Devin Street	Released May 24, 2017[94]
DE	Corey Vereen	Waived June 5, 2017[95]
WR	DeAndrew White	Released June 22, 2017[96]
OG	Chase Farris	Released July 20, 2017[97]
WR	Andrew Hawkins	Retired July 25, 2017[98]
OLB/DE	Rob Ninkovich	Retired July 30, 2017[99]
SS	Dwayne Thomas	Released August 11, 2017[100]
DE	Kony Ealy	Released August 26, 2017[101]
DE	Caleb Kidder	Released August 27, 2017[102]
TE	Matt Lengel
OLB	Christian Kuntz	Released August 29, 2017[103]
FB	Glenn Gronkowski	Released September 1, 2017[104]
TE	Sam Cotton
OT	Max Rich
OG	Jason King
DE	Michael Bart
DT	Josh Augusta
FS	Jason Thompson
OLB	Jonathan Freeny
WR	Tony Washington	Released September 2, 2017[104]
WR	K. J. Maye
OLB	Trevor Bates
RB	D. J. Foster
RB	LeShun Daniels
CB	D. J. Killings
OT	Andrew Jelks
CB	Kenny Moore II
OG	Jamil Douglas
SS	Damarius Travis
WR	Cody Hollister
FS	David Jones
DE	Nick Usher
WR	Austin Carr
TE	James O'Shaughnessy
DE	Geneo Grissom
RB	Brandon Bolden
OG	Ted Karras
C	James Ferentz
MLB	Brooks Ellis
DT	Woodrow Hamilton
DT	Darius Kilgo
CB	William Likely
WR	Devin Lucien
OT	Conor McDermott
DE	Geneo Grissom	Waived November 9, 2017[72]
DE	Cassius Marsh	Released November 21, 2017[105]
DE	Ricky Jean-Francois	Released December 2, 2017[106]
OG	Jason King	Released December 2, 2017[107]
WR	Bernard Reedy	Released December 13, 2017[108]
OLB	Jonathan Freeny	Released December 13, 2017[109]
OLB	Trevor Reilly	Waived December 26, 2017[110]

Trades

• March 8: The Patriots obtained tight end Dwayne Allen and a sixth-round selection and sent a fourth-round selection to the Indianapolis Colts.^[111][112]
• March 10: The Patriots were involved in a trade in which they sent their second-round selection to the Carolina Panthers for defensive end Kony Ealy and a third-round selection.^[113]
• March 10: The Patriots were involved in a trade in which they sent their first-round selection and a third-round selection to the New Orleans Saints for wide receiver Brandin Cooks and a fourth-round selection.^[114]
• April 29: The Patriots traded a fifth-round selection to the Kansas City Chiefs for tight end James O'Shaughnessy and a sixth-round selection.^[115]
• August 29: The Patriots traded a 2018 seventh-round selection to the Cincinnati Bengals for linebacker Marquis Flowers.^[116]
• September 1: The Patriots traded cornerback Justin Coleman to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2018 seventh-round draft selection.^[117]
• September 2: The Patriots traded a 2019 sixth-round selection to the Detroit Lions for cornerback Johnson Bademosi.^[118]
• September 2: The Patriots traded quarterback Jacoby Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts for wide receiver Phillip Dorsett.^[119]
• September 2: The Patriots traded their 2018 fifth and seventh-round picks to the Seahawks for defensive end Cassius Marsh.^[120]
• October 30: The Patriots traded quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2018 second-round selection.^[121]

Draft

Main article: 2017 NFL draft

2017 New England Patriots draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
3	83	Derek Rivers	OLB	Youngstown St
3	85	Antonio Garcia	OT	Troy
4	131	Deatrich Wise Jr.	DE	Arkansas
6	211	Conor McDermott	OT	UCLA
Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Notes

• The fourth-round selection that the Patriots obtained from the trade with the New Orleans Saints would have been No. 118 overall; however, it was forfeited as part of the punishment for the Deflategate scandal.^[122][123]
• The Patriots were awarded an additional fifth-round compensatory selection – No. 183 overall.^[124]
• The Patriots gave up a fifth-round selection – No. 163 overall – to the Buffalo Bills when they signed restricted free agent Mike Gillislee to an offer sheet.^[125]
• As a result of their trades, the Patriots did not use any of their assigned selections, and drafted just four players—the lowest number in franchise history.^[126]

2017 New England Patriots Draft Trades

Draft pick year	Round	Overall	Team	Received
2017	1	32	to New Orleans Saints	Received wide receiver Brandin Cooks and the Saints' fourth-round selection (No. 118 overall).[114]
	3	103
2017	2	64	to Carolina Panthers	Received Carolina's third-round selection (No. 72 overall) and defensive end Kony Ealy[127]
2017	3	72	to Tennessee Titans	Received Tennessee's third-round selection (No. 83 overall) and Tennessee's fourth-round selection (No. 124 overall)[128]
	6	200
2016	5	147	to Seattle Seahawks	Received Seattle's 2017 fourth-round selection (No. 131 overall) and Seattle's 2016 seventh-round selection (No. 225 overall)[129]
	7	243
2017	4	137	to Indianapolis Colts	Received Indianapolis's sixth-round selection (No. 200) and tight end Dwayne Allen.[112]
Linebacker Jamie Collins			to Cleveland Browns	Received Cleveland's third-round compensatory selection (No. 103 overall)[130]
2017	5	175		Received linebacker Barkevious Mingo[131]
Tight end A.J. Derby			to Denver Broncos	Received Denver's fifth-round selection (No. 163 overall)[132]
2017	5	183	to Kansas City Chiefs	Received tight end James O'Shaughnessy and Kansas City's sixth-round compensatory selection (No. 216 overall)[115]
2017	3	96	to Detroit Lions	Received Detroit's third-round selection (No. 85 overall)[133]
	4	124
	6	215		Received linebacker Kyle Van Noy and the Lions' seventh-round selection (No. 239 overall)[132]
	7	250		Received tight end Michael Williams.[134]
2017	6	216	to Dallas Cowboys	Received Dallas's sixth-round selection (No. 211)[135]
	7	239

Undrafted free agents

2017 New England Patriots Undrafted Free Agents

Player	Position	College	Date signed
Josh Augusta	DT	Missouri	May 5, 2017[136]
Adam Butler	DT	Vanderbilt
Austin Carr	WR	Northwestern
Cole Croston	OT	Iowa
LeShun Daniels	RB	Iowa
Brooks Ellis	LB	Arkansas
Cody Hollister	WR	Arkansas
Jacob Hollister	TE	Wyoming
Andrew Jelks	OT	Vanderbilt
David Jones	FS	Richmond
D.J. Killings	CB	UCF
Jason King	OG	Purdue
Harvey Langi	LB	BYU
Kenny Moore II	CB	Valdosta St.
Max Rich	OT	Harvard
Dwayne Thomas	SS	LSU
Jason Thompson	FS	Utah
Damarius Travis	SS	Minnesota
Corey Vereen	DE	Tennessee
Sam Cotton	TE	Nebraska	May 18, 2017[51]
William Likely	CB	Maryland	June 5, 2017[95]
Keionta Davis	DE	Chattanooga	August 11, 2017[100]
Mikey Bart	DE	North Carolina	August 28, 2017[64]
Christian Kuntz	LB	Duquesne
Dennis McCarthy	QB	Boston College
Nick Usher	DE	UTEP

Made regular season roster

Suspensions

• Tight end Rob Gronkowski was suspended for one game (Week 14) for intentionally falling on cornerback Tre'Davious White while White was on the ground during Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills.^[137]

Injuries

• September 2: Wide receiver Julian Edelman was placed on injured reserve after suffering a torn ACL in the week 3 preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions. It was confirmed that he would be out for the entire season.^[138][139]
• September 2: Cornerback Cyrus Jones was placed on injured reserve after sustaining a torn ACL and meniscus during the week 4 preseason matchup against the New York Giants. He would be out for the entire season.^[140][139]
• September 2: Defensive end Derek Rivers tore his ACL and sprained his LCL during a joint-practice with the Houston Texans in August.^[141][139]
• September 4: Outside linebacker Shea McClellin was placed on injured reserve after being out since early preseason. He will be ineligible to return until week 8.^[67][142]
• September 22: Defensive tackle Vincent Valentine was placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury that kept him out of practice throughout the season.^[143]
• November 7: Linebacker Dont'a Hightower suffered an injury on his right shoulder pectoral muscle during the second half of the game against the Atlanta Falcons.^[144]
• November 27: Safety/Special teamer Nate Ebner suffered a knee injury during a fake punt against the Miami Dolphins.^[145]
• November 27: Tight end Martellus Bennett was placed on injured reserve after having both a shoulder and a hamstring injury.^[146]
• December 13: Offensive tackle Marcus Cannon who was out since October 29 due to an ankle injury, was placed on injured reserve.^[108]
• January 17: Cornerback Jonathan Jones suffered an ankle injury in the Patriots' divisional-round game against the Tennessee Titans and was placed on injured reserved.^[87]

Staff

2017 New England Patriots staff

Front office Chairman/CEO – Robert Kraft President – Jonathan Kraft General manager – Bill Belichick Director of player personnel – Nick Caserio Director of college scouting – Monti Ossenfort Director of pro personnel – Dave Ziegler Assistant director of college scouting – Brian Smith Director of scouting administration – Nancy Meier Football research director – Ernie Adams Director of football/head coach administration – Berj Najarian Head coaches Head coach – Bill Belichick Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – Josh McDaniels Assistant quarterbacks – Jerry Schuplinski Running backs – Ivan Fears Wide receivers – Chad O'Shea Tight ends – Nick Caley Offensive line – Dante Scarnecchia Coaching assistant – Cole Popovich

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Matt Patricia Defensive line – Brendan Daly Linebackers – Brian Flores Cornerbacks – Josh Boyer Safeties – Steve Belichick Coaching assistant – Brian Belichick Coaching assistant – DeMarcus Covington Coaching assistant – Mike Pellegrino Special teams coaches Special teams – Joe Judge Assistant special teams – Bubba Ventrone Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – Moses Cabrera Assistant strength and conditioning – James Hardy

Rosters

Opening training camp

As of the Patriots' first training camp practice at Gillette Stadium on July 27, they had the NFL maximum of 90 players signed.

New England Patriots 2017 opening training camp roster
Quarterbacks 12 Tom Brady 7 Jacoby Brissett 10 Jimmy Garoppolo Running backs 38 Brandon Bolden 34 Rex Burkhead 39 LeShun Daniels 46 James Develin FB 27 D. J. Foster 35 Mike Gillislee 47 Glenn Gronkowski FB 33 Dion Lewis 28 James White Wide receivers 80 Danny Amendola PR 84 Austin Carr 14 Brandin Cooks 11 Julian Edelman 15 Chris Hogan 81 Cody Hollister 13 Devin Lucien 19 Malcolm Mitchell 18 Matthew Slater 17 Tony Washington Tight ends 83 Dwayne Allen 85 Sam Cotton 87 Rob Gronkowski 48 Jacob Hollister 82 Matt Lengel 88 James O'Shaughnessy		Offensive linemen 60 David Andrews C 61 Marcus Cannon T 70 Cole Croston T 65 Jamil Douglas G 59 James Ferentz C 71 Cameron Fleming T 63 Antonio Garcia T 75 Ted Karras G 74 Jason King G 69 Shaq Mason G 67 Conor McDermott T 72 Max Rich T 77 Nate Solder T 62 Joe Thuney G 68 LaAdrian Waddle T Defensive linemen 72 Josh Augusta DT 90 Malcom Brown DT 70 Adam Butler DT 94 Kony Ealy DE 98 Trey Flowers DE 92 Geneo Grissom DE 93 Lawrence Guy DT 74 Woodrow Hamilton DT 95 Derek Rivers DE 96 Darius Kilgo DT 64 Caleb Kidder DE 99 Vincent Valentine DT 91 Deatrich Wise Jr. DE		Linebackers 44 Trevor Bates OLB 47 Brook Ellis MLB 55 Jonathan Freeny OLB 45 David Harris OLB 48 Harvey Langi OLB 58 Shea McClellin OLB 50 Rob Ninkovich OLB 52 Elandon Roberts MLB 53 Kyle Van Noy OLB Defensive backs 21 Malcolm Butler CB 23 Patrick Chung SS 22 Justin Coleman CB 43 Nate Ebner FS 24 Stephon Gilmore CB 30 Duron Harmon FS 41 Cyrus Jones CB/KR 34 David Jones FS 31 Jonathan Jones CB 29 D. J. Killings CB 36 Brandon King SS 33 William Likely CB 32 Devin McCourty FS 42 Kenny Moore II CB 37 Jordan Richards SS 25 Eric Rowe CB 27 Dwayne Thomas SS 36 Jason Thompson FS 35 Damarius Travis SS UR Special teams 6 Ryan Allen P 3 Stephen Gostkowski K		Reserve lists 97 Alan Branch DT (active/PUP) 49 Joe Cardona LS (Military) 66 Chase Farris G (Waived/NF-Inj.) 54 Dont'a Hightower MLB (active/PUP) 76 Andrew Jelks T (active/NF-Inj.) 59 Corey Vereen DE (Waived/Injured) Rookies in italics 90 active, 3 inactive

Week 1

New England Patriots 2017 Week 1 roster
Quarterbacks 12 Tom Brady 10 Jimmy Garoppolo Running backs 34 Rex Burkhead 38 Brandon Bolden 46 James Develin FB 35 Mike Gillislee 33 Dion Lewis 28 James White Wide receivers 80 Danny Amendola PR 14 Brandin Cooks 13 Phillip Dorsett 15 Chris Hogan 18 Matthew Slater Tight ends 83 Dwayne Allen 87 Rob Gronkowski 47 Jacob Hollister		Offensive linemen 60 David Andrews C 61 Marcus Cannon T 74 Cole Croston T 71 Cameron Fleming T 75 Ted Karras G 69 Shaq Mason G 77 Nate Solder T 62 Joe Thuney G 68 LaAdrian Waddle T Defensive linemen 97 Alan Branch DT 90 Malcom Brown DT 70 Adam Butler DT 98 Trey Flowers DE 93 Lawrence Guy DT 55 Cassius Marsh DT 99 Vincent Valentine DT 91 Deatrich Wise Jr. DE		Linebackers 59 Marquis Flowers OLB 45 David Harris OLB 54 Dont'a Hightower OLB 48 Harvey Langi OLB 52 Elandon Roberts MLB 53 Kyle Van Noy OLB Defensive backs 29 Johnson Bademosi CB 21 Malcolm Butler CB 23 Patrick Chung SS 43 Nate Ebner FS 24 Stephon Gilmore CB 30 Duron Harmon FS 31 Jonathan Jones CB 36 Brandon King SS 32 Devin McCourty FS 37 Jordan Richards SS 25 Eric Rowe CB Special teams 6 Ryan Allen P 49 Joe Cardona LS 3 Stephen Gostkowski K		Reserve lists 72 Josh Augusta DT (IR) 51 Keionta Davis DE (NF-Inj.) UR 11 Julian Edelman WR (IR) 66 Chase Farris G (NF-Inj.) 63 Antonio Garcia T (Nf-Ill) R 76 Andrew Jelks T (NF-Inj.) UR 41 Cyrus Jones CB (IR) 64 Caleb Kidder DE (IR) UR -- D. J. Killings CB (IR) UR 82 Matt Lengel TE (IR) 58 Shea McClellin OLB (IR) 19 Malcolm Mitchell WR(IR) 95 Derek Rivers DE (IR) R Practice squad 16 Demarcus Ayers WR -- Willie Beavers G 94 Angelo Blackson DE -- James Ferentz C 27 D. J. Foster RB 92 Geneo Grissom DE 81 Cody Hollister WR -- David Jones FS -- Damarius Travis SS -- Jomal Wiltz CB Rookies in italics 53 active, 11 inactive, 10 practice squad

Final

2017 New England Patriots roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 12 Tom Brady  2 Brian Hoyer Running backs (RB) 38 Brandon Bolden 34 Rex Burkhead 46 James Develin FB 35 Mike Gillislee 33 Dion Lewis KR 28 James White Wide receivers (WR) 80 Danny Amendola PR 85 Kenny Britt 14 Brandin Cooks 13 Phillip Dorsett 15 Chris Hogan 17 Bernard Reedy 18 Matthew Slater Tight ends (TE) 83 Dwayne Allen 87 Rob Gronkowski 47 Jacob Hollister

Offensive linemen (OL) 60 David Andrews C 74 Cole Croston G 71 Cameron Fleming T 75 Ted Karras C/G 69 Shaq Mason G 77 Nate Solder T 62 Joe Thuney G 68 LaAdrian Waddle T Defensive linemen (DL) 97 Alan Branch DT 90 Malcom Brown DT 70 Adam Butler DT 98 Trey Flowers DE 96 Geneo Grissom DE 93 Lawrence Guy DE/DT 94 Ricky Jean Francois DT 55 Eric Lee DE 91 Deatrich Wise DE

Linebackers (LB) 59 Marquis Flowers OLB 50 Nicholas Grigsby MLB 45 David Harris OLB 92 James Harrison OLB 52 Elandon Roberts 53 Kyle Van Noy OLB Defensive backs (DB) 29 Johnson Bademosi CB 21 Malcolm Butler CB 23 Patrick Chung SS 24 Stephon Gilmore CB 30 Duron Harmon SS 36 Brandon King FS 32 Devin McCourty FS 37 Jordan Richards SS 25 Eric Rowe CB Special teams  6 Ryan Allen P 49 Joe Cardona LS  3 Stephen Gostkowski K

Practice squad 66 James Ferentz C 81 Cody Hollister WR 26 David Jones FS 65 Jason King G 27 Ryan Lewis CB 84 Riley McCarron WR 51 Trevor Reilly OLB 39 Damarius Travis SS 82 Will Tye TE 22 Jomal Wiltz CB Reserve 88 Martellus Bennett TE (IR) 61 Marcus Cannon T (IR) 42 Keionta Davis DE (NF-Inj.) 43 Nate Ebner FS (IR) 11 Julian Edelman WR (IR) -- Chase Farris G (NF-Ill.) 63 Antonio Garcia T (NF-Ill.) 54 Dont'a Hightower MLB (IR) 76 Andrew Jelks T (NF-Inj.) 41 Cyrus Jones CB (IR) 31 Jonathan Jones CB (IR) 64 Caleb Kidder DE (IR) 48 Harvey Langi OLB (NF-Inj.) 58 Shea McClellin OLB (IR) 19 Malcolm Mitchell WR (IR) 95 Derek Rivers DE (IR) 99 Vincent Valentine DT (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 17 reserve, 10 practice squad

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 10	Jacksonville Jaguars	L 24–31	0–1	Gillette Stadium	Recap
2	August 19	at Houston Texans	L 23–27	0–2	NRG Stadium	Recap
3	August 25	at Detroit Lions	W 30–28	1–2	Ford Field	Recap
4	August 31	New York Giants	L 38–40	1–3	Gillette Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 7	Kansas City Chiefs	L 27–42	0–1	Gillette Stadium	Recap
2	September 17	at New Orleans Saints	W 36–20	1–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
3	September 24	Houston Texans	W 36–33	2–1	Gillette Stadium	Recap
4	October 1	Carolina Panthers	L 30–33	2–2	Gillette Stadium	Recap
5	October 5	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 19–14	3–2	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
6	October 15	at New York Jets	W 24–17	4–2	MetLife Stadium	Recap
7	October 22	Atlanta Falcons	W 23–7	5–2	Gillette Stadium	Recap
8	October 29	Los Angeles Chargers	W 21–13	6–2	Gillette Stadium	Recap
9	Bye
10	November 12	at Denver Broncos	W 41–16	7–2	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
11	November 19	at Oakland Raiders	W 33–8	8–2	Estadio Azteca (Mexico City)	Recap
12	November 26	Miami Dolphins	W 35–17	9–2	Gillette Stadium	Recap
13	December 3	at Buffalo Bills	W 23–3	10–2	New Era Field	Recap
14	December 11	at Miami Dolphins	L 20–27	10–3	Hard Rock Stadium	Recap
15	December 17	at Pittsburgh Steelers	W 27–24	11–3	Heinz Field	Recap
16	December 24	Buffalo Bills	W 37–16	12–3	Gillette Stadium	Recap
17	December 31	New York Jets	W 26–6	13–3	Gillette Stadium	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

NFL Kickoff Game

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	7	7	21	42
Patriots	7	10	10	0	27

Game information

First quarter NE – Mike Gillislee 2-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 2:52. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 2:52. KC – Demetrius Harris 7-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 3:03. Tied 7–7. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 6:22. Second quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 25-yard field goal, 14.56. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 3:07. NE – Mike Gillislee 2-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:27. Patriots 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 5:50. KC – Kareem Hunt 3-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 0:13. Patriots 17–14. Drive: 12 plays, 92 yards, 2:34. Third quarter KC – Tyreek Hill 75-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 9:19. Chiefs 21–17. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:09. NE – Mike Gillislee 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:01. Patriots 24–21. Drive: 3 plays, 54 yards, 1:21. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 32-yard field goal, 0:09. Patriots 27–21. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 2:41. Fourth quarter KC – Kareem Hunt 78-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 14:07. Chiefs 28–27. Drive: 3 plays, 90 yards, 1:02. KC – Kareem Hunt 4-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 5:14. Chiefs 35–27. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:41. KC – Charcandrick West 21-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 4:00. Chiefs 42–27. Drive: 2 plays, 79 yards, 0:15. Top passers KC – Alex Smith – 28/35, 368 yards, 4 TD NE – Tom Brady – 16/36, 267 yards Top rushers KC – Kareem Hunt – 17 rushes, 148 yards, TD NE – Mike Gillislee – 15 rushes, 45 yards, 3 TD Top receivers KC – Tyreek Hill – 7 receptions, 133 yards, TD NE – Danny Amendola – 6 receptions, 100 yards

Week One: Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots – Game summary

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: September 7
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), clear and warm
• Game attendance: 65,878
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Gamebook

The Patriots started their season at home on Thursday, September 7 as the defending Super Bowl champion. They would strike first in the first quarter when Mike Gillislee ran for a 2-yard touchdown for a 7–0 lead. The Chiefs however tied it later on in the quarter at 7–7 when Alex Smith found Demetrius Harris on a 7-yard pass. In the second quarter, the Pats moved ahead by double digits as Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 25-yard field goal followed up by Gillislee running for another 2-yard touchdown to make the score 10–7 and increased it to 17–7. The Chiefs came within 3 before halftime when Smith found Kareem Hunt on a 3-yard pass for a 17–14 game.

In the third quarter, the Chiefs took the lead as Smith found Tyreek Hill on a 75-yard pass to make it 21–17. Though the Pats moved back into the lead when Gillislee ran for a 1-yard touchdown to make it 24–21. They then closed out the quarter with a 27–21 lead when Gostowski kicked a 32-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, it was all Chiefs. It all started with Smith finding Hunt again this time on a 78-yard pass to retake the lead 28–27. This was followed by Hunt's 4-yard run for a touchdown to make it 35–27. Finally, they closed the scoring of the game with Charcandrick West's 21-yard run for a touchdown for the final score of 42–27.^[147]

This game was the Chiefs' first win in Foxborough since 1990.^[148] Additionally, the Patriots defense allowed 537 total yards which is the most yardage ever given up by a Bill Belichick team during a single game as the Patriots began 0–1 for the first time since 2014.^[149]

Week 2: at New Orleans Saints

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	20	10	3	3	36
Saints	3	10	0	7	20

Game information

First quarter NE – Rex Burkhead 19-yard pass from Tom Brady (kick failed, hit left upright), 10:31. Patriots 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:29. NO – Wil Lutz 46-yard field goal, 7:43. Patriots 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 2:53. NE – Rob Gronkowski 53-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:42. Patriots 13–3. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:09. NE – Chris Hogan 13-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:16. Patriots 20–3. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 3:53. Second quarter NO – Brandon Coleman 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 11:52. Patriots 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:24. NO – Wil Lutz 35-yard field goal, 8:23. Patriots 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:13. NE – Mike Gillislee 2-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 4:52. Patriots 27–13. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:31. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 28-yard field goal, 0:02. Patriots 30–13. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 2:23. Third quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 24-yard field goal, 0:44. Patriots 33–13. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 4:15. Fourth quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 27-yard field goal, 8:54. Patriots 36–13. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:30. NO – Coby Fleener 4-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 5:04. Patriots 36–20. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:45. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 30/39, 447 yards, 3 TD NO – Drew Brees – 27/45, 356 yards, 2 TD Top rushers NE – Mike Gillislee – 18 rushes, 69 yards, TD NO – Mark Ingram II – 8 rushes, 52 yards Top receivers NE – Rob Gronkowski – 6 receptions, 116 yards, TD NO – Michael Thomas – 5 receptions, 89 yards

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

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: September 17
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,168
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

The Patriots rebounded from their opening week loss by establishing an early insurmountable lead against the New Orleans Saints in their week 2 matchup for their first visit to Mercedes-Benz Superdome since the Saints' Super Bowl winning 2009 season. Brandin Cooks returned to the Bayou while the controversy for the Saints was around backs Adrian Peterson and Mark Ingram II competing for touches. (Alvin Kamara, who would go on to win 2017 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, was not yet getting significant playing time in week 2.) Peterson would later be shipped to the Cardinals in an ironic turn of events for Chris Johnson. Tom Brady completed three first-quarter touchdown passes to Rex Burkhead, Rob Gronkowski, and Chris Hogan. The three touchdowns marked a personal record for Brady, who had never in his career had so many scores in the first quarter of any game.^[150] Mike Gillislee added a running touchdown in the second quarter, and the Patriots played a conservative second half to seal the 36–20 victory. This would be the only home loss the Saints would have this season. Grownkowski injured his groin in the third quarter, causing him to leave the game.^[151]

Week 3: vs. Houston Texans

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	10	10	7	6	33
Patriots	7	14	7	8	36

Game information

First quarter NE – Rob Gronkowski 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 10:33. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 2:50. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 39-yard field goal, 7:22. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 3:11. HOU – Bruce Ellington 29-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:51. Texans 10–7. Drive: 2 plays, 44 yards, 0:40. Second quarter NE – Chris Hogan 7-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:25. Patriots 14–10. Drive: 1 plays, 12 yards, 0:32. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 40-yard field goal, 7:01. Patriots 14–13. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:24. HOU – Jadeveon Clowney 22-yard fumble return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 6:15. Texans 20–14. Drive: 2 plays, 3 yards, 0:46. NE – Chris Hogan 47-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:58. Patriots 21–20. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:17. Third quarter NE – Brandin Cooks 42-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:45. Patriots 28–20. Drive: 5 plays, 81 yards, 2:15. HOU – Ryan Griffin 12-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 7:12. Patriots 28–27. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:33. Fourth quarter HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 31-yard field goal, 12:13. Texans 30–28. Drive: 12 plays, 67 yards, 4:29. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 36-yard field goal, 2:24. Texans 33–28. Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 3:31. NE – Brandin Cooks 25-yard pass from Tom Brady (Tom Brady-Brandin Cooks pass), 0:23. Patriots 36–33. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:01. Top passers HOU – Deshaun Watson – 22/33, 301 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT NE – Tom Brady – 25/35, 378 yards, 5 TD Top rushers HOU – Lamar Miller – 14 rushes, 56 yards NE – Mike Gillislee – 12 rushes, 31 yards Top receivers HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 7 receptions, 76 yards NE – Brandin Cooks – 5 receptions, 131 yards, 2 TD

Week Three: Houston Texans at New England Patriots – Game summary

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: September 24
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), Sunny
• Game attendance: 65,878
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Gamebook

The week 3 matchup vs. the Texans proved to be a greater challenge for the Patriots than the Saints had been in week 2. The Patriots scored first on a 7-play drive ending with a Tom Brady 5-yard throw to Rob Gronkowski, who was playing with a groin injury that took him out of the previous week's game. The game would progress through seven lead changes, as Texans rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson would go drive-for-drive against Brady. Watson threw two touchdowns, one of which to his tight end Ryan Griffin, who attended college in New England at UConn. Two field goals late in the game would give the Texans their final lead at 33–28. With less than 2:25 remaining in the game, Brady led the Patriots on a frantic 8-play 71-yard drive that culminated in a 25-yard reception by Brandin Cooks to give the Patriots the 36–33 win.^[152]

Week 4: vs. Carolina Panthers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	3	14	6	10	33
Patriots	3	13	0	14	30

Game information

First quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 41-yard field goal, 11:47. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 3:13. CAR – Graham Gano 32-yard field goal, 7:41. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:06. Second quarter NE – Chris Hogan 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:39. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 5:32. CAR – Fozzy Whittaker 28-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 9:41. Tied 10–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:58. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 35-yard field goal, 4:30. Patriots 13–10. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 5:11. CAR – Devin Funchess 10-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:26. Panthers 17–13. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 4:04. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 58-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 17–16. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 0:26. Third quarter CAR – Devin Funchess 16-yard pass from Cam Newton (kick failed, wide left), 2:47. Panthers 23–16. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 6:30. Fourth quarter CAR – Cam Newton 7-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 12:58. Panthers 30–16. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:50. NE – Dion Lewis 8-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 8:46. Panthers 30–23. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:12. NE – Danny Amendola 1-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:09. Tied 30–30. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 4:18. CAR – Graham Gano 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 33–30. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 3:09. Top passers CAR – Cam Newton – 22/29, 316 yards, 3 TD, INT NE – Tom Brady – 32/45, 307 yards, 2 TD Top rushers CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 14 rushes, 68 yards NE – Mike Gillislee – 12 rushes, 49 yards Top receivers CAR – Kelvin Benjamin – 4 receptions, 104 yards NE – Rob Gronkowski – 4 receptions, 80 yards

Week Four: Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots – Game summary

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: October 1
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 65,878
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
• Recap, Gamebook

The Patriots' third game at home this season was their second loss of the season. Tom Brady's attempted comeback in the fourth quarter was not enough to beat Cam Newton and the Panthers as Carolina upset New England 33–30 with a last second 48-yard field goal courtesy of Graham Gano. At the end of Week 4, the Patriots' defense was ranked last in the entire NFL.^[153] In this rematch of Super Bowl XXXVIII, this was the second consecutive time, after the 2013 season, that the Pats lost a heartbreaker to Cam Newton. This was the last time the Patriots lost a home game until Week 14 of 2019.

With the loss, the Pats fell to 2–2. Brady's record against the Panthers overall also fell to 2–3.

Week 5: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	3	10	3	3	19
Buccaneers	0	7	0	7	14

Game information

First quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 27-yard field goal, 1:21. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 89 yards, 7:10. Second quarter TB – Doug Martin 1-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 8:26. Buccanneers 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 5:12. NE – Chris Hogan 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:42. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:44. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 23-yard field goal, 9:55. Patriots 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 1:33. Third quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 45-yard field goal, 9:55. Patriots 16–7. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 3:25. Fourth quarter TB – Cameron Brate 18-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Nick Folk kick), 2:09. Patriots 16–14. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 2:17. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 48-yard field goal, 1:10. Patriots 19–14. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 0:59. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 30/40, 303 yards, TD, INT TB – Jameis Winston – 26/46, 334 yards, TD Top rushers NE – Dion Lewis – 7 rushes, 53 yards TB – Doug Martin – 13 rushes, 74 yards, TD Top receivers NE – Brandin Cooks – 5 receptions, 85 yards TB – DeSean Jackson – 5 receptions, 106 yards

Week Five: New England Patriots at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

• Date: October 5
• Game time: 8:25 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C), clear
• Game attendance: 64,476
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (CBS/NFLN/Amazon Video): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

For the first time since 2009, the Patriots wore an all-white ensemble for this game, against the Buccaneers.^[154] For the first time this season, the Patriots were held to just a single touchdown on offense. Buccaneers place kicker Nick Folk missed all three field goal attempts in this game, which proved fatal to any chance they had at a comeback. After the conclusion of Week 5, the Patriots claimed a share in a three-way tie for the division lead. Star tight-end Rob Gronkowski did not play in the game, after being listed on the injury report for suffering from a thigh injury suffered at practice the previous day.^[155]

Week 6: at New York Jets

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	0	14	7	3	24
Jets	7	7	0	3	17

Game information

First quarter NYJ – Austin Seferian-Jenkins 1-yard pass from Josh McCown (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 9:08. Jets 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 88 yards, 5:52. Second quarter NYJ – Jeremy Kerley 31-yard pass from Josh McCown (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 12:18. Jets 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:33. NE – Dion Lewis 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:19. Jets 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 93 yards, 4:24. NE – Rob Gronkowski 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:09. Tied 14–14. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 0:26. Third quarter NE – Rob Gronkowski 33-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 11:22. Patriots 21–14. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:38. Fourth quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 28-yard field goal, 14:10. Patriots 24–14. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 5:31. NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 28-yard field goal, 3:40. Patriots 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 2:52. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 20/38, 257 yards, 2 TD, INT NYJ – Josh McCown – 31/47, 354 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers NE – Dion Lewis – 11 rushes, 52 yards, TD NYJ – Matt Forte – 9 rushes, 22 yards Top receivers NE – Brandin Cooks – 6 receptions, 93 yards NYJ – Jermaine Kearse – 4 receptions, 79 yards

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

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: October 15
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 77,562
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Gamebook

Another interesting chapter was added to the Patriots-Jets rivalry at MetLife. With this victory over the Jets, quarterback Tom Brady earned his 187th regular season win. Brady surpassed Brett Favre and Peyton Manning as the NFL's sole all-time leader in regular season wins.^[156] While missing two key components of their defensive secondary, the Patriots were able to overcome a two touchdown deficit in the first half and were able to hold on to secure the victory on a final drive surge from the Jets. Star tight end Rob Gronkowski made his return to the lineup, and contributed two touchdowns as well as several other key catches in the victory. This game also marked the first time since Week 1 that Brady did not throw for 300 yards.

During this game, in the 4th quarter, a controversial play caused a Jets touchdown to be reversed by official review when it was found that Jets tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins juggled the ball after being hit, resulting in a fumble, and didn't regain control until he was out of bounds which, by rule, is enforced as a turnover and a touchback.

Week 7: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	0	0	7	7
Patriots	0	17	3	3	23

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter NE – Brandin Cooks 11-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:26. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:39. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 29-yard field goal, 4:42. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 14 plays, 64 yard, 6:37. NE – James White 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:21. Patriots 17–0. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 1:34. Third quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 21-yard field goal, 4:12. Patriots 20–0. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards,6:23. Fourth quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 38-yard field goal, 9:15. Patriots 23–0. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:17. ATL – Julio Jones 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:09. Patriots 23–7. Drive: 11 plays, 88 yards, 5:06. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 23/33, 233 yards, TD NE – Tom Brady – 21/29, 249 yards, 2 TD Top rushers ATL – Devonta Freeman – 12 rushes, 72 yards NE – Dion Lewis – 13 rushes, 76 yards Top receivers ATL – Julio Jones – 9 receptions, 99 yards, TD NE – Chris Hogan – 4 receptions, 71 yards

Week Seven: Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots – Game summary

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: October 22
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), cloudy, fog developing in the 2nd quarter
• Game attendance: 65,878
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Gamebook

For the first time since Week 3 of last season, the Patriots wore their all-blue Color Rush uniforms, for this Super Bowl LI rematch.^[154] The Patriots defense, for the first time this season, were able to hold an opposing quarterback under 300 passing yards, with Matt Ryan only logging 233. The defense also made key stops, including blocking a field goal, stopping the Falcons in the red zone resulting in a missed field goal, and stopping Atlanta on a 4th down attempt from the 1-yard line. During the game, an extremely dense fog covered the stadium for most of the contest, resulting in the television broadcast being forced to use their on-field cameras much more than normal. As the Chiefs had lost to Oakland on Thursday Night Football, the Patriots' win against the Falcons moved them into a three-way tie for the best record in the AFC with the Chiefs and Steelers.

Week 8: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	7	0	0	6	13
Patriots	0	15	3	3	21

Game information

First quarter LAC – Melvin Gordon 87-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 6:15. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 88 yards, 0:53. Second quarter NE – Rob Gronkowski 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 14:56. Tied 7–7. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 6:19. NE – Travis Benjamin tackled in end zone by Brandon King for a safety, 9:08. Patriots 9–7. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 25-yard field goal, 4:06. Patriots 12–7. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 5:02. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 36-yard field goal, 0:20. Patriots 15–7. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 1:40. Third quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 43-yard field goal, 5:25. Patriots 18–7. Drive: 12 plays, 52 yards, 5:27. Fourth quarter LAC – Travis Benjamin 24-yard pass from Philip Rivers (pass failed), 8:30. Patriots 18–13. Drive: 3 plays, 67 yards, 1:06. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 26-yard field goal, 1:08. Patriots 21–13. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 3:33. Top passers LAC – Philip Rivers – 17/30, 212 yards, TD, INT NE – Tom Brady – 32/47, 333 yards, TD Top rushers LAC – Melvin Gordon – 14 rushes, 132 yards, TD NE – Dion Lewis – 15 rushes, 44 yards Top receivers LAC – Travis Benjamin – 5 receptions, 64 yards, TD NE – James White – 5 receptions, 85 yards

Week Eight: Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots – Game summary

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: October 29
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), rain
• Game attendance: 65,878
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Gamebook

In their last game before the bye week, the Patriots took on the Los Angeles Chargers at home. The teams traded punts on the opening two possessions. The Chargers scored first on an 87-yard run by Melvin Gordon, matching a 56-year old Chargers record. With the next drive, the Patriots scored on a 2-yard pass to Rob Gronkowski at the start of the second quarter. Later in the second quarter, the Chargers returner Travis Benjamin caught a Ryan Allen punt at his own 8-yard line and ran backwards into his own endzone in an attempt to evade the Patriots coverage team. The resulting safety by Brandon King gave the Patriots their first lead at 9–7, and the Patriots would never trail again, kicking four field goals, and holding off a late-game surge by the Chargers to preserve a 21–13 win.

The game was notable for the performances by Patriots running backs. Heavy rain slowed down the long passing game, so short passes to the running backs dominated the Patriots offensive game plan. Running backs James White and Rex Burkhead led the Patriots in receiving with 85 yards and 68 yards respectively, mostly on yards after catch. Fellow running back Dion Lewis led the Patriots in ground yardage for the fourth straight week, with Mike Gillislee also contributing to key short-yardage situations.

With the win, the Patriots entered the bye week and improved to 6–2. A few days after this, the Patriots sent backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers for a second-round draft pick. Garoppolo led the 49ers to five consecutive wins after replacing C. J. Beathard.

Week 10: at Denver Broncos

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	14	13	7	7	41
Broncos	6	3	7	0	16

Game information

First quarter NE – Rex Burkhead 14-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:36. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 24 yards, 0:46. DEN – Brandon McManus 39-yard field goal, 8:42. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:57. NE – Dion Lewis 103-yard kick return (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 8:24. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 0 plays, 103 yards, 0:15. DEN – Brandon McManus 33-yard field goal, 5:22. Patriots 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 3:06. Second quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 25-yard field goal, 13:41. Patriots 17–6. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 6:40. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 28-yard field goal, 8:51. Patriots 20–6. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 1:51. DEN – Brandon McManus 36-yard field goal, 2:40. Patriots 20–9. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 6:11. NE – Dwayne Allen 11-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:31. Patriots 27–9. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 2:11. Third quarter DEN – Demaryius Thomas 7-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Brandon McManus kick), 8:01. Patriots 27–16. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 7:06. NE – Dion Lewis 8-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 4:38. Patriots 34–16. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:18. Fourth quarter NE – Tom Brady 6-yard pass to James White (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:04. Patriots 41–16. Drive: 16 plays, 94 yards, 7:31. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 25/34, 266 yards, 3 TD DEN – Brock Osweiler – 18/33, 221 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NE – Dion Lewis – 14 rushes, 55 yards, TD DEN – C. J. Anderson – 10 rushes, 54 yards Top receivers NE – Brandin Cooks – 6 receptions, 74 yards, Rob Gronkowski – 4 receptions, 74 yards DEN – Emmanuel Sanders – 6 receptions, 137 yards

Week Ten: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos – Game summary

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: November 12
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST/6:30 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 76,820
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Gamebook

The Patriots usually play very well coming off of a bye week^[157] and 2017 was no exception. The Patriots opened the game with a 3-and-out, but on the ensuing punt, Denver returner Isaiah McKenzie muffed the return, and it was recovered by the Patriots. Brady capitalized quickly, as two quick completions to Rex Burkhead gave the Pats the lead at 12:43 in the first quarter, a lead they would not relinquish. The Broncos answered with a field goal, and on the ensuing kickoff, Pats special teams came through again with a Dion Lewis kick return for a touchdown. The Broncos added a second field goal in the first quarter, while the Patriots responded with one of their own at the start of the second quarter. The Broncos next drive stalled out short of midfield, and Burkhead found a hole in the line to block the Riley Dixon punt, once again giving the Patriots good field position. The Patriots and Broncos traded field goals, and the Patriots closed out the first half with a Brady-to-Dwayne Allen touchdown, his first reception of the season. The Broncos only sustained touchdown drive came at the start of the second half, ending in a Brock Osweiler-to-Demaryius Thomas seven-yard pass. Two more touchdowns by the Patriots (a run by Lewis and a reception by James White) would seal the deal, with Brady taking a rest at the end of the game to give new acquisition Brian Hoyer some game-time reps.

For his performance, Brady was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week, his third this season and the 30th of his career. In addition, running back Dion Lewis also earned honors, receiving the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award.

Week 11: at Oakland Raiders

NFL International Series

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	7	10	13	3	33
Raiders	0	0	0	8	8

Game information

First quarter NE – Dion Lewis 15-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 4:09. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 15 plays, 87 yards, 7:07. Second quarter NE – Danny Amendola 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:23. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:32. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 62-yard field goal, 0:00. Patriots 17–0. Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 0:33. Third quarter NE – Brandin Cooks 64-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 14:06. Patriots 24–0. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:54. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 51-yard field goal, 7:04. Patriots 27–0. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 3:57. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 40-yard field goal, 2:03. Patriots 30–0. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:36. Fourth quarter OAK – Amari Cooper 9-yard pass from Derek Carr (Derek Carr-Michael Crabtree pass), 11:43. Patriots 30–8. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:20. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 29-yard field goal, 8:15. Patriots 33–8. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 3:28. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 30/37, 339 yards, 3 TD OAK – Derek Carr – 28/49, 237 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NE – Dion Lewis – 10 rushes, 60 yards OAK – Marshawn Lynch – 11 rushes, 67 yards Top receivers NE – Brandin Cooks – 6 receptions, 149 yards, TD OAK – Michael Crabtree – 6 receptions, 51 yards

Week Eleven: New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

at Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico

• Date: November 19
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/3:25 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 77,357
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Tom Brady became the first player to pass for 300 yards in three different countries: USA, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.^[158]

Week 12: vs. Miami Dolphins

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	0	10	0	7	17
Patriots	14	7	7	7	35

Game information

First quarter NE – Rex Burkhead 2-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 11:39. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:21. NE – Rob Gronkowski 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:33. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 4:39. Second quarter MIA – Reshad Jones 14-yard fumble return (Cody Parkey kick), 13:19. Patriots 14–7. NE – Rex Burkhead 1-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 8:29. Patriots 21–7. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 4:50. MIA – Cody Parkey 28-yard field goal, 4:06. Patriots 21–10. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:23. Third quarter NE – Rob Gronkowski 15-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 10:28. Patriots 28–10. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 2:46. Fourth quarter MIA – Kenyan Drake 5-yard pass from Matt Moore (Cody Parkey kick), 11:43. Patriots 28–17. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 3:12. NE – Brandin Cooks 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 6:31. Patriots 35–17. Drive: 5 plays, 38 yards, 2:10. Top passers MIA – Matt Moore – 23/34, 215 yards, TD, 2 INT NE – Tom Brady – 18/28, 227 yards, 4 TD, INT Top rushers MIA – Damien Williams – 8 rushes, 38 yards NE – Dion Lewis – 15 rushes, 112 yards Top receivers MIA – Jarvis Landry – 8 receptions, 70 yards NE – Brandin Cooks – 6 receptions, 83 yards, TD

Week Twelve: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots – Game summary

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: November 26
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 65,878
• Referee: Ronald Torbert
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Gamebook

Week 13: at Buffalo Bills

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	3	6	14	0	23
Bills	0	3	0	0	3

Game information

First quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 50-yard field goal, 1:30. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 59 yards, 6:21. Second quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 31-yard field goal, 6:26. Patriots 6–0. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:21. BUF – Stephen Hauschka 49-yard field goal, 3:205. Patriots 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 3:21. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 39-yard field goal, 0:15. Patriots 9–3. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 2:50. Third quarter NE – Rex Burkhead 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:02. Patriots 16–3. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:58. NE – Rex Burkhead 14-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:08. Patriots 23–3. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 4:38. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 21/30, 258 yards, INT BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 9/18, 65 yards, INT Top rushers NE – Dion Lewis – 15 rushes, 92 yards BUF – LeSean McCoy – 15 rushes, 93 yards Top receivers NE – Rob Gronkowski – 9 receptions, 147 yards BUF – Zay Jones – 2 receptions, 22 yards

Week Thirteen: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: December 3
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), mostly cloudy
• Game attendance: 68,499
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Rob Gronkowski was suspended for one game after a late hit on Bills defensive back Tre'Davious White.

Week 14: at Miami Dolphins

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	0	10	0	10	20
Dolphins	6	7	14	0	27

Game information

First quarter MIA – Cody Parkey 30-yard field goal, 9:01. Dolphins 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 5:59. MIA – Cody Parkey 44-yard field goal, 3:49. Dolphins 6–0. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 4:26. Second quarter NE – Rex Burkhead 3-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 6:18. Patriots 7–6. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:56. MIA – Jarvis Landry 5-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Cody Parkey kick), 3:33. Dolphins 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:45. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 46-yard field goal, 0:02. Dolphins 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 3:31. Third quarter MIA – Jakeem Grant 25-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Cody Parkey kick), 11:03. Dolphins 20–10. Drive: 5 plays, 46 yards, 2:21. MIA – Jarvis Landry 4-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Cody Parkey kick), 4:43. Dolphins 27–10. Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 4:21. Fourth quarter NE – James White 3-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 13:05. Dolphins 27–17. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 2:29. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 33-yard field goal, 0:53. Dolphins 27–20. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 1:31. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 24/43, 233 yards, TD, 2 INT MIA – Jay Cutler – 25/38, 263 yards, 3 TD Top rushers NE – Dion Lewis – 5 carries, 17 yards MIA – Kenyan Drake – 25 carries, 114 yards Top receivers NE – Danny Amendola – 6 receptions, 76 yards MIA – Jarvis Landry – 8 receptions, 46 yards, 2 TD

Week Fourteen: New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: December 11
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), clear
• Game attendance: 65,548
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
• Recap, Gamebook

The Pats' 14-game road win streak ended in Miami, the same place where they suffered their last regular season road loss on January 3, 2016. Rob Gronkowski missed this game due to suspension.

Week 15: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	7	3	6	11	27
Steelers	7	10	7	0	24

Game information

First quarter NE – Rex Burkhead 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:00. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 3:11. PIT – Eli Rogers 18-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 5:32. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 3:28. Second quarter PIT – Chris Boswell 51-yard field goal, 12:15. Steelers 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 4:57. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 32-yard field goal, 9:04. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 3:11. PIT – Martavis Bryant 4-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 0:25. Steelers 17–10. Drive: 15 plays, 78 yards, 8:39. Third quarter NE – Brandin Cooks 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (kick failed), 8:50. Steelers 17–16. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:10. PIT – Le'Veon Bell 3-yard run (Chris Boswell kick), 1:33. Steelers 24–16. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:58. Fourth quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 46-yard field goal, 3:56. Steelers 24–19. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 3:42. NE – Dion Lewis 8-yard run (Tom Brady-Rob Gronkowski pass), 0:56. Patriots 27–24. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 1:10. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 22/35, 298 yards, TD, INT PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 22/30, 281 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers NE – Dion Lewis – 13 rushes, 67 yards, TD PIT – Le'Veon Bell – 24 rushes, 117 yards, TD Top receivers NE – Rob Gronkowski – 9 receptions, 168 yards PIT – JuJu Smith-Schuster – 6 receptions, 114 yards

Week Fifteen: New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary

at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Date: December 17
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), mostly cloudy
• Game attendance: 68,574
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

The return of Rob Gronkowski, and a late-game interception resulted in the Patriots defeating the Steelers. The Pats won the AFC East for the 9th straight year. The Patriots trailed 24–16 at the end of the third quarter. They scored on a 46-yard field goal with 4:00 left in the game to pull within 24–19. Then, with 56 seconds remaining, Dion Lewis scored on an 8-yard run and the Patriots added a two-point conversion to go ahead 27–24.

JuJu Smith-Schuster set the Steelers up deep in Patriots territory with a 69-yard reception from Ben Roethlisberger. It looked like Pittsburgh regained the lead on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to tight end Jesse James. However, the play was overturned and the Steelers couldn't find the end zone. The game ended on a Roethlisberger interception. With this win, the Patriots improved to 11–3 and clinched the AFC East division title for the 9th consecutive season.

Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown left in the first half with a bruised calf. He was taken to the hospital and didn't return.

Week 16: vs. Buffalo Bills

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	3	10	3	0	16
Patriots	0	13	10	14	37

Game information

First quarter BUF – Stephen Hauschka 41-yard field goal, 5:30. Bills 3–0. Drive: 16 plays, 47 yards, 8:04. Second quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 21-yard field goal, 14:14. Tied 3–3. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 6:16. BUF – Jordan Poyer 19-yard interception return (Stephen Hauschka kick), 10:28. Bills 10–3. NE – Rob Gronkowski 17-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:06. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:22. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 40-yard field goal, 1:55. Patriots 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:00. BUF – Stephen Hauschka 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 13–13. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 1:55. Third quarter BUF – Stephen Hauschka 30-yard field goal, 10:21. Bills 16–13. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:39. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 34-yard field goal, 5:08. Tied 16–16. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:13. NE – Mike Gillislee 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:55. Patriots 23–16. Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards, 1:59. Fourth quarter NE – Dion Lewis 12-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:27. Patriots 30–16. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:41. NE – Dion Lewis 4-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:58. Patriots 37–16. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:25. Top passers BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 21/38, 281 yards NE – Tom Brady – 21/28, 224 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers BUF – LeSean McCoy – 17 rushes, 71 yards NE – Dion Lewis – 24 rushes, 129 yards, TD Top receivers BUF – Deonte Thompson – 4 receptions, 91 yards NE – Rob Gronkowski – 5 receptions, 67 yards, TD

Week Sixteen: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots – Game summary

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: December 24
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 65,878
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Tom Brady passed for a pair of touchdowns and the New England Patriots stayed on track to claim home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 37–16 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday and also with the Jacksonville Jaguars losing late in the day, the Patriots clinched a first round bye for the 8th consecutive season.

Dion Lewis caught a touchdown pass and rushed for a 4-yard score. He carried 24 times for career-high 129 yards. It was just his second-career 100-yard game. Mike Gillislee (former Bill himself), active for the first time in six games, added a 1-yard rushing touchdown.

Week 17: vs. New York Jets

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	3	0	0	3	6
Patriots	7	14	3	2	26

Game information

First quarter NE – Dion Lewis 3-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:30. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:30. NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 48-yard field goal, 1:42. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:10. Second quarter NE – Brandin Cooks 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 4:14. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 4:23. NE – Dion Lewis 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:20. Patriots 21–3. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 1:41. Third quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 21-yard field goal, 1:29. Patriots 24–3. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 6:29. Fourth quarter NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 35-yard field goal, 10:28. Patriots 24–6. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 3:03. NE – Bryce Petty sacked in end zone by Eric Lee for safety, 6:04. Patriots 26–6. Top passers NYJ – Bryce Petty – 19/36, 232 yards NE – Tom Brady – 18/37, 190 yards, 2 TD Top rushers NYJ – Bilal Powell – 13 rushes, 46 yards NE – Dion Lewis – 26 rushes, 93 yards, TD Top receivers NYJ – Neal Sterling – 5 receptions, 74 yards NE – Brandin Cooks – 5 receptions, 79 yards, TD

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

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: December 31
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 13 °F (−11 °C), cloudy and cold
• Game attendance: 65,878
• Referee: Brad Allen
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

With the win, the New England Patriots gained the #1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the entire AFC playoffs for the second year in a row.

Standings

Division

AFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(1) New England Patriots	13	3	0	.813	5–1	10–2	458	296	W3
(6) Buffalo Bills	9	7	0	.563	3–3	7–5	302	359	W1
Miami Dolphins	6	10	0	.375	2–4	5–7	281	393	L3
New York Jets	5	11	0	.313	2–4	5–7	298	382	L4

Conference

AFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1[a]	New England Patriots	East	13	3	0	.813	5–1	10–2	.484	.466	W3
2[a]	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	13	3	0	.813	6–0	10–2	.453	.423	W2
3[b]	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	10	6	0	.625	4–2	9–3	.434	.394	L2
4[b]	Kansas City Chiefs	West	10	6	0	.625	5–1	8–4	.477	.481	W4
Wild Cards
5[c]	Tennessee Titans	South	9	7	0	.563	5–1	8–4	.434	.396	W1
6[c]	Buffalo Bills	East	9	7	0	.563	3–3	7–5	.492	.396	W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7[c]	Baltimore Ravens	North	9	7	0	.563	3–3	7–5	.441	.299	L1
8[c]	Los Angeles Chargers	West	9	7	0	.563	3–3	6–6	.457	.347	W2
9	Cincinnati Bengals	North	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	.465	.321	W2
10[d]	Oakland Raiders	West	6	10	0	.375	2–4	5–7	.512	.396	L4
11[d]	Miami Dolphins	East	6	10	0	.375	2–4	5–7	.543	.531	L3
12[e]	Denver Broncos	West	5	11	0	.313	2–4	4–8	.492	.413	L2
13[e]	New York Jets	East	5	11	0	.313	2–4	5–7	.520	.438	L4
14[f]	Indianapolis Colts	South	4	12	0	.250	2–4	3–9	.480	.219	W1
15[f]	Houston Texans	South	4	12	0	.250	1–5	3–9	.516	.375	L6
16	Cleveland Browns	North	0	16	0	.000	0–6	0–12	.520	–	L16
Tiebreakers[g]
New England claimed the No. 1 seed over Pittsburgh based on head-to-head victory. Jacksonville claimed the No. 3 seed over Kansas City based on conference record. Tennessee finished ahead of Buffalo, Baltimore and Los Angeles Chargers based on conference record, claiming the No. 5 seed. Buffalo and Baltimore finished ahead of Los Angeles Chargers based on conference record. Buffalo claimed the No. 6 seed over Baltimore based on strength of victory. Oakland finished ahead of Miami based on head-to-head victory. Denver finished ahead of the New York Jets based on head-to-head victory. Indianapolis finished ahead of Houston based on head-to-head sweep. 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.

Postseason

See also: 2017–18 NFL playoffs

Playoff round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
Wild Card	First-round bye
Divisional	January 13, 2018	Tennessee Titans (5)	W 35–14	1–0	Gillette Stadium	Recap
AFC Championship	January 21, 2018	Jacksonville Jaguars (3)	W 24–20	2–0	Gillette Stadium	Recap
Super Bowl LII	February 4, 2018	vs. Philadelphia Eagles (N1)	L 33–41	2–1	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap

AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (5) Tennessee Titans

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Titans	7	0	0	7	14
Patriots	0	21	7	7	35

Game information

1st quarter TEN – Corey Davis 15-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 1:14. Titans 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 95 yards, 5:17. 2nd quarter NE – James White 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 13:18. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:56. NE – James White 6-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:20. Patriots 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 1:56. NE – Chris Hogan 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:52. Patriots 21–7. Drive: 16 plays, 91 yards, 5:18. 3rd quarter NE – Brandon Bolden 2-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 4:02. Patriots 28–7. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:20. 4th quarter NE – Rob Gronkowski 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 10:22. Patriots 35–7. Drive: 15 plays, 90 yards, 6:58. TEN – Corey Davis 11-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 1:55. Patriots 35–14. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 3:53. Top passers TEN – Marcus Mariota – 22/37, 254 yards, 2 TD NE – Tom Brady – 35/53, 437 yards, 3 TD Top rushers TEN – Marcus Mariota – 4 rushes, 37 yards NE – Dion Lewis – 15 rushes, 62 yards Top receivers TEN – Eric Decker – 6 receptions, 85 yards NE – Danny Amendola – 11 receptions, 112 yards

AFC Divisional Playoffs: (5) Tennessee Titans at (1) New England Patriots – Game summary

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: January 13, 2018
• Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 24 °F (−4 °C), clear and cold
• Game attendance: 65,878
• Referee: Ronald Torbert
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely
• Recap, Gamebook

The Patriots set a club playoff record by sacking Marcus Mariota eight times for their second win in three career playoff matches with the Titans franchise. The Patriots held Titans RB Derrick Henry to only 28 yards on 12 carries the week after he went for 156 yds against the Chiefs. This marked the third playoff meeting between the two clubs, the first since 2003, with the Patriots now holding a 2–1 advantage. They split the first two meetings, both in the divisional round, including the first game against the Titans' predecessor, the Houston Oilers.

AFC Championship: vs. (3) Jacksonville Jaguars

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Jaguars	0	14	3	3	20
Patriots	3	7	0	14	24

Game information

First quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 31-yard field goal, 9:21. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 5:39. Second quarter JAX – Marcedes Lewis 4-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Josh Lambo kick), 14:15. Jaguars 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:36. JAX – Leonard Fournette 4-yard run (Josh Lambo kick), 7:06. Jaguars 14–3. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 6:07. NE – James White 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:55. Jaguars 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 1:07. Third quarter JAX – Josh Lambo 54-yard field goal, 10:23. Jaguars 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 4:37. Fourth quarter JAX – Josh Lambo 43-yard field goal, 14:52. Jaguars 20–10. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 4:49. NE – Danny Amendola 9-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 8:44. Jaguars 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 3:19. NE – Danny Amendola 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 2:48. Patriots 24–20. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 2:10. Top passers JAX – Blake Bortles – 23/36, 293 yards, TD NE – Tom Brady – 26/38, 290 yards, 2 TD Top rushers JAX – Leonard Fournette – 24 rushes, 76 yards, TD NE – Dion Lewis – 9 rushes, 34 yards Top receivers JAX – Allen Hurns – 6 receptions, 80 yards NE – Danny Amendola – 7 receptions, 84 yards, 2 TD

AFC Championship: (3) Jacksonville Jaguars at (1) New England Patriots – Game summary

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: January 21, 2018
• Game time: 3:05 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), clear and cool
• Game attendance: 65,878
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely
• Recap, Gamebook

This marked the fifth playoff meeting between the two clubs with the Patriots now holding a 4–1 advantage. This was their second meeting in the AFC Championship game, the Patriots winning in 1996 as well.

The Pats overall record improved to 15–3.

Super Bowl LII: vs. (N1) Philadelphia Eagles

See also: Super Bowl LII

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	9	13	7	12	41
Patriots	3	9	14	7	33

Game information

First quarter PHI – Jake Elliott 25-yard field goal, 7:55. Eagles 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards, 7:05. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 26-yard field goal, 4:17. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 3:38. PHI – Alshon Jeffery 34-yard pass from Nick Foles (kick failed, wide right), 2:34. Eagles 9–3. Drive: 3 plays, 77 yards, 1:43. Second quarter PHI – LeGarrette Blount 21-yard pass from Nick Foles (pass failed), 8:48. Eagles 15–3. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 3:05. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 45-yard field goal, 7:24. Eagles 15–6. Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 1:24. NE – James White 26-yard run (kick failed, wide left), 2:04. Eagles 15–12. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 2:57. PHI – Nick Foles 1-yard pass from Trey Burton (Jake Elliott kick), 0:34. Eagles 22–12. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 1:30. Third quarter NE – Rob Gronkowski 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:15. Eagles 22–19. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:45. PHI – Corey Clement 22-yard pass from Nick Foles (Jake Elliott kick), 7:18. Eagles 29–19. Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 4:57. NE – Chris Hogan 26-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:23. Eagles 29–26. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:55. Fourth quarter PHI – Jake Elliott 42-yard field goal, 14:09. Eagles 32–26. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 4:14. NE – Rob Gronkowski 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:22. Patriots 33–32. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:47. PHI – Zach Ertz 11-yard pass from Nick Foles (pass failed), 2:21. Eagles 38–33. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 7:01. PHI – Jake Elliott 46-yard field goal, 1:05. Eagles 41–33. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:04. Top passers PHI – Nick Foles – 28/43, 373 yards, 3 TD, INT NE – Tom Brady – 28/48, 505 yards, 3 TD Top rushers PHI – LeGarrette Blount – 14 rushes, 90 yards, TD NE – James White – 7 rushes, 45 yards, TD Top receivers PHI – Nelson Agholor – 9 receptions, 84 yards NE – Rob Gronkowski – 9 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TD

Super Bowl LII: (N1) Philadelphia Eagles vs. (A1) New England Patriots – Game summary

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: February 4, 2018
• Game time: 6:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 67,612
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Gamebook

With this loss, the Patriots were unable to defend their Super Bowl title from last year. The team finished the season with an overall record of 15–4. However, the 33 points scored is the most ever by a team that lost the Super Bowl (since surpassed by the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII with 35). Tom Brady is also the first quarterback ever to throw for over 500 yards and lose the Super Bowl. His personal Super Bowl record dropped to 5–3. His record against the NFC East in Super Bowls also dropped to 1–3.

The Patriots, however, became the first team to appear in and play in 10 Super Bowls. But, despite the fact that they are still tied with the Cowboys and 49ers for 5 franchise wins, this loss tied them with the Broncos for most Super Bowls lost, with 5.

Statistics

Team leaders

Category	Player(s)	Value
Passing yards	Tom Brady	4,577
Passing touchdowns	Tom Brady	32
Rushing yards	Dion Lewis	896
Rushing touchdowns	Dion Lewis	6
Receptions	Rob Gronkowski	69
Receiving yards	Rob Gronkowski	1,084
Receiving touchdowns	Rob Gronkowski	8
Points	Stephen Gostkowski	156
Kickoff return yards	Dion Lewis	570
Punt return yards	Danny Amendola	232
Tackles	Devin McCourty	97
Sacks	Trey Flowers	6.5
Forced fumbles	Malcolm Butler	3
Interceptions	Duron Harmon	4

Source:^[159]

League rankings

Offense Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Total yards 394.2 YPG 1st Yards per play 5.9 5th Rushing yards 118.1 YPG 10th Yards per rush 4.2 T–11th Passing yards 276.1 YPG 2nd Yards per pass 7.9 3rd Total touchdowns 49 4th Rushing touchdowns 16 6th Receiving touchdowns 32 3rd Scoring 28.6 PPG 2nd Pass completions 389/587 (.663) T–15th Third downs 82/202 (.406) 10th First downs per game 24.3 1st Possession average 30:37 11th Fewest sacks allowed 35 15th Turnover differential +6 11th Fewest penalties 95 7th Fewest penalty yardage 835 8th

Defense Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Total yards 366.0 YPG 29th Yards per play 5.7 31st Rushing yards 114.8 YPG 20th Yards per rush 4.7 30th Passing yards 251.2 YPG 30th Yards per pass 7.3 25th Total touchdowns 33 5th Rushing touchdowns 6 2nd Receiving touchdowns 24 T–21st Scoring 18.5 PPG 5th Pass completions 367/590 (.622) 17th Third downs 82/208 (.394) 21st First downs per game 20.3 T–25th Sacks 42 T–7th Forced fumbles 9 T–27th Fumble recoveries 5 T–28th Interceptions 12 T–18th Fewest penalties 111 24th Fewest penalty yardage 1,041 28th

Special teams Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Kickoff returns 22.2 YPR 12th Punt returns 8.2 YPR 18th Gross punting 43.4 YPP 30th Net punting 41.6 YPP 16th Kickoff coverage 18.9 YPR 3rd Punt coverage 4.6 YPR 4th

Source for this section: NFL.com.^[160]

Awards and honors

Recipient	awards
Tom Brady	Week 2: AFC Offensive Player of the Week[161] Week 3: AFC Offensive Player of the Week[162] Week 3: FedEx Air Player of the Week[163] Week 10: AFC Offensive Player of the Week[164] November: AFC Offensive Player of the Month[165] 2017 Associated Press NFL MVP[166]
Stephen Gostkowski	Week 11: AFC Special Teams Player of the week[167]
Rob Gronkowski	Week 15: AFC Offensive Player of the week[168]
Dion Lewis	Week 10: AFC Special Teams Player of the Week[169] Week 16: AFC Offensive Player of the Week[170]
Jordan Richards	2017 New England Patriots Ron Burton Community Service Award[171]
Matthew Slater	2017 New England Patriots Ed Block Courage Award[172]