2006 New England Patriots

Round Three of the NFL Playoffs determines the two conference champs – and who’s on their way to the Super Bowl! The battle for the American Football Conference Championship in 2007 came down to the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots. This time the outcome was different from the battles between these two outstanding teams in recent years. The Patriots and Colts fought a seesaw battle, but the final outcome was 38-34 Colts.

For a team that has been so dominant in the NFL in recent years, the New England Patriots' 10 and 6 season in 2005 was a disappointment. Not enough of one to keep their thousands of fans from buying tickets and heading for Gillette Stadium, of course. In fact, the Patriots filled the seats with an average of almost 69,000 tickets sold per game. New England finished at the top of the AFC East Division and made it into the NFL Playoffs. They defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round before losing to the Denver Broncos.

It almost seems as if Bill Belichick has seen more turnover in his staff than in his players, as assistants like Romeo Crennel, Charlie Weis, and Eric Mangini get snatched up to coach the competition. The superb Tom Brady will be back quarterbacking . New to the team are Reche Caldwell from San Diego and a number of fine draftees including Minnesota's Laurence Moroney, Florida's Chad Jackson, Texas's Dave Thomas. Toughest shoes to fill may be those of fan-favorite kicker Adam Vinatieri, who has departed to the Indianapolis Colts, but both veteran Martin Gramatica and rookie Stephen Gostkowski, drafted from Memphis, want to try.

Some New England Patriots history: The Boston Patriots joined the American Football League (AFL) as a charter member in 1960. In its second season the team compiled a winning record. Eleven Patriots played in the 1963 AFL All-Star Game as head coach Mike Holovak steered Boston to a tie for the Eastern Division title.

The club joined the NFL in 1970, establishing its home in Foxboro. Because the team played its games outside of Boston, the franchise was renamed in 1971 as the New England Patriots to appeal to a greater number of fans. The Patriots had a slow start in the NFL, winning no more than seven games in a season from 1970 to 1975.

The Patriots fielded several strong teams during the 1970s and 1980s, reaching the playoffs five times from 1976 to 1986. Coached by Raymond Berry, the Patriots made back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time in franchise history in 1985 and 1986. A wildcard team in 1985, New England won three hard-fought AFC playoff games to reach Super Bowl XX, where they lost to the Chicago Bears, 46-10.

The Patriots floundered from 1987 to 1993, bottoming out in 1990 with a 1-15 record. The team rebounded in 1994 behind second-year quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who led the NFL in passing yards. Bill Parcells coached the Patriots to two more playoff appearances in 1995 and 1996. Powered by Bledsoe and running back Curtis Martin, New England captured the AFC championship in 1996 before losing in the Super Bowl to the Green Bay Packers, 35-21. After the loss, Parcells resigned and former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Pete Carroll was hired to replace him.

With Bill Belichick taking the coaching reins and Tom Brady as quarterback, the New England Patriots seemed to make winning the NFL Championship a habit, defeating the St. Louis Rams 20-17 in Super Bowl XXXVI. They missed the Super Bowl in 2003 but came back in 2004 to defeat the Carolina Panthers 32-29 and again in 2005, beating the Philadelphia Eagles 20-17 in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Note: The Patriots are commonly referred to as "the Pats" by their adoring fans!