| 2020 New England Patriots season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Robert Kraft |
| General manager | Bill Belichick |
| Head coach | Bill Belichick |
| Home field | Gillette Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–9 |
| Division place | 3rd AFC East |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | CB Stephon Gilmore ST Matthew Slater P Jake Bailey |
| AP All-Pros | PR Gunner Olszewski (1st team) P Jake Bailey (1st team) ST Matthew Slater (2nd team) |
| Uniform | |
 | |
The 2020 season was the New England Patriots' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), their 61st overall, and their 21st under head coach Bill Belichick.
It was the first season since 1999 without quarterback Tom Brady on the roster, as he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady led the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances, winning six, and had been their primary starting quarterback from 2001 to 2019, and would go on to win Super Bowl LV with his new team, his seventh overall.[1][2] The Patriots signed long-time Carolina Panthers quarterback and 2015 MVP Cam Newton on June 29, and named him the starting quarterback on September 3.[3]
The Patriots attempted to win their 12th consecutive AFC East title and their first since 1997 without Tom Brady. However, they saw many key players opt out of the season due to COVID-19 concerns and battled numerous injuries throughout the season. They began the season 2–5, their worst record through 7 games since 2000. They failed to improve on their 12–4 record from the previous season following a Week 7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers and failed to match that record following a Week 8 loss to the division rival Buffalo Bills. Following a Sunday Night win by the Bills over the Steelers in week 14, the Patriots failed to win their division for the first time since 2008, and they were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2008 with a Week 15 loss to the Dolphins, ending their winning season streak at 19. This leaves the record to the Dallas Cowboys at 20 consecutive winning seasons from 1966 to 1985. After their blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills in week 16, the New England Patriots finished the 2020 season with a losing record for the first time since 2000.
This was only the third time after 2000 the Patriots missed the playoffs and failed to win the division.[4][5] With their 11-year streak of playoff appearances snapped, the Kansas City Chiefs now hold the league's longest playoff streak, making the playoffs every year since 2015. In addition, New England's streak of 10+ win seasons that dated back to their 2003 Super Bowl-winning season, which was an NFL record, also came to an end following a Week 14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.[6]
For the season, the Patriots adopted a modified version of their Color Rush jerseys as their primary home uniform while introducing a new road uniform for the first time since 2000.[7]
This was also the final season of Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman’s career. He played his final game in Week 6 against the San Francisco 49ers. He underwent precautionary surgery for a chronic knee injury and did not return for the remainder of the season. On April 12, 2021, he announced his retirement from the NFL.
- ^ Patra, Kevin (March 20, 2020). "Tom Brady officially signs contract with Buccaneers". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- ^ Smith, Scott (March 20, 2020). "All in! Tom Brady, Bucs team up to pursue championships". Buccaneers.com. NFL Enterprises. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- ^ "Patriots reportedly name Cam Newton starting quarterback". Boston.com. September 3, 2020. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ Hightower, Kyle. "Patriots' NFL-record division title streak will end at 11". Retrieved December 20, 2020.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Patriots eliminated from postseason contention for first time since 2008". NFL.com. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- ^ "Patriots snap NFL record of consecutive 10-win seasons after Week 14 loss to Rams". CBSSports.com. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ Shook, Nick (April 20, 2020). "New England Patriots release new uniforms for 2020". NFL.com. Retrieved December 30, 2020.