2006 New England Patriots season | |
---|---|
Owner | Robert Kraft |
Head coach | Bill Belichick |
Home field | Gillette Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 12–4 |
Division place | 1st AFC East |
Playoff finish | Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Jets) 37–16 Won Divisional Playoffs (at Chargers) 24–21 Lost AFC Championship (at Colts) 34–38 |
Pro Bowlers | OT Matt Light DE Richard Seymour |
AP All-Pros | DE Richard Seymour (2nd team) |
Uniform | |
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The 2006 season was the New England Patriots' 37th in the National Football League (NFL), their 47th overall and their seventh under head coach Bill Belichick. They finished with a 12–4 record and a division title before losing to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs.
The Patriots entered the season without their two starting wide receivers from 2005; David Givens left in free agency while Deion Branch held out for a new contract before being traded in early September. They were eventually replaced with Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney, who was signed as a street free agent in October. Back-to-back losses in November ended the team's streak of 57 games without consecutive losses, three games shy of the NFL record.[1] The field surface of Gillette Stadium was changed from natural grass to Field Turf in time for the November 26 game against Chicago.
With a 12–4 record and their fourth straight division title, the Patriots entered the playoffs as the fourth seed. They defeated the New York Jets in the wild-card round. A close win over the top-seeded San Diego Chargers on the road in the divisional round set the Patriots up to face their rival Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game. Despite opening up a 21–3 lead, the Patriots stumbled down the stretch at the RCA Dome and the Colts emerged with a 38–34 victory, from which they would go on to win Super Bowl XLI.
As of 2024, this is the last time that the Patriots won a wild-card game.