2023 New England Patriots season

The 2023 season was the New England Patriots' 54th in the National Football League (NFL), their 64th overall, their 22nd playing home games at Gillette Stadium and their 24th and final under head coach Bill Belichick.

2023 New England Patriots season
Owner	Robert Kraft
Head coach	Bill Belichick
Home stadium	Gillette Stadium
Results
Record	4–13
Division place	4th AFC East
Playoffs	Did not qualify
Uniform
← 2022 Patriots seasons 2024 →

The Patriots started 1–5 for the first time since 1995. Following their Week 12 loss to the New York Giants, the Patriots failed to improve on their 8–9 record from 2022. This was the first time the Patriots had back-to-back losing seasons since 1992–1993. The Patriots missed the postseason for the second consecutive year (and third in four seasons). Following a Week 17 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Patriots finished last in the AFC East for the first time since 2000. The 4–13 record marked Belichick's worst-ever season as an NFL head coach, and the Patriots' worst season since 1992.

The team's offense finished last in scoring (tied with the Panthers). They were also shutout twice, failed to score 10 or more points in six games, failed to score 20 or more points in 12 games, and failed to score 30 or more points for the first time since 1991. The Patriots also failed to win consecutive games for the first time since 1990. Belichick and the Patriots mutually agreed to part ways following the season's conclusion.^[1]

Roster changes

Free agency

Unrestricted

Position	Player	2023 team	Date signed	Contract
WR	Nelson Agholor	Baltimore Ravens	March 29, 2023[2]	1 year, $3.25 million[3]
OT	Marcus Cannon
LS	Joe Cardona	New England Patriots	March 21, 2023[4]	4 years, $6.3 million[5]
DT	Carl Davis	New England Patriots	March 13, 2023[6]	1 year, $1.3175 million[7]
FS	Cody Davis	New England Patriots	March 21, 2023[4]	1 year, $2.2 million[8]
DT	Daniel Ekuale	New England Patriots	March 23, 2023[9]	2 years, $3.4 million[10]
RB	Damien Harris	Buffalo Bills	March 21, 2023[11]	1 year, $1.77 million[12]
CB	Jonathan Jones	New England Patriots	March 13, 2023[13]	2 years, $19 million[14]
WR	Jakobi Meyers	Las Vegas Raiders	March 16, 2023[15]	3 years, $33 million[16]
P	Michael Palardy
SS	Jabrill Peppers	New England Patriots	March 17, 2023[17]	2 years, $9 million[18]
CB	Joejuan Williams	Minnesota Vikings	April 17, 2023[19]	1 year, $1.1 million[20]
OLB	Mack Wilson	New England Patriots	March 20, 2023[21]	1 year, $1.6 million[22]
OT	Isaiah Wynn	Miami Dolphins	May 14, 2023[23]	1 year, $2.3 million[24]

Restricted

Position	Player	2023 team	Date signed	Contract
CB	Myles Bryant	New England Patriots	April 17, 2023[25]	1 year, $2.627 million[26]
OT	Yodny Cajuste	New England Patriots	April 5, 2023[27]	1 year, $2.743 million[28]

Signings/waiver claims

Player	Position	Previous team	Date signed	Contract
Calvin Anderson	OT	Denver Broncos	March 16, 2023[29]	2 years, $7 million[30]
James Robinson	RB	New York Jets	March 17, 2023[17]	2 years, $4 million[31]
Juju Smith-Schuster	WR	Kansas City Chiefs		3 years, $25.5 million[32]
Mike Gesicki	TE	Miami Dolphins	March 20, 2023[21]	1 year, $4.5 million[33]
Riley Reiff	OT	Chicago Bears		1 year, $5 million[34]
Chris Board	LB	Detroit Lions	March 22, 2023[35]	2 years, $5 million[36]
Corliss Waitman	P	Denver Broncos	March 23, 2023[9]	1 year, $990,000[37]
Trace McSorley	QB	Arizona Cardinals	April 13, 2023[38]	1 year, $1.08 million[39]
Anthony Firkser	TE	Atlanta Falcons	May 25, 2023[40]	1 year, $1.08 million[41]
Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Dallas Cowboys	August 16, 2023[42]	1 year, $3 million[43]
Marquan McCall	DT	Carolina Panthers	August 22, 2023[44]	3 years, $2.575 million[45]
Matt Corral	QB	Carolina Panthers	August 31, 2023[46]	4 years, $5.094 million[47]
Bailey Zappe	QB	New England Patriots	September 9, 2023[48]	1 year, $870,000[49]
Ty Montgomery II	RB	New England Patriots		1 year, $1.165 million[50]
Will Grier	QB	Cincinnati Bengals	September 21, 2023[51]	1 year, $370,800[52]
Malik Cunningham	QB	New England Patriots	October 14, 2023[53]	3 years, $2.725 million[54]
Jalen Reagor	WR	New England Patriots	October 26, 2023[55]	1 year, $1.01 million[56]
Alex Austin	CB	Houston Texans	November 2, 2023[57]	1 year, $750,000[58]
Jeremiah Pharms Jr.	DT	New England Patriots	November 4, 2023[59]	1 year, $750,000[60]
JaMycal Hasty	RB	Jacksonville Jaguars	November 13, 2023[61]	2 years, $2.9 million[62]
Conor McDermott	OT	New England Patriots	November 25, 2023[63]	1 year, $1.08 million[64]
Christian Elliss	LB	Philadelphia Eagles	December 8, 2023[65]	2 years, $1.575 million[66]
Nathan Rourke	QB	Jacksonville Jaguars	December 18, 2023[67]	1 year, $750,000[68]
Kevin Harris	RB	New England Patriots	December 19, 2023[67]	1 year, $705,000[69]
James Ferentz	C	New England Patriots	December 23, 2023[70]	1 year, $1.08 million[71]
Marco Wilson	CB	Arizona Cardinals	December 27, 2023[72]	4 years, $4.13 million[73]
La'Michael Pettway	TE	New England Patriots	January 6, 2024[74]

Releases/waivers

Position	Player	Date released/waived
QB	Brian Hoyer	March 16, 2023[29]
WR	Lynn Bowden Jr.	May 10, 2023[75]
OT	Yodny Cajuste	May 18, 2023[76]
WR	Tre Nixon	August 22, 2023[44]
DT	Marquan McCall	August 23, 2023[77]
DT	Carl Davis Jr.	August 26, 2023[78]
CB	Quandre Mosely
LB	Diego Fagot	August 27, 2023[79]
S	Brad Hawkins Jr.
TE	Johnny Lumpkin
RB	C. J. Marable
DB	Rodney Randle Jr.
DT	Justus Tavai
OT	Micah Vanterpool
TE	Scotty Washington
LB	Carson Wells
QB	Trace McSorley	August 28, 2023[80]
P	Corliss Waitman
S	Joshuah Bledsoe	August 29, 2023[81]
QB	Malik Cunningham
C	James Ferentz
TE	Anthony Firkser
LB	Joe Giles-Harris
RB	Kevin Harris
G	Chasen Hines
RB	Ty Montgomery II
LB	Calvin Munson
G	Bill Murray
LB	Ronnie Perkins
DT	Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
WR	Thyrick Pitts
C	Kody Russey
TE	Matt Sokol
G	Andrew Stueber
RB	J. J. Taylor
WR	Raleigh Webb
QB	Bailey Zappe
QB	Ian Book	September 18, 2023[82]
QB	Matt Corral
P	Corliss Waitman	October 4, 2023[83]
CB	Ameer Speed	October 19, 2023[84]
QB	Malik Cunningham	October 24, 2023[85]
DE	Trey Flowers
CB	Jack Jones	November 13, 2023[86]
QB	Will Grier	November 25, 2023[63]
RB	Ty Montgomery II	December 8, 2023[65]

Trades

• March 16 – Tight end Jonnu Smith was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a 2023 seventh-round selection (No. 245).^[87]
• August 27 – Running back Pierre Strong Jr. was traded to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr.^[88]
• August 27 – The Patriots traded a 2024 sixth-round selection to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for offensive tackle Vederian Lowe.^[89]
• August 29 – Kicker Nick Folk was traded to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round selection.^[90]
• October 5 – The Patriots traded a 2025 sixth-round selection to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for cornerback J. C. Jackson and a 2025 seventh-round selection.^[91]

Draft

Main article: 2023 NFL draft

2023 New England Patriots draft selections Round Selection Player Position College Notes 1 14 Traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers[A] 17 Christian Gonzalez CB Oregon From Pittsburgh[A] 2 46 Keion White DE Georgia Tech 3 76 Marte Mapu MLB Sacramento State From Carolina[B] 77 Traded to the Miami Dolphins[C] 4 107 Jake Andrews C Troy From Rams[D] 112 Chad Ryland K Maryland From Jets[E] 117 Sidy Sow G Eastern Michigan 120 Traded to the New York Jets[E] From Steelers[A] 135 Traded to the Las Vegas Raiders[F] 5 144 Atonio Mafi G UCLA From Falcons via Raiders[F] 148 Traded to the Baltimore Ravens[G] 6 184 Traded to the New York Jets[E] From Raiders[H] 187 Kayshon Boutte WR LSU From Panthers[I] 192 Bryce Baringer P Michigan State 210 Demario Douglas WR Liberty Compensatory pick 214 Ameer Speed CB Michigan State Compensatory pick; from Raiders[F] 7 231 Traded to the Las Vegas Raiders[H] 245 Isaiah Bolden CB Jackson State From Bills via Falcons[J]

2023 New England Patriots undrafted free agents Name Position College Ref. Malik Cunningham QB Louisville [102] Jourdan Heilig LB Appalachian State Johnny Lumpkin TE Louisiana

Draft trades

1. The Patriots traded a first-round selection (14th overall) to Pittsburgh in exchange for first- and fourth-round selections (17th and 120th overall).^[92]
2. The Patriots traded a 2022 third-round selection to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a third-round selection (76th overall) and a 2022 fourth-round selection.^[93]
3. The Patriots traded a third-round selection (77th overall) to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a 2022 fifth-round selection and WR DeVante Parker.^[94]
4. The Patriots traded RB Sony Michel to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a fourth-round selection (107th overall) and a 2022 sixth-round selection.^[95]
5. The Patriots traded fourth- and sixth-round selections (120th and 184th overall) to the New York Jets in exchange for a fourth-round selection (112th overall).^[96]
6. The Patriots traded a fourth-round selection (135th overall) to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for fifth- and sixth-round selections (144th and 214th overall).^[97]
7. The Patriots traded a fifth-round selection (148th overall) and a 2022 seventh-round selection to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for CB Shaun Wade.^[98]
8. The Patriots traded a seventh-round selection (231st overall) and QB Jarrett Stidham to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a sixth-round selection (184th overall).^[99]
9. The Patriots traded CB Stephon Gilmore to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a sixth-round selection (187th overall).^[100]
10. The Patriots traded TE Jonnu Smith to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a seventh-round selection (245th overall).^[101]

Staff

2023 New England Patriots staff

Front office Chairman/CEO – Robert Kraft President – Jonathan Kraft Director of player personnel – Matt Groh Personnel coordinator – Brian Smith Director of scouting – Eliot Wolf Director of pro scouting – Steve Cargile Director of college scouting – Camren Williams Director of scouting administration – Nancy Meier Director of football / head coach administration – Berj Najarian Director of research – Richard Miller Head coaches Head coach – Bill Belichick Assistant head coach – Joe Judge Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – Bill O'Brien Assistant quarterbacks – Evan Rothstein Running backs – Vinnie Sunseri Wide receivers/kick returners – Troy Brown Wide receivers – Ross Douglas Tight ends – Will Lawing Offensive line – Adrian Klemm Assistant offensive line – Billy Yates

Defensive coaches Defensive line – DeMarcus Covington Linebackers – Steve Belichick Linebackers – Jerod Mayo Cornerbacks – Mike Pellegrino Safeties – Brian Belichick NFL coaching fellowship/defense – V'Angelo Bentley NFL coaching fellowship/defense – Keith Jones Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Cam Achord Special teams assistant – Joe Houston Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – Moses Cabrera Strength and conditioning assistant – Deron Mayo Director of skill development – Joe Kim

Final roster

2023 New England Patriots roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 10 Mac Jones 13 Nathan Rourke  4 Bailey Zappe Running backs (RB) 15 Ezekiel Elliott 36 Kevin Harris 39 JaMycal Hasty Wide receivers (WR) 80 Kayshon Boutte 81 Demario Douglas  1 DeVante Parker 83 Jalen Reagor 18 Matthew Slater 11 Tyquan Thornton Tight ends (TE) 86 Pharaoh Brown 88 Mike Gesicki 46 La'Michael Pettway

Offensive linemen (OL) 60 David Andrews C 67 Jake Andrews C 77 Trent Brown T 65 James Ferentz C 59 Vederian Lowe T 68 Atonio Mafi G 71 Michael Onwenu T 62 Sidy Sow G Defensive linemen (DL) 90 Christian Barmore NT 92 Davon Godchaux NT 93 Lawrence Guy DT 70 Jeremiah Pharms Jr. DT 96 Sam Roberts DT 99 Keion White DE 91 Deatrich Wise Jr. DE

Linebackers (LB)  8 Ja'Whaun Bentley ILB 45 Chris Board ILB 53 Christian Elliss ILB 33 Anfernee Jennings OLB 30 Marte Mapu ILB 48 Jahlani Tavai ILB 55 Josh Uche OLB  3 Mack Wilson ILB Defensive backs (DB) 28 Alex Austin CB 24 Joshuah Bledsoe FS 27 Myles Bryant CB 22 Cody Davis SS 23 Kyle Dugger SS 31 Jonathan Jones CB  2 Jalen Mills FS  5 Jabrill Peppers FS 21 Adrian Phillips SS 41 Brenden Schooler FS 26 Shaun Wade CB 19 Marco Wilson CB Special teams (ST) 17 Bryce Baringer P 49 Joe Cardona LS 37 Chad Ryland K

Practice squad 35 Breon Borders CB 52 William Bradley-King DE 44 Joe Giles-Harris ILB 42 Azizi Hearn CB 97 Trysten Hill DT 34 William Hooper CB 82 T. J. Luther WR 66 Kody Russey C 87 Matt Sokol TE 64 Andrew Stueber T 43 Ke'Shawn Vaughn RB Reserve 76 Calvin Anderson T (IR) -- Isaiah Bolden CB (IR) 84 Kendrick Bourne WR (IR) 95 Daniel Ekuale NT (IR)  6 Christian Gonzalez CB (IR) -- Terez Hall ILB (IR) 85 Hunter Henry TE (IR) 29 J. C. Jackson CB (NF-Ill.) 25 Marcus Jones CB (IR)  9 Matthew Judon OLB (IR) 75 Conor McDermott T (IR) 50 Raekwon McMillan ILB (IR) -- Tre Nixon WR (IR) 74 Riley Reiff T (IR)  7 JuJu Smith-Schuster WR (IR) 38 Rhamondre Stevenson RB (IR) 69 Cole Strange G (IR) 72 Tyrone Wheatley Jr. T (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 18 reserve, 11 practice squad

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 10	Houston Texans	L 9–20	0–1	Gillette Stadium	Recap
2	August 19[A]	at Green Bay Packers	W 21–17	1–1	Lambeau Field	Recap
3	August 25	at Tennessee Titans	L 7–23	1–2	Nissan Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 10	Philadelphia Eagles	L 20–25	0–1	Gillette Stadium	Recap
2	September 17	Miami Dolphins	L 17–24	0–2	Gillette Stadium	Recap
3	September 24	at New York Jets	W 15–10	1–2	MetLife Stadium	Recap
4	October 1	at Dallas Cowboys	L 3–38	1–3	AT&T Stadium	Recap
5	October 8	New Orleans Saints	L 0–34	1–4	Gillette Stadium	Recap
6	October 15	at Las Vegas Raiders	L 17–21	1–5	Allegiant Stadium	Recap
7	October 22	Buffalo Bills	W 29–25	2–5	Gillette Stadium	Recap
8	October 29	at Miami Dolphins	L 17–31	2–6	Hard Rock Stadium	Recap
9	November 5	Washington Commanders	L 17–20	2–7	Gillette Stadium	Recap
10	November 12	Indianapolis Colts	L 6–10	2–8	Deutsche Bank Park (Frankfurt)	Recap
11	Bye
12	November 26	at New York Giants	L 7–10	2–9	MetLife Stadium	Recap
13	December 3	Los Angeles Chargers	L 0–6	2–10	Gillette Stadium	Recap
14	December 7	at Pittsburgh Steelers	W 21–18	3–10	Acrisure Stadium	Recap
15	December 17	Kansas City Chiefs	L 17–27	3–11	Gillette Stadium	Recap
16	December 24	at Denver Broncos	W 26–23	4–11	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
17	December 31	at Buffalo Bills	L 21–27	4–12	Highmark Stadium	Recap
18	January 7	New York Jets	L 3–17	4–13	Gillette Stadium	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 1: Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	16	0	3	6	25
Patriots	0	14	0	6	20

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: September 10
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Rain, 71 °F (22 °C)
• Game attendance: 64,628
• Referee: Shawn Hochuli
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter PHI – Jake Elliott 32-yard field goal, 7:42. Eagles 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 61 yards, 7:18. PHI – Darius Slay 70-yard interception return (Jake Elliott kick), 4:56. Eagles 10–0. PHI – DeVonta Smith 5-yard pass from Jalen Hurts (kick failed), 2:39. Eagles 16–0. Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 2:09. Second quarter NE – Hunter Henry 9-yard pass from Mac Jones (Chad Ryland kick), 4:34. Eagles 16–7. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 4:48. NE – Kendrick Bourne 19-yard pass from Mac Jones (Chad Ryland kick), 0:25. Eagles 16–14. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 2:08. Third quarter PHI – Jake Elliott 56-yard field goal, 8:48. Eagles 19–14. Drive: 10 plays, 33 yards, 4:55. Fourth quarter PHI – Jake Elliott 48-yard field goal, 13:21. Eagles 22–14. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 4:22. PHI – Jake Elliott 51-yard field goal, 5:33. Eagles 25–14. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:59. NE – Kendrick Bourne 11-yard pass from Mac Jones (pass failed), 3:37. Eagles 25–20. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:56. Top passers PHI – Jalen Hurts – 22/33, 170 yards, TD NE – Mac Jones – 35/54, 316 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers PHI – Kenneth Gainwell – 14 rushes, 54 yards NE – Ezekiel Elliott – 7 rushes, 29 yards Top receivers PHI – A. J. Brown – 7 receptions, 79 yards NE – Kendrick Bourne – 6 receptions, 64 yards, 2 TD

In the Patriots season opener, they hosted the Eagles. On a day where the team honored longtime quarterback Tom Brady in their halftime ceremony, it was spoiled by an Eagles victory. The loss was the team's third consecutive season where they lost their season opener. The Patriots started off the season 0–1.

Week 2: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week 2: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots – Game summary

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

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: September 17
• Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Clear, 63 °F (17 °C)
• Game attendance: 64,628
• Referee: Shawn Smith
• TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIA – Jason Sanders 23-yard field goal, 3:00. Dolphins 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 7:13. Second quarter MIA – Raheem Mostert 8-yard rush (Jason Sanders kick), 9:39. Dolphins 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 5:21. NE – Chad Ryland 49-yard field goal, 1:49. Dolphins 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 3:55. MIA – Tyreek Hill 2-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 0:11. Dolphins 17–3. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 1:38. Fourth quarter NE – Hunter Henry 6-yard pass from Mac Jones (Chad Ryland kick), 11:21. Dolphins 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:26. MIA – Raheem Mostert 43-yard rush (Jason Sanders kick), 8:45. Dolphins 24–10. Drive: 1 play, 43 yards, 0:07. NE – Rhamondre Stevenson 2-yard rush (Chad Ryland kick), 5:25. Dolphins 24–17. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:20. Top passers MIA – Tua Tagovailoa – 21/30, 249 yards, TD, INT NE – Mac Jones – 31/42, 231 yards, TD, INT Top rushers MIA – Raheem Mostert – 18 rushes, 121 yards, 2 TD NE – Rhamondre Stevenson – 15 rushes, 50 yards, TD Top receivers MIA – Jaylen Waddle – 4 receptions, 86 yards NE – DeVante Parker – 6 receptions, 57 yards

For the first time since 2001, the Patriots lost their first two games.

Week 3: at New York Jets

Week 3: New England Patriots at New York Jets – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	3	7	3	2	15
Jets	0	3	0	7	10

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: September 24
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Rain, 65 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 80,878
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NE – Chad Ryland 48-yard field goal, 10:41. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 2:37. Second quarter NE – Pharaoh Brown 58-yard pass from Mac Jones (Chad Ryland kick), 11:38. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 78 yards, 2:09. NYJ – Greg Zuerlein 52-yard field goal, 1:21. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 33 yards, 6:08. Third quarter NE – Chad Ryland 51-yard field goal, 10:26. Patriots 13–3. Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 4:34. Fourth quarter NYJ – Nick Bawden 1-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 5:24. Patriots 13–10. Drive: 13 plays, 87 yards, 5:22. NE – Zach Wilson sacked in end zone by Matthew Judon for a safety, 2:19. Patriots 15–10. Top passers NE – Mac Jones – 15/29, 201 yards, TD NYJ – Zach Wilson – 18/36, 157 yards Top rusher' NE – Ezekiel Elliott – 16 rushes, 80 yards NYJ – Breece Hall – 12 rushes, 18 yards Top receiver NE – Pharaoh Brown – 2 receptions, 71 yards, TD NYJ – Garrett Wilson – 5 receptions, 48 yards

The Patriots picked up their first win of the season, improving to 1–2. Additionally, this win marked the team's 15th straight victory over the Jets in their rivalry, dating back to 2016.

Week 4: at Dallas Cowboys

Week 4: New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	3	0	0	0	3
Cowboys	10	18	3	7	38

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: October 1
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/3:25 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 93,719
• Referee: Scott Novak
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter DAL – Brandon Aubrey 23-yard field goal, 10:52. Cowboys 3-0. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 4:08. NE – Chad Ryland 29-yard field goal, 6:41. Tied 3-3. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 4:11. DAL – CeeDee Lamb 20-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Brandon Aubrey kick), 1:30. Cowboys 10-3. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:11. Second quarter DAL – Leighton Vander Esch 11-yard fumble return (Bryan Anger-Chauncey Golston pass), 11:09. Cowboys 18-3. DAL – Brandon Aubrey 23-yard field goal, 4:03. Cowboys 21-3. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 5:33. DAL – DaRon Bland 54-yard interception return (Brandon Aubrey kick), 0:54. Cowboys 28-3. Third quarter DAL – Brandon Aubrey 33-yard field goal, 7:42. Cowboys 31-3. Drive: 10 plays, 37 yards, 4:01. Fourth quarter DAL – Hunter Luepke 3-yard run (Brandon Aubrey kick), 6:38. Cowboys 38-3. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 4:21. Top passers NE – Mac Jones – 12/21, 150 yards, 2 INT DAL – Dak Prescott – 28/34, 261 yards, TD Top rushers NE – Rhamondre Stevenson – 14 rushes, 30 yards DAL – Tony Pollard – 11 rushes, 47 yards Top receivers NE – Hunter Henry – 4 receptions, 51 yards DAL – Jake Ferguson – 7 receptions, 77 yards

Bill Belichick endured his worst loss ever as a head coach. Two defensive touchdowns by the Cowboys sealed the defeat. The Patriots dropped to 1–3 after this game.

Week 5: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 5: New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	14	3	10	34
Patriots	0	0	0	0	0

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: October 8
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 61 °F (16 °C)
• Game attendance: 64,628
• Referee: Alex Kemp
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NO – Tyrann Mathieu 27-yard interception return (Blake Grupe kick), 7:02. Saints 7–0. Second quarter NO – Alvin Kamara 2-yard run (Blake Grupe kick), 14:23. Saints 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 4:16. NO – Chris Olave 5-yard pass from Derek Carr (Blake Grupe kick), 10:47. Saints 21–0. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 2:35. Third quarter NO – Blake Groupe 54-yard field goal, 11:34. Saints 24–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 2:26. Fourth quarter NO – Foster Moreau 6-yard pass from Derek Carr (Blake Grupe kick), 13:03. Saints 31–0. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 3:04. NO – Blake Grupe 53-yard field goal, 5:43. Saints 34–0. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:32. Top passers NO – Derek Carr – 18/26, 183 yards, 2 TD NE – Mac Jones – 12/22, 110 yards, 2 INT Top rushers NO – Alvin Kamara – 22 rushes, 80 yards, TD NE – Rhamondre Stevenson – 8 rushes, 24 yards Top receivers NO – Michael Thomas – 4 receptions, 65 yards NE – Kendrick Bourne – 2 receptions, 43 yards

For the second straight week, the Patriots failed to score a touchdown. This was the team's first shutout loss since 2016. They dropped to 1–4.

Week 6: at Las Vegas Raiders

Week 6: New England Patriots at Las Vegas Raiders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	0	3	7	7	17
Raiders	3	10	3	5	21

at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada

• Date: October 15
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 61,985
• Referee: Brad Rogers
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter LV – Daniel Carlson 25-yard field goal, 6:54. Raiders 3–0. Drive: 16 plays, 69 yards, 8:06. Second quarter LV – Jakobi Meyers 12-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo (Daniel Carlson kick), 12:22. Raiders 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 4:14. NE – Chad Ryland 43-yard field goal, 8:38. Raiders 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 3:44. LV – Daniel Carlson 37-yard field goal, 0:10. Raiders 13–3. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 3:26. Third quarter NE – Ezekiel Elliott 2-yard run (Chad Ryland kick), 8:56. Raiders 13–10. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 6:04. LV – Daniel Carlson 30-yard field goal, 3:55. Raiders 16–10. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 5:01. Fourth quarter LV – Daniel Carlson 24-yard field goal, 13:03. Raiders 19–10. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:24. NE – Rhamondre Stevenson 1-yard run (Chad Ryland kick), 3:33. Raiders 19–17. Drive: 17 plays, 75 yards, 9:30. LV – Mac Jones sacked in end zone for a Safety, 1:47. Raiders 21–17. Top passers NE – Mac Jones – 24/33, 200 yards, INT LV – Jimmy Garoppolo – 14/22, 162 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NE – Rhamondre Stevenson – 10 rushes, 46 yards, TD LV – Josh Jacobs – 25 rushes, 77 yards Top receivers NE – Kendrick Bourne – 10 receptions, 89 yards LV – Michael Mayer – 5 receptions, 75 yards

The Patriots lost to the Raiders for the second year in a row, and had their worst start in the Bill Belichick era. They dropped to 1–5 for the first time since 1995.

Week 7: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 7: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	0	3	7	15	25
Patriots	10	3	3	13	29

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: October 22
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 55 °F (13 °C)
• Game attendance: 64,628
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NE – Chad Ryland 30-yard field goal, 3:19. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:58. NE – Ezekiel Elliott 2-yard run (Chad Ryland kick), 6:58. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:49. Second quarter BUF – Tyler Bass 36-yard field goal, 14:49. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 13 plays, 57 yards, 7:09. NE – Chad Ryland 24-yard field goal, 7:36. Patriots 13–3. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 2:44. Third quarter BUF – James Cook 8-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick), 9:53. Patriots 13–10. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 5:07. NE – Chad Ryland 49-yard field goal, 4:30. Patriots 16–10. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 5:23. Fourth quarter NE – Kendrick Bourne 4-yard pass from Mac Jones (run failed), 7:36. Patriots 22–10. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 6:07. BUF – Stefon Diggs 25-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick), 5:32. Patriots 22–17. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:04. BUF – Josh Allen 1-yard run (Josh Allen–Dawson Knox pass), 1:58. Bills 25–22. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 2:58. NE – Mike Gesicki 1-yard pass from Mac Jones (Chad Ryland kick), 0:12. Patriots 29–25. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 1:46. Top passers BUF – Josh Allen – 27/41, 265 yards, 2 TD, INT NE – Mac Jones – 25/30, 272 yards, 2 TD Top rushers BUF – James Cook – 13 rushes, 56 yards NE – Rhamondre Stevenson – 9 rushes, 34 yards Top receivers BUF – Dalton Kincaid – 8 receptions, 75 yards NE – Kendrick Bourne – 6 receptions, 63 yards, TD

This win, their first in three games, as well as their first against the Bills in two years, marks Bill Belichick's 300th in his head coaching career. This would end up being the Patriots' only win at home this season.

Week 8: at Miami Dolphins

Week 8: New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	7	0	3	7	17
Dolphins	7	10	7	7	31

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: October 29
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 83 °F (28 °C)
• Game attendance: 65,836
• Referee: Land Clark
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkhabwala
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NE – Kendrick Bourne 24-yard pass from Mac Jones (Chad Ryland kick), 3:32. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 30 yards, 0:54. MIA – Tyreek Hill 42-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 0:22. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:10. Second quarter MIA – Cedrick Wilson Jr. 1-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 6:10. Dolphins 14–7. Drive: 14 plays, 53 yard, 7:25. MIA – Jason Sanders 30-yard field goal, 0:26. Dolphins 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 28 yards, 1:22. Third quarter NE – Chad Ryland 38-yard field goal, 12:45. Dolphins 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 2:10. MIA – Raheem Mostert 1-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 7:35. Dolphins 24–10. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 5:10. Fourth quarter NE – JuJu Smith-Schuster 3-yard pass from Mac Jones (Chad Ryland kick), 8:30. Dolphins 24–17. Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 5:17. MIA – Jaylen Waddle 31-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 2:43. Dolphins 31–17. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:47. Top passers MIA – Mac Jones – 19/29, 161 yards, 2 TD, INT NE – Tua Tagovailoa – 30/45, 324 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers NE – Rhamondre Stevenson – 10 rushes, 39 yards MIA – Raheem Mostert – 13 rushes, 46 yards, TD Top receivers NE – Demario Douglas – 5 receptions, 25 yards MIA – Tyreek Hill – 8 receptions, 112 yards, TD

For the second time in three years, the Patriots got swept by the Dolphins.

Week 9: vs. Washington Commanders

Week 9: Washington Commanders at New England Patriots – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Commanders	3	7	10	0	20
Patriots	0	14	3	0	17

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: November 5
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Mostly sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)
• Game attendance: 64,628
• Referee: Adrian Hill
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter WAS – Joey Slye 37-yard field goal, 3:14. Commanders 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 5:20. Second quarter WAS – Brian Robinson Jr. 9-yard run (Joey Slye kick), 12:05. Commanders 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:16. NE – Hunter Henry 14-yard pass from Mac Jones (Chad Ryland kick), 9:26. Commanders 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 0:59. NE – Rhamondre Stevenson 64-yard run (Chad Ryland kick), 6:06. Patriots 14–10. Drive: 2 plays, 84 yards, 0:35. Third quarter NE – Chad Ryland 43-yard field goal, 10:14. Patriots 17–10. Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 4:46. WAS – Jahan Dotson 33-yard pass from Sam Howell (Joey Slye kick), 6:51. Tied 17–17. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:23. WAS – Joey Slye 30-yard field goal, 1:49. Commanders 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 2:50. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers WAS – Sam Howell – 29/45, 325 yards, TD, INT NE – Mac Jones – 24/44, 240 yards, TD, INT Top rushers WAS – Brian Robinson Jr. – 18 rushes, 63 yards, TD NE – Rhamondre Stevenson – 9 rushes, 87 yards, TD Top receivers WAS – Terry McLaurin – 5 receptions, 73 yards NE – Demario Douglas – 5 receptions, 55 yards

This was the Patriots' first loss to Washington since 2003, and their first home loss to them since 1996.

Week 10: vs. Indianapolis Colts

NFL Germany games

Week 10: Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	7	0	0	3	10
Patriots	3	0	0	3	6

at Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt, Germany

• Date: November 12
• Game time: 3:30 p.m. CET/9:30 a.m. EST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 47 °F (8 °C)
• Game attendance: 50,144
• Referee: Tra Blake
• TV announcers (WCVB/NFLN): Rich Eisen, Jason McCourty, Sara Walsh and Stacey Dales
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NE – Chad Ryland 37-yard field goal, 8:11. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 61 yards, 6:49. IND – Jonathan Taylor 1-yard run (Matt Gay kick), 0:58. Colts 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 7:13. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter NE – Chad Ryland 24-yard field goal, 12:44. Colts 7–6. Drive: 15 plays, 89 yards, 8:04. IND – Matt Gay 51-yard field goal, 8:54. Colts 10–6. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 3:50. Top passers IND – Gardner Minshew – 18/28, 194 yards, INT NE – Mac Jones – 15/20, 170 yards, INT Top rushers IND – Jonathan Taylor – 23 rushes, 69 yards, TD NE – Rhamondre Stevenson – 20 rushes, 88 yards Top receivers IND – Michael Pittman Jr. – 8 receptions, 84 yards NE – Demario Douglas – 6 receptions, 84 yards

This was the Patriots' first-ever regular season game in Germany and were the designated home team; this was their first "home" loss to the Colts since 2006.

Week 12: at New York Giants

Week 12: New England Patriots at New York Giants – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	0	0	7	0	7
Giants	0	7	0	3	10

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: November 26
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 43 °F (6 °C)
• Game attendance: 82,211
• Referee: Scott Novak
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter NYG – Isaiah Hodgins 12-yard pass from Tommy DeVito (Randy Bullock kick), 1:53. Giants 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 2:34. Third quarter NE – Rhamondre Stevenson 7-yard run (Chad Ryland kick), 8:02. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 6:58. Fourth quarter NYG – Randy Bullock 42-yard field goal, 8:10. Giants 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 8 yards, 4:21. Top passers NE – Mac Jones – 12/21, 89 yards, 2 INT NYG – Tommy DeVito – 17/25, 191 yards, TD Top rushers NE – Rhamondre Stevenson – 21 rushes, 98 yards, TD NYG – Saquon Barkley – 12 rushes, 46 yards Top receivers NE – Demario Douglas – 6 receptions, 49 yards NYG – Jalin Hyatt – 5 receptions, 109 yards

This was the Patriots' first road loss to the Giants since 1987. Chad Ryland missed a game-tying field goal with 6 seconds left to seal the defeat. This would also be the last time that Mac Jones would serve as the starting quarterback of the Patriots.

Week 13: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Week 13: Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	6	0	0	6
Patriots	0	0	0	0	0

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: December 3
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Rain, 44 °F (7 °C)
• Game attendance: 64,628
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkhabwala
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter LAC – Cameron Dicker 38-yard field goal, 9:09. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 27 yards, 2:26. LAC – Cameron Dicker 38-yard field goal, 0:44. Chargers 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 0:50. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers LAC – Justin Herbert – 22/37, 212 yards NE – Bailey Zappe – 13/25, 141 yards Top rushers LAC – Austin Ekeler – 14 rushes, 18 yards NE – Ezekiel Elliott – 17 rushes, 52 yards Top receivers LAC – Keenan Allen – 5 receptions, 58 yards NE – DeVante Parker – 4 rushes, 64 yards

The Patriots fell to 2–10, securing their first season with 10 or more losses since 2000, which was Belichick's first season coaching the team. This was the Patriots' first five-game losing streak since 1995. Plus, this was the first time in franchise history that the Patriots were shut out at home twice in a season. Also, the Patriots became the first team since the 1938 Cardinals to allow 10 or fewer points in three consecutive games and lose all of them. In addition it was their first loss to the Chargers since 2008.^[104]

Week 14: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 14: New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	7	14	0	0	21
Steelers	3	7	0	8	18

at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Date: December 7
• Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 42 °F (6 °C)
• Game attendance: 66,376
• Referee: Clay Martin
• TV announcers (WFXT/Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NE – Ezekiel Elliott 11-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Chad Ryland kick), 11:12. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:48. PIT – Chris Boswell 56-yard field goal, 6:39. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 31 yards, 4:33. Second quarter NE – Hunter Henry 7-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Chad Ryland kick), 14:14. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:33. NE – Hunter Henry 24-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Chad Ryland kick), 7:38. Patriots 21–3. Drive: 4 plays, 59 yards, 2:10. PIT – Diontae Johnson 25-yard pass from Mitchell Trubisky (Chris Boswell kick), 2:50. Patriots 21–10. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:48. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter PIT – Mitchell Trubisky 1-yard run (Mitchell Trubisky–Pat Freiermuth pass), 11:44. Patriots 21–18. Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 1:39. Top passers NE – Bailey Zappe – 19/28, 240 yards, 3 TD, INT PIT – Mitchell Trubisky – 22/35, 190 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NE – Ezekiel Elliott – 22 rushes, 68 yards PIT – Mitchell Trubisky – 8 rushes, 30 yards, TD Top receivers NE – Ezekiel Elliott – 7 receptions, 72 yards, TD PIT – George Pickens – 5 receptions, 19 yards

The win not only snapped the Patriots' five-game losing streak but also marked their 3rd win over Pittsburgh since 2019. On top of that, the Patriots scored more points in this game than in their previous three games combined. However, the Patriots were eliminated from postseason contention when the Bengals defeated the Colts the following Sunday.^[105]

Week 15: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week 15: Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	7	13	0	27
Patriots	0	10	0	7	17

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: December 17
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 53 °F (12 °C)
• Game attendance: 64,628
• Referee: Shawn Hochuli
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter KC – Rashee Rice 4-yard pass from Jerick McKinnon (Harrison Butker kick), 1:30. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 2:05. Second quarter NE – Hunter Henry 16-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Chad Ryland kick), 7:09. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 5:47. NE – Chad Ryland 25-yard field goal, 4:47. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 2:10. KC – Jerick McKinnon 8-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 0:35. Chiefs 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:12. Third quarter KC – Harrison Butker 29-yard field goal, 10:29. Chiefs 17–10. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 4:31. KC – Clyde Edwards-Helaire 6-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 9:22. Chiefs 24–10. Drive: 2 plays, 7 yards, 0:49. KC – Harrison Butker 54-yard field goal, 3:40. Chiefs 27–10. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 2:53. Fourth quarter NE – Kevin Harris 18-yard run (Chad Ryland kick), 8:24. Chiefs 27–17. Drive: 2 plays, 29 yards, 0:44. Top passers KC – Patrick Mahomes – 27/37, 305 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT NE – Bailey Zappe – 23/31, 180 yards, TD, INT Top rushers KC – Clyde Edwards-Helaire – 13 rushes, 37 yards NE – Ezekiel Elliott – 11 rushes, 25 yards Top receivers KC – Rashee Rice – 9 receptions, 91 yards, TD NE – Hunter Henry – 7 receptions, 66 yards, TD

This marked the 3rd time the Patriots lost to the Chiefs since 2019, having not won against them since the 2018 AFC Championship game.

Week 16: at Denver Broncos

Week 16: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	0	3	20	3	26
Broncos	7	0	0	16	23

at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: December 24
• Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST/6:15 p.m. MST
• Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 28 °F (−2 °C)
• Game attendance: 76,201
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (WCVB/NFLN): Rich Eisen, Kurt Warner, James Palmer and Sherree Burruss
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter DEN – Javonte Williams 3-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 5:15. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 2:46. Second quarter NE – Chad Ryland 33-yard field goal, 13:30. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 61 yards, 6:45. Third quarter NE – Ezekiel Elliott 15-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (kick failed), 9:54. Patriots 9–7. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:56. NE – Mike Gesicki 11-yard pass from Bailey Zappe (Chad Ryland kick), 1:34. Patriots 16–7. Drive: 5 plays, 42 yards, 2:54. NE – Cody Davis 1-yard fumble return (Chad Ryland kick), 1:28. Patriots 23–7. Fourth quarter DEN – Lucas Krull 3-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Russell Wilson–Brandon Johnson pass), 8:33. Patriots 23–15. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:38. DEN – Brandon Johnson 21-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Russell Wilson–Javonte Williams pass), 2:53. Tied 23–23. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 3:40. NE – Chad Ryland 56-yard field goal, 0:07. Patriots 26–23. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 0:56. Top passers NE – Bailey Zappe – 25/33, 256 yards, 2 TD DEN – Russell Wilson – 25/37, 238 yards, 2 TD Top rushers NE – Ezekiel Elliot – 12 rushes, 27 yards DEN – Jaleel McLaughlin – 6 rushes, 37 yards Top receivers NE – Demario Douglas – 5 receptions, 74 yards DEN – Marvin Mims – 3 receptions, 63 yards

This victory over Denver marked Bill Belichick's final win as head coach of the New England Patriots, and possibly the last win of his coaching career.

Week 17: at Buffalo Bills

Week 17: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	7	7	0	7	21
Bills	13	7	7	0	27

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: December 31
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 35 °F (2 °C)
• Game attendance: 70,772
• Referee: Alan Eck
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NE – Jalen Reagor 98-yard kickoff return (Chad Ryland kick), 14:48. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:12. BUF – Tyler Bass 35-yard field goal, 12:07. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 0:53. BUF – Josh Allen 1-yard run (Tyler Bass kick), 6:37. Bills 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 14 yards, 1:57. BUF – Tyler Bass 24-yard field goal, 2:16. Bills 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 3:35. Second quarter BUF – Rasul Douglas 40-yard interception return (Tyler Bass kick), 12:36. Bills 20–7. NE – Bailey Zappe 17-yard run (Chad Ryland kick), 9:44. Bills 20–14. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:52. Third quarter BUF – Josh Allen 1-yard run (Tyler Bass kick), 10:42. Bills 27–14. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:18. Fourth quarter NE – Ezekiel Elliott 6-yard run (Chad Ryland kick), 11:01. Bills 27–21. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 3:09. Top passers NE – Bailey Zappe – 16/26, 209 yards, 3 INT BUF – Josh Allen – 15/30, 169 yards, INT Top rushers NE – Ezekiel Elliot – 14 rushes, 39 yards, TD BUF – James Cook – 16 rushes, 48 yards Top receivers NE – Mike Gesicki – 4 receptions, 35 yards BUF – Dalton Kincaid – 4 receptions, 87 yards

This was the second time in three seasons these teams split the series. With the loss, the Patriots fell to 4–12, setting a new record for most losses under Robert Kraft's ownership, and the most losses under Bill Belichick, and their most losses since 1992. Also, the loss meant that the Patriots would finish last in the AFC East for the first time since 2000.

Week 18: vs. New York Jets

Week 18: New York Jets at New England Patriots – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	3	3	0	11	17
Patriots	0	3	0	0	3

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: January 7
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Snow, 33 °F (1 °C)
• Game attendance: 64,628
• Referee: Land Clark
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NYJ – Greg Zuerlein 21-yard field goal, 2:04. Jets 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 5:16. Second quarter NE – Chad Ryland 30-yard field goal, 9:32. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 5:09. NYJ – Greg Zuerlein 40-yard field goal, 6:07. Jets 6–3. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:25. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter NYJ – Greg Zuerlein 33-yard field goal, 8:08. Jets 9–3. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 4:09. NYJ – Breece Hall 50-yard run (Breece Hall run), 1:47. Jets 17–3. Drive: 2 plays, 53 yards, 0:16. Top passers NYJ – Trevor Siemian – 8/20, 70 yards NE – Bailey Zappe – 12/30, 88 yards, 2 INT Top rushers NYJ – Breece Hall – 37 rushes, 178 yards, TD NE – Ezekiel Elliott – 13 rushes, 54 yards Top receivers NYJ – Garrett Wilson – 2 receptions, 34 yards NE – Ezekiel Elliott – 5 receptions, 27 yards

This was the Patriots' first loss to the Jets since 2015, and their first home loss to them since the 2010 playoffs.^[106] With this loss, they finished with the worst record in the AFC. This was also Bill Belichick's final game with New England, as he and the Patriots mutually agreed to part ways a couple of days afterwards.^[107]

Standings

Division

AFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(2) Buffalo Bills	11	6	0	.647	4–2	7–5	451	311	W5
(6) Miami Dolphins	11	6	0	.647	4–2	7–5	496	391	L2
New York Jets	7	10	0	.412	2–4	4–8	268	355	W1
New England Patriots	4	13	0	.235	2–4	4–8	236	366	L2

Conference

AFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	Baltimore Ravens	North	13	4	0	.765	3–3	8–4	.543	.529	L1
2[a][b]	Buffalo Bills	East	11	6	0	.647	4–2	7–5	.471	.471	W5
3[a]	Kansas City Chiefs	West	11	6	0	.647	4–2	9–3	.481	.428	W2
4	Houston Texans	South	10	7	0	.588	4–2	7–5	.474	.465	W2
Wild cards
5[c]	Cleveland Browns	North	11	6	0	.647	3–3	8–4	.536	.513	L1
6[b][c]	Miami Dolphins	East	11	6	0	.647	4–2	7–5	.450	.358	L2
7	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	10	7	0	.588	5–1	7–5	.540	.571	W3
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[d]	Cincinnati Bengals	North	9	8	0	.529	1–5	4–8	.574	.536	W1
9[d][e]	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	9	8	0	.529	4–2	6–6	.533	.477	L1
10[e]	Indianapolis Colts	South	9	8	0	.529	3–3	7–5	.491	.444	L1
11[f]	Las Vegas Raiders	West	8	9	0	.471	4–2	6–6	.488	.426	W1
12[f]	Denver Broncos	West	8	9	0	.471	3–3	5–7	.488	.485	L1
13	New York Jets	East	7	10	0	.412	2–4	4–8	.502	.454	W1
14	Tennessee Titans	South	6	11	0	.353	1–5	4–8	.522	.422	W1
15	Los Angeles Chargers	West	5	12	0	.294	1–5	3–9	.529	.388	L5
16	New England Patriots	East	4	13	0	.235	2–4	4–8	.522	.529	L2
Tiebreakers[g]
Buffalo claimed the No. 2 seed over Kansas City based on head-to-head victory. Buffalo finished ahead of Miami in the AFC East based on head-to-head sweep. Cleveland claimed the No. 5 seed over Miami based on conference record. Cincinnati finished ahead of Jacksonville based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Indianapolis (see below). Jacksonville finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head sweep. Las Vegas finished ahead of Denver 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.

Notes

1. Due to an injury involving Isaiah Bolden, the game was suspended with around ten minutes to go in the fourth quarter.^[103]