NFL: When was the last time the New England Patriots had a losing record?
The New England Patriots are currently 6-9 after Monday's 38-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Even if they beat the New York Jets in their regular-season finale, the Patriots will end the 2020 NFL season with a losing record for the first time in two decades.
The Patriots will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2008 season. They will have a losing record for the first time since the 2000 season.
Bill Belichick does not seem to be taking the New England Patriots losing season very well. He was seen in the Week 16 loss to the Bills throwing a sideline telephone in frustration. This will be the first season Belichick has recorded a losing season since his first year as head coach.
2000 New England Patriots: How they finished 5-11
The New England Patriots would finish the 2000 NFL Season with a losing record of 5-11 and would only win two games in the AFC East division. The Patriots started the season with an 0-4 record. New England's offense would not record 300 total yards in any of those four losses.
New England would turn things around in Week 5 and Week 6 before losing four straight once again. In the first eight weeks of the 2000 NFL Season, the New England Patriots would turn the football over 12 times. The Patriots defense would be the only bright spot through the first eight games. New England's defense would force 14 turnovers in eight games.
Things would not get any better for the New England Patriots after their bye week. The Patriots offense would turn the football over 13 times in the second half of the 2000 NFL Season. It was a rough start for the newly hired head coach Bill Belichick.
No one could've guessed that the New England Patriots would go 20 straight years without recording a losing season. Tom Brady was in his rookie season for the 2000 New England Patriots. Brady didn't start a game until the 2001 NFL Season when Drew Bledsoe went down with an injury.
2020 Patriots vs 2000 Patriots
In the 2000 NFL Season, the New England Patriots were swept by a divisional opponent. In the 2020 NFL Season the Buffalo Bills swept the New England Patriots. This is the first time in 20 years that the Patriots had been swept by a team in their division. New England was the only team in the NFL that had not been swept by a divisional opponent since the divisions were realigned in 2002.
The New England Patriots were ranked 25th in points per game on offense in the 2000 NFL Season. 2020 The Patriots are ranked 27th in the NFL in points per game. Bill Belichick was the Head Coach for both the 2000 New England Patriots and the 2020 New England Patriots.
Think back when Tom Brady decided to leave New England for Tampa Bay. The big question everyone wanted answered was, who is responsible for the Patriots success over the past 20 years. Looking at the 2000 and 2020 New England Patriots team, one thing is missing.
Tom Brady was on the 2000 New England Patriots team, but he was only a rookie and was sitting behind Drew Bledsoe. Patriots ended with a losing record in both the years Tom Brady was not the starter. To say Tom Brady deserves a lot of the credit to the Patriots success is an understatement.
Brady has proven that with taking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. When the final whistle is blown in Week 17 of the 2020 NFL Season it will all come to the surface. New England Patriots needed Tom Brady more than Tom Brady needed them.