The Patriots: How They Got Here
H
ere we go again. The New England
Patriots are back in the Super Bowl.
After playing in their sev-
enth straight AFC champion-
ship game on Jan. 21 against
the Jacksonville Jaguars, the
Patriots are looking for their
second straight Super Bowl
victory.
New England made the big-
gest comeback in Super Bowl
history last year, overcoming a
25-point deficit to defeat the
Atlanta Falcons, 34-28, to win
the big game. Having had
much of its key core intact
heading into the 2017-18 sea-
son, it’s no surprise the Patriots
find themselves making yet
another Super Bowl run.
Facing the Eagles is nothing
new, either. Tom Brady and the
Patriots beat Philadelphia in
Super Bowl XXXIX.
EXCELLENCE DEFINED
The Patriots will appear in
their 10th Super Bowl, the
most by any franchise. (Dallas,
Denver and Pittsburgh have
been to eight.) With a win,
New England would earn its
sixth title, which would tie the
Steelers for most in National
Football League history.
So how did they get here?
Well, that’s more of the same,
too.
BELICHICK AND BRADY
Coach Bill Belichick and
quarterback Tom Brady have
been the driving factors in all of
the Patriots’ Super Bowl wins.
They earned their first three in
a four-year span (2002 to 2005)
but had to wait 10 years for
their next championship.
Even with a little extra drama
this year after the Patriots trad-
ed backup quarterback Jimmy
Garoppolo to the San Francisco
49ers, Belichick and Brady
found a way to work through
their differences.
OVERCOMING INJURIES
The Patriots’ week of practice
ahead of their AFC champion-
ship game against the Jaguars
featured a scary moment for
Brady.
He cut his knuckle on a hel-
met during a handoff and it
required 12 stitches. Brady
missed one practice and
became the talk of the town
throughout the week, with
Patriots fans fearing the worst.
But the future Hall of Famer
put together a solid game with
290 yards and two touchdowns,
including the go-ahead touch-
down pass to Danny Amendola
with 2:48 left in the game.
Having had much of its key core intact heading
into the 2017-18 season, it’s no surprise the
Patriots find themselves making yet
another Super Bowl run.
pg 4 2018 BIG GAME
JEFFREY BEALL / WIKIMEDIA / CREATIVE COMMONS