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2003 New England Patriots season

2003 New England Patriots season
OwnerRobert Kraft
Head coachBill Belichick
Home fieldGillette Stadium
Results
Record14–2
Division place1st AFC East
Playoff finishWon Divisional Playoffs
(vs. Titans) 17–14
Won AFC Championship
(vs. Colts) 24–14
Won Super Bowl XXXVIII
(vs. Panthers) 32–29
Pro BowlersCB Ty Law
LB Willie McGinest
DE Richard Seymour
AP All-ProsSS Rodney Harrison (1st team)
CB Ty Law (1st team)
DE Richard Seymour (1st team)
LB Tedy Bruschi (2nd team)
Uniform

The 2003 season was the New England Patriots' 34th in the National Football League (NFL), their 44th overall, and their fourth under head coach Bill Belichick. They finished with a league-best and franchise-best 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVIII.[1]

Two seasons after winning Super Bowl XXXVI, the Patriots went into 2003 after missing the playoffs in 2002. In a salary cap-related move, captain and Pro Bowl safety Lawyer Milloy was released five days before the start of the regular season. This prompted second-guessing of head coach Bill Belichick among some fans[2] and a report by ESPN analyst Tom Jackson that Patriots players "hated their coach", an accusation later denied by players.[3] Milloy signed with the Buffalo Bills, who defeated the Patriots, 31–0, in the season opener. The Patriots would rebound, not losing another game after starting with a 2–2 record. Due to multiple injuries, the Patriots started 42 different players during the season, an NFL record for a division winner until the 2005 Patriots started 45 different players.[4] Undefeated at home, nose tackle Ted Washington coined the phrase "Homeland Defense" for the Patriots' defense.[5] That defense, boosted by the offseason acquisitions of Washington and former San Diego Chargers safety Rodney Harrison, gave up a league-low 14.9 points per game. The regular season was bookended with a 31–0 victory over the Bills at home in Week 17, a score reversed from the Patriots' shutout loss to the Bills in Week 1. The win gave the Patriots a perfect 8–0 record at home in the regular season, and their 14 total wins was the team's highest mark since their 11–5 season in 2001.[6][7]

After a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs, the Patriots faced the Tennessee Titans at home in one of the coldest games in the Patriots' NFL history[8] and won 17–14, setting up an AFC Championship Game matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots intercepted Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, the league's co-MVP, four times, winning 24–14 and advancing to Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Carolina Panthers. With a tied game late in the fourth quarter, Adam Vinatieri kicked the game-winning field goal with seconds remaining, giving the Patriots their second Super Bowl victory in three seasons.[9][10][11]

  1. ^ "A new scheme makes the Pats dangerous". www.patriots.com. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  2. ^ Cafardo, Nick (September 5, 2003). "Fans seek safety". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  3. ^ "Patriots say they don't 'Hate' Belichick". ESPN.com. September 15, 2003. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  4. ^ "Bill Belichick Biography". New England Patriots. Archived from the original on June 2, 2007. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
  5. ^ Cafardo, Nick (January 15, 2004). "Chess Match". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  6. ^ Battista, Judy (December 20, 2003). "PRO FOOTBALL; The Patriots Find Ways To Adapt and Succeed". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  7. ^ Flaherty, Dan (July 9, 2014). "Highlights Of The 2003 New England Patriots". thesportsnotebook.com. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  8. ^ "Coldest-ever Patriots home game revisited". Boston 25 News. December 29, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  9. ^ Hack, Damon (February 2, 2004). "Patriots Win 2nd Super Bowl in 3 Years". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  10. ^ The Associated Press (February 1, 2004). "Vinatieri Kicks Patriots to Super Bowl Win". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  11. ^ "Five unforgettable Adam Vinatieri moments with Patriots". RSN. Retrieved July 18, 2022.

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