NFL Power Rankings: Top-five Patriots season openers since 2000 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots open their 2024 NFL season on Sunday when they travel on the road to play the Cincinnati Bengals.
The last time the Patriots opened a season in Cincinnati was 2001. The Pats lost 23-17, and a week later the franchise changed forever when Tom Brady took over for an injured Drew Bledsoe and ultimately led New England to its first Super Bowl title.
The 2024 campaign isn’t likely to have a storybook ending like that, but it is fun to look back on some of the most memorable season openers in Patriots history.
There have been many of them, including rivalry games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins.
Tom Brady went 15-3 in season openers as the Patriots’ starting quarterback from 2002 through 2019. Overall, the Patriots are 16-8 in season openers this century, including three straight defeats. Their last win came in 2020 at home versus the Dolphins with Cam Newton at quarterback.
Check out our ranking of the top five Patriots season openers since 2000.
Final score: 38-14 Patriots
This opener was unforgettable in more ways than one. It’s often remembered as the game that led to the infamous Spygate controversy, but it also was the beginning of a historic season that nearly ended in perfection.
Randy Moss and Wes Welker made their debuts with the Patriots, and it was electric. Moss, in particular, torched the Jets for nine catches, 183 yards and a touchdown. Welker finished with six receptions for 63 yards and the game’s first touchdown. Brady completed 22 of 28 pass attempts for 297 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
The Patriots outscored the Jets 24-7 in the second half.
New England eventually completed the first 16-0 regular season before losing to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
4. 2019 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Final score: 33-3 Patriots
The Patriots unveiled their sixth Super Bowl banner before beating the Steelers by 30 points.
This was actually Brady’s final season opener/home opener as a Patriots player. He threw for 341 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Final score: 25-24 Patriots
Foxboro was fired up for Brady’s return after he missed nearly the entire 2008 season because of a torn ACL.
The Bills scored a touchdown to go ahead 24-13 with just 5:38 remaining. But the Patriots mounted a fantastic, scoring two touchdowns in the next 4:32 of game time. The second touchdown drive happened because the Patriots forced and recovered a fumble on the kickoff. The winning score came on a 16-yard pass by Brady to tight end Benjamin Watson.
Adding to the scenery was the Patriots wearing their iconic red throwback jerseys and white “Pat Patriot” helmets.
2. 2004 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Final score: 27-24 Patriots
The Patriots hosted Peyton Manning and the rival Colts to begin the 2004 campaign after beating them in the AFC Championship Game the season before. They raised their Super Bowl XXXVIII banner before the game and then defeated the Colts by three points.
Brady threw for 335 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Veteran running back Corey Dillon ran for 86 yards on 15 carries in his Patriots debut.
Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt missed a potential game-tying field goal from 48 yards out in the final minute of the fourth quarter. Vanderjagt had made a league-record 42 consecutive field goals before that miss.
The Patriots beat the Colts in Foxboro again a few months later in the AFC Divisional Round.
1. 2002 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Final score: 30-14 Patriots
There’s nothing like the first Super Bowl banner ceremony, right?
The Patriots unveiled their Super Bowl XXXVI banner before taking on the rival Steelers in the first ever game played at Gillette Stadium.
Tom Brady threw for 294 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions as the Patriots cruised to a 30-14 victory. A 17-point third quarter proved to be the difference.
We also had the legendary John Madden compare Brady to Joe Montana during the ABC broadcast. Madden was impressed with Brady very early in the legendary quarterback’s career.
