1960 Boston Patriots season
| 1960 Boston Patriots season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Lou Saban |
| General manager | Edward McKeever |
| Owner | Billy Sullivan |
| Home field | Nickerson Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 5–9 |
| Division place | 4th AFL Eastern |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
| AFL All-Stars | no game played |
| Uniform | |
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The Boston Patriots finished the inaugural American Football League's 1960 season with a record of five wins and nine losses, under their head coach Lou Saban, and thus were last place in the AFL's Eastern Division. The team played their home games at Boston University's Nickerson Field (formerly the site of the Boston Braves' home ballpark Braves Field).
In 1960, the inaugural season for both the Boston Patriots and the American Football League, the team played in several important "firsts". The first ever AFL exhibition pre-season game was played between the Patriots and the Bills, which the Patriots won. The Patriots also played in the inaugural regular season game, a loss to the Broncos on September 9, 1960, in a contest played at Boston University's Nickerson Field. The field ran from the third-base line to right field. The Patriots started the year going 2–2, before running into a three-game losing streak. They played a five-game home stand, winning three of them to return their record to 5–5, before ending the season on a four-game slide. They finished the year with a 5–9 record, worst in the AFL's Eastern Division. Butch Songin was the leading passer, and Alan Miller the leading rusher. Gino Cappelletti was a defensive back and placekicker the first year. Just before the final game, a receiver was slow getting back to the huddle, so Gino Cappelletti filled in. He was impressive, and would be a receiver for the rest of his career.
Game 1: The Patriots lost to the Broncos 13–10 in the AFL season opener. The Patriots struck first, with a 34-yard field goal in the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter, Denver receiver Al Carmichael caught a pass in the flats and scampered 41 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter, Bronco Gene Mingo took a punt 76 yards for a touchdown. Later in the quarter Patriot receiver Jim Colclough lost a fumble on the Denver 38. However, two plays later, Patriot defensive back Chuck Shonta took an interception 60 yards to the Denver 10, setting up a 10-yard touchdown pass from Butch Songin to Colclough in the right side of the end zone. In the fourth quarter, the Patriots seemed to be on a game-winning drive until an interception at the Denver 2. The Broncos then ran 16 plays to run out the clock.
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