1996 New England Patriots season
| 1996 New England Patriots season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bill Parcells |
| Owner | Robert Kraft |
| Home field | Foxboro Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–5 |
| Division place | 1st AFC East |
| Playoff finish |
Won Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 28–3 Won Conference Championship (Jaguars) 20–6 Lost Super Bowl XXXI (Packers) 35–21 |
| Pro Bowlers | T Bruce Armstrong QB Drew Bledsoe TE Ben Coates RB Curtis Martin DE Willie McGinest KR Dave Meggett |
| AP All-Pros | T Bruce Armstrong (2nd team) KR Dave Meggett (2nd team) |
The New England Patriots participated in the National Football League's 1996 season, the team's 37th in football. The Patriots finished with a record of eleven wins and five losses, and finished first in the AFC East division. After a disappointing 1995 season, Drew Bledsoe bounced back with 4,086 passing yards and threw 27 touchdown passes to just 15 interceptions while Curtis Martin had another Pro Bowl season. The team lost Super Bowl XXXI to the Green Bay Packers.
The relationship between team owner Robert Kraft and coach Bill Parcells collapsed during the NFL draft, when Parcells wanted to draft a defensive lineman but Kraft overruled him, giving head scout Bobby Grier the choice of a player, and receiver Terry Glenn was selected. Parcells stormed out of the Patriots draft war room after the choice was made and vowed to reporter Will McDonough that he was done with New England after 1996. Despite this, the Patriots rallied from a 0–2 start to finish 11–5, then defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers and the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars to advance to Super Bowl XXXI. The season saw the arrival of former Cleveland Browns coach Bill Belichick as he took over coaching New England's defensive backs.
Despite being intercepted three times, Jim Kelly burned the Patriots as his Bills won 17–10. The game was tied at 10 in the fourth quarter when a blitz was picked up and Kelly found Quinn Early for a 63-yard touchdown; the Patriots drove to the Bills 5 in the final seconds but were stopped on a draw play to Dave Meggett. The Buffalo win put the Patriots at 0–2.
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