2008 New England Patriots season

2008 New England Patriots season
Head coach	Bill Belichick
Owner	Robert Kraft
Home field	Gillette Stadium
Results
Record	11–5
Division place	2nd AFC East
Playoff finish	did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	K Stephen Gostkowski WR Wes Welker
AP All-Pros	K Stephen Gostkowski (1st team) WR Wes Welker (2nd team)
Uniform
← 2007 Patriots seasons 2009 →

1 2 3 4 Total Chiefs 0 3 0 7 10 • Patriots 0 7 7 3 17 Date: September 7 Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 2:49 Game attendance: 68,756 Game weather: Sunny; 75°F; wind 15 Referee: Carl Cheffers TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

Scoring summary Q2 11:49 NE Moss 10 yard pass from Cassel (Gostkowski kick) NE 7–0 Q2 :22 KC Novak 40 yard field goal NE 7–3 Q3 3:05 NE Morris 5 yard run (Gostkowski kick) NE 14–3 Q4 13:11 KC Bowe 13 yard pass from Huard (Novak kick) NE 14–10 Q4 2:30 NE Gostkowski 37 yard field goal NE 17–10

Scoring summary
Q2	11:49	NE	Moss 10 yard pass from Cassel (Gostkowski kick)	NE 7–0
Q2	:22	KC	Novak 40 yard field goal	NE 7–3
Q3	3:05	NE	Morris 5 yard run (Gostkowski kick)	NE 14–3
Q4	13:11	KC	Bowe 13 yard pass from Huard (Novak kick)	NE 14–10
Q4	2:30	NE	Gostkowski 37 yard field goal	NE 17–10

1 2 3 4 Total • Patriots 3 3 10 3 19 Jets 0 3 0 7 10 Date: September 14 Location: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ Game start: 4:15 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 2:41 Game attendance: 78,554 Game weather: Partly cloudy; 90°F; wind 12 Referee: John Parry TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

Scoring summary Q1 3:04 NE Gostkowski 21 yard field goal NE 3–0 Q2 13:21 NE Gostkowski 37 yard field goal NE 6–0 Q2 7:32 NYJ Feely 21 yard field goal NE 6–3 Q3 6:24 NE Morris 1 yard run (Gostkowski kick) NE 13–3 Q3 :22 NE Gostkowski 28 yard field goal NE 16–3 Q4 11:04 NYJ Stuckey 2 yard pass from Favre (Feely kick) NE 16–10 Q4 5:22 NE Gostkowski 27 yard field goal NE 19–10

Scoring summary
Q1	3:04	NE	Gostkowski 21 yard field goal	NE 3–0
Q2	13:21	NE	Gostkowski 37 yard field goal	NE 6–0
Q2	7:32	NYJ	Feely 21 yard field goal	NE 6–3
Q3	6:24	NE	Morris 1 yard run (Gostkowski kick)	NE 13–3
Q3	:22	NE	Gostkowski 28 yard field goal	NE 16–3
Q4	11:04	NYJ	Stuckey 2 yard pass from Favre (Feely kick)	NE 16–10
Q4	5:22	NE	Gostkowski 27 yard field goal	NE 19–10

1 2 3 4 Total • Dolphins 7 14 7 10 38 Patriots 0 6 7 0 13 Date: September 21 Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 2:49 Game attendance: 68,756 Game weather: Sunny; 72°F; wind 1 Referee: Bill Carollo TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots

1 2 3 4 Total • Patriots 7 10 7 6 30 49ers 14 0 0 7 21 Date: October 5 Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA Game start: 4:15 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3:10 Game attendance: 67,650 Game weather: Sunny; 67°F; wind 8 Referee: Mike Carey TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Randy Cross, and Dan Fouts

Scoring summary Q1 9:05 SF Gore O'Sullivan (Nedney kick) SF 7–0 Q1 7:44 NE Moss 66 yard pass from Cassel (Gostkowski kick) Tie 7–7 Q1 5:31 SF Bruce 6 yard pass from O'Sullivan (Nedney kick) SF 14–7 Q2 5:27 NE Gostkowski 35 yard field goal SF 14–10 Q2 :09 NE Faulk 2 yard run (Gostkowski kick) NE 17–14 Q3 5:30 NE Faulk 2 yard run (Gostkowski kick) NE 24–14 Q4 14:57 NE Gostkowski 40 yard field goal NE 27–14 Q4 10:29 SF Bruce 5 yard pass from O'Sullivan (Nedney kick) NE 27–21 Q4 4:47 NE Gostkowski 49 yard field goal NE 30–21

Scoring summary
Q1	9:05	SF	Gore O'Sullivan (Nedney kick)	SF 7–0
Q1	7:44	NE	Moss 66 yard pass from Cassel (Gostkowski kick)	Tie 7–7
Q1	5:31	SF	Bruce 6 yard pass from O'Sullivan (Nedney kick)	SF 14–7
Q2	5:27	NE	Gostkowski 35 yard field goal	SF 14–10
Q2	:09	NE	Faulk 2 yard run (Gostkowski kick)	NE 17–14
Q3	5:30	NE	Faulk 2 yard run (Gostkowski kick)	NE 24–14
Q4	14:57	NE	Gostkowski 40 yard field goal	NE 27–14
Q4	10:29	SF	Bruce 5 yard pass from O'Sullivan (Nedney kick)	NE 27–21
Q4	4:47	NE	Gostkowski 49 yard field goal	NE 30–21

1 2 3 4 Total Patriots 0 3 0 7 10 • Chargers 10 7 10 3 30 Date: October 12 Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA Game start: 8:15 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3:03 Game attendance: 68,704 Game weather: Sunny; 69°F; wind 8 Referee: Bill Leavy TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, John Madden, and Andrea Kremer

1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 0 0 0 7 7 • Patriots 6 14 14 7 41 Date: October 20 Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA Game start: 8:30 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3:00 Game attendance: 68,756 Game weather: Clear; 40°F; no wind Referee: Alberto Riveron TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Tony Kornheiser, Michele Tafoya, and Suzy Kolber

Scoring summary Q1 5:14 NE Gostkowski 31 yard field goal NE 3–0 Q1 2:11 NE Gostkowski 40 yard field goal NE 6–0 Q2 7:37 NE Morris 4 yard run (Gostkowski kick) NE 13–0 Q2 :51 NE Moss 13 yard pass from Cassel (Gostkowski kick) NE 20–0 Q3 7:40 NE Moss 27 yard pass from Cassel (Gostkowski kick) NE 27–0 Q3 2:27 NE Welker 6 yard pass from Cassel (Gostkowski kick) NE 34–0 Q4 13:26 DEN Graham 10 yard pass from Cutler (Prater kick) NE 34–7 Q4 3:13 NE Green-Ellis 1 yard run (Gostkowski kick) NE 41–7

The 2008 New England Patriots season was the 37th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team playoff in 1990 to not make the playoffs, as well as only the second team (after the 1985 Denver Broncos) since the NFL expanded to a 16-game regular season in 1978. This came just one year after finishing with the only 16–0 regular-season record in NFL history.

In the season opener, quarterback Tom Brady, the NFL's MVP in 2007, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament against the Chiefs and missed the remainder of the season. Backup quarterback Matt Cassel replaced Brady. Cassel's led the team to a win in Week 2 against the New York Jets, his first start since high school. A loss the following week against the Miami Dolphins ended the Pats' record 21 game regular-season winning streak. This record was broken by the Indianapolis Colts in 2009.

Despite entering the last week of the season with a three-game winning streak, the Patriots found themselves not controlling their own destiny. In addition to a Week 17 win, they also needed either a Dolphins loss to win the AFC East, or a Baltimore Ravens loss to earn a wild card berth. However, both Baltimore and Miami won, and the Dolphins, Ravens and Patriots each finished the season with an 11–5 record. Miami qualified for the playoffs by winning the AFC East division over the Patriots on the fourth divisional tiebreaker (better conference record: 8–4 to 7–5). Baltimore qualified for the playoffs as a wild card team, defeating the Patriots on the second wild card tiebreaker (better conference record: 8–4 to 7–5).

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