The New England Patriots finished the regular season 13-3, the top team in the AFC. Here is a look at how they got there.
Week 1: Patriots 38, Dolphins 24
The Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins 38-24 on 517 passing yards from Tom Brady. 99 of those yards came on one play; a 99-yard touchdown to Wes Welker in the third quarter. Welker finished the evening with 160 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Week 2: Patriots 35, Chargers 21
The Patriots cruised to a 35-21 win over the San Diego Chargers on another huge passing day from Tom Brady. He put up 423 yards and three touchdowns, giving him a NFL record 940 passing yards through two weeks.
Week 3: Bills 34, Patriots 31
New England suffered their first loss of the season, 34-31 to the Buffalo Bills. Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker had two touchdowns each (Welker had 16 receptions for 217 yards and two touchdowns) but it wasn’t enough. After a Brady-Welker touchdown tied the game at 31 late in the fourth quarter, Buffalo marched down the field and kicked a field goal with time expiring. Brady threw four interceptions in the game.
Week 4: Patriots 31, Raiders 19
Rookie running back Stevan Ridley had a breakout game in New England’s 31-19 win over the Raiders in Oakland. Ridley ran for 97 yards on 10 carries, including a 33-yard touchdown run in the third quarter for his first career score.
Week 5: Patriots 30, Jets 21
The Patriots got more contributions on the ground in Week 5 against the Jets. BenJarvis Green-Ellis ran for a career high 136 yards and two touchdowns as New England beat the Jets 30-21.
Week 6: Patriots 20, Cowboys 16
The Patriots needed all 60-minutes to beat the Dallas Cowboys. Down 16-13 in the final minute, Tom Brady hit tight end Aaron Hernandez from eight yards out for a game-winning touchdown with just 22 seconds left to improve to 5-1.
Week 8: Steelers 25, Patriots 17
Even with a bye week to prepare, Tom Brady and the Patriots struggled against the Steelers and dropped their second game of the season. Brady threw for just 198 yards and fumbled the ball with eight seconds left and New England down by six. Troy Polumalu slapped the ball out of the end zone for a safety, and the Steelers walked away with a 25-17 win.
Week 9: Giants 24, Patriots 20
Eli Manning led the Giants to two touchdowns in the final three minutes, including a touchdown to tight end Jake Ballard with 15 seconds left to give them a 24-20 victory. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
Week 10: Patriots 37, Jets 16
The Patriots got back to their winning ways by beating the Jets 37-16 in the Meadowlands. The Pats got a pair of touchdowns from Rob Gronkowski, and put the game out of reach with an 84-yard fourth quarter drive capped off by a Deion Branch touchdown to make it 30-16 New England. The Pats swept the regular season series with the Jets for the first time since Rex Ryan took over three years ago.
Week 11: Patriots 34, Chiefs 3
The Kansas City Chiefs held Rob Gronkowski to just four catches, but two of those went for touchdowns, giving him five over a three-game span. Gronk finished with 96 yards, and corner Kyle Arrington had a pair of pics as New England improved to 7-3.
Week 12: Patriots 38, Eagles 20
After spotting Philadelphia an early 10-0 lead, New England started a string of comebacks thanks to a big day for receiver Wes Welker. He had eight receptions for 115 yards, including two touchdowns. His 41-yard score in the second quarter put the Pats on top 21-10, and a nine-yard touchdown in the third (pictured) put the Eagles away for good.
Week 13: Patriots 31, Colts 24
The Patriots let the Colts slip back in with 21 fourth quarter points, but Rob Gronkowski's three touchdowns were too much for Indy. Gronk caught two to tie the all-time record for TD receptions by a tight end, and ran in another on his first career rushing play in the NFL.
Week 14: Patriots 34, Redskins 27
The Pats had some trouble shaking the Redskins, but got a touchdown from Wes Welker with just over four minutes to go in the game to break a 27-27 tie. Rob Gronkowski added two more touchdowns to his resume, giving him the most receiving touchdowns by a tight end in NFL history.
Week 15: Patriots 14, Broncos 23
After giving up 167 rushing yards to Denver in the first quarter, New England took control and contained Tim Tebow and Co. the rest of the way. Aaron Hernandez had the big day, hauling in nine receptions for 192 yards and a touchdown. It was a hat and t-shirt day for New England, as they clinched the AFC East with the win.
Week 16: Patriots 27, Dolphins 24
After falling into a 21-0 halftime hole, the Patriots woke up in the second half to beat the Dolphins 27-24. Tom Brady threw for 304 yards and a touchdown, but ran in two scores as the Pats clinched a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Week 17: Patriots 49, Bills 21
Once again the Patriots fell into an early hole, letting Buffalo take a 21-0 lead on their first three possessions, but came storming back. New England scored 49 unanswered points, with Tom Brady throwing three touchdowns and the defense picking off Ryan Fitzpatrick four times. Sterling Moore had two of those picks, returning his second one for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Patriots locked up the top seed in the AFC, and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, with the victory.
