TEAM NOTES
- Patriots earn postseason bye for ninth straight season to extend an NFL record
- Patriots match their own mark for most wins in a decade
- Patriots win 11 games for ninth straight season and 20th time since 1970
- Patriots win 500th regular season game
- Patriots finish undefeated at home; have most unbeaten and untied seasons since 1970
- Patriots extend streak to 13 straight regular season wins at home
PATRIOTS CLINCH A FIRST ROUND BY FOR 13TH TIME SINCE 2001;
CLINCHED BYE FOR NINTH STRAIGHT SEASON TO EXTEND AN NFL RECORD
The Patriots secured a first round playoff bye in 2018 for the 13th time since 2001, a feat unmatched by any team in the last 18 years. The Patriots also clinched a bye for the ninth consecutive season to extend an NFL record. Dallas and San Francisco earned four straight byes from 1992 through 1995 and Denver had four straight from 2012 through 2015.
MOST SEASONS EARNING A BYE SINCE 2001
New England 13
Denver 5
Pittsburgh 5
Atlanta 4
Chicago 4
Philadelphia 4
MOST SEASONS EARNING A BYE SINCE 12-TEAM PLAYOFF FORMAT IN 1990
New England 14
Pittsburgh 9
Denver 8
San Francisco 8
PATRIOTS MATCH MARK FOR MOST WINS IN A DECADE
The Patriots now have 113 regular-season wins and 13 postseason wins so far in this decade (2010-present) for 126 total wins to match the record of 126 total wins in a decade set by the Patriots in the decade from 2000 through 2009.
PATRIOTS WIN 11 GAMES FOR 20TH TIME; EXTEND RECORD TO 9-STRAIGHT 11-WIN SEASONS
The Patriots have won 11 games 20 times in team history, including a current streak and NFL-record nine consecutive years dating back to 2010. The Patriots have had 11 or more wins 16 times in Robert Kraft's 25 seasons of ownership after having only four 11-win seasons prior to Kraft purchasing the team (1976, 78, 85-86).
PATRIOTS WIN 500TH REGULAR SEASON GAME
The victory over the Jets is New England's 500th regular season win since it began play in 1960, the most wins by an AFL franchise. Of the 12 other NFL teams that have 500 or more regular-season wins, New England trails only San Francisco (532 - founded 1950), Indianapolis (515 - founded 1953) and Dallas (512 - founded 1960) for most regular season wins by clubs that were founded in 1950 or later.
PATRIOTS ARE PERFECT AT HOME;
MOST UNBEATEN AND UNTIED SEASONS SINCE 1970
The Patriots finished with a perfect 8-0 regular-season record at Gillette Stadium for the seventh time in team history (2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2018). The Patriots are the only team in 2018 that finished perfect at home. The Patriots now have the most unbeaten and untied seasons since 1970. Minnesota is second with six.
PATRIOTS HAVE NOW WON 13 STRAIGHT REGULAR SEASON HOME GAMES
The Patriots have now won 13 straight regular season games at Gillette Stadium, the fourth-longest streak in team history.
PATRIOTS REACH 400 POINTS FOR THE 12TH STRAIGHT SEASON
The Patriots finished the 2018 season with 436 points and have now reached 400 or more points in 12 straight seasons (2007-18) to extend their NFL record. The San Diego Chargers previously held the record by scoring at least 400 points in eight straight seasons from 2004-11. The New Orleans Saints have the second-longest active streak, scoring 400 points for the eighth straight season in 2018.
2019 OPPONENTS DETERMINED
The Patriots 2019 opponents have been determined. In addition to playing each of the other AFC East opponents twice, the Patriots will play one game against each of the AFC North and NFC East teams. As the first-place team in the AFC East, the Patriots will play the first-place team of the AFC West (Kansas City/LA Chargers) and AFC South (Houston).
Home: Buffalo, Miami., NY Jets, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Dallas, New York Giants, Kansas City or LA Chargers
Away: Buffalo, Miami., NY Jets, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Washington, Houston
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
BELICHICK HAS 16TH 11-WIN SEASON
Bill Belichick now has sixteen 11-win seasons as a head coach to extend his record for most 11-win seasons. Belichick has fifteen 11-win seasons with New England and one with Cleveland.
NFL HEAD COACHES WITH THE MOST 11-WIN SEASONS
Bill Belichick 16
Don Shula 13
Tom Landry 10
BRADY LEADS THE PATRIOTS TO 15TH 11-WIN SEASON
Tom Brady led the Patriots to his 15th 11-win season as a starter. Peyton Manning is second with eleven 11-win seasons in the Super Bowl era.
BRADY REACHES 6,000 COMPLETIONS
Brady became the fourth NFL player to reach 6,000 completions after his 24 completions against the Jets improved his career total to 6,004.
BRADY THROWS THREE FIRST HALF TOUCHDOWN PASSES
Brady threw three touchdown passes in the first half against the Jets. It is the 20th time Brady has had three or more touchdown passes in the first half, tying Brett Favre for third most all-time behind Peyton Manning (28) and Drew Brees (21).
BRADY HAS SEASON-HIGH FOUR TDS
Brady had a season-high four touchdowns. It was his 23rd game with at least four touchdowns. The Patriots are 22-1 in those games
RB JAMES WHITE JOINS EXCLUSIVE GROUP
RB James White is the fourth running back in the Super Bowl era with 750 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns in a season, joining Gary Anderson (1986), Larry Centers (1996) and Marshall Faulk (2000 and 2001). White finished with 751 yards receiving and seven touchdown receptions.
RB JAMES WHITE TIED FOR MOST TD RECEPTIONS BY A PATRIOTS RUNNING BACK IN A SEASON
RB James White scored on a 17-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter for his seventh touchdown reception of the season, tying RB Larry Garron (7 in 1964) for the most touchdown receptions by a Patriots running back in a single season.
RB JAMES WHITE LEADS ALL RUNNING BACKS IN TD RECEPTIONS SINCE 2015
RB James White scored on a 17-yard touchdown pass from QB Tom Brady in the first quarter. It marked his 19th receiving touchdown since 2015, the most by a running back in the NFL during that time.
Running Back with the Most Receiving TD since 2015
James White (Patriots) 19
Tevin Coleman (Atlanta) 11
Christian McCaffrey (Carolina) 11
David Johnson (Arizona) 11
Most Receiving Touchdowns by a Patriots Running Back
Larry Garron 26
James White 19
Kevin Faulk 15
Tony Collins 12
DL TREY FLOWERS SETS CAREER HIGH IN SACKS
DL Trey Flowers sacked QB Sam Darnold for an 8-yard loss in the third quarter to give him 7 ½ sacks for the season, a new career high. His previous best was 7 sacks in 2016.
GILMORE IS SIXTH PATRIOT TO HAVE 20 PASSES DEFENSED.
CB Stephon Gilmore became the sixth Patriots player to record 20 passes defensed in a single season after recording two against the Jets to push his 2018 total to 20.
LB KYLE VAN NOY SCORES ON A 46-YARD FUMBLE RETURN;
SCORES HIS SECOND TD OF THE SEASON
LB Kyle Van Noy recovered a fumble that was forced by DL Adam Butler on a sack and returned 46 yards for a touchdown. It marked his second touchdown of the season. He returned a blocked punt 29-yards for a touchdown at Chicago Oct. 21. He is the first Patriots player with two non-offensive touchdowns since DB Kyle Arrington scored two touchdowns in 2014 when he returned a fumble for a touchdown on Oct. 5 vs. Cincinnati and a blocked field goal for a touchdown on Dec. 14 vs. Miami. It is the first fumble returned for a touchdown since LB Jamie Collins returned a fumble 14 yards for a touchdown at the New York Jets on Dec. 27, 2015.
VAN NOY'S FUMBLE RETURN IS THIRD LONGEST BY THE PATRIOTS DEFENSE IN TEAM HISTORY
Van Noy's 46-yard touchdown return is the third longest fumble return for a touchdown in team history by the defense
Longest Fumble Return for a TD in Team History on Defense
68 yards by Richard Seymour at Buffalo on Oct. 3, 2004
52 yards by Chuck Shonta vs. NY Titans, Sept. 17, 1960
46 yards by Kyle Van Noy vs. NY Jets on Dec. 30, 2018
RB REX BURKHEAD SCORES FIRST TD OF THE SEASON
RB Rex Burkhead caught an 18-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter for his first touchdown of the 2018 season.
DL DEREK RIVERS GETS CREDITED WITH FIRST CAREER SACK
DL Derek Rivers was credited with a 10-yard sack of Jets QB Sam Darnold on the last play of the first half, the first NFL sack of his career.
LINEUP NOTES
LB BRANDON KING RETURNED TO ACTION
LB Brandon King returned to action after missing one game due to injury.
DL DEREK RIVERS WAS ACTIVE FOR FIRST TIME IN SIX GAMES
DL Derek Rivers was active and played for the first time in six games.
S PATRICK CHUNG LINED UP TO RETURN KICKS
S Patrick Chung lined up to return kicks with WR Cordarrelle Patterson inactive due to injury.
