Dec. 28, 1963 - In the first playoff game in team history, the Boston Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 26-8 in an AFL divisional playoff game in Buffalo. Boston advanced to the AFL championship, where it fell to San Diego.
Dec. 31, 1978 - The Patriots hosted a playoff game for the first time in team history, but fell to the Houston Oilers, 31-14, in a divisional playoff matchup.
Dec. 28, 1985 - The Patriots scored the first playoff victory in team history with a 26-14 victory over the New York Jets in an AFC wild card game at Giants Stadium.
Jan. 1, 1995 - The Patriots broke an 8-year playoff drought when they played in a wild-card game against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Stadium. New England closed out Robert Kraft's first season of ownership with seven straight wins to return to the playoffs, where the Browns claimed a 20-13 victory. Before this week's game, that playoff clash was the only time the Patriots had played on New Year's Day.
Dec. 27, 2003 - The Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 31-0 to close out the year with a 14-2 record and the top seed in the AFC playoffs. The victory provided perfect symmetry to the season, as New England had lost to the Bills by the same score in the season opener in Buffalo.
