Dynasty in Focus: New England Patriots 2013-19 Quiz

Answer: Stephen Gostkowski

Talib, McCourty and Mankins were selected as Second-Team All-Pro players by the Associated Press or their performances in the 2013 season. Mankins was in the second squad below Eagles guard Evan Mathis and Broncos guard Louis Vasquez. Talib was second team behind the first choice pairing of Richard Sherman and Patrick Peterson while McCourty was unable to break the tandem of Earl Thomas and Eric Berry in the safety position. Gostkowski was a Pro Bowl nomination in 2013, but was not selected in the All-Pro teams.

Answer: Dallas Cowboys

The six-team playoff format was introduced in 1990. The Cowboys earned first round byes in four successive years between 1992 and 1995, at the height of their 90s dynasty. The Patriots were good value for their high seeding, thrashing the Indianapolis Colts 43-22 in the AFC Divisional Round.

However, a strong defensive performance by the Denver Broncos limited Tom Brady's production and the Patriots lost the AFC Championship Game 26-16.

Answer: Darrelle Revis

Revis signed with the Patriots on 12 March 2014, signing a contract worth 12 million dollars. Browner joined the Patriots from the defending champion Seattle Seahawks on 14 March, while former Carolina Panthers wideout LaFell joined a day later. Chung, who had spent his early years in New England, was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles and re-signed with the Patriots in April.

Answer: Philadelphia Eagles

The Pats scored 468 total points in the 2014 regular season, behind only the Green Bay Packers (486), Denver Broncos (482) and Philadelphia Eagles (474). Interestingly, the Eagles still failed to make that year's postseason. The Saints had the ninth best offense, with 401 points while the Seahawks ranked tenth, registering 394 points scored. The Falcons had a disappointing season but still had the twelfth best record for point scoring, with 381 total points.

Answer: Ricardo Lockette

The game was mouth-watering, even for a neutral. The Patriots were the old empire trying to climb the mountain top after a decade without a title while the Seahawks were defending their trophy from the previous year. After a scoreless first quarter, both teams scored two touchdowns in the second quarter and the game was tied 14-14 at half-time. The Seahawks took control in the third, leading 24-14 going into the fourth quarter. Two legendary drives by Brady helped the Pats recover the lead at 28-24, but the Seahawks, aided with some help in an incredible catch by Jermaine Kearse, made their way to the Patriots 5-yard line with Marshawn Lynch seemingly ready to run it in for the victory. They originally did just that, with the running back making it to the one-yard line on first down. It seemed certain to most onlookers that they would use their elite halfback once more.

The Seahawks tried to run a pick play, but the Patriots had already prepared for such a play to occur and Butler struck as Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson aimed the ball at Lockette. The Patriots were champions in arguably the most epic Super Bowl in history.

Baldwin caught the pass that gave Seattle a ten point lead in the third quarter while Matthews was arguably the team's most impressive receiver that day, catching four balls for 109 yards and a touchdown. Kearse's Tyree-esque catch during the final drive put the Seahawks on the cusp of victory.

Answer: Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals started the season with eight consecutive wins, a franchise record. This included impressive victories over the Chiefs, an away win against the Pittsburgh Steelers and a win over defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks. The team's run ended with a loss to the Texans in Week 10.

The Patriots would win their first ten games of the season, with the team's wins including those against the Steelers, Dallas Cowboys and the Indianapolis Colts. An overtime loss to the Broncos in Week 12 ended New England's hopes of a second perfect regular season.

Answer: Shiloh Keo

The Broncos led 20-12 heading into the final minute of the game. Brady found Rob Gronkowski on a four yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds left, before an attempted pass to Julian Edelman on the two pointer was intercepted by Bradley Roby. The onside kick was collected by Keo, ending the game as Denver kneeled out the rest of the clock.

Answer: Martellus Bennett

The Patriots comfortably defeated the Browns 33-13 at Gillette Stadium. Brady returned with a three touchdown, 400 yard passing game. Bennett had an incredible afternoon, catching all three of Brady's touchdown passes. Gronk and Brady first connected on a touchdown pass the following week against the Cincinnati Bengals while Amendola and Hogan both had their first Brady-thrown touchdown receptions of the season in the first quarter of the Patriots' Week 8 game against the Buffalo Bills.

Answer: Los Angeles Rams

The Rams won the NFC West every year between 1973 and 1979, a run of seven successive seasons. The Patriots went on to obliterate this record, winning its 10th successive AFC East crown in the 2018 season and extending this run to 11 in 2019, eventually seeing their dominance of the division end with the Buffalo Bills' 2020 AFC East win.

The Niners won five successive NFC West titles between 1986 and 1990. The Giants won three successive NFL Eastern titles between 1933 and 1935, repeating the feat between 1961 and 1963.

The Bears won the NFC Central on five successive occasions between 1984 and 1988.

Answer: Most first downs in a Super Bowl

The Patriots and the Falcons combined for 54 first downs on offense during Super Bowl LI, a new record. The Patriots had 37 first downs, a record for a single team, while the Falcons had 17. The 54 combined first downs was matched the following year as the Philadelphia Eagles conquered the Patriots.

Super Bowl LI is now part of football folklore. A scoreless first quarter saw Atlanta's speedy defense limit Brady while Belichick's scheme limited NFL MVP Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense. The second quarter saw everything change. A LeGarrette Blount fumble saw the game turn in Atlanta's favour. Ryan started to find star receiver Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman was able to run in for an easy touchdown. Another touchdown soon followed to Austin Hooper. The game looked effectively over when Brady threw a pick-six at the end of the second quarter to corner Robert Alford. It was Brady's first post-season pick six and Atlanta led 21-0. Even a Stephen Gostkowski field goal at the end of the half did little to inspire hope.

The hope seemed even smaller for Patriots fans when Tevin Coleman caught a touchdown pass that made it 28-3 at the halfway point of the third quarter. No team had come back from a deficit of more than ten points in a Super Bowl and the Pats were down by 25. Even the ensuing Patriots touchdown drive was a victory in some ways for the Falcons, as the drive took six minutes and the extra point was missed by Gostkowski. Late in the third quarter, the Falcons chances of winning were estimated at 99.8%, meaning that they would win 499 times out of 500.

With the score 28-12 in the fourth quarter, a missed Freeman blocking assignment allowed Dont'a Hightower to strip sack Ryan and the game completely turned on its head. The Patriots suddenly had the ball at the Atlanta 25-yard line and while they needed to go for two, it was technically a two-score game. Before long, Danny Amendola was found for a touchdown and the deficit was ten points. James White then took a direct snap on the two-point play, echoing an iconic play by Patriots back Kevin Faulk in Super Bowl XXXVIII in the 2003 season. The score was 28-20 and suddenly the Patriots were in the game.

Some questionable play and play-calling when Atlanta had the ball in field goal range allowed the Patriots to take over at their own 9-yard line with 3:30 on the clock. One of the greatest all-time drives in Super Bowl history began, highlighted by a seemingly impossible catch by Julian Edelman. The Pats, who had long been victims of miracle catches in Super Bowls, now saw the tide turn in their favour. White scored for 28-26 and Amendola was able to catch the two-point conversion. The game was tied.

In the first overtime Super Bowl, the Patriots won the toss to get the ball first. In an era where a touchdown ended the game in overtime, the Pats were suddenly favourites. Edelman later admitted that he "knew (the Patriots) were winning" when they won the coin flip. He was right. The Falcons were exhausted physically and mentally. A throw to Martellus Bennett was interrupted by pass interference and the Patriots had the ball at the two-yard line. After a poor pass was nearly intercepted, White ran the ball into the endzone and sealed a legendary comeback win.

James White had three touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving, but this only tied the record originally set by Jerry Rice in Super Bowl XXIV. Brady was the oldest starting quarterback in Super Bowl history, but Steve DeBerg was 45 years old when he was the backup for the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII. Brady won his fifth ring in Super Bowl LI, tying him with linebacker Charles Haley who won five with the 49ers and Cowboys. Brady would later break the record with a sixth win in the 2018 season.

Answer: Kony Ealy is released

Ealy had been traded to the Patriots by the Carolina Panthers in March, but the Patriots released him on 26 August. He signed for the New York Jets the following day. Bolden was released as part of the team's mandatory roster cuts but was re-signed on 4 September. Edelman's injury occurred on the same day as the Brissett trade, with both events taking place on 2 September. Edelman would miss a total of 23 games (20 regular season, three playoff) due to injury and suspension. Brissett became the starting quarterback in Indianapolis after the retirement of Andrew Luck in 2019.

Answer: 4

The first team to do this was the Dallas Cowboys, who followed up a win in Super Bowl XII against the Denver Broncos with a loss in Super Bowl XIII against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Washington Redskins were the second, following up a win over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII against the Miami Dolphins with a crushing loss the following year against the Oakland Raiders.

The Green Bay Packers followed up their Super Bowl XXXI win over the Patriots with a loss in next year's game against the Denver Broncos. Also, in 2013 and 2014, the Seattle Seahawks followed their win over the Broncos with their loss to the Patriots.

Answer: Cordarrelle Patterson

Patterson was nominated to the Second Team for his efforts on the 2018 Patriots. He had 663 returning yards, including a touchdown against the Chicago Bears. He also had three receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. Brown and Thuney played key roles on the Patriots' much-improved offensive line in 2018, helping running back Sony Michel to break the record for most post-season touchdowns by a rookie. Flowers had 7.5 sacks in 2018 and signed with the Detroit Lions in 2019 free agency.

Answer: Each game was commentated by Jim Nantz and Tony Romo

Nantz and Romo, who have become a successful partnership on CBS since Romo's retirement in 2017, were the commentators of all three games. In the NFL's current cycle, CBS, FOX and NBC get the TV rights for the Super Bowl on a three-year rotating basis. Jay Feely and Tracy Wolfson were also part of the commentary team for each game.

Blakeman was the head official for the AFC title game in Kansas City, but Ronald Torbert took charge of the Chargers game while John Parry covered the Super Bowl. Michel scored one-yard touchdowns against the Chiefs and Chargers, but it was actually a two-yard run that gave New England its first touchdown in Super Bowl LIII. While 77,000 watched in Kansas City and 70,000 packed the Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the Super Bowl, only 65,000 watched the Chargers game.

Answer: 20-13

After an 8-0 start to the 2019 season, many pundits saw the Patriots as the favorites to win the championship yet again. However, an uncharacteristic late-season collapse saw the Pats end the year 12-4 and outside of the AFC's top two seeds. The Patriots showed promise on offense in the first half against Tennessee, with two 36-yard field goals from Nick Folk and a Julian Edelman touchdown giving the Patriots a 14-13 deficit to overcome in the second half.

However, the Pats would not score another point and a late pick six to Titans cornerback Logan Ryan saw the Titans win 20-13. Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 Free Agency and won a seventh Super Bowl in the 2020 season.