NFL Super Bowl Records Held By The Patriots
It’s no surprise that in the run-up to Super Bowl LIII, the New England Patriots have a plethora of Super Bowl records under their belt. According to a report from SBNation — that cited data from the NFL’s official record book — the Patriots had 75 combined individual and team records in the aftermath of Super Bowl LII last year, and there’s a chance there could be more records added or updated once Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams is over and done with.
As we draw closer to this year’s “Big Game” and look back at what New England has achieved in the Super Bowl through the years, we won’t be enumerating all of these Patriots records, but rather focusing on some of the more important or interesting ones held by the team or its players and coaches.
Records Held By Tom Brady And Bill Belichick
In his 19 seasons in the NFL, Brady has compiled an enviable resume that arguably puts him in contention for being the greatest quarterback in league history. This includes several Super Bowl records, as Brady is the NFL’s all-time leader in Super Bowl appearances (nine, including Super Bowl LIII), wins (five, tied with former Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers defensive end Charles Haley), touchdown passes (18), and passing yards (2,576). Per CBS Sports, no player has won more Super Bowl MVPs than Brady, who currently has four.
Talking about single-game Super Bowl records, Brady has a few under his belt. These include records for most passes completed (43, Super Bowl LI), most pass attempts (62, Super Bowl LI), and most passing yards (505, Super Bowl LII).
Having coached the Patriots in their last nine Super Bowl appearances — tonight’s game included — Bill Belichick, is the all-time winningest coach in Super Bowl history, with five victories to his name.
Records Held By Other Patriots Players
While Tom Brady has the lion’s share of individual player records for the Super Bowl, he’s far from the only Patriot whose name is on the record books. James White, who is normally used by the Patriots as a third-down running back, had a stellar outing at Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons, where he scored 20 points, including three touchdowns; the latter record has him tied with four other players. He also has the record for most receptions in a single Super Bowl game with 14.
As explained by SBNation, kicker Adam Vinatieri is the solo leader in field goals made (seven), field goals attempted (10), and points after touchdown (13), though these stats were registered across two teams — the Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. Currently, Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski is second to Vinatieri with 11 PATs in the Super Bowl, which means he’ll need three at Super Bowl LIII in order to overtake the 46-year-old Colts kicker.
The Patriots have two other special teams records in the Super Bowl. Namely, Ryan Allen’s 64-yard punt against the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl XLIX and Troy Brown’s eight career punt returns.
Piece for @Newsweek looking at the records Tom Brady and the New England Patriots can beat in Super Bowl LIII. https://t.co/wKzzq4GceI
— Dan Cancian (@dan_cancian) February 2, 2019
Records Held By The New England Patriots As A Team
With Super Bowl LIII marking their 11th appearance, the Patriots have played in more Super Bowls than any other team in the NFL. However, they don’t hold the record for most Super Bowl wins. Per 247Sports, that honor belongs to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have six. A win over the Rams on Sunday night will tie them with the Steelers, but for now, New England shares a rather dubious distinction with the Denver Broncos, having racked up five losses at the “Big Game.”
Among the host of team records held by New England in the Super Bowl, the team set several of them at Super Bowl LI, with the most passing yards (442), most pass attempts (63), most passes completed (43), most total first downs (37), most passing first downs (26), and most points scored in overtime (six). While the Patriots lost to the Eagles at last year’s Super Bowl LII, that didn’t stop Tom Brady and company from setting their fair share of records during that game, including most points in a loss (33) and most yards (613).
Aside from the records cited on the aforementioned SBNation report, the Patriots are also credited for pulling off the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, when they rallied back from a 28-3 deficit to beat the Falcons, 34-28, at Super Bowl LI two years ago. As stressed by Sports Illustrated, this record was especially noteworthy because no team had come back from more than 10 points down to win the Super Bowl.
Interestingly, the Patriots were one of those teams that had come back from an even 10-point deficit, having done so in 2015. At Super Bowl XLIX, New England defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 28-24, thanks in part to the Seahawks’ decision to throw the ball instead of having Marshawn Lynch run with it while at the Patriots’ 1-yard line, with 26 seconds left on the clock.
