When Was the Last Time the Patriots Weren't in the Super Bowl?
Tom Brady and the Patriots will play in their third straight Super Bowl come Feb. 3, appearing in the championship game for the fourth time in five years after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 37–31 in the AFC Championship.
The last time New England didn't play on Super Bowl Sunday was in 2016, when the Broncos beat the Patriots in the AFC Conference Championship, 20–18, stopping the Pats short of a shot at another Super Bowl just one season after they claimed the title in Glendale, Ariz., in 2015.
Denver went on to beat the NFC champion, the Carolina Panthers, 24–10, to win Super Bowl 50 in Levi's Stadium. The Patriots returned to the championship game the next two consecutive seasons, beating the Falcons in the first reappearance before falling to the Eagles last year.
Brady has led the Patriots to nine Super Bowls appearances since entering the league as the 199th pick in the 2000 draft. All five of New England's Super Bowl championships have come under Brady, who has also added four Super Bowl MVP honors to his resume during his astounding 19-season tenure with the Patriots.
The 41-year-old quarterback is one of only two signal callers to win the Super Bowl in their first season as a starter, accomplishing that feat when the Patriots defeated the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXVI for his first ring.
Brady will attempt to clinch another championship against the Rams when the two teams meet in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Super Bowl Sunday.
