Patriots' Home Record Goes From Bad to Worse

Here's a look at what exactly is going wrong for the New England Patriots on their own home turf.

Sep 21, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) complete a pass during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots are typically viewed as one of the most legendary franchises across the NFL. For that reason, fans typically come out in droves to Gillette Stadium.

Unfortunately, the Patriots officially have both a habit and a pattern of disappointing fans in their Massachusetts seats. The Pats are now 16-28 at home since 2020, and are also 3-16 since the start of 2023, which is the worst in the league. The update to the bad home record — which has now become worse — came after Week 3's 21-14 loss as the Patriots and new head coach Mike Vrabel hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in front of 64,628 fans (just shy of the max capacity of 65,878).

The Patriots have a 16-28 record at home since 2020.

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— Pats Buzz (@PatsBuzz) September 22, 2025

To put things in perspective, the Patriots' home record was not always on a steady decline.

Prior to 2020 and throughout the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era, Gillette Stadium was generally considered a fortress. Losses there were all that rare, especially in seasons in which the Pats they made the playoffs. The contrast in home performance before versus after that era is stark.

Other teams in the league are doing far better at home. For instance teams such as the Buffalo Bills and even the Houston Texans have racked up 10+ home wins since 2023.

In comparison, on Oct. 8, 2023 the Patriots lost 34-0 at home to the New Orleans Saints, which was the worst home shutout loss in franchise history. After this game, the Pats faced a lot of criticism and the downward trajectory of home-game performances only continued.

Oct 8, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill (7) waves to the crowd after defeating the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

This particular dropoff surrounding the Patriots is particularly damaging for fans expectations — sports teams are quite literally built to protect home turf and win in front of their fans; losing at home often correlates with broader struggles (such as ball security and avoidable team errors).

Now, the Patriots are making an effort to correct this — bringing in former Patriot himself Vrabel. However, let it not go unnoticed that the first win in the "Vrabel era" was accomplished on the road in Miami, not at Gillette Stadium.

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