Full Patriots Super Bowl History: A Look Back at New England’s NFL Record Appearances

The Patriots are headed back to the Super Bowl.

After defeating the Broncos through a sudden, second-half snow storm in the Mile High City last Sunday afternoon, New England will return to NFL’s big game for a record 12th time as they get set to take on the Seahawks on Feb. 8.

As I said, the Patriots have been here before. From the early days of being trounced at the goal line by William “The Refrigerator” Perry and the Bears, to a dynastic run that somehow didn’t land coach Bill Belichick in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot, New England is no stranger to football's biggest stage. In fact, the franchise has played in 18.6% of all Super Bowls played—a figure that will climb to a whopping 20% next Sunday.

With that in mind, here’s a look back at the Patriots’ previous 11 Super Bowl appearances.

Super Bowl XX: Bears 46 – Patriots 10

Patriots Bears — The Patriots lost big to the Bears in Super Bowl XX. | Tony Tomsic-Imagn Images

Date: Jan. 26, 1986
Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, La.
Super Bowl MVP: DE Richard Dent, Chicago Bears

After “squishing the fish” in the AFC title game, the Patriots went on to play coach Mike Ditka’s Bears in Super Bowl XX—a contest that was ultimately never competitive.

Highlighted by The Fridge’s second-half touchdown run and a pick-six by cornerback Reggie Phillips off quarterback Steve Grogan, the Bears won this one to cap their historic 1985 campaign.

Super Bowl XXXI: Packers 35 – Patriots 21

Drew Bledsoe — The Packers took down the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. | Tony Tomsic-Imagn Images

Date: January 26, 1997
Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, La.
Super Bowl MVP: WR Desmond Howard, Green Bay Packers

Marred by the eventual departure of Bill Parcells, the Patriots returned to the Super Bowl for the first time in over a decade to close out the 1996–97 season—the fourth and final campaign of the Big Tuna’s reign in New England.

Despite taking a first-quarter lead over Brett Favre and the Packers and keeping the game close throughout most of the third quarter, things were broken open late in the frame when Green Bay kick returner Desmond Howard returned an Adam Vinatieri kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown.

The score gave the Packers a two-possession lead they never relinquished, as Green Bay went on to win 35–21—and in turn, pushed the Patriots to 0–2 in Super Bowl appearances.

Super Bowl XXXVI: Patriots 20 – Rams 17

Date: February 3, 2002
Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, La.
Super Bowl MVP: QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots

After starting the 2001–02 season 0–2, losing franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe to a catastrophic injury, and being tabbed as 14-point underdogs in the biggest game of the year, the Patriots were able to defy it all on their way to their first Super Bowl title.

You all know the story, but to recap: tied with the Rams at 17–17—a.k.a. The Greatest Show on Turf—and with just 1:30 remaining in regulation, a lanky, relatively unknown signal-caller named Tom Brady led New England on a methodical nine-play drive to set up kicker Adam Vinatieri's 48-yard game-winning field goal that clinched New England's first Lombardi Trophy.

A legend (better yet, a GOAT) was born.

Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots 32 – Panthers 29

Mike Vrabel. — Patriots coach Mike Vrabel caught a touchdown in Super Bowl XXXVIII. | MPS-Imagn Images

Date: February 1, 2004
Location: Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Super Bowl MVP: QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots

In their first big game appearance not at the Louisiana Superdome, the Patriots traveled to Houston to take on the NFC’s Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

What was a slog of a contest through much of the first three quarters turned into an epic battle, with New England and Carolina trading blows to the tune of 37 points in the final frame. Down the stretch, current Patriots coach Mike Vrabel caught a touchdown pass to give his team a lead before Tom Brady again pulled magic out of a hat on the final drive—securing their second Super Bowl victory in three seasons.

Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots 24 – Eagles 21

Patriots vs. Eagles — The Patriots won their second straight Super Bowl over the Eagles. | Imagn Images

Date: February 6, 2025
Location: Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla.
Super Bowl MVP: WR Deion Branch, New England Patriots

In the game that many consider to have put them in “dynasty” territory, the Patriots took down the Eagles 24–21 to clinch their third Super Bowl title in as many seasons.

Deion Branch won MVP of the contest by hauling in 11 receptions on 12 targets for 133 yards, Tom Brady threw for 236 yards and two scores—one of which again went to Mike Vrabel—and Rodney Harrison closed things out with down the stretch of the fourth quarter with his second interception of the day of quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Super Bowl XLII: Giants 17 – Patriots 14

David Tyree and Rodney Harrison. — David Tyree hauled in the pass of a lifetime from Eli Manning to help the Giants upset the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. | Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Date: February 3, 2008
Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Super Bowl MVP: QB Eli Manning, New York Giants

Sorry, Patriots fans, but one of the wildest Super Bowl upsets of all time saw the Giants stun New England 17–14—bringing their undefeated season to a crushing halt.

This one not only saw Tom Brady—who, at the time, had put together the greatest quarterbacking season in NFL history—be sacked five times by New York’s lethal defensive line, but also wide receiver David Tyree haul in the helmet catch of a lifetime from quarterback Eli Manning that set up Plaxico Burress’s game-winning touchdown just four plays later.

Super Bowl XLVI: Giants 21 – Patriots 17

Mario Manningham. — Another Giants receiver—this time Mario Manningham—helped New York win another Super Bowl in upset fashion over the Patriots. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Date: February 5, 2012
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind.
Super Bowl MVP: QB Eli Manning, New York Giants

More of the same came in a rematch between the Patriots and Giants just four years later. A stout Giants defense gave Tom Brady fits, Eli Manning played out of his mind, and a New York wide receiver brought in an improbable catch—this time, Mario Manningham—to stick the dagger in New England's Super Bowl dreams.

Eli Manning's 38-yard dime down the left side to Mario Manningham, with all the chips in the center of the table late in Super Bowl XLVI

The best throw of Eli's career and an unbelievable catch by Mario — the signature play of the game

The #Giants' fourth ring

February 5, 2012 pic.twitter.com/dMMEtMFfX6
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) February 5, 2025

The Giants ultimately won their second Lombardi over the Patriots, 21–17, thanks to an Ahmad Bradshaw rushing touchdown with just over a minute to go in the contest.

Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots 28 – Seahawks 24

Malcolm Butler was the hero of Super Bowl XLIX. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Date: February 1, 2015
Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Super Bowl MVP: QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots

In what many consider to be one of the best NFL games ever played, the Patriots returned to the top of the football world for the first time in 10 years with their 28–24 win over the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.

You may not remember that New England overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit in this one, but you’ll never forget Malcolm Butler's game-sealing, goal-line interception (or the fact that Seattle decided not to hand the ball off to one of the game’s best running backs at the time in Marshawn Lynch).

Super Bowl LI: Patriots 34 – Falcons 28 (OT)

Bill Belichick and the Patriots mounted a massive comeback over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. | Bob Breidenbach / USA TODAY NETWORK

Date: February 5, 2017
Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
Super Bowl MVP: QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Speaking of the greatest NFL games ever played, does 28–3 mean anything to you?

After falling behind 25 points to the NFC champion Falcons in the second half, the Patriots rattled off 31 consecutive points—including two-straight touchdown drives that were capped with successful two-point conversions—to ultimately take down Atlanta 34–28 in overtime.

Tom Brady threw for a then-record 466 yards in this one, while running back James White hauled in 14 passes for 110 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown in the final frame.

Super Bowl LII: Eagles 41 – Patriots 33

Date: February 4, 2018
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minn.
Super Bowl MVP: QB Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles

New England returned to the big game for a second straight season to close out the 2017-18 NFL season, only this time, they met their match in the Eagles.

Despite then-MVP frontrunner Carson Wentz going down with a knee injury late in the year, Philadelphia was able to rally behind backup Nick Foles to win one of the highest-scoring Super Bowls the NFL has seen.

Between the Eagles’ famous Philly Special—which gave them a 10-point lead in the first half—and Bill Belichick’s mysterious decision to bench Malcolm Butler, once a Super Bowl hero, Tom Brady’s record-setting 505 passing yards weren’t enough in this one, as New England fell 41–33.

Super Bowl LIII: Patriots 13 – Rams 3

Date: February 3, 2019
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
Super Bowl MVP: WR Julian Edelman, New England Patriots

The Patriots made it three Super Bowl appearances in a row in 2019 after putting away Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs in a high-flying AFC championship game, then flipped the script with a defensive slugfest against the Rams.

No team could get much offense going for much of this one, as the contest sat tied 3–3 entering the fourth quarter. Then, with just under 10 minutes remaining, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels pulled a proverbial rabbit out of his hat by switching up New England’s personnel and orchestrating a touchdown drive that gave the Patriots a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Behind 10 catches for 141 yards, Julian Edelman won the game's MVP as the Patriots defeated Los Angeles 13–3 to give the franchise their sixth Super Bowl title.