Pat Lane and Matt St. Jean begin their series recapping all 21 wins from New England’s record-setting streak.
Twenty-one years ago, the New England Patriots completed the most dominant streak in the history of the NFL, finishing with 21 wins in a row across two seasons. Since it was such a dominant run, we have decided to take a look back at each one of the games.
This is the first in the series, so expect a ton more to come, and make sure to follow along on YouTube for the accompanying videos for each game as well.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
Win No. 1: Patriots 38, Titans 30
2003 Week 5 | Oct. 5, 2003, 1 p.m. ET | Gillette Stadium
Setting the scene: The Patriots’ record-breaking streak started on October 5, 2003, when the then one-time Super Bowl champions hosted the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium. The team was coming off a disappointing loss to the lowly Washington Redskins, and, after getting blown out by the Bills in Week 1, was 2-2 and just 11-9 since its win in Super Bowl XXXVI.
There was a ton of talent on this team. After cutting team captain and longtime starting safety Lawyer Milloy — leading to Tom Jackson speculating about the Patriots “hat[ing] their coach” — and suffering a ton of injuries, however, there was a real question about the direction the team was headed.
The Titans, meanwhile, had beat the Patriots the previous season and were coming off a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers the week before. Steve McNair, who would end the season as the co-MVP with Peyton Manning, was making a move into the elite category of quarterbacks.
Key injuries for the Patriots included: Ted Washington, Roosevelt Colvin, Ted Johnson, Mike Vrabel, Willie McGinest, and Ty Law (who was playing, but was clearly hobbled by an ankle injury).
Game breakdown: The Patriots offense had been up and down since the previous season, and hadn’t scored a first quarter touchdown in seven straight games. That streak would finally be broken in this contest, but not before another was as well.
After the Patriots gave up an opening drive field goal to the Titans, a big return by Bethel Johnson set them up with great field position. The drive stalled and then Adam Vinatieri missed a 34-yard field goal, breaking his streak of 33 consecutive field goals made under 40 yards. After giving up another field goal, the Patriots hit a long pass play to Troy Brown — 58 yards to be exact — for a touchdown: Tom Brady slides to the left, stiff arms one of his linemen in the back, sets himself again, and fires a bomb to Brown for the score. (The play looks eerily similar to a famous overtime TD to Brown in Miami a few weeks later, but we’ll get to that.)
Before the end of the half, the Patriots would allow a 1-yard rushing touchdown to Steve McNair, and Vinatieri would miss another short field goal attempt; the Patriots went into the half down 13-7.
The second half would be a different game, with neither team punting the ball. It included one of the sickest moves I’ve ever seen by Mike Cloud on a 15-yard touchdown run, his second score of the half. Cloud, by the way, was playing in his first game as a Patriot; the BC legend had been signed in the offseason, and had missed the first four games of the season due to a PED suspension.
Both teams scored five times in the half, but the Titans would have to settle for four field goals and a touchdown. The Patriots, on the other hand, found the end zone four times while kicking just one field goal. One of their TDs was a Ty Law pick-six to put the Titans away late in the fourth quarter. Most Patriots fans will remember Law limping his way into the end zone, making sure that everyone watching knew that he was playing hurt.
Game highlights:
Other game notes: One thing that I think is interesting to note is how sloppy the Patriots played in this game. They were a highly penalized team at this point in 2003, and that showed up in this game when a punt return for a touchdown by Bethel Johnson was called back because of a holding penalty. They also missed two short field goals, and failed to convert a 4th-and-1.
In addition, Tom Brady was strip-sacked at the end of the first half, but the Patriots were fortunate to fall on the loose ball to mitigate the damage. The Titans, who were also pretty sloppy in the game, would miss a field goal to make it a two-score game to essentially end the half.
Elsewhere in sports: At the time, we didn’t know that this game would be remembered in the history books as the first of an unprecedented 21 victories. In fact, at some points, it wasn’t the game that the fans in the stadium were focused on either. The Red Sox were hosting Game 4 of the ALDS against the As, and trying to force a deciding Game 5. David Ortiz doubled in the bottom of the eighth, knocking in Nomar and Manny, against eventual Red Sox pitcher Keith Foulke, and the Sox won 5-4. They, of course, went on to win the series and lose a heartbreaking Game 7 to the Yankees in the ALCS.
This game was also played the day before the famous Peyton Manning comeback against Jon Gruden and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. After a pick-six by Ronde Barber, the Colts were down 35-14 with just over five minutes left in the game, and they came all the way back to tie and then beat the Bucs in OT, 38-35.
Win No. 2: Patriots 17, Giants 6
2003 Week 6 | Oct. 12, 2003, 1 p.m. ET | Gillette Stadium
Setting the scene: After defeating the Titans to get back above .500 on the season, the Patriots were set to host the New York Giants the following week. Sandwiched between Games 3 and 4 of the 2003 ALCS between the Red Sox and Yankees, the football game played the undercard in the rivalry between Boston and New York; the day before had featured the iconic fight between Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez and Yankees coach Don Zimmer.
The Patriots and Giants were meeting for the first time since 1999, and the Giants entered Gillette Stadium at 2-2 after a blowout home loss to the Miami Dolphins. Led by Jim Fassel in his final season as an NFL head coach, the Giants struggled to control the football with 10 turnovers in their first four games. Both teams also entered this rainy Sunday afternoon in the top five for most penalties in the league.
Game breakdown: The first play from scrimmage set the tone in this one, with Richard Seymour deflecting a Kerry Collins pass at the line of scrimmage and Tyrone Poole collecting it for an interception. The Patriots were unable to capitalize with Adam Vinatieri missing a 42-yard field goal following a penalty on the ensuing drive, but it wouldn’t take long for the home team to get on the board. On their third play, the Giants turned it over once again. Tyrone Poole flashed into the backfield and forced Tiki Barber to fumble for the fourth time in five games, and Matt Chatham was there to scoop it up and take it the distance.
That would do it for the scoring for the Patriots in the first half, though. The Giants outgained them 198 to 30 in the opening 30 minutes, with Tom Brady completing just one pass and fans booing the team into the locker room following a fifth consecutive three-and-out.
Still, New England led 7-3 at the break, a lead which would be extended to 17-3 behind a pair of scoring drives to open the second half.
A 23-yard Kevin Faulk run set up an Adam Vinatieri field goal on the first drive, and a 39-yard completion from Brady to David Patten down the sideline put Mike Cloud in position to punch in the only offensive touchdown on the day. The Giants moved the ball after that but managed just a field goal the rest of the way with interceptions by Rodney Harrison and Eugene Wilson as well as a fourth down stop keeping the Patriots ahead.
Game highlights:
Other game notes: With only 17 points scored including seven coming from a defense that allowed yards but overwhelmed an opponent with turnovers, this game felt not unlike recent Bill Belichick Patriots teams. The team amassed only 220 yards on offense while also finishing with 110 yards worth of penalties. How many 2021 or 2022 Patriots games does this feel like it could describe? At that point, there was very little to indicate this team was about to go on a league- and city-defining run.
What does stand out, though, is the depth and grittiness of that 2003 team. You’re missing a ton of starters, the conditions are awful, and the fans are more interested in the baseball series between these cities. You get outgained 382 to 220 and get booed off the field at one point. Yet, they still found a way to win.
The situational football wasn’t anything fantastic, but the Patriots did enough by not turning the ball over and punishing the Giants for their mistakes to take a two-score lead. These kinds of games with backups like Mike Cloud and Matt Chatham stepping up were a big reason why the Patriots got to play home games in January. Taking words from The Wire’s Lester Freamon, “All the pieces matter.”
Elsewhere in sports: Game 4 of the 2003 ALCS was scheduled to be that night in Boston, but the weather conditions that flummoxed the Giants all day long also postponed that one to Monday. The Red Sox would take that one but, as noted above, ultimately lose the series.
While the Patriots were playing, their two final opponents that season were facing off 1,200 miles west. The Indianapolis Colts hosted the Carolina Panthers in a game between two undefeated teams that would really put the Panthers on the map that season. After a late Colts touchdown sent the game to overtime, Carolina drove into range for kicker John Kasay to win it. Overtime wins like those were characteristic of that Panthers team that needed one in the divisional round en route to a Super Bowl matchup with the Patriots. Meanwhile, the Colts being unable to come through in the clutch would set the tone for future meetings with the Pats.