New England Patriots · Franchise era 4 of 7

The first dynasty: the New England Patriots story

Franchise era

2001—2006

The first dynasty

New England Patriots

The story in one sentence

Brady replaced an injured Bledsoe and Belichick's adaptable teams won three Super Bowls in four seasons.

01

Situational football produces three titles

02

Tom Brady, Tedy Bruschi and Richard Seymour gave the era its recognizable core.

03

Its ending created the conditions for the near-perfect reinvention.

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Before 2001

    What came before

    Robert Kraft's ownership and Bill Parcells's coaching stabilized the organization, leading to Super Bowl XXXI and a roster ready for another regime.

  2. After 2006

    What came next

    The 2007 Patriots went 16–0 before a Super Bowl upset, then the roster reloaded around two young tight ends and returned to the championship game.

The core

Faces of the chapter

← Previous eraParcells and Bledsoe reset expectations1993—2000Next era →The near-perfect reinvention2007—2013