Patriots Announce Plans To Honor Two Legendary Super Bowl Teams originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Two of the most important teams in New England Patriots history will receive the spotlight at Gillette Stadium during the 2026 season.
The Patriots announced Monday that they will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their Super Bowl XXXVI championship during their Oct. 11 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
New England also will recognize the 10th anniversary of its unforgettable Super Bowl LI victory when the Green Bay Packers visit Foxboro on Nov. 8. The two championship teams arrived at very different points in the Patriots’ dynasty. One started it. The other delivered perhaps its most memorable moment.
Patriots Will Honor Team That Started The Dynasty
The 2001 Patriots entered the season without a Super Bowl championship in franchise history and with few people expecting them to become legitimate contenders.
That outlook changed after Tom Brady replaced an injured Drew Bledsoe at quarterback. Brady helped New England finish the regular season 11-5 and claim the AFC East title before surviving the Raiders in the “Tuck Rule Game” and beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.
New England entered Super Bowl XXXVI as a two-touchdown underdog against the St. Louis Rams and their “Greatest Show on Turf” offense. The Patriots’ defense changed the game by forcing three turnovers. Ty Law returned an interception 47 yards for a touchdown, while Brady threw a scoring pass to David Patten that gave New England a 14-3 halftime lead.
St. Louis eventually tied the score at 17, but Brady directed a late drive that positioned Adam Vinatieri for a 48-yard field goal as time expired. The 20-17 victory gave the Patriots their first championship and launched a dynasty that produced six Super Bowl titles.
The Oct. 11 celebration also comes against the Raiders, providing an obvious connection to New England’s memorable playoff run that season.
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Super Bowl LI Team Produced Historic Comeback
The 2016 Patriots entered the season as an established powerhouse and finished with an NFL-best 14-2 record despite Brady serving a four-game suspension. New England defeated the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers in the postseason to earn a Super Bowl LI matchup with the Atlanta Falcons.
The Patriots fell behind 28-3 during the third quarter, but Brady and the offense engineered the largest comeback in Super Bowl history. Brady finished with a then-Super Bowl record 466 passing yards, while James White delivered one of the greatest performances ever by a Patriots running back. White caught a Super Bowl-record 14 passes, scored three touchdowns and added a two-point conversion.
His final score ended the first overtime game in Super Bowl history and completed New England’s 34-28 victory. It was the franchise’s fifth championship and earned Brady his fourth Super Bowl MVP award. The Nov. 8 celebration should make for an eventful weekend in Foxboro. The Patriots previously announced that Rob Gronkowski, a central figure during the 2016 season, will have his team Hall of Fame induction ceremony one day earlier.
New England has enjoyed no shortage of championship anniversaries, but these two carry special significance. The 2001 team introduced the Patriots dynasty to the NFL. Fifteen years later, the 2016 group authored the comeback that may forever define it.