Before their 13-game win streak in December was snapped by a Week 15 loss to San Francisco, the Patriots set a franchise record and became just the second team in NFL history to accomplish the final-month feat. (Only the 2006-09 Chargers' 18 straight wins were better.) But their success in December goes back to the start of the Tom Brady era. Since 2001, the Patriots are an NFL-best 43-6 in December (three of those losses have been to the AFC East rival Dolphins). No other team has more than 36 December wins during that time.
A look back at how the Patriots have performed in December during the Brady era:
Advertisement
Year | Record | What happened | Notable game | Postseason result |
2001 | 4-0 | Leaped Dolphins and Jets to win AFC East | Fumble recovery by unconscious David Patten helped Patriots win 12-9 OT game in Buffalo in Week 14. | Won Super Bowl |
2002 | 2-2 | Two crucial losses doomed season. Win in finale moot because of lost tiebreaker. | The 30-17 loss to Jets in Week 16 crippled Patriots. When Jets won in Week 17, Patriots’ season was over. | Missed playoffs |
2003 | 4-0 | Strengthened already-strong hold on AFC East with two shutouts at home. | The 12-0 win over Dolphins in aftermath of heavy snow clinched AFC East with three games to play. | Won Super Bowl |
2004 | 3-1 | Division title was never in doubt. Loss barely dented Patriots' plans. | A two-win Dolphins team picked off Brady and scored two TDs in final 2:07 to upset Patriots in Week 16. | Won Super Bowl |
2005 | 4-0 | Three division wins iced another AFC East title. | Mike Vrabel caught two TD passes from Brady as Patriots finished December sweep of Jets in Week 16. | Lost in divisional round |
2006 | 4-1 | Four wins (against teams that did not finish with a winning record) sealed AFC East title. | The 21-0 loss at Miami in Week 14 marks the last time the Patriots were shut out. | Lost in AFC title game |
2007 | 5-0 | Met their two stiffest challenges (at Ravens, at Giants) en route to 16-0. | In Week 17, Patriots (16-0), Brady (50 TDs) and Randy Moss (23 TDs) all set NFL records. | Lost in Super Bowl |
2008 | 4-0 | With Brady injured, Matt Cassel's perfect month was moot as 11-5 Patriots lost tiebreaker. | Routed Cardinals (who would lose Super Bowl in final minute), 47-7, in snowy Week 16. | Missed playoffs |
2009 | 3-1 | Three wins against weak opponents were enough to clinch AFC East title. | Road-inept Patriots lost again in Miami, 22-21, in Week 13 to fall to 1-5 as visitors on the year. | Lost in wild-card round |
2010 | 4-0 | Entered month tied atop AFC East, but with perfect record ran off to division title. | The 45-3 win over Jets in Week 13 set tone for division title, but gave Jets fuel for their 28-21 playoff upset in Foxborough. | Lost in divisional round |
2011 | 4-0 | Eye-popping offense cruised through month (133 points), but leaky defense (98 points allowed) was a problem. | Cooled off Tim Tebow and Broncos' six-game win streak with 41-23 road win in Week 15. | Lost in Super Bowl |
2012 | 2-1 | Wrapped up 10th AFC East title in 12 years in first weekend of December. | A 42-14 drubbing of 11-1 Houston on Monday Night Football made Patriots team to beat in AFC for many. |