Record 11–5 Start date 1985 | Owner Billy Sullivan Home field Foxboro Stadium | |
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Playoff finish Won Wild Card Playoffs (Jets) 26–14Won Divisional Playoffs (Raiders) 27–20Won Conference Championship (Dolphins) 31–14Lost Super Bowl XX (Bears) 46–10 Pro Bowlers 8CB Raymond ClaybornKR Irving FryarG John HannahT Brian HollowayRB Craig JamesFS Fred MarionLB Steve NelsonLB Andre Tippett AP All-Pros 4G John Hannah (1st team)LB Andre Tippett (1st team)T Brian Holloway (2nd team)WR Irving Fryar (2nd team) Similar 1996 New England Patriots s, 1980 New England Patriots s, 1994 New England Patriots s, 1983 New England Patriots s, 1990 New England Patriots s | ||
The 1985 New England Patriots season was the 16th season for the team in the National Football League and 26th season overall. The Patriots had a record of eleven wins and five losses, and finished tied for second in the AFC East Division. They then became the first team in NFL history ever to advance to the Super Bowl by winning 3 playoff games on the road, defeating the New York Jets 26–14, the Los Angeles Raiders, 27–20, and the Miami Dolphins 31–14, in the AFC Championship game. The Patriots' win in Miami was their first victory in that stadium since 1969.
But despite the Patriots' success in the playoffs, they proved unable to compete with the acclaimed 17–1 Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX, losing 46–10 in what was at the time the most lopsided defeat in Super Bowl history. "We couldn't protect the quarterback, and that was my fault. I couldn't come up with a system to handle the Bears' pass rush", head coach Raymond Berry acknowledged.
