Record 8–8 Playoff finish did not qualify Start date 1999 Home field Foxboro Stadium | Division place T-4th AFC East Head coach Pete Carroll Owner Robert Kraft | |
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Pro Bowlers WR Terry Glenn
SS Lawyer Milloy AP All-Pros SS Lawyer Milloy (1st team) Similar 1965 Boston Patriots s, 1983 New England Patriots s, 1972 New England Patriots s, 1968 Boston Patriots s, 1989 New England Patriots s | ||
The 1999 New England Patriots season was the 30th season for the team in the National Football League and 40th season overall. They finished with an 8–8 record, tied for fourth place in the division, and out of the playoffs.
In May, the Patriots announced their intention to pull out of a publicly financed stadium deal in Hartford, Connecticut and instead work towards building a privately financed new stadium, which would become Gillette Stadium, at the site of the existing Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. On the field, the Patriots came into the 1999 season without second-year running back Robert Edwards; after rushing for over 1,100 yards in 1998, the rookie suffered a serious knee injury playing in a rookie beach game in Hawaii after the season. Taking Edwards' place were veteran Terry Allen and rookie Kevin Faulk, but neither player was able to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing and overall the Patriots' rushing offense was 23rd in the NFL. After beginning the season with a 6–2 record the team stumbled down the stretch and finished 8–8 and out of the playoffs for the first time since 1995. Following the season finale, third year head coach Pete Carroll was fired, while vice president of player personnel Bobby Grier was retained only until the 2000 NFL Draft.
Notable games
The Jets lost quarterback Vinny Testaverde in the second quarter when he ruptured his left Achilles tendon, and backup Tom Tupa (a former Patriots punter) was put in; regular backup Rick Mirer was listed as emergency quarterback and was not eligible to enter the game until the fourth quarter. The Patriots rallied from down 16–10 at the half with 17 points scored in the third quarter, but the Jets stormed back themselves with two touchdowns on a Tupa throw to Fred Baxter and a Bryan Cox interception return; both times the Jets went for two-point conversions but failed. Mirer was put in late in the fourth and a throw was deflected by Ty Law and recovered by Chris Slade. Bledsoe completed key first downs to Terry Glenn and Troy Brown, setting up the game-winning Adam Vinatieri field goal of a 30–28 Patriots win. Kevin Faulk made his Patriots debut in this game, rushing ten times for 17 yards and catching one pass for eight yards.
The Patriots committed 15 penalties eating up 135 yards and trailed 28–7 at halftime in Peyton Manning's second career trip to Foxboro. But Drew Bledsoe answered with touchdowns to Terry Allen and Ben Coates to tie the game late in the fourth; the two Coates scores came off a Marcus Pollard fumble and a Manning three-and-out forced by Ty Law. Edgerrin James was then stripped by Tebucky Jones, setting up the game-winning Vinatieri field goal of a 31–28 Patriots comeback. Coates's fourth-quarter scores turned out to be the last of his career.
Trailing 7–3 at the half, the Chiefs behind Elvis Grbac scored 13 points in the second half. The Patriots scored in the fourth on a Shawn Jefferson touchdown catch, then in the final minute the Patriots stormed down field, but a 32-yard Vinatieri field goal try on the final play bounced off the right upright, securing a 16–14 Chiefs win.
Dan Marino was injured after throwing an interception returned by Andy Katzenmoyer for a 57-yard touchdown and was replaced by future Patriots backup quarterback Damon Huard. Huard was picked off by Ty Law for a 27-yard touchdown, but from there the Dolphins clawed back into contention and Huard won the game in the final seconds on a short touchdown toss to Stanley Pritchett and a 31–30 Dolphins win.
The Patriots defeated the Broncos for the first time since 1980 after going 0–11 lifetime against John Elway. Both teams rushed for 133 yards while Brian Griese of the Broncos threw for 309 yards compared to a modest 192 passing yards for Drew Bledsoe. Kevin Faulk scored on a 15-yard rushing touchdown as the Patriots rushed to a 24–13 third-quarter lead and sweated out a Broncos rally to win 24–23; the margin of victory turned out to be set by a missed 59-yard field goal try by Jason Elam.
The Patriots mopped the floor of Sun Devil Stadium as Drew Bledsoe threw four touchdowns in a 27–3 runaway. The win, however, proved costly, for Ben Coates was held without a catch for the second time that season, a fact Coates took the media during the ensuing bye week to considerable effect. The game marked a fatal turning point to the Patriots season as Coates' public protest soured his relationship with Bledsoe and coach Pete Carroll; the Patriots fell from 6–2 to finish a dismal 8–8; Coates for his part had only sixteen catches the remainder of the season before he was let go and joined the Baltimore Ravens.
The Patriots entered this game on a three-game losing streak and having never beaten the Cowboys in their history; this was the eighth career meeting between the two clubs. Both Patriot slumps ended as the two defenses kept offense to a premium; Troy Aikman and Drew Bledsoe combined for just 336 passing yards; it was the Patriots ground game that took over to the tune of 116 rushing yards led by Terry Allen's 53 yards and a touchdown in a 13–6 Patriots win. Rookie Kevin Faulk had his most productive game of the season with 36 rushing yards and three catches for 43 yards.