1985 New England Patriots season
NFL team season
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The 1985 New England Patriots season was the franchise's 16th season in the National Football League (NFL) and 26th overall. The Patriots had a record of eleven wins and five losses and finished third in the AFC East Division. They then became the first team in NFL history ever to advance to the Super Bowl by winning three playoff games on the road, defeating the New York Jets 26–14 in the AFC Wild Card Game, the Los Angeles Raiders 27–20 in the AFC Divisional Game and the Miami Dolphins 31–14 in the AFC Championship Game. The Patriots' win in Miami was their first victory at the Miami Orange Bowl since 1966.[a] The win over the Dolphins in the game has gone down as one of the greatest upsets in NFL history, as the Dolphins (the only team to defeat the Chicago Bears that year) were heavily favored.[3]
OwnerBilly Sullivan
| 1985 New England Patriots season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Billy Sullivan |
| General manager | Patrick Sullivan |
| Head coach | Raymond Berry |
| Defensive coordinator | Rod Rust |
| Home stadium | Sullivan Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–5 |
| Division place | 3rd AFC East |
| Playoffs | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Jets) 26–14 Won Divisional Playoffs (at Raiders) 27–20 Won AFC Championship (at Dolphins) 31–14 Lost Super Bowl XX (vs. Bears) 10–46 |
| All-Pros | 4[1]
|
| Pro Bowlers | |
But despite the Patriots' success in the playoffs, they proved unable to compete with the acclaimed 15–1 Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX, losing 46–10 in what was at the time the most lopsided defeat in Super Bowl history. The Patriots were held to a Super Bowl record of just seven rushing yards and their quarterbacks, Tony Eason and Steve Grogan, were sacked a combined seven times by the Bears defense.
Offseason
NFL draft
| 1985 New England Patriots draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Trevor Matich | Center | BYU | |
| 2 | 48 | Garin Veris | Defensive end | Stanford | |
| 2 | 52 | Jim Bowman | Cornerback | Central Michigan | |
| 2 | 56 | Ben Thomas | Defensive end | Auburn | |
| 3 | 84 | Audray McMillian * | Cornerback | Houston | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Roster
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8 | Green Bay Packers | W 26–20 | 1–0 | Sullivan Stadium | 49,488 | |
| 2 | September 15 | at Chicago Bears | L 7–20 | 1–1 | Soldier Field | 60,533 | |
| 3 | September 22 | at Buffalo Bills | W 17–14 | 2–1 | Rich Stadium | 40,334 | |
| 4 | September 29 | Los Angeles Raiders | L 20–35 | 2–2 | Sullivan Stadium | 60,686 | |
| 5 | October 6 | at Cleveland Browns | L 20–24 | 2–3 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 62,139 | |
| 6 | October 13 | Buffalo Bills | W 14–3 | 3–3 | Sullivan Stadium | 40,462 | |
| 7 | October 20 | New York Jets | W 20–13 | 4–3 | Sullivan Stadium | 58,163 | |
| 8 | October 27 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 32–14 | 5–3 | Tampa Stadium | 34,661 | |
| 9 | November 3 | Miami Dolphins | W 17–13 | 6–3 | Sullivan Stadium | 58,811 | |
| 10 | November 10 | Indianapolis Colts | W 34–15 | 7–3 | Sullivan Stadium | 54,176 | |
| 11 | November 17 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 20–13 | 8–3 | Kingdome | 60,345 | |
| 12 | November 24 | at New York Jets | L 13–16 (OT) | 8–4 | Giants Stadium | 74,100 | |
| 13 | December 1 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 38–31 | 9–4 | Hoosier Dome | 56,740 | |
| 14 | December 8 | Detroit Lions | W 23–6 | 10–4 | Sullivan Stadium | 59,078 | |
| 15 | December 16 | at Miami Dolphins | L 27–30 | 10–5 | Miami Orange Bowl | 69,489 | |
| 16 | December 22 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 34–23 | 11–5 | Sullivan Stadium | 57,953 | |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Game summaries
Week 1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 0 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 20 |
| • Patriots | 7 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 26 |
- Date: September 8
- Location: Sullivan Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 49,488
- Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C); wind 10 mph (16 km/h)
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Hill and John Dockery
| Q1 | 9:33 | NE | Collins 11 yard run (Franklin kick) | NE 7–0 |
| Q2 | 11:40 | NE | Franklin 34 yard field goal | NE 10–0 |
| Q2 | 10:24 | NE | Dickey tackled by Blackmon in end zone | NE 12–0 |
| Q2 | 2:20 | GB | Ellis 1 yard run (kick failed) | NE 12–6 |
| Q2 | 0:08 | NE | Jones 3 yard pass from Eason (Franklin kick) | NE 19–6 |
| Q4 | 6:23 | NE | James 65 yard run (Franklin kick) | NE 26–6 |
| Q4 | 3:51 | GB | Coffman 8 yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) | NE 26–13 |
| Q4 | 0:25 | GB | Clark 23 yard run (Del Greco kick) | NE 26–20 |
Week 2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| • Bears | 7 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
- Date: September 15
- Location: Soldier Field
- Referee: Tom Dooley
- TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
Week 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Patriots | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Bills | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
- Date: September 22
- Location: Rich Stadium • Orchard Park, New York
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) • Wind 7 mph (11 km/h)
- Referee: Jerry Seeman
- Television network: NBC
| 1 | NE | Tony Franklin 32-yard field goal | Patriots 3–0 | |
| 2 | BUF | Greg Bell 16-yard pass from Vince Ferragamo (Scott Norwood kick) | Bills 7–3 | |
| 2 | NE | Tony Collins 5-yard pass from Craig James (Tony Franklin kick) | Patriots 10–7 | |
| 3 | NE | Irving Fryar 85-yard punt return (Tony Franklin kick) | Patriots 17–7 | |
| 4 | BUF | Andre Reed 18-yard pass from Vince Ferragamo (Scott Norwood kick) | Patriots 17–14 | |
Week 4
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Raiders | 14 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| Patriots | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
- Date: September 29
- Location: Sullivan Stadium
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Bob Griese
Week 5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | 0 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| • Browns | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
- Date: October 6
- Location: Cleveland Stadium
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
Week 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • Patriots | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
- Date: October 13
- Location: Sullivan Stadium • Foxboro, Massachusetts
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C) • Wind 12 mph (19 km/h)
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (NBC): Len Berman and Reggie Rucker
| 2 | BUF | Scott Norwood 47-yard field goal | Bills 3–0 | |
| 3 | NE | Irving Fryar 16-yard pass from Steve Grogan (Tony Franklin kick) | Patriots 7–3 | |
| 4 | NE | Raymond Clayborn 27-yard interception return (Tony Franklin kick) | Patriots 14–3 | |
Week 7 vs Jets
Week Seven: New York Jets (5–1) at New England Patriots (3–3)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| Patriots | 3 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 20 |
at Sullivan Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts
- Date: October 20
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 58,163
- Referee: Fred Silva
- TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert & Bob Griese
- Box Score, Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 8
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Patriots | 0 | 13 | 3 | 16 | 32 |
| Buccaneers | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
- Date: October 27
- Location: Tampa Stadium
- Referee: Tom Dooley
- Television network: NBC
Week 9
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| • Patriots | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
- Date: November 3
- Location: Sullivan Stadium
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Bob Griese
Week 10
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 15 |
| • Patriots | 0 | 7 | 17 | 10 | 34 |
- Date: November 10
- Location: Sullivan Stadium
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
Week 11
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Patriots | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 20 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
- Date: November 17
- Location: Kingdome
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen
Week 12
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| • Jets | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
- Date: November 24
- Location: Giants Stadium
- Referee: Bob Frederic
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Merlin Olsen
Week 13
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Patriots | 7 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 38 |
| Colts | 7 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 31 |
- Date: December 1
- Location: Hoosier Dome
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- Television network: NBC
Week 14
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| • Patriots | 7 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 23 |
- Date: December 8
- Location: Sullivan Stadium
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Hill and John Dockery
Week 15
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 27 |
| • Dolphins | 7 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 30 |
- Date: December 16
- Location: Orange Bowl
- Game start: 9:00 EST
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Joe Namath, OJ Simpson
Week 16
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 3 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 23 |
| • Patriots | 10 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 34 |
- Date: December 22
- Location: Sullivan Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts
- Game start: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 24 °F (−4 °C), wind 12 mph (19 km/h)
- Referee: Red Cashion
- TV announcers (NBC): Phil Stone and Sam Rutigliano
| 1 | NE | Tony Franklin 25 yard field goal | Patriots 3–0 | |
| 1 | CIN | Jim Breech 42 yard field goal | Tie 3–3 | |
| 1 | NE | Stanley Morgan 50 yard pass from Tony Eason (Tony Franklin kick) | Patriots 10–3 | |
| 2 | CIN | Jim Breech 22 yard field goal | Patriots 10–6 | |
| 2 | NE | Tony Collins 9 yard run (Tony Franklin kick) | Patriots 17–6 | |
| 2 | NE | Tony Franklin 30 yard field goal | Patriots 20–6 | |
| 3 | CIN | Eddie Brown 33 yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick) | Patriots 20–13 | |
| 4 | CIN | Jim Breech 30 yard field goal | Patriots 20–16 | |
| 4 | NE | Craig James 11 yard run (Tony Franklin kick) | Patriots 27–16 | |
| 4 | CIN | Cris Collinsworth 8 yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick) | Patriots 27–23 | |
| 4 | NE | Robert Weathers 42 yard run (Tony Franklin kick) | Patriots 34–23 | |
After winning against the Bengals, fans stormed the field and tore down the goal posts. Fans proceeded to walk down Route 1 with the goalposts, accidentally hitting an overhead wire and nearly electrocuting themselves.[9]
Postseason
| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild card | December 28 | at New York Jets (4) | W 26–14 | 1–0 | Giants Stadium | 70,958 |
| Divisional | January 5, 1986 | at Los Angeles Raiders (1) | W 27–20 | 2–0 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 88,936 |
| AFC Championship | January 12, 1986 | at Miami Dolphins (2) | W 31–14 | 3–0 | Miami Orange Bowl | 74,978 |
| Super Bowl XX | January 26, 1986 | Chicago Bears (N1) | L 10–46 | 3–1 | Louisiana Superdome | 73,818 |
Wild card
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Patriots | 3 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 26 |
| Jets | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
- Date: December 28, 1985
- Location: The Meadowlands
- Referee: Jerry Seeman
This was only the second postseason win in Patriots history, and the first since 1963.
Divisional
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Patriots | 7 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
| Raiders | 3 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
- Date: January 5, 1986
- Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen
Conference championship
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Patriots | 3 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
- Date: January 12, 1986
- Location: Orange Bowl
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen
In the 1985 AFC Championship Game, the Patriots ran the ball on 59 out of 71 offensive plays, amassing 255 rushing yards in an upset of the favored Dolphins.[10]
The New England Patriots became the first team in NFL history to win three playoff games on the road in the same postseason.
Super Bowl
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Bears | 13 | 10 | 21 | 2 | 46 |
| Patriots | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
- Date: January 26, 1986
- Location: Louisiana Superdome
- Referee: Red Cashion
Standings
| AFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Miami Dolphins(2) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 428 | 320 | W7 |
| New York Jets(4) | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 393 | 264 | W1 |
| New England Patriots(5) | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 362 | 290 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–7 | 2–10 | 320 | 386 | W2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 1–7 | 2–12 | 200 | 381 | L6 |