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 a 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.
Read more about 1999 New England Patriots Season: 1999 NFL Draft, Staff, Schedule, Standings, Notable Games, Final Roster
Famous quotes containing the words england, patriots and/or season:
“What were the “forests” of England to these?”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
“The season developed and matured. Another year’s installment of flowers, leaves, nightingales, thrushes, finches, and such ephemeral creatures, took up their positions where only a year ago others had stood in their place when these were nothing more than germs and inorganic particles. Rays from the sunrise drew forth the buds and stretched them into long stalks, lifted up sap in noiseless streams, opened petals, and sucked out scents in invisible jets and breathings.”
—Thomas Hardy (1840–1928)