The 2006 New England Patriots season was the 37th season for the team in the National Football League and 47th season overall. They finished with a 12–4 record and a division title before losing to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs.
The Patriots entered the season without their two starting wide receivers from 2005; David Givens left in free agency while Deion Branch held out for a new contract before being traded in early September. Eventually replacing them were Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney, who was signed as a street free agent in October. Back-to-back losses in November ended the team's streak of 57 games without consecutive losses, three games shy of the NFL record.
With a 12–4 record and their fourth straight division title, the Patriots entered the playoffs as the fourth seed, defeating the New York Jets in the Wild Card Playoffs. A close win over the top-seeded San Diego Chargers on the road set the Patriots up to face their rival Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship. Despite opening up a 21–3 lead, the Patriots stumbled down the stretch at the RCA Dome and the Colts emerged with a 38–34 victory.
Read more about 2006 New England Patriots Season: Staff, Opening Training Camp Roster, Week 1 Roster, Standings, Postseason Schedule, Final Roster, Awards and Honors
Famous quotes containing the words england, patriots and/or season:
“The game’s afoot.
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry, “God for Harry! England and Saint George!””
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“The great end of all human industry is the attainment of happiness. For this were arts invented, sciences cultivated, laws ordained, and societies modelled, by the most profound wisdom of patriots and legislators. Even the lonely savage, who lies exposed to the inclemency of the elements and the fury of wild beasts, forgets not, for a moment, this grand object of his being.”
—David Hume (1711–1776)
“At this season I seldom had a visitor. When the snow lay deepest no wanderer ventured near my house for a week or fortnight at a time, but there I lived as snug as a meadow mouse.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)