1976 New England Patriots season
| 1976 New England Patriots season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Billy Sullivan |
| General manager | Chuck Fairbanks |
| Head coach | Chuck Fairbanks |
| Home stadium | Schaefer Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–3 |
| Division place | 2nd AFC East |
| Playoffs | Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Raiders) 21–24 |
| All-Pros | G John Hannah (1st team) TE Russ Francis (2nd team) CB Mike Haynes (2nd team) |
| Pro Bowlers | TE Russ Francis T Leon Gray G John Hannah CB Mike Haynes |
The 1976 New England Patriots season was the franchise's seventh season in the National Football League and 17th overall.
After a nine-year stretch in which they posted just one season at .500 amid eight losing years, the Patriots turned around their fortunes, going 11–3. It marked their first winning season as an NFL team (their last winning season came in 1966 in the AFL). New England had gone 3–11 the previous season, and was considered a "Cinderella team" in 1976. Coach Chuck Fairbanks was named NFL Coach of the Year, and cornerback Mike Haynes was named NFL Rookie of the Year.
The 1976 Patriots rushed for a total of 2,957 yards (averaging five yards per carry) and scored 376 points, both second-best in the league. The 2,957 yards rushing were the fifth-highest total in NFL history at the time. The team's 5.0 yards per carry was the best in the NFL and remains higher than all Super Bowl champions except the 1973 Miami Dolphins whose own run game was 5.0 yards per carry. The Patriots also led the league in takeaways at 50, and finished third in the league in turnover differential at plus-14.
The Patriots made their second playoff appearance and first since 1963, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders 24–21 in the first round of the NFL playoffs. The Patriots held a four-point lead in the fourth quarter, but a controversial roughing the passer penalty on defensive tackle Ray Hamilton late in the game dimmed their hopes of defeating the Raiders again.
Early in the season in week four, the Patriots handed the Raiders their only loss of the season, a 48–17 rout at Foxboro.
Despite the playoff loss, the team has been considered one of the most talented in Patriots history; in 2004, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who was an assistant coach in 1976 for the Detroit Lions (who defeated the Patriots), called this Patriots team "loaded", a "who's who team."
After the season, offensive line coach Red Miller was hired as head coach of the Denver Broncos. In his first season, he led them to the AFC's best record (12–2), their first-ever postseason appearance, and the Super Bowl.