A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| 2003 New England Patriots season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Robert Kraft |
| Head coach | Bill Belichick |
| Home field | Gillette Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 14–2 |
| Division place | 1st AFC East |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Titans) 17–14 Won AFC Championship (vs. Colts) 24–14 Won Super Bowl XXXVIII (vs. Panthers) 32–29 |
| Pro Bowlers | CB Ty Law LB Willie McGinest DE Richard Seymour |
| AP All-Pros | SS Rodney Harrison (1st team) CB Ty Law (1st team) DE Richard Seymour (1st team) LB Tedy Bruschi (2nd team) |
| Uniform | |
 | |
The 2003 season was the New England Patriots' 34th in the National Football League (NFL), their 44th overall, and their fourth under head coach Bill Belichick. They finished with a league-best and franchise-best 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVIII.[1]
Two seasons after winning Super Bowl XXXVI, the Patriots went into 2003 after missing the playoffs in 2002. In a salary cap-related move, captain and Pro Bowl safety Lawyer Milloy was released five days before the start of the regular season. This prompted second-guessing of head coach Bill Belichick among some fans[2] and a report by ESPN analyst Tom Jackson that Patriots players "hated their coach", an accusation later denied by players.[3] Milloy signed with the Buffalo Bills, who defeated the Patriots, 31–0, in the season opener. The Patriots would rebound, not losing another game after starting with a 2–2 record. Due to multiple injuries, the Patriots started 42 different players during the season, an NFL record for a division winner until the 2005 Patriots started 45 different players.[4] Undefeated at home, nose tackle Ted Washington coined the phrase "Homeland Defense" for the Patriots' defense.[5] That defense, boosted by the offseason acquisitions of Washington and former San Diego Chargers safety Rodney Harrison, gave up a league-low 14.9 points per game. The regular season was bookended with a 31–0 victory over the Bills at home in Week 17, a score reversed from the Patriots' shutout loss to the Bills in Week 1. The win gave the Patriots a perfect 8–0 record at home in the regular season, and their 14 total wins was the team's highest mark since their 11–5 season in 2001.[6][7]
After a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs, the Patriots faced the Tennessee Titans at home in one of the coldest games in the Patriots' NFL history[8] and won 17–14, setting up an AFC Championship Game matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots intercepted Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, the league's co-MVP, four times, winning 24–14 and advancing to Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Carolina Panthers. With a tied game late in the fourth quarter, Adam Vinatieri kicked the game-winning field goal with seconds remaining, giving the Patriots their second Super Bowl victory in three seasons.[9][10][11]
Offseason roster changes
The Patriots signed safety Rodney Harrison, linebacker Rosevelt Colvin, fullback Fred McCrary, cornerback Tyrone Poole, linebacker Jason Hunt, linebacker Don Davis, tight end Fred Baxter, safety Chris Akins, fullback Larry Centers and wide receiver Dedric Ward in free agency.
The Patriots traded safety Tebucky Jones to the New Orleans Saints for three draft picks: a 2003 3rd-round pick, a 2003 7th-round pick, and a 2004 4th-round pick.
Before the season began, the Patriots acquired defensive tackle Ted Washington in a trade with the Chicago Bears and released safety Lawyer Milloy after he refused to take a pay cut. Milloy would later sign with the Buffalo Bills.
Draft
| 2003 New England Patriots draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | Ty Warren | DT | Texas A&M | Pick from CHI[12] |
| 2 | 36 | Eugene Wilson | CB | Illinois | Pick from HOU[13] |
| 2 | 45 | Bethel Johnson | WR | Texas A&M | Pick from CAR[14] |
| 4 | 117 | Dan Klecko | DT | Temple | Pick from HOU[13] |
| 4 | 120 | Asante Samuel * | CB | Central Florida | Pick from DEN[15] |
| 5 | 164 | Dan Koppen * | C | Boston College | Pick from TEN[16] |
| 6 | 201 | Kliff Kingsbury | QB | Texas Tech | Pick from TEN[16] |
| 7 | 234 | Spencer Nead | TE | BYU | |
| 7 | 239 | Tully Banta-Cain | LB | California | Pick from NO[17] |
| 7 | 243 | Ethan Kelley | DT | Baylor | Pick from TEN[16] |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Staff
| 2003 New England Patriots staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Coaching assistants
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
Roster
Opening training camp roster
At the time of the first public training camp practice at Gillette Stadium on July 24, the Patriots had the NFL maximum of 80 players signed to their roster. They received seven roster exemptions for the NFL Europe allocations of Dyshod Carter, Mike Malan, Mike Clare, Rod Trafford, Courtney Ledyard, Brad Harris, and Scott McCready. Additionally, the Patriots allocated offensive lineman Corey Mitchell, wide receiver T. C. Taylor, and quarterback Shane Stafford to NFL Europe and received roster exemptions for them, but those players were waived before the start of training camp. Injured exclusive‑rights free agent Stephen Neal did not sign his tender until after camp began, so did not count against the roster limit.