The New England Patriots were founded in 1959 as the Boston Patriots, and they eventually joined the NFL in the 1970 merger.
Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady took over as the faces of the franchise in 2000. Brady replaced Drew Bledsoe early in the season and led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title. Since then, New England claimed 16 out of 18 AFC East titles and the Patriots won six Super Bowls during the Belichick/Brady era. As a franchise, they are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl victories in league history.