FOXBOROUGH – In 1970, the year of the AFL-NFL merger, the Patriots were a laughingstock, vagabond franchise with no stadium to call home, a strange head coach, and a savior quarterback (who came along the next year) named Jim Plunkett to lead them to the promised land.
46 years later, the Patriots have been to more Super Bowls than any other team in the NFL.
They haven’t made the trip yet, of course. But their tickets to Houston have been punched, as the Patriots pummeled the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-17 on Sunday night at Gillette Stadium, winning the AFC Championship Game and sending the Patriots to Super Bowl LI.