The 2004 season was the New England Patriots' 35th in the National Football League (NFL), their 45th overall and their fifth under head coach Bill Belichick. They finished with their second consecutive 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXIX, their third Super Bowl victory in four years, and their last until 2014. They were, until the 2023 Kansas City Chiefs did so in Super Bowl LVIII, the most recent team to repeat as NFL Champions, and only the second to win 3 Super Bowls in a 4-year span (the other being the Dallas Cowboys from the 1992 to 1995 seasons).
Following a Super Bowl win in 2003, the Patriots looked to improve their running game in the offseason. They replaced Antowain Smith with longtime but disgruntled Cincinnati Bengals running back Corey Dillon, who was acquired in a trade days before the 2004 NFL draft; Dillon would rush for a career-high 1,635 yards in 2004. Winning their first six games of the season, the Patriots set the NFL record for consecutive regular season victories (18), which was later broken by the 2006–2008 Patriots (21), and consecutive regular season and playoff victories (21) before losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 31. In that game, Pro Bowl cornerback Ty Law was lost for the season with a foot injury. Combined with the loss of other starting cornerback Tyrone Poole two weeks earlier, the Patriots were forced to complete the regular season and playoffs by using second-year cornerback Asante Samuel, undrafted free agent Randall Gay, and longtime Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown at cornerback, among others.
With a 14–2 record and the second seed in the AFC playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts 20–3 at home in the playoffs for the second-straight year, holding the Colts' top offense to three points. The Patriots then defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road, 41–27, in the AFC Championship Game. Prior to the Patriots' matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX, Eagles wide receiver Freddie Mitchell said he did not know the names of the Patriots' defensive backs, which was taken as a sign of disrespect by the Patriots' "replacement" secondary. The Patriots would go on to defeat the Eagles 24–21 in their second straight Super Bowl victory and third championship in four seasons, cementing their status as the NFL sports dynasty of the 2000s. Despite being eventually overshadowed by their 2007 counterparts, the 2004 Patriots are still considered one of the greatest NFL teams of all time. In 2019, the NFL on its 100th anniversary ranked the 2004 Patriots as the No. 16 greatest NFL team of all time, the highest ranked New England team that won the Super Bowl. Until their 2016 team won the Super Bowl, no team with more than 13 wins would win the Super Bowl. Analyst Aaron Schatz, creator of the DVOA metric, listed the 2004 Patriots as the greatest Super Bowl winning team of the Brady–Belichick era using DVOA, in addition to being ranked seventh all-time among all Super Bowl winning teams. After this the Patriots would not win another Super Bowl until Super Bowl XLIX 10 years later.
Offseason
2004 NFL draft
+ 2004 New England Patriots draft selections Round Overall Player Position College1The Patriots traded their first-round pick in the 2003 NFL draft to the Baltimore Ravens for the Ravens' second-round pick in 2003 and first-round pick in 2004. Patriots.com summary 21 Vince Wilfork Defensive tackle Miami (FL)1 32 Benjamin Watson Tight end Georgia2 63 Marquise Hill Defensive end LSU3 95 Guss Scott Safety Florida4The Patriots traded Tebucky Jones to the New Orleans Saints for the Saints' third- and seventh-round picks in the 2003 NFL draft and fourth-round pick in 2004. Patriots.com summary 113 Dexter Reid Safety North Carolina4 128 Cedric Cobbs Running back Arkansas5 164 P. K. Sam Wide receiver Florida State7 233 Christian Morton Cornerback Florida State
Staff 2004 New England Patriots staff Front office Chairman/CEO – Robert Kraft Vice chairman – Jonathan Kraft Senior vice president/COO – Andy Wasynczuk Vice president of player personnel – Scott Pioli Director of pro personnel – Nick Caserio Director of college scouting – Thomas Dimitroff Assistant director of college scouting – Lionel Vital Assistant director of pro scouting – Keith Kidd Football research director – Ernie Adams
Head coaches Head coach – Bill Belichick Assistant head coach/offensive line – Dante Scarnecchia
Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Charlie Weis Quarterbacks – Josh McDaniels Running backs – Ivan Fears Wide receivers – Brian Daboll Assistant offensive line/tight ends – Jeff Davidson Coaching assistant – Matt Patricia Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Romeo Crennel Defensive line – Pepper Johnson Linebackers – Dean Pees Defensive backs – Eric Mangini Coaching assistant – Cory Undlin
Special teams coaches Special teams – Brad Seely
Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Mike Woicik Assistant strength and conditioning – Markus Paul
Opening training camp roster
At the time of the first public training camp practice at Gillette Stadium on July 29, they had the NFL maximum of 80 players signed to their roster. The Patriots received seven roster exemptions for the NFL Europe allocations of Rohan Davey, Jamil Soriano, Chas Gessner, Lawrence Flugence, Scott Farley, Buck Rasmussen, and David Pruce. Additionally, the Patriots allocated safety Jason Perry and cornerback Michael Hall to NFL Europe and received roster exemptions for them, but those players were waived before the start of training camp. Finally, rookie Benjamin Watson had not yet signed a contract by the start of camp and did not count against the roster limit.
New England Patriots 2004 opening training camp roster Quarterbacks Tom Brady Rohan Davey Kliff Kingsbury Kurt Kittner
Running backs Mike Cloud Corey Dillon Malaefou MacKenzie FB Fred McCrary FB Patrick Pass FB
Wide receivers Deion Branch Troy Brown PR Chas Gessner David Givens Michael Jennings Bethel Johnson KR David Patten P. K. Sam R J. J. Stokes
Tight ends Matt Cercone Zeron Flemister Daniel Graham Andy Mignery UROffensive linemen Joe Andruzzi G Wilbert Brown G Jack Fadule T Brandon Gorin T Bob Hallen C Russ Hochstein G Adrian Klemm T Dan Koppen C Gene Mruczkowski G Stephen Neal G Tim Provost T David Pruce T Jamil Soriano G James O. Williams T
Defensive linemen Rodney Bailey DE Dwight Johnson DE Marquise Hill DE R Ethan Kelley NT Dan Klecko NT Buck Rasmussen DE Richard Seymour DE Keith Traylor NT Ty Warren DE Vince Wilfork NT RLinebackers Tully Banta-Cain OLB Tedy Bruschi ILB Don Davis ILB Quinn Dorsey OLB UR Lawrence Flugence ILB Larry Izzo ILB Ted Johnson ILB Justin Kurpeikis ILB Roman Phifer ILB Grant Steen OLB UR Mike Vrabel OLB
Defensive backs Terrell Buckley CB Je'Rod Cherry FS Scott Farley SS Randall Gay CB UR Rodney Harrison SS Ty Law CB Shawn Mayer FS Christian Morton CB R Tyrone Poole CB Dexter Reid SS R Asante Samuel CB Guss Scott FS R
Special teams Josh Miller P Brian Sawyer LS UR Cody Scates P UR Adam Vinatieri K Reserve lists Eric Alexander ILB (Active/NF-Inj.) UR Tom Ashworth OT (Active/PUP) Matt Chatham ILB (Active/NF-Inj.) Cedric Cobbs RB (Active/PUP) R Rosevelt Colvin OLB (Active/PUP) Kevin Faulk RB (Active/PUP) Christian Fauria TE (Active/PUP) Jarvis Green DE (Active/PUP) Matt Light OT (Active/NF-Inj.) Willie McGinest OLB (Active/PUP) Jim Miller QB (Active/NF-Ill.) Lonie Paxton LS (Active/PUP) DeVonte Peterson DE (Active/NF-Inj.) Eugene Wilson FS (Active/NF-Inj.)
Unsigned draft picks Benjamin Watson TE R
Notations R: 2004 Rookie UR: 2004 Undrafted Rookie Italicized players are not on the 80-man roster.
Roster
Week 1 roster New England Patriots 2004 Week 1 rosterQuarterbacks Tom Brady Rohan Davey Jim Miller
Running backs
Corey Dillon Kevin Faulk Patrick Pass FB
Wide receivers
Deion Branch Troy Brown PR David Givens Bethel Johnson KR David Patten P. K. Sam R
Tight ends
Christian Fauria Daniel Graham Benjamin Watson ROffensive linemen Joe Andruzzi G Tom Ashworth T Brandon Gorin T Russ Hochstein G Adrian Klemm T Dan Koppen C Matt Light T Gene Mruczkowski G Stephen Neal G
Defensive linemen
Jarvis Green DE Marquise Hill DE R Ethan Kelley NT Dan Klecko NT Richard Seymour DE Keith Traylor NT Ty Warren DE Vince Wilfork NT RLinebackers Tully Banta-Cain OLB Tedy Bruschi ILB Rosevelt Colvin OLB Don Davis ILB Larry Izzo ILB Ted Johnson ILB Willie McGinest OLB Roman Phifer ILB Mike Vrabel OLB
Defensive backs
Randall Gay CB UR Rodney Harrison SS Ty Law CB Shawn Mayer FS Tyrone Poole CB Dexter Reid SS R Asante Samuel CB Eugene Wilson FS
Special teams
Josh Miller P Lonie Paxton LS Adam Vinatieri KReserve lists Rodney Bailey DE (IR) Wilbert Brown G (Did Not Report) Matt Chatham ILB (NF-Inj.) Cedric Cobbs RB (PUP) R Zeron Flemister TE (IR) Guss Scott FS (IR) R
Practice squad
Eric Alexander ILB UR Kory Chapman RB UR Justin Kurpeikis ILB Malaefou MacKenzie FB Christian Morton CB R David Pruce OT Buck Rasmussen DE Russell Stuvaints S
Notations
R: 2004 Rookie UR: 2004 Undrafted Rookie Italicized players are not on the 53-man roster.
Final roster New England Patriots 2004 final rosterQuarterbacks Tom Brady Rohan Davey Jim Miller
Running backs
Rabih Abdullah Cedric Cobbs R Corey Dillon Kevin Faulk Patrick Pass FB
Wide receivers
Deion Branch Troy Brown David Givens Bethel Johnson Kevin Kasper David Patten
Tight ends
Christian Fauria Daniel Graham Jed WeaverOffensive linemen Joe Andruzzi G Brandon Gorin T Russ Hochstein G Dan Koppen C Matt Light T Gene Mruczkowski C Stephen Neal G Billy Yates G
Defensive linemen
Jarvis Green DE Marquise Hill DE R Ethan Kelley NT Richard Seymour DE Keith Traylor NT Ty Warren DE Vince Wilfork NT RLinebackers Tully Banta-Cain OLB Tedy Bruschi ILB Matt Chatham OLB Rosevelt Colvin OLB Don Davis ILB Larry Izzo OLB Ted Johnson ILB Willie McGinest OLB Roman Phifer ILB Mike Vrabel OLB
Defensive backs
Je'Rod Cherry SS Randall Gay CB UR Rodney Harrison SS Earthwind Moreland CB Hank Poteat CB Dexter Reid SS R Asante Samuel CB Eugene Wilson FS
Special teams Josh Miller P Lonie Paxton LS Adam Vinatieri KReserve lists Eric Alexander ILB (IR) Tom Ashworth T (IR) Rodney Bailey DE (IR) Wilbert Brown G (Did Not Report) Zeron Flemister TE (IR) Dan Klecko NT/FB (IR) Adrian Klemm T (IR) Ty Law CB (IR) Tyrone Poole CB (IR) P. K. Sam WR (IR) R Guss Scott S (IR) R Ben Watson TE (IR) R
Practice squad Ricky Bryant WR UR Kory Chapman RB UR Cedric James WR Justin Kurpeikis LB Omare Lowe CB Lance Nimmo T Buck Rasmussen DE
Notations
R: 2004 Rookie UR: 2004 Undrafted Rookie Italicized players are not on the 53-man roster. 53 active, 9 inactive, 8 practice squad
Schedule
Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 Philadelphia Eagles W 24–6 1–0 Gillette Stadium Recap 2 at Cincinnati Bengals L 3–31 1–1 Paul Brown Stadium Recap 3 at Carolina Panthers L 17–20 1–2 Bank of America Stadium Recap 4 Jacksonville JaguarsL 0–31 1–3 Gillette Stadium Recap
Regular season