1993 New England Patriots season
| 1993New England Patriotsseason | |
|---|---|
| Owner | James Orthwein |
| Head coach | Bill Parcells |
| Home field | Foxboro Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 5–11 |
| Division place | 4thAFC East |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | None |
| AP All-Pros | None |
| Uniform | |
 | |
The1993 New England Patriots seasonwas the franchise’s 34th season overall and 24th in theNational Football League(NFL). The Patriots finished fourth in theAFCEastDivision with a record of five wins and eleven losses.
Offseason
[edit]Sweeping off-field changes
[edit]The Patriots closedtheir previous seasonwith a 2–14 record amidst off-field turmoil. An unfavorable stadium deal without parking andluxury boxrevenues meant that the Patriots could not be competitive financially without a new facility.[1]OwnerJames Orthweindemanded that Boston build a domed stadium downtown,[1]and NFL CommissionerPaul Tagliabuesaid that time to build a new stadium was running out.[2]Suspicion that the Patriots would move to St. Louis began during the 1992 season,[3]and intensified as bidding for the league’s two 1995 expansion franchises heated up,[note 1]with the general belief that the Patriots would be moved to St. Louis asthe Stallions[note 2]if that city lost its expansion bid.[4]There was also a proposal from businessman Fran Murray to move the team toHartford,Connecticutwherethe state legislaturebacked a plan to build a 65,000-seat stadium downtown.[5]
The 1993 season was the first with the current Patriots logo and font, although the team changed its colors in2000.
Sweeping changes were made in the organization before the season. All coaches from the 1992 season with the exception ofDante ScarnecchiaandBobby Grierwere fired. Scarnecchia would become a special assistant while Grier would move to the front office. The new head coach wasBill Parcells,who had been a linebackers coach in Foxboro in1980underRon Erhardt.
The roster underwent substantial changes; among the holdovers from the 1992 season wereMarv Cook,Ben Coates,Kevin Turner,Michael Timpson,Sam Gash,Greg McMurtry,Vincent Brown,Maurice Hurst,Leonard Russell,Bruce Armstrong,Mike Arthur,andPat Harlow.The Patriots drafted quarterbackDrew Bledsoeas the #1 pick and he was named starter.
| Additions | Subtractions |
|---|---|
| QBScott Secules(Dolphins) | QBHugh Millen(Cowboys) |
| DEAaron Jones(Steelers) | RBJohn Stephens(Packers) |
| GRich Baldinger(Chiefs) | WRIrving Fryar(Dolphins) |
| DEMike Pitts(Eagles) | |
| PMike Saxon(Cowboys) |
1993 NFL Draft
[edit]| 1993 New England Patriots draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Drew Bledsoe* | Quarterback | Washington State | |
| 2 | 31 | Chris Slade* | Defensive end | Virginia | |
| 2 | 51 | Todd Rucci | Tackle | Penn State | |
| 2 | 56 | Vincent Brisby | Wide receiver | Northeast Louisiana | |
| 4 | 86 | Kevin Johnson | Defensive tackle | Texas Southern | |
| 4 | 110 | Corwin Brown | Safety | Michigan | |
| 5 | 113 | Scott Sisson | Kicker | Georgia Tech | |
| 5 | 138 | Rich Griffith | Tight end | Arizona | |
| 6 | 142 | Lawrence Hatch | Cornerback | Florida | |
| 8 | 198 | Troy Brown* | Wide receiver | Marshall | |
| Made roster*Made at least onePro Bowlduring career | |||||
Undrafted free agents
[edit]| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Arnold Ale | Linebacker | UCLA |
| Keith Ballard | Offensive Line | Minnesota |
| Matt Bomba | Defensive Line | Indiana |
| Tunji Bolden | Linebacker | TCU |
| Ray Crittenden | Wide receiver | Virginia Tech |
| Corey Croom | Running back | Ball State |
| Eric Gallon | Running back | Kansas State |
| Bo Gilliard | Wide receiver | Prairie View A&M |
| Frank Godfrey | Offensive Line | LSU |
| Ronnie Harris | Wide receiver | Oregon |
| Vernon Lewis | Cornerback | Pittsburgh |
| Tom Vincent | Offensive Line | Vanderbilt |
Season summary
[edit]The Patriots lost their first four games, even after forcing overtime againstthe Lionsand seeing a last-minute field goal attempt againstSeattlebounce off the crossbar. In Week 5 Bledsoe was injured,Scott Seculeswas named the starting quarterback, and won the game with two passing touchdowns passing and one rushing score in the team's 23–21 win overthe Cardinals.Scott Seculeswas then benched after a 28–14 loss tothe Oilers.Bledsoe started for the Patriots, who however lost seven straight before eking out a 7–2 win againstthe Bengalsthat was the last occurrence untilthe 2011 Falconsof a team scoring only asafetyin an NFL game.[6]This win was followed by a 20–17 win overthe Cleveland Browns– coached by Parcells’ longtime assistantBill Belichick– and a 38–0 massacre ofthe Indianapolis Coltsin brutal windchill.
The season ended on January 2, 1994, with many in the sellout crowd atFoxboro Stadium[7]believing it would be the final ever game for the New England Patriots before moving to St. Louis.[8]The finale itself became one of the most dramatic games in the team’s history. The Patriots were hostingthe Dolphins,who with champion quarterbackDan Marinoout for the season after Week Five, had not won since Thanksgiving Day againstthe Dallas Cowboysand required a win to make the playoffs. The Patriots led 10–7 at halftime and twice stopped the Dolphins on downs, but early in the third a Bledsoe fumble led to a Dolphins field goal. A blocked punt by the Dolphins’Darrell Maloneled to a touchdown byScott MitchelltoMark Ingram.The game lead tied or changed five times in the fourth quarter. In the fourth the Dolphins completed a drive ending in aTerry Kirbytouchdown run, this despiteAndre Tippett's sack of Mitchell for a ten-yard loss – it was the 100th career sack for the future Hall Of Fame linebacker.
In the final 3:40 Bledsoe drove the Patriots down to aBen Coatestouchdown catch, but the Dolphins forced overtime on aPete Stoyanovichfield goal. In the overtime the Dolphins punted afterChris Sladeforced a fumble, then Bledsoe was picked off byJ.B. Brownbefore the Dolphins had to punt again.Vincent Brisbycaught a ten-yard pass but fumbled; teammateLeonard Russellrecovered the ball and ran 22 yards; Bledsoe then absorbed a Dolphins blitz and launched a 36-yard touchdown toMichael Timpson,ending a wild 33–27 Patriots win. This finished their season at 5–11, but with four straight wins and eliminating the Dolphins from the playoffs as a finale.
This win over Miami marked only the sixth time that the Pats had defeated a team with a winning record since the start of1989.
Staying in Foxborough
[edit]As it turned out, the Patriots would not be leaving for the Midwest after all. Despite ownerJames Orthwein’s best efforts, Foxboro Stadium ownerRobert Kraftwas unwilling to let the team out of its lease, which ran through the end ofthe 2001 season.[9]An effort by Orthwein to buy his way out of the terms of the lease was rejected outright by Kraft; since Orthwein had intended to relocate the Patriots when he purchased the team fromVictor Kiambefore the previous season, and Kraft said he would challenge any relocation bid in court,[10]he was left with little choice but to put the team up for sale since he no longer desired to do business in New England. Kraft would make a bid for the franchise that would eventually be accepted, and the Patriots remained in Foxborough.[11]
Staff
[edit]|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Roster
[edit]| Quarterbacks(QB)
Running backs(RB)
Wide receivers(WR)
Tight ends(TE) |
Offensive linemen(OL)
|
Linebackers(LB)
Defensive backs(DB) {{{defensive_back}}} |
Practice squad
None 53 active, 3 inactive, 0 practice squad Reserved
|
Regular season
[edit]Schedule
[edit]| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 5 | atBuffalo Bills | L14–38 | 0—1 | 79,751 |
| 2 | September 12 | Detroit Lions | L16–19(OT) | 0—2 | 54,151 |
| 3 | September 19 | Seattle Seahawks | L14–17 | 0—3 | 50,392 |
| 4 | September 26 | atNew York Jets | L7–45 | 0—4 | 64,836 |
| 5 | Bye | ||||
| 6 | October 10 | atPhoenix Cardinals | W23–21 | 1—4 | 36,115 |
| 7 | October 17 | Houston Oilers | L14–28 | 1—5 | 51,037 |
| 8 | October 24 | atSeattle Seahawks | L9–10 | 1—6 | 56,526 |
| 9 | October 31 | atIndianapolis Colts | L6–9 | 1—7 | 46,522 |
| 10 | November 7 | Buffalo Bills | L10–13(OT) | 1—8 | 54,326 |
| 11 | Bye | ||||
| 12 | November 21 | atMiami Dolphins | L13-17 | 1—9 | 59,982 |
| 13 | November 28 | New York Jets | L0–6 | 1—10 | 42,810 |
| 14 | December 5 | atPittsburgh Steelers | L14–17 | 1—11 | 51,358 |
| 15 | December 12 | Cincinnati Bengals | W7–2 | 2—11 | 29,794 |
| 16 | December 19 | atCleveland Browns | W20–17 | 3—11 | 48,618 |
| 17 | December 26 | Indianapolis Colts | W38–0 | 4—11 | 26,571 |
| 18 | January 2 | Miami Dolphins | W33–27(OT) | 5—11 | 53,883 |
| Note:Intra-division opponents are inboldtext. | |||||
Standings
[edit]| AFC East | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| (1)Buffalo Bills | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 329 | 242 | W4 |
| Miami Dolphins | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 349 | 351 | L5 |
| New York Jets | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 270 | 247 | L3 |
| New England Patriots | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 238 | 286 | W4 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 189 | 378 | L4 |
Notes
[edit]- ^Expansion franchises were awarded toCharlotte,North Carolinaasthe Carolina Panthersin October 1993 and toJacksonville,Floridaasthe Jacksonville Jaguarson the last day of November.Memphis,St. Louisand Baltimore would lose their expansion bids; however, St. Louis would acquirethe Ramsin1995andArt Modellwould movethe Cleveland Brownsto Baltimore asthe Ravensin1996
- ^In November 1993, a “St. Louis Stallions” team logo was unveiled and hats printed, only to be withdrawn after the city’s expansion bid was lost.
References
[edit]- ^abMiklasz, Bernie (May 26, 1993). "Next Move Is Orthwein's (and Patriots')".St. Louis Post-Dispatch.St. Louis,Missouri.pp. 1D, 7D.
- ^Morgan, Jon (August 6, 1993). "Patriots' Owner Preserves Right to Move to St. Louis".The Baltimore Sun.Baltimore.p. 10A.
- ^Thomas, Jim (November 8, 1992). "Foxboro Follies: These Patriots Need a Revolution to Save Them".St. Louis Post-Dispatch.St. Louis, Missouri. p. 1F.
- ^Pierson, Don (October 26, 1993). "Payton's Position Unclear in NFL Bid ".Chicago Tribune.Chicago,Illinois.p. 4–3.
- ^"The Patriots Chase — A Look at Connecticut's Attempts to Lure the Patriots to Hartford".Hartford Courant.Hartford,Connecticut.January 22, 1994. p. D4.
- ^All Game Scores in Pro Football HistoryArchivedMay 14, 2011, at theWayback Machine
- ^Thomas, Jim (January 2, 1994). "Moving Experience for Pats May Be Near – Sunday's Game Could Be Team's New England Finale".St. Louis Post-Dispatch.St. Louis, Missouri. p. F1.
- ^Borges, Ron (January 2, 1994). "23 Years...And Counting?".The Boston Globe.Boston,Massachusetts.p. 73.
- ^Howe, Peter J. "Town Says Patriots' Move to Boston Will Be Costly".The Boston Globe.Boston, Massachusetts. p. 16.
- ^Thomas, Jim (January 5, 1994). "Patriots' Move Could Trigger Avalanche of Lawsuits".St. Louis Post-Dispatch.St. Louis, Missouri. p. 7D.
- ^"Another Letdown for St. Louis".Hartford Courant.Hartford, Connecticut. January 22, 1994. p. D4.
- ^"1993 Club Directory, Administration, and Coaching Staff".1993 New England Patriots Media Guide.pp. 2, 4–20.
- ^"1993 New England Patriots starters and roster".Pro-Football-Reference.RetrievedNovember 22,2014.