September 16, 1960: DB Chuck Shonta recovered a fumble on the final play of the game and ran for a touchdown to give the Patriots their first victory with a 28-24 advantage over the N.Y. Titans at the Polo Grounds in New York.
September 16, 1962: Opened the season at Harvard Stadium and beat the Houston Oilers 34-21. The Patriots played the remainder of their games at Boston University Field.
September 23, 1970: Official groundbreaking ceremonies begin for the construction of the Patriots new stadium in Foxboro, Mass. The stadium opened nearly one year later.
September 21, 1986: QB Tony Eason throws for a then teamrecord 414 yards. The Patriots lose to Seattle, 38-31, in the game played in Foxboro. Eason was 26-of-45 with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
September 21, 1997: For third time in team history, and first since 1974, the Patriots started the 1997 season 4-0 with a 31-3 victory over the Chicago Bears. September 22, 2002: Wide receiver Troy Brown established a single-game franchise record with 16 catches vs. Kansas City.
September 19, 2005: Forbes Magazine names the Patriots "The Best Team in Sports" and Robert Kraft appears on the cover of the issue.
