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A Look Back At Patriots Season Openers, Presented by Empower
As the Patriots prepare to open the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night, here's a look back at some key moments from recent Patriots season openers.
![2004 – With the Patriots nursing a 27-24 lead, Indy was poised to take the lead with first-and-goal on the one-yard line with just under four minutes to go in the fourth quarter. They handed off to RB Edgerrin James, but Eugene Wilson forced a fumble that Vince Wilfork recovered, helping New England hold on for the three-point win.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/luw33lkgk2ife6dbyyiz.jpg)
2004 – With the Patriots nursing a 27-24 lead, Indy was poised to take the lead with first-and-goal on the one-yard line with just under four minutes to go in the fourth quarter. They handed off to RB Edgerrin James, but Eugene Wilson forced a fumble that Vince Wilfork recovered, helping New England hold on for the three-point win.
![2005 – Corey Dillon rushed for two second-half touchdown to help Patriots, up 17-14, pull away in for a 30-20 win over the Raiders.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/hkkljdaoq6ydsqgn0882.jpg)
2005 – Corey Dillon rushed for two second-half touchdown to help Patriots, up 17-14, pull away in for a 30-20 win over the Raiders.
![2006 – Ty Warren sacked Bills QB J.P. Lossman in the end zone for a safety to cap 12 unanswered points in the Patriots 19-17 win over Buffalo.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/fmnrjiz8hcdh54icetw5.jpg)
2006 – Ty Warren sacked Bills QB J.P. Lossman in the end zone for a safety to cap 12 unanswered points in the Patriots 19-17 win over Buffalo.
![2007 – Newly-acquired WR Randy Moss caught nine passes for 183 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown, to highlight a 38-14 win over the Jets and kick-start the Patriots 16-0 season.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/fwm5vjgya66xeziw2xqy.jpg)
2007 – Newly-acquired WR Randy Moss caught nine passes for 183 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown, to highlight a 38-14 win over the Jets and kick-start the Patriots 16-0 season.
![2009 – Back after missing 2008 with an injury, Tom Brady rallied the Patriots with two touchdown passes two Ben Watson 1:16 apart – the latter of which gave the Patriots the lead with 50 seconds to go in a wild 25-24 win over Buffalo on "Monday Night Football." Sandwiched between those TDs was a fumble recovery by kicker Stephen Gostkowski.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/hmun2d4grsbpkkh2cu8n.jpg)
2009 – Back after missing 2008 with an injury, Tom Brady rallied the Patriots with two touchdown passes two Ben Watson 1:16 apart – the latter of which gave the Patriots the lead with 50 seconds to go in a wild 25-24 win over Buffalo on "Monday Night Football." Sandwiched between those TDs was a fumble recovery by kicker Stephen Gostkowski.
![2010 – Rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski caught his first NFL pass, and the first of his 79-career touchdown passes, when he hauled in a one-yard score from Tom Brady in the fourth quarter in the Patriots 38-24 win over the Bengals.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/yhzbxmlvwsjw2gi0v1lz.jpg)
2010 – Rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski caught his first NFL pass, and the first of his 79-career touchdown passes, when he hauled in a one-yard score from Tom Brady in the fourth quarter in the Patriots 38-24 win over the Bengals.
![2011 – Wes Welker caught two very different touchdown passes from Tom Brady, a two-yarder in the third quarter and a 99-yarder in the fourth, as the Patriots topped the Dolphins 38-24 in South Florida on "Monday Night Football."](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/w2tfraxrgx5wnm6t0unw.jpg)
2011 – Wes Welker caught two very different touchdown passes from Tom Brady, a two-yarder in the third quarter and a 99-yarder in the fourth, as the Patriots topped the Dolphins 38-24 in South Florida on "Monday Night Football."
![2012 – The Patriots first round draft picks, Chandler Jones (21st overall) and Dont'a Hightower (25th overall) wasted no time making an impact. Jones striped sacked QB Jake Locker early in the second quarter and Hightower scooped up the fumble and ran into the end zone from six yards out for a TD in New England's 34-13 win over Tennessee.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/kjosckzd92361oszh8ey.jpg)
2012 – The Patriots first round draft picks, Chandler Jones (21st overall) and Dont'a Hightower (25th overall) wasted no time making an impact. Jones striped sacked QB Jake Locker early in the second quarter and Hightower scooped up the fumble and ran into the end zone from six yards out for a TD in New England's 34-13 win over Tennessee.
![2013 – Stephen Gostkowski kicked two fourth-quarter field goals, including a 35-yarder as time expired to give the Patriots a 23-21 win over the Bills in Western New York.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/g4o8jwnrmm5pwlpje6sa.jpg)
2013 – Stephen Gostkowski kicked two fourth-quarter field goals, including a 35-yarder as time expired to give the Patriots a 23-21 win over the Bills in Western New York.
![2015 – Rob Gronkowski caught three touchdown passes from Tom Brady, a 16 and 6-yarder in the first quarter, followed by a one-yarder in the fourth, as the Patriots pushed past the Steelers 28-21.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/qj96zrir3xkzrgasjvvl.jpg)
2015 – Rob Gronkowski caught three touchdown passes from Tom Brady, a 16 and 6-yarder in the first quarter, followed by a one-yarder in the fourth, as the Patriots pushed past the Steelers 28-21.
![2016 – Jimmy Garoppolo completed 24 of 33 passes for 264 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown to Chris Hogan to open the scoring, in leading the Patriots to a 23-21 road win over Arizona.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/rwlrkyqsr81ahchmuxdh.jpg)
2016 – Jimmy Garoppolo completed 24 of 33 passes for 264 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown to Chris Hogan to open the scoring, in leading the Patriots to a 23-21 road win over Arizona.
![2018 – The Patriots raced out to a 24-6 lead and withstood the Texans comeback bid when Jason McCourty broke up DeShuan Watson's fourth-down pass just short of the goal line to give New England a 27-20 win.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/patriots/kjl3mbb0qoa4wyvmsmb7.jpg)
2018 – The Patriots raced out to a 24-6 lead and withstood the Texans comeback bid when Jason McCourty broke up DeShuan Watson's fourth-down pass just short of the goal line to give New England a 27-20 win.