The Patriots began playing in the American Football League in 1960 as the Boston Patriots before joining the NFL in 1970. After being re-named the New England Patriots, the club reached Super Bowls in 1986, 1997 and 2002. After losing on the first two occasions, the Patriots were crowned champions for the first time in February 2002 with a 20-17 defeat of the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. The team repeated as Super Bowl champs in 2004 with a 32-29 defeat of the Carolina Panthers in Houston, Texas, and then again in 2005 with a 34-27 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Perhaps their greatest achievement, however, came in 2007 when the team posted a perfect 16-0 regular-season record, coasted through the playoffs to reach the Super Bowl only to lose 17-14 to the New York Giants in one of the best finishes in NFL history. Bill Belichick has created a modern day dynasty that matches that of the Steelers of the 1970s, 49ers of the 1980s and the Cowboys of the 1990s. Despite losing star passer Tom Brady in the opening game of 2008, the Patriots won 11 regular season games and narrowly missed a playoff berth. With another strong off-season behind them, New England will be expected to challenge for Super Bowl honours in a season which sees them visit Wembley Stadium on October 25 when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.