1970 Boston Patriots season

The 1970 Boston Patriots season was the franchise's first season in the National Football League and eleventh overall. They ended the season with a record of two wins and twelve losses, fifth (last) in the AFC East Division.

1970 Boston Patriots season
Owner	Billy Sullivan
Head coach	Clive Rush (quit, medical reasons) John Mazur (interim)
General manager	George Sauer
Home field	Harvard Stadium
Results
Record	2–12
Division place	5th AFC East
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	C Jon Morris
AP All-Pros	None
Uniform

This was the final season as the “Boston” Patriots, as they moved southwest to Foxborough, Massachusetts the next season and became the “New England” Patriots. Their final season as Boston did not go as planned, as the Patriots struggled all season and finished 2–12, the worst record in the NFL. Home games in 1970 were played at Harvard Stadium.

After taking the season opener at home from the Miami Dolphins, Boston lost nine in a row before beating the Buffalo Bills on the road. The season concluded with an embarrassing 45–7 loss to the Bengals in Cincinnati. Head coach Clive Rush quit midway through the season because of medical reasons.[1][2] His replacement, offensive backfield coach John Mazur, did not do much better of a job, but he continued as head coach the next season. The Patriots scored the fewest points in the league in 1970 with 149, and allowed 361; they missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season.

Despite being a Super Bowl quarterback, no NFL team made contact with 32-year-old Joe Kapp until after the start of the regular season.[3] Prior to the 1969 season, the Minnesota Vikings had exercised the option clause of his contract, so Kapp had played the entire season without a new contract. It was unusual for teams to use the team's option and not to offer a new contract prior to a season. This dispute made him a free agent for the 1970 season, by the NFL's own rules. The Patriots signed him on October 2 to a four-year contract,[4][5][6] making him the highest paid player in the league. The Patriots had to give up strong safety John Charles and a first-round draft pick in 1972 (used to select Stanford linebacker Jeff Siemon).[7] Kapp's first appearance was on October 11 at Kansas City, relieving starter Mike Taliaferro in the third quarter of a 23–10 loss.[8][9]

The Vikings paid Kapp back in full in week 13, rolling to a 35-14 victory in the Patriots' final game at Harvard and in Boston prior to the move to Foxborough.

The Patriots' poor record gave them the first overall selection in the 1971 NFL Draft. They took quarterback Jim Plunkett, the Heisman Trophy winner from Stanford, upset winner of the Rose Bowl.

Offseason

NFL Draft

1970 Boston Patriots draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	4	Phil Olsen	DT	Utah State
Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Staff

Boston Patriots 1970 staff
Front Office President – Billy Sullivan General Manager – George Sauer Director of Player Personnel – Rommie Loudd Head Coaches Head Coach – Clive Rush Interim Head Coach/Offensive Backfield – John Mazur Offensive Coaches Receivers – Jerry Stoltz Offensive Line – Bruce Beatty			Defensive Coaches Defensive Line – Jesse Richardson Linebackers – John Meyer Defensive Backfield – Bill Elias

Source:

Roster

1970 Boston Patriots roster

	Quarterbacks 14 Brian Dowling 15 Kim Hammond 11 Joe Kapp 17 Mike Taliaferro Running backs 22 Sid Blanks 30 Carl Garrett 32 Odell Lawson 35 Jim Nance FB 36 Eddie Ray Wide receivers 81 Charley Frazier 84 Gayle Knief 33 Bill Rademacher 34 Ron Sellers 40 Bake Turner Tight ends 82 Tom Beer 86 Barry Brown		Offensive linemen 67 Gary Bugenhagen G 73 Tom Funchess T 74 Ezell Jones T 66 Angelo Loukas G 64 Mike Montler G 56 Jon Morris C 77 Tom Neville T 60 Len St. Jean G Defensive linemen 65 Houston Antwine DT 88 Ron Berger DT 74 Jim Lee Hunt DT 87 Ike Lassiter DE 85 Dennis Wirgowski DE 71 Mel Witt DE		Linebackers 57 John Bramlett 50 Jim Cheyunski 45 Dan Kecman 52 Ed Philpott 54 Marty Schottenheimer 53 Fred Whittingham 55 J. R. Williamson Defensive backs 27 Randy Beverly 41 Larry Carwell CB 23 Daryl Johnson CB 28 Art McMahon S 44 John Outlaw CB 26 Clarence Scott SS 42 Don Webb FS Special teams 20 Gino Cappelletti K 21 Tom Janik P		Reserve lists 72 Phil Olsen DT (IR) Practice squad Rookies in italics

Source:

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	September 20	Miami Dolphins	W 27–14	1–0	Harvard Stadium	32,607	Recap
2	September 27	New York Jets	L 21–31	1–1	Harvard Stadium	36,040	Recap
3	October 4	Baltimore Colts	L 6–14	1–2	Harvard Stadium	38,235	Recap
4	October 11	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 10–23	1–3	Municipal Stadium	50,698	Recap
5	October 18	New York Giants	L 0–16	1–4	Harvard Stadium	39,091	Recap
6	October 25	at Baltimore Colts	L 3–27	1–5	Memorial Stadium	60,240	Recap
7	November 1	Buffalo Bills	L 10–45	1–6	Harvard Stadium	31,148	Recap
8	November 8	at St. Louis Cardinals	L 0–31	1–7	Busch Memorial Stadium	46,466	Recap
9	November 15	San Diego Chargers	L 14–16	1–8	Harvard Stadium	30,597	Recap
10	November 22	at New York Jets	L 3–17	1–9	Shea Stadium	61,822	Recap
11	November 29	at Buffalo Bills	W 14–10	2–9	War Memorial Stadium	31,427	Recap
12	December 6	at Miami Dolphins	L 20–37	2–10	Miami Orange Bowl	51,032	Recap
13	December 13	Minnesota Vikings	L 14–35	2–11	Harvard Stadium	37,819	Recap
14	December 20	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 7–45	2–12	Riverfront Stadium	60,157	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Standings

AFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Baltimore Colts	11	2	1	.846	6–1–1	8–2–1	321	234	W4
Miami Dolphins	10	4	0	.714	6–2	8–3	297	228	W6
New York Jets	4	10	0	.286	2–6	2–9	255	286	L3
Buffalo Bills	3	10	1	.231	3–4–1	3–7–1	204	337	L5
Boston Patriots	2	12	0	.143	2–6	2–9	149	361	L3

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

References

1. "Patriots select Mazur". Nashua Telegraph. (New Hampshire). Associated Press. November 4, 1970. p. 38.
2. "Coach clarifies release; hands team resignation". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. November 4, 1970. p. 11.
3. "Ex-player sees move to cool off Joe Kapp". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 1, 1970. p. 19.
4. "Patriots obtain Joe Kapp; terms being worked out". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 2, 1970. p. 3B.
5. "Patriots sign Kapp". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. October 2, 1970. p. 7.
6. "Kapp says 'We'll be a winner' after signing with Patriots". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 3, 1970. p. 10.
7. "Kapp predicts Patriots are going to be winners". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. October 3, 1970. p. 20.
8. "Chiefs still bother Kapp; Patriots shattered, 23-10". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. October 12, 1970. p. 15.
9. "Kansas City stops Boston Pats, 23-10". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 12, 1970. p. 8.