New England Patriots Record 17th Consecutive Winning Season

The New England Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins 35-17 on Sunday, pushing their record to 9-2. By doing so, the Patriots locked down their 17th consecutive winning season, giving them the longest streak of winning seasons since 1970, per NFL Communications.

Prior to this season, only two other franchises had posted winning seasons 16 years in a row. The Dallas Cowboys did so from 1970-1985, while the San Francisco 49ers did the same from 1983-1998.

During their historic run, the Patriots have clinched 14 AFC East titles, advanced to seven AFC Championships and won five Super Bowls.

At the forefront of their dominance has been quarterback Tom Brady. The two-time MVP threw four touchdown passes in Sunday's win, giving him 26 for the year. Although he's just 11 games into the latest campaign, Brady's 26 touchdown passes have broken the record for most touchdown passes thrown by someone at least 40 years old in a season.

Brady's touchdown mark sits behind only Carson Wentz (28) and his 3,374 passing yards are second to none in the NFL this season. His superb efforts have resulted in two players—wide receiver Brandin Cooks and tight end Rob Gronkowski—eclipsing the 700-yard mark, while two others have surpassed 400 yards.

Coach Bill Belichick has certainly played a pivotal role in the success of Brady and the Patriots as well, serving as the head coach the entire time during that stretch. The duo will almost certainly both wind up in Canton when they decide to call it quits.

New England has a conference matchup against the Buffalo Bills in Week 13. If the Patriots win, they will secure their 15th consecutive season with 10 or more wins and move closer to another title.