The '''New England Patriots''' are a [[National Football League]] franchise team. The Patriots, also known to their fans as the "Pats", are based in [[Foxboro]], [[Massachusetts]]. Since they are located in the eastern region of the United States the Patriots belong to the Eastern Division of [[American Football Conference]] (AFC). Originally known as the Boston Patriots the franchise changed its name in 1971 to the New England Patriots to better reflect its representation of the entire [[New England]] region. | The '''New England Patriots''' are a [[National Football League]] franchise team. The Patriots, also known to their fans as the "Pats", are based in [[Foxboro]], [[Massachusetts]]. Since they are located in the eastern region of the United States the Patriots belong to the Eastern Division of [[American Football Conference]] (AFC). Originally known as the Boston Patriots the franchise changed its name in 1971 to the New England Patriots to better reflect its representation of the entire [[New England]] region. |