The 2012 New England Patriots season was the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League and 53rd overall. The Patriots did not improve upon their 13-3 record, finishing at 12–4, but did win the AFC East for the fourth season in a row, and a first-round bye as one of the top two seeds in the AFC for the third consecutive year. This season marks head coach Bill Belichick's 13th season as Patriots head coach, and the 11th season in which the Patriots played all of their home games at Gillette Stadium. __TOC__