We’ve just surpassed four full months of living in a world without live professional team sports in our country.
Most fans have gone through a strange and uncomfortable affair of how to approach sports during this time. While it’s a great escape from reality for most of us, sports in this moment truly doesn’t seem all that important given our three current crises — the pandemic, the economy, and racial tensions.
As the NBA, NHL, and MLB attempt to return, COVID-19 cases across the country are skyrocketing, particularly in Florida where the NBA is set to resume play at the end of July. Baseball is planning on a July 23 return, but with five percent of current players testing positive, the likelihood that a season is played in its entirety remains in question.
But for so many, the reality is that sports are a huge part of our lives, and it’s been a tough balancing act not having them around as we know them. It’s almost the end of July and aside from the weather outside, it still feels like we’re stuck in March. There’s been nothing to mark the passage of time like in years past, where the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament turns into Opening Day, which is followed by the NBA and Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Many fans, myself included, have been treated to re-runs of great sports moments and games from the past to try and fill the current void. Still, it’s been tricky trying not to get too engrossed in these former highlights without feeling like the return to sports is going to be at the best, an incredibly difficult maneuver to orchestrate, and at the worst, near-impossible
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve found myself digging through the archives of great teams of Boston’s past, particularly the Patriots, trying to get excited for a hopeful football season ahead, one that is so intriguing without quarterback Tom Brady.
Before Cam Newton took the Boston media by storm, many outlets had put together lists of the greatest games, greatest players, and most dominant teams, so I thought I’d throw my hat in the ring.
When writing about the Patriots, there are many good teams we’ve seen over the last two decades, it’s incredibly hard to narrow down and nit-pick which ones deserve more praise than others. Owner Robert Kraft dubbed trying to pick a favorite championship a similar exercise to picking a favorite child — he loves them all equally.
There’s plenty of room for debate, but I tried to pick the best team by looking at their overall body of work over the course of the regular and postseason, and by the talent on the roster during that particular campaign. That to me defines the best team, although another season may have featured better games and greater moments.
Without further ado, these are the best Patriots teams to raise the Lombardi Trophy after winning the final game of the football season:
No. 6: 2018 (11-5; Super Bowl LIII: 13-3 vs. Los Angeles Rams)
This team was fascinating to watch evolve over the course of the season. After starting 1-2 with a lopsided loss to Matt Patricia’s Lions on Sunday Night Football in Detroit in Week 3, the prognosticators of doom were out in full force proclaiming the season dead before the calendar turned to October or Julian Edelman returned from a four-game suspension.
With big wins against Indianapolis, Kansas City, Green Bay, and Minnesota, New England sat at 9-3 heading into Miami. The Patriots lost a heartbreaker to the Dolphins with the Miami Miracle, and a 17-10 defeat followed in Pittsburgh, causing many to wonder if a Patriots team that had consecutive December losses was one that could make a long postseason run.
Back-to-back drubbings of AFC East foes Buffalo and the Jets, and the Patriots had regained their footing and the No. 2 seed in the AFC. Facing a Chargers team that hadn’t lost outside of LA the entire season in the Divisional Round, New England ran the ball down its throat for a 41-28 victory at Gillette Stadium. When asked about a rematch with Patrick Mahomes, this time in Arrowhead for the AFC Championship, Brady told Tracy Wolfson postgame that “Everyone thinks we suck and can’t win any games, so we’ll see,” which really spoke for the sentiment of the entire locker room. Brady was 41-years old, Rob Gronkowski had a down season compared to his 2017 campaign, and the team had many questioning if they could win on the road to reach the Super Bowl.
In one of the great games in NFL history, featuring four lead changes in the fourth quarter before an overtime period, Brady drove New England 75 yards down the field with Rex Burkhead pounding the ball in the end zone as David Andrews waved the fans goodbye. The Patriots booked a trip back to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five seasons, beating the Chiefs 37-31. Sony Michel followed up his three-touchdown performance against LA with two more in Kansas City, as he and the Patriots offensive line played their best when it mattered most this season.
The same can be said for the Patriots defense, which allowed just three points to the Rams in the Super Bowl. After Michel scored the lone touchdown of the game to give New England a 10-3 fourth-quarter lead, the defense forced a critical turnover on a blitz, which left Stephon Gilmore essentially fair catching a pass intended for Brandin Cooks to seal a sixth Lombardi Trophy.
This team was a quintessential Patriots unit, that responded with their backs against the wall and played their best when many analysts were picking the Chargers, and especially the Chiefs, to beat them in the postseason. Brady became the oldest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl, and on the podium following the win, Belichick put it perfectly: “Everyone counted us out all year, from the beginning of the season to mid-season. But we’re still here.”
No. 5: 2001 (11-5; Super Bowl XXXVI: 20-17 vs. St. Louis Rams)
This is the team I probably had the hardest time ranking. You could really put the 2001 Patriots anywhere on this list. 2001 had a bunch of unheralded talent that Belichick used perfectly to lay the foundation for his team in his second year roaming the sidelines as head coach.
In Brady’s first season as the starting quarterback, he took care of the football and managed the game better than former starter Drew Bledsoe had in previous seasons. The Patriots started off 5-5, but after losing to the St. Louis Rams in Week 10, they would not lose another game for the rest of the season.
One of the great Patriot games of all-time featured several key moments that will live on in the highlight reels at The Hall at One Patriot Place for eternity. Adam Vinatieri’s game-tying 45-yard field goal in the AFC Divisional Round vs. Oakland after the Patriots were given the football back when Walt Coleman and Co. ruled Brady’s arm was going forward for an incomplete pass will forever be one of the greatest kicks in NFL history — given the stakes and, more importantly, the snowy conditions. Brady drove New England down the field in overtime to set up a 23-yard Vinatieri field goal to win the game and send the Patriots to Pittsburgh. The final game at Foxboro Stadium is arguably the most monumental in Patriots history.
New England saw that the Steelers already had their bags packed for Super Bowl XXXVI before the game even began, and that was all the motivation the team needed heading into Heinz Field for the AFC Championship Game. After Brady was injured early on, Bledsoe took the field and he, the special teams work of Troy Brown’s 55-yard punt return touchdown, and the New England defense’s three interceptions led the Patriots to victory, holding off Pittsburgh 24-17 to punch their ticket to Super Bowl XXXVI.
In New Orleans for the Super Bowl, who could forget Pat Summerall announcing to the Superdome that the heavy-underdog Patriots chose to be introduced as a team against the Rams? Or Ty Law streaming down the sideline, hand in the air, as he crossed the goal line to give New England a 7-3 lead? And John Madden saying New England should just run out the clock with 1:21 remaining and the Patriots at their own 17-yard line? Vinatieri once again was the hero after Brady led the Patriots down the field to set up the 48-yard field goal, as Gil Santos screamed “The Patriots, are the best team, in the National Football League!”
Nobody expected the Patriots to be the last team standing before the 2001 season began, which is what makes the first ring in franchise history so special for so many. “That’s really what football is about,” Belichick said. “It’s about the team that plays the best, not the team that has the most talent.”
No. 4: 2003 (14-2; Super Bowl XXXVIII: 32-29 vs. Carolina Panthers)
Looking back, this was a great team that is often forgotten about in Patriots lore, especially compared with some others. It was sandwiched between the improbable 2001 Super Bowl victory against the Rams, and the dominant 2004 team many believe to be the best that Belichick has put together thus far in his tenure in New England.
But the 2003 team proved that 2001 wasn’t a fluke, and showed resilience after a down 2002 season which saw the Patriots finish 9-7 and miss the playoffs. Rodney Harrison joined the team as a free agent and gave an already loaded defense more toughness. After Lawyer Milloy was released in the preseason and ESPN analyst Tom Jackson declared the Patriots “hate their coach” following a 31-0 defeat in Week 1 to Milloy’s Bills, the Patriots would win 17 of their next 18 games, rattling off 15 in a row to end the season.
The defense led by Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, Willie McGinest, Ty Law, and Mike Vrabel was stellar, allowing a league-low 14.9 points per game and anchoring the team that saw Brady coming into his own under center. An 82-yard bomb to Troy Brown in overtime of Week 7 in Miami had Belichick throwing his headset up in the air in excitement. New England beat the Bills in the season finale by the same mark, 31-0, it lost by in Week 1.
In the playoffs, the defense dispatched co-league MVPs Steve McNair and Peyton Manning in back-to-back games at Gillette. Ty Law had three interceptions against Manning in the AFC Championship as Belichick’s defense left him mystified in the January flurry in Foxboro.
Super Bowl XXXVIII was a thriller, as a pair of lead changes in the fourth quarter and a quick Panthers score left New England and Carolina all tied up at 29 with 1:08 remaining. In typical Brady fashion, the Patriots drove down the field to set up an Adam Vinatieri game-winning 41-yard field goal to give the Patriots their second Super Bowl victory in three years.
“I was thrilled for our entire team, because we had played the best when it mattered,” Belichick said.
No. 3: 2014 (12-4; Super Bowl XLIX: 28-24 vs. Seattle Seahawks)
A personal favorite for me. I was 17 years old when Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson at the goal line to stun the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. My hope was to just see one more Patriots Super Bowl for Brady and Belichick. Little did I know we’d see three more.
After falling to Kansas City 41-14 on Monday Night Football, Mike Giardi infamously asked if there would be a reevaluation of the quarterback position prior to Week 5 against Cincinnati. Belichick scoffed, and repeated his infamous “We’re on to Cincinnati” line at the following Wednesday’s press conference, and the Patriots rolled from that point on, beating the Bengals at Gillette as home underdogs, 43-17.
Key pieces like Danny Amendola and Dont’a Hightower really emerged in 2014, making major contributions and helping solidify both sides of the ball. The Patriots defense in 2014 is arguably its most-talented, with Vince Wilfork, Rob Ninkovich, Hightower, Jamie Collins, Chandler Jones, Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, and newcomers at the cornerback position, Brandon Browner and Darrelle Revis, manning the unit.
This was the first time in three years that Gronkowski was healthy for the entire postseason run — something Belichick previously acknowledged hamstrung the teams’ chances of winning it all in 2012 and 2013, as they fell both times in the AFC Championship Game.
There were no lack of great moments in 2014, either. Trailing by 14 points twice against Baltimore in the AFC Divisional Round, it looked as if New England’s 12-4 mark and No. 1 seed in the AFC was all for naught. But that was until Brady led the Patriots down the field using an eligible receiver disguised as a down lineman, and the perfectly timed double pass from Edelman to Amendola tied the game. A great throw from Brady to Brandon LaFell then gave the Patriots a lead they wouldn’t relinquish in one of the best games in Gillette’s history.
Brady credits the Seattle victory in Super Bowl XLIX as a personal favorite of his career, due in large part to Deflategate hovering over the team after 1 45-7 AFC Championship Game victory over Indianapolis heading into Arizona. New England overcame a 24-14 deficit as Brady played a masterful fourth quarter (13-for-15, two touchdowns, 124 yards) against an all-time Seattle defense. And then, of course, Butler made a game-saving interception after Jermaine Kearse had an incredible catch on a deflection down the sideline against Butler two plays earlier.
2014 was a great team that snapped a 10-year Super Bowl “drought” for New England, and beating the Ravens and Colts in the playoffs capped off by an incredible Super Bowl made this an all-time postseason run.
No. 2: 2016 (14-2; Super Bowl LI: 34-28 vs. Atlanta Falcons)
The 2016 Patriots proved their mettle early in the season, when Brady was sidelined for four games for his role in Deflategate. Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett won three of the first four games before Brady returned, and New England would lose just one game the rest of the way.
The Patriots would also lose Rob Gronkowski halfway through the regular season, but Edelman, Amendola, Chris Hogan, Martellus Bennett, Malcolm Mitchell, Dion Lewis, and James White provided plenty of fire power for Brady, who finished the season with 28 touchdowns and just two interceptions in his 12 games started, making a strong case for MVP.
The Patriots also had the league-best scoring defense, allowing just 15.6 points per game. Butler continued to play well as the team’s No. 1 corner opposite Logan Ryan, while Chris Long, Trey Flowers, and Kyle Van Noy proved to be great complements in the front-seven. McCourty and Hightower also joined Butler with Pro Bowl honors.
Probably the best compliment you could give this team is that they could win games in many different ways. New England went into Denver and won for the first time since 2011 thanks to a stifling defensive performance which saw the Patriots allow just three points, while the offense put up nearly 500 yards in a 30-23 Monday Night victory vs. Baltimore the previous week.
New England made quick work of both Houston and Pittsburgh in the playoffs before they completed the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history against Atlanta. Down 28-3 with 2:31 remaining in the third quarter, the Patriots scored three touchdowns, a pair of two point conversions, and a field goal to tie the game at 28, thanks to a great strip-sack by Hightower and an incredible diving, bobbling catch by Edelman who fought through two defenders in the fourth quarter off a tipped pass.
Brady was also once again brilliant when it mattered most. He set championship game records for most passes (62), completions (43), and passing yards (466) while winning his fourth Super Bowl MVP. This was a truly dominant Patriots team that could have been even better had Gronkowski not been injured.
No. 1: 2004 (14-2; Super Bowl XXXIX: 24-21 vs. Philadelphia Eagles)
Yes, the best Patriots unit of the six champions is the 2004 team.
Another 14-2 outfit led by Belichick and Brady, who was now in his fourth season as a starter, featured an All-Pro year from Richard Seymour and a roster loaded with talent. Corey Dillion came aboard from Cincinnati and gave the Patriots their best running attack in their early Super Bowl seasons. A defense that narrowly surpasses the 2014 team in terms of talent: Seymour, McGinest, Bruschi, Wilfork, Vrabel, Law, Harrison, Ty Warren, Roosevelt Colvin, and Asante Samuel anchored a core that allowed a second-ranked 16.3 points per game in 2004.
In the AFC Divisional Round, New England once again kept the high-powered Colts under control, allowing just three points in a 20-3 victory at Gillette before heading on the road for the AFC Championship Game against the 15-1 Steelers. An early first-quarter long ball from Brady to Deion Branch gave the Patriots a 10-0 cushion before Harrison intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger pass and took it 87 yards to give New England a 24-3 halftime lead it would not relinquish.
Before the Patriots played Philadelphia in Super Bowl XXXIX, Belichick read the team the planned parade route that would take the victorious Eagles through the streets of Philadelphia. There would be no parade for the Eagles this year, as New England took control of the game in the fourth quarter with a Dillion touchdown rush and a Vinatieri field goal to lead by 10 points with two minutes remaining. The defense also forced three Donovan McNabb interceptions, including a game-clincher from Harrison as he waved his arms around like an Eagle on the field.
It was the Patriots third Super Bowl victory in four seasons. They were so strong in all three phases (the offense averaged over 27 points per game), and they beat the best teams in the playoffs to cap another historic season in Foxboro, giving them a slight edge over other champions.
It’s a subjective list, and you can really make a case for any of them. 2018 was the most-scrutinized bunch, 2001 the most memorable and unexpected. 2014 featured the best game with Super Bowl XLIX, 2016 had the incredible 28-3 comeback, and 2003 proved the Patriots were here to stay. But as far as this list is concerned, the 2004 Patriots were the strongest team to win a Lombardi Trophy under Belichick and Co.
Titletown Talk 