Photo courtesy Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
With the Super Bowl around the corner, and the new documentary The Dynasty coming out on Apple TV. I thought it would be nice to rank all six Super Bowl wins. In two decades, the Patriots tied the Pittsburgh Steelers with the most Super Bowl championships for a franchise with six. Without further ado let's look back at all six Super Bowl titles.
6. Super Bowl LIII 13-3 Vs Los Angeles Rams
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At number six is the Super Bowl LIII. The Patriots had an 11-5 record and won its 10th straight division title. The Patriots defeated the Chiefs in an all-time classic in the AFC championship. That game went into overtime and is regarded as one of the greatest playoff games of all time.
The most recent Patriots Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl LIII is the worst of the six. Currently, it remains the lowest-scoring Super Bowl game of all time. Neither the Patriots nor the Rams scored a touchdown until the fourth quarter Sony Michel ran in for the touchdown. Other highlights include Rob Gronkowski’s catch inside the five-yard line and Stephon Gilmore’s interception in the fourth quarter. The Super Bowl MVP was Julian Edelman, who had 10 receptions and 141 yards. While it is the last Super Bowl win with Brady and Belichick together, it ranks last as one of the worst games.
5. Super Bowl XXXIX 24-21 Vs Philadelphia Eagles
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Heading into Super Bowl XXXIX, the Patriots were 14-2 and advanced to the Super Bowl by beating the Colts (20-3) and Steelers (41-27). Keep in mind, the Patriots were the reigning Super Bowl Champions, and were looking to make history to become the first team since 1997 and 1998 Denver Broncos as repeat Champions. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles were looking for their first Super Bowl championship, and they were 13-3. This team was led by Donovan McNabb, Terrell Owens, and Brian Dawkins.
The star of this game was Deion Branch, who caught 11 passes for 133 yards and won the Super Bowl MVP. If we look back, this game wasn’t a thriller. In the first half, they were tied 14-14. Then the second half happened, and the Eagles lost it, as they gave up two interceptions and finished the game with four turnovers. The highlight of this game was Rodney Harrison’s interception to end the game.
One last thing I would like to mention is this would be Jacksonville's first and only Super Bowl as they haven’t hosted since.
4. Super Bowl XXXVIII 32-29 Vs Carolina Panthers
Photo by Cape Cod Times
The Patriots had a 14-game winning streak going into Super Bowl XXVIII. This was an interesting game as every point was scored in the second and fourth quarters. Watching the game again, this was a pretty good game and had everything you could want in a Super Bowl. This was a back-and-forth game coming down to the wire in which the game ended with an Adam Vinatieri game-winning field goal.
If you like offense, this was the game for you, as both teams combined to get 868 yards and 61 points. Even more insane is that the two teams combined for 37 fourth quarter points. Tom Brady was the game's MVP, throwing for 354 Yards and three touchdowns. You could also give the MVP to Mike Vrabel, who led the team in sacks and scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
3. Super Bowl XXXVI 20-17 Vs St. Louis Rams
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If you told somebody in the fall of 2001 that the sixth-round pick Tom Brady would take over the starting QB over Drew Bledsoe and lead the team into the Super Bowl, people would think you're crazy. However, that was exactly what happened. Brady took over the starting job after Bledsoe went down. This was Bill Belichick's second season as the Patriots head coach, and they finished with an 11-5 record and won the AFC East.
The Rams, led by MVP Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, and Isaac Bruce aka “Greatest Show on Turf''. Before the start of the game, the Patriots were introduced as a team rather than an individual. Changing a Super Bowl tradition forever.
Going into the fourth quarter the Patriots were up 17-3 the Rams then tied the game in the fourth quarter. With 1:21 left in the game, Brady marched down with a 53-yard drive. Vinatieri then kicked the game-winning field goal, and the Patriots won their first Super Bowl, kicking off an incredible dynasty. This was Belichick's first Super Bowl win as the Patriots head coach.
2. Super Bowl XLIX 28-24 Vs Seattle Seahawks
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This game was intense and was filled with drama between the two teams. For the Patriots, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady lost their previous two Super Bowl appearances in 2007 and 2011. Meanwhile, the Seahawks were looking to repeat back-to-back champs after winning the previous Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos.
At halftime, both teams were tied at 14 apiece. Seattle came out with 10 straight points, leading 24-14 early in the fourth quarter. Tom Brady then threw two touchdown passes, one to Julian Edelman and one to Danny Amendola. Brady threw for over 400 yards and four touchdowns.
But arguably the greatest play in Boston Sports history happened when Malcolm Butler came into the game and intercepted at the goal line. A game-ending interception in which it looked like the Seahawks were about to win the game.
1. Super Bowl LI 34-28 Vs Atlanta Falcons
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So much can be said about this game, arguably the greatest Super Bowl game of all time. No team had ever come back from 25 points down in the history of the Super Bowl until Super Bowl LI which saw the Patriots take on the Atlanta Falcons. It was a rocky road to get there, as the Patriots didn’t have Tom Brady to start the season. Brady was suspended for the first four games of the season for “Deflate Gate'' but they made it to the Super Bowl against all odds and finished the regular season with a 14-2 record.
The Falcons scored the first 21 points of the game and with 8:31 left in the third quarter, the Falcons went up 28-3. The Patriots didn’t quit and scored the final 31 points of the game. Tom Brady finished with 466 yards and two touchdowns.
While Brady did win Super Bowl MVP, you could argue James White should have won it. White ran the ball six times with 29 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime. Other highlights include Julian Edelman, who made arguably the greatest catch in Super Bowl History. Against three defenders, Edelman dived for the ball and somehow caught it. This game will be one no one ever forgets, and with that, those are the rankings for all six Patriots Super Bowl wins.
Have an opposing viewpoint to this opinion? Let us know. All views are welcome. Send your thoughts to our Editorial Staff – Editor Dylan Hicks dhicks@student.dean.edu or Dean Daily Faculty Advisor, Professor John Rooke jrooke@dean.edu