From 2001 and on, the New England Patriots dominated the NFL. Led by quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots were always considered a legitimate threat to win the Super Bowl.
New England was in a record nine Super Bowls from 2001 to 2018, compiling six wins and three losses. As heartbreaking as the losses were, such as the squandered perfect season or the shootout against Philadelphia, the multitude of wins more than made up for them.
Each Super Bowl the Patriots competed in were competitive, heart-racing games that always seemed to come down to the wire. Today, I’m ranking every Patriots Super Bowl win in terms of entertainment.
6. Super Bowl LIII
Without a doubt the most underwhelming Super Bowl in recent memory, despite being a close game. The Patriots faced the Los Angeles Rams, who were coming off a historic season on offense. New England was not totally expected to be there, as they had a rocky regular season but managed to put it together in the playoffs.
While the Patriots’ defensive gameplan was perfect, holding the Rams to just one field goal for the entire game, the game itself was an absolute dogfight. New England was also having a very difficult time scoring until they finally scored the game’s only touchdown late in the fourth quarter. While an impressive defensive performance, the offense left a lot to be desired. However, that doesn’t detract from how impressive the defense was.
5. Super Bowl XXXIX
In 2004, the Patriots were the reigning, defending champs. They put another historic season under their belt, marked by an unbelievably stingy defense and a rising star in Tom Brady.
The Super Bowl was held in Jacksonville, Florida, and pitted New England against the Philadelphia Eagles. These franchises would see each other on this stage again in the distant future, but for now this was the prime matchup.
As phenomenal as New England was all year, this game just wasn’t too exciting. While it was close, it never felt like the Eagles had much of a chance, which goes to show how dominant the Patriots were. While an impressive performance, the game itself wasn’t all that exciting.
4. Super Bowl XXXVI
This game kicked off the Patriots’ dynasty. Going in, they were massive underdogs against the St. Louis Rams, also known as “The Greatest Show On Turf.” Led by a high-powered offense boasting the likes of Marshall Faulk and Kurt Warner, this team was to be feared.
But the Patriots shut them down and were well on their way to their first Super Bowl win… that is, until the Rams stormed back from a 14-point deficit and tied the game late in the fourth quarter. The rest is history; the legend of Tom Brady was born as he marched them down the field within the final minute to set up a game-winning field goal from Adam Vinatieri. An absolutely riveting beginning to the greatest dynasty ever.
3. Super Bowl XXXVIII
New England’s foe for this one was the Carolina Panthers, and they sure came to play. After a scoreless first quarter, both offenses exploded. The teams jostled back and forth for the rest of the game, displaying incredible offensive firepower.
A crucial moment occurred late in the fourth. After tying the game at 29, the Panthers were set to kick the ball back to the Patriots with little time remaining. However, their kicker sent the ball out of bounds, resulting in a penalty which placed the ball at New England’s 40-yard-line. What followed was predictable. Brady got his offense in position for another game-winning kick from Vinatieri.
2. Super Bowl XLIX
A strong argument can be made for either of this list’s top 2 to be number 1, but I couldn’t give Super Bowl XLIX the edge. That doesn’t mean this game was any less entertaining, though.
This contest between the Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks is remembered as one of the best Super Bowls ever, full of pivotal and dramatic moments. But none bigger than the game-winning interception by Malcolm Butler on the goalline, which gifted New England its fourth Super Bowl championship.
1. Super Bowl LI
Was there any doubt this would be here? Of course not. Super Bowl LI between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons was legendary. There’s truly never been a game like this one.
Atlanta took a 28-3 lead in the third quarter, which seemed to destroy New England’s chances. But they finally got a decent offensive drive going just after and, after that, could not be stopped. Brady led several scoring drives in which the offense marched long distances to the end zone, while the defense shut down Atlanta’s high-octane offense. Eventually, the Patriots forced overtime, then punctuated the comeback with yet another long scoring drive.
