Tom Curran's Top 100 Plays of the Belichick Era

[IcyPatriot]

I'll be looking for where Tom puts this play ...
Vinatieri won it with the field goal but doesn't get that kick without the pass to Troy Brown.
One of the biggest receptions in the Belichick era ... was it the biggest?
would not have been if Belichick/Brady/Weiss had listened to John Madden.

Super Bowl XXXVI

With 29 seconds left in Super Bowl XXXVI, Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis called 64-Max-All-In. The score was 17-all and the Patriots were on their 41-yard-line, facing a second-and-11. Brown ran his typical, precise route and drifted into a sliver of open space.

"Troy's the first guy I'm looking for," Brady said later of the man who caught 101 passes in the regular season. "I'm looking for Troy -- always Troy." Brady -- fairly composed because the Rams weren't blitzing -- feathered a laser toward Brown

 

[turkeyneck]

Even though it went for naught, Ben Watson streaking to blow up Champ Bailey has got to be in the top 20.

 

[sb1]

Bryan Cox destroying Jerome Pathon.

The play that put the league on notice that we were not the Patsies anymore.

 

[archstanton543]

feathered a laser toward Brown

How can you feather a laser? Either you're going to feather it (like lobbing or arcing the ball) or you're going to laser it (a straight line throw with no arc....like a laser).

 

[Fencer]

Number 1 has got to be Butler's interception right? Maaaaaaaybe Vinateri in SB 36?

The most important play in Patriots history is surely one of the ones from the first Super Bowl run. That's the run that made the others much more possible. The obvious candidates are the two most clearly do-or-die ones -- Tuck Rule and long regulation FG in the snow.

I might argue instead for the blocked FG vs. Pitt, which was a 10-point play in a 7-point game.

 

[Fencer]

How can you feather a laser? Either you're going to feather it (like lobbing or arcing the ball) or you're going to laser it (a straight line throw with no arc....like a laser).

Right. You can thread a laser without disastrously mixing your metaphors, but you can't feather one.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Even though it went for naught, Ben Watson streaking to blow up Champ Bailey has got to be in the top 20.

And of course Watson did his job and it should have been NE ball, but Tripplette.

 

[RobertWeathers]

The 2nd BUF game in 2001.

Patten catches the ball and gets absolutely BLASTED. He's knocked cold and fumbles. BUF player picks it up and returns it for a TD (or at least a long gain).

However, on review you clearly can see his unconscious head touching the sideline and his unconscious foot -- well in the field of play, mind you -- touching the football. Since players "conduct" out-of-bounds-ness, the ball was OOB and thus dead -- just as if Patten had fumbled it and it rolled OOB. Pats retain possession, go on to win in OT.

Amazingly, Mike Carey was the ref that day and made the correct call.

Impressive that you remembered who the ref was.

Are you regurgitating Gordon Wood and solving complex math proofs at MIT while you are mopping the floor too?

 

[jimnance]

So many clutch big-time plays during the BB/TB era. But if i have to pick one -JUST one-i gotta go with adam v's snow bowl kick. Degree of difficulty-arguably the most difficult kick in history-along with the circumstances-do or die-underdogs-outplayed by oakland most of the game. The Tuck rule cant be included-because it wasnt a play-it was a call. We're talking actual PLAYS here-made by a player. But the truth is, this whole list reinforces the beauty of this game-why it truly is the greatest TEAM sport of all time. All of these great plays were not made in a vacuum-MBs int doesnt happen w/o highs previous play-which becomes meaningless if TB12 doesnt lead those incredible 4th quarter drives; adam doesnt kick sb game winner w/0 troy browns catch-or redmonds previous plays-or tb12s throws or the ol blocking or the D stopping the greatest show on turf for most of that game,and on and etc. Damn-how freakin lucky and blessed have we been-and continue to be-by the consistent magnificence of this team? Its worth all the phony "-gates" theyve thrown at us. And its still going strong.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Impressive that you remembered who the ref was.

Are you regurgitating Gordon Wood and solving complex math proofs at MIT while you are mopping the floor too?

I remember the sequence pretty well because I was very dejected as it happened. But when the first replay was shown I saw the ball touching Patten with his head touching OOB and starting screaming at the TV "THE BALL IS DEAD! THE BALL IS DEAD! REVIEW IT!"

 

[QuantumMechanic]

(trigger warning: Globe article)
(double trigger warning: article by Cafatso)
Ruling on David Patten fumble helps Patriots beat Bills - The Boston Globe

 

[RobertWeathers]

I remember the sequence pretty well because I was very dejected as it happened. But when the first replay was shown I saw the ball touching Patten with his head touching OOB and starting screaming at the TV "THE BALL IS DEAD! THE BALL IS DEAD! REVIEW IT!"

I remember the play as well. Crazy.

 

[tasmlab]

If all 100 were narrated video clips and they put it on a DVD, I would buy it for $50.

 

[IcyPatriot]

If all 100 were narrated video clips and they put it on a DVD, I would buy it for $50.

Bring John Facenda (NFL films) back from the deceased and it would be great ... that guy was the best.

 

[1960Pats]

The 2nd BUF game in 2001.

Patten catches the ball and gets absolutely BLASTED. He's knocked cold and fumbles. BUF player picks it up and returns it for a TD (or at least a long gain).

However, on review you clearly can see his unconscious head touching the sideline and his unconscious foot -- well in the field of play, mind you -- touching the football. Since players "conduct" out-of-bounds-ness, the ball was OOB and thus dead -- just as if Patten had fumbled it and it rolled OOB. Pats retain possession, go on to win in OT.

Amazingly, Mike Carey was the ref that day and made the correct call.

That was one of the toughest, most hard hitting games ever.

 

[RobertWeathers]

If all 100 were narrated video clips and they put it on a DVD, I would buy it for $50.

Not sure about $50 as I'm cheap but that would be a helluva DVD.

 

[1960Pats]

The Butler play was the biggest hands down. Had the Pats lost another heart breaker after a fluke catch, to a loudmouth team that would have had back to back titles after the Pats had accomplished the feat, and after all of the bull that the NYFL put our team through, this would be a totally different place right now.

 

[Noexcusesfornumber5]

I agree that the Butler play was big, however, it pales in comparison to any of the plays that happened in 2001.

Troy Brown's punt return (his catch against the Giants back in the Parcells days is something I'll never forget)
Brady TD in the Snow Bowl
The Wiggins Catch, Juke, and Run
The Kick
The Kick, Part 2
JR Redmond catch and run, followed by Troy getting out of bounds
The Kick, Part 3

Hell, Troy Brown alone should have a bunch of plays in this list. Who can forget his strip against the Chargers in a rematch of the game mentioned by Curran.

Or the BS OPI in the 06 AFC Championship game. When they called it, I freaking knew we were in trouble. Nobody covering Reche, turns into an obvious DPI in the corner on the next play. No points.

Any mention of 4th and two needs an asterisk. He made the first down. I never wanted to believe that the commentators had influence on the game. Al Michaels was screaming that he was juggling it, which is not true. He cleared the marker by at least a yard, and was pushed back. It obviously didn't cost us the SB, but, we would have had an easier path that year.

 

[Kontradiction]

Reasonable choices. Even the logic for having a random good AHern play makes sense. Anyhow, what comes to mind for people as choices for the list. Mine include but are not limited to, in no particular order:

• The Vinateri Super Bowl & Raiders FGs.
• The Tuck Rule play.
• The Tyree & Kearse Superbowl catches.
• The Butler INT and the Hightower tackle on the play before.
• 4th & 13 or whatever it was in the Super Bowl when BB didn't let Gost kick. (But if he put Gost's recent PAT miss so low, Curran may not put that on the list.)
• 4th & 2 to Faulk.
• Patten's unconscious catch.
• Both ST TDs vs. Pitt in the AFCC.
• One or more plays getting out of bounds on the final drive vs. the Rams.
• Drew's injury.
• Drew's TD pass as backup QB.
• Welker's drop.
• Asante's drop.
• Reche's bug-eyed drop.
• Edelman's pass to Amendola.
• Edelman's catch/concussion/run play in the Super Bowl and/or his go-ahead TD in that Super Bowl.
• Lonie Paxton's intentional safety.
• Dan Connolly's kick return, just for the fun.
• Maybe also the drop-kick PAT, on the theory that it shoes a respect for the players and a flexibility BB doesn't always wear on his sleeve.
• One or more of Bruschi's INT TDs. Probably the one that started the "snow globe" celebration.
• The goal-line stop vs. the Colts that McGinest engineered.
• The sack to push Houston out of FG range in OT.
• The play where Gronk somersaulted on the sideline onto the forearm that had metal in it and re-broke it.
• One of Vrabel's receiving TDs.
• At least one amazing catch by Gronk.
• At least one amazing catch-and-run by Gronk.
• Troy's forced fumble vs. SD.
• The ineligible receivers play that pissed off Harbaugh.
• Ben Watson's chasedown of Champ Bailey.

No love for the pass back to Brady down the left sideline against the Dolphins in 2001?

 

[IllegalContact]

all of these plays are insignificant

next to one play