Your Top 10 Most Clutch Plays in Patriots History

What are your favorite/most memorable plays made by a Patriot in the clutch? They can be from the regular season, postseason, etc.

Personally, mine are all from the playoffs from years they won the SB

10. Brady completes a pass to Edelman on 3rd and 14 in SB XLIX against a great secondary and down by 10 points in the 4th quarter. The play keeps the drive alive and leads to a TD pass that closes the gap.

9. Brady completes a 23 yard pass to Brandon LaFell in the 2014 AFC Divisional round that gives NE their first lead of the game and turns out to be the game winner.

8. Brady competes a TD pass to Edelman in SB XLIX to give NE a 28-24 lead late in the game, which would turn out to be the game winner.

7. Brady completes a clutch pass to Branch in SB XXXIX for 19 yards leading to a FG to make the game 24-14.

6. Rodney Harrison picks Peyton Manning off in the end zone in the 2003 AFCCG. After NE went up 7-0, Colts were driving and looking like they were going to respond with a TD of their own. NE took command of the game after that INT.

5. Brady converts a critical 3rd down in SB XXXVIII with a pass to Branch for 17 yards on the game winning drive.

4. Brady converts on 4th down with a pass to David Patton in OT in the 2001 AFC Divisional round game. Soon after, they win the game on a FG.

3. Ty Law pick 6 in SB XXXVI. NE's first score of the game and it turned the game in their favor.

2. Butler's game sealing INT in SB XLIX. After another circus catch, things looked bleak. Seattle has the ball on the 1 yard line with the best power RB in the game. They choose to throw it instead and Butler clinches the SB victory.

1. Vinatieri kicks game winning FG in SB XXXVI. First SB victory in franchise history and we were heavy underdogs.

Butler HAS TO BE #1. No question. Vinatieri's kick wasn't a do-or-die, it was a do-or-OT. In addition, he should make that kick. Butler's play was a complete freak-of-nature acceleration and close, one where 99% of the time it is either complete or incomplete. Under the circumstances, you could argue Butler made the most clutch play in NFL history.

Our-former-kicker's kick in the Snow Bowl has to be in my top ten.

I agree with most of those.

I will add the stop at the goal line by Willie McGinest in 2003 to secure the win in the Colts home stadium.

And another play by Willie in 2004 against the Colts again at the home opener. Willie sacked Manning for a loss of 13. Mike Vanderjagt missed the field goal and we won.

David Patten getting concussed athwart the sideline.

Mike the Brit said:

Our-former-kicker's kick in the Snow Bowl has to be in my top ten.

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Snow Bowl kick should easily be 3rd at worst

Vinatieri's kick against the Raiders in the blizzard in the '01 AFC Championship to force overtime belongs on that list, near the top I should think.

Vinatieri kicks and Malcom Butler INT
at the same level

AWESOME BOTH - i will never forget them

I thought about adding the snow kick but I don't recall WIND being much of a factor that game? Both kickers did well in that game. I included that 4th down conversion in OT from that game which to me was more clutch. I knew we'd win at that point.

Malcolm Butler's play was an absolute death-defying act. Nothing else can top that.

1.) Butler INT in SB 49 - clinched VICTORY in the face of what seemed like inevitable Defeat. Doesn't get much more clutch than this.

2.) Vinatieri FG vs. Raiders - I mean, a 43 yard field goal in the blizzard with the season on the line? This is number 2 b/c they went on to SB victory.

3.) Vinatier FG vs Rams in SB - 48 yarder to win the game as time expired - classic


4.) Vinatieri FG vs Panthers in SB - another game winner, and this time with shaken confidence (0 for 2 on kicks earlier in teh game)


5.) Edelman's go ahead TD in SB 49

6.) Ty Law pick six vs. Rams

7.) Harrison INT vs manning in 03 AFCG- set the tone for the day

8.) Branch 3rd down conversion to setup game winning kick vs. Panthers

9.) Duron Harmon INT vs. Ravens

10.) Edelman to Amendola vs. Ravens

Mack Herron said:

Vinatieri's kick against the Raiders in the blizzard in the '01 AFC Championship to force overtime belongs on that list, near the top I should think.

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I was going to say the same thing. That is the only one I'd really put up with Butler's pick. Sure, it was a game winner, but the difficulty and importance (tie game, StL can't win right away even with a miss) wasn't nearly as high. You might as well say the 41 yarder to win SB 38 is up there as well, then.

Troy brown's strip against San Diego. Troy Brown blocked kick/lateral Pittsburgh.

I actually compiled my list without looking at yours. It appears we were thinking along the same lines.

Edelman to Amendola in the Ravens game this season because it was so badass

I'd like to find a way to get the blocked-FG TD vs. Pittsburgh onto the list.

Ice_Ice_Brady said:

Butler HAS TO BE #1. No question. Vinatieri's kick wasn't a do-or-die, it was a do-or-OT. In addition, he should make that kick. Butler's play was a complete freak-of-nature acceleration and close, one where 99% of the time it is either complete or incomplete. Under the circumstances, you could argue Butler made the most clutch play in NFL history.

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True, you can look at it in different ways. To me, the Vinatieri kick in SB XXXVI meant more simply because it was our first and literally everyone counted us out. Rams had momentum and their "Greatest Show on Turf" offense had come to life. They very well may have won if it had gone to OT.

This is more about what your favorite/most memorable clutch plays are. It's really difficult to quantify which play is more clutch.

Another candidate is Troy Brown's forced fumble vs. San Diego, but probably we should restrict ourselves to ones from championship years.

FourierSeries said:

True, you can look at it in different ways. To me, the Vinatieri kick in SB XXXVI meant more simply because it was our first and literally everyone counted us out. Rams had momentum and their "Greatest Show on Turf" offense had come to life. They very well may have won if it had gone to OT.

This is more about what your favorite/most memorable clutch plays are. It's really difficult to quantify which play is more clutch.

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True- it's going to be an opinion, but when you talk about most clutch, I would think the most clutch play is the one where the achievement is most difficult, unlikely, and meaningful. As pointed out, Vinateiri's field goals did not decide the games- they decided if the Pats would win in regulation; I would also say the odds were well over 50% that an average kicker would make either one of them. Butler's interception was an amazing, spectacular, unlikely play that likely single handedly changed the winner of the game.