Your Top 10 Most Clutch Plays in Patriots History

patriot1136 said:

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

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That was a pretty huge play for us. Another one that really turned the momentum in our favor.

Butler's interception = best play in the history of all sports...and they may be understating it.

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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I agree. I don't know what our win probability was when Butler made the INT, but it was barely non-zero. He saved us from a third straight "how the f**k did that just happen?" last minute Super Bowl defeat. He made the one play left to make that could win us the game.

Also, for me, Bruschi stripping the ball from Dominic Rhodes.

I would rate butler's interception over vinatieri's FG in SB36. Butler's play was much harder.

Hmm tough one. I have Malcoln Butler at #1, the Snow Bowl kick by AV at #2, and the SB 36 kick by AV at #3.

Beyond that...I can't do it. There are a lot of clutch moments that I can't rank.

Chris Simms doesn't have the Malcolm Butler play in his top-5 clutch Super Bowl 49 plays.

It's tough to pick offensive plays because typically Brady goes on clutch drives, featuring one clutch play after another.

I know you've restricted yourself to championship years only, but the Sterling Moore pass breakup of Lee Evans (incorrectly labeled as the Lee Evans drop by the media) deserves some recognition. That play saved the AFC Championship game and allowed for Cundiff's famous shanked field goal try. Without that play, Brady/BB Super Bowl number 5 doesn't happen.

I love the Troy Brown strip. It had a lot of the same elements as the Butler INT (not saying it's the same level) - but they both completely changed the mood of the entire stadium.

It was 4th down, on the road, and the Patriots were down 8 in the 4th Q, and that interception by Brady would've likely been the nail in the coffin. Instead, they found life, scored the TD (and a 2 point conversion by K Faulk on a direct snap), forced a SD punt, then took the lead with a FG.

Help my memory, but was this game the beginning of our hate/hate relationship with Tomlinson? Was this the game Vrabel and others did the light's out dance on the center field bolt, ushering in a new era of crybabies calling the Patriots "classless?"

"If only" in Indianapolis the next game, and I think this play would've been a more prominent memory.

Every positive play in the post season is clutch. Obviously some are more then others, but every play counts. Pats in their 4 super bowl title runs have made more plays then the other teams. Every play counts. Brady has always been clutch, the whole team was clutch in all 4 super bowl runs and post season wins.

Mike the Brit said:

Also, for me, Bruschi stripping the ball from Dominic Rhodes.

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That's a good one.

condon84 said:

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Great sig. That's up there with vince intercepting the box of twinkies and running it back.

Fencer said:

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

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Nice problem to have.... Yes we have so many playoff wins and clutch moments we need to restrict ourselves to SB winning years ... LOL

Ben Watson tackling Champ Bailey at the 1 in the 2006 AFC Divisional Round. First time losing in the playoffs but that play took my mind off the loss. Replays show there's no physical way the ball didn't go out the back of the end zone, but that's just old beans.

SB 36 - Brady to Redmond on The Drive. Redmond catches the ball in the middle of the field and manages to get the yards and get out of bounds with a defender riding his back. Saved time, saved a spike play, led to the big Brown reception and allowed time for the final pass to Wiggins.

The Patriots played for 40 years before Tom Brady was drafted and I'm thinking that they just may have had a clutch play or two made during those years. Perhaps the thread should be renamed "Your Top 10 Most Clutch Plays under Bill Belichik"?

I can't rank 'em, so here they are, off the top of my head:

• Vinatieri snow bowl kick
• Vinatieri kick to win SB XXXVI
• Vinatieri kick to win SB XXXVIII
• Butler interception
• Edelman to Amendola
• McGinest sack of Warner for a 16 yard loss in SB XXXVI, pushing the Rams out of FG range. Huge play, especially after Willie was called for holding on Tebuckey Jones' 97 yard fumble recovery the series prior.
• Ty Law pick 6 in SB XXXVI
• Belichick calls for safety vs. Denver, subsequent free kick pins Denver back deep.
• Brady 8-8 on final drive XLIX. As cool as the other side of the pillow, as Stuart Scott would say.
• Bruschi strips Rhoades. They aint got it.

Steve:Section 102 said:

I can't rank 'em, so here they are, off the top of my head:

• Vinatieri snow bowl kick
• Vinatieri kick to win SB XXXVI
• Vinatieri kick to win SB XXXVIII
• Butler interception
• Edelman to Amendola
• McGinest sack of Warner for a 16 yard loss in SB XXXVI, pushing the Rams out of FG range. Huge play, especially after Willie was called for holding on Tebuckey Jones' 97 yard fumble recovery the series prior.
• Ty Law pick 6 in SB XXXVI
• Belichick calls for safety vs. Denver, subsequent free kick pins Denver back deep.
• Brady 8-8 on final drive XLIX. As cool as the other side of the pillow, as Stuart Scott would say.
• Bruschi strips Rhoades. They aint got it.

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Good ones all.

For some reason, I don't have much memory of the Ty Law pick 6, even though I know it happened and that Vrabel contributed to it by hurrying Warner. Obviously bigger than non-TD TOs I recall better, like -- if I indeed recall correctly -- Antawn Harris knocking the ball loose from Ricky Proehl.

Geezer Alert!

Steve Grogan running the naked bootleg against the NY Jets in 1985 to turn the season around after he took over for Tony Eason the previous week. That win put the Patriots on track to be the first team ever to win three playoff games on the road to reach the first Super Bowl in team history. (They got clobbered by the Chicago Bears.)

That was a magical year. Squish The Fish. 59 rushing plays against the Oakland Raiders in the playoffs. Stanley Morgan. Good times.