Greatest Unsung Games in Patriot History

[3 to be 4]

We all know about the SB's and playoff games. What are your favorite non-playoff Patriot games in their history? Here are a few of mine.

1978 - Patriots first game at Oakland after the Stingley injury. ABC Sunday Night Football. Patriots comeback to beat Raiders

1978 - Patriots score TD's on their first SEVEN possessions, beat the Jets 55-24.

1985 National TV, at Seattle, Fred Marion returns interception for TD, Patriots go to 8-3.

1986 last game of season, at Miami, Grogan to Morgan as Patriots win the division on MNF.

1994 Beating Buffalo 41-17 at Buffalo

1996 the Sunday Night win against Buffalo at home

1998 the 2 great Bledsoe last second wins at home against Miami and Buffalo

1999 Beating the Tuna on opening day at the Meadowlands

2001 the win at the Jets, when they went 7-5, and you knew they were running the table, at least to the playoffs, after that.

2003 Brady's OT bomb to Brown in Miami, just 4 days after at Yankee Stadium. The Patriots once again brought us back to life.

2004 coming off the loss in Pittsburgh, they march into St Louis and pound the Rams with Troy Brown in the secondary

 

[stinkypete]

The 2004 win in St. Louis is one of the great forgotten games of the Patriots dynasty. Pure dominance when all doubted.

I will always go back to the 2002 game in Chicago. At 4-5 and down by at least 23, we come back to beat the Bears with 3 4th quarter drives. Classic Brady, and almost completely forgotten.

 

[primetime]

2001 against the Colts. In fact the play that started the whole thing, the Bryan Cox levelling of either Reggie Wayne or Jerome Pathon, took place in that game.

 

[patsfan55]

1998 the 2 great Bledsoe last second wins at home against Miami and Buffalo

that buffalo game was the first reg season game i ever went to
i still get chills when i think about that game

 

[Murphys95]

We all know about the SB's and playoff games. What are your favorite non-playoff Patriot games in their history? Here are a few of mine.

1985 National TV, at Seattle, Fred Marion returns interception for TD, Patriots go to 8-3.

Great topic! Sorry, just had to correct that one - Marion actually ran out of gas after 83 yards, but the Pats scored just a few plays later. Loved that game, a rockin' loud King Dome, Don Blackmon tipping a Dave Kreig pass, and Marion shooting down the sideline.

Awesome choice! Great memories of those days.

 

[Bill B.]

First game of the season in 1974 against the 2-time Super Bowl Champion Dolphins. Patriot shocked the world and beat them, I think 34-24. Two weeks later they beat a heavily favored Rams team 16-7. I particularly remember the Rams game because it was the first game I attended.

Also in 1987 when Tony Eason hit Irving Fryar with a Hail Mary pass and beat the Rams in Anaheim, Ca., 28-24. Another one I was at and very exciting. Eason got the ball with 50 seconds left on the clock and no time outs. The last two plays were a 25 yard run by Eason and then a 25 yard pass to Fryar with time expiring. The local Ram fans were stunned. That was one game where Eason "manned up".

 

[italian pat patriot]

1998 the 2 great Bledsoe last second wins at home against Miami and Buffalo

i loved those two games that i remember very well

 

[DGameguy]

The AFC Championship Game before Parcells left. Nighttime game, cold as anything out. The night the lights went out in Foxboro! Power went out at the game and the game had to be stopped. Jacksonville played close for a little while but the Pats won.

 

[Mike the Brit]

We all know about the SB's and playoff games. What are your favorite non-playoff Patriot games in their history? Here are a few of mine.

1978 - Patriots first game at Oakland after the Stingley injury. ABC Sunday Night Football. Patriots comeback to beat Raiders

1978 - Patriots score TD's on their first SEVEN possessions, beat the Jets 55-24.

1985 National TV, at Seattle, Fred Marion returns interception for TD, Patriots go to 8-3.

1986 last game of season, at Miami, Grogan to Morgan as Patriots win the division on MNF.

1994 Beating Buffalo 41-17 at Buffalo

1996 the Sunday Night win against Buffalo at home

1998 the 2 great Bledsoe last second wins at home against Miami and Buffalo

1999 Beating the Tuna on opening day at the Meadowlands

2001 the win at the Jets, when they went 7-5, and you knew they were running the table, at least to the playoffs, after that.

2003 Brady's OT bomb to Brown in Miami, just 4 days after at Yankee Stadium. The Patriots once again brought us back to life.

2004 coming off the loss in Pittsburgh, they march into St Louis and pound the Rams with Troy Brown in the secondary

Great list, 32B4.

Just add a personal favourite: the "Tuna Bowl", 2003. Low-scoring game, but a pure pleasure to watch (at no time did one think 'Oh my goodness, if they make a play here we're in big trouble'). Terrific defensive play (remember the Gino hit for which he had to pay a bogus fine?). From then on, it was clear (1) that the Patriots had every chance of the Superbowl, injuries notwithstanding (2) that Belichick wasn't susceptible to any Parcells mind-games.

 

[JoeSixPat]

For me the greatest unsung game for the Patriots was in the last five minutes of the "lost season" of 2002.

Many fans want to forget about that season because we didn't make the playoffs and look at it as a speedbump in the "dynasty"

For me its exactly the opposite, as that's when they really found their "refuse to lose" mentality that they carried through to the 2005 Super Bowl and beyond.

As you will recall the Patriots backs were against the wall, needing a win against the Fins (and a loss by the Jets against Green Bay) to get into the playoffs. It was the last game of the regular season.

The Patriots fell behind 24-13 with 4:59 left in the fourth quarter when Miami's Olindo Mare kicked a 28-yard field goal.

11 points down in a must win game with less than 5 minutes to go and the playoffs on the line?

No problem.

The Patriots held Miami, and eventually made it 24-21 on Brady's 3-yard pass to Troy Brown and a 2-point conversion pass to Christian Fauria with 2:46 left.

The Patriots kicked off deep rather than try an onside kick (a shrewed coaching decision), then forced a Dolphins punt, which traveled only 23 yards.

Taking over at Miami's 34-yard line, they moved close enough for Vinatieri's 43-yarder to tie it up and send it into overtime. (Which interestingly may have been the last time Adam V. attempted a 40 yard plus FG!)

At this point, everyone - including the Dolphins - sensed the Pats were a team of destiny, and Mare choked as his kickoff went out of bounds, giving the Pats the ball at their 40.

After an incompletion, Kevin Faulk ran 15 yards then caught Brady's pass for a 20-yard gain to the Miami 25. With a third-and-9 at the 24, Brady threw a 7-yard pass to Brown, and Vinatieri trotted on for the win.

The Patriots finished 9-7, in a three way tie for first place in the AFC East that the Jets won in a tie-breaker that season - not bad but it was the last time the Patriots would let another team control their destiny in getting into the playoffs.

I think the Patriots really found themselves as a team that year, shedding the perception of many that they won the 2001 SB based on good luck and good calls - and was really the main turning point in what everyone now recognizes as a football dynasty.

 

[richpats]

Week 2, 2003 @ Philly - this had all the makings of a disaster, coming off our 0-31 beating in Buffalo, in a hostile environment against a tough Eagle squad coming off their own embarrassing loss to TB. No problem though - Pats 31, Eagles 10.

 

[Patriotic]

1971- first game for our stadium and franchise QB Plunkett, Pats upset the hugely favored Raiders 20 to 6

1974 - the 5-1 Pats lose their game long lead to the Vikes late, but an injured Bob Windsor ends his season by dragging a tackler across the goaline for a game ending TD in MN

1996 - down by 20 at the Meadowlands, the Pats rally to beat the Giants by 1 in a late Dec game to help get homefield for their SB bound run

2003 - after getting shutout by the Milloy inspired Bills, Pats win in week 2 at Philly and turn their season around

Greatest Unsung Loss

2001 - Drew ruptures a gasket against the Jets and a skinny, 6th round, Irish kid trots out onto the field and into immortality

 

[QuickOutGo]

This one got overshadowed (and rightly so) after what happened in the 2001 playoff run, but my favorite unsung game was the last regular season home game in Foxboro Stadium. The Pats beat the Dolphins to claim first place in the AFC East. They would later clinch the division by beating Carolina two weeks later. The whole atmosphere of the game was amazing. Beautiful sunny (and cold) December day. Perfect football weather. Since the division was on the line, it was basically a playoff game. During the pre-game two Air Force jets buzzed the stadium twice which really revved up the crowd. Brady caught a pass from Faulk. Tebucky Jones forced a key fumble right near the goal line during a Dolphins drive. And after the game no one wanted to leave. The players all lingered on the field whipping up the crowd, shaking hands along the sideline, and just celebrating. And most of the crowd stuck around just soaking it all in. I still get chills when I think of that game.

 

[patsfaninpa]

A couple from 76 come to mind.

1. Beat Oakland 48-17. Not a typo. Raiders went 16-1 that year and won
the Super Bowl. Of course, they have Ben Dreith to thank for that.

2. Beat 2X defending Champs in Pittsburgh. Grogan had a great game.
Legend has it loogied Dwight White's face while talking smack.

85 team won a playoff game in LA against Raiders. I thought we could match
up with Miami and Jets because we play them all of the time. Raiders were
12-4 and the favorites to win the AFC. Famous fight after the game between
Millen and Sullivan. Defense was huge that day. Overshadowed by Squish
The Fish game the following week.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Greatest Unsung Loss

2001 - Drew ruptures a gasket against the Jets and a skinny, 6th round, Irish kid trots out onto the field and into immortality

"Unsung" ??!!?

 

[Keegs]

what about the goal line stand game in Indy in 2003?? that game was amazing..

McGinest's fake injury was hilarious.

 

[RI Pats Fan]

2002 vs The Bears

For the entire first three quarters it looked as if Kevin Faulk was the only one who wanted to play the game really. Then when it came to crunch time in the 4th quarter the whole team got in the act. One of those games like the 2002 Dolphins one that was mentioned that helped create the mentality that carried us through 2003 and 2004

 

[Ichiro]

1993- vs Miami
Bledsoe's rookie year. After struggling much of the first part of the season, Drew shows a lot of promise as a pure passer towards the end.
The last game of the year, we beat Miami in OT with Bledsoe throwing a perfect bomb to Michael Timpson for the touchdown. The win keeps Miami out of the playoffs and cements the hopes we have for the future with both Parcells and Bledsoe leading the way.

 

[Crowpointer]

Of the non Brady era games I thought this was a key one in the turning around of the franchise. For sure it was the funnest non Brady game I ever went to. I couldn't speak for 2 days after from yelling so much.
In 1994 the Patriots entered week 10 at 3-6 and on a 4 game losing streak when they faced the Warren Moon led Minnesota Vikings in Foxboro. Down 20-3 at halftime, Drew Bledsoe led the Patriots on a second half comeback throwing for 426 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and set single-game records in pass attempts with 70 and in pass completions with 45. The Patriots won in overtime 26 to 20 on a touchdown pass to Kevin Turner. The Patriots went on to finish the season with a 7 game win streak ending up 10-6 and making the playoffs as a wildcard team,

 

[3 to be 4]

For me the greatest unsung game for the Patriots was in the last five minutes of the "lost season" of 2002.

Many fans want to forget about that season because we didn't make the playoffs and look at it as a speedbump in the "dynasty"

For me its exactly the opposite, as that's when they really found their "refuse to lose" mentality that they carried through to the 2005 Super Bowl and beyond.

As you will recall the Patriots backs were against the wall, needing a win against the Fins (and a loss by the Jets against Green Bay) to get into the playoffs. It was the last game of the regular season.

The Patriots fell behind 24-13 with 4:59 left in the fourth quarter when Miami's Olindo Mare kicked a 28-yard field goal.

11 points down in a must win game with less than 5 minutes to go and the playoffs on the line?

No problem.

The Patriots held Miami, and eventually made it 24-21 on Brady's 3-yard pass to Troy Brown and a 2-point conversion pass to Christian Fauria with 2:46 left.

The Patriots kicked off deep rather than try an onside kick (a shrewed coaching decision), then forced a Dolphins punt, which traveled only 23 yards.

Taking over at Miami's 34-yard line, they moved close enough for Vinatieri's 43-yarder to tie it up and send it into overtime. (Which interestingly may have been the last time Adam V. attempted a 40 yard plus FG!)

At this point, everyone - including the Dolphins - sensed the Pats were a team of destiny, and Mare choked as his kickoff went out of bounds, giving the Pats the ball at their 40.

After an incompletion, Kevin Faulk ran 15 yards then caught Brady's pass for a 20-yard gain to the Miami 25. With a third-and-9 at the 24, Brady threw a 7-yard pass to Brown, and Vinatieri trotted on for the win.

The Patriots finished 9-7, in a three way tie for first place in the AFC East that the Jets won in a tie-breaker that season - not bad but it was the last time the Patriots would let another team control their destiny in getting into the playoffs.

I think the Patriots really found themselves as a team that year, shedding the perception of many that they won the 2001 SB based on good luck and good calls - and was really the main turning point in what everyone now recognizes as a football dynasty.

fantastic observation. that last game in 2002 got me very excited about the offseason. They had shown they had the mental toughness, and having 2 first round draft picks I remember telling a friend that if they drafted well they would be a powerhouse. I envisioned them drafted 2 stud DL like Dallas getting Harvey Martin and Ed Jones in the 70's. What they did in that draft was even better. Ty Warren and trading down for Eugene Wilson and the No 1 for the following year (Vince Wilfork). they also traded down to get the pick they traded the following year for Corey Dillon. Asante Samuel, Dan Koppen etc etc and in 2003 they were flying.