Best non-Super Bowl wins, regular season & playoffs

[sean10mm]

Best regular season win:

Woof, this is a toughie. Weirdly, the lame 2013 season somehow had 2 great candidates - the last-second win over the Saints and the comeback win over the Broncos. 2003 had the OT bomb win in Miami and the intentional safety game vs. the Broncos, AND the goal line stand game vs. the Colts.

There are also the games that were just comedy in football form that you could argue for just based on being FUN. The Buttfumble Game is the king of these, but honorable mention goes to the 2009 execution of the Titans in a snowstorm, and the 2011 game where they just took Tebowmania out back and put a bullet behind his ear.

My serious pick is the 2013 comeback win over the Broncos, but I want to put the Buttfumble Game here just because it was so genuinely hilarious.

Best non-Super Bowl playoff win:

There are lots of candidates here, of course, but for me it's easy:

Divisional Round - Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots - January 16th, 2005. Final Score: Patriots 20 Colts 3.

The best offense in league history up to that point came into Gillette Stadium on a cold, raw day and just got dunked on.

The next best game for me is when they played the best defense, on the road the very next week and scored 41.

 

[Patstastic]

My picks:

1. AFC title win in Kansas City. Nobody gave the Patriots a legit shot to win that game. To see Brady convert three 3rd and 10 plays in OT was legendary. I truly believe that game was the real Super Bowl. I don't believe the Rams stood a chance against KC. And I didn't like their odds against the Patriots. I can't remember a time where Brady celebrated quite like that.

2. 2013 win over Denver. Overcoming a 24-0 deficit. Having them botch the punt in OT. What a win. If that team doesn't lose Gronk, I believe they host the AFCCG. Then, their odds of winning it all shoot up dramatically.

3. 2017 win in Pittsburgh.

 

[luuked]

Weirdly, the lame 2013 season somehow had 2 great candidates - the last-second win over the Saints and the comeback win over the Broncos.

2013 was anything but lame when it came to games. It started with a tight Bills game in W1 that required a clutch Ghost kick, then the game in W4 @Atlanta where we lost Wilfork and won on a final stand thanks to Talib in a half empty dome.

A week later the crazy rain game against the Bengals that cost Brady the consecutive TD record and was still winnable until the very end. Another week later the Saints comeback you already mentioned. The next week the crazy OT loss to the Jets thanks to that garbage flag on the FG in OT.

The loss in Carolina in W11 because the Kuechly flag on Gronk was picked up. A week later the legendary comeback against the Broncos. Followed by another tight game against the Texans won on a late FG and defensive stops. And then the absolute absurd comeback against the Browns in W14 that included an onside kick recovery.

And then finally the loss to the Dolphins in W15 despite Brady driving us into the redzone with seconds to spare. Amendola dropped an easy TD on the final 4 snaps.

There were so many absolutely crazy tight games in that year. Despite how (and where) it ended it was one of the more exciting seasons.

 

[Belichick8384]

I never was into the whole media hype over Colts/Pats. Never was a rivalry imo, between 05 & 09 it was tough because the Colts defense improved but other than that it really wasn't a contest. Not particularly impressed with a win over a dome team, especially in the cold/snow.

2003 is still my favourite year in memory, and I've got a few from that year:

- Week 6 win against the Giants as part of a triple defeat of NJ

- Week 9 rare win in Denver going into the bye week

- Week 11 shutout of Dallas coming off the by week - Great defensive showing

- Week 17 exact 31-0 revenge against the Bills - 3rd shutout of the year, all 3 after the bye

 

[VrabelJr]

2014-15 double comeback against the Ravens in the playoffs

 

[signbabybrady]

Sunday September 23rd 2001.

 

[mosi]

1985-86 AFCGC. Squish the fish. You think no one thought they had a shot in KC, think about this game. The Pats had not won in Miami for 16 years! Still one of the greatest Pats games ever.

1986 final regular season game in Miami. Again, they had to win to get in and Grogan had a great game. Just fantastic game.

2013 Denver game. They were booed by the home team. And they won.

1990 game in Indy. They only won one game that year and Indy sucks. Happy to see them beat those losers.

1991 games against Indy. Beat those losers twice in 1991 and only won 6 games total. Happy to see them beat those losers.

1992 game in Indy. They only won two games that year and Indy sucks. Happy to see them beat those losers.

1996 final game at Giants. Had to win and Bledsoe was just slinging it. Brought them back from the dead.

1997 game in Jacksonville, probably Drew's best game ever.

2001 divisional playoff game against the Raiders.

2002 game in Chicago. Had no business winning that game.

2002 final game in Miami. Had no business winning that game.

As I am writing this, I am realizing that there are so many great pats game it is almost unbelievable!

 

[Froob]

2013 win over Broncos is the best regular season game of the Brady/Bill era, I hate to say it's not even close, but I'm not sure how anyone could pick another game. After that, 04 AFCCG@Pittsburgh, Divisional06@San Diego, and AFCCg@KC gotta be there in some order. Loved the win over the Ravens in 2014 too.

 

[midpack]

1985-86 AFCGC. Squish the fish. You think no one thought they had a shot in KC, think about this game. The Pats had not won in Miami for 16 years! Still one of the greatest Pats games ever.

!

I thought it was 18 straight losses in Miami, but I remember that game. the Patriots were still the Patsies...

 

[oldrover]

Playoffs: they lost the next game... but, man... the 2006 SD game was a helluva win... and what a play by Troy...

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

1. 2004 AFC Championship Game at Steelers, 41-27
2. 2001 AFC Divisional Game vs. Raiders, 16-13 (OT)
3. 2014 AFC Divisional Game vs. Ravens, 35-31
4. 2010 Jets at Patriots, 45-3
5. 2004 AFC Divisional Game vs. Colts, 20-3
6. 2018 AFC Championship Game at Chiefs, 37-31 (OT)
7. 2007 Patriots at Colts, 24-20
8. 2013 Broncos at Patriots, 34-31 (OT)
9. 2006 AFC Divisional Game at Chargers, 24-21
10. 2001 AFC Championship Game at Steelers, 24-17
11. 2017 Patriots at Steelers, 27-24
12. 2017 AFC Championship Game vs. Jaguars, 24-20
13. 2007 Chargers at Patriots, 38-14
14. 2005 Patriots at Steelers, 23-20
15. 2014 AFC Championship Game vs. Colts, 45-7

 

[mosi]

I thought it was 18 straight losses in Miami, but I remember that game. the Patriots were still the Patsies...

You may be right. It was a long time ago! I just remember them having zero shot.

 

[mosi]

Another game that still stands out is the 1984 game in Indy. The Pats won 50-something. For a few years after that, the Pats had much love in Baltimore. Boy how times change.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Up there for the enjoyment factor was the snow game in Chicago in 2010. The Bears came in at 9-3, so it was supposed to be a challenge. NE blew them out, slinging the ball everywhere, and clinching a playoff berth.

The strong-armed Jay Cutler could not deal with the wind and snow at all (12 of 26 passes for 152 yards, with two interceptions), yet Brady slung it (27 of 40 passes for 369 yards). The first half was capped off by a long TD to Branch. NE has a many points at halftime (33) as the Bears had YARDS.

recap: Bears Crumble in Snowy Game Against Patriots

 

[Steve102]

Best Regular Season wins:

2003: Vs. Denver, the intentional safety game.
2003: vs. Colts, the goal line stand
2017: vs. Steelers, the Jesse James non-TD, Big Ben pick.
2014: vs. Bengals, We are on to Cincinnati

A Personal Fave: 1978 vs. the Jets. 55-21. I remember watching it on my b/w TV on rabbit ears, pulling in channel 6 out of Maine. I was 13, and this is one of my early memories of watching them.

Best Playoff Games:

2018: vs Chiefs, what a freakin' game.
2003 vs Colts, Ty Law 3 Int's
2001: SnowBowl
2004: vs Colts, 20-3, Tedy Bruschi, you wanna change the rules? Change 'em!

 

[Observer]

2011 AFC championship with Ravens. Kicker missed field goal at the end.

 

[Tb12goesinya]

Baltimore divisional edelman pass game or this years afccg.

 

[Tb12goesinya]

Butt fumble game was one of my favorite as far as regular season goes.

 

[Hyped]

I can't rank them, but a few come to mind:

- Patriots' crucial division wins over Dolphins/Bills in the '98 season when Bledsoe split his finger....

- That Thanksgiving weekend goal line stand @ Indy in '04......side note: Couldn't catch the game live...so blacked out all sports news that weekend and watched the game on VHS....one of the most stressful fast forwarding I ever did....

- A regular season game vs. the Ravens @ Gillette in maybe '10/'11.....a great game...back and forth. Was at a bar with some Raven fans....very electrifying game...

- That '96 regular season finale @ NYG in which David Meggett basically propelled us to the play-offs/a first round BYE.....

- Beating the Dolphins 17-3 in the '97 playoffs at Foxboro....the game where Todd Collins walked in a TD because he knew the play call. Cold day...was at the game with my sister...cold metal benches....god I miss that dump! And the next week Collins would not push Kordell Stewart OOO in a 7-6 loss.....

 

[TinhWoodhead]

The next one!