Here are the three most underrated Patriots of the Tom Brady era.
Over the last 20 years, the New England Patriots have established themselves as the most storied franchise in NFL history. That simply wasn’t the case as before the arrival of quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick, as they were widely recognized as a team that couldn’t get it done in the playoffs in previous eras.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that most of the Patriots’ success is greatly attributed to the legendary duo.
However, while the franchise’s six Super Bowl titles could not have been achieved without these two, there are dozens of other players that don’t get nearly enough credit for the role they played during those championship runs.
We’re not talking about perennial superstars like Randy Moss, Richard Seymour, Rob Gronkowski and Ty Law, either. Three of them are or will be Hall of Famers, and all of them are widely and rightfully regarded as all-time greats in Patriots history
In an effort to shine some long overdue light on overlooked Patriots of the last two decades, let’s take a look at the three most notable players during the Brady era that fill that bill.
3. Kevin Faulk
Props to the Patriots franchise for inducting running back Kevin Faulk into its Hall of Fame back in 2016. It’s an honor that was fully deserved, but not all fans, especially those outside of New England, would admit that.
The former second-round pick out of LSU devoted 13 years to the Patriots, never playing for another franchise, and retired as their all-time leader in all-purpose yards and kickoff return yards, ranking fifth-best in receptions. The dude knew his way around a screen pass.
He also ranks fifth in franchise history with 3,607 rushing yards, which is extremely impressive for a player who totaled more than 100 carries just two times in his career.
Faulk never made a Pro Bowl and his annual stats wouldn’t suggest that he deserved to. However, he won three championships during his tenure and personified what it meant to be a Patriot. That alone qualifies him for this list, but there are unfortunately two players that, in our eyes, were more essential to the Brady era.
2. Vince Wilfork
We have a question for anybody who thinks that Vince Wilfork shouldn’t be regarded as one of the greatest interior defensive lineman of all time: Did you even watch him play, or did you let his lack of stat-padding sway your opinion?
Perhaps the five-time Pro Bowler doesn’t receive as much recognition or praise as he deserves because the Patriots didn’t win a Super Bowl during his prime years. They won a championship in his rookie campaign in 2004 — during which he started just six games — and didn’t win another until his final year in New England in 2014, two seasons before he retired.
From 2005 to 2013, however, Wilfork was the anchor of the Patriots defense, commanding double teams on seemingly every snap while opening gaping holes for linebackers and pass rushers to get after opposing quarterbacks. That was his role, folks — not filling up the stat sheet. Through no fault of his own, the former first-round pick was easily one of the most overlooked Patriots of the Brady era.
1. Troy Brown
It’s wild to think that one of the most indispensable pieces on three Super Bowl-winning teams can be labeled as underrated, but here we are. Though he didn’t garner the recognition of a Randy Moss or even Wes Welker, wideout Troy Brown was every bit as important to the Patriots’ success during his tenure.
That probably has something to do with the fact that he only nabbed one Pro Bowl in his career, but we digress. The former eighth-round pick retired as the team’s all-time leader in receptions and currently ranks fifth in receiving yards. Brown has since been passed in the former category, but that doesn’t take away from his remarkable career in New England.
In 15 seasons with the Patriots, which spanned his entire NFL career, Brown logged 557 receptions for 6,366 yards and 31 touchdowns. What’s more impressive, however, was he always showed up when it mattered most in the playoffs. Don’t be afraid to admit it, folks. Even though he was only around for the first several seasons, Brown was undoubtedly one of the most important players of the Brady era.