Patriots: 4 most underrated playoff moments in Pats history

1.Brady-to-Vrabel in Super Bowl XXXIX (and XXXVIII!)

When you look at the Patriots’ dynasty over the last two decades, their Super Bowl XXXIX win over the Philadelphia Eagles doesn’t receive nearly as much recognition as the other championships.

That’s pretty shocking when you consider that the 2004 New England team was perhaps the most dominant of its era, as it finished 14-2 with both a top 10 offense and defense while breaking a plethora of records along the way.

Of course, as is often the case in the big game, it took a bit of quirkiness to get to the finish line.

The game itself lacked fireworks, as the Patriots extended their lead to 10 points in the fourth quarter and Philly didn’t score a touchdown to make things interesting until the closing minutes. By that point in the game, everybody knew which team would be lifting the Lombardi Trophy.

Brady expectedly didn’t light up the Eagles elite defense, as he finished 22-of-33 for 236 yards with two touchdowns, but one of which was famously thrown to linebacker Mike Vrabel, who lined up as an eligible receiver at the goal line. Ultimately, that strange play was a big part of the difference in the game — as it had been a year prior, too, when Vrabel also caught one against Carolina in a one-score game.

The Patriots’ Super Bowl XXXIX win over the Eagles is extremely underrated.

Perhaps what makes this victory so unheralded in New England was the fact that wideout Deion Branch — who posted 11 receptions for 133 yards — and not Brady, took home MVP honors.

Maybe Vrabel should’ve gotten the nod, though. Two years in a row, the team couldn’t have captured glory without his offense.