25 greatest wins in New England Patriots history that weren't Super Bowls

With more than 600 victories, 12 Super Bowl appearances, and six championships, the New England Patriots have enjoyed incredible success since becoming a franchise in 1960.

Of course, a majority of those wins—including all six Super Bowl titles—came with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick at the helm. However, the pre-dynasty era also produced franchise-defining victories that older generations of Patriot Nation will never forget.

With more than six decades to cover, how do you determine which wins stand above the rest? Faced with this daunting task, I did my best to showcase the cream of the crop from the Brady-Belichick era and the biggest wins from earlier years.

So, while we'll all replay 28-3 and the Malcolm Butler interception forever, put those Super Bowl victories aside and relive the 25 best wins in franchise history (by my calculation) that didn't involve the Lombardi Trophy.

As always, my list will probably differ from yours, so if there's a game that you think belongs, let us know in the comments below!

25. 2001 Week 3: Patriots 44, Colts 13

After stepping in for an injured Drew Bledsoe in Week 2, Tom Brady notched an important milestone by earning his first NFL start the following week. However, nobody quite knew what to expect from the gangly, inexperienced quarterback against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.

Thankfully for Patriot Nation, the unheralded former sixth-round pick proved his doubters wrong by leading his team to a dominant 44-13 win over the star-studded Colts. Despite being 11.5-point underdogs, the Patriots destroyed the Colts in every facet.

Antowain Smith and Kevin Faulk combined for 142 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while Belichick's defense held Edgerrin James to just 55 yards on 17 carries. Meanwhile, they picked Manning off three times, with Ty Law and Otis Smith recording pick-sixes in the shocking blowout.

Most importantly, this game marked career victory No. 1 for TB12.

And as they say: You can never forget your first.

24. 1996 Week 17: Patriots 23, Giants 22

The 1996 season finale absolutely belongs on this list considering the Patriots looked dead to rights against the New York Giants.

Down 22-0 late in the third quarter and with a first-round bye on the line, Drew Bledsoe and Co. engineered a miraculous comeback that silenced the crowd at Giants Stadium.

After getting on the board with a field goal, the Patriots outscored the G-Men 20-0 in the fourth quarter, with Drew Bledsoe throwing two touchdown passes and Dave Meggett taking a punt back 60 yards for a touchdown.

Although it wasn't as dire (or high-stakes) as the famous 28-3 comeback against the Atlanta Falcons, overcoming a 22-point deficit on the road to clinch a first-round bye helped build major momentum heading into the playoffs.

23. 1996 Divisional Round: Patriots 28, Steelers 3

Bill Parcells fell short of turning the Patriots into Super Bowl champions, but that 1996 season was still one of the most impressive in franchise history.

But out of all the wins the team racked up that year, none stands out more than the 28-3 whooping of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional Round. Facing the reigning AFC champions, the Patriots came out firing and never relented.

From Bledsoe hitting Terry Glenn for a 53-yard gain on the team's first offensive play to Curtis Martin racking up 166 yards and three touchdowns in his postseason debut, everything went New England's way that day. The defense did its job by holding the Steelers to a paltry 3 points, including limiting them to 3 of 18 on third downs.

Incredibly, this was the first home playoff victory ever for Robert Kraft's beloved franchise. While it took the Patriots a few more years (and a new coach-quarterback combo) to finally get over the hump, this game stands out for its historical significance.

22. 1985 Wild Card: Patriots 26, Jets 14

A decade earlier, the Patriots entered the 1985 postseason with a grand total of zero playoff wins since 1963.

Boy did things change quickly.

Squaring off against the New York Jets at Giants Stadium, the Patriots kickstarted a magical run by making life miserable for quarterback Ken O'Brien. Legendary linebacker Andre Tippett knocked him out of the game with a devastating third-quarter hit, kicker Tony Franklin nailed four of his five field-goal attempts, and the offense did just enough to secure a 26-14 win on the road.

That set the stage for two more road victories that resulted in a Super Bowl berth.

So, not only did the Patriots notch their first playoff win in more than two decades, but they also got the good mojo going for an impressive, improbable trip to Super Bowl XX.

21. 2003 Week 13: Patriots 38, Colts 34

One of the hallmark dynasty-era wins occurred in Week 13 in yet another epic duel between Brady and Manning.

Only this time, it wasn't a star quarterback who made the game-winning play.

It was Willie McGinest's time to shine.

Desperately clinging to a slim four-point lead with time winding down, the Patriots were on the ropes. The Colts were within striking distance of scoring the go-ahead touchdown... until McGinest and the front seven completely shut down the comeback attempt.

After stuffing the Colts on three straight plays, the Patriots faced a pivotal fourth down. In one of the most clutch plays of his career, McGinest burst through the line and stuffed Edgerrin James in the backfield to seal the 38-34 win for the eventual Super Bowl champions.

20. 2014 Week 5: Patriots 43, Bengals 17

A Week 5 win ordinarily wouldn't make the cut, but considering the circumstances and cultural impact, it wouldn't be right to leave the "On to Cincinnati" game off this list.

Coming off an embarrassing primetime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that raised major concerns about the future in Foxboro, Belichick delivered his famous line to the media, setting the stage for a critical showdown against an unbeaten Bengals team.

Instead of letting the Chiefs loss linger, the Patriots proved they were far from finished by putting an absolute whooping on Andy Dalton and Co. Brady—who was facing questions about his age and longevity—reminded everyone why he was the GOAT by throwing for 292 yards and two touchdowns in the 43-17 beatdown.

As an added bonus, Brady also became the sixth quarterback to throw for 50,000 career yards in the season-shifting win that righted the ship for good.

19. 1996 AFC Championship: Patriots 20, Jaguars 6

With just one Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, the Patriots looked to make it back to the big game by taking on a red-hot Jacksonville Jaguars team led by Mark Brunell.

Although it wasn't exactly a pretty victory—Bledsoe only threw for 178 yards with one interception and Martin finished with 59 rushing yards—that didn't matter. What ultimately mattered was that the defense forced four turnovers, including two interceptions by Brunell, who led the league in passing yards that year.

The signature play of that game came in crunch time, with linebacker Chris Slade forcing a fumble that cornerback Otis Smith returned 47 yards for an emphatic finish in front of a packed crowd of Foxboro Faithful.

18. 2013 Week 12: Patriots 34, Broncos 31 (OT)

Another Brady-Manning battle that will never be forgotten took place in Week 12 of the 2013 season.

Although, Denver Broncos fans would probably love to forget how that trip to Foxboro went.

Down 24-0 at halftime, the Patriots looked primed for a letdown at home.

Then they flipped a switch.

The unflappable Brady responded by engineering a historic comeback that included 31 unanswered points. However, the Broncos scored a late touchdown that forced the game into overtime.

As fate would have it, a New England punt bounced off Broncos backup cornerback Tony Carter. In a game that featured plenty of highlight-worthy moments, that minor mistake made all the difference, as Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 31-yard field goal to complete the largest regular-season comeback in franchise history.

17. 1985 Divisional Round: Patriots 27, Raiders 20

This was a revenge game for a Patriots team that was robbed of a win a decade earlier in a playoff game against the then-Los Angeles Raiders.

Going on the road as the underdog, New England put together an incredible performance at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum that included a whopping six forced turnovers. The Patriots parlayed three fumbles and three interceptions into 20 points and avenged their controversial loss to the Raiders in 1976.

Following the victory, Raiders linebacker and future NFL general manager Matt Millen punched Patriots GM Pat Sullivan in the face.

Rest assured, though, that didn't hurt as bad as losing at home in embarassing fashion.

16. 2016 AFC Championship: Patriots 36, Steelers 17

One year after suffering a painful defeat in the AFC Championship against the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, the Patriots ensured they wouldn't have a repeat of 2015.

Facing the vaunted trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le'Veon Bell, New England held the Steelers' star-studded offense to just 17 points. Meanwhile, Brady completely picked apart Keith Butler's defense, finishing the night with 384 passing yards and three touchdowns.

With Rob Gronkowski missing the playoffs due to an injury, Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan stepped up by posting elite lines of 8/118/1 and 9/180/2, respectively.

The lopsided affair sent the Patriots to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years, and we all know how that magical season ended.

15. 2007 Week 17: Patriots 38, Giants 35

Unfortunately, unlike the 2016 season, the 2007 season ended in heartbreak.

However, while the Patriots couldn't get the best of the Giants in the biggest game of the year, they put together a heck of a regular-season finale that certainly warrants a spot on this list.

With a chance to complete the first perfect 16-0 regular season, the Patriots squared off against the Giants in front of a hostile crowd that was more than ready to see their team play the spoiler role.

However, even with all that pressure on their collective shoulders, the Patriots pulled off a historic feat by surviving a 38-35 battle against Eli Manning and Co. To add icing on the cake, Tom Brady and Randy Moss set the regular-season touchdown record for their respective positions, with TB12 finishing the year with 50 touchdown passes and Moss recording 23 in his first year in Foxboro.

14. 2004 Divisional Round: Patriots 20, Colts 3

Facing a high-powered Colts offense that looked unstoppable to that point, Bill Belichick once again devised a game plan that made Brady's adversary look ordinary.

Oh, and he did that while utilizing Troy Brown—the team's top receiver—as a nickel back due to a brutal run of injuries that left the Patriots' secondary in dire straights.

Despite being undermanned against Peyton Manning, New England held the league MVP to a mere 238 passing yards and zero touchdowns. The Patriots bullied the Colts' receivers at the line (a hallmark of the early dynasty defenses), completely shut down the running game, and dominated the time of possession battle (37:41 to just 22:19) in a convincing 20-3 win that brought a swift end to the Colts' season.

Of course, the Patriots went on to win their third Super Bowl in four years.

13. 2006 Divisional Round: Patriots 24, Chargers 21

This was by far one of Brady's worst playoff performances.

Yet, it also remains one of the most impressive victories in team history.

Facing a Chargers team that went 14-2 in the regular season thanks to an MVP year from LaDainian Tomlinson, the Patriots didn't get a vintage effort from their own superstar leader. In fact, Brady appeared to throw the game away when he tossed his third interception late in the fourth quarter.

But instead of watching their season end on that play, Patriots fans witnessed Troy Brown make one of the most clutch plays in franchise history when he stripped Marlon McCree of what should have been the game-sealing interception.

That gutsy effort from one of the team's most respected players saved the game (and the season), allowing Stephen Gostkowski to eventually kick the game-winner to send the Patriots to the AFC Championship.

12. 2003 Divisional Round: Patriots 17, Titans 14

With the game time temperature measuring a frigid 3°F, this was the epitome of playoff football in New England.

Facing co-MVP Steve McNair and star running back Eddie George, the Patriots needed to be at their best defensively to stave off a tough Tennessee Titans team.

Ultimately, the freezing conditions favored the kings of the AFC East.

In a physical, low-scoring affair between two well-coached teams, the Patriots prevailed by the skin of their teeth. Adam Vinatieri nailed a clutch 46-yard field goal in the fourth quarter that proved to be the difference in the 17-14 win in which they held George to a mere 48 yards on 16 carries.

11. 2014 AFC Championship: Patriots 45, Colts 7

Unlike many of their epic postseason battles, this was a completely one-sided affair.

Of course, maybe it mattered that it was Andrew Luck—not Peyton Manning—who was under center.

Either way, the AFC Championship showdown between the former No. 1 overall pick and the supposedly declining Brady resulted in one of the most lopsided victories in Patriots playoff history.

In what can only be described as a shellacking, New England did whatever it wanted against an Indianapolis defense that no longer had the terrifying defensive end duo of Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney.

Brady carved up the Colts for three touchdown passes, LaGarrette Blount rumbled his way to 148 rushing yards and three touchdowns of his own, and Darrelle Revis and Jamie Collins each recorded interceptions in a game that quickly went from somewhat competitive (the Colts were down 17-7 at half) to completely out of reach by the end of the third quarter.

For a team that faced questions early in the year about whether this was the end, the dominant 45-7 win proved the Patriots were still a force to wreckoned with.

10. 1963 AFL Eastern Division Playoff: Patriots 26, Bills, 8

Most people (myself included) weren't around to witness this game. However, you can't create a list of the biggest wins in franchise history without including the first playoff game (and first playoff victory) in Patriots history.

The then-Boston Patriots defeated the Bills 26-8 at War Memorial Stadium to capture teh AFL Eastern Division crown.

That historic victory included four field goals by the beloved Gino Cappelletti, a 300-yard passing game by Babe Parilli, and four interceptions of Bills quarterbacks Daryle Lamonica and Jack Kemp.

Although it would take more than two decades for the Patriots to secure their second playoff win, it's only right to acknowledge the first one here.

9. 1985 AFC Championship: Patriots 31, Dolphins 14

With an unfathomable 18 straight losses in Miami, the Patriots had a prime opportunity to end that embarrassing streak and earn their first trip to the Super Bowl.

Of course, in order to do that, they had to find a way to slow down Dan Marino.

After enduring a seemingly endless run of bad luck in South Florida, New England finally exorcised those demons by delivering its best performance at the perfect time.

Quarterback Tony Eason outdueled his much more accomplished adversary by tossing three touchdowns in a 31-14 win that left Dolphins fans on the outside looking in (again) even with Marino at the helm.

Meanwhile, the Patriots' defense picked off the Hall of Famer twice (they forced six total turnovers) to send the team to its first Super Bowl.

8. 2017 AFC Championship: Patriots 24, Jaguars 20

Down 20-10 in the fourth quarter in front of a raucous crowd in Jacksonville, Tom Brady pulled off one of his most clutch postseason performances despite missing his favorite target and dealing with a nasty hand injury.

With no Rob Gronkowski to lean on, the GOAT entrusted Danny Amendola to make key plays time and time again down the stretch. Brady hit his sure-handed slot receiver for two fourth-quarter touchdowns that erased a 10-point deficit.

But even after Amendola scored the go-ahed touchdown with less than 3 minutes left, the Patriots still needed some playoff heroics to escape Jacksonville.

Thankfully, superstar cornerback Stephon Gilmore saved the day with a ridiculously athletic pass break-up that ended a late Jaguars' comeback attempt.

Given all the adversity they faced, this was one of the most impressive Patriots' postseason victories of the Brady-Belichick era.

7. 2011 AFC Championship: Patriots 23, Ravens 20

Even though the season didn't end the way we wanted, this is still one of my favorite games of the dynasty era.

After all, how could you not love a contest between two tough, physical teams that ended in such dramatic fashion?

Ultimately, the 2011 AFC Championship came down to two plays that easily could have gone in the Ravens' favor. As luck would have it, though, the Patriots ended up on the right side of history on both occasions.

First, unheralded backup cornerback Sterling Moore quite literally saved the season by breaking up what looked like the game-winning touchdown pass to Lee Evans.

Then, Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff shanked a 32-yard field-goal attempt that should have sent the game to overtime.

Instead, the Patriots prevailed, earning their first trip to the Super Bowl in seven years.

6. 2003 AFC Championship: Patriots 24, Colts 14

This will forever be known as "The Ty Law Game" — and for good reason.

In a snowy, star-studded showdown between the Colts and Patriots, New England's lockdown corner made life a living hell for Peyton Manning. Law completed the trifecta by picking off Manning three times in a miserable trip to Gillette Stadium for a Colts team that clearly did not respond well to playing in the elements.

Belichick's brilliant defensive game plan helped the Patriots earn their second Super Bowl berth in three years, and Law cemented his status as one of the most clutch playoff performers of all time by bringing a painful end to the co-MVP's season.

5. 2004 AFC Championship: Patriots 41, Steelers 27

The Steelers looked unstoppable in 2004, pulling off a 15-1 record that included beating the Patriots earlier in the year.

So, when the two teams squared off at Heinz Field for the right to play in the Super Bowl, it certainly looked like an uphill battle for a Patriots team facing heavy pressure to make another run at the Lombardi Trophy.

With an undefeated home record, the Steelers seemed to be in the driver's seat heading into the matchup... until the wheels fell off.

Offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss dialed up a brilliantly balanced game plan that allowed his best players to share the wealth. Brady was a tidy 14-of-21 for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Corey Dillon carried the rock 24 times for 73 yards and a touchdown. Deion Branch flashed his playmaking prowess with four catches for 116 yards and a score, adding another touchdown as a ball-carrier.

Most impressively, the Patriots handed Ben Roethlisberger his first loss as a starter by picking him off three times.

4. 2001 AFC Championship: Patriots 24, Steelers 17

Three years earlier, the Patriots also faced the Steelers with the AFC Championship on the line.

And just as they did in 2004, they found a way to win on the road.

Despite being 10-point underdogs and losing Brady to an injury, New England emerged victorious thanks to a gutsy, respectable effort by Drew Bledsoe. Considering all the drama that season surrounding his job security (or lack thereof), the veteran did his job and managed the game effectively.

In true complementary fashion, the Patriots' special teams rose to the ocassion, with Troy Brown taking a punt back for a touchdown, and Antwan Harris returning a blocked field goal for another score.

To cap it all off, the Patriots clinched the win by picking off Kordell Stewart that added yet another layer to their Cinderella story.

3. 2014 Divisional Round: Patriots 35, Ravens 31

Talk about an epic battle that'll go down as one of the best playoff games of all time.

The Patriots became the first team in NFL history to erase two 14-point deficits in the same postseason game by staging an epic comeback against Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens.

Of course, the signature moment of this game wasn't a Tom Brady touchdown pass.

Rather, it was Julian Edelman tossing a beautifully thrown pass to Danny Amendola on a brilliantly designed trick play that caught the Ravens napping. Brady later hit Brandon LaFell (a hugely underrated piece of that 2014 championship team) for the game-winner that sent Flacco and Co. back to Baltimore in bitter defeat.

2. 2018 AFC Championship: Patriots 37, Chiefs 31 (OT)

The 2018 AFC Championship pitted the league's biggest breakout star against the GOAT—and it didn't disappoint in the least. In fact, Brady vs. Mahomes turned out to be even better than anyone could have imagined.

In a truly epic duel between two ultra-talented, well-coached teams, the Patriots and Chiefs went back and forth over four quarters, exchanging blow after blow. Tied at 31 at the end of regulation, the game went into overtime.

Mahomes never touched the ball again.

Despite facing three separate third-and-10 situations, the Patriots found a way to move the chains thanks to their unflappable leader. Brady turned to Gronk and Edelman down the stretch in those critical moments, with both players coming up with tough catches in traffic.

After marching the ball down the field, Brady handed the ball to Rex Burkhead, who plunged through the Chiefs' defense for the game-winner.

The epic overtime win sent the Patriots to their third straight Super Bowl, and unlike the year prior, they finished the job.

1. 2001 Divisional Round: Patriots 16, Raiders 13 (OT)

Make no mistake about it: The Snow Bowl/Tuck Rule Game has to go down as the biggest non-Super Bowl win in Patriots history.

After all, it had two defining moments that essentially birthed the greatest dynasty of all time.

From the NFL referees reversing what looked to be a game-ending fumble by Brady to Adam Vinatieri making the most clutch, pressure-packed kick in a literal snowstorm, this game was a nail-biter till the final whistle.

I still remember staying up late to watch this game with my parents as a 10-year-old kid in Connecticut. Seeing long snapper Lonnie Paxton celebrate by making snow angels still stands out as a core memory, and it's fair to say that if this game had gone the other way, NFL history would look completely different.

Thankfully for all of us in Patriot Nation, our beloved team prevailed.

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