25 most epic and defining moments of the Patriots' 2000s dynasty

As someone who was 10 years old when the Patriots won their first Super Bowl title, I am incredibly fortunate to have witnessed the birth of the greatest dynasty in NFL history at exactly the right age.

From middle school until several years after I earned my master's degree, I watched Tom Brady and Bill Belichick make magic together in a way we'll never see again. That epic two-decade run included improbable comebacks, epic showdowns against other NFL legends, and some brilliant individual plays from some of the most important players in franchise history.

Given their success, it's downright impossible to give proper credit to every coach and player who helped shape the Patriots into the most successful dynasty in modern sports. However, I've been tasked with whittling down that seemingly endless list to 25 of the most epic and defining moments of that era.

I wanted to showcase not just great individual plays, but also truly defining moments that are critical to telling the story of how the Patriots went from being just another franchise to the gold standard under Belichick and Brady. In some cases, I chose a game with multiple epic moments that could have been featured on their own, just so I could make space for other entries.

Now, that inherently means not every great individual or team achievement made the cut. So, even though this is my top-25 list, it certainly won't look the same as someone else's.

If there's a moment missing that you believe deserves mention, lay your case out in the comments section. After all, you can never have too many reasons to celebrate being a Patriots fan, right?

Now, on to the list!

25. Patriots overcome a 24-0 halftime deficit to beat Peyton Manning’s Broncos in 2013

One of the hallmarks of the Brady-Belichick era was looking at every game as winnable. However, even diehard Patriots fans had little hope left at halftime when Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos held a seemingly insurmountable 24-0 lead on Sunday Night Football.

Yet despite trailing the Broncos by a sizable margin in front of a packed Gillette Stadium, that didn't stop Brady and Co. from mounting a furious comeback. The Patriots scored a whopping 31 unanswered points before Manning hit the late Demaryius Thomas for a touchdown that sent the game to overtime. That second-half surge included two touchdowns to Julian Edelman, who was just starting to emerge as a key playmaker for the GOAT.

Fortuitously, the back-and-forth battle didn't end with a touchdown pass from a legendary quarterback. Instead, Ryan Allen's punt bounced off Broncos backup cornerback Tony Carter, allowing Nate Ebner to recover it at the 13-yard line. Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 31-yard field goal to bring an end to one of the most impressive comebacks in franchise history.

24. Trading for Randy Moss

Once considered the greatest player at his position, Randy Moss's reputation took a hit during his time with the then-Oakland Raiders. Viewed as someone who might be past his prime and no longer worth the headache, the game-breaking receiver found himself on the move when the Patriots pulled off one of the most lopsided deals in league history.

Acquired for a measly fourth-round pick, Moss was actually less expensive than the other receiver the Patriots traded for that offseason, as Wes Welker cost them a second-rounder and some change. Still, the fact Belichick was willing to take a flyer on a controversial player like Moss showed how much respect he had for his game.

Although the Moss trade didn't lead to a Super Bowl title, it ushered in a new era of offense that took the NFL by storm. His 2007 season (more on that later) was literally one for the record books, and he brought a unique dynamic to a team with a ton of big personalities.

Ultimately, this deal was so lopsided that it's laughable at how bad Belichick fleeced the Raiders' inept front office.

23. Troy Brown sparks special teams-fueled win in 2001 AFC Championship

Entering the game as 13-point underdogs, the Patriots needed a special performance to upset the Pittsburgh Steelers. And boy did they do just that.

Fan favorite Troy Brown broke the game late in the first quarter by taking a punt back 55 yards for a touchdown. That set the tone early in what had been a back-and-forth defensive battle.

Once again, Brown found himself in the middle of the action on special teams (he also racked up eight catches for 121 yards) when the Patriots blocked a 34-yard field-goal attempt. Brown scooped up the loose ball, ran ahead, and lateraled the ball to Antwan Harris, who took it all the way to the house.

Brown's second game-changing special teams play helped the Patriots stretch their lead to 21-3. Although the Steelers made a late comeback attempt, the Patriots prevailed 24-17 to earn a trip to the Super Bowl.

22. "We're on to Cincinnati"

It wasn't epic, but it surely was a defining moment when Bill Belichick delivered this infamous line after a lopsided 41-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. That blowout dropped the Patriots to 2-2 and raised questions about Tom Brady's future in Foxboro.

Instead of addressing questions about TB12's supposed decline or whether the Patriots' time had passed, Belichick stuck with one phrase: "We're on to Cincinnati."

Clearly, that message was well received by the locker room.

The Bengals came to Gillette Stadium with a 3-0 record and left on the wrong side of a 43-17 defeat that kicked off a seven-game winning streak for the Patriots.

Similar to his "Do Your Job" motto, the "We're on to Cincinnati" became synonymous with Belichick's business-first attitude. And when the season ended with the Lombardi Trophy coming back to Foxboro for the first time in a decade, it confirmed that Belichick and Brady hadn't lost their magic touch.

21. Patriots get revenge against Steelers in 2004 AFC Championship

The 2004 season saw the Patriots set the NFL record for most consecutive wins (21) before the Steelers snapped that streak in a 34-20 victory at Heinz Field on Halloween night.

The two historic franchises squared off again in the AFC Championship, with rookie Ben Roethlisberger looking to lead Pittsburgh to a Super Bowl berth.

Unfortunately for the previously unbeaten Big Ben, his good fortune ended in the rematch. The Patriots picked him off three times, including an 87-yard pick-six by Rodney Harrison that stretched their halftime lead to 24-3. Between Corey Dillon and Deion Branch, the offense had big-time firepower that paved the way for a 41-27 victory, handing Roethlisberger his first loss as an NFL starter and sending the Patriots to their third Super Bowl in four years.

20. Tedy Bruschi make his triumphant return

First, let me preface this by saying Tedi Bruschi is beloved in my household so much that we named one of our family dogs after him. Out of all the big names and big personalities from the early dynasty days, nobody embodied the Patriot Way quite like the beloved middle linebacker.

So, when Bruschi suffered a stroke just days after competing in the 2005 Pro Bowl, it truly shook Patriot Nation and the rest of the NFL community to our core. He ended up getting heart surgery and faced several months of rehabilitation. But despite the unexpected setback, that wasn't going to be the last we saw of No. 54.

Eight months later, Bruschi got medically cleared to return, and he made his triumphant return against the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 30. He earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors, the 2005 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, and played three more seasons before hanging 'em up for good.

Of course, he made quite a few epic plays in his day, including a fourth-quarter interception of Donovan McNabb to help seal the Patriots' win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX—just weeks before his stroke.

19. Brady to Gronk's final connection in Super Bowl LIII

Was this the most impressive play between the two NFL icons?

No, they definitely had some more highlight-worthy moments that would make it on SportsCenter.

However, when you're talking about epic and defining, the final pass from Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski in a Patriots uniform was so picturesque, so clutch, and so fitting as the last memory I'll have of those two legends.

In a game that didn't feature a whole lot of scoring, the Brady-Gronk duo pulled off one of their vintage clutch performances in a huge spot. Brady lofted a beautifully thrown ball down the left seam just over the head of the linebacker and Gronkowski laid out every inch of his 6-foot-6 frame to make a diving 29-yard catch that set the Patriots up at the Rams' 2-yard line.

Sony Michel punched the ball in on the ensuing play for the game's only touchdown.

Less than two months after earning his third Super Bowl ring, the All-Pro tight end announced his retirement, cementing that picture-perfect 29-yard reception as the final connection between Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski.

As Patriots, at least.

18. Sterling Moore saves the season, while Billy Cundiff chokes

Talk about a game that kept you on the edge of your seat.

Holding a slim lead against Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens, the Patriots' championship hopes seemingly slipped away when Lee Evans appeared to haul in the go-ahead touchdown with just 27 seconds left on the clock.

But just as the veteran wideout was about to complete the catch, unheralded backup cornerback Sterling Moore literally saved the season by knocking the ball loose. That to-the-whistle effort from the former undrafted free agent defined what it was like to be part of a Bill Belichick-coached team. Plus, the fact that Moore was entrusted to be on the field in such a big moment says a lot about his work ethic and buy-in to the Patriot Way.

Ultimately, that pass breakup shook the Ravens, who failed to find the end zone.

Then, things went from bad to worse.

Billy Cundiff had a prime chance to send the game to overtime, but facing a frenetic crowd of the Foxboro Faithful, he shanked a chip-shot 32-yard field goal to the left, allowing the Patriots to escape with a nail-biting victory that sent them to the Super Bowl.

17. Drew Bledsoe fills in for an injured Tom Brady

What Drew Bledsoe did in the 2001 AFC Championship wasn't epic by any means.

But it defined exactly what Bill Belichick preached about the most: do your job.

And with the Patriots' season potentially in jeopardy, Bledsoe put aside his ego and any hurt feelings, stepped back into the driver's seat, and helped the team punch a ticket to the Super Bowl.

After Tom Brady suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter, Bledsoe came off the bench and delivered a vintage performance that included an 11-yard touchdown pass to David Patten (a hugely underrated member of the dynasty era) that helped the Patriots take a 14-3 lead into halftime.

Again, the epic moments from that game came earlier in No. 23. But one of the defining moments of the dynasty was seeing the face of the franchise lose his job to an unheralded former sixth-round pick, and then have to be the savior of sorts when the season was on the line.

Drew Bledsoe's unselfishness and continued support for Tom Brady throughout the season deserve a lot of recognition.

16. Stephon Gilmore seals the comeback in 2017 AFC Championship

I'll be honest, this one may be a bit too high on the list. But there were some truly epic moments in a game that looked like it was going to go the wrong way for the Patriots.

However, a banged-up Tom Brady (remember that nasty hand injury he suffered in the lead-up to that game?) and a healthy version of Danny Amendola took over in the fourth quarter. Facing a 20-10 deficit against a feisty Jacksonville Jaguars team that had a loaded defense, Brady engineered two touchdown drives, both ending with Amendola in the end zone.

That Jaguars team had a ton of talent, but it also learned the hard way that you can never count the Patriots out.

In fact, even after taking the lead late in the game, the Patriots faced a promising comeback attempt by Blake Bortles that could have ruined the day for everyone at Gillette Stadium.

But in what might be the most impressive and clutch play of his career (I'd argue the Jared Goff pick in Super Bowl LIII was not nearly as difficult), Stephon Gilmore stretched out to make an unbelievable pass break-up on fourth down that ended the Jaguars' season. When you look at the All-Pro corner's career, that play will probably be the lead highlight nine times out of 10. So, between that photo-worthy moment and the Brady-Amendola fourth-quarter magic, I think this game is sneakily underrated.

15. The Goal-Line Stand

Those Colts-Patriots matchups almost always ended epically, but none more so than their regular-season matchup on Nov. 30, 2003 in Indianapolis.

In a monumental matchup between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, the Colts came back from two seemingly insurmountable deficits (17-0 and 31-10) and were within striking distance of completing an epic comeback.

Then they ran into a buzzsaw.

With the ball at the 2-yard line and 40 seconds remaining, the Colts had four chances to score the game-winning touchdown.

On first down, Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel stuffed Edgerrin James at the 1-yard line. On second down, the running back ran into Bruschi and Rodney Harrison. An incompletion on third down set the stage for a make-or-break moment that ultimately defined the Patriots' resiliency of the dynasty era.

On fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Willie McGinest burst into the backfield and hammered James for a loss.

In the blink of an eye, the Patriots went from being on the proverbial and literal ropes to leaving Indianapolis with a 38-34 victory. That signature goal-line stand had to give them added confidence and an edge over the Colts when they squared off in the AFC Championship Game.

14. Troy Brown strips Marlon McCree in the 2006 Divisional Round

The 2006 season didn't end the way the Patriots wanted, but it could have ended a lot sooner if not for a heroic moment from the ultra-clutch Troy Brown.

Only this time, it wasn't about him making a tough reception.

It was actually a bit of a role reversal.

Trailing the Chargers 21-13 late in the fourth quarter, the Patriots' season appeared to end when Marlon McCree picked off Tom Brady.

Yet instead of going down, the Chargers corner made the ill-advised decision to return the ball. That allowed Brown to showcase his speed and hustle—two traits that paid dividends throughout his Patriots career. Brown stripped the ball from McCree, and Reche Caldwell recovered it. What should have been a season-ending play turned out entirely different thanks to Brown's heroic effort.

Brady redeemed himself, and Stephen Gostkowski kicked the game-winning field goal. But Brown's hustle play defined the Patriot Way of playing to the whistle and never giving up.

13. Adam Vinatieri seals the Patriots' second Super Bowl

The Pro Football Hall of Famer had so many clutch kicks in his career, and you will see his name a few more times on this list. But I believe Adam Vinatieri deserves the No. 13 spot for overcoming adversity and coming through when it mattered most.

In what ended up being a scoreless first quarter, Vinatieri uncharacteristically missed a 31-yard field-goal attempt wide right. To make matters worse, he had a 36-yard attempt blocked in the second quarter.

So, once the scoring onslaught began in the fourth quarter between the Patriots and Panthers, you figured the game would come down to the final possession.

And it did.

For the second time in three seasons, Tom Brady engineered a late drive that put the Patriots in field goal range. Vinatieri came on the field with four seconds remaining for a 41-yard attempt that could make the Patriots two-time Super Bowl champions.

Facing a pressure-packed moment coming off two failed attempts, the best kicker in NFL history delivered a perfect strike that gave the Patriots a 32-29 victory. That win silenced any doubters who thought the first Super Bowl victory was a fluke. And it also cemented Vinatieri's status as one of the most iconic players in team history.

12. Ty Law pulls off a threepeat against Peyton Manning

Roughly a month after stonewalling the Colts at the goal line, the Patriots faced a red-hot and highly motivated Peyton Manning and Co. with the AFC title on the line.

Heading into the rematch, the Colts had plowed through their first two opponents, displaying such ridiculous offensive efficiency that they hadn't even punted in their first two playoff games.

Unfortunately for Peyton, Ty Law was determined not to let the Colts punt, either.

New England's star cornerback picked off Manning three times in a record-setting playoff performance that included a fourth interception by the league MVP.

Picking off arguably the best player in the league not once, not twice, but three times to help secure a Super Bowl berth?

That checks the boxes for both epic and defining.

11. Paying a hefty price for Bill Belichick

You can't talk about the dynasty without factoring in the big risk Robert Kraft took to make Bill Belichick his new head coach.

In a move that truly redefined the franchise and the value of having an undisputed leader at the helm, Kraft negotiated a blockbuster trade with the New York Jets that sent a 2000 first-round pick and 2001 fourth-and seventh-round picks for Belichick, a 2001 fifth-round pick, and a 2002 seventh-round pick.

At the time (and you could still say currently), giving up a first-round pick for a head coach was a huge price to pay.

Yet it didn't take long to realize Robert Kraft got a steal by essentially swapping the 16th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft for two decades of having Bill Belichick as his head coach.

10. Ty Law's pick-six in Super Bowl XXXVI

Facing the "Greatest Show on Turf" with the Lombardi Trophy on the line, the Patriots entered Super Bowl XXXVI with a clear game plan: disrupt the timing of the Rams' vaunted passing attack.

Between punishing Marshall Faulk out of the backfield and getting physical with Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce at the line of scrimmage, the strategy paid off.

With the Rams holding a 3-0 lead about midway through the second quarter, Kurt Warner attempted a pass to his most trusted target.

But instead of connecting with Bruce for a big gain, the two-time MVP's pass landed in the hands of Ty Law thanks to some timely pressure by Mike Vrabel.

In a star-studded game with many big moments, Law stole the air out of the Rams' sails by anticipating the pass, jumping in front of Bruce, and returning the interception for a 47-yard touchdown. That shook the Rams' confidence and proved the Patriots had the right game plan to counter a record-setting offense that looked unstoppable for most of the 2001 season.

Law's clutch pick-six shifted the scoreboard and the momentum in his team's favor. And when you talk about the top defensive moments of the dynasty era, this is certainly one of them.

9. The Overtime Drive in Arrowhead

The showdown between Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes for the 2018 AFC Championship was truly a game for the ages. The back-and-forth battle between two excellent quarterbacks (and coaching staffs) featured some signature moments by both sides, but the final drive was a true masterclass by the GOAT and his cast of weapons.

Playing in front of a hostile crowd in frigid conditions, the Patriots won the overtime coin toss and elected to receive the ball.

Mahomes never saw the field again.

Brady engineered a 13-play, 75-yard drive that included three critical third-and-10 situations in which the legendary quarterback found one of his trusted targets at exactly the right time. Julian Edelman made gains of 20 and 15 yards to extend the drive. Then, with the Patriots facing another third-and-10 at the Chiefs' 45, Gronkowski hauled in a tough contested catch for a huge 15-yard gain that completely took the wind out of the Chiefs' sails.

With Kansas City on its heels, Josh McDaniels dialed up the run, with Rex Burkhead plowing over for a 2-yard touchdown to send the Patriots to their third straight Super Bowl.

Brady looked like a kid on Christmas morning, tossing his helmet in the air and displaying the raw excitement and shock that many of us felt at home after watching the Patriots prevail in Arrowhead over the league MVP. That drive defined what it meant to "do your job" and rise to the occasion in the biggest moments.

8. Patriots go 16-0 in record-setting fashion

I know the season ended in heartbreak (I still can't watch any highlights of that Super Bowl), but you can't talk about the dynasty without tipping your cap to what the Patriots did in the regular season by going 16-0 and obliterating the NFL record books.

The 2007 season saw Randy Moss and Wes Welker come to New England and completely change the offense from a run-first unit with limited firepower to the most prolific passing game of all time.

After blazing through their schedule (with some minor hiccups near the end), New England faced the Giants in the final week with a chance to complete the perfect regular season—and set some records along the way.

Despite being down 28-16 late in the third quarter, the Patriots weren't going to be denied of either opportunity. In signature style, Brady and Moss connected on a 65-yard touchdown that helped Brady break Peyton Manning's single-season record of 49 touchdown passes.

Fittingly, Brady's record-setting pass was Moss's 23rd touchdown reception, pushing him past the legendary Jerry Rice for the single-season touchdown reception record.

By surviving in a 38-35 victory over the Giants, the Patriots became the first team in NFL history to go 16-0 in the regular season. Plus, the well-timed touchdown allowed Brady and Moss to set individual records that added to their legacies and cemented their status as all-time greats.

7. The Mo Lewis Hit

It wasn't pretty

In fact, it was downright scary.

But when we're talking about defining moments of the Patriots' dynasty, perhaps none shifted the course of history more than the Mo Lewis hit on Drew Bledsoe.

After all, if not for that vicious shot to the ribs that punctured the Patriots star's lung, the world may have never seen Tom Brady take the field.

With Bledsoe suffering a serious injury from a vicious sideline hit by the New York Jets linebacker, Bill Belichick turned to the unheralded sixth-round pick.

As we know, Bledsoe never got his job back.

Ultimately, one tackle changed the course of history for so many people. Bledsoe went from being the face of the franchise to the league's highest-paid backup. Brady went from being a complete unknown to being in the spotlight at all times.

Meanwhile, Bill Belichick went from being a head coach with a losing record to overseeing the greatest dynasty in NFL history.

Needless to say, the Mo Lewis hit redefined football forever.

6. Erasing two 14-point deficits against the Ravens in the 2014 Divisional Round

One of the best postseason games in NFL history didn't even take place with the AFC title or Lombardi Trophy on the line.

If you ask many Patriots fans, one of the most impressive and unbelievable wins of the dynasty era was the 2014 Divisional Round against the Baltimore Ravens.

After all, it's not every day (or ever, prior to that game) that you see a team come back from two 14-point deficits in a playoff game.

But in true Brady-Belichick fashion, the Patriots proved they were in a different class by doing something no team had done before.

After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, Brady engineered two touchdown drives to tie the game. Unfortunately for the Patriots, Joe Flacco and the Ravens responded with two more touchdowns to regain a comfortable 14-point lead.

Then magic happened.

In one of the most exciting and well-timed trick plays of all time, Brady threw a backward pass to Julian Edelman that could have been mistaken for a screen.

Yet instead of racing ahead, Edelman looked downfield, gathered himself, and launched a strike to fellow wideout Danny Amendola for a 51-yard touchdown. The double pass was a stroke of genius by Josh McDaniels, who needed to dig deep into his bag of tricks to confuse a loaded Ravens defense.

The high-scoring affair included another Brady touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell that gave the Patriots a 35-31 lead (their first of the entire game) with just over 5 minutes remaining.

After watching the offense mount a furious comeback, the defense did its part, with safety Duron Harmon picking off Flacco in the end zone with 1:46 remaining. And after surviving a last-ditch Hail Mary attempt as time expired, the Patriots became the first team in league history to erase two separate 14-point deficits in the same game—a testament to their no-quit attitude and ability to perserve in the face of adversity.

5. The Tuck Rule

Who could have ever imagined that an obscure NFL rule would play such a pivotal role in shaping the greatest dynasty in sports?

Before Jan. 19, 2002, nobody really knew about the "tuck rule." But after Charles Woodson blitzed off the edge and jarred the ball loose from Tom Brady, everybody would learn the definition of a rule that transformed the fortunes of two franchises.

Although the play initially looked like (and was ruled) a fumble, referees conducted a replay review. In one of the most famous moments in Patriots' history, referee Walt Coleman shockingly reversed the call, ruling that Brady had begun a forward throwing motion. I'll admit, it was a questionable call, and if I were a Raiders fan, I'd still be fuming 25 years later.

Fortunately for Brady and Co., that seemingly innocuous rule saved them from what should have been a season-ending turnover. Of course, we know how that game ended (more on that next), but it's safe to say that the dynasty never would have come to fruitition if the call had been uphheld.

So, thank you to whoever made up the "tuck rule," and thank you to Walt Coleman for standing on business.

4. The Snow Bowl Kick

Some people will argue this could all be grouped as one. However, that 2001 Divisional Round game against the Raiders had two defining moments that deserve their own entries.

After all, the "tuck rule" play helped set the stage for arguably the most impressive kick in NFL history.

Given new life with the controversial ruling, the Patriots moved the ball down the field despite driving winds, heavy snow, and almost zero visibility.

Down 13-10 with just 27 seconds left on the clock, Adam Vinatieri stepped onto the field with a seemingly impossible task on his shoulders.

With his team's season on the line, Vinatieri needed to hit a 45-yard field goal in some of the harshest weather ever seen in a playoff game.

Instead of allowing the conditions and circumstances to shake his confidence, the veteran kicker rose to the challenge, nailing the ball through the uprights to tie the game.

In overtime, the Patriots engineered a 15-play, 61-yard drive that put Vinatieri in the driver's seat to be the hero yet again.

Vinatieri connected on a 23-yard field goal to secure the win and a spot in the AFC Championship, bringing an end to one of the most dramatic playoff games of all time.

3. 28-3

I'm cheating a bit on this one because this game had so many epic moments that defined the dynasty era and could have easily gotten their own slots on this list. But in staging the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, I'm going to highlight two of them.

First, Julian Edelman's ridiculous fourth-quarter catch has to be one of the greatest individual efforts in playoff history. With the Patriots trailing by eight points with just over two minutes remaining, Tom Brady threw an ill-advised pass over the middle that was tipped in the air by Atlanta Falcons cornerback Robert Alford.

Yet instead of giving up on the play, Edelman inexplicably secured the catch by diving forward and stretching out for the ball as it bounced off Alford's leg. While many thought the ball hit the ground, replay review showed Edelman got his hands underneath the ball and did, in fact, haul it in.

A play that very well could have been a turnover ended up keeping the drive alive, allowing the Patriots to continue their comeback. And when you look at the replay in full speed, you have even more appreciation for Edelman's focus and clutch gene coming through in a crowded field of Falcons defenders.

The second epic moment from the most epic comeback in Super Bowl history has to be Dont'a Hightower's strip-sack of Matt Ryan that actually came well before Edelman's miraculous catch.

With the Patriots down 28-12 about midway through the fourth quarter, Hightower blitzed off the edge and completely obliterated Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. The forceful hit jarred the ball loose from the league MVP's hands, and Patriots defensive tackle Alan Branch recovered the fumble at the Falcons' 25-yard line.

Without that clutch effort from the rugged linebacker, the Falcons likely would have gotten a first down that would allowed them to eat up more clock and prevent the Patriots from even having a chance to get within striking distance—let alone complete a record-setting comeback.

Ultimately, though, Edelman and Hightower—two of the most clutch performers of the dynasty era—stepped up in huge moments. And I'd also be remiss without giving a huge shoutout to James White for his insanely productive effort that warranted Super Bowl MVP honors. All in all, the 28-3 game is probably my favorite moment as a Patriots fan because it showed that this team could truly never be counted out.

2. Malcolm Butler saves the day

You could easily make the argument that this deserved the No. 1 slot. In yet another star-studded Super Bowl showdown that produced highlights for days, none were bigger than Malcolm Butler's game-saving interception, which might just be the most clutch play in NFL history.

Despite being a little-known undrafted free agent, Butler found himself on the field in the fourth quarter with the Seahawks seemingly seconds away from securing their second straight Super Bowl championship.

After Hightower heroically tackled Marshawn Lynch at the 1-yard line with one arm, the Seahawks stunningly eschewed the opportunity to feed the beast for what should have been an easy touchdown. Instead, they called for a quick-hitting pick play that was supposed to allow Russell Wilson to be the star of the show.

Boy, did that backfire.

With Brandon Browner jamming his receiver at the line, Butler broke on the ball as Wilson attempted a quick slant. Thanks to going over that specific play in practice earlier that week, Butler's preparation and instincts allowed him to beat Ricardo Lockette to the punch. The ill-advised throw ended up in the hands of the backup cornerback, who instantly went from a virtual unknown to the biggest hero in New England.

That play was even more impressive considering Butler had just been beaten by Jermaine Kearse on an improbable catch that conjured up painful memories of David Tyree. But rather than letting that shake his confidence, Butler stayed locked in and stepped up at exactly the right moment.

1. Adam Vinatieri kicks the game-winner in Super Bowl XXXVI

You only become a dynasty by winning multiple titles.

And to even enter that conversation, you have to learn what it takes to be a champion.

With that in mind, the No. 1 defining moment of the dynasty has to be the exact moment the Patriots earned their first Lombardi Trophy. Sure, that magical 2001 season had several all-time moments, but none of those would have mattered if the team fell short of its ultimate goal.

So, when Tom Brady did the opposite of what John Madden suggested and methodically drove the Patriots down the field, you knew the moment wasn't too big for the young quarterback and a Patriots team that entered the Super Bowl as heavy underdogs.

That dink-and-dunk approach and willingness to go for the win put Adam Vinatieri in a position no Patriots player had been in before.

With the franchise's Super Bowl hopes resting on his right leg, Vinatieri calmly walked onto the field for a 48-yard field-goal attempt. After hitting pressure-packed kicks in the snow, he faced far friendlier conditions inside the Superdome.

I'll never forget staying up late with my dad, standing in the family room of my childhood home in Connecticut, eagerly holding our breaths as Vinatieri lined up for the most important kick of his life (and the most exciting moment in my young sports fandom history).

As soon as it went through the uprights, my dad and I jumped up and down screaming in joy, waking up my mom and brother upstairs.

But that didn't matter.

Because at that moment, generations of Patriots fans who had never seen their team win a Super Bowl joined my 10-year-old self in celebrating the first in franchise history.

Of course, that was just the beginning.

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