The 10 Most Important People to the Patriots' 3 Superbowls

After the 1999 season, New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft stated that firing head coach Pete Carroll was one of the hardest decisions he ever had to make, but looking into the future it's not hard to see why Kraft can easily retract that statement.

Carroll replaced former Patriots head coach Bill Parcells, who took the team to Superbowl XXXI in 1996.  The Patriots lost 35-21 thanks to a Green Bay Packers team led by Desmond Howard, Brett Favre and Reggie White. Getting into disputes with team owners after the season, Parcells jetted to New York to become the head coach of the Jets, taking his assistant and secondary coach from the Patriots with him, Bill Belichick. 

Belichick remained under Parcells' watch from 1997-1999 until Parcells decided it was time to bail.  The Jets reached an agreement with Belichick to become head coach for the 2000 season. Before Belichick took the podium to be announced to the media as the new Jets head coach, he scribbled onto a piece of paper, proclaiming his resignation of the head coaching job.

Not too long afterward, the Patriots announced they had filled their head coach vacancy by bringing back Belichick. Not only was the move under scrutiny by some members of the New England media, but according to the Jets, Belichick was still under contract. NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue agreed, and the Patriots sent a first-round pick as compensation.

Belichick began his head coaching tenure with the Patriots in 2000, and it wouldn't take long before he discovered success, solidifying the Patriots as the team of the decade.

Notes:

The Jets had four 1st-round picks in the 2000 draft. By trading the New England pick, the Jets moved up to take defensive end Shaun Ellis with the 12th pick. The Jets used the 13th pick on defensive end John Abraham, the 18th pick on quarterback Chad Pennington, and the 27th pick on tight end Anthony Becht.

Pete Carroll, the Patriots' head coach before Belichick, enjoyed success as head coach at the University of Southern California leading the Trojans to five BCS bowl victories and an undisputed national title in 2004. Carroll is currently in his first year as head coach with the Seattle Seahawks.

Desmond Howard, the Superbowl XXXI MVP, was the only special teams player to win the award. He is currently an ESPN college football analyst.

Reggie White recorded three sacks in Superbowl XXXI. He died in 2004 from a heart condition and was enshrined in the Football Hall of Fame two years later.

Brett Favre was the winning quarterback of Superbowl XXXI, his only Superbowl victory. Favre recently threw for his 500th touchdown to become the all-time leader and is currently amongst controversy for sending a Jets game-day employee lewd photographs and text messages.

10. Troy Brown

I don't think any player has represented the New England Patriots better than Troy Brown. Spending his entire 15-year career with the team, Brown was a part of all three Superbowl teams (2001, 2004, 2005). He's the Patriots' al-time leader in receptions with 557, punt-return yards with 2,625 and second in receiving yards with 6,366.

The wide receiver will always be remembered for his versatility. The Patriots' primary punt returner for much of his career, Brown returned a punt for a 55-yard touchdown in the 2001 AFC championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and later blocked a field goal, lateraling the ball to defensive back Antwan Harris who took the ball the remaining 45 yards for a score. 

Brown's versatility didn't stop on special teams. Beginning in 2004, Brown played defensive back for a depleted Patriots secondary.  He finished the season second on the team in interceptions with three. 

Brown saved the day for the Patriots in the 2006 AFC divisional game against the San Diego Chargers. With five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Patriots were down 21-13 facing a 4th-and-5. While Tom Brady threw an interception to Chargers defensive back Marlon Mcree, Brown raced after him, stripping the ball out of his hands while wide receiver Reche Caldwell recovered it, giving the Patriots a new set of downs. The Patriots eventually tied the score with a touchdown and a two-point conversion. They went on to win the game on a 31-yard field goal.

After the Patriots decided not to offer Brown a contract for the 2008 season, he retired on September 25th, 2008, bringing an end to his NFL career, and making him the second longest-tenured Patriot behind long- time quarterback Steve Grogan.

9. Walt Coleman

I'm sure Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis would have choice words for Mr. Coleman. Davis' Raiders played the Patriots in what many remember as the "Snow Bowl" or the "Tuck Rule Game" which was actually the 2001 AFC divisional playoff game in Foxboro.

The Patriots trailed 13-10 with under two minutes to play, while they marched down the field into Raiders territory. Out of field goal range with the heavy snow still falling, quarterback Tom Brady dropped back to pass, while Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson came on a blitz. Woodson hit Brady's blindside causing a fumble, and it was recovered by Raiders linebacker Greg Biekert.

As a 13-year-old kid watching the game with my friends, I was crushed at that moment. We were jumping up and down almost in tune with the snow falling on the field throughout the duration of the game, and at that point I was motionless, my head buried in the depths of a pillow in my living room.

My mind was fixated on Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon coming on the field, taking a knee and that was that...well lucky for my childhood and the Patriots, that never happened. Thanks to Walt Coleman and the new rules that were introduced in 1999 (the tuck rule and instant replay) the game wasn't quite finished.

To quote NFL Rule 3, Section 21, Article 2, Note 2:

"When [an offensive] player is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body. Also, if the player has tucked the ball into his body and then loses possession, it is a fumble."

As the booth reviewed the play, it was deemed that Brady's arm was going forward.  The Raider's were furious, Foxboro Stadium erupted in cheer and Adam Vinatieri was ready to begin his legacy as history's clutchest kicker—but we can discuss that in a later section of these rankings. 

Bottom line, if it wasn't for referee Walt Coleman the Patriots would not have reached Superbowl XXXVI in 2001.

8. Richard Seymour

The Patriots used their No.6 selection in the 2001 draft to score this stud defensive end out of Georgia. A versatile defensive lineman, Seymour saw playing time as an interior defensive lineman and defensive end.  He started throughout his rookie campaign earning himself his first of three Superbowl rings with the Patriots.

His statistics were often deceiving, as Seymour's season high in sacks was just eight, which he recorded in two different seasons. Yet he drew extra blockers and often shred double team blocks to make a tackle. A fan favorite, Seymour was hands down the most vital player to the Patriot's run defense and was a defensive captain beginning in 2003.

The six time pro-bowler was shipped out to Oakland before the beginning of last season for a first-round pick in the 2011 draft, but he will always be remembered as one of the monumental pieces during his eight year career with the Patriots.

7. Tedy Bruschi

Coach Bill Belichick described Tedy Bruschi as "the perfect player," and many Patriots fans would agree. Reflecting Belichick's defensive wits, he was often referred to as the smarts of the defense. A converted defensive tackle from his college days at the University of Arizona, Bruschi played linebacker all 13 seasons of his career, all with the Patriots.

A large part of all three superbowls, Bruschi was a fan favorite during his career in New England. A defensive captain since 2002, Bruschi's career was highlighted by more than just his time on the field.

Just days after he played in his first Pro Bowl in 2005, Bruschi suffered an illness that was diagnosed as a mild stroke, and as a result, Bruschi announced he would sit out the 2005 season. After months of rehabilitation, Bruschi returned to practice for the Patriots on October 16, 2005.  On October 30, 2005 Bruschi returned to play against the Buffalo Bills, and he played in the remainder of the season. After the season he received comeback Player of the Year honors, along with Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith.

Now an analyst for ESPN, Tedy will be remembered by Patriots fans for his vocal leadership on defense, his veteran leadership in the locker room and for being a special individual who displayed an extreme work ethic and perseverance.    

One play that Patriots fans will always remember is when the Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins on December 7, 2003 in blizzard-like conditions, clinching the AFC East title. With a little under nine minutes remaining in the game, Tedy intercepted Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler and returned it five yards for a touchdown. Dropping to his knees in the end zone, his Patriots teammates swarmed around him, prompting the 45,000 plus in attendance to hurl clutched fists of snow into the air.

6. Ty Law

One half of the "Law firm" along with former teammate and safety Lawyer Milloy, Law joined the patriots in 1995, when the team spent their 23rd selection in the first round on the Michigan cornerback. Law made his first of five Pro Bowls in 1998, leading the NFL in interceptions with nine. 

No. 24 gave a new definition to the term "shut down corner," and performing big in big games was just one of his assets. Law played in his first of four Superbowls for the Patriots beginning in 1996 against Green Bay.  In Superbowl XXXVI, Law gave Pats fans possibly their best memory of him, when he returned an interception of St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner 47 yards for a touchdown, as the Patriots struck first blood.

His masterpiece in the 2004 AFC championship game included intercepting Peyton Manning three times en route to a Patriots 24-14 victory and a ticket to Superbowl XXXVIII against the Panthers. Law effectively shut down one of the best wide receivers of all time, holding Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison to three receptions. 

Law helped put the stamp on a Colts-Patriots rivalry that was dominated by the Patriots in the first half of the decade.

5. Mo Lewis

No, that is not an image of Jets linebacker Mo Lewis, but rather an image representing despair in the hearts of Pats fans that turned into one of the most unlikely outcomes in Patriots history. Laying on the ground is long-time Pats quarterback Drew Bledsoe where he is receiving treatment from a devastating hit put on by Lewis. Bledsoe left the game, and it was determined he would miss the rest of the regular season in 2001.

Like many Patriots fans, although I realized Bledsoe may have held on to the ball too much and that he may have forcibly thrown too many interceptions and he couldn't throw the short intermediate passes, he still had my approval as the cemented Patriots franchise quarterback. 

When Mo Lewis delivered this blow, I shut off my television and told my dad the Patriots were f*****(expletive). Not in a million years would I have thought that some scrub backup, a sixth-round pick out of Michigan, would come in and fill the shoes of one of the most prolific passers in Patriots history.The same scrub backup would not only lead the Patriots to a Superbowl later that year, but then to another two in the next three years (and another in 2007 that we don't speak of). 

The star at the University of Georgia and three time Pro-Bowler, Mo Lewis is a big reason why Tom Brady ever had an NFL snap and a big reason why the Patriots discovered success.

4. Adam Vinatieri

A third cousin to stunt man Evil Knievel, it's quite obvious Adam Vinatieri and Knievel share the same blood type, the type where ice actually circulates in your veins. Vinatieri kicked three memorable field goals, two were game winners—in Superbowl XXXVI and Superbowl XXXVIII.

Although, the 45-yard field goal Vinatieri kicked during the "tuck rule" game in 2001 might have been the most impressive. In blizzard conditions and given new life on a fumble being overturned, the Patriots looked to Vinatieri to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.

With the ball barely getting over the cross bar due to fluttering winds and snow fall, the Patriots went into overtime, where Vinatieri would eventually kick a chip shot field goal to send the Patriots to Pittsburgh for a spot in the AFC Championship game.

Vinatieri hit the game-winning field goal from 48 yards in Superbowl XXXVI with time expiring, and a 41-yarder against the Panthers in Superbowl XXXVIII with four seconds left. Both of these kicks are recognized as two of the most memorable game-winning field goals in Superbowl history.

3. Bob Kraft

From the day Bob Kraft bought the New England Patriots in 1994, he has done nothing but good things for the team and its fans. Former owner James Orthwein wanted to move the team to St. Louis to replace the void left by the Cardinals moving to Arizona. While Kraft was interested in buying the team, Orthwein offered Kraft to buy out the rest of the teams' lease for $75 million dollars, giving Orthwein his chance to move the team to St. Louis.

Kraft refused and countered with a then-NFL-record bid for ownership at $175 million. After gaining full ownership of what was one of the least valuable franchises in football, Kraft got a response from New England fans beginning as soon as the next season. The Patriots sold out every home game in 1994, the first time it had been done in team history, and it has happened every year since. 

But besides Kraft's dedication and support to the New England community, he brought No.2 on this list to the sidelines in Foxboro and that surely had some sort of effect on the Patriots success...

2. Bill Belichick

Involved with the NFL since he was 22, Bill Belichick began his career in the NFL in 1975 as a special assistant with the Baltimore Colts. 

Belichick spent the next 25 years amassing numerous jobs, all involving defense and special teams. Belichick spent the 1996 season as assistant coach to Bill Parcells with the Patriots and then joined Parcells with the Jets. 

With just one head coaching job under his belt with the Cleveland Browns in the early 1990s, Belichick declined the Jets job to join the Patriots. It only took Belichick one year to make a statement.

Belichick coached the team to three Superbowls over a four-year span, beginning in 2001, and he was named NFL coach of the year in 2003 and 2007.

With heavy involvement in the Patriots front office, besides his complex, intricate defensive schemes, Belichick's knowledge has reigned supreme in free agency. Belichick has chosen to release or trade many players who have been key contributors for the team. He has proven he can win with lesser talent and more discipline. He is also well known for stockpiling draft picks and evaluating talent at the college level—point in case our No.1 ranking (although he had help from late quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein)...

1. Tom Brady

And with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots select Tim Rattay...

Alright so maybe that didn't happen, but it was certainly possible. Lucky for Pats fans it didn't, instead they selected a Michigan quarterback named Tom Brady.

Little did the team know that Brady would be a three-time Superbowl champion, a two-time Superbowl MVP, the third youngest player to be named Superbowl MVP and have a MVP award under his belt.

After a sub-par first season in 2000, the Pats started the 2001 season with Drew Bledsoe at quarterback until Bledsoe sustained internal bleeding that would cause him to miss the remainder of the season. Patriots nation was devastated, having little faith in the team being able to win games without Bledose at the helm.

Brady began by beating Peyton Manning twice in four weeks and going 16 for 20 with three touchdowns and 202 yards in the second meeting with the Colts in Week 6. This was a preview of things to come, as the two quarterbacks would be seeing a lot of each other over the next decade. This was a game Patriots fans will always remember as Patriots wide receiver David Patten caught, threw and ran the ball for a touchdown in the game.

Brady and the Patriots played the St. Louis Rams in Week 10, a team they would eventually play in the Superbowl later that year. Brady and the Pats fell short in Week 10, but it sparked a nine-game winning streak to close out the season, including the playoffs and the Superbowl.

Brady led the Patriots on a late fourth-quarter drive in under two minutes, keeping his poise much like 49ers legendary quarterback, Joe Montana, in Superbowl XXIII. 

When the Patriots took 199th overall in 2000, they figured the pick to be somewhat irrelevant, but after Bledsoe went down, Brady got his chance and became one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. With Bellichick becoming head coach in 2000 and Brady getting a chance in 2001, the Patriots franchise was easily cemented as team of the decade in the 2000s.