new england patriots

Had the Patriots made it to Super Bowl 47 it would’ve been the fourth time playing for the Lombardi in New Orleans as they have played 3 of their 7 Super Bowls there.

This includes the first one, Super Bowl 20

5. Chicago 46, New England 10 in XX
Twenty-seven years later and people are complaining about Walter Payton not getting a touchdown. Imagine if an athlete without the favorable press (Randy Moss maybe?) focused on not scoring in a game that finally got him a long-awaited ring? The Internet would collapse on itself.

And their second time at the big dance, Super Bowl 31.

2. Green Bay 35, New England 21 in XXXI
This wasn’t that bad of a game. The Patriots were down 27-21 in the second half before Desmond Howard’s 99-yard touchdown on a kickoff return (and the robot dance afterward!). Brett Favre threw two long touchdowns and Reggie White had three sacks, and finally won his championship.

And of course the best one for Patriots fans, and the best Super Bowl ever in New Orleans by Shutdown Corner, Super Bowl 36.

1. New England 20, St. Louis 17 in XXXVI Everything about this one was classic — a huge underdog with a great game plan, a great finish with both teams scoring in the final minutes, Adam Vinatieri’s clutch kick, the big upset starting a NFL dynasty … even U2’s halftime show that stands as the greatest halftime show in the game’s history. Let’s hope we get a game Sunday that looks more like this one than the other eight in New Orleans.

I almost posted Marshall Faulk’s stupid comments earlier and I’m glad I held off because Michael Hurley destroys every point Faulk tried to make. We get it Marshall, you’re still not over the loss and can’t fathom how you possibly lost but you did. Fair and square. Now go back to making other stupid arguments on TV.

It makes sense for Faulk to be mystified at a less-talented team beating “The Greatest Show On Turf,” but it had nothing to do with videotapes or cheating. The Patriots simply manhandled the Rams from start to finish. Add in a poised drive from Tom Brady in the closing minutes and an ice-in-his-veins kicker, and the Patriots did just enough that night to earn that 20-17 victory.

Faulk’s memory is also not quite as sharp as he might think it is. He referenced getting to the red zone, when the Rams “got to fourth down — we ran three plays that we hadn’t ran.” However, the Rams made their way into the red zone incredibly just once in the entire game. On that possession, on third-and-goal from the 3, Law let an interception go through his arms in simple man-to-man coverage on Isaac Bruce, who showed little interest in fighting for the football. On the ensuing fourth down, Warner scrambled right when he had no open options. Roman Phifer stripped the ball on the 1-yard line, and Jones ran it 99 yards back for a touchdown that would have secured a Patriots win. However, because McGinest very clearly held Faulk, the play was called back.

Faulk was then stuffed on a run up the middle. It wasn’t exactly a revolutionary play run by the Rams, so Faulk couldn’t have been complaining about that one. Then, apparently the videotapes failed the Patriots, because Warner ran a sneak right up the gut for a Rams touchdown that cut the Patriots’ lead to 17-10.

For Faulk to specifically mention the red zone defense of the Patriots is preposterous, considering it was the Rams who caught the Patriots out of position and scored in their only red zone trip of the game. (Also, the prolific Rams offense had scored in every single red zone possession from Week 10 through the Super Bowl. Who stopped them in Week 10? That would be the Patriots.

Check out our 2012 Patriots Awards Podcast, it was a lotta fun!