2001 New England Patriots season

42nd season in franchise history; first with Tom Brady and first Super Bowl win November 2013 March 2026 New England Patriots 2001 11–5 1st AFC East Bill Belichick Charlie Weis Romeo Crennel Robert Kraft Foxboro Stadium Won Divisional Playoffs(vs. Raiders) 16–13 (OT Overtime)Won AFC Championship(at Steelers) 24–17Won Super Bowl XXXVI(vs. Rams) 20–17 QB Tom BradyWR Troy BrownCB Ty LawSS Lawyer Milloy None 180px Patriots seasons The 2001 season was the New England Patriots' 32nd in the National Football League (NFL) and their 42nd season overall. They finished with an 11–5 record and a division title before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVI. Coming off a fifth-place finish in the AFC East during head coach Bill Belichick's first season in 2000, the Patriots were not expected to fare much better in 2001.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/features/2001/preview/main/ https://web.archive.org/web/20010831025856/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/features/2001/preview/main/ dead August 31, 2001 SI Scouting Reports 2001 Sports Illustrated September 3, 2001 June 15, 2009http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1023581/index.htm 5: New England Patriots Sports Illustrated Paul Zimmerman September 5, 2001 June 6, 2009 dead https://archive.today/20130102141749/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1023581/index.htm January 2, 2013 On August 6, quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein died of cardiomyopathy at the age of 45. In the second game of the regular season, nine-year starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who had received a 10-year contract extension in March, was injured on a hit by New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis, causing backup Tom Brady, a sixth-round draft pick in 2000, to enter the game after serving as the Patriots' 4th string rookie the season before. The Patriots lost the game to fall to 0–2, but Brady started the final 14 games of the season and compiled an 11–3 record as a starter, helping the Patriots clinch the 2nd seed in the AFC playoffs and a first round bye; this was their first playoff berth since 1998. As a result, the Patriots became the first team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl after starting the season 1–3, and only the second team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl after starting the season 2–3, after the 1980 Oakland Raiders.https://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap2000000254639/mindblowing-stats-for-week-5-of-the-2013-nfl-season Mind-blowing stats for Week 5 of the 2013 NFL season National Football League October 2, 2013 October 3, 2013 This was the first season since 1986 that Bruce Armstrong was not on the opening-day roster. With the second seed in the AFC playoffs, the Patriots faced the Oakland Raiders at home following a first-round bye in the final game at Foxboro Stadium; in a snowstorm, a Patriots drive late in the fourth quarter was kept alive in an application of the now-infamous tuck rule that was used in overturning a Brady fumble into an incomplete pass. Shortly after, a 45-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal through the snow, considered one of the most clutch field goals in NFL history,MacMullan Jackie Jackie MacMullan February 2, 2004 Mr. Clutch, no doubt about it http://archive.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2004/02/02/mr_clutch_no_doubt_about_it/ June 15, 2009 The Boston Globe sent the game into overtime, when Vinatieri scored another field goal to win the game 16–13. After defeating the top-seeded 13–3 Pittsburgh Steelers 24–17 in the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots faced the heavily favored NFC's number one seeded 14–2 St. Louis Rams, known as "The Greatest Show on Turf", in Super Bowl XXXVI. Once again, Vinatieri kicked a game-winning field goal; the 48-yard kick sailed through the uprights as time expired, and gave the Patriots the win 20–17, and their first ever Super Bowl championship in what has been considered by many to be a "Cinderella" season.Longo Hector February 1, 2008 Breaking down the Patriots and Giants http://www.eagletribune.com/patriots/local_story_032165934.html https://web.archive.org/web/20080208084005/https://www.eagletribune.com/patriots/local_story_032165934.html February 8, 2008 June 15, 2009 The Eagle-Tribune The 2001 season served as a launching pad for the team. Over the next 18 seasons, they would win 16 more division titles, eight more AFC Championships in 12 appearances, five more Super Bowl titles in eight appearances, and achieve an undefeated regular season in 2007.Gleason Mike January 8, 2010 The Most Improbable Championship: The 2001 New England Patriots https://bleacherreport.com/articles/322646-the-most-improbable-championship-the-2001-new-england-patriots 2022-06-19 Bleacher Report en2021-01-20 New England Patriots: Rise and fall of the Brady-Belichick dynasty https://nflspinzone.com/2021/01/20/new-england-patriots-brady-belichick-dynasty-rise-fall/ 2022-06-19 NFL Spin Zone enFaris Nick May 5, 2020 New England was a pitiable franchise until the 2001 Patriots went on a roll https://www.thescore.com/nfl/news/1972073 2022-06-19 theScore.com enCafardo Nick January 29, 2012 In 2001, Patriots authored a season full of dreams https://www.bostonglobe.com/2012/01/29/pats/A6NsL2Ea1TGfuYVHTiQTiM/story.html 2022-06-19 The Boston Globe enBuchmasser Bernd 2022-02-03 20 years ago, a dynasty was born https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/2/3/22916072/20-years-ago-patriots-dynasty-born-super-bowl-rams-brady-belichick 2022-06-19 Pats Pulpit en 2 Offseason Additions SubtractionsQB Damon Huard (Dolphins) T Bruce Armstrong (retirement)FB Marc Edwards (Browns) S Larry Whigham (Bears)LB Mike Vrabel (Steelers) DT Henry Thomas (retirement)WR Charles Johnson (Eagles) LB Chris Slade (Panthers)WR Bert Emanuel (Dolphins) FB Tony Carter (Broncos)WR David Patten (Browns) DT Chad Eaton (Seahawks)WR Torrance Small (Eagles) CB Terrell Buckley (Broncos) TE Johnny McWilliams (Vikings) G Joe Panos (Bills) G Mike Compton (Lions) DE Anthony Pleasant (49ers) DT Riddick Parker (Seahawks) RB Antowain Smith (Bills) CB Terrance Shaw (Dolphins) LB Larry Izzo (Dolphins) LB Roman Phifer (Jets) LB Bryan Cox (Jets) 2001 NFL draft 2001 NFL draft 2001 New England Patriots 1 6 Richard Seymour Defensive tackle Georgia yes yes yes 2 48 Matt Light Offensive tackle Purdue from Detroithttp://www.patriots.com/history/index.cfm?ac=DraftTrade&year=2001&draft=yes&submit=Submit Draft pick received in a trade from the Detroit Lions for the Patriots' 2001 second-round pick (received with a 2001 fourth-round pick in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers for the Patriots' 2001 second-round pick) and 2001 sixth-round pick (received in a trade from the San Francisco 49ers for the Patriots' 2000 seventh-round pick (received in a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles for Dietrich Jells in 1998) in 2000). December 1, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20110519102526/http://www.patriots.com/history/index.cfm?ac=DraftTrade&year=2001&draft=yes&submit=Submit May 19, 2011 dead mdy-all yes yes 3 86 Brock Williams Cornerback Notre Dame from MinnesotaThe Patriots traded their third-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for the Vikings' third- and fourth-round selections. Patriots.com summary https://web.archive.org/web/20110519102526/http://www.patriots.com/history/index.cfm?ac=DraftTrade&year=2001&draft=yes&submit=Submit May 19, 2011 no 4 96 Kenyatta Jones Offensive tackle South Florida from San Diegohttp://www.patriots.com/history/index.cfm?ac=DraftTrade&year=2001&draft=yes&submit=Submit Draft pick received in a trade from the San Diego Chargers for the Patriots' 2001 fourth-round pick (received with a 2001 second-round pick in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers for the Patriots' 2001 second-round pick) and 2001 fifth-round pick. December 1, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20110519102526/http://www.patriots.com/history/index.cfm?ac=DraftTrade&year=2001&draft=yes&submit=Submit May 19, 2011 dead mdy-all yes 4 119 Jabari Holloway Tight end Notre Dame from Minnesota no 5 163 Hakim Akbar Safety Washington yes 6 180 Arther Love Tight end South Carolina State from Detroithttp://www.patriots.com/history/index.cfm?ac=DraftTrade&year=2001&draft=yes&submit=Submit Draft pick received with a 2001 seventh-round pick in a trade from the Detroit Lions for the Patriots' 2001 fifth-round pick. December 1, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20110519102526/http://www.patriots.com/history/index.cfm?ac=DraftTrade&year=2001&draft=yes&submit=Submit May 19, 2011 dead mdy-all no 6 200 Leonard Myers Cornerback Miami (FL) yes 7 216 Owen Pochman Kicker BYU from DetroitDraft pick received with a 2001 sixth-round pick in a trade from the Detroit Lions for the Patriots' 2001 fifth-round pick https://web.archive.org/web/20110519102526/http://www.patriots.com/history/index.cfm?ac=DraftTrade&year=2001&draft=yes&submit=Submit May 19, 2011 (received with a 2002 seventh-round pick from the New York Jets for the Patriots' 2000 first-round pick, 2001 fourth-round pick, and 2001 seventh-round pick in compensation for Bill Belichick in 2000). no 7 239 T. J. Turner Linebacker Michigan State yes yes yes Undrafted free agents + 2001 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeRonney DanielsWide receiverAuburnDan HadenfeldtPunterNebraskaDrew InzerGuardBrownYubrenalei IsabelleLinebackerVirginiaJace SaylerDefensive LinemanMichigan StateWalter WilliamsRunning backGrambling State Staff 2001 New England Patriots Chairman and owner – Robert Kraft Vice chairman – Jonathan Kraft Senior vice president and chief operating officer – Andy Wasynczuk Director of player personnel – Scott Pioli Director of college scouting – Larry Cook Assistant director of pro scouting – Andre Tippett Assistant director of college scouting – Lionel Vital Football research director – Ernie Adams Head coach – Bill Belichick Assistant head coach/offensive line – Dante Scarnecchia Offensive coordinator/running backs – Charlie Weis Quarterbacks – Dick Rehbein (died August 6, 2001) Wide receivers – Ivan Fears Assistant offensive line – Jeff Davidson Coaching assistant – Ned Burke Defensive coordinator – Romeo Crennel Defensive line – Randy Melvin Inside linebackers – Pepper Johnson Outside linebackers – Rob Ryan Defensive backs – Eric Mangini Coaching assistant – Brian Daboll Special teams – Brad Seely Strength and conditioning – Mike Woicik Assistant strength and conditioning – Markus Paul 2001 New England Patriots Media Guide New England Patriots 6 2001 Staff Directory Roster Opening training camp roster At the time of the first public training camp practice at Bryant College on July 26, they had the NFL maximum of 80 players signed to their roster. The Patriots received seven roster exemptions for the NFL Europe allocations of Michael Bishop, Brad Costello, Tony George, Sean Morey, Josh Rawlings, Kato Serwanga, and Tony Simmons. Additionally, the Patriots allocated wide receiver Tony Hamler and linebackers John Eskridge and Marc Megna to NFL Europe and received roster exemptions for them, but those players were waived before the start of training camp. Finally, injured draft pick Brock Williams had not yet signed a contract at the start of camp and did not count against the roster limit. New England Patriots 2001 opening training camp roster Quarterbacks  7 Michael Bishop 11 Drew Bledsoe 12 Tom Brady 19 Damon Huard Running backs 44 Marc Edwards FB 47 Robert Edwards 33 Kevin Faulk 35 Patrick Pass FB 46 Jeff Paulk FB 21 J. R. Redmond 14 Walter Williams UR Wide receivers 80 Troy Brown PR 18 Ronney Daniels UR 84 Shockmain Davis 84 Bert Emanuel 88 Terry Glenn 82 Curtis Jackson 17 Charles Johnson 87 Dane Looker 28 Sean Morey 15 David Patten 81 Tony Simmons 13 Torrance Small Tight ends 86 Chris Eitzmann 43 Johnny McWilliams 83 Rod Rutledge 85 Jermaine WigginsOffensive linemen 63 Joe Andruzzi G 77 Mike Compton G 61 Adam Davis G 60 Drew Inzer C UR 74 Kenyatta Jones T R 70 Adrian Klemm T 72 Matt Light T R 68 Stephen Neal G 74 Joe Panos G 62 Josh Rawlings G 64 Greg Robinson-Randall T 67 Grey Ruegamer C 76 Grant Williams T 65 Damien Woody C Defensive linemen 97 Reggie Grimes DE 91 Bobby Hamilton DE 60 Garrett Johnson NT 92 David Nugent DE 71 Chuck Osborne DE 61 Riddick Parker DE 98 Anthony Pleasant DE 75 Jace Sayler NT UR 93 Richard Seymour NT RLinebackers 54 Tedy Bruschi ILB 58 Matt Chatham OLB 90 Antico Dalton ILB 50 Rob Holmberg ILB 39 Yubrenal Isabelle ILB UR 53 Larry Izzo ILB 52 Ted Johnson ILB 59 Andy Katzenmoyer ILB 94 Greg Spires OLB 96 Maugaula Tuitele ILB 37 T. J. Turner OLB R 51 Mike Vrabel OLB Defensive backs 29 Hakim Akbar SS R 27 Terrell Buckley CB 30 Je'Rod Cherry FS 41 Tony George SS 23 Antwan Harris FS 38 Ray Hill CB 34 Tebucky Jones FS 24 Ty Law CB 36 Lawyer Milloy SS 25 Leonard Myers CB R 31 Kato Serwanga CB 22 Terrance Shaw CB 45 Otis Smith CB 26 Matt Stevens SS Special teams  9 Brad Costello P  2 Dan Hadenfeldt P UR 10 Lee Johnson P 66 Lonie Paxton LS  2 Owen Pochman K R  4 Adam Vinatieri K Reserve lists 75 Terrance Beadles G (PUP) 7px 49 Jabari Holloway TE (Active/PUP) R 7px 48 Arther Love TE (Active/PUP) R 7px 55 Willie McGinest OLB (Active/PUP) 7px 99 Brandon Mitchell DE (Active/PUP) 7px 32 Antowain Smith RB (Active/PUP) 7px Unsigned draft picks 28 Brock Williams CB R Notations R: 2001 rookie UR: 2001 undrafted rookie Italicized players are not on the 80-man roster. Week 1 roster New England Patriots 2001 Week 1 roster Quarterbacks 11 Drew Bledsoe 12 Tom Brady 19 Damon Huard Running backs 44 Marc Edwards FB 33 Kevin Faulk 35 Patrick Pass FB 21 J. R. Redmond KR 32 Antowain Smith Wide receivers 80 Troy Brown PR 87 Bert Emanuel 81 Charles Johnson 86 David Patten 84 Torrance Small Tight ends 83 Rod Rutledge 85 Jermaine WigginsOffensive linemen 63 Joe Andruzzi G 77 Mike Compton G 74 Kenyatta Jones G R 70 Adrian Klemm T 72 Matt Light T R 64 Greg Robinson-Randall T 67 Grey Ruegamer C 76 Grant Williams T 65 Damien Woody C Defensive linemen 91 Bobby Hamilton DE 96 Brandon Mitchell DE 97 Riddick Parker DE 98 Anthony Pleasant DE 94 Jace Sayler NT UR 93 Richard Seymour NT R 71 Chris Sullivan DELinebackers 54 Tedy Bruschi ILB 51 Bryan Cox ILB 53 Larry Izzo ILB 52 Ted Johnson ILB 55 Willie McGinest OLB 90 Marty Moore ILB 95 Roman Phifer OLB 99 T. J. Turner OLB R 50 Mike Vrabel OLB Defensive backs 29 Hakim Akbar SS R 27 Terrell Buckley CB 30 Je'Rod Cherry FS 23 Antwan Harris FS 34 Tebucky Jones FS 24 Ty Law CB 36 Lawyer Milloy SS 25 Leonard Myers CB R 22 Terrance Shaw CB 45 Otis Smith CB 26 Matt Stevens SS Special teams 10 Lee Johnson P 66 Lonie Paxton LS  4 Adam Vinatieri KReserve lists 88 Terry Glenn WR (Left Squad) 38 Ray Hill CB (IR) 7px 49 Jabari Holloway TE (IR) R 7px 59 Andy Katzenmoyer ILB (IR) 7px 48 Arther Love TE (PUP) R 7px 28 Brock Williams CB (IR) R 7px 14 Walter Williams RB (IR) UR 7px Practice squad 68 Tom Ashworth OT UR 58 Matt Chatham OLB 82 Curtis Jackson WR 60 Drew Inzer C UR 92 David Nugent DT Notations R: 2001 rookie UR: 2001 undrafted rookie Italicized players are not on the 53-man roster. Final roster New England Patriots 2001 final roster Quarterbacks 11 Drew Bledsoe 12 Tom Brady 19 Damon Huard Running backs 44 Marc Edwards FB 33 Kevin Faulk KR 35 Patrick Pass KR 21 J. R. Redmond 32 Antowain Smith Wide receivers 80 Troy Brown PR 84 Fred Coleman 88 Terry Glenn 81 Charles Johnson 86 David Patten Tight ends 48 Arther Love R 83 Rod Rutledge 85 Jermaine WigginsOffensive linemen 63 Joe Andruzzi G 77 Mike Compton G 74 Kenyatta Jones G/T R 72 Matt Light T R 61 Stephen Neal G UR 64 Greg Robinson-Randall T 67 Grey Ruegamer C 76 Grant Williams T 65 Damien Woody C Defensive linemen 91 Bobby Hamilton DE 55 Willie McGinest DE 96 Brandon Mitchell DT 92 David Nugent DT 97 Riddick Parker DT 98 Anthony Pleasant DE/DT 93 Richard Seymour DT R 71 Chris Sullivan DELinebackers 54 Tedy Bruschi MLB/OLB 58 Matt Chatham OLB 51 Bryan Cox MLB 53 Larry Izzo OLB 52 Ted Johnson MLB/OLB 95 Roman Phifer OLB 50 Mike Vrabel OLB Defensive backs 27 Terrell Buckley CB 30 Je'Rod Cherry CB/S 23 Antwan Harris SS 34 Tebucky Jones FS 24 Ty Law CB 36 Lawyer Milloy SS 25 Leonard Myers CB R 22 Terrance Shaw CB/FS 45 Otis Smith CB 26 Matt Stevens FS Special teams 66 Lonie Paxton LS  4 Adam Vinatieri K 13 Ken Walter PReserve lists 29 Hakim Akbar S (NF-Inj.) R 7px 99 Kole Ayi LB (IR) 7px 38 Ray Hill CB (IR) 7px 49 Jabari Holloway TE (IR) R 7px 82 Curtis Jackson WR (IR) 7px 59 Andy Katzenmoyer LB (IR) 7px 31 Ben Kelly CB (IR) 7px 70 Adrian Klemm T (IR) 7px 90 Marty Moore LB (IR) 7px 94 Jace Sayler DT (IR) UR 7px 28 Brock Williams CB (IR) R 7px 14 Walter Williams RB (IR) UR 7px Practice squad 75 Maurice Anderson DT 68 Tom Ashworth T UR 62 Setema Gali DE UR 60 Drew Inzer G UR 16 Scott McCready WR UR Notations R: 2001 rookie UR: 2001 undrafted rookie Italicized players are not on the 53-man roster. 53 active, 12 inactive, 5 practice squad Schedule Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 August 10, 2001 New York Giants W 14–0 1–0 Foxboro Stadium Recap 2 August 18, 2001 at Carolina Panthers W 23–8 2–0 Ericsson Stadium Recap 3 August 25, 2001 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 3–20 2–1 Raymond James StadiumRecap 4 August 30, 2001 Washington Redskins W 33–13 3–1 Foxboro Stadium Recap Regular season Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 9 at Cincinnati Bengals L 17–23 0–1 Paul Brown Stadium Recap 2NE-CHA The Patriots were originally scheduled to play the Carolina Panthers during Week 2 of the original NFL schedule (September 16) at Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte. However, due to the September 11 attacks, the game was rescheduled to Week 17. September 23 New York Jets L 3–10 0–2 Foxboro Stadium Recap 3 September 30 Indianapolis Colts W 44–13 1–2 Foxboro Stadium Recap 4 October 7 at Miami Dolphins L 10–30 1–3 Pro Player Stadium Recap 5 October 14 San Diego Chargers W 29–26 (OT) 2–3 Foxboro Stadium Recap 6 October 21 at Indianapolis Colts W 38–17 3–3 RCA Dome Recap 7 October 28 at Denver Broncos L 20–31 3–4 Invesco Field at Mile High Recap 8 November 4 at Atlanta Falcons W 24–10 4–4 Georgia Dome Recap 9 November 11 Buffalo Bills W 21–11 5–4 Foxboro Stadium Recap 10 November 18 St. Louis Rams L 17–24 5–5 Foxboro Stadium Recap 11 November 25 New Orleans Saints W 34–17 6–5 Foxboro Stadium Recap 12 December 2 at New York Jets W 17–16 7–5 Giants Stadium Recap 13 December 9 Cleveland Browns W 27–16 8–5 Foxboro Stadium Recap 14 December 16 at Buffalo Bills W 12–9 (OT) 9–5 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap 15 December 22, 2001 Miami Dolphins W 20–13 10–5 Foxboro Stadium Recap 16 Bye 17NE-CHA January 6 at Carolina Panthers W 38–6 11–5 Ericsson Stadium Recap Postseason Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Recap Wild Card First-round bye Divisional January 19, 2002 Oakland Raiders (3) W 16–13 (OT) 1–0 Foxboro Stadium Recap AFC Championship January 27, 2002 at Pittsburgh Steelers (1) W 24–17 2–0 Heinz Field Recap Super Bowl XXXVI February 3, 2002 St. Louis Rams (N1) W 20–17 3–0 Louisiana Superdome Recap Season summary Week 1: at Cincinnati Bengals New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 1: New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary autocollapse September 9 1:00 p.m. EDT Patriots 0 10 0 7 Bengals 0 10 13 0 Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio 51,521 Partly Cloudy, 78 F C John Smith CBS Gus Johnson, Brent Jones & Sam Wyche First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter NE – Troy Brown 14-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Adam Vinatieri kick), 14:55. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 6:44. CIN – Neil Rackers 36-yard field goal, 11:22. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 12 yards, 3:33. NE – Adam Vinatieri 39-yard field goal, 6:04. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 5:18. CIN – Corey Dillon 5-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 2:16. Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:48. Third quarter CIN – Neil Rackers 47-yard field goal, 12:05. Bengals 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 42 yards, 1:49. CIN – Neil Rackers 33-yard field goal, 6:01. Bengals 16–10. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:23. CIN – Tony McGee 25-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Neil Rackers kick), 0:06. Bengals 23–10. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:18. Fourth quarter NE – Jermaine Wiggins 8-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Adam Vinatieri kick), 5:29. Bengals 23–17. Drive: 11 plays, 94 yards, 3:48. Top passers NE – Drew Bledsoe – 22/38, 241 yards, 2 TD CIN – Jon Kitna – 18/27, 204 yards, TD Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 11 rushes, 33 yards CIN – Corey Dillon – 24 rushes, 104 yards, TD Top receivers NE – Troy Brown – 7 receptions, 106 yards, TD CIN – Darnay Scott – 5 receptions, 104 yards The season got off to a discouraging start as the Patriots visited Paul Brown Stadium and were beaten by the Bengals 23–17, surrendering 361 yards of offense, 104 of them on the ground by Corey Dillon. Drew Bledsoe failed to complete a pass in the game's final two minutes; he also failed earlier in the game on a quarterback sneak on fourth down.Felger, Michael, Boston Herald, September 10, 2001 Week 2: vs. New York Jets New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 2: New York Jets at New England Patriots – Game summary autocollapse September 23 4:15 p.m. EDT Jets 0 3 7 0 Patriots 3 0 0 0 Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 60,292 Partly cloudy, 74 F C Larry Nemmers CBS Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf & Bonnie Bernstein First quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 24-yard field goal, 0:52. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 64 yards, 8:41. Second quarter NYJ – John Hall 26-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 13 plays, 89 yards, 6:26. Third quarter NYJ – Curtis Martin 8-yard run (John Hall kick), 2:29. Jets 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 93 yards, 6:08. Fourth quarter No scoring plays Top passers NYJ – Vinny Testaverde – 16/28, 137 yards NE – Drew Bledsoe – 18/28, 159 yards, 2 INT Top rushers NYJ – Curtis Martin – 24 rushes, 106 yards, TD NE – Marc Edwards – 6 rushes, 31 yards Top receivers NYJ – Wayne Chrebet – 5 receptions, 53 yards NE – Troy Brown – 5 receptions, 82 yards This was the first game played by any team since the September 11 attacks. During the fourth quarter of a 10–3 loss to the Jets, Bledsoe was hit hard while running to the sidelines by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. The injury to his chest would send Bledsoe to the hospital following the game. Tom Brady substituted for Bledsoe following the collision, completing five of ten passes for 46 yards, and was elevated to starter for the following week. During the game, the Jets appeared to lose a fumble to the Patriots, but the fumble was reversed based on a rule that would become controversial in the subsequent playoffs – the Tuck Rule. Week 3: vs. Indianapolis Colts New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 3: Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots – Game summary autocollapse September 30 1:00 p.m. EDT Colts 0 0 7 6 Patriots 7 13 3 21 Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 60,292 Cloudy, 59 F C Bernie Kukar CBS Gus Johnson & Brent Jones First quarter NE – Antowain Smith 4-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 4:23. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:45. Second quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 47-yard field goal, 5:50. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 3:11. NE – Otis Smith 78-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:42. Patriots 17–0. NE – Adam Vinatieri 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Patriots 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, 23 yards, 0:21. Third quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 35-yard field goal, 9:37. Patriots 23–0. Drive: 4 plays, −2 yards, 1:22. IND – Peyton Manning 10-yard run (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 0:53. Patriots 23–7. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 3:30. Fourth quarter NE – Kevin Faulk 8-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:24. Patriots 30–7. Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 2:29. NE – Ty Law 23-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 12:24. Patriots 37–7. IND – Marcus Pollard 17-yard pass from Peyton Manning (pass failed), 8:51. Patriots 37–13. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 3:33. NE – Antowain Smith 2-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:39. Patriots 44–13. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 5:12. Top passers IND – Peyton Manning – 20/34, 196 yards, TD, 3 INT NE – Tom Brady – 13/23, 168 yards Top rushers IND – Edgerrin James – 17 rushes, 55 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 22 rushes, 94 yards, 2 TD Top receivers IND – Marcus Pollard – 4 receptions, 63 yards, TD NE – Antowain Smith – 3 receptions, 58 yards The 2–0 Colts were crushed 44–13 following a brutal hit on receiver Jerome Pathon by Patriots linebacker Bryan Cox in the first quarter. From there Colts receivers shied away from contact with Patriot defenders and Peyton Manning's pass from the Patriots 22-yard line late in the first half was intercepted by Otis Smith and returned for a touchdown. The Patriots led 23–0 late in the third quarter before Manning ran in a ten-yard score, then in the fourth the Colts collapsed entirely, surrendering 21 points (including a 23-yard Ty Law interception return touchdown) while managing just a touchdown to future Patriot Marcus Pollard. Tom Brady threw for 168 yards in his first start. This was the first matchup of the storied Tom Brady–Peyton Manning rivalry that lasted for the next 15 years. Week 4: at Miami Dolphins New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 4: New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins – Game summary autocollapse October 7 1:00 p.m. EDT Patriots 7 3 0 0 Dolphins 7 10 10 3 Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida 72,713 Partly cloudy, 88 F C Gerry Austin CBS Gus Johnson & Brent Jones First quarter NE – Antowain Smith 9-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 12:03. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 10 plays, 0:46. MIA – Lamar Smith 7-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 3:39. Tied 7–7. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 8:24. Second quarter MIA – Olindo Mare 19-yard field goal, 14:21. Dolphins 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 0:52. NE – Adam Vinatieri 37-yard field goal, 6:42. Tied 10–10. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 7:39. MIA – Jed Weaver 14-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 0:07. Dolphins 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 2:30. Third quarter MIA – Olindo Mare 34-yard field goal, 7:58. Dolphins 20–10. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 7:02. MIA – Jason Taylor 1-yard fumble return (Olindo Mare kick), 0:00. Dolphins 27–10. Fourth quarter MIA – Olindo Mare 27-yard field goal, 2:08. Dolphins 30–10. Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards, 4:14. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 12/24, 86 yards MIA – Jay Fiedler – 11/21, 87 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 14 rushes, 47 yards, TD MIA – Lamar Smith – 29 rushes, 144 yards, TD Top receivers NE – Troy Brown – 4 receptions, 47 yards MIA – Lamar Smith – 3 receptions, 23 yards The Patriots scored first on Antowain Smith's 9-yard running touchdown before the Dolphins tied it up. Miami then took a 10–7 lead in the second quarter, before Adam Vinatieri kicked a 37-yard field goal to tie it. However, the Dolphins then retook the lead at 16–10 and shut down the Patriots offense the rest of the way and New England went on to lose 30–10, which made their record 1–3. Week 5: vs. San Diego Chargers New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 5: San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots – Game summary autocollapse October 14 1:00 p.m. EDT Chargers 3 3 7 13 0 Patriots 3 6 7 10 3 Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 60,292 Cloudy and fog, 59 F C Terry McAulay CBS Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots First quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 26-yard field goal, 9:56. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 5:04. SD – Wade Richey 21-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 5:19. Second quarter NE – Terry Glenn 21-yard pass from Tom Brady (kick failed), 3:55. Patriots 9–3. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:34. SD – Wade Richey 27-yard field goal, 0:29. Patriots 9–6. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 3:26. Third quarter SD – LaDainian Tomlinson 1-yard run (Wade Richey kick), 9:43. Chargers 13–9. Drive: 5 plays, 73 yards, 1:44. NE – Antowain Smith 1-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 4:20. Patriots 16–13. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 5:23. Fourth quarter SD – Steve Heiden 3-yard pass from Doug Flutie (kick failed), 10:00. Chargers 19–16. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 4:08. SD – Derrick Harris 6-yard fumble return (Wade Richey kick), 8:48. Chargers 26–16. NE – Adam Vinatieri 23-yard field goal, 3:31. Chargers 26–19. Drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 5:17. NE – Jermaine Wiggins 3-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:36. Tied 26–26. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 1:34. Overtime NE – Adam Vinatieri 44-yard field goal, 10:55. Patriots 29–26. Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 2:59. Top passers SD – Doug Flutie – 20/32, 270 yards, TD NE – Tom Brady – 33/54, 364 yards, 2 TD Top rushers SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 24 rushes, 74 yards, TD NE – Antowain Smith – 15 rushes, 36 yards, TD Top receivers SD – Curtis Conway – 4 receptions, 117 yards NE – Troy Brown – 11 receptions, 117 yards The game that decisively turned the 1–3 Patriots season around came against former and future Patriot Doug Flutie along with the 3–1 Chargers' vaunted rookie LaDainian Tomlinson. Unruly receiver Terry Glenn, making his first start of the season after being benched for the opening four games, caught a 21-yard score from Tom Brady and had seven catches for 110 yards total. The Patriots led 16–13 but were struggling on special teams (Bill Belichick said, "That's the worst we've played in the kicking game in a year and a half"); Adam Vinatieri had missed a field goal try and the extra point off Glenn's touchdown, but the real special teams breakdown occurred with less than seven minutes remaining; forced to punt with his team trailing 19–16, Patriots punter Lee Johnson botched the kick and running back Derrick Harris ran in a six-yard score (the miscue cost Johnson his punting job as he was replaced by Ken Walter). But despite being down 26–16, Brady took over, directing a field goal drive, then throwing the game-tying touchdown in the final minute to Jermaine Wiggins. A last-second Wade Richey field goal try fell short, and in overtime Brady picked up a Chargers blitz and led a drive that ended in Vinatieri's 44-yard field goal and a 29–26 Patriots final. Week 6: at Indianapolis Colts New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 6: New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary autocollapse October 21 1:00 p.m. EDT Patriots 7 21 3 7 Colts 3 3 11 0 RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana 56,022 Played indoors (dome stadium) Tom White CBS Ian Eagle & Solomon Wilcots First quarter NE – David Patten 29-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:35. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 29 yards, 0:08. IND – Mike Vanderjagt 42-yard field goal, 5:44. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 4:51. Second quarter NE – David Patten 91-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 8:56. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 1 play, 91 yards, 0:08. NE – Troy Brown 60-yard pass from David Patten (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:11. Patriots 21–3. Drive: 1 play, 60 yards, 0:10. NE – Jermaine Wiggins 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:17. Patriots 28–3. Drive: 6 plays, 24 yards, 2:28. IND – Mike Vanderjagt 42-yard field goal, 0:11. Patriots 28–6. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 1:06. Third quarter IND – Marvin Harrison 2-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Peyton Manning pass to Ken Dilger), 8:20. Patriots 28–14. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 5:05. NE – Adam Vinatieri 43-yard field goal, 4:34. Patriots 31–14. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 3:46. IND – Mike Vanderjagt 24-yard field goal, 1:31. Patriots 31–17. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 3:03. Fourth quarter NE – David Patten 6-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 14:02. Patriots 38–17. Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, 2:29. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 16/20, 202 yards, 3 TD IND – Peyton Manning – 22/34, 335 yards, TD Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 21 rushes, 71 yards IND – Edgerrin James – 30 rushes, 145 yards Top receivers NE – Troy Brown – 8 receptions, 120 yards, TD IND – Marvin Harrison – 8 receptions, 157 yards, TD In what turned out to be their last trip to the RCA Dome until the post-realignment 2003 season, the Patriots followed up their September rout of the Colts with a 38–17 thrashing highlighted by the one-man scoring explosion of David Patten, who ran in a 29-yard touchdown following the return of a blocked Mike Vanderjagt kick, caught a 91-yard bomb from Tom Brady, then on a flea-flick play threw a 60-yard strike to Troy Brown, all in the first half. Despite outgaining the Patriots in total yards (484 to 385) the Colts lost two fumbles, saw two Mike Vanderjagt field goal attempts blocked (the second came at the end of the first quarter), and Peyton Manning was sacked four times as the Colts' season began spiraling into collapse. Week 7: at Denver Broncos New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 7: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos – Game summary autocollapse October 28 12:15 p.m. MST/2:15 p.m. EST Patriots 10 7 3 0 Broncos 7 3 14 7 Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 74,750 Sunny, 72 F C Walt Coleman CBS Don Criqui & Steve Tasker First quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 24-yard field goal, 9:06. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:54. NE – David Patten 30-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 4:57. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 2:01. DEN – Mike Anderson 8-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 0:57. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:00. Second quarter DEN – Jason Elam 50-yard field goal, 4:03. Tied 10–10. Drive: 17 plays, 66 yards, 8:40. NE – Troy Brown 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:21. Patriots 17–10. Drive: 3 plays, 17 yards, 0:49. Third quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 44-yard field goal, 10:59. Patriots 20–10. Drive: 4 plays, −2 yards, 2:39. DEN – Rod Smith 65-yard pass from Brian Griese (Jason Elam kick), 10:35. Patriots 20–17. Drive: 1 play, 65 yards, 0:24. DEN – Dwayne Carswell 6-yard pass from Brian Griese (Jason Elam kick), 3:35. Broncos 24–20. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:10. Fourth quarter DEN – Denard Walker 39-yard interception return (Jason Elam kick), 2:24. Broncos 31–20. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 25/38, 203 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT DEN – Brian Griese – 19/30, 283 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 12 rushes, 56 yards DEN – Mike Anderson – 14 rushes, 40 yards, TD Top receivers NE – Troy Brown – 9 receptions, 86 yards, TD DEN – Rod Smith – 6 receptions, 159 yards, TD The Patriots led 17–10 at halftime against the Broncos. However, the Broncos came back and held the Patriots to just three points in the second half and handed the Patriots their fourth loss of the year. Tom Brady threw an interception for the first time his career, which ended a streak of 162 consecutive pass attempts without an interception thrown. Week 8: at Atlanta Falcons New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 8: New England Patriots at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary autocollapse November 4 1:00 p.m. EST Patriots 0 17 7 0 Falcons 7 0 0 3 Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia 44,229 Played indoors (dome stadium) Dick Hantak CBS Craig Bolerjack & Trevor Matich First quarter ATL – Shawn Jefferson 19-yard pass from Chris Chandler (Jay Feely kick), 2:35. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 89 yards, 3:03. Second quarter NE – Kevin Faulk 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:00. Tied 7–7. Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 8:35. NE – Adam Vinatieri 48-yard field goal, 4:26. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, −4 yards, 3:32. NE – Marc Edwards 15-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:15. Patriots 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 2:41. Third quarter NE – Troy Brown 44-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:34. Patriots 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:52. Fourth quarter ATL – Jay Feely 20-yard field goal, 11:28. Patriots 24–10. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 4:06. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 21/31, 250 yards, 3 TD ATL – Chris Chandler – 8/20, 95 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 23 rushes, 117 yards ATL – Maurice Smith – 16 rushes, 84 yards Top receivers NE – Troy Brown – 5 receptions, 99 yards, TD ATL – Brian Finneran – 1 reception, 50 yards Former Patriot Shawn Jefferson caught a 19-yard touchdown from Chris Chandler, but Chandler was sacked six times and knocked out of the game; rookie Michael Vick threw for 56 yards and rushed for 50 more but was sacked three times. The most bizarre score of the game came in the third as a Tom Brady pass for David Patten was deflected by Ashley Ambrose and caught at the 30-yard line by Troy Brown for a 44-yard touchdown; Belichick and Brown compared the play to The Immaculate Reception, as did the CBS telecasting crew. The Patriots won 24–10. Week 9: vs. Buffalo Bills New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 9: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots – Game summary autocollapse November 11 1:00 p.m. EST Bills 0 3 0 8 Patriots 7 0 7 7 Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 60,292 Sunny, 47 F C Jeff Triplette CBS Gus Johnson and Brent Jones First quarter NE – Kevin Faulk 6-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:09. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 35 yards, 3:23. Second quarter BUF – Jake Arians 24-yard field goal, 11:38. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:31. Third quarter NE – Antowain Smith 1-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:27. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 2:44. Fourth quarter BUF – Peerless Price 17-yard pass from Alex Van Pelt (Alex Van Pelt pass to Eric Moulds), 2:43. Patriots 14–11. Drive: 2 plays, 17 yards, 0:10. NE – Antowain Smith 42-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:52. Patriots 21–11. Drive: 2 plays, 45 yards, 0:51. Top passers BUF – Rob Johnson – 14/26, 167 yards, INT NE – Tom Brady – 15/21, 107 yards, TD, INT Top rushers BUF – Travis Henry – 16 rushes, 51 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 20 rushes, 100 yards, 2 TD Top receivers BUF – Reggie Germany – 4 receptions, 69 yards NE – Kevin Faulk – 7 receptions, 29 yards, TD The Patriots were up 7–3 at halftime against the Bills, and went on to win 21–11 as the New England defense held the Bills to eight points in the second half. Week 10: vs. St. Louis Rams New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 10: St. Louis Rams at New England Patriots – Game summary autocollapse November 18 8:35 p.m. EST Rams 7 7 3 7 Patriots 7 3 0 7 Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 60,292 Partly cloudy, 49 F C Bill Leavy ESPN Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire and Suzy Kolber First quarter STL – Torry Holt 16-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Jeff Wilkins kick), 9:38. Rams 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 1:23. NE – Terrell Buckley 52-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:55. Tied 7–7. Second quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 33-yard field goal, 14:06. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 2:11. STL – Marshall Faulk 9-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Jeff Wilkins kick), 0:31. Rams 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 97 yards, 1:41. Third quarter STL – Jeff Wilkins 35-yard field goal, 3:06. Rams 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards, 2:00. Fourth quarter STL – James Hodgins 11-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Jeff Wilkins kick), 10:32. Rams 24–10. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:01. NE – David Patten 10-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:46. Rams 24–17. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 2:46. Top passers STL – Kurt Warner – 30/42, 401 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT NE – Tom Brady – 19/27, 185 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers STL – Marshall Faulk – 20 rushes, 83 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 15 rushes, 36 yards Top receivers STL – Isaac Bruce – 7 receptions, 130 yards NE – Troy Brown – 8 receptions, 91 yards In what would become a preview of Super Bowl XXXVI, the Patriots squandered a goalline opportunity when they fumbled to the Rams late in the second quarter; the Rams drove downfield and scored. The Patriots' defense was unable to stop Kurt Warner and get the ball back late in the game, as the Rams salted away a 24–17 win. The win proved costly, as five Rams starters were knocked out of the game, and coach Mike Martz prophetically said afterward that the Patriots were a Super Bowl-caliber team. Oddly enough, this was the last loss for the Patriots during the 2001 season. In addition, this would be the Patriots last loss to the Rams until 2020 & their last at home until 2024. Week 11: vs. New Orleans Saints New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 11: New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots – Game summary autocollapse November 25 4:05 p.m. EST Saints 0 0 10 7 Patriots 7 13 0 14 Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 60,292 Cloudy, 62 F C Gerry Austin FOX Sam Rosen, Bill Maas & Levan Reid First quarter NE – Antowain Smith 41-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 11:35. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 3:25. Second quarter NE – Troy Brown 8-yard pass from Tom Brady (pass failed), 7:23. Patriots 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 93 yards, 4:06. NE – Charles Johnson 24-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:10. Patriots 20–0. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 1:40. Third quarter NO – John Carney 31-yard field goal, 6:59. Patriots 20–3. Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 1:19. NO – Ricky Williams 3-yard run (John Carney kick), 2:11. Patriots 20–10. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 2:35. Fourth quarter NE – Marc Edwards 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:24. Patriots 27–10. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:47. NO – Willie Jackson 7-yard pass from Aaron Brooks (John Carney kick), 8:15. Patriots 27–17. Drive: 13 plays, 83 yards, 2:35. NE – Antowain Smith 3-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:25. Patriots 34–17. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 5:50. Top passers NO – Aaron Brooks – 16/39, 307 yards, TD, 2 INT NE – Tom Brady – 19/26, 258 yards, 4 TD Top rushers NO – Aaron Brooks – 7 rushes, 65 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 24 rushes, 111 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Joe Horn – 4 receptions, 97 yards NE – Troy Brown – 7 receptions, 91 yards, TD Drew Bledsoe was medically cleared to return to the field, but Bill Belichick ruled that Brady would remain the starter. Brady responded with four touchdowns in a 34–17 triumph. Ricky Williams, soon to leave the Saints for the Miami Dolphins, rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown in his first encounter with the Patriots. Week 12: at New York Jets New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 12: New England Patriots at New York Jets – Game summary autocollapse December 2 1:00 p.m. EST Patriots 0 0 14 3 Jets 10 3 3 0 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 78,712 Partly cloudy, 53 F C Bob McElwee CBS Gus Johnson, Brent Jones & Marcus Allen First quarter NYJ – Laveranues Coles 34-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (John Hall kick), 11:52. Jets 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:08. NYJ – John Hall 19-yard field goal, 4:53. Jets 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 4:49. Second quarter NYJ – John Hall 40-yard field goal, 2:47. Jets 13–0. Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 5:02. Third quarter NE – Antowain Smith 4-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:19. Jets 13–7. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 2:06. NYJ – John Hall 50-yard field goal, 6:57. Jets 16–7. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 3:22. NE – Marc Edwards 4-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:11. Jets 16–14. Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 4:46. Fourth quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 28-yard field goal, 6:29. Patriots 17–16. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:47. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 20/28, 213 yards NYJ – Vinny Testaverde – 18/32, 172 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 12 rushes, 28 yards, TD NYJ – Curtis Martin – 20 rushes, 99 yards Top receivers NE – David Patten – 6 receptions, 60 yards NYJ – Laveranues Coles – 3 receptions, 63 yards, TD The Jets bullied the Patriots en route to a 13–0 halftime lead, but the Patriots stormed back, scoring 14 third-quarter points en route to a 17–16 win. Week 13: vs. Cleveland Browns New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 13: Cleveland Browns at New England Patriots – Game summary autocollapse December 9 1:00 p.m. EST Browns 10 0 3 3 Patriots 3 17 0 7 Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 60,292 Cloudy, 37 F C Walt Coleman CBS Gus Johnson & Brent Jones First quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 54-yard field goal, 9:41. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 17 yards, 4:27. CLE – Phil Dawson 27-yard field goal, 1:21. Tied 3–3. Drive: 16 plays, 59 yards, 8:20. CLE – Corey Fuller 49-yard interception return (Phil Dawson kick), 1:02. Browns 10–3. Second quarter NE – Antowain Smith 1-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:39. Tied 10–10. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 6:23. NE – Troy Brown 85-yard punt return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:28. Patriots 17–10. NE – Adam Vinatieri 38-yard field goal, 0:03. Patriots 20–10. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 1:14. Third quarter CLE – Phil Dawson 39-yard field goal, 10:45. Patriots 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 3:07. Fourth quarter CLE – Phil Dawson 22-yard field goal, 12:39. Patriots 20–16. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 2:21. NE – Antowain Smith 5-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:43. Patriots 27–16. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 3:21. Top passers CLE – Tim Couch – 20/39, 244 yards, 3 INT NE – Tom Brady – 19/28, 218 yards, 2 INT Top rushers CLE – James Jackson – 16 rushes, 34 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 21 rushes, 76 yards, 2 TD Top receivers CLE – Kevin Johnson – 8 receptions, 95 yards NE – Troy Brown – 7 receptions, 89 yards The Browns held a 10–3 lead after one quarter, but the Patriots were able to rally for 24 points in the final three quarters as the defense held the Browns to just six points in the second half as New England improved their record to 8–5. Week 14: at Buffalo Bills New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 14: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – Game summary autocollapse December 16 1:00 p.m. EST Patriots 3 3 0 3 3 Bills 0 0 3 6 0 Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York 45,527 Cloudy, 34 F C Mike Carey CBS Don Criqui and Steve Tasker First quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 40-yard field goal, 4:02. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 28 yards, 4:09. Second quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 32-yard field goal, 0:53. Patriots 6–0. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 1:52. Third quarter BUF – Shayne Graham 41-yard field goal, 11:13. Patriots 6–3. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 2:06. Fourth quarter BUF – Shayne Graham 25-yard field goal, 10:38. Tied 6–6. Drive: 15 plays, 76 yards, 7:46. BUF – Shayne Graham 41-yard field goal, 5:57. Bills 9–6. Drive: 8 plays, 33 yards, 3:04. NE – Adam Vinatieri 25-yard field goal, 2:45. Tied 9–9. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:12. Overtime NE – Adam Vinatieri 23-yard field goal, 9:15. Patriots 12–9. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:18. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 19/35, 237 yards, INT BUF – Alex Van Pelt – 22/44, 219 yards, INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 20 rushes, 95 yards BUF – Travis Henry – 12 rushes, 54 yards Top receivers NE – David Patten – 3 receptions, 65 yards BUF – Peerless Price – 4 receptions, 67 yards Field goals ruled the day as the Buffalo Bills' Shayne Graham and the Patriots' Adam Vinatieri kicked seven combined in a 12–9 overtime Patriots win. The most controversial play came in overtime when David Patten caught a pass and was knocked out of bounds; the ball bounced off his feet and was recovered by the Bills, but the play went to review and referee Mike Carey determined that Patten, momentarily unconscious, had his head out of bounds when the ball touched his feet; by rule the ball was dead. The Patriots thus retained possession enough for the game-winning 23-yard field goal. Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 15: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots – Game summary autocollapse December 22 1:35 p.m. EST Dolphins 0 3 0 10 Patriots 0 20 0 0 Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 60,292 Sunny, 37 F C Jeff Triplette CBS Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms & Armen Keteyian First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter NE – Antowain Smith 2-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 14:57. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 1:41. NE – Patrick Pass 23-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:58. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 2:19. NE – Adam Vinatieri 32-yard field goal, 4:31. Patriots 17–0. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 5:22. NE – Adam Vinatieri 23-yard field goal, 0:57. Patriots 20–0. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:34. MIA – Olindo Mare 36-yard field goal, 0:03. Patriots 20–3. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 0:54. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter MIA – Olindo Mare 36-yard field goal, 13:41. Patriots 20–6. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 2:48. MIA – Jeff Ogden 10-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 1:28. Patriots 20–13. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 2:32. Top passers MIA – Jay Fiedler – 21/37, 320 yards, TD NE – Tom Brady – 11/19, 108 yards, TD Top rushers MIA – Lamar Smith – 12 rushes, 33 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 26 rushes, 156 yards, TD Top receivers MIA – Chris Chambers – 7 receptions, 124 yards NE – Troy Brown – 5 receptions, 59 yards The Patriots defeated the Dolphins 20–13 for the first time since November 23, 1998 in the final regular season game for Foxboro Stadium. During halftime, Patriot greats of the past and present were paraded with each commemorating a season of the stadium's 31-season existence – John Hannah represented 1973 (the year he was drafted by New England), Steve Grogan represented 1976 (the year of the infamous "Ben Dreith game" against Oakland), Drew Bledsoe represented 1996 (the Super Bowl XXXI season), and so forth. During the game itself, Tom Brady caught a 23-yard pass from Kevin Faulk and threw for 109 yards himself, as the Patriots raced out to an early lead and held off a late Dolphins rally to earn sole 1st place in the AFC East and clinch their first playoff berth since 1998. Week 17: at Carolina Panthers New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Week 17: New England Patriots at Carolina Panthers – Game summary autocollapse January 6, 2002 1:00 p.m. EST Patriots 10 0 14 14 Panthers 0 3 3 0 Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 71,907 Cloudy, 36 F C Tom White CBS Kevin Harlan, Craig James & Beasley Reece First quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 19-yard field goal, 10:04. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 4:56. NE – Ty Law 46-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:58. Patriots 10–0. Second quarter CAR – John Kasay 29-yard field goal, 6:25. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 4:50. Third quarter NE – Troy Brown 68-yard punt return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 8:30. Patriots 17–3. CAR – John Kasay 40-yard field goal, 4:46. Patriots 17–6. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:44. NE – Antowain Smith 32-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:29. Patriots 24–6. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 3:17. Fourth quarter NE – Jermaine Wiggins 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 10:38. Patriots 31–6. Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards, 0:48. NE – Otis Smith 76-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 5:45. Patriots 38–6. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 17/29, 198 yards, TD, 2 INT CAR – Chris Weinke – 15/36, 144 yards, 3 INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 21 rushes, 81 yards, TD CAR – Richard Huntley – 21 rushes, 168 yards Top receivers NE – David Patten – 4 receptions, 54 yards CAR – Brad Hoover – 4 receptions, 44 yards After the bye week, in the final regular season game, the Patriots beat the Panthers 38–6 to finish 11-5 (3-1 against the NFC West) and they clinched both the AFC East for the first time since 1997, and the #2 seed in the AFC. Standings Postseason results 2001–02 NFL playoffs AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (3) Oakland Raiders Tuck rule game New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; AFC Divisional Playoffs: (3) Oakland Raiders at (2) New England Patriots – Game summary autocollapse January 19, 2002 Saturday 8:00 p.m. EST Raiders 0 7 6 0 0 Patriots 0 0 3 10 3 Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 60,292 Heavy snow, 19 F C Walt Coleman CBS Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter OAK – James Jett 13-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 12:14. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:44. Third quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 23-yard field goal, 8:39. Raiders 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 6:21. OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 38-yard field goal, 4:14. Raiders 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 4:25. OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 45-yard field goal, 1:41. Raiders 13–3. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 1:38. Fourth quarter NE – Tom Brady 6-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 7:52. Raiders 13–10. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:37. NE – Adam Vinatieri 45-yard field goal, 0:27. Tied 13–13. Drive: 8 plays, 26 yards, 1:39. Overtime NE – Adam Vinatieri 23-yard field goal, 6:31. Patriots 16–13. Drive: 15 plays, 61 yards, 8:29. Top passers OAK – Rich Gannon – 17/31, 159 yards, TD NE – Tom Brady – 32/52, 312 yards, INT Top rushers OAK – Charlie Garner – 17 rushes, 64 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 20 rushes, 65 yards Top receivers OAK – Jerry Rice – 4 receptions, 48 yards NE – David Patten – 8 receptions, 107 yards The game, the final one in the history of Foxboro Stadium, played in a heavy snowfall, will be remembered for a call near the end of the game, in which the referees initially ruled that New England quarterback Tom Brady had fumbled on a pass attempt, with Oakland protecting a three-point lead. Invoking the "tuck rule", where a ball is ruled an incomplete pass after the quarterback starts any forward motion, the referee overturned the decision after reviewing the instant replay, calling the drop an incomplete pass rather than a fumble. Both teams struggled in the heavy snow storm during the first half, combining for the same number of punts as first downs (11) and converting only one of 13 third downs. However, Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon was efficient, completing 10 of 14 passes for 87 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown pass to James Jett early in the second quarter. In the second half, things began to open up, especially for New England, who almost completely abandoned their running game and relied on Brady. He ended up completing 26 of 39 passes for 238 yards in the second half. On the opening drive of the third quarter, he led the Patriots 62 yards in 12 plays to the Raiders' 5-yard line, where Adam Vinatieri made a 23-yard field goal to cut the score, 7–3. Oakland responded with a 10-play, 43-yard drive, and scored a 38-yard field goal from Sebastian Janikowski. Then after forcing a punt, a 22-yard reception by receiver Jerry Rice set up Janikowski's second field goal, giving the Raiders a 13–3 lead with 2 minutes left in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Brady led the Patriots on a 10-play, 67-yard drive, completing 9 consecutive passes for 61 yards and finishing it with a 6-yard touchdown run. Later in the quarter, the infamous "tuck" incident occurred. As Brady dropped back to pass, he lost the ball while being tackled by former college teammate Charles Woodson, and Oakland linebacker Greg Biekert recovered it with 1:43 left. However, an instant replay challenge caused referee Walt Coleman to overturn the fumble, ruling Brady's arm had been moving forward while being tackled and making the play an incomplete pass. Taking advantage of his second chance, Brady led the Patriots inside the Raiders' 30-yard line where Vinatieri made a 45-yard field goal with 27 seconds left, a dramatic kick through heavy snowfall that barely cleared the crossbar, sending the game into overtime. New England won the coin toss and drove for the winning field goal on a possession that featured a risky fourth down and 4 conversion attempt from Brady, who threw a 6-yard pass to David Patten at the Raiders' 22-yard line to keep the drive alive. While Vinatieri's game-tying kick had the wind at his back, this drive was into the wind and the Patriots wanted to move closer. Following five runs from Antowain Smith and one from Brady, and after a drive of more than eight minutes, Vinatieri and holder Ken Walter cleared snow away from where the ball would be spotted. Vinatieri then gave New England its first lead of the game, making a 23-yard field goal to win. AFC Championship Game: at (1) Pittsburgh Steelers New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; AFC Championship: (2) New England Patriots at (1) Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary autocollapse January 27, 2002 12:30 p.m. EST Patriots 7 7 7 3 Steelers 0 3 14 0 Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 64,704 Partly sunny, 50 F C Ed Hochuli CBS Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms, Armen Keteyian and Bonnie Bernstein First quarter NE – Troy Brown 55-yard punt return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 3:42. Patriots 7–0. Second quarter PIT – Kris Brown 30-yard field goal, 13:33. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:09. NE – David Patten 11-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:58. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 1:44. Third quarter NE – Antwan Harris 49-yard blocked field goal return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 8:51. Patriots 21–3. PIT – Jerome Bettis 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 5:11. Patriots 21–10. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 3:40. PIT – Amos Zereoue 11-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 1:29. Patriots 21–17. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 1:41. Fourth quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 44-yard field goal, 11:12. Patriots 24–17. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 5:17. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 12/18, 115 yards PIT – Kordell Stewart – 24/42, 255 yards, 3 INT Top rushers NE – Antowain Smith – 15 rushes, 47 yards PIT – Kordell Stewart – 8 rushes, 41 yards Top receivers NE – Troy Brown – 8 receptions, 121 yards PIT – Plaxico Buress – 5 receptions, 67 yards The Patriots' storybook season continued as Drew Bledsoe came into the game in the second quarter in place of an injured Tom Brady – who replaced Bledsoe himself early in the season when he suffered a sheared blood vessel. The game was officiated by Ed Hochuli and the frequency of penalties in the game was criticized by both teams and by some media afterward. Patriots receiver Troy Brown opened up the scoring with a 55-yard punt return touchdown with 3:42 left in the first quarter. Pittsburgh responded by driving 65 yards in 10 plays and scoring with a 30-yard field goal from Kris Brown. Later in the quarter, Brady completed a 28-yard pass to Brown at the Steelers 40-yard line, but was knocked out of the game on the play. Bledsoe took over without missing a beat, rushing for four yards and completing three passes to David Patten for 37 yards, the last one an 11-yard touchdown to give the Patriots a 14–3 lead. On the first drive of the second half, New England linebacker Tedy Bruschi recovered a fumbled snap on the Steelers 35-yard line. But the Patriots gained only two yards on their next 4 plays and ended up turning the ball over on downs. Pittsburgh subsequently drove 52 yards to the 16-yard line to set up Brown's second field goal attempt, but this time his kick was blocked by defensive tackle Brandon Mitchell and Troy Brown recovered the ball. After returning it 11 yards, Brown threw a lateral pass to Antwan Harris, who took the ball the remaining 45 yards for a touchdown to increase New England's lead to 21–3. The Steelers struck back with quarterback Kordell Stewart completing a 24-yard pass to Hines Ward and a 19-yard screen pass to Amos Zereoué on an 8-play, 79-yard drive. Jerome Bettis finished it off with a 1-yard touchdown run, cutting the score to 21–10 with 5:11 left in the third quarter. New England was forced to punt after linebacker Jason Gildon sacked Bledsoe on third down, and Troy Edwards returned the punt 28 yards to the Patriots 32-yard line. Five plays later, Zereoue scored with an 11-yard touchdown run, making the score 21–17. Early in the fourth quarter, Adam Vinatieri's 44-yard field goal increased New England's lead to 24–17. Later in the period, the Patriots made two key stops to clinch the victory. First, safety Tebucky Jones intercepted a pass from Stewart and returned it 19 yards to the Steelers 34-yard line. Pittsburgh's defense managed to prevent a first down and Vinatieri missed a 50-yard field goal attempt that would have sealed the game, giving the Steelers the ball back on their own 40-yard line, but a few plays later, Lawyer Milloy intercepted a pass from Stewart with 2:02 left to seal the game, and the Patriots were able to run out the rest of the clock. The win was the 300th career victory, encompassing the regular season and postseason, in Patriots franchise history. Super Bowl XXXVI vs. (N1) St. Louis Rams Super Bowl XXXVI New England Patriots 2001 2;text-align:center; Super Bowl XXXVI: (N1) St. Louis Rams vs. (A2) New England Patriots – Game summary autocollapse February 3, 2002 5:30 p.m. CST Rams 3 0 0 14 Patriots 0 14 3 3 Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 72,922 Played indoors (dome stadium) Bernie Kukar Fox Pat Summerall, John Madden, Ron Pitts and Pam Oliver First quarter STL – Jeff Wilkins 50-yard field goal, 3:10. Rams 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 5:05. Second quarter NE – Ty Law 47-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 8:49. Patriots 7–3. NE – David Patten 8-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:31. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 0:49. Third quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 37-yard field goal, 1:18. Patriots 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 2:07. Fourth quarter STL – Kurt Warner 2-yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick), 9:31. Patriots 17–10. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 6:47. STL – Ricky Proehl 26-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Jeff Wilkins kick), 1:30. Tied 17–17. Drive: 3 plays, 55 yards, 0:21. NE – Adam Vinatieri 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Patriots 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 1:30. Top passers STL – Kurt Warner – 28/44, 365 yards, TD, 2 INT NE – Tom Brady – 16/27, 145 yards, TD Top rushers STL – Marshall Faulk – 17 rushes, 76 yards NE – Antowain Smith – 18 rushes, 92 yards Top receivers STL – Az-Zahir Hakim – 5 receptions, 90 yards NE – Troy Brown – 6 receptions, 89 yards The Rams scored first midway through the first quarter, driving 48 yards in 10 plays to set up a 50-yard field goal by kicker Jeff Wilkins. At the time, the field goal was the third longest in Super Bowl history. The rest of the quarter was scoreless. Early in the second quarter, the Rams drove to New England's 34-yard line, but quarterback Kurt Warner threw an incompletion on third down, and Wilkins' subsequent 52-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left. With 8:49 left in the second quarter, New England cornerback Ty Law intercepted a pass intended for receiver Isaac Bruce and scored on a 47-yard return to give the Patriots a 7–3 lead. With less than two minutes left in the first half, Warner completed a pass to receiver Ricky Proehl at the Patriots 40-yard line, but New England defensive back Antwan Harris forced a fumble while tackling him, which was recovered by Patriots defensive back Terrell Buckley. New England quarterback Tom Brady would lead a drive that culminated with an 8-yard touchdown pass to receiver David Patten with 31 seconds left in the half to give New England a 14–3 halftime lead. This was the first time in the 2001 season that St. Louis fell behind in a game by more than eight points. The Patriots took the opening kickoff of the second half, but could only reach the St. Louis 43-yard line before being forced to punt. Aided by a 20-yard reception by wide receiver Az-Zahir Hakim, a 22-yard reception by Bruce, and a defensive pass interference penalty on Patriots defensive back Otis Smith, the Rams advanced to the New England 41-yard line. However, on the next play, linebacker Mike Vrabel and defensive lineman Richard Seymour sacked Warner for a 9-yard loss. Warner then threw 2 consecutive incomplete passes, which resulted in the Rams punting. Later in the third quarter, Otis Smith intercepted a pass intended for Rams wide receiver Torry Holt after Holt slipped while coming off the line of scrimmage, and returned the ball 30 yards to the Rams 33-yard line. Though St. Louis' defense did not give up a touchdown to the Patriots, kicker Adam Vinatieri made a 37-yard field goal to increase New England's lead to 17–3. The Rams responded by driving to the Patriots' 3-yard line on their ensuing drive. On fourth-and-goal, the Rams attempted to score a touchdown, calling for a quarterback sneak by Warner. Warner fumbled the ball while being tackled by linebacker Roman Phifer, which was recovered by defensive back Tebucky Jones who returned it 97 yards for a touchdown that would have increased the Patriots lead to 23–3. However, the play was nullified by a holding penalty on linebacker Willie McGinest, which in turn gave the Rams a first down on the 1-yard line instead. On second down, Warner scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to make the score 17–10, Patriots. After Warner's touchdown, the Rams defense forced the Patriots to a three-and-out. St. Louis then drove from their own 7-yard line to the New England 36-yard line, aided by a 30-yard reception by Proehl. However, McGinest sacked Warner for a 16-yard loss on second down, pushing the Rams back to their 46-yard line. St. Louis ended up punting after Warner's third down pass was incomplete. The Rams forced New England to another three-and-out, and got the ball back on their own 45-yard line with 1:51 left in the game. Warner threw three consecutive completions: an 18-yard pass to Hakim, an 11-yard one to receiver Yo Murphy, and finally a 26-yard touchdown completion to Proehl that tied the game 17–17 with 1:30 left in the fourth quarter. The Patriots had no timeouts left for their ensuing drive, which resulted in color commentator John Madden initially suggesting that the Patriots should run out the clock and attempt to win in overtime. Instead, New England attempted to get the winning score in regulation on the final drive. Brady opened the drive with three completions to running back J.R. Redmond, which moved the ball to their 41-yard line with 33 seconds left. After an incomplete pass, Brady completed a clutch 23-yard pass to wide receiver Troy Brown, and followed it up with a 6-yard completion to tight end Jermaine Wiggins to advance to the Rams' 30-yard line. Brady then spiked the ball with seven seconds left, which set up Vinatieri's 48-yard field goal attempt. Vinatieri's game-winning kick was successful, marking the first time in Super Bowl history that a game was won by a score on the final play. Notes References 30em Further reading Nick Cafardo Cafardo Nick The Impossible Team: The Worst to First 2001 Patriots' Super Bowl Season 2002 Triumph Books 1-57243-494-5 registration https://archive.org/details/impossibleteamwo00cafa Johnson Pepper Pepper Johnson Gutman Bill Won for All: The Inside Story of the New England Patriots' Improbable Run to the Super Bowl 2002 McGraw-Hill 0-07-140877-0 Kirsch Fred Patriots United: The New England Patriots World Championship Season 2002 Team Power Publishing 2-89568-076-0 External links Season page on Pro Football Reference New England Patriots Category:New England Patriots seasons New England Patriots Category:AFC East championship seasons Category:American Football Conference championship seasons Category:Super Bowl champion seasons Category:Sports competitions in Foxborough, Massachusetts Category:Tom Brady