New England Patriots News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Tight end Martellus Bennett has been huge for the Patriots this season. Charles Krupa/Associated Press

The Patriots' most impressive wins and highlights of the season

By YB Staff | Last updated 1/31/17

The New England Patriots began the season with their star quarterback sidelined due to the Deflategate scandal, and it didn't matter. New England went 3-1 duing Tom Brady's four-game suspension and finished the regular season 14-2, dominating the competition the way we've come to expect.

Welcome to the Yardbarker roundtable, where we marvel at yet another 16-win campaign, including the two playoff victories to get to Super Bowl LI, for the Patriots, who will play in their seventh Super Bowl of the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era. Given all the success this season, even without Brady early and sans Rob Gronkowski late, it's no wonder people are talking about this coach-quarterback combo as the greatest in history.

But sticking just to this season, we asked:

What was the most impressive Patriots' win this season and why? What do you think was their most impressive highlight-reel clip, even if from a loss?

Mike Tunison: If the Cardinals had a better year, I'd have said the Week 1 win on the road with Jimmy Garoppolo starting, though it's still pretty good. The rest of their regular-season schedule was pretty light, so I'll have to go with the Week 3 shutout of the Texans with Jacoby Brissett starting.

Sam Greszes: My favorite Patriots moment this season came in early January, when they clinched home-field advantage by absolutely demolishing the Miami Dolphins. Miami had been showing some life late in the season and was riding a three-game win streak into the matchup with New England.

Then... the Dolphins were simply and completely shut down in a 35-14 drubbing that somehow seemed even less close than the score.

I'm going with another recent play for my highlight-reel moment: LeGarrette Blount's rumbling run that saw him carry the entire Steelers defense forward an entire 17 yards before he was stopped just short of the goal line.

It was beautiful and a reminder of Blount's horrifying strength.

David Matthews: The Patriots' Week 15 win against the Broncos in Denver was probably their most impressive win of the season. Brady and the Patriots have not played well in Denver since 2001, winning only twice in nine games, including the playoffs. The game was not remarkable itself: The New England offensive line kept Brady's jersey relatively clean, and the running game was solid. The defense suffocated the Broncos' admittedly anemic offense.The Patriots needed to grind out the win and did it.

Again, I've got to pick a play from the conference championship game. Tom Brady fumbled, there's no denying that. A Steelers player emerged with the ball. However, the refs ruled that no clear recovery had occurred because some teams have all the luck. The Patriots getting a huge break on a fumble call during the playoffs? Why, I never.

Demetrius Bell: Back in Week 4, the Buffalo Bills somehow managed to not only beat the Patriots, but they did it in New England and they shut them out 16-0. So naturally, New England responded by going scorched earth on the Bills during the return game in Buffalo for Week 8. The game was never in doubt, Tom Brady did what he wanted and the Bills were unable to replicate what happened a month earlier. The Patriots improved to 7-1, and that convinced one writer from the New York Times to declare the Patriots as Super Bowl champs right then and there. He's one New England win away from being a soothsayer.

Back on Christmas Eve, the Patriots basically did whatever they wanted to the poor ol' Jets, and Tom Brady was a huge part of that.

Shiloh Carder: The Pats' schedule was so weak that there's no "wow, great game" by them... but I was impressed with their Week 3 win over the Texans. Sure, Houston isn't spectacular, but New England was starting Jacoby Brissett at quarterback and cruised to a 27-0 win. The game showed how strong this defense can be (first shutout by the Patriots since 2012) and that whole 3-1 start during Brady's suspension really got the Pats the confidence that this could still be a special season.

Jamie Neal: The Patriots didn't have any wins that blew me away this season, but winning the first three games with Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett under center was beyond impressive.

As for an impressive highlight clip, just watch the way Brady plays quarterback. There weren't any specific plays that come to mind, but the way he throws people open and reads defenses is incredible.

Brady had two interceptions on the year and tossed 28 touchdowns. That's the best ratio in NFL history. Brady is the epitome of preparation meeting opportunity and seizing the moment.

Daniel Tran: The Patriots have a lot of success with Tom Brady, but their most impressive victories come without him on the field. Down to their third quarterback against the Houston Texans, Jacoby Brissett, it finally looked the New England war machine would finally break down. Not only did it not break down, but it found creative ways to be efficient. Brissett managed the game well enough and added a running dimension to the quarterback position that resulted in 48 rushing yards and one touchdown. The Patriots ended up shutting out a future playoff team, 27-0.

The Patriots have thrived with two tight ends under Bill Belichick, and since Rob Gronkowski has been gone, Martellus Bennett has been the red zone target of choice for Tom Brady. Against the Baltimore Ravens, New England found itself knocking on the door midway through the third quarter. On 3rd-and-5 on the 19, Tom Brady found Martellus Bennett streaking on the right side of the field. It wasn’t enough that the Black Unicorn caught the ball — he wrestled the pigskin away from Ravens linebacker Zach Orr in the end zone.