Where does the Patriots’ win over the Steelers rank among their best regular-season games?
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Where does the Patriots’ win over the Steelers rank among their best regular-season wins in the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era?
This one has been rattling around in my skull since roughly the moment Ben Roethlisberger’s genius fake-spike turned into one more Duron Harmon game-clinching interception. At the least, we know it’s an instant classic, one of those games where you replay all of the key moments in your head a bunch of times before going to bed, then wake up ready to reconsider it some more.
The Patriots sure have had their share of those, probably more than any other franchise in history. Right now, I think I’d put this one fourth. Here’s the top five, as always subject to change:
1. Week 13, 2003: Patriots 38, Colts 34: Bethel Johnson took a kick 92 yards for a touchdown before halftime, and Willie McGinest buried Edgerrin James on fourth down from the 1-yard-line with 14 seconds left as the Patriots improved to 10-2 for the first time in their history.
2. Week 12, 2013: Patriots 34, Broncos 31, overtime: The Patriots lost fumbles on their first three possessions, falling behind 24-0 to Peyton Manning and the Broncos. The Patriots countered with 31 unanswered points, Manning led a tying TD drive, but after a botched punt return in overtime, Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 31-yard field goal to win it.
3. Week 6, 2013: Patriots 30, Saints 27: The Kenbrell Thompkins catch.
4. Week 9, 2003: Patriots 30, Broncos 26: The intentional safety.
5. Week 14, 2017: Good heavens, what a game.
But what do you guys think? Where does Sunday’s game rank among the best regular-season games in the Brady/Belichick era. I probably missed a few. I’ll hear you in the comments.
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