Bill Belichick 20/20 Podcast

For this special playoff installment of Belichick 20/20, we rewind to the 2003 AFC Divisional Game between the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans; one of the coldest games in NFL history. Tom Brady and Bethel Johnson would connect on a 41-yard deep ball for a touchdown giving the Patriots an early lead over the MVP led Steve McNair. But, McNair and the Titans would answer right back, needing only six plays to tie the game at seven. Brady and the Patriots would go in to halftime with a 14-7 lead, and after a first-half where Brady would throw for 166 yards and a touchdown; many were expecting a high scoring second half. However, the Patriots would come out flat to start the second half while McNair and the Titans would answer back on their first drive, tying the game at 14 after McNair connected with Derrick Mason for an 11-yard touchdown. With the score tied at 14 and six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Brady would get the Patriots in field-goal range for Adam Vinatieri who would connect on a 46-yard field-goal to give the Patriots a late 17-14 lead. McNair and company would sustain a long drive to nowhere as the Titans would stall and fail to convert on a fourth and 12, giving the Patriots the football and the victory.

For the final installment of Belichick 20/20 and one more Super Bowl to look back on, this week we revisit Bill Belichick’s greatest game; Super Bowl 36. The “Cinderella story” 11-5 Patriots were squaring off against the 14-2 “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams. The Rams were a 14-point favorite coming in to Super Bowl Sunday; the Patriots were also a 14-point underdog in the 1997 Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers. The Rams were heavily favored partly because of the play of the 2001 NFL MVP, Kurt Warner, but also because of the Rams week 10 victory over the Patriots; the last loss the Patriots would suffer in the 2001 season. The Rams would strike first in Super Bowl 36 when Jeff ‘Money’ Wilkins would hit a 50-yard field goal. However, after an unforgettable Ty Law pick-six, a David Patten leaping touchdown grab and an Adam Vinatieri field-goal, the Patriots would take a 17-3 lead going in to the fourth quarter. Warner and company would have their first red zone possession at the start of the fourth quarter, and after a dropped Lawyer Milloy end zone interception Warner would scramble in for a touchdown. After a couple of drives to nowhere, the Rams would tie the game up with a 1:30 left to play. Many imagined Belichick would have his young, inexperienced, sixth round quarterback run the clock out and play for overtime. But, after three straight check down passes to J.R. Redmond, a 23 yard pass to Troy Brown and a short pass to Jermaine Wiggins, the Patriots were in range for Adam Vinatieri. And as most are familiar with, Vinatieri would drill a 48-yard field goal as time expired to give the Patriots their first Super Bowl.

This week’s edition of Belichick 20/20 features one of the greatest games ever played: Super Bowl 51. Both high scoring offenses would be held scoreless in the first quarter, but Atlanta would dominate the second quarter outscoring the Patriots 21-3; Falcons’ corner back, Robert Alford would intercept Tom Brady for an 82-yard pick six. The Patriots would go in to halftime trailing the league’s MVP Matt Ryan by a score of 21-3. To add insult to injury, the Falcons would strike first in the second-half to increase their lead to 28-3. The Patriots’ offensive struggles would continue in the third quarter, only scoring nine points as quarter three would end with the Falcons leading 28-9. However, a clutch Hightower strip-sack, a miraculous catch by Edelman and a Trey Flowers second-down sack in the final four minutes of regulation would result in 19 unanswered points for the Patriots to overcome a 25 point deficit; the largest comeback in Super Bowl history. The Patriots and Falcons would head to overtime tied at 28; the first ever overtime in Super Bowl history. The Patriots would win the coin toss and elect to receive; Tom Brady would only need three minutes and eight plays to go 75 yards to complete the greatest comeback in NFL history. After a two-yard touchdown run by James White, the Patriots would defeat the Falcons 34-28 to secure their fifth Super Bowl title.

With three more weeks left of Belichick 20/20, we revisit the game that started the second chapter of the Patriots' dynasty under Bill Belichick; Super Bowl 49. Super Bowl 49 was a match up of two 12-4 number one seed teams as the Patriots would be going up against the Seattle Seahawks and the famed Legion of Boom. The Seahawks were returning to the Super Bowl a year after demolishing Peyton Manning's Broncos in a 43-8 blow out victory in Super Bowl 48. However, Super Bowl 49 would be anything but a blow out. Multiple lead changes, a dramatic end to the first half, an unbelievable last second catch and an unlikely hero all were on display as the Patriots would capture their first title in 10 years.

With four weeks left of Belichick 20/20 and four more Super Bowl victories to visit, we rewind to February 1st, 2004. The 14-2 Patriots were squaring off against the 11-5 Carolina Panthers. The Panthers, two years removed from a 1-15 season, entered the playoffs as a Wild-Card team and after beating Dallas, St. Louis in double overtime, and Philadelphia, the stage for Super Bowl 38 was set. Super Bowl 38 was an 'every-other-quarter' type of game; zero total combined points in quarters one and three with 61 total combined points in quarters two and four. Tied at 29 with 1:08 left to play, Panthers' kicker John Kasey kicked the ensuing kickoff out-of-bounds, giving Tom Brady and the Patriots the football at their own 40-yard line. Brady would then lead the Patriots to the Panthers' 24-yard line where Adam Vinatieri would connect on a 41-yard field goal to give the Patriots their second Super Bowl title.