You do not win six Tremendous Bowls with out a whole lot of nice gamers. Simply ask the New England Patriots.
Now, lots of these greats have been with the group over a two-decade span within the franchise’s 65 seasons. However these greats helped the Patriots rapidly turn out to be one of many league’s premier franchises, tying a report for essentially the most Tremendous Bowl wins ever and holding the report for many Tremendous Bowl appearances (11).
Of these greats, there have been a couple of that established themselves as higher gamers than the remainder of the group. So, let’s check out the ten greatest gamers in Patriots historical past.
10. Stanley Morgan (1977-1989)
Morgan was an integral a part of the profitable seasons the Patriots had within the Eighties, rising as one of the explosive gamers in NFL historical past after they took him with their first-round choose within the 1977 draft. The four-time Professional Bowler and two-time second-team All-Professional’s 19.2 yards per reception are essentially the most ever in NFL historical past for a receiver with at the least 500 receptions. His 10,352 receiving yards are additionally essentially the most in Patriots historical past. Morgan hasn’t been inducted into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame, however was enshrined within the workforce’s Corridor of Fame in 2007.
9. Vince Wilfork (2004-2014)
Wilfork was on the heart of a number of the peak years of the Patriots’ dynasty run. Taking part in nostril deal with, Wilfork by no means put up unimaginable stats as he by no means recorded 4 sacks in a season and solely had 60-plus tackles as soon as. However Invoice Belichick as soon as famous that Wilfork was “not possible to dam within the working sport” as New England typically had a number of the league’s greatest defenses throughout his 11 years there. That helped the Patriots win two Tremendous Bowls and play in two extra as Wilfork was a five-time Professional Bowler and a four-time All-Professional (one first-team).
8. Logan Mankins (2005-2013)
There have been many nice gamers who performed in New England in the course of the Patriots’ dynasty run, however not all of them have been lucky sufficient to win a Tremendous Bowl. Mankins’ time in New England completely aligned with the 10-year drought that the Patriots had between Tremendous Bowls, getting drafted proper after their third win in 2004 and traded weeks earlier than their title-winning season in 2014. However Mankins was persistently among the many league’s greatest offensive linemen throughout his time in Foxborough, incomes seven Professional Bowl and 6 All-Professional (one first-team) nods. Mankins’ incapacity to win a Tremendous Bowl additionally wasn’t resulting from an absence of him attempting. He performed all the 2011 season with an ACL tear, which resulted in a Tremendous Bowl loss.
7. Richard Seymour (2001-2008)
Seymour’s arrival in New England helped spherical out a gifted protection in its 2001 Tremendous Bowl-winning season earlier than changing into an important participant of their subsequent two Tremendous Bowl titles. He completed second within the Defensive Participant of the Yr vote in 2003, recording eight sacks and 56 complete tackles as an inside defensive lineman that yr. He had 5 sacks when the Patriots gained all of it once more in 2004. Over his Patriots profession, he was named a Professional Bowler 5 instances and an All-Professional on 4 events (three first-team). These accolades plus his position on three Tremendous Bowl-winning groups helped Seymour get named a Corridor of Famer in 2022.
6. Ty Regulation (1995-2004)
Whereas Seymour commanded the line of defense in the course of the Patriots’ first three Tremendous Bowls, Regulation was a nightmare matchup for opponents within the secondary. He truly helped the Patriots attain the Tremendous Bowl in his second season in 1996, recording three interceptions that season. Two years later, he had a league-leading 9 interceptions to complete third within the Defensive Participant of the Yr vote. He recorded arguably the most effective defensive play in franchise historical past when he returned an interception for a landing of their Tremendous Bowl XXXVI win over the Rams, which was one in all three pick-sixes he had that yr. He had six interceptions of their second Tremendous Bowl-winning season in 2003 and added three extra when he picked off Peyton Manning 3 times within the AFC Championship Recreation that yr. Regulation’s performances in huge video games helped him enter the Corridor of Fame in 2019.
5. Andre Tippett (1982-1993)
Over a decade earlier than Seymour was doing harm as a cross rusher for the Patriots, Tippett did the identical in New England. He was one of many NFL’s greatest cross rushers within the Eighties, recording at the least 12.5 sacks in three seasons. His emergence helped the Patriots attain the Tremendous Bowl in 1985, recording 16.5 sacks that yr. He was named a Professional Bowler 5 instances and an All-Professional 4 instances (three first-team), which earned him a spot within the Corridor of Fame in 2008.
4. Mike Haynes (1976-1982)
Regulation adopted within the footsteps of Haynes in New England. Haynes started the lineage of nice cornerbacks to play with the Patriots proper after the workforce drafted him in 1976, immediately changing into probably the greatest gamers at his place. He gained Defensive Rookie of the Yr, recording a career-high eight interceptions that season. He was additionally named a Professional Bowler and an All-Professional in all however one in all his seven seasons in New England, which ended when the workforce opted to commerce him to the Raiders in 1983. Haynes continued to play nice with the Raiders, which helped him turn out to be a Corridor of Famer in 1997.
Three gamers who have been arguably the most effective at their respective positions performed nearly all of their careers with the Patriots. Gronkowski made his case as the most effective tight finish in NFL historical past throughout his 9 seasons with the Patriots, successful three Tremendous Bowls and incomes 5 Professional Bowl nods. His 2011 season was arguably the most effective ever for a good finish, recording 90 receptions for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns that yr. The 79 landing receptions he had in his New England profession would’ve been the sixth-most all-time. His 12 playoff landing receptions with the Patriots would even be tied for the third most in NFL historical past, no matter place.
2. John Hannah (1973-1985)
Usually thought to be the most effective guard in NFL historical past by many analysts, Hannah was a nine-time Professional Bowler and a 10-time All-Professional (seven first-team) throughout his illustrious profession. He truly earned every All-Professional honor over the ultimate 10 seasons of his profession, serving to the Patriots turn out to be a playoff workforce within the late Nineteen Seventies earlier than reaching his first Tremendous Bowl in his closing season. In between these feats, Sports activities Illustrated named Hannah the “greatest offensive lineman of all-time” as he graced the quilt of an version of its journal.
There could not have been anybody else who was No. 1. Brady’s resume speaks for itself, successful six Tremendous Bowls and three MVPs throughout his time with the Patriots. His insertion because the workforce’s beginning quarterback in 2001 instantly modified the course of not simply the workforce’s historical past, but in addition soccer historical past. New England, which was typically one of many league’s laughingstocks in its first 40-plus seasons of existence, turned a dynasty in simply 4 seasons with Brady as its beginning quarterback. He, alongside Invoice Belichick, helped redefine success within the NFL as their six Tremendous Bowls helped the Patriots match the Steelers for essentially the most ever by a single franchise in simply 18 seasons.
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