The New England Patriots\u2019 past championships don\u2019t hold them back \u2014 they\u2019re part of the franchise\u2019s identity. This Sunday marks their 12th Super Bowl appearance and, across eras, they\u2019ve collected six Lombardi Trophies in games that included upsets, improbable comebacks, and defensive slugfests. When asked to pick a favorite ring, Tom Brady famously quipped that his favorite was \u201cthe next one.\u201d But if Brady, the team, or owner Robert Kraft were to rank New England\u2019s Super Bowl victories, where would each title land \u2014 and where would a win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX fit?<\/p>\n
For a stretch, the Patriots reached the AFC title game as a near-annual occurrence and Super Bowl trips were familiar. Still, few expected New England to be back on the big stage this season; if they win, the result would be rated highly because of how unlikely the run has been. Below is a reordered look at the franchise\u2019s Super Bowl wins and where a 2026 victory would slot in.<\/p>\n
1) Super Bowl XXXVI \u2014 Patriots 20, Rams 17 (2002)
\nThis championship feels like the origin point of the modern Patriots era. Coming off a five-win season two years earlier, New England had a rookie head coach in his second year (Bill Belichick) and a young quarterback who\u2019d been a late draft pick and still had to prove himself on football\u2019s biggest stage. The St. Louis Rams, helmed by MVP Kurt Warner and nicknamed \u201cThe Greatest Show on Turf,\u201d were 14-point favorites and far more experienced. With the game tied late, Belichick and his staff eschewed conservative advice and went for a chance to win; Adam Vinatieri\u2019s 48-yard field goal as time expired sealed the upset. Beyond the scoreline, this game launched the Brady\u2013Belichick partnership, delivered the franchise\u2019s first title, and helped shape the team\u2019s identity \u2014 even changing how teams were presented during pregame introductions.<\/p>\n
2) Super Bowl LI \u2014 Patriots 34, Falcons 28 (OT) (2017)
\nThis one ranks near the top because of the scale of the comeback. The Patriots began the season with Brady serving a four-game suspension; backup quarterbacks guided the team through those weeks, and when Brady returned he led them back to the Super Bowl. Facing a Falcons team that led 28\u20133 in the third quarter, New England staged the most dramatic rally in Super Bowl history, forcing overtime for the first time in the game\u2019s history. Key plays \u2014 including clutch catches, a critical turnover on Matt Ryan, and James White\u2019s overtime touchdown \u2014 completed a comeback that felt impossible and delivered another Lombardi.<\/p>\n
3) Super Bowl LX \u2014 Patriots vs. Seahawks (2026) \u2014 (If New England wins)
\nHad the Patriots beat Seattle, this hypothetical title would land at No. 3 on the list. That ranking reflects what such a victory would represent: reclaiming championships without the Brady\u2013Belichick duo, ending a long drought for fans who\u2019d never seen a Patriots title, and doing it as substantial underdogs. This season\u2019s Patriots improved under a new coach and with rookie quarterback Drake Maye, but preseason expectations were modest. A Super Bowl victory would be a major upset \u2014 New England finished 17\u20133, Mike Vrabel would join a short list of coaches who won a title in their first season with a new team, and Maye would become the youngest starting QB to win a Super Bowl \u2014 achievements that would revive the franchise\u2019s national standing.<\/p>\n
(Aside: a former Patriots teammate publicly criticized Tom Brady for not choosing to represent New England in Super Bowl LX, calling that decision \u201cbullshit,\u201d according to Zachary Perez.)<\/p>\n
4) Super Bowl XXXIX \u2014 Patriots 24, Eagles 21 (2005)
\nThis championship capped the Patriots\u2019 run that produced three titles in four seasons, cementing their spot among modern dynasties alongside the Cowboys. By this point Brady and Belichick were firmly established as elite, and this win added important momentum to their legacy. The defense made game-changing plays with multiple turnovers, while Brady\u2019s performance added to his growing Super Bowl r\u00e9sum\u00e9, further fueling the GOAT debate.<\/p>\n
5) Super Bowl XLIX \u2014 Patriots 28, Seahawks 24 (2015)
\nFamously remembered for Malcolm Butler\u2019s goal-line interception, this game instantly became a highlight \u2014 and heartbreak \u2014 of modern Super Bowl lore. The Seahawks looked poised to score from the 1-yard line in the closing minute, but New England\u2019s preparation and Butler\u2019s presence in coverage stopped the play and preserved the title. It also marked the Patriots\u2019 first championship in a decade and reinforced their knack for making defining moments when it mattered most.<\/p>\n
6) Super Bowl LIII \u2014 Patriots 13, Rams 3 (2019)
\nA low-scoring affair that some labeled dull, this game still carried historical weight. It matched the franchise with the Steelers for the most Super Bowl titles, and it was the final championship of the Brady\u2013Belichick era together. Brady became the first quarterback to win a title in his 40s, and the win underscored the duo\u2019s longevity even if the scoreboard didn\u2019t provide fireworks.<\/p>\n
7) Super Bowl XXXVIII \u2014 Patriots 32, Panthers 29 (2004)
\nA thrilling back-and-forth contest that featured a late flurry of scoring, this game is remembered for its excitement more than for changing the Patriots\u2019 broader narrative. It was New England\u2019s second Super Bowl win and another example of clutch kicking \u2014 Adam Vinatieri booted a 41-yard field goal with four seconds left \u2014 and Brady earned his second Super Bowl MVP for a performance that delivered another title.<\/p>\n
Fan Take:
\nThis ranking matters because it highlights how the Patriots\u2019 championships defined different eras \u2014 from shock upset to historic comebacks to dynastic dominance \u2014 and shows how a new title would reshape perceptions of the post-Brady\/Belichick era. For NFL fans, a Patriots win now would remind everyone that coaching, preparation, and young talent can resurrect a franchise and keep parity and unpredictability alive in the league.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The New England Patriots\u2019 past championships don\u2019t hold them back \u2014 they\u2019re part of the franchise\u2019s identity. This Sunday marks their 12th Super Bowl appearance and, across eras, they\u2019ve collected six Lombardi Trophies in games that included upsets, improbable comebacks, and defensive slugfests. When asked to pick a favorite ring, Tom Brady famously quipped that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41552,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[859],"tags":[860],"class_list":{"0":"post-41551","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-nfl"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41551"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41551\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}