Ranking The Top 5 Greatest Clutch Kicks In Patriots History

When fans think of clutch moments in the NFL, they think of big-time throws as the clock winds down, toe-tap catches that stop the clock just in time, and game-changing sacks that seal a win. Often overlooked are the contributions of kickers as time runs out.

But it's not overlooked in New England, because no team has a richer history in kicking than the Patriots. The team, particularly during the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era, benefited from countless field goal tries that soared through the uprights as the clock hit zero.

The five most important kicks in Pats history are listed below.

An early-season matchup with the Jaguars might not seem like one of the most important kicks in New England history, but it is on the list for good reason. Both teams came into the contest with a 1-2 record, but the Pats would go on to finish with an 11-5 mark, while the Jags finished at 9-7. This contest ended up being a preview of the AFC Championship Game, which New England would also win.

It was not only the game-winner that made this kick notable. New England won the game 28-25, but the offense only managed to score two touchdowns. Vinatieri nailed four field goals to keep the Patriots in the lead, and the fifth sealed the contest in overtime to even up New England's record early in the season.

This kick came in a much more high-profile contest. The Patriots were in the midst of a drag-out affair against the Rams in the biggest game in sports. New England was firmly in control, driving down the field with a couple of minutes on the clock while protecting a seven-point lead.

The game was still up in the air, the Patriots clinging to a 10-3 lead with the Rams set to get one more opportunity to tie it, when Belichick called upon Gostkowski to hit a 41-yard kick. He drilled it, essentially sealing the sixth Lombardi Trophy for the Patriots. Gostkowski put the Pats up 10 points with just over a minute to go, hammering the final nail in the Rams' coffin.

It is hard for kicks to get more clutch than this one. The Patriots were in an even tighter situation than they were in Super Bowl LIII, with the Carolina Panthers punching in a touchdown to tie the game with 1:16 showing on the clock. What followed was a couple of vintage moments from Brady and Vinatieri. The quarterback authored a six-play, 37-yard drive to put the Patriots in scoring range. The kick was officially from 41 yards, well within Vinatieri's range. He drove it through cleanly, winning New England's second ever Super Bowl.

In one of the most infamous games in NFL history, Vinatieri managed to deliver not once, but twice. New England once again found itself with its season on the line in a disadvantageous position, trailing the Raiders by three with two minutes on the clock. Despite heavy snowfall, Brady willed the Patriots into field goal range, setting up Vinatieri to kick a game-tying 45-yard field goal.

The heroics did not stop there. New England won the coin toss to begin overtime, and Brady wasted no time in marching his team down the field. The result was a much easier field goal try, this time from 23 yards out. Vinatieri nailed it, sending the Patriots to the AFC Championship on the way to their first-ever Super Bowl win.

There are some moments that define a franchise. Vinatieri's final kick against the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI was one of them. The Patriots had never won the Super Bowl, and they entered the matchup with the Rams as double-digit underdogs to the Greatest Show on Turf. Tom Brady was at the helm for the Pats and had not yet created the legacy that all fans know about today. All of that changed with one swing of Vinatieri's leg.

The Rams had just tied the game, leaving the New England offense with only 1:21 left in the fourth quarter. Brady chewed up 53 yards on nine plays while rolling 1:14 off the clock, putting the game in Vinatieri's hands with only seven seconds to go. The kicker was true from 48 yards away, delivering New England's first-ever championship and one of the most iconic moments in the history of not just the franchise, but the league.

Without an excellent history of kickers, the Patriots would have had a significantly more difficult time creating one of the best dynasties in sports history. Vinatieri and Gostkowski are two of the most underrated figures in football, as the Patriots consistently called on them to come through in moments that were either extremely difficult, packed with pressure, or both. These games represent the best of a long body of work from both kickers throughout their fantastic careers playing in Foxborough.