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Super Bowl power rankings: Which winner is the greatest?

By Cody Williams

St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner looks to make pass in a 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV on January 30, 2000 at Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Allen Kee/Getty Images)
St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner looks to make pass in a 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV on January 30, 2000 at Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Allen Kee/Getty Images) /
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03 Feb 2002: David Patten #86 of the New England Patriots celebrates a touchdown against the St.Louis Rams with his teammates during Superbowl XXXVI at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Patriots defeated the Rams 20-17. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images
03 Feb 2002: David Patten #86 of the New England Patriots celebrates a touchdown against the St.Louis Rams with his teammates during Superbowl XXXVI at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Patriots defeated the Rams 20-17. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images /

47. 2001 New England Patriots (SB XXXVI)

The first Super Bowl for the New England Patriots and the start of the dynasty that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have developed in Foxboro over the last decade and a half. However, the Patriots would go on to far bigger and better things with those two leading the way and, on the way to their first Super Bowl win together, they were hardly an all-time great team.

New England went 11-5 in the regular season and, even though they finished first in the AFC East. Brady wasn’t yet at his pinnacle yet—as would be expected as he wasn’t even the starter at the beginning of the year—and the offense was just good, not great even though they ranked as the No. 6 team on that side of the ball. In fact, they were also the No. 6-ranked team in the NFL in terms of scoring defense as well.

Every game in the playoffs was also a battle for the Patriots. They needed overtime to get past the Raiders in their Divisional Round game, edged out the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC title game 24-17, and got past the St. Louis Rams—albeit, a great Rams team—by just a field goal in the Super Bowl. It ultimately led to greatness for the Pats, but they weren’t on that level just yet in 2001.

Next: No. 46

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