Ranking the New England Patriots six Super Bowl wins

5. Patriots 24, Eagles 21 (Super Bowl XXXIX)

You could make a case that this was the best of the Patriots’ six Super Bowl title teams. The club finished the regular season 14-2 and cruised through the postseason with convincing wins over the Colts (20-3) and Steelers (41-27). Quarterback Tom Brady was his usual solid self but the addition of running back Corey Dillon via a trade with the Bengals was huge.

The opposition on Super Sunday was the 13-3 Philadelphia Eagles. The franchise was seeking its first Lombardi trophy and first NFL championship since 1960. The Patriots were the reigning Super Bowl champions and were looking to become the first team to repeat since the 1997 and ‘98 Denver Broncos.

While this game was decided by three points, the difference was another Adam Vinatieri field goal, it was hardly a thriller. The Philadelphia Eagles turned over the ball twice in the first quarter but wound up drawing first blood anyway. The team would wind up tied at 7-all at intermission and entered the fourth quarter knotted at 14-14.

The Pats scored the first 10 points of that final quarter and then held off the Birds. Safety Rodney Harrison had two of the team’s three interceptions of Donovan McNabb and New England finished with four takeaways.