A quick rundown of the biggest thorns in the side of the New England Patriots.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
Statistically speaking, only the black and gold squad can lay claim on being at-par with New England when it comes to Super Bowl victories with six.
Since 2001, Ben Roethlisberger is just one of the four quarterbacks (including Tom Brady) that have had the privilege of representing the AFC in the big game.
Their continued pursuit of success makes them a worthy adversary for New England.
4. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have given the Patriots its share of headaches in recent memory, including their meeting at the Wild Card game for the 2009 season wherein sixth-seeded Baltimore gave a 24-0 first quarter beatdown at Gilette Stadium that was simply too much for New England to overcome.
Baltimore denied New England’s title hopes anew in the 2012 season by virtue of a 28-13 result in the AFC Championship Game also played in Foxborough.
3. New York Jets
A natural division rival, the Jets long have the Patriots in their crosshairs as you would expect in the long-standing New York versus New England narrative.
Perhaps what’s even more interesting is how the disdain between both squads in recent history came about. Bill Belichick’s sudden “I resign as the HC of the NYJ” note is often seen as a catalyst for the Patriots’ dominance for the last two decades.
On the field, Patriots fans will forever enjoy this classic play from Mark Sanchez.
2. Indianapolis Colts
Since the dawn of the millennium, fans were fortunate to witness two of the all-time great quarterbacks, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady perform at the highest level.
In the three head-to-head playoff matchups involving the Patriots and Colts, the victorious team went all the way to win the Super Bowl in the same season.
Consistent postseason appearances in the Brady-Manning era just shows how both teams are committed to winning when it matters the most.
1. New York Giants
Even though they are playing as a member of the NFC, the New York Giants have seemingly found themselves to get under the Patriots’ skin.
New England was looking to cap off an undefeated 2007 season when they ran into the Eli Manning-led Giants at the Super Bowl. No matter how many times it is replayed, the outcome of The Helmet Catch will forever stick a dagger to Patriots fans' hearts.
Both teams would meet in the big game once again four years later. Unfortunately, for the Patriots, the younger Manning would orchestrate another fourth-quarter comeback and defeat an exasperated Tom Brady.
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