This was a great team, with players like Vinatieri, Law, Bruschi, Brown, and others all of who would be a part of the team's greater success during the next decade. Having had season tickets to the Patriots, I saw all of these players every time they set foot on the field at Foxboro, as they progressed from inexperienced rookies to Patriots legends.

I love the 1996 season for this reason. The Patriots had a rather uneventful decade before this, and Boston sports fans were thirsty for something meaningful. The team lost its first two games of the season and many had written it off as another disappointing season. Somehow, they then proceeded to win ten of their next 13 and everything changed.

I remember being stuck helping my dad fix the furnace during this game. I left the TV on and had the volume blaring. I faked numerous bathroom breaks to check the score. I couldn't believe they were getting smoked 22-0 in the first half. I was dejected. Would they even make the playoffs? The TV stayed on. The comeback began. My Dad was looking for me all over the house. Meggett ran a punt back to cut the lead to 22-17. I was going crazy, but could they win it?!?!

I checked back a little later, and saw the Patriots in a position to score and win the game. Defying the odds, the team scored one last touchdown on a Drew Bledsoe pass to Ben Coates and won the game.

My friends and I amassed at my buddy's house in Melrose to watch the Broncos-Jags game. We all figured the Broncos were a shoe in. The Pats playoffs hopes will be probably dashed in Denver the following week. Someone forgot to tell Marc Brunell that! Jags win 30-27. Pats win and AFC championship will be at Foxboro with me in attendance! Holy S%&$! The stars all aligned. The Patriots dismantled the Steelers in the fog bowl.

I remember you couldn't see a thing between the fog and smoke from the pyrotechnics. However, I did get to see rookie wide-out sensation, Terry Glenn's acrobatic catch at the goal line leading to the 28-3 victory. Bring on the Jags!! I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was freezing! The wind was wailing. We had no grill. My friends and I ended up eating subway ice cube sandwiches. My friend Cam forgot his ticket at home. However, none of these things could snuff Super Bowl fever which was gripping Foxboro stadium! My friends and I entered the stadium at bit toasty to combat the arctic weather outside. Our butts were frozen to the ice slabs which doubled for benches. It was game time!

Early in the game, the Pats scored and took the lead. It was a low scoring affair, partly due to the weather, but New England had more points and that's all that mattered. A 13-3 win brought us to the Super Bowl.

We couldn't believe it. We'd never experienced anything like this in our lifetimes, and we had just witnessed the most special of seasons. While we lost the game to the Packers that season, the best was still yet to come. How great it was.