{"numbering":"asc","slides":[{"index":1,"title":"Pats once had divisional round classics; not so much since","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2018/01/10/cp-spark-patriots-divisional-round-011018.jpg","caption":"

The Snow Bowl. Beating Peyton Manning (again). The Benjamin Watson tackle. The "sorriest corner in the league."

The divisional round used to almost guarantee an entertaining game in the early days of the Patriots' dynasty. Yet since the Patriots’ memorable upset against the Chargers in 2006, the divisional round has been pretty blah for them.

Here’s a look at the Patriots’ divisional round games under Bill Belichick. You’ll notice the classics are few and far in between as time goes on.

"},{"index":3,"title":"2001 SEASON","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2018/01/10/adobe_spark_56.jpg","caption":"

A classic! Snow Bowl! Tuck Rule! Overtime! Adam Vinatieri!

"},{"index":5,"title":"2003 SEASON","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2018/01/10/adobe_spark_57.jpg","caption":"

The Patriots were certainly humbled by missing the playoffs in the 2002 season, and it took another close game (and another late Vinatieri kick) to get them back to the AFC Championship. Don’t forget that 41-yard bomb from Tom Brady to Bethel Johnson in the first quarter.

"},{"index":7,"title":"2004 SEASON","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2018/01/10/adobe_spark_58.jpg","caption":"

This one was memorable for multiple things. It served as a continuation of the Belichick-on-Manning ass-kicking. There was also Tedy Bruschi punching the ball out of Dominic Rhodes’ hands and subsequent sideline gloating. The loss dropped Peyton Manning to 0-7 lifetime in Foxboro as the Pats made their run to another Super Bowl title.

"},{"index":9,"title":"2005 SEASON","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2018/01/10/adobe_spark_59.jpg","caption":"

One Pats fans would like to forget, the only highlight that came from an uncharacteristically bad game from Tom Brady was when Ben Watson ran down Champ Bailey after one of Brady’s two picks on the night. This post took extra long to publish because I can’t think about that play without spending the next 10 minutes watching it over and over again. Another fun fact: This was Brady’s first postseason loss.

"},{"index":11,"title":"2006 SEASON","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2018/01/10/adobe_spark_60.jpg","caption":"

Now this was a great game. Drama before, theater during and drama after. After Igor Olshansky said the No. 1 seed Chargers would be too much for the Patriots, the Pats survived a three-pick game from Brady. The heroes? Troy Brown for forcing a fumble after Brady’s third and potentially game-losing pick in the fourth quarter, Stephen Gostkowski for making a late field goal and Nate Kaeding for missing one.

Then Ellis Hobbs danced and Philip Rivers was pissed. LaDainian Tomlinson may have then said something about Bill Belichick. It was classy.

"},{"index":13,"title":"2007 SEASON","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2018/01/10/adobe_spark_61.jpg","caption":"

Here’s where it gets pretty underwhelming. The Patriots were undefeated and the Jaguars had David Garrard at quarterback. Guess what happened.

"},{"index":15,"title":"2010 SEASON","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2018/01/10/adobe_spark_62.jpg","caption":"

Rex Ryan! Mark Sanchez! Crazy upset! Sal Paolantonio! What a crazy thing that happened!

"},{"index":17,"title":"2011 SEASON","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2018/01/10/adobe_spark_63.jpg","caption":"

This one shouldn’t have even been played. Tim Tebow and the Broncos weren’t going to beat anyone after using up all their luck against the Steelers in the Wild Card round.

This game was all Brady. He threw six touchdowns and added a punt for good measure.

"},{"index":19,"title":"2012 SEASON","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2018/01/10/adobe_spark_64.jpg","caption":"

This wasn’t even the most interesting Patriots-Texans game of the 2012 season. That would be the letterman jacket game, which was in the regular season. Shane Vereen scored three touchdowns in this game, though. Again, this was not the letterman jacket game.

"},{"index":21,"title":"2013 SEASON","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2018/01/10/adobe_spark_66.jpg","caption":"

The Patriots rushed for six touchdowns. So did Andrew Luck, except instead of rushing for six touchdowns, he threw four interceptions.

"},{"index":23,"title":"2014 SEASON","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2018/01/10/adobe_spark_67.jpg","caption":"

This one was quite entertaining. The Pats fell down by 14 points and still managed to win thanks to such wackiness as a Julian Edelman touchdown pass and some confusing — but legal — formations that worked for the Pats and infuriated John Harbaugh.

"},{"index":25,"title":"2015 SEASON","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2018/01/10/adobe_spark_68.jpg","caption":"

The Patriots rushed for 38 yards and still won lmao.

"},{"index":27,"title":"2016 SEASON","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/archive/assets_media_gallery/boston/2018/01/10/adobe_spark_65.jpg","caption":"

This, which was also not the letterman jacket game, was closer than anyone could have expected. We thought that Jadeveon Clowney’s tormenting of Brady and Dion Lewis’ three touchdowns were the only stories in this game, but the Seth Wickersham piece has taught us otherwise.

"}]}