Introducing our Top 20 Patriots Moments of 2023

Our annual offseason countdown will look a bit different this year.

The 2023 NFL season is officially in the books, and we’re all gearing up for what promises to be one of the most interesting offseasons in Patriots history. It may feel like the offseason has been in full swing around these parts for months now, but in reality, we’re just getting started.

And since it’s the offseason, it’s time for everyone’s favorite Pats Pulpit series: The Top 20 New England Patriots Moments of the year!

However…

Given what transpired for the New England over the past few months, and what a complete disaster this team was, the sad reality is that there was no way I could come up with a full list of 20 great moments.

I tried. I really did. I went through each and every game looking for big moments, and I just couldn’t fill out a full 20. Each countdown I’ve done in the past always had a moment or two that occurred in a loss here and there, but those moments always came in relatively close games or represented some kind of turning point in the season. We really didn’t get anything like that in 2023, and this team was just so bad the pickings were slim if I wanted to do this countdown in earnest. I would imagine nobody wants to read a 500-word article with “Moment #18: The Patriots gain a first down” as part of the series, which means that this year I’m going to have to pivot a little bit.

So with that, I present to you all for the first — and hopefully the last — time: The Top 10 Best and Top 10 Worst Patriots Moments of 2023.

Over the coming weeks and months, during the slower times on the NFL news cycle, I’m going to be recapping the sweet highlights, and the cringey lowlights, of the previous season. This series will follow an alternating format, a bad moment followed by a good moment, so we don’t all spend the first half of this offseason unburying all the trauma we’ve packed away. In a weird way, compiling this list was a lot of fun, and hopefully enough time has passed that you’ll all be able to appreciate the entirety of 2023, warts and all.

Be warned, though: what’s heading your way is hands down the weirdest list I have ever put together. There are going to be some good moments that just as easily could have been bad ones, and bad ones that people might think belong with the good. It was just that kind of season. But at the end of the day, this is my list, and I rule it with an iron fist. If you don’t like it, sound off in the comments about what an idiot I am.

But first, as always, let’s all take one last look back at the Top 20 Most Memorable Patriots Moments of the previous season. Feels like forever ago.

20. The Patriots trade N’Keal Harry.
19. A game-sealing Mac Jones interception is coupled with a gruesome ankle injury against the Ravens.
18. Rookies step up big in relief duty against the Arizona Cardinals.
17. Hunter Henry catches/doesn’t catch a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings.
16. Nelson Agholor harnesses his inner Randy Moss with an insane 44 yard TD grab against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
15. Devin McCourty registers his 200th start against the Buffalo Bills.
14. A blocked punt leads to the first touchdown of the day as the Patriots blow out the Indianapolis Colts.
13. Tyquan Thornton emerges with a two touchdown day against the Cleveland Browns
12. A Marcus Jones pick-six puts the Patriots on the board against the Cincinnati Bengals.
11. Jack Jones picks off Aaron Rodgers and takes it 40 yards for the score to give the Patriots the lead against the Green Bay Packers.
10. Bill Belichick, Matthew Slater, and Devin McCourty all earn some impressive records against the New York Jets.
9. Rhamondre Stevenson breaks 5 tackles on third and 16 to pick up a first down against the New York Jets.
8. Bailey Zappe replaces a struggling Mac Jones on Monday Night Football.
7. The Patriots tie a franchise record with nine sacks against the Indianapolis Colts.
6. The Disaster in the Desert.
5. Marcus Jones takes his first ever NFL reception 48 yards to the house against the Buffalo Bills.
4. A long pass and a tipped ball turn 3rd and 29 into a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.
3. Kyle Dugger somehow turns a quick screen into a pick six against the Raiders.
2. A Matthew Judon strip sack and a Kyle Dugger scoop and score highlight a 29-0 beatdown of the Detroit Lions.
1. Marcus Jones takes a late game punt 84 yards to the house for a walk-off victory against the New York Jets.

Let the 2023 countdown begin!