5. November 10, 2002 - Patriots 33, Bears 30

Number five on our list of the greatest Patriots regular season games of the decade comes from 2002. The Patriots were defending Super Bowl champions, and for the first time in franchise history, they were the hunted. However, their championship defense was not going as planned, as the Patriots had lost four straight games after starting the season 3-0. On this day, the Patriots traveled to Champaign, Illinois, temporary home of the defending NFC Central Division champions, the Chicago Bears.

The game was tied 6-6 going into halftime, after Adam Vinatieri buried a franchise-long 57-yard field goal to end the first half. Coming out of the locker room, the Bears were clearly the better team. The Bears recovered a Tom Brady fumble inside of the Patriots 20, and two plays later the Bears were the first team in the end zone, when Bears quarterback Jim Miller found a wide-open Stanley Pritchard. A three-and-out for the Patriots on the next possession gave Chicago great field position, set up at the New England 44. The Bears ran a trick play, as Miller handed the ball to wide receiver Marty Booker, who in turn threw the ball to an open Marcus Robinson for a touchdown, extending the Chicago lead to 20-6 with the third quarter barely five minutes old.

On the next Patriots' possession, Tom Brady was intercepted by Brian Urlacher, setting the Bears up again in Patriots territory. After a 34-yard run by Anthony Thomas, the Bears once again got on the board, when Thomas bowled through the Pats' goal-line defense for a two-yard touchdown run and a 27-6 edge.

Then, the comeback began.

It started slowly, as the Patriots matriculated the ball down the field, thanks to Kevin Faulk, who gained 36 total yards on the drive, including a 16-yard touchdown catch to narrow the gap to 27-13. On Chicago's next possession, Otis Smith intercepted Jim Miller, and the Patriots added a field goal to cut the lead to eleven, at 27-16. The Bears added a field goal at the start of the fourth quarter to move the lead back to thirteen, at 30-16. It was the last time the Bears would light up the scoreboard on this day.

Vinatieri added another field goal, as the Bears once again stymied the Patriots offense. With just over five minutes left, the Patriots trailed 30-19. After the defense held the Bears to a three-and-out, Brady found Troy Brown and David Givens, en route to a 36-yard touchdown pass to Faulk, his second of the day. After failing to convert the two-point conversion, the score stood at 30-25. Once again, the Patriots defense held the Bears to nothing offensively, setting the stage for one of Tom Brady's more dramatic final drives.

After moving the ball into Chicago territory with ease, Brady hit a snag. Facing 4th and 3 from the Chicago 30 with only 54 seconds remaining, Brady ran for the first down and killed the clock with a spike.

After an incomplete pass and a seven-yard gain, the Patriots faced 3rd and 3 at the Bears' 20 with 27 seconds left. Brady dropped back, pumped twice, then floated a prayer into the back corner of the end zone. The ball fell into the waiting hands of David Patten, who dragged his toes into the orange turf of the end zone. The referee raised his arms to signal a touchdown, as the Patriots players raised their arms to signal a sure victory. After a booth review confirmed what was already known, the Patriots led 33-30 with 20 seconds left.

Chicago was unable to get anything going on their final drive. The Bears hung their heads in defeat even as the offense walked onto the field with only few seconds remaining. The final score was 33-30 and the Patriots moved to 6-4 in one of the more dramatic wins in franchise history. Up to that point.

Coming tomorrow is the #4 regular season game in Patriots history. Here's a little hint: how many times do you see teams intentionally give up points?

Top Five Regular Season Games of the Decade

Starting tomorrow, The Grey Hoodie will begin to unveil the top five regular season games of the decade. With the 2009 season and the end of the decade just around the corner, it's time to fondly look back on the decade that was.

The 2000s were an interesting time for the New England Patriots. Starting with the beginning of the decade and the hiring of Bill Belichick, the Patriots were caught in mediocrity. Following a 5-11 season in 2000 and an 0-2 start in 2001, there did not seem to be much light at the end of the tunnel for the Patriots. Following a life-threatening injury to franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe, the Patriots suddenly turned a corner, led by sixth-round draft pick Tom Brady. Brady led a blue-collar Patriots team to stunning upsets over the Raiders and Steelers in the playoffs before the ultimate upset; a Super Bowl XXXVI victory over the Greatest Show on Turf, the St. Louis Rams.

The Patriots suddenly had turned into a dynasty. Behind Belichick and his team-first, defensive mindset, the Pats had gone from laughingstock to champion in a matter of a year. The Patriots won back-to-back championships in 2003 and 2004 and were the blueprint for the modern NFL franchise. Following disappointing finishes in 2005 and 2006, the Patriots swung trades for Randy Moss and Wes Welker, spurring a 16-0 regular season in 2007. Unfortunately for the Pats and their fans, the team fell one win short of perfection, losing Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants.

Going into 2008, the Patriots looked to rebound from a shocking and disappointing loss in the Super Bowl. However, eight minutes into the season, Tom Brady tore his ACL, ending his season seemingly before it started. Despite such a stunning loss to the team's on-field performance, backup quarterback Matt Cassel took the reigns, and the Patriots barely missed the playoffs after an emotionally wrenching 11-5 season.

Through the past nine seasons, the Patriots have had many nail-biting regular season games. What were the best? Stay tuned with The Grey Hoodie, as we debut the list starting tomorrow!

Patriots Unveil Preseason Schedule

The National Football League today released the preseason schedule for 2009. The Patriots will open up on the road against the runners-up in the NFC Championship Game, the Philadelphia Eagles. The game will be held between August 13-17, as all official game days are to be announced at a later date.

The Patriots will have their preseason home opener between August 20-24 against Carson Palmer, Chad Ocho Cinco and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Pats will then play a nationally televised game in the nation's capital against the Washington Redskins. The game can be seen on CBS on Friday, August 28.

The Patriots will wrap up their slate of preseason games in Foxboro against the New York Giants on either September 3 or 4. This will be the Patriots' fifth consecutive preseason that ends against the Giants.

While some question the validity of preseason games, remember, it was the 2008 preseason in which Bill Belichick instilled his trust in the untested Matt Cassel as Tom Brady's backup. Also, it was the four preseason games in 2001 when Tom Brady made his push to be holding the clipboard for Drew Bledsoe, leaping ahead of veteran Damon Huard.

Patriots Seeing Red in 2009?

Unconfirmed rumors are out there on the internet today, stating that the Patriots will drop their silver alternate uniform in exchange for a red alternate. The image above is a rendering of what the red uniform would look like in action.

The Patriots have worn their silver alternate uniform for multiple home games since debuting the jersey in 2003.

Nothing has been confirmed, but if this in fact true, I like the look. It hearkens back to the Patriots of the 1960s through the early 1990s, when Pat Patriot was on the helmet and the players were wearing red uniforms. It's an updated look on a classic uniform scheme.

Alongside the reports that the Patriots will wear throwback jerseys for three home games in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the American Football League., this rumor has given the Pats numerous options of which jersey they choose to wear for home games.

Samuel, Stallworth and Gay Still Paying Dividends

The Patriots were awarded three compensatory draft picks based on losing free agents Asante Samuel, Donte' Stallworth and Randall Gay in the 2007-08 off-season.

Compensatory picks are determined by a free agent's salary, playing time and postseason performance. In losing Samuel, Stallworth and Gay, the Patriots gained a third-round pick (97th overall), a fifth-round pick (170th) and a sixth-round pick (207th).

By gaining a third round pick, the Patriots now have a whopping six draft picks in the top 100. They have their first-round pick (23rd overall), three second-rounders (their own, San Diego's and Kansas City's) and two third-round picks (their own and their compensatory pick). For a team looking to fill holes in the secondary, linebacking corps and offensive line, having six picks in the first 97 overall will pay significant dividends going into the April 23-24 NFL Draft.

The Patriots now have leverage to either swing a trade or move up in the draft. They can package together multiple picks to move into an earlier slot, or they could use numerous picks to make a trade (Julius Peppers, anyone?)

While losing Asante Samuel had significant effects on the Patriots' secondary, leaving Ellis Hobbs and Deltha O'Neal to foot the load, his departure has allowed for the Patriots to look into a potentially bright future on the defensive side of the ball.

If only he held onto that Eli Manning pass in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLII...