Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27260 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-03-05
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 65 minutes

Amazon.com
No one expected great things for the 2001 New England Patriots, and their upstart reputation persisted until the final seconds of Super Bowl XXXVI, when a winning field goal at long last established them as football's best. This rousing NFL Films production follows their entire season, beginning with a horrendous 1-3 record and the loss of quarterback Drew Bledsoe before they kept finding ways to win in a season that couldn't help but be emotional. Playing when America was attacked and went to war held a special meaning for the Patriots, who at one game paid tribute to teammate Joe Andruzzi's three brothers who work as New York City firefighters. The Patriots' postseason victories, including a memorable overtime upset in a snowstorm against the fearsome Raiders, are dramatically depicted. And 17 minutes of highlights from the Super Bowl game against the heavily favored St. Louis Rams are presented with all the devotion that only NFL Films can bring. --Robert J. McNamara

DVD features
An exciting surprise among the DVD bonus features is the entire Super Bowl halftime performance by U2. On a heart-shaped set wheeled onto the field, the Irish superstars turn in highly emotional performances of "Beautiful Day," "MLK," and "Where the Streets Have No Name" while the names of September 11 victims scroll upward on a gigantic backdrop. Other bonus items include a brief yet stirring tribute to September 11 by NFL players and teams, profiles of Patriots legends Gino Capelletti and Steve Grogan, and a short feature on the 1976 Patriots. --Robert J. McNamara

From the Back Cover
In the National Football League, it's not where you start--it's where you finish. The New England Patriots are living proof of that. As a mostly unanimous choice to finish last in the AFC East, the Patriots began the season 0-2 then lost their starting quarterback. Yet by season's end they were clutching their first Vince Lombardi Trophy.

When veteran quarterback Drew Bledsoe was injured early in the season, Tom Brady came out of virtual obscurity to lead the team in its dramatic turnaround. Then, in the AFC championship game, it was Bledsoe's turn to rise to the occasion when Brady went down. Further led by running back Antowain Smith and an unheralded but highly effective defense, the Patriots completed one of the most momentous comebacks in NFL history. With a masterful coaching job by Bill Belichick, the Patriots won 10 of their last 12 regular season games, then completed a remarkable sweep of the postseason with an overtime win against the Raiders, a clutch road win over the Steelers, and a stunning victory in the Super Bowl.

It's all here, from training camp through the Super Bowl--every game, all the key plays, and the men who made them. Get inside the huddle, down on the sidelines, into the locker room, and behind the scenes with exclusive footage that captures the sights and sounds of the remarkable comeback story of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. 65 minutes plus 30 minutes of DVD bonus footage.

Customer Reviews

an amazing moment of history, sadly not remembered very well on this DVD
As a long suffering Pats fan since birth, we had seen all the misery of losing, losing, losing and finally getting to 2 superbowls and hey.....losing! That all changed in New Orleans 2001 and what a feeling that was. WE FINALLY WIN !!!! sadly this incredible moment of glory and joy is not commemorated very well on this DVD. It's far too short for starters and there isn't full coverage of the superbowl. why?! I know it was a dull game but we still won our first superbowl ever. Why not the full game play by play? I also found the music pretty irritating and the extra's were minimal and lousy. If you were lucky enough to have taped the game as it was on TV that night, stick to that and don't waste your money on this trash.

BEYOND INSPIRATION
Being from New England, it is easy to say that this to me was one of the greatest things that ever happened, ever, the amazing 2001 season from the N.E. Patriots. Even if you ain't that into sports, maybe just inspirational films that put a huge sh** eating grin on your face... this is a DVD to own (at least to check out..)
I of course was issued a copy of this after the Superbowl win in 2002, being from New England, but only dug it out recently to view it. Besides telling the story in detail about the season, game for game, it is also produced very well, by using the real NFL film footage, that is much more in depth than what we all saw on TV back when it happened. Right on the sidelines with the players, you get to watch (half the time you can see that they are almost as amazed with themselves as we were)
I guess I should spare the story, because it is written in every other review here, and really its much better shown on the DVD, but to remember the state of the team at that point... Last place underdogs the WHOLE season. Even as the team barrel rolled and got bigger and better, game for game, no one believed they would do it (maybe us New Englanders did, but we were still crossing our fingers pretty damned hard).. but everytime the stakes got higher, the team got hotter (not to mention a few divine miracles, like the enormous hurricane during the Raiders game)
You just gotta watch this thing, and see how crazy the team really got, spectacular moves all over. This is one of those sports stories that should grace the big screen... a story you couldn't make up.
Rock on PATS!

P.S. Regarding the tribute to 9/11, god bless to all....
but I REALLY hate U2!

Relive New Englands First Super Bowl Championship
New England Patriots fans will no doubt want to add this Super Bowl XXXVI DVD to their collection. This highlights package of the 2001 NFL football season culminated in the Patriots winning their first league championship under difficult circumstances.

As with all other NFL championship DVDs, this is a little over an hour long highlights package of every New England Patriots regular season and playoff game, along with even more extensive highlights of the New England Patriots exciting, dramatic victory over the St. Louis Rams, 20-17, in Super Bowl XXXXVI.

This video includes many interviews, sideline sound bites, and locker room scenes throughout the season, which really brings to life the players and coaches on this fabulous team. While I always feel these video packages do not do a great job of highlighting the drama of specific games, including those in the playoffs, it does do a good of job of conveying the drama of this very interesting, unusual season for the Patriots. First, many may forget the Patriots started out 0-2, and were only 5-5 at one point in the season. Few expected this team to go too far, especially not to the Super Bowl. Probably more important, the producers of this video did a very nice job of dealing with the quarterback controversy - or lack thereof - that emerged when Tom Brady took over for the injured Drew Bledsoe, the long time New England starter. Bledsoe suffered a severe chest injury in the second regular season game against the Jets. Once Bledsoe was cleared to play later in the season, Brady kept the starting job because the Patriots were winning and Brady was on a roll. This DVD includes in season interviews with both quarterbacks talking about their situation. While there was a lot more tension on the team than is seen in the video or that the Patriots have ever made public, Bledsoe must be given great credit for not tearing the team apart and ruining their chances of success. Given his long tenure as the starter and close relationship with the players on the team, he could have easily caused great dissension on the team and split apart the locker room. But he accepted his new role with professionalism, maturity, and dignity which should endear him to most Patriots fans. Bledsoe's earned his Super Bowl ring through his maturity and his great play in the AFC Championship game against Pittsburgh when Brady twisted his ankle early in the game. This video does a nice job of highlighting and dealing with situation as the season progressed.

The video also does a nice job with the more extensive highlights of New England's playoff victories. The first, against the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Divisional Playoff game, 16-13, took place in a blizzard. This game featured the overturning of an apparent Brady fumble, under the now infamous "Tuck Rule," that would have cost the Patriots the game and some of the most amazing kicking in ridiculously bad weather by Adam Vinateri. The Patriots 24-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh featured sterling play by Bledsoe when Tom Brady went down with an injury early in the game, and a Troy Brown return of a blocked field goal that help seal the game for the Patriots.

Finally, of course, there are even more extensive highlights of the dramatic 20-17 Super Bowl victory over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI on a last second field goal by Adam Vinateri that was preceded by a gutsy, long drive by the Patriots with less than two minutes to go after the Rams tied the score late in the game. I still get tears in my eyes watching that kick sail through the uprights to secure our first Super Bowl victory.

The Special Features on the video are also nicely done. While I was disappointed the entire Super Bowl game was not on the video, the bonus material is quite worthwhile, even if the segments are a bit short. The bonus features include "NFL Salutes America," showing player reactions to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as well as the halftime show, featuring U2, which I frankly have never watched.

More interesting, and important to New England fans are the three short segments about the team itself (about five minutes a piece). First, there is a segment on the 1976 Patriots, which many consider to be the most talented Patriots team ever, which was robbed in a playoff loss against the Oakland Raiders on a bogus roughing the passer call late in the game. A second features one of New England's star players of the 1960's, Gino Cappelletti, who is now a broadcaster for Patriots game. And my favorite segment of all is on the tough, gritty Steve Grogan, the Patriots quarterback in the 1970's who I was a role model for me as kid.

This video is highly recommend for New England Patriots fans.

Disclaimer: I am a die hard New England Patriots fan and am totally biased in this review.

By C. Douglas Baker