Where would a Super Bowl LX win rank among the Patriots' championships?

The New England Patriots are not hurting for championship memories.

This Sunday will mark the 12th Super Bowl the Patriots have participated in, with six Lombardi Trophy wins of all varieties -- shocking victories, underdog wins, epic comebacks and strong defensive battles.

Former Patriots quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady was known for saying his favorite ring was the "next one" when asked to pick one that stood out. But if he, or Patriots nation, or owner Robert Kraft had to choose, how would the wins rank? And where would Super Bowl LX fit into those rankings if the Patriots defeat the Seattle Seahawks?

While punching a ticket to AFC Championship was practically a yearly tradition for a while and Super Bowl trips were not scarce, even the most confident New England resident didn't predict the Patriots would make a Super Bowl return this year. The pure shock factor and unlikeliness of the season is why, if they win, it would rank quite high as far as Super Bowl go.

Here's a look at where it would rank and where the other Super Bowl wins rank as well:

1. Super Bowl XXXVI: Patriots (20) vs. Rams (17), 2002

Just like this year's team, that Patriots team was not expected to make it to the big game, never mind win it all. They had missed the playoffs the two years prior, were coming off a five-win season, had a fairly new head coach (with Bill Belichick being in his second year) and were led by a second-year quarterback who seemed to have a lot of talent but still needed to prove himself under the bright lights and against an excellent team. 

Sound familiar?

The Rams, then in St. Louis, were "The Greatest Show on Turf" led by MVP quarterback Kurt Warner. The Patriots weren't supposed to win that game and the Rams were 14-point favorites. The Rams had made the Super Bowl twice in three seasons and had far more experience than the team led by draft pick No. 199. 

The game was tied at 17-17 with 1:30 left and from the booth John Madden said it would be wise for the Patriots to play for overtime, rather than try for a win and have it potentially backfire with a Rams takeaway. 

"You have to run the clock out and play for for overtime here," Madden said. 

Belichick and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis decided to take the risk. With seven seconds left, Adam Vinatieri sunk a 48-yard kick to continue his legend. 

This Super Bowl has to rank No. 1, because it was the one that started it all. It kicked off Brady and Belichick's (eventual) Hall of Fame career, began the first of their dynasties and was the first championship win in franchise history. The road to get to the game was just as iconic as the Super Bowl itself, with the "Tuck Rule" game still haunting Raiders fans. 

This Super Bowl also changed how teams were introduced. Up until then, NFL teams introduced their players individually, but Belichick told the league he wanted his team to run out together. The NFL didn't initially agree, but Belichick is known to push for his way, and did so here. Now teams are traditionally introduced as a unit. Super Bowl XXXVI gets the top spot because it set the precedent for the team's identity and catapulted numerous careers.

2. Super Bowl LI: Patriots (34) vs. Falcons (28) OT, 2017

The comeback game earns its rightful spot at No. 2. This game didn't start or close a dynasty, but the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history -- 28-3! -- cannot be overlooked.

The season began with Brady serving a four-game suspension for the Deflategate scandal. Quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett got the team to 3-1 in his absence. Brady returned with a vengeance, putting up Pro Bowl numbers and leading the team to an NFL-record ninth Super Bowl appearance.

The Patriots were three-point favorites and were the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but didn't look like it through three quarters against the explosive Falcons. Down 28-3 with 2:12 left in the third quarter, the Falcons felt like they had it, so much so that their owner came down to the field to begin the celebration. On the other side of the field was a fired-up Julian Edelman, telling an equally locked in Brady that the game was "going to be a hell of a story." And one hell of a story it was.

The Falcons didn't score again and thanks to some incredible catches, a strip sack on Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and the composure of a team battle-tested postseason team forcing the first overtime in Super Bowl history. A touchdown by running back James White in OT sealed the team's fifth Lombardi Trophy. 

3. Super Bowl LX: Patriots vs. Seahawks, 2026

If the Patriots defeat the Seahawks on Sunday, I would put the victory as No. 3 all-time. It may seem a little high, but let's dive into why this win would be so significant. 

All the Patriots' Super Bowl wins came in the Brady-Belichick era, and to get back without them felt like a large task and one that wouldn't come any time soon. From 2020 through 2024, Patriots fans finally got to see how the other half lives. I mean, there are six-year-olds in New England that have never seen the Patriots win a championship. A horror, if you ask them. 

The Patriots were not even supposed to be that good this year. Better than last year, sure, thanks to a new head coach, a full year of quarterback Drake Maye and building through the draft and free agency, but not Super Bowl-good. Some fans and media went out on a limb this offseason and predicted the Patriots would make the playoffs, which at the time was viewed by some others as a reach after consecutive 4-13 seasons. A Week 1 home loss against the Raiders was an awful sign. 

A few months later, though, and this is already the largest turnaround in NFL history. New England is 17-3. Mike Vrabel is on the doorstep of being the fifth coach to win a Super Bowl in his first season with the team. A win Sunday would break a tie with Pittsburgh for most Super Bowl wins by a franchise. It would also make Maye the youngest starting quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl. There is doubtless Patriots fatigue, but this is historic stuff and it's coming out of left field. 

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Like in their first Super Bowl with Brady, most aren't expecting the Patriots to win this game. Seattle is a 4.5-point favorite and looks like the best team in football. A New England win would quiet those who believed the Patriots only made the big game due to an easy schedule and their circumstances, like playing against a backup QB in the AFC Championship.

4. Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots (24) vs. Eagles (21), 2005

The Patriots secured their first dynasty with a victory over the Eagles to conclude the 2003 season. It marked their third Super Bowl win in four years, becoming just the second team (Cowboys) to accomplish this feat. Brady and Belichick were already a massive threat to the league and hoisting their third Lombardi Trophy cemented their elite status.

Brady's 37 completions set a Super Bowl record and was historically significant for other reasons. He crossed the mark of 13 total touchdown passes in the Super Bowl passed Joe Montana's career record, and it also positioned Brady in the "GOAT" conversation because the win put him just one ring shy of Montana. 

New England's defense stepped up in the game as well, forcing four turnovers. This game was a quintessential Patriots win, using all three phases of the game to pull of a victory. New England lost its next two Super Bowls after this, both to the Giants, and would not win again until ...

5. Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots (28) vs. Seahawks (24), 2015

"Malcolm go!" is a phrase that immediately excites Patriots fans and deflates Seahawks fans. These teams were evenly matched and were both top seeds in their respective conferences. 

This game could arguably go higher just based on how infamous the Seahawks' final play was, but I put the Eagles win ahead because it completed a dynasty and made history.

Back to that final play I mentioned. The Seahawks had the ball on the one-yard line with less than a minute to go, down 28-24. A score felt given and wouldn't leave the Brady much time to take back the lead. With one of the greatest running backs in the league Marshawn Lynch, it seemed obvious that quarterback Russell Wilson would hand the ball to him, take the lead and win the game. Instead, the Patriots noticed a formation they went over in practice, sent Malcolm Butler onto the field and when Wilson threw the ball, it landed in Butler's arms with devastating consequences. 

This was the Patriots' first Super Bowl in 10 years. 

6. Super Bowl LIII: Patriots (13) vs. Rams (3), 2019

This is referred to as a "boring" Super Bowl by many and while it wasn't high-scoring or a fun watch for your Super Bowl parties, it did have its appeal. Its lack of scoring is why it's low on the list at No. 6 among our hypothetical seven, but it closed the loop as being Brady and Belichick's final Super Bowls together and thus should not be ranked last. 

A few neat notes: It tied the Steelers for most Super Bowl wins by a franchise, made Brady (41) and Belichick (66) the oldest starting quarterback and head coach to win a Super Bowl and, gratifying for the age-defying Brady, awarded him the honor of being the first quarterback to win one in his 40s. Two years later and two years older, he'd win another one for the Buccaneers. 

The game was a rematch Super Bowl XXXVI and seemed fitting that the last championship in that era was the same as their first.  Other fanbases may look down on the lowest-scoring Super Bowl of all time, but Patriots fans have a soft spot for this one. 

7. Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots (32) vs. Panthers (29), 2004

This was an exciting back-and-forth game and is certainly not one to be forgotten, it just doesn't have the same punch some of the other wins have. This was the Patriots' second Super Bowl win, coming just two years after their first. This time, the Patriots were the favorites.

It was the first Super Bowl with two scoreless quarters, coming in the first and third and the teams combined for 37 points in the fourth quarter. This didn't lack juice and is considered one of the most riveting games by the general public, but the other Super Bowls had more of an impact on the franchise itself.

Adam Vinatieri was as clutch as ever and kicked a 41-yard field goal with four seconds left to win the game. Brady got his second Super Bowl MVP honor.