Super Squirrel: Ranking Julian Edelman's Top Moments With Patriots

Julian Edelman, one of the greatest wide receivers in New England Patriots history and a recent inductee into the team's Hall of Fame, became a regional icon across six states during his playing career.

What started as a humble beginning, drafted in the seventh round out of Kent State, to later becoming one of the faces of the Patriots' dynastic teams of the 21st century, the man they called "The Squirrel" is part of some of the best moments in franchise history.

So in honor of Edelman's 40th birthday, here are five of his greatest masterpieces in a Patriots uniform -- all of them endearing him to the fans of New England for years to come.

5. 2013 Breakout In Comeback Win Over Denver

After Wes Welker left in free agency after the 2012 season, the Patriots needed to replace the slot receiver's production. That's where Edelman and free agent Danny Amenola stepped in to become go-to guys for Tom Brady. Edelman's 2013 season started with a bang, scoring a pair of touchdowns in a Week 1 road win at Buffalo.

It wasn't until Week 12 that he'd find the end zone again, and it came at the biggest time. The Patriots were hosting the Denver Broncos -- the team that had set plenty of NFL passing records that year -- and found themselves trailing 24-0 at halftime.

Coming out of the locker room, Edelman caught a five-yard touchdown to open up the second half scoring before scampering for a 14-yard catch and run in the fourth quarter. Those two touchdowns helped the Patriots eventually force the game to overtime, where a field goal would send the New England fans home happy.

4. Super Bowl LIII MVP Performance

Feb 3, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after beating the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

The Patriots' 2018 offense was good when it needed to be, but it wasn't as crisp as it once was. The Super Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams was a clear example of that, as the AFC champs struggle to truly move the ball and create any chances.

Despite that, Edelman kept racking up catch after catch after catch. His 10 catches led both teams, as did his 141 receiving yards. While he didn't find the end zone, Edelman was really the one consistently good player in a game determined by the defenses.

Edelman was named Super Bowl MVP for his efforts, becoming the second wide receiver in franchise history to win the award (Deion Branch in Super Bowl XXXIX).

3. Double Pass Touchdown In 2014 AFC Divisional Round

It's really hard to rank his top three because you can truly make an argument that they all deserve to be at the top. For this spot, I chose the non-Super Bowl play, though it certainly didn't lack in dramatics. New England was trailing the Baltimore Ravens in the 2014 AFC Divisional by two touchdowns when offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels rolled the dice.

He sent Edelman in motion from right to left, where Brady would throw a quick screen to him. Then the former Kent State quarterback fired a perfect strike to a wide open Amendola streaking down the home sideline. The 51-yard toss was the first passing attempt of Edelman's career, and helped the Patriots storm back to win the game.

It was that play that eventually led to a rolodex of trick plays beginning to get installed for the Patriots. By the time Edelman hung his cleats up, he had thrown eight passes and completed seven of them -- including a touchdown to Phillip Dorsett in 2019.

2. Diving Fingertip Grab In Super Bowl LI

On what became the game-tying drive right before overtime, the Patriots needed to push the ball down the field. Brady fired a cannon in the middle of the field in the direction of Edelman, who was swarmed down the seam. Honestly, it was a bad ball and it had gotten tipped by Falcons cornerback Robert Alford.

Immediately, the football popped into the air and was just floating there. Edelman -- being the quick thinking receiver -- lunged forward to try and make an attempt at it. So did three Falcons defensive backs and it became a pile. When you slowed the play down, you could see Edelman's red gloves nab the ball before it hit the ground.

The now-iconic catch led to the Patriots completing the largest Super Bowl comeback of all time, and Edelman's helmet and gloves from that game now reside in the Patriots Hall of Fame.

1. Game-Winning Touchdown In Super Bowl XLIX

In what I believe is the greatest Super Bowl ever played, Edelman came up big for New England in the fourth quarter. On a gotta-have-it third down, trailing by 10 points, Brady and Edelman connected on a first down. The young receiver took a smack from Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor and kept chugging along to pick up extra yardage.

The Patriots would find Amendola for a score to pull within three points, and one drive later, Edelman was wide open in the end zone on a gorgeous zig route at the goal line for what became the game-winning touchdown.

Plenty of Patriots stepped up in that game, but Edelman's nine catches and 109 receiving yards were a major factor in New England's fourth Super Bowl title. The photo of Edelman's score also resides on the ceiling of the team's Hall of Fame.

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