On January 19, 2002, the Oakland Raiders thought they had locked up a win to advance to the next round of the play-offs after recovering a fumble by New England quarterback Tom Brady. But, the ruling on the play was reversed due to the "tuck rule."

Who had ever heard of such a thing? Worse yet, what kind of luck was it that allowed such a play to surface in a game involving a team that had already been involved in some of the most bizarre and spectacular plays known to man, such as the "the Holy Roller" and "the Sea of Hands catch?"

We can never be sure, but isn't it ironic that this infamous call gave New England life in a game they would ultimately win, and that it essentially became the springboard for the extraordinary run we are currently witnessing? Beginning with that season's Super Bowl, the Patriots would win the coveted trophy three times and they are heavily favored to win a fourth on February 3rd.

Who can say where we would be right now had the Raiders won that snowy January night. But, we do know where we are and the Patriots have done what any good team would do – take full advantage of an opportunity when all seemed lost.

It was January 10, 1982 when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana hit Dwight Clark for a touchdown on a play known forever as "the Catch" in the NFC championship against the Dallas Cowboys. It is easily considered one of the greatest finishes ever in pro football, and like New England 20 years later, the 'Niners were able to ride the momentum from that win to un-paralleled success in the NFL with five Super Bowl wins in a 13-year span.

The late Bill Walsh introduced a scheme known as the "West Coast Offense," which took advantage of reads by wide receivers and quarterbacks alike, set up the run with the pass, introduced the world to "cool" Joe Montana, and revolutionized the game. A testimony to Walsh's genius is that many of his former assistants became head coaches in their own right, such as Mike Holmgren of Seattle and Mike Shanahan of Denver, both Super Bowl championship coaches like their mentor.

The Pittsburgh Steelers had been a poster child for mediocrity during its time in the NFL, but with some savvy drafting over a short period in the late '60s and early '70s, they had advanced to the playoffs in 1972. The Oakland Raiders had proved in the late '60s to be a successful franchise and they continued their winning ways through the mid-'80's. But, in addition to losing the game that seemed to catapult New England to its current status, Oakland also played an important part in the Pittsburgh Steelers' dynasty of the '70s.

In a postseason rivalry unmatched by any other for sheer intensity and high stakes, Oakland and Pittsburgh met on December 23, 1972 at Three Rivers Stadium in a hard-hitting contest that materialized into a 6-0 lead for the Steelers. Then, late in the fourth quarter, Oakland's reserve quarterback Kenny "The Snake" Stabler darted 30 yards for a touchdown that put the Raiders up 7-6.

The Steelers tried desperately to advance into field goal range, but the Raider's defense held them in check. Then, with fourth-and-10 and only 22 seconds to go in the game, Steeler's quarterback Terry Bradshaw desperately scrambled in the backfield before unleashing a bullet to running back John "Frenchy" Fuqua at midfield. As the ball approached Fuqua, Raiders safety Jack Tatum was there to meet him with a crunching hit that sent the ball spiraling backward about 30 yards and all in attendance and on the field figured the game to be over.

It was then that rookie Franco Harris caught the ball right before it hit the ground, shook off a tackle and ran down the field for a touchdown. The win catapulted the Steelers to its first-ever playoff victory and the beginnings of its winning ways on that bizarre play forever known as "the Immaculate Reception."

Pittsburgh was a playoff fixture after that amazing play. They lost to Oakland the next season in the playoffs, but they would win four rings in six years. The Steelers first two titles came after beating the Raiders in the 1974 and 1975 AFC championships.

Can we really explain the success of New England, San Francisco or Pittsburgh by simply saying those memorable plays jump started those franchises to their places in sports history? Sure we can, because winning is an attitude that comes from the top down. In order to even be in a position to win, much less in such insane fashion, a team must first develop the attitude that says "we can win" and leave it all on the field until the last gun sounds. Joe Montana driving the 'Niners 92 yards in less than two minutes in the '89 Super Bowl is indicative of that point.

San Francisco and Pittsburgh both made the post season before their championship runs, but without much success. In the 49ers Walsh and the Steeler's Chuck Noll, the teams had coaches who instilled toughness and a belief that said, "we can get this done." Furthermore, the team's quarterbacks, Montana (along with Steve Young) and Bradshaw, were extensions of their coaches while on the field and the rest of the team bought in and the rest is history.

Different than the 'Niners and Steelers, New England had played in and lost two Super Bowls, but the '02 team was different. Coach Bill Belichick instilled in his squad the same mental approach as Walsh and Noll did with theirs. In addition, quarterback Tom Brady was an extension of Belichick's mind as a coach on the field. He orchestrated the Patriot's attack to a championship over the St. Louis Rams in a game where he marched the Pats down the field for a winning field goal when some were questioning whether New England should have just run out the clock and try to win the game in overtime.
Therein lies the difference.