The 2001 season was one of ups and downs for the New England Patriots. 

However, they overcame it all and made it to the playoffs. 

So when the Patriots hosted their final game at Foxborough Stadium against the Raiders, they didn't back down from the challenge despite being underdogs.

And through some strong perseverance along with a bit of luck, their season continued. 

Here are the meaningful moments from "The Dynasty: New England Patriots" Episode 2: The Snow Bowl

Tom Brady Recalls the 2000 NFL Draft 

Getting selected in the sixth round was not what Tom Brady thought was going to happen. 

“I remember Draft Day. I was sitting at home with my parents," Brady said. "I knew I wasn’t a first round pick. I thought maybe second or third round. And then the third round came and I was like nothing. You could see the upcoming teams that were picking and the quarterbacks that were available, the guys that I was kind of lumped with. A lot of those guys were going off the board.” 

When the fifth round ended and Brady was still without a team, the worry set in even more. 

“So I took a walk around the block," he said. "I had a baseball bat and I was just slamming a baseball bat into my hand. Just imagining if I never get picked.” 

And while the Patriots had Drew Bledsoe, Brady was still on the board when the 199th pick rolled around. And Scott Pioli knew what they should to do. 

“We drafted a bunch of players ahead of him, but when we get to the sixth round, we’re looking at the board and Brady’s over there by himself," he said. "And we’re like what are we doing? We don’t need a quarterback, but he was the best player available."

Tom’s Temper

Brady's temper didn't just begin when he started playing football. 

It's always been that way for the quarterback. 

“One time, he took the remote and threw it as hard as he could at the wall," Brady's father, Tom Brady Sr. said. "I asked my wife about the hole in the wall and I said, ‘what is that?’ And she said, ‘It’s Tommy’s temper.”

While some people might see that as a bad thing, the Patriots used it to their advantage. 

"Even after Tommy got to the Patriots here in New England, his drive was insatiable," his father added. "And I think Bill, he could see Tommy’s potential.”

A True Team Effort in 2001

Since Tom Brady wasn't a household name yet, everyone on the Patriots was getting equal credit for the team's success in the second half of the season. 

And that's what helped them continue to triumph. 

“I think without him being the superstar, the iconic main guy for the team, kind of let everybody else have a piece of the pie. Like they took a little bit more ownership in the sense like this is our team," Adam Viniteri said. "It’s not Tom’s teams. It’s not Bill’s team. It’s Mr. Kraft’s team, but it’s not Mr. Kraft’s team. It’s our team. We’re doing this together.”

The Snow Bowl 

Everyone thought that the New England Patriots didn't stand a chance against the Raiders. 

But when the snow started falling, things changed. 

“I remember driving to the game and it just starts spitting snow, and I just had a great feeling," Ernie Adams said. 

While they had this advantage, the Patriots struggled and going into the fourth quarter, they were trailing. They started to turn it around, but with just over a minute remaining, Brady fumbled the ball. 

The entire team, including Brady, walked over to the sidelines, thinking their season was over. But the officials then started reviewing the play, saying it could have been an incomplete pass rather than a fumble. 

“I mean, it felt like a fumble to me. And it looked like a fumble to basically everyone else," he said. "Except that’s not the way the rule was written. So we didn’t write the f****** rule.”

And there was one perfect statement that summed it all up perfectly: "God bless Walt Coleman and the Tuck rule.”

After all that, the pressure fell on kicker Adam Vinatieri's shoulders.  

“A 45-yarder in six inches of snow during a crazy blizzard like that was super, super low percentage kick. We didn’t really have any time to clear the field. I kind of gave one sweep with my foot and was like, ‘Here goes nothing,’ Vinatieri explained. "I just had a conversation with myself saying, ‘Hey Adam, this is going to be the most difficult kick of your life with this much on the line. You just have to focus in and do everything right. If you miss it you’re done.’”

But when he put it through the up-rights, the game was headed to overtime. And then Vinatieri nailed a game-winning field goal soon after to send the Patriots to the AFC Championship. 

“Thank god for Adam Vinatieri," Ty Law said. "They should bronze his damn foot for real. Like put Adam Vinatieri foot on top of your damn car like it’s a Rolls-Royce.”