PonyExpress

Including playoffs:

Dallas 1991-1995 71 3 SBs
Pittsburgh 1975-1979 67* (6 fewer games) 3 SBs
Miami 1971-1975 65* (10 fewer games) 2 SBs
SF 1988-1992 70 2 SBs
NE 2001-2005 68 3 SBs
Oakland 1973-1977 63* (10 fewer games) 1 SB
Dallas 1977-1981 67* (2 fewer games) 1 SB
Indy 2002-2006 67 1 SB
Chicago 1984-1988 67 (1 SB)
Buffalo 1989-1993 67 (4 Sb losses)

Note:

The current Pats, from '03-'07, already stand at 68 wins, with 7 games remaining + potential playoffs. If this 2007 team wins a SB, even without a "perfect season", it will stand indisputably as the greatest 5 year run in NFL history since the merger.

Also, the current Indianapolis Colts, from '03-'07, stand at 64 wins. If they win 8 more games this season, they will have won more games over a 5 year period than any other team in NFL history.

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maverick4

So the Pats only need 4 more wins to have the most wins in any 5 year span.
Amazing.

upstater1

Also, think about this. The Patriots have had one losing season since 1995.

12 years, one losing season. Not bad.

homergreg

Great stats!

The Colts and Patriots have met almost as many times during this span ,8, including playoffs as they would have if they were still in the same division. They met only once in 2005 and only once so far this year.

Really shows why the rivalry is the premier one in the league, if two teams can meet that many times and still each be looking at making NFL history.

He Ban Me

Even though you are a Pats fan, and NE is the obvious front runner, it was cool of you to include the INDY numbers.

psychoPat

Wonderful work, PonyX !

The Colts certainly are a superlative team on the field.

A shame that their standard bearers have made them such a declasse organization off the field.
The perennial whining ... excuses ... tilted use of leverage at league hq ...
working the refs ... personal intimidation by the GM ... midnight flight by the owner ...
and other assorted stretching, tweaking, gaming, and breaking the rules.
All with impunity.

PatsFanSince74

Thanks for terrific data and an objective way to compare the great teams. Questions: do the "fewer games" references refer to regular season or all games? Would it smooth out the data to do "Winning Percentage" as well as raw wins? Thanks again!

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It is what it is. It wasn't what it wasn't.

He Ban Me

Are there any other teams we know of out there that break the rules??

Fencer

Nice job putting specifics around what common sense already seemed to tell us!

3 Super Bowls + serious contender for Super Bowl another season + respectable division champion another season + one or two of the three greatest winning streaks in modern NFL history ...

... well, that SHOULD amount to the greatest 5-year stretch ever.

Ditto for the 7-year stretch that includes another Super Bowl plus a winning record playoff miss.

But first the Pats have to accomplish what we're hoping they will for the rest of the season, eh?

EDIT: Actually, the really interesting point to me is that if the Pats don't go 16-0 but do win the Super Bowl, it will STILL have been the greatest run ever.

DarrylS

After wandering through the desert of the NFL for about 40 years, I often pinch myself during this current run.. for people who have been following this team for a long time it is an unbelievable run. Thank you Mr. Kraft, BB and the rest of the architects of this great franchise.

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"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.