Best Patriots Team Ever?

[AzPatsFan]

I'd vote the 2011 or 2012 Team. But I also think the 2010 Team would be in the Top Five.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

and a fluke helmet catch had nothing to do with that one...

Yeah, but the fluke helmet catch only mattered because of what the Giants had done the rest of the game.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

2004 for me. 2007 is overall more talented but 2004 had the superior run game and defense. Coaching edge goes to 2004, those are 3 of the most important aspects when it comes down to January. And most of all, they played their best when it did matter. The gauntlet they faced in the playoffs was one of the toughest of all time. 12-4 (13-3?) Colts, 15-1 Steelers, 14-2 Eagles and only the Eagles really even came close to beating us. This is with injuries to Ty Law, Richard Seymour for the AFC playoffs, and several others. In 2007 we had the mediocre Jags, Chargers who were banged up beyond belief, a 10-6 wild card team and still looked beatable all 3 games.

 

[Kontradiction]

2004 for me. 2007 is overall more talented but 2004 had the superior run game and defense. Coaching edge goes to 2004, those are 3 of the most important aspects when it comes down to January. And most of all, they played their best when it did matter. The gauntlet they faced in the playoffs was one of the toughest of all time. 12-4 (13-3?) Colts, 15-1 Steelers, 14-2 Eagles and only the Eagles really even came close to beating us. This is with injuries to Ty Law, Richard Seymour for the AFC playoffs, and several others. In 2007 we had the mediocre Jags, Chargers who were banged up beyond belief, a 10-6 wild card team and still looked beatable all 3 games.

This was one of the main factors that went into my decision as well. In 2007, we were hanging on for dear life in the playoffs. In 2004, we were playing out best at that time of year and beating everyone's ass that stood in our way.

 

[signbabybrady]

I went with 07 IMO it is the best team ever in football and that obviously makes it the best in our franchise. They screwed up sealing the deal the other teams had their mistakes in the regular season when it wasnt as costly.

As a side note: I have always thought the 04 team was better than the 03 team but I think the 03 team would have matched up better vs 07 as the secondary was better.

 

[Ryan]

2004. Great team all around. Passing, rushing, defense, etc....they had it all. Even when the corners were dropping like flies they still played top notch D. They destroyed the #1 offense and #1 defense on the way to beating the NFC's best team of the decade at that point in the SB.

 

[Rob0729]

Best Team Ever: 2004
Best Defense Ever: 2003
Best Offense Ever: 2007

The 2004 team was the most complete team of the Patriots history. The 2003 defense was fantastic and probably underrated in league history, but the offense was average at best. The 2007 was a historic offense, but the defense went along for the ride and looked better than it was because opposing offenses became so one dimensional trying to keep up with the Pats' offense.

 

[goheels22002]

The 2007 team did not get the job done against a weak NY Giants SB opponent. The Giants were the weakest Super Bowl opponents the NE Patriots have ever played.

The 2007 Pats lost to a mediocrity in the NY Giants. No doubt the 2007 Giants get spanked in the NFC Championship if they were to play the 2001 Rams, the 2003 Panthers or the 2004 Eagles. By the same reasoning what do we think the 1985 Bears or the 1996 Packers would have done to Eli et al?

The Patriots offensive line and running backs lost the 2007 SB by not protecting Brady and not blocking in the running game to keep those blitzers honest. That game showed how critically important a punishing ground attack is and how important Antowain Smith and Cory Dillon & their complementary backs were.

The 2003-2004 winning streak with a punishing defense, smash-mouth running attack to go with Brady's accuracy and decision-making made those better teams than the less-complete 2007 team.

Which of these teams was best? The 2007 Patriots, the 1985 Patriots or the 1996 Patriots? Gotta love that 1996 team with the Tuna in charge and the '85 team with that defense and running game was better than the 2007 Giants.

 

[signbabybrady]

The Patriots offensive line and running backs lost the 2007 SB by not protecting Brady and not blocking in the running game to keep those blitzers honest. That game showed how critically important a punishing ground attack is and how important Antowain Smith and Cory Dillon & their complementary backs were.

2007 had its version he just got hurt long before the playoffs. Sammy Morris.....IMO he could have done more to change the fate of that game as much as anyone.

Which of these teams was best? The 2007 Patriots, the 1985 Patriots or the 1996 Patriots? Gotta love that 1996 team with the Tuna in charge and the '85 team with that defense and running game was better than the 2007 Giants.

Is there really any question? the 2007 team lost the SB and is still in the discussion with 3 teams that made up a dynasty I don't think you can put the 85 or 96 teams anywhere close to that.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Yeah, but the fluke helmet catch only mattered because of what the Giants had done the rest of the game.

I know I know...the giants D was great that game. But I really think it had a lot more to do with the pats oline being gassed by the 19th game of the season. and you throw the stephen neal injury on top of that then you see why the giants D was so "great." In fact I don't think the Giants D looked that terrific against Dallas or Green Bay in the playoffs that year. To prove my point, that Giants D did not do much the following year or in 2009, so IMO it was overrated.

We def got unlucky playing the Giants since they had already seen us that year. Green Bay would have been awesome but Favre did what he does best in an NFC Championship game and from there it was over.

Giants remain the only team in NFL history to win 2 fluke super bowls.

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

I still think it is the 1976 team, with 2004 being a very close second.

2001 was the most fun...

2007 was the most tragic just because of how it all ended...

For you youngsters, the '76 team went 11-3, finished the season with 6 straight wins, at a time when the NFL played only 14 regular season games and should have beaten the Raiders before going on to destroy the Vikings (whcih they definitely would have). It was stolen from us by a jackarse ref named Ben Drieth who saw Sugar bear Hamilton commit a phantom roughing the passer pentaly on Snake Stabler. (The NFL had much cooler nicknames back then! LOL!)

The roster featured several Patriots All-Timers, including DLinemen Julius Adams and Sugar Bear, LBs Steve Nelson & Steve Zabel, DBs Tim Fox & Mike Haynes, OLinemen Hog Hannah, Bill Lenkaitis & Leon Gray.

They were so much fun on offense, too, with Steve Grogan at QB, Sam Bam Cunningham & Andy Johnson in the backfield, and Russ Francis @ TE, with Daryl Stingley, Randy Vataha & Marlin Briscoe @ wideout.

They topped the whole show off with a little - but deadly accurate - kicker from England named John Smith!

God, I loved that team!

 

[Deus Irae]

The 2007 team was possibly the greatest football team in NFL history. It was the best team in Patriots history, IMO.


But we've had this thread before, and most minds aren't going to change at this point.

 

[goheels22002]

The 2007 team was possibly the greatest football team in NFL history. It was the best team in Patriots history.


But we've had this thread before, and most minds aren't going to change at this point.

2007 was the best offensive season for the Pats. Not to be confused with the best team. The 2007 team lost the one that mattered most.

The best team is the 2004 team that took care of business when it mattered most and crushed superior competition. Even the coaching staff was far superior.

 

[Rob0729]

One reason to argue the 2003 is the best overall is because they clearly had the toughest schedule of any of teams discussed. During the regular season, they had seven games vs. playoff teams. If I rememember correctly, they set the record that year for the most wins against playoff teams in a regular season.

I still can't vote that team because the offense was mediocre to average. But that defense was amazing.

 

[Deus Irae]

2007 was the best offensive season for the Pats. Not to be confused with the best team. The 2007 team lost the one that mattered most.

The best team is the 2004 team that took care of business when it mattered most and crushed superior competition. Even the coaching staff was far superior.

2007 was the better team, and we've laid out the data to back up that position in the past, but it doesn't matter. As I noted, we've had these threads before, and minds won't change. In the end, this is really just an opinion debate, and people are pretty much hardened in their positions.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I still think it is the 1976 team, with 2004 being a very close second.

2001 was the most fun...

2007 was the most tragic just because of how it all ended...

For you youngsters, the '76 team went 11-3, finished the season with 6 straight wins, at a time when the NFL played only 14 regular season games and should have beaten the Raiders before going on to destroy the Vikings (whcih they definitely would have). It was stolen from us by a jackarse ref named Ben Drieth who saw Sugar bear Hamilton commit a phantom roughing the passer pentaly on Snake Stabler. (The NFL had much cooler nicknames back then! LOL!)

The roster featured several Patriots All-Timers, including DLinemen Julius Adams and Sugar Bear, LBs Steve Nelson & Steve Zabel, DBs Tim Fox & Mike Haynes, OLinemen Hog Hannah, Bill Lenkaitis & Leon Gray.

They were so much fun on offense, too, with Steve Grogan at QB, Sam Bam Cunningham & Andy Johnson in the backfield, and Russ Francis @ TE, with Daryl Stingley, Randy Vataha & Marlin Briscoe @ wideout.

They topped the whole show off with a little - but deadly accurate - kicker from England named John Smith!

God, I loved that team!

I still remember where I was and how I felt when Hamilton got that call.

25 years and 30 days later, my wife looked at me like I had lost my mind when, out of the blue, I screamed at the TV, "**** you at last, Ben Dreith," when Walt Coleman invoked the Tuck Rule and overturned Brady's fumble in the Snow Bowl.

The other thing about that game and that team, is that the 1977 SB (XI) was John Madden's only SB ring. Without that call, I doubt very much that big John ever would have gone into the HOF as a Coach, though he would probably still have been admitted as a "Contributor" for his work in the Broadcast Booth and in expanding the NFL Franchise through his Video Game (BTW, I still think he only belongs in the HOF as a Contributor rather than as a Coach).

 

[Nikolai]

I balk between 2004 and 2007. When 2007 was firing on all cylinders, no team in NFL history comes close, but it wasn't really sustainable. Generally speaking, after Week 13, the Pats had a rough road in nearly every game.

I voted 2004 this time, because I think I voted 2007 the last time this thread occurred.

 

[stinkypete]

I think of the 2004 team as the best Patriots team ever. That team produced Brady's second greatest statistical season, the Patriots best running game of the Belichick era, outstanding special teams, a true shut-down defense, and the classic playoff thrashings of Indy and Pittsburgh. There was a feeling of invincibility to that team.

The 2007 team, on the other hand, made me feel more uneasy each week. There were some close calls where the Pats were clearly outplayed. And the Super Bowl loss kills it.

I wish the 2003 team would get some more love. That was my favorite Patriots team of all time. The most exciting football I've ever watched.

 

[eagle eye]

For me, it's tough. I'm very tempted to say 2007 because, if not for a miracle helmet catch, they would be considered the greatest team of all time. However, I'm going to go with the 2004 team. Great defense (in spite of a HORRIBLE injury bug to the secondary) and very balanced and underrated offense. That offense wasn't overwhelming, but they had a good amount of weapons. Patten, Branch, Givens, Troy Brown, Fauria, Faulk, an outstanding running game led by Corey Dillon, and everything was overseen by Brady. I would put that 2004 team up against that 2007 team any day of the week and expect a great game... one that the 2004 team would be VERY capable of winning.

Good post but I don't think the 2004 team would beat the 2007 team if both were at their best. I went for 2007 even though they didn't attain the ultimate goal but they were terribly unlucky.

 

[RobertWeathers]

If 2007 wins it, they are.

2004 is because they did at the same time w/o their starting corners from the previous season.