Are the 2012 Pats better than the 2001 SB winning team?

[Double TE]

2001 Team:

Defense:

DL: McGinest, Seymour and Hamilton
LB: Vrable, Phipher, Ted Johnson, Bruschi, Cox
DB: Milloy, Tebucky, Law, O. Smith


Offense:

QB: TB, Bledsoe
RB: A. Smith, Edwards
WR: Brown, Patten, Charles Johnson
TE: Wiggins
K: Vinatieri
OL: Woody, Compton, Andruzzi, Light, Robinson Randall


I am guessing everyone knows the 2012 team pretty well.


I am thinking the 2012 team is better on O..and by a wide margin but the D...well...not so sure.

 

[PatsDeb]

They are better on offense and worse on defense. What that is going to translate into, we'll find out on Sunday, and hopefully after that, on Superbowl Sunday.

 

[TheComeback]

I don't know about the 2012 Pats, but the 2011 team is definitely better.

 

[Double TE]

I don't know about the 2012 Pats, but the 2011 team is definitely better.

So literal!

 

[Bella*chick]

The 2011 team is better.

One of the things I never see mentioned is that fact the Patriots weren't the PATRIOTS back then. We were still loveable underdogs. We didn't get anyone's Superbowl, trick play thrown' effort every week. Now we do. We sneak up no one anymore and the fact that we have remained so successful is really impressive.

 

[Deus Irae]

2011 isn't close.

 

[JackBauer]

2011 offense is significantly better.

2011 defense is worse. Though it's a bit difficult to speculate since it's like they (defenders) were playing a different game back then. Heck, a different sport, even.

 

[RobertWeathers]

One team has won a SB the other has not.

Is the 2011 team more talented on offense? Perhaps. Defense I'd take the 01 team.

The question is does the 2011 squad how to win when it really matters. We don't know yet.

I think that needs to be the determining factor.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Milloy and Law in the secondary vs. the guys we have today...are you kidding me?

Talent wise on defense there is not even a discussion here

On offense a totally different story..its not close, todays team on O is 10x better than 2001

 

[Uncle Rico]

It depends on whether or not this year's team wins the Super Bowl.


Edit: Just to acknowledge, RobertWeathers made the same point, above.

 

[TruthSeeker]

2001 Team:

Defense:

DL: McGinest, Seymour and Hamilton
LB: Vrable, Phipher, Ted Johnson, Bruschi, Cox
DB: Milloy, Tebucky, Law, O. Smith


Offense:

QB: TB, Bledsoe
RB: A. Smith, Edwards
WR: Brown, Patten, Charles Johnson
TE: Wiggins
K: Vinatieri
OL: Woody, Compton, Andruzzi, Light, Robinson Randall


I am guessing everyone knows the 2012 team pretty well.


I am thinking the 2012 team is better on O..and by a wide margin but the D...well...not so sure.

That D was way better than the 2011 version. They were driven by the LB's, the two lawyers (Lawyer Milloy and Ty Law), and a good pass rush from McGinnest and Vrabel, as well as blitzing LB's, who were great tacklers and had good hands (for ints). Old man Otis was at his opportunistic best as well at CB. Hell, even Tebucky played well in that D. The 2003 & 2004 D's blew away 2001 though.

Offensively, not even close, 2011 is lightyears ahead of 2001, though 2001 had a pounding running game.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Much better on offense, not just in scoring and yards gained but in taking care of the ball. That 2001 team had 29 fumbles and 15 INTs,
vs. 14 fumbles and 12 INTs this year while airing it out much more

Defense was better in 2001, but not enormously so. Similar in sacks and takeways, higher ranked in points and yards allowed, though actually 24th in yards allowed.

to compare stats:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nwe/2001.htm

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nwe/2011.htm

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

With all due respect to my favorite Pats team of all time, if that 2001 team had to go through that playoff gauntlet 10 times, they might make it through 2 times max. The offense scored 3 TD's in the playoffs, one came on a drive where they started on the other team's 40. Regardless of how good your D plays, an offense like that will get you through the playoffs very rarely. We don't know how good this D could be playing under the rules the 2001 team played under too. Probably not as good, but we do have guys like Arrington, Moore, Chung that can rough WR's up. The 2011 Dline may be an upgrade as well. Offensively, a team with Antowain Smith and Troy Brown your most lethal weapons wouldn't be close to elite in any era. It was a great team, but they pretty much caught lightning in a bottle.

And to top it off, 2011 Brady >>>>>>> 2001 Brady probably the most important factor of all.

 

[Doctor DDS]

If the "best" team means they won the Superbowl then I suppose we'll have to wait. I personally do not believe the team that wins it is the best team but it is certainly the team I want to be rooting for. The Pats in 2001 were good and fortunate (Oak game). The 2007 team was great and unfortunate (numerous plays in SB) The goal is obviously to win it all but on a "best" team scale I would say this team and many more were much better than the 2001 version.

My picks for best Pats teams in order:

2007
2004
2003
1976
2011
2001
2010

 

[ay-yo]

With all due respect to my favorite Pats team of all time, if that 2001 team had to go through that playoff gauntlet 10 times, they might make it through 2 times max. The offense scored 3 TD's in the playoffs, one came on a drive where they started on the other team's 40. Regardless of how good your D plays, an offense like that will get you through the playoffs very rarely. We don't know how good this D could be playing under the rules the 2001 team played under too. Probably not as good, but we do have guys like Arrington, Moore, Chung that can rough WR's up. The 2011 Dline may be an upgrade as well. Offensively, a team with Antowain Smith and Troy Brown your most lethal weapons wouldn't be close to elite in any era. It was a great team, but they pretty much caught lightning in a bottle.

And to top it off, 2011 Brady >>>>>>> 2001 Brady probably the most important factor of all.

Thisssssssss

 

[brdmaverick]

2011's team is better by far

In fact, many consider the 2001 Patriots to be one of the worst professional teams to ever win a championship. Frankly, I don't care, because to qualify you must HAVE A CHAMPIONSHIP, but I can see where they are coming from.

 

[Ring 6]

Tough question. This team has better talent, but that rarely equals better team by itself.
The real question is which team plays better. The answer will be 2011 if they win 2 more, and 2001 if they do not. There isn't any debating that.

 

[Ring 6]

If the "best" team means they won the Superbowl then I suppose we'll have to wait. I personally do not believe the team that wins it is the best team but it is certainly the team I want to be rooting for. The Pats in 2001 were good and fortunate (Oak game). The 2007 team was great and unfortunate (numerous plays in SB) The goal is obviously to win it all but on a "best" team scale I would say this team and many more were much better than the 2001 version.

My picks for best Pats teams in order:

2007
2004
2003
1976
2011
2001
2010

Not sure how you define a team that didn't reach its objective (SB Champ) as better than one that did. Better at what?
Its like saying the guy who finished second in the race is the better runner because he ran part of the race faster.
I would rank them, leaving 2011 out, because the story isn't done
2003
2004
2001
2007
1996
1985
2006
1976
2010
2005
2009

 

[Doctor DDS]

Andy, I understand where you are coming from but I do not subscribe to the belief that the better team always win. I absolutely prefer winning and any SB winning team had a better season than a non SB winning team but I would not necessarily say they were a better team.

Your race analogy would make sense if they were to race again and again and the same outcome were to occur. What if the winner came in first because the other runner fell down? Is he better or did he just win? I understand that in football there is no rematch in the playoffs so we are just left to wonder what would have happened but if the 2007 were somehow able to play the 2001 team I would be surprised if the 2007 team would not win 7 out of 10.

 

[Matt Hooper]

2001 had viniteiri.