BB on the 18-1 season

[SVN]

http://allthingsbillbelichick.com/

interesting to hear him mention last season with respect to others and where it ranks

"During training camp, the NFL's man of few words sat down with Sporting News' Albert Breer for a wide-ranging 75-minute conversation. … SN: Fast-forward to last season. Can you take any sense of accomplishment from the 18-0 start without thinking of the 18-1 finish? Belichick: Yeah. Sure. SN: So it's not all or nothing? Belichick: Yeah, we fell short of the ultimate goal, but it's like winning your division or winning playoff games. Really, the record we've had here since 2001, it's not all championships, but it's a lot to be proud of in terms of what we've done on a consistent basis – playoff wins and division championships and all that, including last year. But it's not at the same level as a Super Bowl championship. It's not 5-11. It's not 3-13. SN: So it's not close to winning the Super Bowls? Belichick: I'd say it's probably fourth. The three Super Bowls and then 16-0."

 

[ctpatsfan77]

http://allthingsbillbelichick.com/

interesting to hear him mention last season with respect to others and where it ranks

Yeah, I'd say 16-0 is the next best thing to a Super Bowl, too.

 

[ALP]

http://allthingsbillbelichick.com/

interesting to hear him mention last season with respect to others and where it ranks

if the guy actually said "fast forward to last season", he needs to obtain a better grasp of the sense of time...that or go back to grammar school

 

[Gunnails]

if the guy actually said "fast forward to last season", he needs to obtain a better grasp of the sense of time...that or go back to grammar school

BB probably had him all intimidated and flustered, He did manage to get a good quote out of BB.

 

[Richter]

I know this will sound like I'm trying to rationalize a crushing loss, but really... as time goes by, the 16-0 becomes more and more of an impressive accomplishment for me, more so than the Superbowl wins. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have the Lombardis, but the thing is, someone wins the trophy every year. No one goes 16-0. I still have a hard time believing any team, let alone my Patriots, went through the regular season undefeated. It's just so difficult to do. You can get hot for a couple weeks and make a fluke Superbowl run like the Giants or the Steelers a couple years ago, and that's awesome to be part of, but it's way, way better to be a part of sustained greatness. The teams that just win one are forgotten, the teams that win multiple become dynasties, but the team that goes 16-0 is never forgotten, because it's just so much harder. So while the Lombardi is always the goal, the 16-0 is more impressive to me now.

 

[NJPatsfan26]

I know this will sound like I'm trying to rationalize a crushing loss, but really... as time goes by, the 16-0 becomes more and more of an impressive accomplishment for me, more so than the Superbowl wins. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have the Lombardis, but the thing is, someone wins the trophy every year. No one goes 16-0. I still have a hard time believing any team, let alone my Patriots, went through the regular season undefeated. It's just so difficult to do. You can get hot for a couple weeks and make a fluke Superbowl run like the Giants or the Steelers a couple years ago, and that's awesome to be part of, but it's way, way better to be a part of sustained greatness. The teams that just win one are forgotten, the teams that win multiple become dynasties, but the team that goes 16-0 is never forgotten, because it's just so much harder. So while the Lombardi is always the goal, the 16-0 is more impressive to me now.

I would agree with you...i mean look at the history here. Two teams in the NFL history have had a perfect season. The Dolphins in 72 and the Patriots in 07....35 years of Superbowls, 35 years of seasons going and coming and only 1 team has done that since 1972....that in itself is a huge achievement IMO. We are also the only team to go 17-0 and 18-0 ever in the NFL...since they changed it from 14 games to 16 games in the regular season. Does anyone else think this way?

 

[JSn]

I would agree with you...i mean look at the history here. Two teams in the NFL history have had a perfect season. The Dolphins in 72 and the Patriots in 07....35 years of Superbowls, 35 years of seasons going and coming and only 1 team has done that since 1972....that in itself is a huge achievement IMO. We are also the only team to go 17-0 and 18-0 ever in the NFL...since they changed it from 14 games to 16 games in the regular season. Does anyone else think this way?

Yes. Until the SB becomes a "best of" series, it never defines the BEST team. It defines a lot of things. Best team isn't always one of them, imo (see SB42).

A team that enters the 2008 season not having lost a regular season game since 2006? That's evidence of a "best team".

So while I agree it would have been amazing to finish the job, no one worth a darn in sports broadcasting can claim, with a straight face, that the Giants were the best team of 2007. After all, we faced them twice and they only won once. When's the tie-breaker?

The Patriots are in the MIDDLE of a BIG stretch of dominance. The any given Sunday concept (while true, even for us) is NOT bigger than the mercilessly executed domination of all comers WEEK AFTER WEEK.

If I had a glass, I'd raise it. To another year of running up the score, re-writing the record books, and disappointing skeptics ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF SB43.

 

[NJPatsfan26]

Yes. Until the SB becomes a "best of" series, it never defines the BEST team. It defines a lot of things. Best team isn't always one of them, imo (see SB42).

A team that enters the 2008 season not having lost a regular season game since 2006? That's evidence of a "best team".

So while I agree it would have been amazing to finish the job, no one worth a darn in sports broadcasting can claim, with a straight face, that the Giants were the best team of 2007. After all, we faced them twice and they only won once. When's the tie-breaker?

The Patriots are in the MIDDLE of a BIG stretch of dominance. The any given Sunday concept (while true, even for us) is NOT bigger than the mercilessly executed domination of all comers WEEK AFTER WEEK.

If I had a glass, I'd raise it. To another year of running up the score, re-writing the record books, and disappointing skeptics ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF SB43.

Very well said....I will raise my plastic cup, i am at work, to this and agree completely....

I wonder when the tie breaker will be.....

 

[Deus Irae]

It's like running the second fastest time in world history (or swimming, for the cheese eating surrender monkeys), but losing.

 

[PatsFan24]

well i know they lost, and i am biast, but the 07 pats are the best football team i have ever watched. i have not been watching the nfl for that long only since 1990 but there have been some great teams in that time 92 dallas 94 san fran 98 denver that won the SB but i would still say the patriots were better than any of those teams

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

I would agree with him it was a great season, I rank it as the 5th best ever for the Pats. 4th best as him being the coach.

Here is my rankings:

1st: '01 We won the SB, for the 1st time, with the back up QB after starting the season 0-2.

2nd '03 & '04 (tie)

4th '85 We made the playoffs cool, Hey, we won a playoff game. First time in my lifetime, and another, we are going to the Superbowl (pinch me). SB was disaster. But thats okay I am still in shock we played in the game. WE ARE THE AFC CHAMPS!!!!! I wore my AFC Champs sweatshirt 'til it literally fell apart.

5th '07 16-0. Amazing records broken. And only one sad Sunday all season. 18 wonderful Sundays.

6th '96 AFC Champ. (unlike '85 I was disappointed we lost the SB, but hey much better than going 6-10 like '95)

7th '06

last: '90 1-15 Sucks

Agree, disagree? How would you rank them?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Yes. Until the SB becomes a "best of" series, it never defines the BEST team. It defines a lot of things. Best team isn't always one of them, imo (see SB42,SB41,SB40).

I fixed your post for you. /

 

[JSn]

I fixed your post for you. /

LOL... thanks.

 

[chech1965]

Yes. Until the SB becomes a "best of" series, it never defines the BEST team. It defines a lot of things. Best team isn't always one of them, imo (see SB42).

Exactly, cause on any given Sunday...

Wouldn't you just love a Super Bowl Month. Best of five played through end-Jan to February.

:singing:

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

Yes. Until the SB becomes a "best of" series, it never defines the BEST team. It defines a lot of things. Best team isn't always one of them, imo (see SB42).

A team that enters the 2008 season not having lost a regular season game since 2006? That's evidence of a "best team".

I agree with that, but I still haven't seen a good argument why I should care. I'm not trying to be flippant or even controversial. I'd really like to come up with something coherent that makes me feel ok about last year, but I can't. Indeed, the notion that we were the "best" team, if that's even true, just makes it worse. And, certainly, I don't celebrate the super bowl year where we probably weren't the best team any less than the 2 where we were. If anything, I celebrate it more.

The bottom line for me is that three teams have gone 18-1 and so that's a good accomplishment, but that's the only accomplishment. And, of the three, at least the other two won the super bowl. That we won our first 16, instead of losing one somewhere in the middle, seems completely artificial to me. I mean, what difference does it make if you win 10, lose 1, then win 8, as opposed to winning the first 18 then losing the last one?

The person achievments and records last year were cool. But for me any debate about who is "best" is always going to be subjective. And, until they give a trophy for it, not something I even think about.

 

[pheenix11]

BB's goal is to be competitive every season. Even he knows it is not possible to win the SB every season even if that is the ultimate goal. All things considered 16-0 is pretty damn good and very unique. It is nothing to shyt on, even though many of us are spoiled. Good to see he has some perspective.

 

[TrueBeliever]

Two teams in the NFL history have had a perfect season. The Dolphins in 72 and the Patriots in 07....35 years of Superbowls, 35 years of seasons going and coming and only 1 team has done that since 1972....that in itself is a huge achievement IMO.

Well actually there are more than two teams to have a perfect regular season record.

I know this because last December, the weekend of the Giants game, suddenly BSPN changed their stance. Until that weekend, only the '72 Fiends were undefeated. But once the Pats did it, suddenly they found two or three other teams (before the Super Bowl era) that had perfect regular seasons (but lost the NFL championship game.) Two were Bears teams, can't remember if there was a third for sure.

 

[NJPatsfan26]

Well actually there are more than two teams to have a perfect regular season record.

I know this because last December, the weekend of the Giants game, suddenly BSPN changed their stance. Until that weekend, only the '72 Fiends were undefeated. But once the Pats did it, suddenly they found two or three other teams (before the Super Bowl era) that had perfect regular seasons (but lost the NFL championship game.) Two were Bears teams, can't remember if there was a third for sure.

Imagine that....the World Wide Leader in Sports amazingly found more teams who had perfect seasons. Now I am not saying that the Bears didn't do as BSPN says, but isnt it ironic how they suddenly found this info out when it was so close to happening for us.....

 

[AzPatsFan]

The 18-1 including the playoffs is impressive bu tdon't forget teh lonmgest regualr season unbeaten streak. The Bears set it. The Browns broek it in teh AAFXC and the Pats broke it and set the consecutive reguale season 18 game unbeaten streak. (21 overall I think)
We just set another new one and sit at 19 games, right now.

Will we raise it and how high?
KC ? Probably yes.
Jets ? Probably yes.
Dolphins ? Probably yes.
49ers ? Probably yes, 24 straight...and then the test,
Chargers? At the Chargers ? 25 straight or ??

Then the Broncs and Rams until we face the Colts? 27 straight or 28??

 

[MoLewisrocks]

BB's goal is to be competitive every season. Even he knows it is not possible to win the SB every season even if that is the ultimate goal. All things considered 16-0 is pretty damn good and very unique. It is nothing to shyt on, even though many of us are spoiled. Good to see he has some perspective.

That pretty much sums it up for me, too. One 5-11 transition re-building season. Seven years without a .500 or worse season. Six division titles/trips to the playoffs with one miss on a tie breaker. Four AFC Championships, three Lombardi's, a stretch of 21 undefeated games, and an undefeated regular season. If you asked Robert Kraft or any of the players or any fan of this team prior to 2000 if they'd be satisfied with that kind of return on the BB investment in the coming decade, even while losing in one of four trips to the Superbowl, resounding answer would have been hell yeah, sign me up for that.