Is this year the best NE Patriots team ever ?

[the Patriot]

Week Four...

 

[Caspir]

Until this season plays out, the 2004 team is the best ever...

1. Superbowl title defense (every week had bullseye on back)
2. Second 17-2 season in a row (again, with bullseye on back every week)
3. Held 49TD Manning Colts to 3pts in playoff
4. Put up 41 on stellar Pittsburgh D in their house for AFCCG
5. Beat clearly best NFC team in Eagles.
6. Playoff opponents' combined regular season records were 40-8. Considering the Colts & Steelers played backups in their finales and the Eagles played backups in their final two, the record of these teams in games that they tried to win was 39-5 (Pitt still managed to beat Buffalo with "backup" Willie Parker).
6a. Add in the playoff games these teams won prior to their Pats loss and their record was 43-5. Take out their regular season matchups vs. the Pats and the combined records of these teams in all non-Pats games that they tried to win was 42-4.

Regards,
Chris

Perfectly stated. This was the single greatest season I have ever witnessed in any sport. No one was saying, "If they win the Super Bowl..." they were saying, "So once they win the Super Bowl..."

 

[TruthSeeker]

Until this season plays out, the 2004 team is the best ever...

1. Superbowl title defense (every week had bullseye on back)
2. Second 17-2 season in a row (again, with bullseye on back every week)
3. Held 49TD Manning Colts to 3pts in playoff
4. Put up 41 on stellar Pittsburgh D in their house for AFCCG
5. Beat clearly best NFC team in Eagles.
6. Playoff opponents' combined regular season records were 40-8. Considering the Colts & Steelers played backups in their finales and the Eagles played backups in their final two, the record of these teams in games that they tried to win was 39-5 (Pitt still managed to beat Buffalo with "backup" Willie Parker).
6a. Add in the playoff games these teams won prior to their Pats loss and their record was 43-5. Take out their regular season matchups vs. the Pats and the combined records of these teams in all non-Pats games that they tried to win was 42-4.

Regards,
Chris

Have to agree, the 2004 team is not only the greatest Pat's team ever, but one of the greatest NFL teams of all time !! If this team wins a championship, they would be right up there with the 2004 team, maybe even surpass it. Still too early to tell.

 

[oldrover]

2004 team is the best all-time.

That said, could you imagine the 1976 team...











with Brady at QB?

 

[363839]

Well, we've never had a receiver like Randy Moss.
Or a QB like Tom Brady
or a coach like BB
We've had some pretty good DBs in the past but I'd
put Rodney against any of them.
We've had a lot of good linebackers in the past too.
But I got a feeling we're really going to like this AD guy.
07 DL stacks up well against any DL in the past.
Ditto the OL except a close second to the Hannah years.

I'd say this team is probably the best assembly of talent in Patriot history.
But whether they'll be the best will unfold before us in the next several months.

 

[PlattsFan]

Yeah.

That '76 team was loaded, but they were on the road in the playoff game, remember. So they didn't put it together on the field enough. If they were so great, they should've had home field in the playoffs, then the Raiders couldn't screw them like that.

Sure, some odd quirk could show up on this Pats team that'll change my mind, but this team looks like a combination of the best of the 03-04 teams (willpower, preparation, intelligence) and an insane collection of talent. So much of the team is in their peak, too.

One story I remember from that '76 team, though: Fairbanks told them during a preseason game that he was going to keep calling the same simple running play through the same guard-tackle gap until they scored a touchdown, and the starting linemen couldn't leave the game until they did. They got the ball on their own 20-something, then marched down the field on 8 plays to score a touchdown. All 8, the same running play. Awesome.

 

[onegameatatime]

I agree the 04 team was great and maybe the greatest, and probably the greatest coaching job (two words: Earthwind Moreland).

But how about more love for the 03 team:

Beat the Eagles and Cowboys -- both playoff teams.

Beat Indy and Tenn twice each -- both playoff teams.

Beat 10-6 Broncos --playoff team.

Beat Miami twice, and Miami was 10-4 against everyone else and lost tiebreak to be a playoff team.

Won one of the most exciting SBs ever.

Total of 8 wins against playoff teams; 10 wins out of 17 against 10-win-or-more teams.

Won 15 straight and IIRC had a 6-7 game streak (Houston to Carolina)without trailing.

2007? IT'S STILL JUST WEEK 4.

 

[Ring 6]

I agree the 04 team was great and maybe the greatest, and probably the greatest coaching job (two words: Earthwind Moreland).

But how about more love for the 03 team:

Beat the Eagles and Cowboys -- both playoff teams.

Beat Indy and Tenn twice each -- both playoff teams.

Beat 10-6 Broncos --playoff team.

Beat Miami twice, and Miami was 10-4 against everyone else and lost tiebreak to be a playoff team.

Won one of the most exciting SBs ever.

Total of 8 wins against playoff teams; 10 wins out of 17 against 10-win-or-more teams.

Won 15 straight and IIRC had a 6-7 game streak (Houston to Carolina)without trailing.

2007? IT'S STILL JUST WEEK 4.

I thought that the 2003 team was the best. They beat more 10 win teams than anyone in NFL history, and went 17-2 doing it.

Comparing them to the 04 team, the 03 team was weak at RB, and the 04 team ran the ball as well as the Pats have in 25 years. The 03 team was the best pass defense team I have ever seen. The 04 team was weak at corner due to all the injuries.

04 won more handily most of the time, and looked prettier doing it. 03 won against every good team in the league.

My vote goes to 03, but this years team clearly can be better than both. BUT IT DOESNT HAPPEN UNLESS IT ENDS WIN A LOMBARDI TROPHY/

 

[patsfan209]

I thought that the 2003 team was the best... Comparing them to the 04 team, the 03 team was weak at RB, and the 04 team ran the ball as well as the Pats have in 25 years. The 03 team was the best pass defense team I have ever seen. The 04 team was weak at corner due to all the injuries.

You may have forgotten that the 03 team had not only a weak running game, but also poor punting. And it was also the year Vinatieri wasn't kicking well by his own standards. I felt SBXXXVIII summed up AV's 2003 season well: a FG kick blocked, a FG kick missed, but kicks that 3 pointer when you absolutely need it the most.

I agree with most of the posters here that the 04 team is the best Pats team ever in that they are the most complete team to date. The big difference between the 03 and 04 teams is that the latter corrected the running game and punting problems.

I cannot say this year's team is the best ever unless they win the Super Bowl.

 

[RayClay]

Obviously teams that already won a Super Bowl are, by definition, better than a team that's played 4 games.

2003 was a heart attack per week, almost losing to the putrid Texans. 2004 was as strong a Super Bowl team as we've had, but I guarantee a look back would find weaknesses we disguised (memories not that good for specifics, but it wasn'y perfect at each position).

2007 team has no weaknesses. Zero. I've never seen a team without a demonstrable weakness. A.D., Asante, Hobbs improvement and Gay means our D is covered. DL and safety are strong and deep.

TE's are a good group, even with Rivers. WR are ridiculous. OL, young strong and deep, even if Matt Light is overrated, which I think he is. RBs are not outstanding, but we have 4 guys with different skills. If maroney plays to his potential, it is an outstanding group because Morris is a fantastic backup.

We've got a placement punter. Numbers aren't great, but we seldom need punts, much less long ones. Best part is he specializes in the only phase of the game the one who shall not be named did well so that he will never disgrace our field again.

Gostkowski's pretty average and hi legs strong.

We've got veterans like Mitchell, youngsters like Andrews and Alexander. Seems like a good ST unit.

There are no weaknesses that i can see.

 

[Patjew]

Perfectly stated. This was the single greatest season I have ever witnessed in any sport. No one was saying, "If they win the Super Bowl..." they were saying, "So once they win the Super Bowl..."

Not so much. Nearly EVERYONE picked the Colts to beat them in the playoffs that year, and the Pats' record was worse than the Steelers' that year.

 

[Bostonian1962]

it looks really like this team could be the best ever; since i am able to follows the Patriots i have this impression

yr opinion ?

was the team 1976-1978 better also without any Super Bowl ring ?

was one of the 3 rings a better team ?

Yes, after four games. But, if they don't win the Super Bowl, these first four games will matter little. Anyway, yes, talent wise, I believe this is their best, but there is alot that can happen over the next three months, so we'll have to re-ask this question after the Super Bowl.

 

[italian pat patriot]

One story I remember from that '76 team, though: Fairbanks told them during a preseason game that he was going to keep calling the same simple running play through the same guard-tackle gap until they scored a touchdown, and the starting linemen couldn't leave the game until they did. They got the ball on their own 20-something, then marched down the field on 8 plays to score a touchdown. All 8, the same running play. Awesome.

i agree 100%: totally awesome

 

[onegameatatime]

No weaknesses?

The K makes me nervous. We have not seen enough of the P.

We've beaten teams with different strength -- RB and TE in SD, WRs in Cincy, controlled passing game in NYJ. On the D side, good front 7 in SD, but with weak DBs.

We have not yet played a really well-balanced team like DAL, PIT, or IND where you might take one thing but really lose elsewhere. And have we faced a team with a really good OL?

Next big test is in Dallas where they have balance on both sides. Also, we will if the best team in the NFC means a really good team, or just the best of the B-league.