They played well against Denver but the numbers are meaningless against the other teams because the offenses faced are radically different. What does matter to me however is the way this tournament is shaping up. All season long i have been hanging my hat on the idea that Belichik could get the defense to play well by the end of the season and that the tournament would break the way it did for the Colts during their one Championship run, where they ended up facing weaker offenses in the AFCC and the SB, and that appears to be what is happening here. If they can beat the Ravens they still may still have to face the Giants in the SB, and that isn't a weak offense, but it isn't the Pack or Saints either, so no matter what happens, at least imo, the tournament has progressed exactly the way we wanted it to as Patriot fans, and the Patriots chances are the best they could be in this scenario. It takes good forune as well as many other things to win it all, and right now it looks like fortune is on their side. I'm not taking anything for granted and believe any team they face will be a tough match, but I also think they have what it takes to win this weekend and in the Bowl if they get to it.
I don't think this is a great team but that doesn't mean they can't win it all, and if they do then Belichik has really done something special by putting this team in a position to actually win another Championship. To me this will really be alot like 2001, where Belichik took a team that wasn't really ready and wasn't a great team to a title a couple of years early. Imo Belichik is in the middle of rebuilding an entire team around a franchise QB to set it up to win titles. Aside from Faulk and Light he has replaced the entire roster, and is still in the process of rebuilding his defense to a Championship level. That is a huge undertaking and if it has been done before then I am not aware of it happening, and if Belichik actually gets it done then he has accomplished something truly remarkable. I am really grateful for this success as a fan and I am enjoying it tremendously. when they won it in 2001 my brother and I both felt they did so early and on the way up, and if they do so again this year i will feel the same way, and i believe there will be 1 or 2 more before Belichik and Brady hang them up.
These are the Golden Years for Patriot fans, and if you cannot enjoy this then you really cannot enjoy anything as a sports fan. It just doesn't get any better.
