The 2009 season & the Pats legacy

[BradyManny]

As the season approaches and the media begins finding storylines for it to hook onto, its becoming clear to me that the upcoming season will have major repercussions on how this Patriots dynasty and this Patriots team/organization (with BB/Brady/Kraft as the core pieces) will be viewed. Particularly with this season being the last in this decade, it will be natural that legacies will be looked back upon & considered more than ever.

Meaning...

The Battle for "Team of the Decade": While us Pats fans know the truth that the Pats have been the preeminent team of this decade and that 3 SBs, including back-to-back SB wins consisting of 2 utterly dominant seasons & a perfect regular season, blow away what the Steelers have accomplished this decade, the mediots will be looking for something to talk about as the year goes on. This will be one of those things we'll have to put up with. A SB victory would, of course, end the discussion.

Battle for QB of the decade: Brady seems to have this one in the bag, but with Big Ben putting on a 2nd ring, and mediots willingly forgetting that one of those rings was earned while obtaining the record for worst QB rating in a Super Bowl, another ring would not only establish Brady's status further, but perhaps put him in the Best of All Time category.

Where the Pats fit amongst other dynasties: A 4th ring in the decade would go along way to help this Patriots dynasty cement itself among the all time great teams.

How does Brady respond from injury: This is a big year for #12's legacy as previously stated, but coming back strong from a major injury would be another huge feat.

In short, this is a big season. Its a perfect storm - the timing (end of the decade), the quest for Super Bowl redemption (how 2007 ended), & the rehab (Brady's injury) - all come together to raise the stakes even more. Put simply, a Super Bowl victory this season would be massive.

 

[denverpatsfan]

I agree. Steelers still have a better defense and an easier schedule. The Pats MUST win in order to remain the "team of the decade". Brady and Ben shouldn't even be talked about in the same paragraph but if Ben wins his 3rd then the haters will have something to stand on.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I really see this differently. IMO, the Pats and Brady (and Belichick) have absolutely nothing to prove this year or any year. Five trips to the AFCCG, four trips to the SB and three rings in eight years, during the post Cap/Free Agency era? That is an unparalleled achievement and it is hard to imagine that it will ever be matched.

If the Steelers should repeat this season, then this will simply be seen as the decade when two great teams dominated the league, with a game Colts team a distant third. The tie breaker will, IMO, always be the 16--0 season, but the Pats have nothing to prove.

 

[PatsBoy12]

I really see this differently. IMO, the Pats and Brady (and Belichick) have absolutely nothing to prove this year or any year. Five trips to the AFCCG, four trips to the SB and three rings in eight years, during the post Cap/Free Agency era? That is an unparalleled achievement and it is hard to imagine that it will ever be matched.

If the Steelers should repeat this season, then this will simply be seen as the decade when two great teams dominated the league, with a game Colts team a distant third. The tie breaker will, IMO, always be the 16--0 season, but the Pats have nothing to prove.

There is so much credence to this. However, the Pats do need to finish the decade strong so that there can be no doubt. They need to finish convincingly so there's so that they are solely in possession of the "Team of the Decade" argument years from now. But you're right, five trips to the AFCCG, four SB trips (they should have won all four), and a 16-0 season are incredible accomplishments.

Also, we actually won the SB's we won . . . meaning there was no talk of refs handing them the game like one SB involving the Pittsburgh Steelers . . . the one involving a certain avian creature.