The Patriots 21 Game Winning Streak Should Not Be Forgotten
I was watching the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, and ended a 19 game winning streak for the defending Super Bowl Champions. The significance of the loss reminded me of a Pats streak which is not mentioned often anymore. The Patriots 21 game winning streak should not be forgotten.
The Patriots 21 game winning streak went across two seasons, which included play-off victories and a Super Bowl ring. It started with a victory I attended in 2003 against the Titans, and ended in Pittsburgh in 2004. There were 2 separate Patriots teams that were involved in this streak, and they both won titles.
There are so many memorable games in this period that I am glad that a loss on Sunday by the Packers brought it all back for me. What made this streak so special is that the Patriots found so many different ways to win, and many of these games went down to the end.
If you are a Patriots fan, how can you forget the overtime victory in Miami, where Tom Brady threw a deep bomb to Troy Brown for the victory? How about against the Colts in 2003, when Willie McGinest made the stop on the one yard line to secure a win? How about the opening game against the Colts the next season, when the Patriots held on at the end when the Colts missed a field goal? All of these memories are a part of this streak.
Those two Patriots teams were special, and we shouldn't forget about the "21 games". The media has obviously focused on the 2007 season which the Patriots came one loss away from perfection in a season.
However, in my opinion, the 2003 and 2004 Patriots teams were clearly better than the 2007 high flying Patriots. The teams that were a part of the 21 game streak were complete football teams on both sides of the ball. I can't say that about the 2007 team, as it was very flawed defensively.
This is an NFL record that goes ignored now, and the Packers streak I only heard about yesterday as they were about to lose. But, if you really think about it, the 21 in a row is quite an achievement.
Both the Steelers and the Packers have come close to this record that no one really cares about. But, to a fan like myself, who experienced all the different ways those teams won, it happens to be very special.
I still have the DVD the team made after the streak ended. Obviously the Patriots took pride in it, and it is too bad the rest of the league really doesn't acknowledge it.
What was so ironic about the Packers losing Sunday, was that Romeo Crennel who is the current head coach of the Chiefs was the Patriots defensive coordinator during the streak. Crennel had a role on Sunday in keeping this record in the Patriots family.
When we look back in 20 years at the Patriots Dynasty, I hope the 21 in a row winning streak will be mentioned. It was a special period that cut through two Super Bowl Championship teams. It was an accomplishment that deserves more respect.
