Best Patriots Team Ever?

[Rex Ryan's Gut]

ESPN had polls on their website a couple weeks ago in which they asked what team was the best in each franchise's history.

Obviously for the Patriots, the choices were the SB winning '01, '03, and '04 teams and the 18-1 team from 2007.

What do you think was the best Pats team of all time?

 

[Rex Ryan's Gut]

It has to be the '07 team to me. They were the best team of my lifetime. Just happened to meet a ferocious Giants defense with a great game plan.

Can they still be considered the best to you even though they didn't win the big one?

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

It has to be the '07 team to me. They were the best team of my lifetime. Just happened to meet a ferocious Giants defense with a great game plan.

Can they still be considered the best to you even though they didn't win the big one?

Offensively, it was the best of all time. But their defense was weak and their flaws were masked by the offense getting big leads early. They were the best in the regular season but obviously couldn't seal the deal.

It's tough because no team was able to throw on 2003's defense until the break down late in the super bowl. They also had a pretty good offense.

I used to think 2003's squad was the best, but know I'm leaning toward 2004's team because they had the most balance on both sides of the ball. In addition, they had a dominating ground game and Corey Dillon would've easily won the rushing title had he played all 16 games of the regular season.

 

[Kontradiction]

For me, it's tough. I'm very tempted to say 2007 because, if not for a miracle helmet catch, they would be considered the greatest team of all time. However, I'm going to go with the 2004 team. Great defense (in spite of a HORRIBLE injury bug to the secondary) and very balanced and underrated offense. That offense wasn't overwhelming, but they had a good amount of weapons. Patten, Branch, Givens, Troy Brown, Fauria, Faulk, an outstanding running game led by Corey Dillon, and everything was overseen by Brady. I would put that 2004 team up against that 2007 team any day of the week and expect a great game... one that the 2004 team would be VERY capable of winning.

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

Yeah I agree with you.

If Tyree doesn't make that insane catch, chances are the Pats win and go down as the best team in NFL history.

One play shouldn't take a team from best in league history all the way to not even the best in franchise history.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I had to say 04... by then most of the scrubs were gone, and the running game was clicking. It wasn't the fireworks show that 07 was, but 07 was the zenith of talent, records, and near-perfection. There was just no ring.

One more stop, one more call we needed (in the grasp for example,) one more lots of things, and it's 07 hands down. But it didn't happen... so now 07 is the team I couldn't miss one play of while they were playing, and I can't bring myself to WATCH one play of now.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

It has to be the '07 team to me. They were the best team of my lifetime. Just happened to meet a ferocious Giants defense with a great game plan.

and a fluke helmet catch had nothing to do with that one...

 

[Rex Ryan's Gut]

and a fluke helmet catch had nothing to do with that one...

Of course it did. Nothing you quoted from me was false.

It took the perfect storm for that team to lose.

 

[Kontradiction]

Of course it did. Nothing you quoted from me was false.

It took the perfect storm for that team to lose.

Yep. 2007 really couldn't have gone up against a worse opponent in the Super Bowl. They had a great running game and a good short yardage offense to move the chains and keep our offense off of the field and their defense matched up very well with our offense in that they could create pressure with their front four (even more so after Stephen Neal left the game) and drop the rest into coverage. It killed our screen game and our passing game as a whole. It was really our defense which kept us in that game. Oh well. If only...

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

For me it was the 07 team. Offense was like nothing i have ever seen before. Even thought their D wasn't steller, their O made up for it..just fell short in the SB. 2001 is second

 

[Kontradiction]

For me it was the 07 team. Offense was like nothing i have ever seen before. Even thought their D wasn't steller, their O made up for it..just fell short in the SB. 2001 is second

I don't understand why the 2007 defense gets so much flak. They were older, sure, but they were still very effective. Like I said before, they were the only reason we were in Super Bowl XLII. The offense sure wasn't getting it done throughout most of the game.

 

[Frezo]

2010......

 

[jah]

2010......

This :rocker:

But I think 2004.

 

[RayClay]

It has to be the '07 team to me. They were the best team of my lifetime. Just happened to meet a ferocious Giants defense with a great game plan.

Can they still be considered the best to you even though they didn't win the big one?

Ask Bill Russell.

 

[JerseyPatriot76]

The 2007 Pats were awe inspiring on offense, it was still the most incredible season I have ever followed as a fan of any sport. The problem with that season was that I was exhausted by the time we got to the Super Bowl. You hung on to every play during the legendary run, you couldn't take a week off as a player or a fan. I think if the Pats had won it all in 2007, I would have passed out as a way of celebrating.

But, if you told me that I had to put my house on the line, I would put it on the 2004 team. That team just gave me that feeling that they were not going to lose. They played two of the most dominant playoff games in team history. They carved up the Colts and then sought revenge and got it by embarrassing the Steelers at home. They were not letting the Eagles stand in the way of the dynasty. You just knew it in your gut.

The 07 Pats really did not have a great playoff game. Brady was fantastic against Jacksonville, but the defense was not great. He was far from great against the Chargers and the Pats survived, and then the Giants didn't let him breathe, but he still got this team in a position to win it all late in the 4th.

But, I'm in agreement with many others, I'd like the 2010 team to top this list.

 

[thechris]

2007 Patriots

#1 scoring offense
#4 scoring defense (and it was very close to being #2 if not for a late Giants score in Week 17)

18 game win streak only ended by a play that happens once in a lifetime.


They were unstoppable. A machine. And they had to deal with a media circus every single week.

 

[RayClay]

They were unstoppable.

lol...........

 

[ausbacker]

2004. That team was simply divine. They were ferocious and made competent opposing QB's look like regular idiots.

I don't care how good 2007 was or the fluke plays, Neal injury and Brady's ankle that culminated in the Superbowl loss. They didn't get the job done.

 

[patsfan-1982]

the 2007 team just beat down everyone they faced because they had more talent then any other team. thats why i say 2001 that team had more JAGS and vets on it then any other SB team but they had more heart.


and lets not forget that it's only because of the 2001 pats that both the AFC and NFC now come out as a team at every super bowl.

 

[DarrylS]

Gotta go with '01 only because the first time was the best time and no matter how many points they score, or prevent from scoring nothing can compare to that moment.