Start with three Super Bowl championships in four years from 2001-04.
Add a bunch of blue-collar players and a team-first approach that subjugates individual glory.
Yes, there is a lot to admire about the New England Patriots, especially for a first-year coach such as the Vikings' Brad Childress, who is trying to build a championship-caliber team.
"I think they're the standard consistency-wise," Childress said. "Three Super Bowls in four years; it's not like any of those years they were injury-free. It's a testament not only to the personnel and the leadership but to the system, where they're able to plug people in... . You want unselfishness. You want guys who'll do whatever it takes to win. That's the fun in this business, is winning. I'd like my team to be like that."
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They might not be at the Patriots' level yet, but it would appear they're headed in that direction.
"Having been here less than a year, it's moving that way," Childress said. "I don't compare us to them, but do you admire some of the traits that team has? Yeah. They play hard. They play physical. They can run it. They can throw it and have for a while. And then they're salty as hell on defense. Shoot, those are admirable traits on any team."
