I don't mean to discount the futility and ineptness of that 1990 Patriots team at all. They certainly do rank as one of the worst NFL teams of all time without a doubt. That season was painful and embarrassing for all Pats fans.
The point I was trying to make was that the poll is flawed due to the way many football fans around the country look at the current Patriots team. Whether the anti-Pats sentiment is large and universal or is a vocal minority, whether it is fueled by spygate and the media, or by envy of a winning franchise, it doesn't matter. In my opinion, many people are going to vote to put down the Pats in any poll, given the chance.
As a point of reference, I found some past polls of NFL "worst teams".
A 2002 column on espn's page 2 ranked the '76 Bucs 1st, followed by the '90 Pats, '73 Oilers, '71 Bills, '81 Colts, '91 Colts, '52 Texans, '80 Saints, '01 Panthers, and '34 Reds.
Readers responded to espn's poll and ranked the '76 Bucs 1st with 32.2% of the responses, followed by the Bengals, '01 Lions, Cardinals, '89 Cowboys, '96 Jets, and the '90 Pats were 7th with 4.1% of the vote; the '80 Saints, '92 Seahawks, and '81 Colts rounded out the top ten.
Last November
SI came out with a story comparing the Dolphins to the all time worst and again the '76 Bucs took top honors. They were followed by the '80 Saints, '01 Panthers, '91 Colts, and the '90 Pats ranked fifth.
Now the '90 Pats have suddenly become the worst ever? The only thing that has changed is how people outside of New England feel about the Pats. That is why I feel the poll is flawed.