New England Patriots

[doug rr]

I’ve really been trying to soak it in and cherish this Team this year because I feel like this run only has a couple more years tops in it. Been watching all kinds of clips on YouTube lately of the early years of the Brady/Belichick Era.

I'm torn between congratulations and punching you in the face.

I watched the 2004 and 2014 America’s Games last night. Phenomenal.

I fully admit that most of -- if not ALL of -- my issues with the Pats are envy based. I can't imagine what it would be like to have such a dominant franchise to root for. It's literally incredible. I would never want it to end, either. I get it.

Hopefully, Sunday's game is another phenomenal one for you.

In the last couple years I've started to recognize how spoiled we are and try to keep that in mind. It really has been amazing, when I first started watching this team they were the laughingstock of the NFL and now they are the greatest franchise in the history of the league.

It's a hell of a story. We'll probably never see anything like it in football again in our lifetimes.

i fucking hope not..

[doug rr]

unless of course denver does it

[epilogue]

unless of course denver does it

There it is.

[numbers]

It’s the greatest run in the history of North American sports. It has been done under much more difficult circumstances than the Canadiens, Yankees, Celtics or whoever else anyone wants to say.

[Monkey_Driven]

It’s the greatest run in the history of North American sports. It has been done under much more difficult circumstances than the Canadiens, Yankees, Celtics or whoever else anyone wants to say.

Don't forget about the Spurs.

[Green Habit]

It's a hell of a story. We'll probably never see anything like it in football again in our lifetimes.

Not so sure about that, give any team a HOF head coach and a HOF QB in his youth and they could do it.

It's not just the Patriots. Back in the 1960s the Steelers and Broncos were two of the worst franchises in pro football history. Now they're two of the best. The Packers were horrific in the 70s and 80s and look where they are now.

[E.H. Ruddock]

I think it is more likely that we'll never see another QB career like this. Not counting the 2000 season where Brady was what, 3rd string?, he has essentially been to the Super Bowl in half of the seasons he's been in the NFL. And we aren't talking 2 out of 4 or anything like that. It's insane.

[MadTIGERmaN]

I think it is more likely that we'll never see another QB career like this. Not counting the 2000 season where Brady was what, 3rd string?, he has essentially been to the Super Bowl in half of the seasons he's been in the NFL. And we aren't talking 2 out of 4 or anything like that. It's insane.

and if they were in the AFC North, or NFC East, odds are they don't even make the playoffs in half those seasons. The lack of competition within there division should not be overlooked. The NFC East has not had a repeat winner since 2003/2004 season, and all 4 teams have won the division twice. Not saying they havnt been a great team, for an extended period of time. But they've also had a consistently easy road to the playoffs. Theyre biggest rivalry over Brady's career, has been whichever team Manning is on.

[run2death]

Meh. Not really.

Statically, the AFC East is third in average winning percentage over the last decade or so. Behind the AFC North and just a fraction behind the NFC East.

Also, they are 8-2 against the Steelers in their last 10 games.
8-1 against the Ravens all time.
8-2 against the Bengals in their last 10 games.
8-2 against the Browns in their last 10 games.

[numbers]

I mean, isn’t the AFC East skewed by having the Pats in it? These other divisions don’t have to play them twice every year.

[96583UP]

I can't wait for Alex Guererro's gender re-assignment surgery followed by Brady's divorce to Gisele and then the REAL power couple can GET IT ON

[Coach]

It's a hell of a story. We'll probably never see anything like it in football again in our lifetimes.

Not so sure about that, give any team a HOF head coach and a HOF QB in his youth and they could do it.

It's not just the Patriots. Back in the 1960s the Steelers and Broncos were two of the worst franchises in pro football history. Now they're two of the best. The Packers were horrific in the 70s and 80s and look where they are now.

Sure, teams can suck and then not suck. But no team has sucked as bad as the Patriots and then went on to dominate against a system that was set for parity and for whatever reason they are the only ones to figure it out - to win consistently with so many different players.

Denver has 3 SB wins, the Packers have 4 and the Steelers have 6. At the moment, the best comparison is the Steelers given that they have more titles than NE and as you stated, they did suck for awhile but have brought back a winning culture.

Watch that 30 for 30 on the Two Bills. It all goes back to Parcells, Belichick and Kraft.

[PHATJ]

It's a hell of a story. We'll probably never see anything like it in football again in our lifetimes.

Not so sure about that, give any team a HOF head coach and a HOF QB in his youth and they could do it.

It's not just the Patriots. Back in the 1960s the Steelers and Broncos were two of the worst franchises in pro football history. Now they're two of the best. The Packers were horrific in the 70s and 80s and look where they are now.

Sure, teams can suck and then not suck. But no team has sucked as bad as the Patriots and then went on to dominate against a system that was set for parity and for whatever reason they are the only ones to figure it out - to win consistently with so many different players.

Denver has 3 SB wins, the Packers have 4 and the Steelers have 6. At the moment, the best comparison is the Steelers given that they have more titles than NE and as you stated, they did suck for awhile but have brought back a winning culture.

Watch that 30 for 30 on the Two Bills. It all goes back to Parcells, Belichick and Kraft.

I watched the 30 for 30 last night. It was super interesting and enjoyable.

[Electromatic]

It's a hell of a story. We'll probably never see anything like it in football again in our lifetimes.

Not so sure about that, give any team a HOF head coach and a HOF QB in his youth and they could do it.

It's not just the Patriots. Back in the 1960s the Steelers and Broncos were two of the worst franchises in pro football history. Now they're two of the best. The Packers were horrific in the 70s and 80s and look where they are now.

Sure, teams can suck and then not suck. But no team has sucked as bad as the Patriots and then went on to dominate against a system that was set for parity and for whatever reason they are the only ones to figure it out - to win consistently with so many different players.

Denver has 3 SB wins, the Packers have 4 and the Steelers have 6. At the moment, the best comparison is the Steelers given that they have more titles than NE and as you stated, they did suck for awhile but have brought back a winning culture.

Watch that 30 for 30 on the Two Bills. It all goes back to Parcells, Belichick and Kraft.

The run is still impossible without having a guy as absolutely driven and committed as Brady. I have no earthly idea how they've managed to win this much with so many undrafted players, castoffs, etc. Obviously Belichick is among the greatest to ever coach along with Parcells for that matter. A big part of it is having a few things break your way sure, but they simply do not beat themselves as so many other teams frequently do with mental mistakes. It is simply amazing how even when they get beat inside or there is good pressure, Brady is able to deliver the ball to exactly the right spot and the receiver is always there in position to make a play. It just doesn't happen like that anywhere else.

[Green Habit]

The real fascinating what-if I think about is if the NFL stuck to geography instead of history and moved the Dolphins to the AFCS instead of the Colts. Manning vs. Brady twice a year could have changed a lot of things.

Just using intuition for the other divisions...
--AFC North would have been brutal if they took Cleveland's spot. I don't buy for one second the Pats can keep up those high of percentages against the other three if they played them twice a year. Also, I think r2d is only counting regular season: the Pats have two brutal playoff losses to the Ravens.
--AFC South...they'd run over that even harder than the AFC East if they took the Colts' place. Or you have Manning vs. Brady twice a year like I said.
--AFC West, we all know of their struggles against the Broncos, and depending on the season the Chiefs or Chargers could have given them a run too. Don't see this one being easier even if they have the Raiders to beat up on.
--NFC East would have been the toughest with Andy Reid in Philly and Tom Coughlin in NYG. Dallas could have given them a run every now and then too.
--NFC North would have had Favre/Rodgers vs. Brady twice a year, and the Vikings would have been capable to getting in their way here and there.
--NFC South they probably could have owned similarly, the Saints with Brees would probably have given them the most consistent trouble.
--NFC West they'd clearly own, especially if they took the Seahawks' place.

So I count 3 divisions as easy or easier, and 4 that are harder.

[epilogue]

It's a hell of a story. We'll probably never see anything like it in football again in our lifetimes.

Not so sure about that, give any team a HOF head coach and a HOF QB in his youth and they could do it.

It's not just the Patriots. Back in the 1960s the Steelers and Broncos were two of the worst franchises in pro football history. Now they're two of the best. The Packers were horrific in the 70s and 80s and look where they are now.

Well sure but the length and consistency of the Pats dominance. I haven't looked at the stats but did the Steelers or Broncos go to as many consecutive AFC Championship games? And if the Pats win they're tied for most Championships ever, right?

I'm not discounting other franchise's success but the Pats are on another level.

[numbers]

And the entirety of their success has occurred in the parity era of the NFL, where the league is designed to discourage runs like this.

[96583UP]

what ever happened to the child that Tom Brady fathered with the woman he didn’t marry?

[numbers]

He was traded to San Fran a few months ago.

[PHATJ]