36 replies to this topic

[H-field Hero]

A few times every season the Patriots take on a top team in the league and completely outclass them (although not typically to the degree that we witnessed last night) and it gets me thinking where they rank all time in success sustained over an extended period of time.  I think we would all agree that this long period of success began in 2001 and is still going.  Simply reading the stats won't tell the whole story.  You have to think back to all of those times over the last 11 years that you've watched the Pats playing in some huge game against a conference rival or a highly anticipated playoff game.

I'm calling upon our older members for this one.  I'm old enough to recall most of Dallas' 90s run and it wasn't nearly as long as the Pats.  However, I am not old enough to have watched the 80s 49ers, 70s Steelers, or 60s Packers.  For those of you who go back awhile can you recall another NFL/AFL who has enjoyed this kind of success for this long?  Take into account how competitive the league is in this era of football.

[Froggy]

Well the 49ers were a GOOD team from 1981 all the way to the day Steve Young retired in the very late 90's...they were still good with Garcia for a few years. The Cowboys had something like 28(or was it 20?) straight winning seasons with Landry I think.


What the Patriots have been able to do is quite unbelievable, I actually did sit there and marvel last night when thinking about it. But then I came right back down to earth because it is the regular season...I'd rather see this in the playoffs.

[Stephen1]

i'm impressed as hell about how NE has been able to maintain success, especially in the FA period, Dallas lost any hope of that when Jerry started acting the fool in 1995 but any of the Pats teams would get DESTROYED by the 90's Cowboys or 80's 49ers.

[mike030270]

It's very impressive what the Pats(Brady) can do. Looking forward to the postseason game of Broncos and Pats

[eaglenugget]

07 Patriots > anyone else. Ever.

[ckudrick]

eaglenugget, on 12 December 2012 - 12:36 AM, said:

07 Patriots > anyone else. Ever.

(except for the Giants)

[PopsG]

Overrated. they havent won a superbowl since mcnabbs puke hit the field.

[eaglenugget]

ckudrick, on 12 December 2012 - 12:40 AM, said:

(except for the Giants)

Do you believe in old moe? Luck? The Giants won that game behind a very, very believing Giants team. They knew they had old moe on their side, then also had a couple plays go their way in the game. Giants won that game, but the patriots were the far better team that season. If I could choose one team to play any other team in NFL history it would be the 07 patriots.

[Innocence096]

very impressive considering we are in the salary cap era

[Casey @ bat]

10 straight years with at least 10 wins how could you not be impressed.

[faceman]

Froggy, on 11 December 2012 - 08:40 PM, said:

Well the 49ers were a GOOD team from 1981 all the way to the day Steve Young retired in the very late 90's...they were still good with Garcia for a few years. The Cowboys had something like 28(or was it 20?) straight winning seasons with Landry I think.


What the Patriots have been able to do is quite unbelievable, I actually did sit there and marvel last night when thinking about it. But then I came right back down to earth because it is the regular season...I'd rather see this in the playoffs.

I agree with John Madden when he was asked this question. He said the success of the Niners was simple. They had a HOF Qb replace a HOF Qb. I feel the Pats are
similar. Brady became great  early in his career and has sustained it over the long haul. What happens after he's gone will tell the real story.


I don't believe anyone would disagree that QB is the most important position in Football. It's arguably the most important position in all team sports. The Colts
are a great recent example. With Manning they were Super Bowl contenders. With Curtis Painter they selected 1st in the draft and chose Andrew Luck. They
are now back in the playoffs. Imo, they will be for years to come if Luck stays healthy.

[BKLYNYG]

The Pats are on an amazing run. The only knock would be the weak divisional opponents. They've really only been challenged 2 or 3 times in the last decade plus.

[Stephen1]

eaglenugget, on 12 December 2012 - 06:25 AM, said:

Do you believe in old moe? Luck? The Giants won that game behind a very, very believing Giants team. They knew they had old moe on their side, then also had a couple plays go their way in the game. Giants won that game, but the patriots were the far better team that season. If I could choose one team to play any other team in NFL history it would be the 07 patriots.

are you serious? Both the Dallas and 49ers teams I mentioned had #1 ranked defenses and across the board far more talent on offense that in todays NFL with rules favoring the offense would have truly been unstoppable, I mean could you imagine how awesome Rice or even Irvin would have been if DB's weren't allowed to touch them after 5 yards and couldn't blast them after they caught the ball for fear of getting penalized? I think the 85 Bears would beat them, the 92 and 93 Cowboys, probably 3-4 of the 49ers teams from the late 80's Early 90's would trounce them, probably 2-3 of the Steeler SB winning teams from the 70's would beat them...that Pats team would barely crack the top 10 all time.

[GA4M]

Until they play the Giants.

[Intel Division]

Stephen1, on 11 December 2012 - 08:43 PM, said:

i'm impressed as hell about how NE has been able to maintain success, especially in the FA period, Dallas lost any hope of that when Jerry started acting the fool in 1995 but any of the Pats teams would get DESTROYED by the 90's Cowboys or 80's 49ers.

You could compile a Cowboys ALL 90s team and 2012 NE would hang 52 on them in the first half.  Hell the league offices would probably phone in and demand no clock stoppages in the second half aka the mercy rule.

[GA4M]

Casey @ bat, on 12 December 2012 - 08:06 AM, said:

10 straight years with at least 10 wins how could you not be impressed.

Jets, Fish and Bills?

[wrestlevessel]

Dolphins have given the Pats the most trouble of those teams.

From 83-98 the Niners were always 10-6 or better. That is pretty remarkable. The streak may have been longer even considering the Niners won the Super Bowl in 81 and had a terribl year during the strike in 82.

[GA4M]

wrestlevessel, on 12 December 2012 - 02:51 PM, said:

Dolphins have given the Pats the most trouble of those teams.

From 83-98 the Niners were always 10-6 or better. That is pretty remarkable. The streak may have been longer even considering the Niners won the Super Bowl in 81 and had a terribl year during the strike in 82.

Not taking anything away from them, but that division has been sorta weak most years. That was gravy for Montana back then.

[Stephen1]

Intel Division, on 12 December 2012 - 02:36 PM, said:

You could compile a Cowboys ALL 90s team and 2012 NE would hang 52 on them in the first half.  Hell the league offices would probably phone in and demand no clock stoppages in the second half aka the mercy rule.

[Rodney_Zero]

Packers with Favre Holmgren/Sherman were pretty good too

[wrestlevessel]

Saints were pretty good in the late 80s/early 90s. I think the Rams had a couple good years too with Jim Everett and Flipper Anderson.

[700level4life]

You could possibly go back to the 1996 season with New England when they lost the Super Bowl to the Packers. A lot of their players on the 01 team were acquired that season, or around that time. They have had one losing season since then, back in 2000. A hell of a run.

[snoopdogg88]

Belichick is a god

86, 90, 96, 01, 03, 04, 07 11 Super Bowls he was either coordinator or head coach.  

Incredible.  No one else comes close

[Happyfoosball]

Stephen1, on 12 December 2012 - 01:14 PM, said:

are you serious? Both the Dallas and 49ers teams I mentioned had #1 ranked defenses and across the board far more talent on offense that in todays NFL with rules favoring the offense would have truly been unstoppable, I mean could you imagine how awesome Rice or even Irvin would have been if DB's weren't allowed to touch them after 5 yards and couldn't blast them after they caught the ball for fear of getting penalized? I think the 85 Bears would beat them, the 92 and 93 Cowboys, probably 3-4 of the 49ers teams from the late 80's Early 90's would trounce them, probably 2-3 of the Steeler SB winning teams from the 70's would beat them...that Pats team would barely crack the top 10 all time.

You talking about the 49ers and Cowboys from 92-96?

Friggen scary... friggen scary.  Of course the 49ers at that time were cheating the cap.

[Stephen1]

Happyfoosball, on 12 December 2012 - 07:49 PM, said:

You talking about the 49ers and Cowboys from 92-96?

Friggen scary... friggen scary.  Of course the 49ers at that time were cheating the cap.

yeah, Dallas was so deep when they won in 1995 I think about 9 of the starters were backups on the 92-93 teams.

the 9ers bought the SB in 1994, and cheated to do it, people said Dallas "bought" titles but in 1992 & 1993 they had 0 free agents and in 1995 they had all of 2 (prime time and center Ray Donaldson)

shows you how good the NFCE was back them too, because as good as Dallas was, they never swept the East and all the East teams could go toe to toe with them....Dallas may have been better, but they weren't push NFCE teams around

[Happyfoosball]

They are the most successful post salary cap era team.  The Cowboys really don't count because they built pre cap.

Stephen1, on 13 December 2012 - 12:34 AM, said:

yeah, Dallas was so deep when they won in 1995 I think about 9 of the starters were backups on the 92-93 teams.

the 9ers bought the SB in 1994, and cheated to do it, people said Dallas "bought" titles but in 1992 & 1993 they had 0 free agents and in 1995 they had all of 2 (prime time and center Ray Donaldson)

shows you how good the NFCE was back them too, because as good as Dallas was, they never swept the East and all the East teams could go toe to toe with them....Dallas may have been better, but they weren't push NFCE teams around

Yeah they built a monster after the Walker trade.

[HaroldTheSecond]

In a way, even if the Patriots lose in the AFC championship game, they will be breaking new ground - in that they will become the first defending Super Bowl runner-up since 1993 to get to the conference title game the following year!

[Stephen1]

Happyfoosball, on 13 December 2012 - 04:41 AM, said:

They are the most successful post salary cap era team.  The Cowboys really don't count because they built pre cap.



Yeah they built a monster after the Walker trade.

the funny thing is at the time Dallas made that trade the national media killed them for it, because at first it looked like Dallas traded him for a bunch of mid level players, they didn't realize each player if cut would net Dallas a draft pick. I was pissed about it too, lol.

my pet peeve is when people accuse Dallas of buying titles though, prior to the salary cap there also wasn't free agency, so it was impossible to buy a title period....how can you "buy a title" if there are no players available to "buy".

[GA4M]

Dallas was just lucky in the early 90's, NY and Was were just getting older at that time as they had already won SB's of their own, nothing special.

[Froggy]

Stephen1, on 13 December 2012 - 09:09 AM, said:

the funny thing is at the time Dallas made that trade the national media killed them for it, because at first it looked like Dallas traded him for a bunch of mid level players, they didn't realize each player if cut would net Dallas a draft pick. I was pissed about it too, lol.

my pet peeve is when people accuse Dallas of buying titles though, prior to the salary cap there also wasn't free agency, so it was impossible to buy a title period....how can you "buy a title" if there are no players available to "buy".

What national media? There was no twitter, no espn first take...nothing.