Posted on 01/18/2019 9:52:52 AM PST by Rummyfan
We are 18 years into the New England Patriots dynasty. A run that started during the 2001 regular season is likely going to stretch into its third decade, which would be unprecedented in most sports and seems downright unfathomable in the modern NFL, where attrition and the salary cap conspire to strike down promising teams before they grow comfortable atop their divisions. There might never be a team like the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick Patriots again.
By virtue of that 18-year reign, though, the Patriots have amassed what amounts to a popular folklore. There are stories and arguments about how the Patriots perform and what they do to win games, and while some of them are true, plenty aren't. Some of the ideas might have been true at one time but haven't been the case in years. Others were built upon an insufficient sample, with one play or one game used to tell a broader story without any tests or support.
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I wrote about myths for all of last week's eight playoff teams. With the Patriots, I found that a common claim held up with regard to New England simply isn't accurate. Despite what you might hear during Pats games, there's no evidence that the Patriots consistently sport a bend-but-don't-break defense. Belichick doesn't tell his defense to suddenly figure things out in the red zone because that doesn't make any sense. Great defenses are great all over the field.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.com ...
Which QB has the most wins in the Bills Ralph Wilson Stadium in the last 20 years?
Its not a Bills QB - its Tom Brady.
A shorter ‘dynasty’ was the Bill’s 4 consecutive Super Bowls. A record that will never be beat. Would have been nice to win one of them.
Yup, the Bills, The Dolphins and the Jets. Beating those teams consistently for the past 20 years makes the Patriots... well, like any other team not from Cleveland.
What’s a myth?
One of the best Super Bowls ever was when a wild card team, the NY Giants, beat NE, spoiling what would have been a perfect season. It was glorious, just like Trump busting the shoo-in Hillary.
Bet the champagne tasted especially nice that year for the Miami Dolphins players who were part of the one and only perfect team in 1973.
I’ll bet it did.
RIP Bob Kuechenberg, my favorite player from those great Dolphins' team.
Right on. Why they so often have home field advantage in the playoffs.
Their away record in playoffs not quite as impressive. From a Broncos fan.
"bend-but-don't-break defense. Belichick doesn't tell his defense to suddenly figure things out in the red zone because that doesn't make any sense. Great defenses are great all over the field."
I concur.
That’s a great picture. I saw someone at Disney wearing a perfect season AFC champions shirt that listed all the scores on the back. It just left out the Giants winning the Super Bowl. I think if I was a Pats fan I would have left that one home in the drawer.
Did they ship the shirts to a third world country after the Super Bowl loss? Hilarious!
You can only beat the teams you play. Why have not the Bills - Dolphins - Jets improved over the last twenty years?! Coaching, management, ownership, personnel... They have had the same opportunities as the rest of the league.
I'm no Patriots fan per se. But one has to admire the sustained level of accomplishment.
Myth: Belichick causes the headsets of opposing teams to become disabled.
They always do that. Not knowing who will win the games, two types of shirts and hats are prepared. The wrong one gets donated to charity.
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