With the Patriot's 48-27 win over the then undefeated Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, the Patriots improved to 6-0. For those of you that thought the game was way over hyped, when you consider it was only the fifth time that two undefeated teams with records of (5-0) or better faced each other during the regular season; it actually was a game that deserved a lot of attention. For those of you that were sickened by the attention put on that game, you haven't seen anything yet. If the Colts and Pats can win out until their week 9 matchup the NFL will have another Regular Season Game for the Ages.
However, I don't want to look ahead to that game. What I want to look at today is the Patriots (6-0) start and to try to put it into historic context. I think that the Patriots have played well enough in these first 6 games that it warrants looking at where this start ranks among the all time starts in league history. First, let's look at what the Patriots have done in their first 6 games of the 2007 season.
The Patriots have the best offense in the NFL. They are 1st in points scored. They are 1st in yards gained. They are 1st in passing yards, 2nd in rushing yards, 1st in passing touchdowns, and 1st in Yards per Attempt. There one weakness may be that they are only 14th in yards per rush and 13th in rushing touchdowns. However, when you consider that Maroney has been ####ed up most of the year, those numbers are also impressive considering that injury has relegated Sammy Morris to the starting role.
On defense, the Patriots are not quite as good. They are 12th in passing yards allowed, 7th in rushing yards allowed, 7th in total yards allowed, 9th in points allowed, and 24th in touchdown passes allowed.
Special teams have been great. Welker has added an explosion to the return game. Stephen Gostkowski has one missed field goal on the year.
The most impressive of all the numbers is when you combine the offense and defense and look at the total result. The Patriots have outscored the opposition 230 to 92, or an average of 23.0 points per game. Their closest contest in terms of margin of victory was a 17-point victory over Cleveland. They have yet to score under 34 points and besides the Dallas game have not given up anymore than 17. But what is most amazing is the 138 points that separate them and their opponents is more than 27 of the 32 teams in the NFL have scored on the entire season. It is truly a remarkable start.
But where does it rank among all time great starts? Is this the best 6 game stretch the league has ever seen to start a season, or are we getting too caught up in the moment? To keep it simple I limited "ever" to the Super Bowl era. I took noteworthy starts to a season and rated those starts as either being better or worse than the Patriots.
Remember three things. 1) Postseason success did not factor into the rankings. However, you had to at least make the playoffs to not be considered a fraud. Seeing no team has ever come back from down 4 games or more to win a division, I think we are safe in assuming the Patriots will at least make the playoffs. 2) It was not required a team won all of their first 6 games. If a team went 5-1, but was so dominant that their numbers compared to some of the 6-0 starts, I listed them. I did not consider teams with more than one loss. 3) This is not about which team the Patriots would beat in some hypothetical matchup. It is how their start ranks compared to some of the other great starts.
Here are the more memorable starts that I could think of over the last 42 seasons.
1968 Baltimore Colts (5-1) - One of only two teams I put on my list that had a loss in the first 6 games. The Colts started off 5-0, before losing their only game of the regular season in week 6. Despite the loss, they outscored their opponents 186-65 in the first six games of the season, or by 20.2 points per game. They finished the season with an 18.4 point per game margin of victory. In their 5 victories to start the season, they outscored their opponents 166-35, an average margin of victory of 31.6 points per game. That one loss was to a Browns team that they would later beat 34-0 in the NFL Championship Game. This team's greatness is overlooked, because of what happened in Super Bowl III. Considering that in their first 6 games they lost a game by 10 points and had another in which they only won by 8 points, I would give the edge to the Patriots. Advantage: Patriots
1972 Dolphins (6-0) - The Dolphins outscored their opponents 145-87 in their (6-0) start, which ended with a (17-0) season. Despite the Dolphins leading the league in both scoring offense and scoring defense, this was not an explosive offensive era. The Dolphins featured two 1,000-yard rushers and controlled the clock. They averaged winning these 6 games by only 9.7 points per game. They had a 2-point win over a Viking team that finished 7-7 and a 1-point win over a Bills team that finished 4-9-1. The only reason I listed this team was because they were the last team to go undefeated. While the Dolphins will be remembered as the last team to go undefeated for the season, this was not an all time great start to the season. Advantage: Patriots
1985 Bears (6-0) - Da Bears. The team that many people consider the greatest in the history of the NFL. The Bears outscored their opponents 189-98 in their first 6 games, or 15.2 points per game. The Bears would win their next 6 as well to go to 12-0, before losing 38-24 to Miami in week 13, their only loss that season. The Bears Week 7-12 may have been the most impressive 6 game win streak in NFL history, as they dominated the opposition 170-29, or 23.5 points per game. They allowed 3 total points in 3 weeks, including 2 consecutive shutouts. I would say the Patriots have been more impressive in their first 6 games than the Bears were in their first 6 games. However, they have a lot of work over the next 6 games to equal the start the Bears had to the 1985 season. If the Pats get to (12-0), I will have to revisit this topic and compare their (12-0) start to the 85 Bears. However, this article is only looking at the first 6 games and the Pats have been more impressive in that regard. Advantage: Patriots
1990 49ers (6-0) / NY Giants (6-0) - Even though the 1989 49ers were more celebrated, this edition actually started the season 10-0, before losing to the Rams. What was ironic is the Giants also started off 10-0 and lost to the Eagles in that same week. The next week the Giants and 49ers would square off in a Championship Game Preview at Candlestick as (10-1) vs. (10-1) and not (11-0) vs. (11-0). The 49ers would get this battle 7-3, but would lose the Championship Game to the Giants 15-13, who would go on to capture Bill Parcell's 2nd Super Bowl. Neither team was extremely dominant in their first 6 weeks. The Giants outscored their opponents 150 to 86 in their first 6 games and had 3 contest decided by 7 points or less. The 49ers outscored their opponents 154 to 101 in their first 6 games and had 3 contest decided by 6 points or less. Advantage: Patriots
1991 Redskins (6-0) - The 1991 Redskins would start off the season 11-0 before losing to Dallas 24-21. They finished 14-2 losing their 2 games by 5 combined points. They outscored the opposition 189 to 65 in those first 6 games, winning by a margin of 20.7 points per game. For one season this was one of the best teams in the history of the NFL. I would actually say the Redskins start was more impressive than the Patriots start for a couple of reasons. First, the Redskins pitched 3 shutouts in their first 6 games. This is far more impressive than what the Patriots have done on defense. In that 6 game stretch, they beat the Lions 45-0 and would later face them in that season’s NFC Championship Game. They beat Dallas 33-31 in Dallas, who also made the playoffs at 11-5. The next season would start the Dallas run of 3 Super Bowls in 4 years. They beat the Bears 20-7, who also made the playoffs at 11-5. The only blemish was a weak divisional game against Phoenix, won by Washington 34-27. Phoenix was actually 2-0 when they lost to Washington, but finished the season 4-12. The Patriots meanwhile have beaten opponents with a record of 14-20, and when you consider Dallas is 5-1, that isn't very good. The Redskins opponents had a 19-17 record, including 4 teams that would win 10+ games on the season. Three of those teams made the playoffs. When you consider that the Redskins scored over 30 points in 4 of the 6 contests combined with 3 shutouts, against that level of competition; I believe this is the best (6-0) start in the history of the NFL. Advantage: Redskins
1996 Packers (5-1) - The other team I have on here that had a loss in their first six games. However, just like the 68 Colts, I think I can make a case that this was as strong of a start as any in league history. While Brady has been amazing with 21 touchdowns in his first 6 games, don't forget that Favre had the previous best start with 20 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in his first six games. The one loss was at the Twinkie Dome to a playoff team. The Packers never could win there in the 1990s. The Packers outscored the opposition 204 to 72, or an average of 22 points per game, despite that nine-point loss. That means that in the Packers 5 victories they outscored the opposition 183 to 42, or an average winning margin of 28.2 points per game. The 68 Colts are the only team with a higher margin of victory in their victories on this list. However, the Patriots have a slightly larger margin of victory overall and did not lose in their first six games. That is not to be understated, and I give them the nod. Advantage: Patriots
1998 Broncos (6-0) - The Broncos raced out of the gate by outscoring their opponents 203 to 109, or by an average of 15.7 points per game. They would go on to post a 13-0 record, before losing their next 2 games and actually finishing tied for the second best record in the league, because of the next team on my list. The start was impressive, as only 2 of the teams the Broncos played in this stretch finished with losing records. When you consider that Bubby Brister played part of game 3 and all of game 4 and 5 it makes you appreciate the balance on this team. Could the Pats win by 15.7 points per game without Tom Brady in the game, even if Maroney were healthy? It is difficult to say, because we haven’t seen the Patriots play without Tom Brady. Still, just as I did with the 96 Packers, you have to go with what happened on field. Denver had a 6 and 5 point win in that streak, and even though they dominated with their Hall of Famer, John Elway, on the bench; they didn't dominate teams in the same fashion as the Patriots have in their 6 game start to the 2007 season. Advantage: Patriots
1998 Vikings (6-0) - This was a team that's only loss was a 28-24 defeat at Tampa in week 9 of the season. The Vikings dominated that season like few offenses have in the history of the league, setting a record for points scored in a season with 556. What made this season even more amazing is that Randall Cunningham didn't start the season as a starter, but instead the Vikings went with Brad Johnson before he got hurt. Cunningham was out of football for a couple years doing construction. He was inserted into the lineup, rookie Randy Moss exploded onto the scene, and the rest was history. They outscored their opponents 207-103, or by an average of 17.3 points per game in the first 6 games of the 1998 season. The close games were due to an average defense. They beat a 4-win Rams team 38-31 and a 4-win Bear team 31-28. This team is like the 85 Bears in respect to their first 6 games not being their best 6 games of the season. From week 11 to 16 the Vikings outscored their opponents by 234-113, or by 20.2 points per game, including a 4 game stretch where they averaged 45.5 points per contest. I would give the advantage for the first 6 games to the Patriots. Advantage: Patriots
1999, 2000, and 2001 Rams (6-0) - It's hard to pick which start was more impressive. The 1999 Rams were coming off a 4-12 season and started their first 6 games by outscoring the opposition 217-63, or by 25.7 points per contest. Their closest game was the 27-10 opener against the Ravens. After that they scored over 30 points the next 5 weeks. The negative in that streak as that the 6 teams they beat in that stretch combined for a (26-54) record that season or .333 winning percentage. The 2000 Rams were not nearly as dominant on defense, but even more potent on offense. They outscored the opposition 262-174. The 43.7 points per game is very impressive, but the 29.0 points per game given up on defense is equally unimpressive. The 14.7 scoring margin is solid, but not as solid as many of the other teams on this list. The 2001 Rams recommitted themselves to defense and outscored their opponents 176-81, or 15.8 points per contest. I would say considering that the 1999 Rams had a larger margin of victory, scored almost as many points, and gave up fewer; that their start ranks ahead of the 2007 Patriots start. The 2000 Rams (no defense) and the 2001 Rams (smaller margin of victory) does not. Advantage: 99 Rams
2005-2007 Colts (6-0), (6-0), and (5-0) - The fact that the Colts have not lost a September game since the opener in 2004 in New England is an impressive and historic feat. The 2005 Colts outscored their opponents 151 to 57 or by 15.6 points per game during the first 6 games of the season. 4 of the 6 games were blowouts. That was the team that followed up the 2004 offensive explosion by winning with defense, giving up 5.8 points per game the first 5 games of the season. Unlike the 85 Bears and 98 Vikings, that probably was their best streak of football for the season. The defense gave up 17.5 over the next 6 games and the team finished the season 2-2, before losing their opening round playoff game. While the 2005 Colts had a fantastic start to the season, it wasn't nearly as dominant as the 07 Patriots. The 06 Colts won their first 6 games 171 to 122 or by 8.2 points per game. 4 of the 6 games were won by 7 points or less. That isn't going to make the cut on this list. The 2007 Colts have outscored the opposition 164-88 through 5 games. That is an average margin of victory of 12.7 points per game. Their opponents have a combined record of (13-14), which is slightly better than the Patriots. 4 of their 5 games have seen the Colts score more than 30 points. However, they have 2 games that were decided by 6 points or less. Advantage: Patriots
So there you have it. I believe the New England start is historic and is worthy of the attention that is getting at this point. I would rank it as the third best 6 game start to a season in NFL history. To recap, here is how I would rank the 5 best starts in NFL history.
1) 1991 Washington Redskins (6-0) - Outscored opponents 189-65, 20.7 ppg margin of victory, 3 Shutouts in their first 6 games, 4 victories against teams that finished the season with 10+ victories.
2) 1999 St Louis Rams (6-0) - Outscored Opponents 217-63, 25.7 ppg margin of victory, 5 games of 27 points or more (2 over 30 and 2 over 40).
3) 2007 New England Patriots (6-0) - Outscored Opponents 230-92, 23.0 ppg margin of victory, Brady w/ 21 touchdowns passes and 2 picks through 6 games.
4) 1996 Green Bay Packers (5-1) - Outscored Opponents 183 to 42 in 5 victories (204-72 overall), 28.2 ppg margin of victory in 5 wins, 22.0 ppg margin of victory overall, Favre w/ 20 touchdowns and 4 picks through 6 games.
5) 1968 Colts (5-1) - Outscored opponents 166-35 in 5 victories (186-65 overall), 31.6 ppg margin of victory in 5 wins, 20.2 ppg margin overall.
Honorable Mentions: 1998 Vikings and 1998 Broncos
That’s not bad company. Of the 6 other teams I have listed above when you include the honorable mentions, they combined for 82 regular season wins and 12 losses, with each team making it to the Super Bowl, with the exception of the 1998 Vikings. Of the teams that made it to the Super Bowl, only the 1968 Colts failed to bring home the trophy. The Patriots have an excellent chance of joining the other Super Bowl winners on this list.
I would be interested to hear your comments. Do you think I ranked a start too high? Too low? Forgot one all together? Let me know your thoughts.
Towelboy - Thanks for the comment. Yeah, if the Pats go to 12-0, I could take a look at the 11-1 and 12-0 teams over the years and see where they stack up with this years Pats. This is a fascinating season in that we may be watching a historic season unfold before our eyes.
Last edited by StreetCred on October 18th at 9:49 PM.
What? No kudos for the Steelers? Other than this, excellent post. Onliest thing: It isn't how you start, it's how you finish (in ALL things). I no like the Pats, but would take Brady any second of any day and I think Brady will take the Colts. Fuzz
Great post! Obviously I would enjoy it, being a Pats fan and seeing that the evidence supports the Patriot's excellent streak! But other than my obvious bias, I thought it was a very informative piece. I agree with Towelboy; a followup would be great!
Fuzz - The Steelers have had a lot of great teams. Which Steeler team do u not think was not shown love. If you are reffering to the 04 Steelers that went 15-1, they started 5-1 and outscored their opponents 136-114 or by 3.7 ppg, due to a 17 point loss to the Ravens. That is not even close to the other teams on this list.
This years team lost to Arizona. They aren't even in the top 2 starts this season, much less all time. Which Steeler's team were you hoping to have some love thrown at?
ShriLankan - Thanks for the comments. Seeing 2 of the first 3 posts I have had would be interested in rating a 12-0 Pats start should they be able to do that, I'll take a look at it in the event it happens.
Last edited by StreetCred on October 19th at 7:13 AM.
Pats have some tough games ahead, but I'm impressed with their start. Brady looks poised as heck.
Also, I am a native Chicagoan. Grew up on the far South side, then moved up North to attend Loyola.
My dad lived in Elgin before moving to Florida. My sister lives in Vernon Hills. My brother lives in Schaumburg. And my mom now lives just outside of Waukegan.
I miss the grand ol' city.
Last edited by MeanDovine on October 19th at 7:18 AM.
are you joking, who have the pats played. the cowboys, that is it. oh yea and dolphins next week, hahahahah, wait till they play the colts, the pats will be put back in their place.
Its funny how every blog has to have a Dallas Cowgirl fan add their unintelligent
comments to the post, the cowgirls stink and their bandwagon fans are losers, why are the cowgirls fans so jealous of other teams success? Answer is becuase thier team has stunk for so long they are frustrated and all they have is the past. what losers, stop ruining posts with your stupid comments if you are not smart enough to talk football leave.
Very interesting Points what you have forgotten to include is the Obvious Advantage the 1985 Bears had. Ditka! He didn't suit up purposely because it would have been unfair with such a dominant team to have a man that could single handedly destroy all the teams in the League by him self. A truer assesment would be oh let say Ditka vs. Godzilla and King Kong. Score of that Game would be somewhere in the neighbor hood of
Ditka 84
Godzilla and King Kong 7
I just read on ESPN that they won a court battle were Stubhub had to turn over all the names of Patriot ticket holders that sold thier tickets on Stub Hub. The Patriots are planning to revoke thier season tickets. They go from cheating to running up the score against Dallas to this. This is an all new low.
The New England Patriots really are a team with No Class!!
it so funny that cowboys fans still mad about their loss. they the one who said the cowboys will win and now they lose, and they cant accept the reality
Angry Dallas fans - I agree with the Pats people. Stop crying already. You lost a game to a better team. They cheated. They have no class. booo hooo. I'm not a Patriots fans, but one thing I am not a fan of is excuses. Your defense got torched for 388 yards passing and 5 touchdowns. That's why you lost, not because the Patriots cheated.
Trust me, the organization that signed Tank Johnson a few weeks ago should not have fans that are lecturing other fans about class. An organization with TO should not have fans lecturing other fans about class.
People outside of Dallas didn't view the Cowboys as a "classy" organization in the early 90s when Irvin and Newton were in trouble with the law and your team made headlines everyday for some new legal problem. Just like you didn't care in the 90s, because you were winning, the Pats fans don't probably don't care about a team that hasn't won a playoff game since 1996.
In the words of Denny Green, "The Rules are fair!!! The competitive balance is fair!!! Start worrying about how to fix your pass defense and stop worrying about how classy the Pats are.
Marty - Excellent point. But what would happen if the Patriots hired a certain coach named Buddy Ryan who would square off against a certain Ditka in hand to hand combat????
Longbranch - Who have the Colts played? The Aints. The Texans with no Andre Johnson. I still say the Colts are the favorite in the AFC, because they are the defending champs and have beaten the Pats the last 3 times. Pats have to prove they can win that game at Indy.
This post was about how the Pats 6-0 start compares to NFL history. Even if the Colts blow out the Jags, the Pats have still been more impressive when you consider that the Jets, Cowboys, and Chargers were all in last years playoffs and they all got destroyed. Seing the Chargers are 3-3 with all their losses coming to divisional leaders, I don't think you can call the Chargers a bad team.
Two of their games were against good competition (Cowboys & Chargers), two of their games were against poor competition (Dolphins & Bills) one was against a good team that has struggled badly coming out of the gate (Jets) and one was against a young and up in coming club (Browns). While it wasn't the toughest schedule, it isn't the cake walk everyone is making it out to be either.
Excellent post. I do think the Pats could go undefeated, but probably won't. It's really hard for a team to play some many weeks of dominating football.
Street Cred
They're good enough to win the Superbowl and that may well be a given. But all this talk of 'em going undefeated is basically nonesense. They could be upended by any one of a number of teams on a given day. So in reality let's just say that what they're doing at present creates interest around the league and for the fans in general. See my post written under the rampantfanatic guise titled
Soulja' Boy Says #### It Up Do The Superman ! As an avowed Pats' Fan you'll see my take on the team and what they've achieved so far.
I'm a lifelong Pats fan born and raised, but I've lived in 'Skins country for the last 24 years and also love them. It's great to see the '91 team mentioned, as for some reason or other they always seem to be left off the list of greatest single season teams. They could have easily been 15-1 had Gibbs not pulled all his starters at half time in the last game against Philly. In the Super Bowl that year, they were up 37-10 and taking a knee on offense halfway though the 4th quarter, otherwise they could have easily scored another 2-3 TDs and had a historic route of the Bills.
Everybody is talking about the Pats cheat, and the Pats run up the score and all kinds of other nonsense. The fact of the matter is this, the Pats haven't been in a close game yet. I don't wanna hear the game was closer than the score indicated. I heard Dallas fans saying the Pats would lose by 14 plus and now they cry because the Pats wouldn't let off the gas pedal. Stop crying. Until the Pats actually get a challenge, it's not foolish to think they could run the table. Bellichick is all about trying to achieve perfection and what better way than go 19-0.
"ecde"
Your right I mean your intellect must really surpass everyone seeing as you refer to the Dallas Cowboys as Cowgirls--that must have taken you a long time to come up with. I would like to say with regards to the PATS-Cowboys game--the Dallas Cowboys made so many mistakes and had so many penalties that it was not like they really gave themselves a chance to win, and secondly everyone acts as if everyone hates on the patriots I have always thought that the Pats were a hell of a team, their program takes players who no one really knows and makes them household names, that being said they ar like any other team to me, just someone else that stands in the way of my team (Cowboys for those of you not getting it) becoming super bowl champs--end of discussion--I dont need to talk #### about other teams or hate on anyone I think my team has the potential to be greater than anyone's team and its been like that since I first watched Dallas..some of you need to be true fans and stick by your teams and not talk #### about other people's team if your team is that good their performance on the field will prove it..
DON'T CARE IF THEY GO UNDEFEATED, JUST WIN THE LOMBARDI IN ARIZONA.
WHO HAVE THEY PLAYED. ALL THE GAMES ON THE SCHEDULE. DALLAS, SD, JETS WERE ALL PLAYOFF TEAMS LAST YEAR. STILL HAVE TOUGH ONES AHEAD, COLTS, STEELERS, RAVENS, GIANTS(LAST GAME, WHO WILL QB). ETC
StreetCred- I really enjoyed this. I also enjoy all of the funny things people say in response. You put up the numbers and let them speak for themselves. Its a historical start, and I trust you would be doing this post if it were the Seahawks who were 6-0 with those kind of numbers.
I struggle with the idea of the Pats going undefeated. They can, but I don't think they will. It is a very tough thing to accomplish and it doesn't necessarily guarantee anything. We beat the 15-1 Steelers, the 14-2 Chargers- someone else with a chip on their shoulder could do the same to us. Though the Pats seem to be playing with a chip the size of the Eastern seaboard right now so we'll see. And I suppose this is ludicris, but the Pats always play down to the Phins- its weird.
Last edited by 2coastsgal on October 19th at 12:27 PM.
I don't know what stats you are using, but NFL.com would disagree with your Pats defensive rankings:
(Perhaps you didn't factor in bye weeks)
They are 4th in passing yards allowed, 5th in rushing yards allowed, 2nd in total yards allowed, 6th in points allowed, and 16th (tied with other teams) in touchdown passes allowed. They are also 1st (tied with other teams) in rushing touchdowns allowed.
Those numbers are a little better than the ones you included. Also, one should remember that they played Dallas (#1 Offense at the time) and Cincy who both have great offenses. Even Cleveland had a pretty good offense.
I think their defense is a lot better than you give them credit for since some of these yards and even points were given up in garbage time when the games were unwinnable.
I don't think you can compare old teams to new. There are too many factors that you are not accounting for, including overall quality of the competition. I think you do have to consider who they're playing. Since we're all so mezmerized by this 6-0 record, let's also consider the record of the AFC East: 2-15. Someone mentioned something about how they play with their foot on the gas the whole time. I agree with that, but ask yourself, what happens when you leave your foot on the gas? You run out of gas a lot quicker than everyone else. So go ahead and blow your load over the Pats 6-0 record if you want, but until they win the Superbowl they will be the same as last years Bears.
PF - Thanks for the comments. I don't think the Pats are going undefeated either. I picked them to go 14-2 to start the season. They have loseable games at Indy, Pittsburgh, Baltiore, etc. Lots of football to be played. All I did was evaluate how historic the 6-0 start. I didn't say anywhere in the article they would go undefeated.
Hog - I don't think the Skins score enough points to challenge the Pats. I think to beat the Pats, you'll need to get into a 35-28 type of game.
Phatal - I'll try to read the article if I get time. To clarify, I am not a Pats fan, I am a Packers fan. I respect the success the Pats have enjoyed. Also, I didn't say anything about undefeated, I was looking at their start.
Yanksblo - I agree with you on the 91 Skins. One of the most underappreciated teams in NFL history.
Pats - I agree. The rest of the NFL needs to either put up or shut up.
Dallasfan33 - I agree with you. The problem is that the Patriots proved on Dallas's field that they are a better team than the Cowboys. There are a lot of Cowboy fans that aren't to eager to adimit that, and instead are coming up with excuses.
Dynasty - 19-0 is all fine and good, but you are right. The Trophy is what is important if you are a Pats fan.
Costal - Thanks for the post. If I wanted to write about my favorite team, I would talk about how good the Packers are. I don't like the Pats, but you have to respect what they have done.
4ever - I'll try to check that out.
Dip - Good post. I'm looking at season totals. You are probably looking at stats per game. Your stats are probably more accurate, as it takes into account bye weeks. My intention wasn't to make the Pats defense look bad. Everyone knows it is a good D. My point was that the offense has played better than the defense, which I don't think is debatable at this point.
Forty - I think you are partially right, as it is hard to compare the 1930s Bears to the 2006 Bears. However, I think it is possible to compare teams in the Super Bowl era.
I took into account the poor schedule. Read the part about the 91 Redskins and the 99 Rams.
You sound like a bitter fan of either the Bills, Fins, or Jets who is sick of getting stomped on. Again, I didn't say they were going undefeated. I said they have had a historic start. If you really think this team 6-0 start looks like the 06 Bears, I think you are kidding yourself. I didn't put the Bears on here because of the Arizona game alone. Grossman vs. Brady??? Get real.
Last edited by StreetCred on October 19th at 1:13 PM.
Well, like it or not that's what they are until they win the Superbowl. Nobody remembers the teams that didn't win it all. I didn't compare Brady to Grossman. You sound like a bitter band-wagon Patriots fan who doesn't like it when other people are not ready to "crown their a-s-s".
They MIGHT be the best team right now, but until they beat the Colts you can't even be sure of that. I just don't think this is such a big deal at this point and I'm sick of hearing the premature bantering. Look at how many teams you came up with that started in a similar fashion. Big deal.
Street: Yanking your chain only; but.... Look at the "dynasty teams" of the 70's for the Steelers, when Brad & gang were winning FOUR Superbowls. Plus the team that Noll left for the
Spitter's first year, course the Spitter left Tomlin the makins too this year. Ah, motivation, motivation, motivation........Fuzz (still a great post though)
I forgot to add that a follow up in week twelve would be fun- just to see how it shakes up against history. And the other guys above me obviously didn't read carefully....
Fuzz - Thanks for the post. This is just looking at the first 6 games. The only Steelers team I even thought about putting on the list was the 14-2 1978 team. They outscored their opponents 151-63 or by 14.7 ppg, but the problem is that 5 of their 6 wins were by 11 points or less. While the 1978 Steelers may be deemed to be a better overall team, they did not have a better 6-0 start.
Bforty - First, I said they have the 3rd best start in the Super Bowl era. Look at the teams on that list. Those are the best regular season teams in the last 42 years. Almost all of them won Super Bowls. That is a big deal.
Second, I agree with you that the Colts have to be the favorite. They are the defending champs and have won the last 3 meetings between the teams. Pats have to win that game if they want to be the favorite. That isn't what this article was about. This article was about who had the better start to the season. It is possible for the Pats to have had the better start, while the Colts are still the better team, is it not?
Finally, I am not a Pats fan. I am a Packers fan. I know they both start with P, but they are not the same thing. However, I try to look at things objectively, something you are clearly uncapable of doing. If you were you would be giving them a little more credit than what you are.
BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. Come Nov. 4 Patriots will get their first lose guaranteed. The bears had an easy season last year beating all the losing teams and look what happened. No superbowl. Look what they're doing now! Nothing but losing. The Colts have the toughest schedule in the AFC. Pats schedule is all about beating teams that are in a losing streak and those teams are being beat by everyone. Now come the Superbowl Champs Colts the pats have to play in the Colts dome where the Colts are undefeated. The Colts are the one team that pats are finally going to lose too. The Colts are too strong for the Pats. Pats fans get with reality. Pats will lose to the Colts Nov.4 and we'll all finally get you to shut your mouths.
You #### think that PATS can't go 16-0.. They won 3 Superbowl Rings with great players. Look at them now.. They have some of the best players that money can buy, ALA George Stinkbeener Yankees. We have a core group of men, not whiney kids asking to be put in the spot light, beggin for attention. We got guys with heart and big goalto set. They got something to prove, THAT'S THE SACRY PART!!!! The Colts barely won last year.. We got a amazing line to go with our superior passing game. The PATS are making teams look like popwarner tweenies. Every pass from Brady looks easy. Every catch looks even more likely to gain 5-10 more yards after the play. That keeps offense fresh. Not one team can match us player for player..
The Colts almost lost two game this year to the Texans and Houston.. You no nothings no nothing about the PATS defense... We have LB's scoring The Bears don't have a offense that can score at will, PATS do. The PATS have been winning by large margins. Not like the past years keeping it close. Even then the PATS are trying ut news plays to see iof they work, they score. The PATS are practicing for the next two years. The other NFL teams are just the practice squads. THEY HAVE NO WEAKNESSES!!! GET IT!!
Colts fan - Get a schedule and read it before you post. Honestly. The Cowboys are 5-1 with the one loss being to the Pats. The Chargers are 3-3 with all 3 losses being to divisional leaders. The Browns are 3-3 and have beat the Ravens this seson. The Jets, Bengals, and Bills stink, but remember the Bills almost beat the Cowboys on Monday night. Comparing a 3 time Super Bowl winner to a Bears team that has lost one Super Bowl is the most insane comparisson one could make.
If I were a Colt fan, I would believe my team would win too. But stop acting like the Pats start is garbage. It is a historic accomplishment, even if the Colts do win the Super Bowl this year.
Native - I think the Colts have as good of a chance to go 16-0 as the Pats do, which is not very likely. While both are veteran clubs, I think it is unlikely that either will go 16-0. I think San Diego will trip up Indy, and I think either the Steelers or Colts will trip up the Pats. I would be very surprised if either team lost more than 2 ball games on the season. I think that both teams will be #1 and #2 seeds. I think both teams will meet in the AFC Championship Game.
Last edited by StreetCred on October 19th at 1:56 PM.
Objectivity is a matter of opinion. You're a Packers fan and now you think the Patriots are one the best teams ever. That sounds like a bandwagon to me. You can use statistics to make a lot of points, which is great if you're in to fantasy football, but in the real world success is measured by Superbowls. Just ask anyone who plays in the NFL if you ever get to become a real journalist.
REMEMBER THE BLOW OUT LAST YEAR BEFORE THE SUPERBOWL. THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE A MURDER ON NOVEMBER 4. GET YOUR T.O POPCORN, RANDY, WELKER, KYLE BRADY, WATSON, STALLWORTH AND VRABEL ARE GONNA TORCH THE PONY'S... WHO GOING TO STICK ALL THEM SUPERIOR PLAYERS HUH??
WE ARE 6 DIMENTIONAL OFFENSIVE TEAM COMPARE TO THE COLTS 3 DIMENTIONAL OFFENSE. THE PATS D IS CRAZY NOW, NO WEAKNESS, ASK HARRISON, HOBBS AND SAMUELS ON THE BACK FIELD. WE GOT SEAU WITH 3 PIC'S OUR LB ARE SCORING, WHAT PROVE DO YOU NEED MORE OF? THE COLTS ARE GOOD, BUT THIS GOOD. CALL A SP.ADE A SP.ADE, THE PATS ARE 75% A MUCH BETTER TEAM THAN A YEAR AGO.. THAT'S ENOUGH TO WIN TWO SUPER BOWLS BACK TO BACK............................... ........................ OH WE DID THAT ALREADY..
Last edited by Nativeeyes on October 19th at 2:13 PM.
ARE YOU GUYS READY WHAT IS SAID ABOVE IN THIS ARTICLE? The Patriots have outscored the opposition 230 to 92, or an average of 23.0 points per game. Their closest contest in terms of margin of victory was a 17-point victory over Cleveland. They have yet to score under 34 points and besides the Dallas game have not given up anymore than 17. But what is most amazing is the 138 points that separate them and their opponents is more than 27 of the 32 teams in the NFL have scored on the entire season. It is truly a remarkable start.
WE ARE BLOWING TEAMS OUT!! HELLO!!! AND DOING IT WITH EASE!!! SHUTTING DOWN OFFENSES, NOBODY IS DOING THAT. SOME JUST CAN'T SCORE AT ALL...
Last edited by Nativeeyes on October 19th at 2:13 PM.
You make a lot of sense, I'm with ya. I just hope if the Patriots meet them in the playoffs, they are able to beat both the Texans and Houston, those will be two tough games! ####
They PATS don't need to cheat. Even though a lot of teams do. The Jet's cheated but didn't get caught. So the PATS turned it back on them, they hated it and dimed them out.
As far as class, DALLAS FANS... All the drug users and dealers on that team could have passed for a sequel to Boyz in the Hood part deux... Class, the owner buy his players hookers.. Hello!! I lived there for a year and seen all the press releases. I won;t mentions names but give me a break DALLAS COWGIRL FANS
yo, cheatin' Pat fan out there. Americas Team is playin' at Minn. this weekend, so be listening to the crowd......this is what it sounds like to be Americas Team, as always, half if not ALL the stadium will be rootin' for us. Something you'll never, ever hear at a Pats away game, year after year after year....Go Cowboys!
Since when are the Cowboys "America's Team"? Grrr- that just gets to me.
And Native Eyes- you would come across a little less agressive if your posts weren't in all caps. It feels like you are yelling. Or drunk. Or both.
And the Pats HAVE beat the Colts in the Dome- so have the Steelers- people, relax! StreetCred has said it a thousand times- this is about the start of the season, not the finish. Going 14-2, 15-1, or 16-0 does not guarentee a Superbowl. The Pats know this, and so do most of their fans. We are talking about the first SIX game statistics. The Phins could come out with tire irons on Sunday and wipe out the starting line-up, and then that would be the end of it. Things could look totally different by week 12.
