07-07-2021, 04:44 PM
(07-07-2021, 03:32 PM)samhain Wrote: That's a really bad take on the Pats success in their dynasty years. They were indeed dominant in a bad division, but they were also 134-44 vs non divisional opponents from 01-2019. They weren't just feasting vs inferior teams, either. They went 24-14 vs eventual division winners. They almost always had to play the AFC's first place teams from the previous year.
There's no way to look at their wins and who they were against and say that they were anything but dominant over most of that stretch. They beat the Steelers, probably the next most consistent franchise in the conference something like 12 out of 16 times over that stretch (I particularly enjoyed that). They were 9-4 vs the Ravens over the same period of time. Denver probably fared best vs them winning 10 of 19.
I wasn't actually being serious. However....
Their division was garbage and it absolutely helped them. That has to be the worst division in football over the last 20 years. Hell, none of them even had a long term franchise QB over that time frame. Tom Brady saw an actual franchise QB maybe twice a season. So, while I applaud the Pats for being a dynasty, I cannot help but think there are other things that were likely to happen if the Pats played in the AFCN, for example, over the last 20 years. Or the NFCE or NFCN. Just from a health standpoint, I don't see how Brady plays virtually untouched for 20 some years. Nearly half his schedule was against the 3 worst teams in the NFL... for 20 years.
It would make a fun experiment to take a look at the playoff brackets the Patriots have been in and see their path and how many franchise QBs he actually faced in the playoffs and what his record was against them and then look at how many teams he played who had an OK or journeyman QB at the helm and what he did against those guys. Like, was there a consistent path that he had where he only needed to beat 1 good QB to make the Superbowl? Or, did he maybe face several in the brackets and beat them? Or none? And what were the outcomes?
