Are we this generations Patriots?

[Scottemojo]

Despite what Cowboy and Patriot fans think, there are only three dynasties that matter. The 60's Packers, the 70's Steelers and the 80's Niners. All the others were too short lived. Patriots only go to the playoffs year after year because the AFC East sucks year after year. They stopped winning SB's after the cheating stopped.

I'd be happy if five years from now we can add the Seahawks as the fourth true dynasty.

While I respect the way those dynasties were assembled, I think what the Patriots have done is way,way more impressive than what the CowBoys, Steelers, and Niners did. Back then, players stayed under team control longer, there was no cap so teams could keep their players. Keeping a dynasty together was a matter of replacing aging players.

no 70's Cowboys fan worried that paying the QB would cost them a WR or DL. Steeler fans didn't have to concern themselves with keeping Stallworth over Swann.

When the cap arrived, pundits declared it the death of the dynasty. The Niners had to cheat the cap to build their last winners.

Sure, the AFC East sucks. But the Pats win the games on their schedule, having great records over good teams out of division as well. Look at Manning's struggles vs the Pats. Or the fact that after the filming stopped, the Pats still reeled off an impressive 18 win season, succumbing only to one of the better pass rushing teams in recent memory.

In the cap era, staying relevant year after year is damn hard. I very much respect what the pats have done, and if the Hawks can do the same, that will be a triumph every bit as big as those ol'dusty ass dynasties of yester year.

 

[TwilightError]

If we win This year, then yes.

 

[Seahwkgal]

Despite what Cowboy and Patriot fans think, there are only three dynasties that matter. The 60's Packers, the 70's Steelers and the 80's Niners. All the others were too short lived. Patriots only go to the playoffs year after year because the AFC East sucks year after year. They stopped winning SB's after the cheating stopped.

I'd be happy if five years from now we can add the Seahawks as the fourth true dynasty.

While I respect the way those dynasties were assembled, I think what the Patriots have done is way,way more impressive than what the CowBoys, Steelers, and Niners did. Back then, players stayed under team control longer, there was no cap so teams could keep their players. Keeping a dynasty together was a matter of replacing aging players.

no 70's Cowboys fan worried that paying the QB would cost them a WR or DL. Steeler fans didn't have to concern themselves with keeping Stallworth over Swann.

When the cap arrived, pundits declared it the death of the dynasty. The Niners had to cheat the cap to build their last winners.

Sure, the AFC East sucks. But the Pats win the games on their schedule, having great records over good teams out of division as well. Look at Manning's struggles vs the Pats. Or the fact that after the filming stopped, the Pats still reeled off an impressive 18 win season, succumbing only to one of the better pass rushing teams in recent memory.

In the cap era, staying relevant year after year is damn hard. I very much respect what the pats have done, and if the Hawks can do the same, that will be a triumph every bit as big as those ol'dusty ass dynasties of yester year.

100% agree with this and it was my point from my earlier post. The Cap changed everything and NE is the model for success in the modern era. We have a long way to go in that regard. I am confident that we can keep it going.

 

[sc85sis]

How much did Pete set the table for Bill's success? I honestly have no idea and am curious about it. Pete certainly had no personnel control with the Pats and not everyone there bought into what he was trying to do. It was known that guys who didn't want to do things Pete's way would run to the GM. That all changed when Kraft gave Belichick the control he had not given Pete. But how much of what Pete started contributed to the team's success over Bill's first few years there?

 

[Tech Worlds]

How much did Pete set the table for Bill's success? I honestly have no idea and am curious about it. Pete certainly had no personnel control with the Pats and not everyone there bought into what he was trying to do. It was known that guys who didn't want to do things Pete's way would run to the GM. That all changed when Kraft gave Belichick the control he had not given Pete. But how much of what Pete started contributed to the team's success over Bill's first few years there?

None

 

[morgulon1]

I just hope we don't fall to the same fate as the early Belichick Patriots: losing their defense.

It's inevitable, these current players will develop,age,peak then decline as all players do. The really crazy thing to think about is that our defense is all about the same exact age . We are definitely in our "window" right now.

 

[evergreen]

That's the secret, youth. We're still one of the youngest teams. Three years we've been the best defense, while being so young. It didn't look like it in October but that's it.

 

[BASF]

How much did Pete set the table for Bill's success? I honestly have no idea and am curious about it. Pete certainly had no personnel control with the Pats and not everyone there bought into what he was trying to do. It was known that guys who didn't want to do things Pete's way would run to the GM. That all changed when Kraft gave Belichick the control he had not given Pete. But how much of what Pete started contributed to the team's success over Bill's first few years there?

The answer is not much. Darth Belichick went through most of that roster like a Sith Lord. By the time Brady replaced an injured Bledsoe in week 2 in '01 there were five defensive starters that had been starters for Carroll and only one offensive player. Some of the players brought in during Carroll's tenure did become starters, but like you said, he had no personnel control. The most interesting thing looking back at the players was the Troy Brown thing. I don't recall the circumstances, but as soon as Belichick showed up a guy who was barely used became an 80+ receptions, 800+ yards receiver from pretty much out of nowhere. He had the physical talent, but with Belichick's system the light went on for him.