New England Patriots can make more NFL history in Week 14
South Florida has not been a vacation spot for the New England Patriots. But a win on Sunday over the Dolphins will produce another league milestone.
The 21st century began slowly for the New England Patriots. In 2000, the franchise hired one-time Cleveland Browns’ head coach and longtime NFL defensive mind Bill Belichick to be its newest sideline leader. Things did not go smoothly in his first campaign with the club. The Patriots finished 5-11 and in last place in the then five-team AFC East.
A year later, the club dropped its first two contest. In that second setback, a 10-3 home loss to the New York Jets, starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe suffered a severe injury. That opened the doors for second-year pro Tom Brady and the rest is NFL history that continues to be made on a regular basis.
A week ago at Foxborough, the Pats stifled the Minnesota Vikings, 24-10, for their ninth win of 2018. It clinched an 18th consecutive winning campaign for this franchise — the second-longest streak ever. The NFL record stands at 20 straight via the Dallas Cowboys from 1966-85.
When the Patriots take the field in South Florida on Sunday against the hard-to-figure Miami Dolphins, Belichick’s team is in position to claim its 10th consecutive division title. That extends the team’s league record that originally belonged to the Los Angeles Rams, who won seven straight NFC West crowns from 1973-79.
But another first-place finish means the Patriots are headed back to the playoffs for the 10th straight year, which would be a first in league annals. It would break a tie with the Cowboys (1975-83) and Indianapolis Colts (2002-10), who each made nine consecutive trips to the postseason.
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Of course, getting that done this week against the Dolphins may be easier said than done. Brady and his team are 1-4 in their last five trips to Miami. And the Pats have been less-than-scintillating on the road this season (3-3). But once again, this organization is in line to set another milestone and be it this week or the next, the excellence continues in New England.