New England Patriots: Does history await in the playoffs?
The New England Patriots have been at this winning thing for a long time. Now the team hopes to slay another one of the NFL’s historic dragons.
They’re back — as if they ever really went away. The New England Patriots once again made history last week by becoming the first team in NFL annals to reach the playoffs 10 consecutive years. All of those appearances have or will come as AFC East champions. The club’s 24-12 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 16 snapped a brief two-game losing streak by Bill Belichick’s team.
When you have the most successful player in postseason history at your disposal, there’s always a chance. The Patriots are attempting become just the third franchise to make three consecutive Super Bowl appearances.
The Miami Dolphins did it from 1971-73, winning titles the final two years of that stretch. The Buffalo Bills actually topped that streak, reaching four straight Super Bowls from 1990-93, only to come up short on each occasion.
Back to those Dolphins. In 1972, one year after losing Super Bowl VI to the Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans, Don Shula’s squad achieved perfection with a 17-0 campaign, including a 14-7 victory over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Why is that significant? It’s the last time a team won a Super Bowl a season after coming up short in the “Big Game.” A year ago, quarterback Tom Brady’s 505 passing yards weren’t good enough to prevent a 41-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII. Now the Patriots are back with an opportunity to do what the Dolphins did more than four decades ago.
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The bottom line is that once you’re in the NFL playoffs, there’s a chance to win it all. That’s indisputable. And if you’re the New England Patriots, you have a head coach and a quarterback that has seen it all and done just about everything. Does this duo have another trick up its sleeve? Don’t bet against them or this team.