New England Patriots - "Why We Fight"

2008 NFL Season Preview 

When the world looks back at last season, an undefeated juggernaut falling to its knees will undoubtedly be the picture that most remember. Some will shake their heads, unable to fathom how the team that scored more points and won more games than any other in history could allow perfection to slip through its grasp at the last possible moment. Some will bring up "SpyGate" and self-righteously smile as they think about "cheaters" ultimately getting what they deserve. Some will have their hearts ache, unable to let go of "what might've been". I, on the other hand, will remember the greatest team to ever step onto a football field and feel nothing but pride.

Forget the record books. Forget the hype. The 2007 New England Patriots cared about nothing but winning. Their singular goal was to win Super Bowl XLII and nothing else. To some, even those who never bought into the "perfection" propaganda, that would make them a bunch of failures, seeing as they never did accomplish that goal. To me, however, it only cements the fact that they were the most worthy group of men to ever wear a Patriots uniform, perhaps even a football jersey. If ever a group of players had the opportunity to make things "all about them", to talk trash, to gloat, to "raise their market value, it was the members of the 2007 Patriots. In the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, the Patriots were clearly the biggest story the NFL has ever had. Yet not once in the 21 Week journey that was the 2007 NFL Season did you ever hear a Patriot put themselves above the other men in the locker room, not once did you hear them smack talk an opponent before a game, and not once did you ever see them set their focus beyond winning the next game on the schedule. The 2007 New England Patriots had every temptation to be self-serving, and they never took the bait. Instead, they ate their humble pie and went about their usual business. They never took their eyes off the goal, even for a second. The result, Super Bowl XLII notwithstanding, was the single most dominant season any team has ever had.

If at the end of the day you can look at what that group of men accomplish and call them "failures", then you've got some misplaced priorities. Sometimes, your opponent will call a timeout before you get stuffed on a 4th and 1 play. Sometimes, a quarterback's jersey slips through your fingers and a wide receiver catches a ball off his helmet. Sometimes, those things happen, and they can be the difference between "perfection" and falling short. It's a reality that affects even the best of teams and it's, perhaps, the most significant reason why this game is so captivating. However, to define men based on the outcomes of those uncontrollable moments is both short-sighted and shallow. The New England Patriots showed more resolve and character than any team that had gone before them, and that fact, not the "1" in the loss column, is the standard by which they should be measured.

Still, the goal was left unreached. It's a fact that all the hyperbole about "character" will not change. It's a harsh reality that has been smoldering inside the stomachs of these players for seven long months. Many have wondered aloud how the Patriots will be able to bounce back from such a crushing defeat. It's a question that's entirely justified as the last team to suffer such an upset in the Super Bowl, the 2001 St. Louis Rams, were never the same again after that loss. Yet if there's ever been a team that's been able to stand tall in the face of adversity, it's Bill Belichick's Patriots.

This is the team that defeated the "Greatest Show on Turf", in a dome, with a bunch of rejects and a back-up quarterback.

These are the "one year wonders" who rattled off fifteen straight victories, took down the NFL Co-MVP's in back to back weeks, and then pulled off a drive for the ages to win the greatest Super Bowl ever played.

These are the warriors who steamrolled Peyton Manning and his 48 touchdowns on their way to creating a dynasty.

This is the patchwork roster who took down the undefeated-at-home Chargers in a smash-mouth contest and then, flu-ravaged, brought the Indianapolis Colts to the brink of elimination.

This is the team who took the most gut-wrenching loss in franchise history and turned it into an eighteen game assault, the likes of which football has never seen before.

These are the New England Patriots. And so the real question is not "how will this team bounce back from such a crushing defeat?", but rather "how can they not?"  Over the past seven years the New England Patriots have been tested in the fire. They have dug in their heels when the odds were at their worst, they have scraped and clawed their way through some unimaginably brutal battles, and every time they've been dealt a blow, they have punched back that much harder. If their response to blowing a 21-3 AFC Championship lead in the RCA Dome was the the most dominating offensive onslaught in history, one can only begin to fathom what is about to take place in the wake of last season's finale.

It's not about revenge. It's about being better. It's about playing as a team, working that much harder than your opponent, learning from the past, and building towards something greater - together. That's what the New England Patriots are all about. Some may take a look at the roster and feel this team has dropped off a notch. Some may look at the sheer improbability of even the greatest team going through another regular season unmarred and write the Patriots off. But anyone who truly knows this team, who has understood the measure of these men, their character, and what playing this game means to them - they know that there is only one likely outcome to the 2008 NFL season:  Super Bowl XLIII Champions, 19-0.

Pre-Season Predictions:

As usual, I'm here for my pre-season predictions. Again, the ultimate goal is to get every single one of these selections right and go 12-12. In the six years I've been doing this, I've never been better than 8 for 12, and for some reason, I'm only getting worse with time. Last season was particularly abysmal as I managed to get the "gimme" Patriots, Colts, and Chargers pick and then laid a turd on the remaining nine selections, getting only one right. The one rule, as always, is that no more than seven teams can return from last year's playoff fold, and even then, six is much, much safer. I learned that lesson the hard way by violating it last year. Here's my season by season tally, just in case for some odd reason you actually cared...

2002: 8/12
2003: 7/12
2004: 4/12
2005: 6/12
2006: 6/12
2007: 4/12

NFC PLAYOFFS:

Wildcard Round:

Vikings over Panthers, Eagles over Seahawks

Divisional Round:

Cowboys over Eagles, Saints over Vikings

NFC Championship:

Cowboys over Saints

 

AFC PLAYOFFS:

Wildcard Round:

Colts over Broncos, Jaguars over Steelers

Divisional Round:

Patriots over Steelers, Colts over Chargers

AFC Championship:

Patriots over Colts - the way this story has to be written.

 

SUPERBOWL XLIII:

Patriots over Cowboys

And finally, all is right with the world.