The New England Patriots dynasty is without peer. Over the past two decades, New England has unquestionably been the best team in the NFL and in all of sports. Since 2001, the Patriots have won five Super Bowls, been in three more, made it to 13 AFC Championship Games, and only missed the playoffs twice. Oh, and they did it all with a salary cap put in place to stop this very thing from happening.
The Patriots haven’t had a down point since Tom Brady took over, but there is a clear break in the run of success. Most of Dynasty 1.0, highlighted by Rodney Harrison, Richard Seymour, Tedy Bruschi, and others left the team during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Over the next few seasons, New England added franchise cornerstones in Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Dont’a Hightower, and several others. Since this is the off-season, let’s debate which part of the New England Patriots dynasty was more successful.
Which New England Patriots Dynasty Was Better?
The Case For Dynasty 1.0 (2001-2009)
This is the one that started it all. After going 35 years without a title, the Patriots won three of four from 2001 to 2004. Tom Brady improved over time, but he’s always been an All-Pro caliber passer. These teams were unbeatable at their best, as evidenced by their 21-game winning streak during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Of course, this team was fantastic even when they weren’t winning titles. The 2007 Patriots are widely considered the best offense of all time, as Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker took the league by storm that season. New England went 16-0 in 2007, a feat which remains unmatched to this day. From an individual statistical standpoint, Brady’s never matched his 50 touchdown passes and nobody has matched Moss’ 23 touchdown receptions.
In total, the Patriots won three Super Bowls, played in another, made it to five AFC Championship Games, and won the AFC East seven times in that nine-year period. The Pittsburgh Steelers were the only other team to win more than one Super Bowl over that timeframe. The Patriots won double-digit games in eight out of nine seasons, including their undefeated 16-0 regular season. New England’s 109-37 record was two games better than that of Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, and their 21-game win streak remains the best mark in NFL history.
The Case For Dynasty 2.0 (2010 – Present)
Dynasty 1.0 ended with a lopsided Wild Card loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but the Patriots rebuilt on the fly and created arguably an even better one. New England entered the 2010 season with relatively low expectations but managed to finish 14-2 with the homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Brady won his second MVP and New England appeared to be on a collision course with the Super Bowl. However, the New York Jets upset the Patriots in Foxboro, leading to the second one-and-done playoff appearance of the dynasty.
Of course, that was the last time New England didn’t make it to the AFC Championship Game. Since then, the Patriots have played in all eight AFC Championship Games and five Super Bowls, winning three times. The Patriots have won the AFC East each and every year and have never won fewer than 11 games. Adding to this absurdity is the fact New England has earned a playoff bye in every season since 2009. Kingdoms fall, mountains crumble, and the New England Patriots just keep on winning.
New England’s previous nine seasons are simply ridiculous when compared to the rest of the league. The Patriots have won 113 games over since 2010, good for an average of 12.5 per season. The next closest team is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who won 94 games. Additionally, the Patriots are the only team to win more than one Super Bowl since 2010.
Perhaps what’s most impressive is that this run isn’t over. While Rob Gronkowski may be gone, the majority of the core still remains. The Patriots are defending champions and should be one of the Super Bowl favorites throughout 2019. New England made it to the big stage in four of the past five seasons, and they could easily do it again.
New England Patriots Dynasty Final Verdict
While both eras of the dynasty are completely unforgettable, Dynasty 2.0 narrowly edges out the original version. The 2010–2018 Patriots won as many Super Bowls as their 2001-2009 counterparts, and they were two drives away from winning two more. Making it to eight out of nine AFC Championship Games is just absurd, and this unparalleled annual consistency will never be seen again.
This shouldn’t take anything away from how good that original dynasty was. The best of Dynasty 1.0 might beat out 2.0, as the 2010–2018 Patriots have never won 21 straight games or pulled off an undefeated regular season. While the highs were arguably higher, there were more lows with the first dynasty. The 2001-2009 Patriots had three seasons with 10 wins or fewer and missed the playoffs two times during that nine-year stretch. The latest incarnation of the dynasty has yet to miss the playoffs and has always won 11 or more games.
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