Originally posted by gripgrap
OK...how many games in a row would the Pats have to win...or...by what margin would they need to win for you to admit they're a very good team. Not the 49ers of the 80's, not the Steelers of the 70's, not the early 90's Cowboys...not even the early 90's Bills...but a very good team with mental and physical toughness that knows how to win close games (i.e. don't make mistkes, don't take uneccesary chances, do your job...don't try to make the unbelievable play every down). If this were the Saints we were talking about instead of the Pats...would you have this same feeling? Is it because it's a hated rival? That I understand...but I don't think anyone can really believe that a team can luck their way into 14 straight wins against "far superior" competition. Yeah...the Fish did have chances to win both games...as did the Jets...as did the Titans...as did the Colts... but none of them made the crucial plays at the crucial times. People miss field goals on bad footing, field goals get blocked...it's part of the game. These aren't miracles. Being a great football player and team isn't just how fast you are, how high you can jump, how hard you can hit, etc...the truly great players and teams had/have players who were mentally tough and strong...always found ways to win...even when not playing all that well. Brady, Troy Brown, Matt Light, Joe Andruzzi, Seymour, Hamilton, Bruschi, Phipher, Harrison, and Law have this quality...and they have great / forward thinking coaches. The Fish have some of these intangible players too (Surtain, Chambers, Zack Thomas, Marion)...they just don't have enough of these guys where talent and mental toughness meet. I think you're looking at the wrong things if all you see is that the Dolphins have as many if not more "superstars" than the Pats and therefore the Pats winning is controlled by some power beyond anyone's control. The Immaculate Reception, the Holy Roller, the Hook and Lateral, The Hail Mary, the Catch, the Drive...these all included large measures of luck...but these things always seem to happen to winners...know what I mean?
My spelling is an affront to human kind so I'm gonna call it a day...good communicating with you though...always cool to see how the other half thinks.