The 2007 New England Patriots were a team that made so much NFL history. They went 16-0 during the NFL regular season and quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss set all sorts of records that year when Bill Belichick was the head coach.
The offense felt very unstoppable. In the postseason, New England took down the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Los Angeles Chargers in the postseason before reaching Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona against the New York Giants. During Week 17 of the season, the Giants had nothing to play for, and the Patriots barely escaped 38-35. New England and New York met again, and the Giants pulled off the greatest upset in Super Bowl history 17-14. Where do the 2007 Patriots rank amongst all-time great teams?
New England Patriots Of 2007 Ranked 1 Amongst Teams Over Last 25 Years By Yahoo Sports
Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports listed his Top 25 teams over the last 25 years in the NFL. Despite not winning the Super Bowl in 2007, he had the Patriots in ’07 as the number one ranked team over the last 25 years. This probably should not come as a surprise to anyone and said,
“This isn’t just the greatest team of the last 25 seasons. It’s probably the greatest team in NFL history. Their +315 point differential is the best in NFL history. Pro Football Reference’s simple rating system has the 2007 Patriots as the highest ranked team ever, and by a significant margin. They’re the only team to go 16-0 in an NFL regular season.
Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Randy Moss are among the greatest at their jobs ever, and they were all at their peak this season. Alas, placing them first on the list will lead to some consternation, and we all know why. The Patriots lost the Super Bowl to the Giants, who played a great game, with the defensive line taking over and a helmet catch we’ll remember forever. Because the 2007 Patriots didn’t win a championship, many will eliminate them from consideration as the greatest ever. But this is the best team to take the field in the last 25 seasons and maybe in any season. Without any doubt, they’re the greatest team in NFL history to not win a ring.”
The 1972 Miami Dolphins were thrilled when the Giants took down the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII because the Dolphins remain the only unbeaten team in NFL history. New England in 2007 had the best chance to end that streak by Miami, but it has yet to be broken. It will be interesting to see if that record will ever be broken again. With the NFL season at 17 games now, it might be impossible for that record to be broken and also the Patriots 2007 team is better than most teams that have won Super Bowls over the years.