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Who are the New England Patriots’ top threats to going 16-0?

By Patrick Morgan

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 08: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots looks on during the game between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium on September 08, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 08: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots looks on during the game between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium on September 08, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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The odds of any NFL team going 16-0 in the modern era are slim, but it’s certainly been done before. Who could stop the Patriots this year?

While it’s important not to overreact to anything that happened in Week 1 of the fledgling new NFL season, it’s also difficult to ignore just how thoroughly the New England Patriots steamrolled the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Behind a stifling defense, a dynamic aerial attack, and myriad contributions from unsung heroes like James White and Rex Burkhead, the Pats demolished the Steelers by a final score of 33-3. There wasn’t much to find fault in considering the performance, as New England illustrated just how complete they can be in all three phases of the game when executing to their full potential.

The rest of the league was surely put on notice. Once again, the road to the Super Bowl will probably go through the defending champs, and it would be a surprise if the Patriots aren’t playing in their ninth straight conference championship game come January, with a realistic shot of also reaching their fourth consecutive Super Bowl then in February.

In fact, New England looked so dominant against what was presumed to be one of their strongest challengers in the AFC, some fans and analysts are now openly wondering if this particular team might have what it takes to make a run at a perfect regular season.

No team has gone 16-0 since the 2007 Patriots team that featured Randy Moss and Wes Welker; but with Antonio Brown and Josh Gordon joining Julian Edelman and a stable of talented running backs, this offense suddenly has the necessary firepower to make scoreboards spin like they did 12 years ago. The defense this season also looks significantly better than that 2007 unit.

With the important precursory acknowledgment that it’s still early and there’s a very long way to go this year, who are the biggest obstacles standing in the way of New England once again completing an unblemished regular season?

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