When it comes to the Patriots' six Super Bowl championship teams, every Lombardi Trophy was won in a unique fashion. The first and sixth championships of the dynasty, against the Rams, were stalwart defensive efforts, while XLIX and XXXVIII were back-and-forth affairs that ultimately went New England's way.
But the 2016 team that eradicated a 28-3 deficit in Super Bowl LI against Atlanta rises head and shoulders above the rest. That Patriots' team finished 14-2, going 3-1 during Tom Brady's suspension and overwhelming Houston and Pittsburgh in the AFC playoffs. It'd be easy to assume that the team's offense would be one of the best in Super Bowl history.
According to CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo, not so fast.
When ranking the top 12 Super Bowl-winning offenses of all time, the 2016 Patriots - and no Patriots team for that matter - was nowhere to be found. If you're curious, the 1999 Rams took the top spot, while two San Francisco teams finished in the top 12. The top 12 also included Brady's 2020 Buccaneers (what?) and the no-name 1991 Redskins.
It's OK that Brady's Bucs made that list, but if quarterbacks like Mark Rypien and Ken Stabler are on this list, where are the 2016 Patriots?
The 2016 Patriots should be in the top five Super Bowl teams of all time
This isn't homerism. It's straight reality.
The 3-1 start while Brady was serving his DeflateGate suspension was no fluke. Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett were outstanding, and given that season's September slate (at Arizona, Miami, Houston, Buffalo), the Patriots could've fallen behind the 8-ball quickly.
It didn't happen, and when Brady returned, the Patriots were unstoppable. Brady threw 28 touchdown passes and just two interceptions in 12 games. New England averaged a whopping 386 yards per game, fourth in the league. Julian Edelman and LeGarrette Blount were 1,000-yard receivers and rushers, respectively.
You also have to remember that Rob Gronkowski was riddled with injuries that season, and didn't even play in the Super Bowl. Guys like Edelman, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola and James White were the unsung heroes.
What some people forget about Super Bowl LI is that Atlanta's 28-3 lead was somewhat of a mirage. The Patriots had been moving the ball, but stalled drives and turnovers helped the Falcons build their lead. By the fourth quarter, Atlanta's defense was exhausted.
The fact that Brady's 2020 Buccaneers are on this list and the 2016 Patriots are not is downright disrespectful. No disrespect to that Tampa Bay team, but the 2016 Patriots should be somewhere on that list.