When trying to figure out the best team in the storied history of the New England Patriots, you have to dig deep into the archives. One could argue that the 2007 team, which set numerous NFL records and was 40 seconds away from a 19-0 season, could be it, but that team ultimately failed to finish the job. A lot of us still have nightmares of that ball pinned against David Tyree's helmet.
CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo recently took a dive into each franchise's best team of all time, and with plenty of stellar Patriots' teams to choose from, one was a no-brainer.
That would be the 2016 club that won Super Bowl LI, the Patriots' fifth championship. We all remember where we were that night in February 2017 when the Patriots eradicated a 28-3 deficit and beat the Falcons 34-28, one of only two overtime games in Super Bowl history. Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson is already studying film of James White, who should've been Tom Brady's co-MVP that night.
While the 2004 team is a close second for me, the 2016 team stands out above all the others. And it wasn't just about the epic comeback in the Super Bowl. It's the path that they took to get there.
The 2016 Patriots: One hell of a story
Those were the words wide receiver Julian Edelman kept uttering at halftime when things looked bleak for the Patriots in that Super Bowl. But the first chapter started in July when Brady decided to give up his fight against the NFL and serve his four-game DeflateGate suspension.
Behind Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett, the Patriots won three of their first four games without Brady. Once the GOAT returned, New England blitzed through the rest of its schedule to a 14-2 record while leading the league in scoring defense and winning 11 games by double digits.
The Patriots went on to dominate the Texans and Steelers in the AFC playoffs before their epic comeback against the Falcons in the Super Bowl. Perhaps what's even more remarkable is that Rob Gronkowski missed most of the second half of the season with injuries.
Patriots' fans can only hope that Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs will be the new Brady and Edelman in Foxborough. New England hasn't had a 1,000-yard receiver since the Squirrel accomplished that in 2019. If Henderson can be a better version of White, it's only telling what the Ohio State product can do.
The 2016 season feels like it was a lifetime ago to most, given the Patriots have gone 8-26 over the last two seasons. However, the Patriots can return to that level if they continue to reload the right way. And it will be a hell of a story.