Nfl Team Of The Decade

Patriots:

2000 - 5-11

2001 - 14-5 (Super Bowl Champions)

2002 - 9-7

2003 - 17-2 (Super Bowl Champions)

2004 - 17-2 (Super Bowl Champions

2005 - 11-7 (Lost to Denver in Divisional Round)

2006 - 14-5 (Lost to Indianapolis in Conference Championship Game)

2007 - 18-1 (Lost to Giants in Super Bowl)

2008 -11-5

Total - 127-45 (3 Super Bowl championships, 4 Super Bowl Apperances, 5 AFC Championship Appearances, 4 AFC Championships, 6 playoff births)

From the beginning of the decade the Patriots have been under the leadership of one man, Bill Belichick. During this time they have had just one losing season, and that was in Belichick's first season as Patriots Head Coach. During this time they have made the playoffs 6 times. 2 of the 3 times they failed to qualify they ended up tied for 1st in the division but fell short due to the tiebreaker.

The Belichick era started to get off to a bad start through his first 18 games as Patriots coach. Through those 18 games he was 5-13 and lost the franchise QB. Enter Tom Brady, the man who with help turned the Patriots from laughing stock to consistent Super Bowl threat. During this time they have not had "all stars" from top to bottom. They consistently went from player to player. It also seems as though they get hit with the injury bug year after year worse than other teams.

During their 2001 season in which they won their first Super Bowl, the Patriots weren't expected to do anything. People couldn't believe it when an unheard of QB lead them to the #2 seed in the AFC and a game against the Raiders. The Patriots took the game controversially though. That lead to an AFC Championship game versus guess who, the Pittsburgh Steelers. This game was held at the Steelers Heinz Field. The Patriots won the game in Pittsburgh. This lead to them going to New Orleans and winning Super Bowl XXXVI.

The 2002 campaign kicked off with the opening of Gillette Stadium, against none other than those Steelers. This was Tom Brady's first full season as starting Patriots QB. This game ended in a 30-14 Patriots route.

The rest of the 2002 season wouldn't be as easy for the Patriots, including a stretch where the Patriots lost 4 games in a row. Their biggest flaw that year that the Patriots couldn't stop the run. Teams ran all over New England and that lead to a 9-7 record and missed the playoffs.

2003 kicked off in Buffalo to face two old friends, Drew Bledsoe and Lawyer Milloy. In week 1 the Patriots started the year off with a 31-0 loss. Their last loss of the season came in September to the Washington Redskins. That lead to them winning 15 games in a row for that season. That lead to the #1 seed in the AFC. They ended up advancing to Super Bowl XXXVIII and won it by beating the Carolina Panthers 32-29.

The biggest knock on the Patriots had been that they didn't have a true #1 RB. They got that in April of 2004 in a trade with the Bengals that landed Corey Dillon. The Patriots started off 6-0 and over the past 2 seasons had a 21 game winning streak, until they played the Steelers in Pittsburgh. New England would lose the game and their winning streak. Despite that New England kept their focus and ended up with the #2 seed in the AFC. This lead to a showdown versus the Steelers for the conference title. New England won that game and eventually the Super Bowl to become the first dynasty of the 2000s.

The Patriots started off the year looking for an unprecidented thrid Super Bowl victory in a row. They would go on to make the playoffs but would lose to the Broncos in the divisional round. The following season the Patriots had similar expectations. They made the playoffs yet again but would lose to the Colts in the AFC Championship game. 2007 started out with crazy expectations. They ended up going 18-1 and losing the Super Bowl. But during that time they had a winning streak in the regular season of 18 games. 2008 started horrifically for New England, when Tom Brady suffered a season ending injury. It looked like the season was lost. Matt Cassel didn't disappoint, before losing to the Dolphins in week 3, they extending their regular season winning streak to 20 games! However due to all 5 of their losses coming to conference foes the Patriots missed the playoffs despite an 11-5 record.

The Patriots have many things that could boost their argument for "Team of the Decade". They has made a trip to 4 Super Bowls. Been to 5 AFC Championship games. 2 long winning streaks. Beat Pittsburgh twice at Pittsburgh to win the AFC Championship game, They have won 6 division titles. Made the playoffs 6 times this decade, and won 3 Super Bowls. They also had an undefeated regular season.

Steelers:

2000 - 8-8

2001 - 14-4 (Lost to New England in the AFC Championship Game)

2002 - 11-6-1 (Lost to Tennessee in the Divisional Round)

2003 - 6-10

2004 - 16-2 (Lost to New England in the AFC Championship Game)

2005 - 16-4 (Super Bowl Champions)

2006 - 8-8

2007 - 10-7 (Lost to Jacksonville in the Wild Card Round)

2008 - 15-4 (Super Bowl Champions)

Total - 104-53-1

The Steelrs have had 2 coahces this decade, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin. Both of who have won a Super Bowl. Their decade started off in mediocrity with a 8-8 and failing to miss the playoffs. But in 2001 the Steelers rebounded nicely by gaining the #1 seed in the AFC. They made it all the way to the conference championship game after beating the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens the prior week. But as I aluded to earlier they lost to New England in the Conference Championship game.

In 2002 the Steelers played the year with Tommy Maddox as their QB. One of the more memorable games of the year was a tie against the Falcons. Another memorable game was the back and forth affair against the Browns in the Wildcard round. Pittsburgh ended up winning but their season was cut short the following week against the Titans in the Divisional Round.

2003 came and Pittsburgh had a sub .500 record at 6-10. At the time fans were very unhappy about the season but that allowed them to pick up Ben Roethlisberger in the April Draft. Picking up Roethlisberger proved immediate dividends in the 2004 campaign. As a rookie he had only 1 loss in the regular season before meeting up with New England for the Conference Championship Game. During the regular season Pittsburgh broke New England's 21 game winning streak, which was an NFL record. In the conference championship game Roethlisberger looked like a rookie and lost to New England at home.

In 2005 the Steelers used that momentum and went all the way to the Super Bowl. They had a tough trip getting there since they were a wild card team, with the Bengals winning the division. In order to get to Detroit for the Super Bowl Pittsburgh would have to win 4 road games. They did end up doing that. The most memorable was a game in Indianapolis in which Roethlisberger had what turned out to be a game winning tackle on Nick Harper after a Jerome Bettis fumlbe. They made it to the Super Bowl to face the Seattle Seahawks and won that game. However Roethlisberger didn't look impressive at all, but nonetheless Pittsburgh won the game.

2006 came and it was another season in mediocrity as they finished 8-8. This would also be head coach Bill Cowher's last season as a Steeler. Roethlisberger was injured on and off throughout the season and it showed as he was in consistent. Pittsburgh rebouned in 2007 and made the playoffs yet again. In early December, Pittsburgh was the trendy pick to end New England's undefeated season. S Anthony Smith even guaranteed his team that they would. In the first week of the playoffs Pittsburgh lost to the Jaguars and sent them home early in Mike Tomlin's first season as head coach.

In 2008 Pittsburgh wasn't supposed to be one of the "Big 3" AFC Teams. However they were supposed to be in that next ecehlon of teams. They showed this season that they belonged in the same conversation as the New England's and Indianaplois's of the world. They ended up with the #2 seed in the AFC and looked ready to make another Super Bowl run. After the Titans lost to the Ravens in the divisional round, Pittsburgh got to host another conferecnce championship game. They ended up winning and going to the Super Bowl. I think we all remember what happened and they beat the Cardinals to win their 6th Super Bowl.

While Pittsburgh only has 2 Super Bowl titles this decade people consider them right up there with New England. Some of the things that could help Pittsburgh are that they have been to 4 AFC Championship games. They have been to 2 Super Bowls. New England was caught spying. New England lost its undefeated season in the Super Bowl. New England coughed up an 18 point halftime lead to the Colts in the 2007 AFC Championship Game. Pittsburgh has made the playoffs 6 times this decade, 5 times as the division winner. Pittsburgh also ended one of New England's long winning streaks.

Personally I feel that New England is the team of the decade because they have one more ring. I also think they has more credentials to earn themseleves "Team of the decade" status. With 2 more NFL seasons this decade things could get very interesting.