The Patriots are a dynasty. Sorry, there's no doubt about it. They are not the greatest dynasty ever, to be sure. The Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s, the Green Bay Packers of 1961-67 (and they also lost in the 1960 NFL championship), and even the Cleveland Browns of the late '40s-early '50s (won every championship in the four-year history of the AAFC, then an NFL championship) are greater dynasties.
For now.
Couple points, though:
1. Rodney Harrison was the MVP. First of all, for reiterating for us all how much of a bitch Freddie Mitchell has always been. At least Pinkston doesn't pretend that he has weaknesses as a football player. He tries his best and it's not always good enough. Mitchell has a superiority complex when really he should be questioning whether his career should continue. Years of chronic underachievement and comic book-level invisibility on the field should have led no one to be surprised at his play last night.
But back to Harrison. Two picks, a sack, seven tackles--including the one that allowed the first half fumble to be forced. A boldness and swagger that McNabb and Andy Reid lacked all game, but especially in the fourth quarter.
2. Simply put, the Eagles made their reputation worse by the closeness of the game. If they had been blown out, they would have been looked at as overmatched. By showing such lack of recognition for game situations and losing a game that was in their palms all night, they cemented a status as losers.
It's not too late to change that. They are young enough, and the Patriots won't always be in the Super Bowl. But right now the 1990s Bills are looking mighty impressive by comparision.
I absolutely agree, there is no doubt that the Patriots are a dynasty. Remember a few years ago when people in the media said we may never see a dynasty again in the NFL due to the hard cap, free agency, ect. To me that’s what makes the Patriots accomplishments so amazing, even if they aren’t as good as the 60’s Packers or 70’s Steelers.
I said before the game that Rodney Harrison would be the MVP and I was really close. We all know Freddie Mitchell stinks so I wasn’t worrying about him, but did you notice that the only ball TO caught on Harrison’s side of the field was the first one which was out in the flat on the first drive of the game. Add that to his stats and I think he’s the MVP. Also, Harrison was flying all over the field, where was Brian Dawkins.
In response to your second point I somewhat disagree. The Eagles would never have been in the game if the Patriots didn’t come out flat while making uncharacteristic mental mistakes (2 false starts) in the first quarter. If the Patriots played, well like the Patriots in the first quarter, they would have put the game away when they scored on their first three possessions in the second half. However, in fairness to your point, you can argue that the Eagles should have been up 14 or even 17 after the first quarter. I hate to say it but I think we can all agree that the Eagles will be back.
-Mike