Struggles show just how good Patriots were
ENGLEWOOD • The king is dead. Parity is back.
A season-ending knee injury to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady turned the NFL upside down. The Patriots, who have ruled the NFL since upsetting the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI seven seasons ago, are 3-2 going into Monday's game against Denver with a home loss to 2-3 Miami and a mostly noncompetitive 30-10 loss Oct. 12 to San Diego.
The Patriots' vulnerability this season makes their dominance that much more impressive. In a league set up for non-playoff teams to quickly rise back to the elite, New England won three Super Bowls this decade and last season lost in the Super Bowl after the first 16-0 regular season in NFL history.
"Since I have been in coaching, it is by far been the most impressive stretch that I have ever seen," said Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, whose first year as a NFL assistant was 1984.
The Patriots could have easily had five Super Bowl titles this decade. They blew a big lead against Indianapolis in the AFC Championship Game two seasons ago, and the Giants scored the go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute to go in last season's Super Bowl.
Even in NFL locker rooms, where pride limits praise of the opponent to keeping inflammatory quotes off bulletin boards, there is reverence for the Patriots' accomplishments. Even though the season didn't end with a championship, New England's perfect regular season was one of the top feats in NFL history.
"It's very impressive, to stay that consistent over a whole football season is so hard to do," Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley said. "It's just hard for a whole year to maintain that level of play every Sunday."
Patriots coach Bill Belichick isn't known for deep reflection, and he didn't have much to say about what his team has done the past few years.
"I'm respectful of the history of this league and some of the things that we've accomplished, but right now our focus is on Denver," Belichick said.
Given the way the Patriots have gone through the NFL, the Broncos' success against them is unusual. They are 5-1 against the Patriots since 2001, and no other team has a winning record.
"I've got no idea," Shanahan said when asked for reasons he has had the Patriots' number. "I don't think that you really think about what you have done in the past, you just get ready for this game. You know what type of football team they have now and what type of teams they have had over past years. It is always a great challenge."
The Broncos' victories over the Patriots include a playoff win during the 2005 season and a 17-7 win at New England two seasons ago.
"They're a good football team, that's No. 1," Belichick said. "It starts with Mike and the coaching and their program and their players. They've won a lot of games, they've won championships and they've beaten a lot of people and they've certainly had a lot of success against us."
Without the Patriots' dominance this season, the NFL seems wide open.
Among the 32 NFL teams, only one is undefeated: Tennessee at 5-0. No other team has an active winning streak longer than two games. Only the Giants, Steelers and Bills have one loss, and each team was helped by already having a bye week.
One team with high hopes is the Broncos, who lead the AFC West by a game at 4-2, and could use a win against New England before their bye week.
"You'd rather be 5-1 or 6-0, but I think we're doing a lot of good things," Stokley said.
