If the Patriots complete their run to a second championship in three years, their season will rank among the greatest in NFL history–even if no one considers this team on par with the great teams of the Packers of the ’60s, Steelers of the ’70s and Niners of the ’80s.
What the Patriots lack may not so much be stars as egos. No one on Bill Belichick’s roster screams “Look at me!” like, oh, Deion Sanders. Even Ty Law, who used to prance and preen, has toned down his act.
“We just play together,” he said. “This is the ultimate team defense, and this is the ultimate team, period. We feel if we play together, we can beat anybody.”
They understand, though, that failing to win the Super Bowl will only further label them as overachievers who aren’t as good as their 16-2 record.
“The way you earn respect is to go out there and win,” safety Rodney Harrison said. “Each week, regardless of whether we had a seven-game winning streak, people doubted us. People called us pretenders, never gave us a chance. So it doesn’t matter. We just have to go out there and win ballgames and when we have our opportunity, the Super Bowl.”
SILVER BULLETS
– New England has knocked off the two league co-MVPs (Tennessee’s Steve McNair and Indy’s Peyton Manning) and has beaten four recent MVPs in their last five playoff games (Oakland’s Rich Gannon in 2002 and two-time MVP Kurt Warner of St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXVI).
– Patriot PK Adam Vinatieri missed 10 FG attempts during the regular season, and two were at Houston’s Reliant Stadium.
– Hiring Alex Gibbs as the team’s offensive line coach may have been Atlanta’s most significant move in the off-season. Gibbs is the best in the business and helped make the Broncos one of the most effective running teams over the last 10 years.
– Washington DE Bruce Smith thought about retiring, but the return of Joe Gibbs has him reconsidering. However, it’s unlikely the Redskins coach wants him back.
![Four years into cannabis legalization in Illinois, celebrations of the April 20 informal weed holiday known as 420 are getting bigger and more widespread. Named for the time of day a group of friends met to get high, 420 has become a chance for marijuana users to publicly share a previously illegal drug and the counter-cultural atmosphere surrounding it. The main event in downtown Chicago likely will be the second annual 420 Sesh Fest, at Green Rose Dispensary. The party will include live music, a magic show, carnival games, food trucks, pop ups, and product discounts. It also will feature Grammy-nominated […]](https://www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ctc-l-Illinois-marijuana_175925141.jpg?w=546 "Four years into cannabis legalization in Illinois, celebrations of the April 20 informal weed holiday known as 420 are getting bigger and more widespread. Named for the time of day a group of friends met to get high, 420 has become a chance for marijuana users to publicly share a previously illegal drug and the counter-cultural atmosphere surrounding it. The main event in downtown Chicago likely will be the second annual 420 Sesh Fest, at Green Rose Dispensary. The party will include live music, a magic show, carnival games, food trucks, pop ups, and product discounts. It also will feature Grammy-nominated […]")
