18-1.
It’s a record most Patriots fans would like to forget, despite its historical significance. New England had one of the best seasons in NFL history in 2007 when it cruised through the regular season undefeated and reached Super Bowl XLII, where it ultimately lost to the New York Giants.
As it turns out, that wasn’t one of the best seasons in NFL history — it was the best season ever, according to FiveThirtyEight.com’s Elo rating.
The rating uses a few factors to calculate a team’s skill level, and it turns out no team in NFL history was more talented than that 2007 squad. And that’s not the only good news for Patriots fans. The 2004 team, which won Super Bowl XXXIX, was ranked as the second-best of all time.
The 2003 (56th) and 2014 (49th) championship squads also broke the top 60. But what about those 2001 Patriots? Well, they appear well behind at 338th.
Thumbnail photo via Stew Milne/USA TODAY Sports Images
