New England Patriots haters might want to look away.
The five-time Super Bowl champions have been called many things throughout the 21st century. Dominant, lucky, overrated, underappreciated; it’s all been said. The term “badass,” though, is one you don’t often see associated with the Patriots or their players.
But a recent poll conducted by the Tampa Bay Times reveals that, in the eyes of NFL writers, the Patriots and a few of their players more than meet that description. For the poll, the Times surveyed 43 writers across the league and asked them to rank the three most badass teams and players in the league. Here are the results, along with the accompanying votes:
Teams
1. Patriots (29 votes)
2. Seahawks (27)
3. Steelers (18)
4. Raiders (9)
5. Ravens (8)
T6. Broncos (6)
T6. Cowboys (6)
8. Bengals (4)
T9. Cardinals (2)
T9. Packers (2)
T9. Panthers (2)
T9. Texans (2)
Players
1. James Harrison, Steelers LB (14 votes)
T2. Marshawn Lynch, Raiders RB (10)
T2. J.J. Watt, Texans DE (10)
T4. Kam Chancellor, Seahawks S (8)
T4. Ndamukong Suh, Dolphins DT (8)
6. Tom Brady, Patriots QB (7)
7. Von Miller, Broncos LB (6)
T8. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots TE (5)
T8. Khalil Mack, Raiders LB (5)
10. Aaron Donald, Rams DT (4)
So why are the Pats ranked higher than a team that features “The Legion of Boom?” Well, it’s not just about how much they win, but more so how they do it.
“Hands down. They take a three-touchdown lead and keep throwing, and throwing, and don’t give a damn what anybody thinks,” Bleacher Report’s Tyler Dunne said, via The Times.
“The Patriots run whatever they want, whenever they want, and they’re not afraid to buck conventional wisdom,” The Advocate’s Joel A. Erickson said. “That strikes me as badass.”
It’s worth noting that, although he didn’t appear in the top 10, Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman also received some votes.
As far as Brady is concerned, this poll is at least somewhat ironic. Earlier this week, Tony Dungy ranked him as the sixth-greatest quarterback since 1978, a decision many consider insulting. Ranking as NFL’s sixth-most badass player, though, is quite a compliment.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports Images
