They steal games,
win cheap, crush dreams.
...despite being total
f*cking crybabies.
They humiliated
your team recently...
The NFL makes sure
they get all the calls.
they ALWAYS
F*cking win.
They're the ultimate comeback kids.
...Despite losing more players to injuries.
They’re not afraid
to deliver a beating...
They’re smart,
disciplined, cool-headed.
All they do
is win win win...
F*CK PATS!
go pats!
F*CK PATS!
go pats!
F*CK PATS!
go pats!
F*CK PATS!
go pats!
F*CK PATS!
go pats!
f*ck pats!
go pats!
f*ck pats!
go pats!
f*ck pats!
go pats!
f*ck pats!
go pats!
f*ck pats!
go pats!
hate
Love
why you
the patriots
in 5 charts
In the current era of sports, few teams are more polarizing than the New England Patriots. To most people, the Pats are either undeniable champions—superior tacticians, gutsy comeback kids, noble warriors in a league of drama queens and troglodytes. Or, they're crybaby cheaters and the beneficiaries of a deep state conspiracy to canonize the Brady-Belichick union and keep the NFL rolling in billions...at least until the Surgeon General bans the sport and Roger Goodell is arrested for crimes against humanity.
How you view the following five charts—all objectively presented data—depends on your POV. So pick a side, any side, and let your feelings be validated. It’s not like you were gonna change your mind anyway.
hate
Love
why you
the patriots
in 5 charts
MADE WITH LOVE BY
designed by tri vo
Researched by The DataFace
(Jack Beckwith & Michael hester)
Source: predictionmachine.com & dataface
Tom Brady made his mark in his first ever Super Bowl with a legendary scoring drive in the waning minutes. Since then, comeback wins have become a staple of Brady’s—and by association—the Patriots’ MO. He’s led 11 game-winning drives in his playoff career, nearly double that of John Elway, who stands closest with six.
So what does a Patriot’s comeback look like in terms of probability? Look at how the Patriots’ chances of winning fluctuated in last year’s Super Bowl. Statisticians had them beat in the 4th quarter, but after over 56 minutes of exemplary football by the Falcons, Brady & Co would not be denied.
*(AGL quantifies the cumulative impact of injuries over the course of a season, factoring in both the value of an injured player (i.e. starters vs. benchwarmers) and the diminished performance of players who play through injury.
Source: Football Outsiders, pro football reference & DataFace
Think the Patriots’ success has been the result of a few lucky breaks? Think again. Since 2008, they’ve consistently been among the most injury-riddled squads in the NFL, according to Football Outsiders’ Adjusted Games Lost (AGL)* metric. Yet they’ve maintained almost a 77% winning percentage in the regular season during that time.
Source: Pro football reference & dataface
In the last decade, an average Patriots game has resulted in a win by nearly 10 points. No other team in the league has an average margin of even 5+ points over that span. Since 2008, New England has won 50 games by 20+ points, with 21 different teams on the receiving end of those blowouts. Chances are good that your team has caught a recent beating.
In the AFC Championship game, the Jacksonville Jaguars racked up a total of six penalties for 98 yards. The Patriots, meanwhile, were called for a single 10-yard penalty the entire afternoon. Chalk it up to the Patriots’ discipline or an NFL-sanctioned conspiracy — either way, they tend to be on the officials’ good side.
Across the last three seasons, New England has averaged the second-highest net penalty yards per game. They’ve been called for roughly 1.2 fewer penalties per game than their opponents. Only Arizona has received more consistently favorable refereeing.
Source: NFLPEnalties.com & dataface
source: Sports Reference & DataFace
Since Bill Belichick was appointed coach of the Pats in 2000, the team has missed the playoffs only three times (including the 2008 season which Tom Brady missed in full). They’ve been to seven Super Bowls in 16 years, winning five, and putting them irrefutably—and possibly irritatingly—on top of a rarified group of champions, the winningest sports franchises of the 21st century.
