No team has been more impressive this century in the NFL than the New England Patriots. With 15 AFC East titles, eight AFC Championships and five Super Bowl championships since 2001, there’s simply no argument that the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick marriage has been anything less than stellar over the last 17 seasons.
While New England is seen as the gold standard in the NFL today, the Patriots weren’t always the crown jewel of the AFC. In fact, New England was arguably one of the most pitiful organizations in all of football before owner Robert Kraft bought the team in the mid-1990s.