COMMENTARY
ATLANTA — The Patriots never went anywhere. They never do in this era of extended excellence. And yet this season, it’s remarkable how far they came.
The accounting is utterly ridiculous. In this 18-years-and-counting Tom Brady/Bill Belichick generation of dominance, the Patriots have made the playoffs 16 times (with one absence coming when Brady blew out his knee in the ’08 opener), won 16 AFC East titles (including the last 10), reached 13 conference championship games, advanced to 9 Super Bowls, and seek their sixth victory Sunday.
The level of achievement isn’t just high.