Why History Proves You Just Can't Bet Against Patriots, Tom Brady

The Patriots are coming off a complete drubbing of the "Dream Team" Philadelphia Eagles.

Just another typical late-season game for the New England Patriots.

After people panicked over their two-game skid that included losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants (at home), the Patriots have gotten their act together, while other teams in the AFC East have slowly slipped.

At an 8-3 mark with the easiest remaining schedule in the NFL, it would take a total collapse for the Patriots to not win the AFC East.

In the nine seasons Tom Brady has started for the Patriots (not including 2008), the Pats have won the AFC East title eight times.

The last time they didn't win their division with Brady as their starting quarterback?

Yes, the Patriots with Brady have won their division seven consecutive times.

That is simply an unbelievable mark of consistency.

The Pats may have had their most complete game of the season in winning 38-20 over the Eagles on Sunday night.

Whereas in the Jets victory, the Patriots finished with a final score that made it look like a "blowout," the game was a competitive matchup in the first half, with neither team looking better than the other.

Although the Eagles got off to a 10-0 lead in this one, the Patriots quickly erased that lead and went on a 38-3 run.

On five of their next six possessions (not including a kneel-down at the end of the first half), the Patriots offense scored. This sequence of scoring included three consecutive touchdowns, four touchdowns overall and a field goal.

So, what should we expect from here on out?

I don't think it's a question that the Patriots will win the division. It never should have been a question in the first place when you consider the coach-quarterback duo you're dealing with and their track record of success together.

The question is, how will they perform in the postseason?

Dating back to their 2007 Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants, the Patriots have lost three consecutive playoff games.

If you said Brady and Bill Belichick would lose three consecutive playoff games at the height of the Patriots' dynasty after Super Bowl 39 at the conclusion of the 2004 season, people would have looked at you like you were nuts.

However, it is the reality of 2011.

Can the Patriots advance deep into the postseason with their style of play? Can they advance to the Super Bowl with an underwhelming defense?

The Patriots are the perfect example of a bend-but don't-break defense. They rank 32nd in passing yards given up, but 11th in total points given up.

As far as their offensive balance is concerned, they rank 13th in rushing attempts and 15th in rushing yards.

The question should never be, "Will the Patriots win the AFC East?"

Look at their track record. They always win the East.

The question is how will this team handle adversity in the postseason having lost three consecutive games, two of which were at Gillette Stadium?

Do the 2011 New England Patriots have the resiliency and toughness of those early 2000s Patriots Super Bowl teams?

If the Patriots run into a team such as the Pittsburgh Steelers or Baltimore Ravens, will New England be able to beat them with its inconsistent defense, its lack of consistent rushing and its high dependency upon Brady?

In order for this team to advance in the postseason, the team will have to step up.

This is something that the team did not do in their loss to the New York Jets in the divisional round of 2010.

The Patriots offense has a penchant for struggling against 3-4 defenses. With the weather becoming colder as winter approaches, it'll be even harder to throw the football.

Brady may be one of the top two quarterbacks in the league, but no quarterback can win playoff games by himself. If the Patriots don't find a consistent identity when it comes to their rushing attack and defensive ability to stop offenses, they'll likely come short yet again of their ultimate goal.

A Super Bowl championship.

With all of that said, when it comes to the Patriots in the postseason, despite their lack of success since 2005, can you really bet against them?

Do you really lack confidence in perhaps the greatest head coach-quarterback duo of all time?

When it comes to today's NFL, nobody does it better in the playoffs than Belichick and Brady.

Although the mystique has taken a major hit in recent years, it's hard not to believe in "the man under the hoodie" and the "golden boy."

That is why you just can't bet against the Patriots.

You never know what to expect out of them come January.