Notebook: Pats have simply done it right -- 18 times
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They find a way.
After conversations with several league coaches and personnel, the one common thing they could all agree on to help understand the New England Patriots' 18-game winning streak was that the Patriots always find a way to win.
They might be getting outplayed, as they were in their opener against the Colts, but then they make the plays at the end, including a key sack to get the Colts out of an easy field goal and turn it into a miss for the league's best kicker.
Or they can be threatened late in the game, as they were against the Buffalo Bills last week, but then they get a sack, a turnover and a touchdown all on the same play. Magical.
"This team is amazing in its ability to pull out close games, making the big play," said an NFC personnel director. "When the chips are on the table, they always draw the ace."
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| Coach Bill Belichick is a key reason the Patriots own an 18-game winning streak.(Getty Images) |
Their last loss came to Steve Spurrier, which tells you how long ago that was.
Since then, they have picked up a second Super Bowl ring, their quarterback has cemented himself as one of the greatest winners ever -- two Super Bowls in three years -- and their coach has pushed to the top of any coaching lists.
So what's the secret? It has to be more than just finding a way.
