"Mike Vrabel's Patriots won't take any of their remaining six regular-season games for granted, so neither should we. I get the sentiment, a remnant of the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady years. Now please join me while I try to figure out whether the Patriots can run the table. Hey, I know we're not supposed to get ahead of ourselves. But it's kind of impossible not to when the Patriots have won eight in a row through this weekend's mini-bye."
"When the Patriots started the season 1-2, I was worried that my preseason prediction of nine wins - the most optimistic of the participating Globe writers - was going to be about four too many. And now here they are, having already matched that nine-win projection with a half-dozen games remaining. Remarkable. Almost unbelievable. And yet as real as the rain."
"So here's the question of the day: Can the Patriots win out heading into the playoffs? This century, the Patriots have ended a regular season with a winning streak of six games or more six times: 2001: six straight after an encouraging Week 10 loss to the Rams dropped them to 5-5. They would meet again, and were they ever ready. 2003: 12 straight, en route to 21 consecutive wins, playoffs included, through Week 7 of the 2004 season."
The New England Patriots have won eight consecutive games and face six remaining regular-season contests under coach Mike Vrabel. The team began the season 1-2 and has now matched a nine-win preseason projection with half a season left. The coaching staff emphasizes focusing on each opponent and avoiding complacency while enjoying a rare and special streak. Comparisons to the 2001 Patriots arise as the franchise nears a possible win-out. This century, the Patriots have finished regular seasons with winning streaks of six or more in 2001, 2003, 2007, and 2010.
Read at Boston.com
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